Welcome new attorneys!

Most of the 583 people who passed the July bar exam took the oath of admission during a October ceremony.

 

By JAMES CARLSON

 

Retired Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory J. Hobbs exhorted more than 500 new attorneys at the Admissions Ceremony in October to continue the "incremental work" of justice.

 

"Step outside yourself and walk in the shoes" of your client, Justice Hobbs told the crowd of recent graduates and their family members who gathered at the Boettcher Concert Hall.

 

Justice Hobbs quoted Bob Dylan, Lord Tennyson and Abe Lincoln in a passionate keynote speech about the rule of law, the judicial system and the incoming attorneys' role in protecting and improving both.

 

Chief Justice Nancy Rice introduced Hobbs, as well as fellow speakers -- Chief Judge Marcia S. Krieger of the U.S. District Court for Colorado, and Patricia Jarzobski, president of the Colorado Bar Association.

 

Examinees in Colorado continued the trend of outperforming test-takers in other states. In all, 877 people sat for the July bar exam and 583 passed. Despite Colorado requiring a higher score than most states, its 73 percent passage rate is above the national average.

 

A downward trend in MBE scores across the country has stirred a national debate over whether the root cause is due to the quality of students entering law school or due to the difficulty of the exam itself.

The Office of Attorney Regulation’s website contains a full breakdown of the Colorado pass rates.

James Carlson is the Information Resources Coordinator for the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.