Tulane Law Tops in Louisiana First-Time Bar Passage

Tulane University Law School graduates posted the highest bar passage rate in Louisiana among first-time test takers on the July 2026 Louisiana Bar Examination, according to results released Friday by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Ninety percent of the Tulane Law graduates taking the Louisiana bar for the first time passed the exam, placing Tulane first among the state’s four law schools, ahead of Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and Southern University Law Center.

The first-time passage rate is a key measure of law school bar performance because it largely reflects recent graduates taking the licensing exam immediately after completing their legal education.

“We are tremendously proud of our graduates and what they have accomplished,” Law Dean Marcilynn A. Burke said. “Passing the bar is the culmination of years of hard work, discipline and determination, and these results belong first and foremost to our graduates. I am also grateful to Professor Suzanne Scalise for her dedicated work preparing and supporting our students, and to the many faculty and staff who have taught, mentored and guided them throughout their law school journey. This achievement is one our entire Tulane Law community can celebrate.”

Tulane’s performance follows a concerted effort by the law school to strengthen academic support and bar preparation for students and graduates. A key part of that effort was the 2024 hiring of Scalise, now Professor of the Practice and Director of Academic Success, who brought more than a decade of experience helping law graduates prepare for the Louisiana bar exam. Before joining Tulane, Scalise served for 11 years as director of bar exam preparation and Professor of the Practice at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. She has also served as a Louisiana bar exam lecturer for BARBRI since 2018 and as a Louisiana bar exam coach since 2021.

At Tulane, she has helped make bar preparation a more intentional part of the student experience, providing students with targeted academic support and guidance designed to identify areas for improvement well before they sit for the exam. Among the efforts she led are the addition of a legal analysis class for third-year law students and extensive bar exam assistance after graduation in preparation for the summer exam season.  

Tulane’s emphasis on academic excellence begins for students during their first days in law school and continues through graduation, the bar exam, and their transition into legal practice.

"Our graduates spent the summer months working tirelessly to attain their bar exam goals, and their hard work, commitment, and determination led to these incredible results," Scalise said. "I feel an overwhelming sense of pride in seeing what they have achieved.”   

Tulane Law's academic rigor and support over three years prepares students to not simply to pass a licensing examination, but to enter the profession ready to serve clients, communities and the legal system, Burke said. 

“Our goal is to help prepare our students for every step of their professional journey,” Burke said. “Today, we celebrate this important milestone with our graduates and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish as members of the bar.”