The University of Dayton School of Law continued its tradition of strong bar exam performance: 83% of first-time takers passed the July 2025 Ohio bar exam, exceeding the statewide first-time rate by three percentage points and tying for third among all Ohio law schools according to results released by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Beyond Ohio, three additional measures underscore the strength of the law school’s outcomes:
- 94% first-time pass rate outside Ohio. Among UDSL graduates who sat in other jurisdictions, nearly all passed on their first attempt on the July 2025 bar exam, showing the preparation Dayton Law provides travels well.
- 88% overall first-time pass rate. Combining Ohio and non-Ohio takers, nearly nine in 10 UDSL first-time takers passed, reflecting consistency across testing locations.
- 95% ABA two-year Ultimate Bar Passage. This reportable metric by the American Bar Association shows that within two years of graduation, more than 95% of the Class of 2024 passed a bar exam, strong evidence of sustained support from graduation through licensure.
“I’m proud of all our graduates for the work they put in to achieve these results, and I’m excited they are able to get the optimal start to their legal careers,” says UDSL interim Dean Christopher Roederer.
Students in the Online Hybrid J.D. program had a 90% first-time bar passage rate on the July 2025 exam. Since the program’s launch in 2019, Hybrid J.D. graduates have passed the bar exam on their first attempt at a 91% rate.
“This shows once again why we are a leader when it comes to online legal education,” says Dean Roederer. “We have set the standard for teaching law online, and these results are proof of how successful students can be in our program.”
Whether online or residential, Dayton Law students are able to participate in the school’s Road to Bar Passage (R2BP) program after graduation for robust support in the critical months before the July and February exams. Beyond individualized feedback on writing assignments to sharpen analysis, organization, and timing, R2BP also provides structured writing blocks, timed multiple-choice sets, full-day exam simulations, one-on-one coaching, small-group workshops, and data-driven check-ins. Students also have access to wellness programming, free weekday breakfasts and lunches in the summer, and—when needed—on-campus summer housing to enable focused study and ease financial strain. In short, R2BP gives graduates the structure, feedback, and encouragement to do their best on the bar exam. More than 92% of the graduates who participated in R2BP for the July 2025 exam passed on the first attempt.
Not only do faculty and staff help with the program, but more than 30 attorneys and judges, many of them UDSL alumni, assist by grading essays and mentoring bar takers.
“Bar passage takes a village, and I think it’s a testament to the special connection our faculty, staff and alumni feel to this law school that they go to such great lengths to contribute to our students’ success,” Dean Roederer says. “We are also fortunate to have such an amazing bar passage team in Tommy Sangchompuphen and Katie Armstrong, our Director and Assistant Director of Bar Preparation. They were instrumental in helping students through their bar journey. They have done a great job leading the Road to Bar Passage program, and these results show the difference they’re making for students.”