Bar Examination Research Articles

Generative artificial intelligence vs. law students: an empirical study on criminal law exam performance

ABSTRACT Claims that GPT-4 can outperform more than 90% of human test-takers in the US Uniform Bar Examination have sparked heated debates about the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on legal education, academic integrity, and the future of legal practice. Yet GenAI’s capabilities in broader legal examination contexts – including in jurisdictions outside the US – are unclear. This study addresses this gap by evaluating GenAI’s performance against students who took the ‘Criminal Law’ final exam at an Australian law school in Spring 2023. Various AI models and prompt engineering techniques were used to generate 10 distinct answers to the exam question. Five criminal law tutors, unaware of AI involvement, graded a mix of AI-generated and student responses. Then, the tutors were briefed on the AI-generated papers they marked and engaged in reflective semi-structured interviews. The study found that GenAI performed below the student average in questions that required detailed legal and critical analysis. However, all GenAI papers performed better than students in open-ended questions and essay writing tasks. These results provide a benchmark for the capabilities and limitations of GenAI in higher education and provide insights into the potential implications of its application to legal assessments and education, curriculum development, and the future workforce.

Optimization of Billet Cooling after Continuous Casting Using Genetic Programming—Industrial Study

ŠTORE STEEL Ltd. is one of the three steel plants in Slovenia. Continuous cast 180 mm × 180 mm billets can undergo cooling to room temperature using a turnover cooling bed. They can also be cooled down under hoods or heat treated to reduce residual stresses. Additional operations of heat treatment from 36 h up to 72 h and cooling of the billets for 24 h, with limited capacities (with only two heat treatment furnaces and only six hoods), drastically influence productivity. Accordingly, the casting must be carefully planned (i.e., the main thing is casting in sequences), while the internal quality of the billets (i.e., the occurrence of inner defects) may be compromised. Also, the stock of billets can increase dramatically. As a result, it was necessary to consider the abandoning of cooling under hoods and heat treatment of billets. Based on the collected scrap data after ultrasonic examination of rolled bars, linear regression and genetic programming were used for prediction of the occurrence of inner defects. Based on modeling results, cooling under hoods and heat treatment of billets were abandoned at the casting of several steel grades. Accordingly, the casting sequences increased, and the stock of billets decreased drastically while the internal quality of the rolled bars remained the same.

직업선택의 자유의 제한과 자격제도

This article begins with a fundamental question about the level of qualifications required by the qualification system and conducts a constitutional review of the unconstitutionality of the quota system selection method in the qualification system. While the qualification system is essentially intended to evaluate qualifications and abilities, the quota system is seen as being determined by a complex combination of social demands and other interests. However, in the 2008 Heonba 110 decision, the Constitutional Court ruled that the quota system (relative evaluation) selection method under the bar examination system did not violate the principle of prohibition of excess, and this article examines the arguments of the existing Constitutional Court decision to discuss the various qualification systems currently in progress. In this regard, the intention was to proceed with a constitutional explanation regarding the quota system. In the main text, the review criteria for freedom of occupational choice are identified as a prerequisite, the German three-stage theory and the Constitutional Court are compared and reviewed, and then the Constitutional Court decision is reviewed. In conclusion, this article believes that the quota selection method contains objective factors that are unrelated to the ability or talent of the person involved. Even if some subjective reasons are acknowledged, it would be necessary to conduct a more rigorous review of the restrictions on occupational choice in the case, at least in the sense that objective reasons are also present. Furthermore, as a result of a new review of the Constitutional Court's argument, we looked at the quota system from the perspective that it violates the principle of prohibition of excess and has the potential to infringe on occupational freedom. In order to reduce the unconstitutionality of the quorum system, it is believed that there is a need to reform the qualification system by at least incorporating the method of absolute evaluation so that it can be objectively recognized as a verification to evaluate ability or qualifications.

