NEW YORK — The New York State Board of Law Examiners announced Wednesday that grading has been completed for the July 2009 bar examination. The graduates of American Bar Association approved law schools taking the bar examination for the first time achieved a passing rate of 88.2 percent, believed to be the second highest passing rate ever recorded for that group.

The Board examined a record 11,532 candidates during the two days of testing conducted on July 28-29, 2009. The passing rate for all candidates, including U. S. domestic-educated candidates and foreign-educated candidates, first time and repeat takers, was 72 percent. The passing rate for candidates who took the bar examination for the first-time was 80 pecent.

The number of foreign-educated candidates sitting for the New York bar examination continues to rise. This July, 2,955 (25.6 percent) of the 11,532 candidates taking the examination were foreign educated. The passing rate for all foreign educated candidates who took the examination was 38.5 percent Candidates are being given electronic notification of their examination results today.

A complete list of candidates passing the July 2009 bar examination will be made available to the public on the Board’s web site, at www.nybarexam.org, at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Successful candidates are certified for admission to the Appellate Division and must appear before the Committee on Character and Fitness appointed by the appropriate Appellate Division to be examined as to their character and fitness before being admitted to the bar.

Candidates are not certified for admission until the Board receives proof that they have successfully completed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination as required by the Rules of the New York State Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law.

The Board congratulates the candidates who were successful on the July 2009 bar examination.

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