Dean’s Letter, Summer 2024
Dear Purdue Global Law School Students and Alumni:
As we are in the heart of summer, I hope you have found a little time to relax and stay cool. It has not been much of a summer break at Purdue Global Law School, but it’s good to be busy! I am happy to share a number of exciting developments:
February Bar Exam Pass Rates. We are excited to report that Purdue Global Law School achieved a first-time pass rate of 52.6% on the February 2024 California bar exam, exceeding the statewide first-time pass rate of 44.8%. Although we didn’t beat the ABA first-time average as we did in February 2023, we did tie the ABA at exactly 52.6%. Our overall pass rate (including repeaters) was 35.9%, which also beat the overall California bar exam pass rate average of 33.9%. This is another tremendous accomplishment for an online law school. Congratulations to all of our bar passers, and special thanks to our Associate Dean of Bar Support Steve Bracci and Director of Bar Support Quentin Huff for their tireless efforts assisting our bar takers.
New Licensure Opportunity in Indiana. Beginning July 1, 2024, Amended Rule 13 of Indiana’s Rules for Admission to the Bar and the Discipline of Attorneys allows Purdue Global Law School graduates a licensure pathway in Indiana. This new rule allows the Indiana Board of Law Examiners (IBLE) to grant waivers for bar applicants who did not attend an ABA-approved law school, provided they were eligible to take the bar examination in another state upon graduation. Our JD program graduates have been eligible to sit for California’s bar exam upon graduation since the school’s founding, and they will now be eligible to seek these waivers in Indiana. The earliest bar exam administration for which our graduates can petition to sit under this new rule is the February 2025 exam.
If you are considering applying for a waiver petition to take the Indiana bar exam, we are happy to help with your petition and provide resources to help you prepare for the exam. However, be aware that if you neither live in Indiana nor intend to practice there, there is a good chance that the IBLE will not approve your petition. Also know that you would need to travel to Indiana twice: first for an in-person interview as part of their moral character and fitness screening process and again to take the Indiana bar exam itself. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please contact Director of Bar Support Quentin Huff at quentin.huff@purdueglobal.edu.
ABA News. At this time, there is no major ABA update on the proposed revisions to the Standards for Approval of Law Schools that would allow a fully online law school such as Purdue Global Law School to pursue provisional and then full ABA approval. However, at their May 2024 meeting, the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted to keep examining the changes that would be needed to allow approval of online-only law schools — notwithstanding considerable opposition from the deans of many traditional law schools.
New Full-Time JD Program. On June 21, 2024, the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California approved Purdue Global Law School to offer a full-time JD program alongside our existing part-time program. This new accelerated JD program option will allow those students with limited outside commitments (no more than 20 hours per week) to complete their JD in just 32 months, one-third less time than our standard 48-month part-time program. We are delighted to be able to provide this added flexibility for our students, as it aligns perfectly with our mission of making law school accessible for nontraditional students.
Introducing FLEX: A New Online Program to Boost Law School Success. In May 2024, Purdue Global Law School launched its new pre-admission program, Foundations of Legal Excellence (FLEX), to help students develop foundational skills in legal analysis, writing, and reading that are critical to law school success. Through this program, we strive to close the gap in law education inequality, increase retention, lower attrition, and strengthen the preparation of students who may otherwise not succeed in law school. The ultimate goal of the program is to further diversify our student body and the legal profession. A central component of this program is community-building, mentorship, and creating a sense of belonging. The program was developed in collaboration between Assistant Dean of Students Larasz Moody-Villarose and Professor Sidra Vitale, and it is being taught by Professor Vitale.
Regional Mixers. Join us Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, September 22, to meet members of the Purdue Global Law School community at our regional in-person mixers across the U.S. These mixers are a great opportunity for students, alumni, faculty, and staff to connect, enjoy some food, and have a drink together. Specific locations and details will be announced soon.
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Establishes the Judge Elbert P. Tuttle Chapter. We are pleased to announce the launch of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity (P.A.D.) at Purdue Global Law School, specifically the Judge Elbert P. Tuttle Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta. We commend the efforts of the executive board for ensuring the successful development of this fraternity at Purdue Global Law School. Phi Alpha Delta is the largest law fraternity in the world, with chapters at over 200 law schools in the United States alone, and we are excited to be a part of it.
Thanks, and all the best,
Martin Pritikin
Dean and Vice President
Purdue Global Law School