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Supreme Court Considers Lowering Score Required to Pass Bar

Board raised requirement by 10 points to avoid reputation as easily passable state

By Molly Priddy

BILLINGS — The Montana Supreme Court is accepting public comment on a proposal to lower the score aspiring attorneys need to pass the bar exam in Montana.

The Montana Board of Bar Examiners petitioned the Supreme Court to raise the passing score by 10 points a few years ago. The change was made in 2013, partly because only a handful of states had bar exam passing scores equal to or lower than Montana’s, which was 260. The board didn’t want Montana to have the reputation as being an easy place to pass the bar.

University of Montana Law School Dean Paul Kirgis says the percentage of UM law school grads passing the bar on the first try fell from 88 percent prior to 2013 to below 70 percent. He proposed reducing the passing score to 266.

 

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