Contribution Analysis of Large Language Models and Data Augmentations for Person Names in Solving Legal Bar Examination at COLIEE 2023

This paper describes our system for COLIEE 2023 Task 4, which automatically answers Japanese legal bar exam problems. We propose an extension to our previous system in COLIEE 2022, which achieved the highest accuracy among all submissions using data augmentation. We focus on problems that include mentions of person names. In this paper, we present two main contributions. First, we incorporate LUKE as our deep learning component, which is a named entity recognition model trained on RoBERTa. Second, we fine-tune the pretrained LUKE model in multiple ways, comparing fine-tuning on training datasets that include alphabetical person names and ensembling different fine-tuning models. We confirmed that LUKE and its fine-tuned model on person type problems improve their accuracies. Our formal run results show that LUKE and our fine-tuning approach using alphabetical person names were effective, achieving an accuracy of 0.69 in the COLIEE 2023 Task 4 formal run.

GPT-4 passes the bar exam.

In this paper, we experimentally evaluate the zero-shot performance of GPT-4 against prior generations of GPT on the entire uniform bar examination (UBE), including not only the multiple-choice multistate bar examination (MBE), but also the open-ended multistate essay exam (MEE) and multistate performance test (MPT) components. On the MBE, GPT-4 significantly outperforms both human test-takers and prior models, demonstrating a 26% increase over ChatGPT and beating humans in five of seven subject areas. On the MEE and MPT, which have not previously been evaluated by scholars, GPT-4 scores an average of 4.2/6.0 when compared with much lower scores for ChatGPT. Graded across the UBE components, in the manner in which a human test-taker would be, GPT-4 scores approximately 297 points, significantly in excess of the passing threshold for all UBE jurisdictions. These findings document not just the rapid and remarkable advance of large language model performance generally, but also the potential for such models to support the delivery of legal services in society. This article is part of the theme issue 'A complexity science approach to law and governance'.

Academic performance and well-being of medical students during online learning of basic sciences in a newly established medical faculty

Introduction: The Faculty of Medicine, University of Moratuwa, established during the COVID-19 pandemic, was compelled to conduct the teaching activities online for the first intake of students until their first bar examination. Online learning is known to be linked to several health issues. This study aims to explore the academic performance and perceived health effects related to online learning in the Faculty of Medicine, Moratuwa.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among all 104 first-intake students using an anonymous online self-administered questionnaire to explore health effects and academic performance after ethical clearance.Results: Out of 104 students, 82 students responded (response rate=78.85%). Majority participated from home using their own laptop (74.4%) and personal Wi-Fi (69.5%) and spent 5-10 hours daily for online academic activities (72%). Majority complained of related physical (86.6%), and psychological (81.7%) health issues: eye problems (69.5%), headache (47.6%), backache (43.9%), stress (46.3%) and concentration difficulties (45.1%). The first bar examination was cleared by 84.1% with the majority (52.4%) obtaining classes. There was a statistically significant positive association (p< .05) between physical and psychological health concerns with the average screen-time spent on academic activities, but not with the academic performance. There was also no statistically significant association between screen-time and academic performance.Conclusions: Majority of students using online learning had related physical and psychological health issues which were positively associated with the screen-time though not with academic performance. Designing online activities with less screen time may be considered as a strategy to minimise health effects related to online learning.

Unraveling Joint Evolution of Bars, Star Formation, and Active Galactic Nuclei of Disk Galaxies

We aim to unravel the interplay between bars, star formation (SF), and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in barred galaxies. To this end, we utilize the SDSS DR12 to select a sample of nearby (0.02 < z < 0.06) disk galaxies that are suitable for bar examination (M r < −20.12 and inclination ≲53°). We identify 3662 barred galaxies and measure the length and axis ratio of each bar. We invent new bar parameters that mitigate the stellar and bulge mass biases and show, for the first time, that the evolution of non-AGN and AGN-hosting barred galaxies should be tracked using different bar parameters: the bar length for non-AGN galaxies and the bar axis ratio for AGN-hosting galaxies. Our analysis confirms that barred galaxies have a higher specific SF rate than unbarred control galaxies. Moreover, we find a positive correlation of bar length with both the SF enhancement and the centrally star-forming galaxy fraction, indicating the interconnectivity of bars and SF through the bar-driven gas inflow. We also find that, while the AGN fraction of barred galaxies is the same as that of the unbarred control sample, galaxies hosting more massive black holes (BHs) have rounder (i.e., higher axis ratio) bars, implying that the bar is not a cause of AGN activity; rather, AGNs appear to regulate bars. Our findings corroborate theoretical predictions that bars in non-AGN galaxies grow in length, and bars in AGN-hosting galaxies become rounder as BHs grow and eventually get destroyed.

