Raising the Bar: 2021 Annual Report
You raised the bar for student opportunities.
This article is from the 2021 Annual Report of the University of Kansas School of Law.
Welcome
Free Bar Prep Program
When KU Law’s Free Bar Prep Program was introduced in 2018, it was one of the only programs of its kind in the country.
With elements including a post-graduation commercial bar review course and access to an on-site bar exam instructor, the program is provided at no cost to students. That’s possible thanks to the generous support of alumni who understand the importance of easing a graduate’s transition from law student to licensed attorney.
Graduates in the Class of 2021 were in the first class to participate in all three years of the Bar Prep Program. In July 2021, they earned a 100% pass rate on the Missouri bar exam and a 98% pass rate on the Kansas bar exam.
Bar exam program statistics:
- 100%: Missouri bar exam first-time pass rate for KU Law graduates, July 2021
- 98%: Kansas bar exam first-time pass rate for KU Law graduates, July 2021
- $33,000: Amount donated to the program by KU Law alumni in 2021
Bar exam program components:
- Post-graduation Themis Bar Review course
- Extended bar exam prep course for J.D. credit
- Access to an on-site bar exam instructor
- First-year diagnostic exam
Summer Stipend Program
Through the support of the Bradley Family, the Bremyer Fund, the Richard L. & Suzanne Sedgwick Bond Fund, and the Public Interest Law Student Fund, KU Law offers stipends to help students offset the expenses incurred when they take legal positions that provide 240+ hours of public interest work. In 2021, the school provided more than $67,000 in funding through the program. Funding for the past two years combined is over $138,000.
Nearly 40 students took summer positions with government agencies, nonprofits and other organizations. Placements included Kansas Legal Services, Colorado Legal Services, Kansas Court of Appeals, Missouri Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, and district attorney, public defender and prosecutors’ offices in counties across Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.
Summer stipends by the numbers:
- $67,000+: Stipend funding in 2021
- $138,850: Stipend funding over the past two years
- 39: Students in 2021 with positions supported by summer stipends
The stipend program was an invaluable resource and helped me pay expenses while I interned with the violent crimes unit of a prosecutor’s office. With my stipend, I was able to focus on developing practical legal skills and serving the public.
Through the public interest law stipend, I took part in a statewide effort in creating and translating software to assist Spanish-speaking clients. This program has removed one of the many barriers Spanish speakers face when seeking legal services.
Alumni Contacts
Meghan Flanders
Development Director
mflanders@kuendowment.org
785-832-7466
Margaret Hair
Director of External Affairs, KU Law
mhair@ku.edu
785-864-9205
