University of Virginia Library

One hundred and twelve students who have studied in this law school took the Virginia
Bar Examination. Of this number, sixteen (14.3%) passed. Of the students taking the examination,
thirty-nine are graduates, of whom five passed.

I do not gather that you want me to discuss this very serious situation. I feel, however,
that a brief statement might be made. As I understand it, the Virginia Bar Examination is
strictly on Virginia law. If there is a case in Virginia, whether the Virginia view be a minority
view in the United States or not, that case gives the answer to the question. In addition, the
bar examination is directed to certain important courses, but completely omits many courses which
form an essential part of law school training, as, for example, Federal Taxation, Labor Law, etc.
If it were desired to maintain a school with a high record on the Virginia Bar Examination, most
of our elective subjects would be dropped, and the whole method, which is universal in the better
law schools in the United States of considering cases from all American jurisdictions, would be
scrapped. Concentrated drive would be put on Virginia Decisions and Virginia Statutes. I would
suggest that such a law school, even if its students were trained only for Virginia, would tend
to develop an inbred and a narrow bar, which would not be in accord with the traditions of this
Commonwealth and which would but poorly serve its needs.

An examination of the results of the bar examinations show a record of irrational irregularity.
I attach hereto the percentages for the past few years. You will note, for example,
that in the December 1950 examination the percentage passing was three and one-half times as
great as that in the examination given six months later. It seems to me such figures reflect
grave discredit on the examination. They cannot be explained by any variation in the quality of
the applicants or in the quality of their education. Through the years, the percentage of successful
applicants from this school has with but very few exceptions been above the general average
and has been fairly constant with those of Washington and Lee, for example.

I have written to Stuart Campbell, the Chairman of the Board, expressing my opinion of
the results.