Publishing Functioning JD Institutional Learning Outcomes on Legal Research: Why and How?

This article examines the legal-research institutional learning outcomes of 196 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association and proposes improvement to best practices. The suboptimal format and content of legal-research institutional learning outcomes contribute to this deficiency, exacerbated by challenges from the upcoming new bar examination. To improve legal-research institutional learning outcomes, law schools should distinguish legal-research institutional learning outcomes from other institutional learning outcomes, include specific and effective performance criteria, and update learning outcomes periodically. To streamline this process, law schools should draw wisdom from both external benchmarks and the expertise of internal legal-research instructors.

Textured Epoxy-Coated Rebars: Physical, Structural, and Empirical Characterization

Although the traditional epoxy coating represents an effective corrosion protection system, it has the disadvantage of making bridge decks more susceptible to cracking. This phenomenon occurs because its smooth surface reduces the bond with the concrete and, therefore, increases the radial components of the force-transferring mechanism. To try to mitigate these problems, the Illinois Department of Transportation developed the textured epoxy-coated (TEC) reinforcement, which possesses a roughened surface and, in recent years, has been the subject of study at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in the U.S. Particularly, this experimental program explores, complements, and compares the physical and bond-slip characteristics of the TEC rebars developed hitherto. From the physical characterization, different parameters are measured on the textured surfaces to obtain a numerical comparison of each roughness type. Also, determining the adhesion strength and thickness of the textured coating reveals that it provides similar corrosion protection to the traditional approach while keeping its integrity on the steel substrate. The bond-slip characterization, in turn, was done using pull-out tests and, by combining these results with the microstructure examination of TEC bars, it is found that the absence of texture voids is related to the degradation of the slip resistance. Furthermore, through a finite element model, the development length of the TEC reinforcement is estimated and compared with the values calculated according to current standards. Finally, given the complexity of obtaining the surface parameters of the coating, an empirical, weight-based approach is developed for the TEC bars as a rapid method for assessing their roughness.

The training of would-be lawyers in Vietnam: the current system, recent developments and potential transformation

ABSTRACT This paper discusses how would-be lawyers are trained in Vietnam and analyses some recent developments and potential transformation. Under the current Vietnamese system, law graduates have to go through the professional training delivered by the Judicial Academy – a national legal professional school, and 12 months practising as a probationary lawyer in a law firm, before sitting the Bar Examination. Those successfully passing the Bar Examination are licensed by the Minister of Justice to practise law. However, Vietnamese legal education is a relatively new and theoretical-based system with various challenges that have limited the quality of law graduates. This, in turn, has adversely affected the training of would-be lawyers in Vietnam. The limitations in professional training delivered by the Judicial Academy have also contributed to this problem. Nevertheless, recent developments in Vietnam have promised some positive transformations and innovation towards a better lawyer training system in the future. These include the adoption of clinical methodology in legal education; the establishment of the Vietnam Law School Network; and the introduction of a Joint Training Programme for would-be lawyers, judges and public prosecutors.

Onerous Disabilities and Burdens: An Empirical Study of the Bar Examination’s Disparate Impact on Applicants From Communities of Color

Onerous Disabilities and Burdens: An Empirical Study of the Bar Examination’s Disparate Impact on Applicants From Communities of Color

What Law Schools Must Change to Train Transactional Lawyers

Not all lawyers litigate, but you would not know that from the first-year curriculum at most law schools. Despite 50% of lawyers working in transactional practices, schools do not incorporate its legal doctrines or skills in the foundational first year. That the Progressives pushed through antitrust laws and the New Dealers founded the modern administrative state reframed how people use the law, particularly in transactional practices, and should be given equal weight as the appellate-based common law in any legal introduction. Nevertheless, the law school model created by Christopher Columbus Langdell in the 1870s remains dominant. As this review of fifty-four law schools’ required curricula shows, law schools have largely retained Langdell’s curriculum. This negatively affects young transactional lawyers because their critical first year does not show them the law as a preventative, problem-solving practice. This Article proposes fundamental changes to the way law schools prepare students to be transactional and other types of attorneys by reframing the first year from various common law topics to a focus on practice areas. This Article argues that it is faculty, fear, and funding that prevent fundamental change to the first year and other required curriculum even as change is necessary for the health of law schools and the legal profession. This Article concludes that, in the face of curriculum stagnation, the ABA accrediting body and bar examiners should recognize these changes by requiring and testing these “new” areas of law.

