FAMU College of Law Achieves 79.7% First-Time Florida Bar Pass Rate
The Supreme Court of Florida has released the results of the July 2026 Florida Bar Exam (LINK). Of the 74 Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law graduates who took the bar exam for the first time, 59 passed, for a 79.7% passage rate. This represents a 3.6% point increase from the July 2025 bar exam passage rate of 76.1%.
“These results reflect the continued commitment to excellence and perseverance demonstrated by our students, faculty, staff, and academic support teams,” said College of Law Dean Simone Marstiller. “The preparation, diligence, and fortitude of our recent graduates exemplify why FAMU Law continues to R.I.S.E. to the occasion.”
FAMU College of Law’s bar preparatory program is called R.I.S.E., which stands for Resources for Increasing Success on Exams. The program lays the foundation for bar readiness beginning in the first year and extends into the post-graduation bar preparation season. It includes approximately 10 weeks of intensive individualized coaching, several simulated exams, and targeted lectures for students studying to take the bar exam. In recent years, the College has continued to produce upward momentum with each exam cycle, showcasing steady growth, stronger outcomes, and renewed confidence in the strength of its academic programs and community.
"These results speak to something we see across this University every day; students who arrive with extraordinary promise and rise to meet every expectation placed before them. A nearly four-point gain in a year when the statewide average declined is not an accident. It is the product of deliberate work: a bar preparation program that begins in the first year rather than the final semester, faculty who invest in students individually, and academic support teams who stay in the fight until the last exam is submitted,” said FAMU President Marva B. Johnson, J.D. “"I thank Cecil Howard, who led the College as Interim Dean and built, along with our faculty and staff, the foundation for these results, and I look forward to all that Dean Marstiller will do to further advance our student’s success. I commend our graduates, who carried the weight of this preparation while balancing families, jobs, and the ordinary demands of life. FAMU College of Law was founded to open the legal profession to students who deserved a seat at the table, and every graduate who passes this exam extends that mission into courtrooms and communities across Florida. We made that promise, and we intend to keep it."
The average pass rate among Florida law schools was 80.4%, down from 82.8% last year.
“Bar passage is one of the most important measures of how effectively we prepare our law graduates for the profession they have worked so hard to enter,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D. “This continued upward progress reflects the College of Law’s intentional focus on academic quality, student success and bar readiness. We are proud of our graduates and remain committed to building on this momentum as we prepare the next generation of lawyers to lead and serve.”
To celebrate this achievement, FAMU College of Law will host its Fall Oath of Admission Ceremony on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., in the Ceremonial Moot Courtroom. The oath will be administered by distinguished FAMU Law alumni judges from the Ninth Judicial Circuit, including the Hon. Gabrielle Sanders-Morency and the Hon. Christy Collins.