The Effect of the Uniform Bar Examination on Admissions, Diversity, Affordability, and Employment Across Law Schools in the United States

The Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) is a multijurisdictional test that law students can use to gain admission to the bar in 37 states and territories. Despite this near-universal applicability and the potential of UBE to affect law schools’ admissions, diversity, affordability, and employment outcomes, no research to date has examined the impacts of UBE. Equipped with a novel data set that we make available to future researchers, we apply a difference-in-differences design to estimate these impacts by exploiting variation in UBE adoption timing across states. We find early evidence to suggest that law schools in UBE states benefited by receiving more applications and having higher overall enrollments after UBE adoption.

Examining the Bar Exam: An Empirical Analysis of Racial Bias in the Uniform Bar Examination

The legal profession is among the least diverse in the United States. Given continuing issues of systemic racism, the central position that the justice system occupies in society, and the vital role that lawyers play in that system, it is incumbent upon legal professionals to identify and remedy the causes of this lack of diversity. This Article seeks to understand how the bar examination—the final hurdle to entering the profession— contributes to this dearth of diversity. Using publicly available data, we analyze whether the ethnic makeup of a law school’s entering class correlates to the school’s first-time bar passage rates on the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). We find that higher proportions of Black and Hispanic students in a law school’s entering class are associated with lower first-time bar passage rates for that school in its reported UBE jurisdictions three years later. This effect persists after controlling for other potentially causal factors like undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), law school admission test (LSAT) score, geographic region, or law school tier. Moreover, the results are statistically robust at a p-value of 0.01 (indicating just a 1% chance that the results are due to random variation in the data). Because these are school-level results, they may not fully account for relevant factors identifiable only in student-level data. As a result, we argue that follow-up study using data relating to individual students is necessary to fully understand why the UBE produces racially and ethnically disparate results.

Excess Confidentiality: Must Bar Examiners Defy Administrative Law &amp;amp; Judicial Transparency?

Excess Confidentiality: Must Bar Examiners Defy Administrative Law &amp;amp; Judicial Transparency?

THE SHARI’AH LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE STATUS QUO AND CUES OF ITS FUTURE

This article provides an overview of the Shari’ah legal profession in the Philippines by scrutinising its status quo, identifying the indications of its future, and drawing some insights from its comparison to Malaysia’s Syarie legal profession. The recognition of the Shari’ah legal profession in the secular state of the Philippines is traceable to the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (Muslim Code), which mandated the creation of Shari’ah courts and the institutionalisation of the Shari’ah bar examinations whose passers are conferred the title of ‘Counselor-at-Law’. In view of the recent enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (Republic Act No. 11054), this article will also highlight the implications of the justice system under this organic law on existing Philippine’s Shari’ah Courts and on the Shari’ah legal profession as a whole.

Nazita Lajevardi’s: Outsiders at Home: The Politics of American Islamophobia

This paper aims to understand the structure of actors involved in the increase of the number of lawyers in Korea. For this research, the Canadian Scholar’s Policy Network Approach and the Sabatier’s Advocacy Coalition Concept were used. The case analysis focuses on the policy decisions related to the number of people passing the bar examination. This paper reviewed the policy debates, initiatives and actions of actors concerned before and during the 1995 legal reform process. The research result is as follows: The Supreme Court, the prosecution and the national bar association have been a very powerful and very organized policy community affecting the issues mentioned. As a sub-government, they have played a key role in deciding the number of lawyers in the country. They have effectively prevented the issues affecting their interests from being policy agenda. However, the law professors’ associations and civic groups remained as an attentive public. A policy network highly represented by the lawyers’ community, which appears to be clientele oriented, existed for a long time. However, during the reform, the structure of the policy network changed a lot. As the presidential office initiated the reform, the attentive public participated in the core policy making process. In relation to this, the network changed from clientele oriented to a cooperative one. In addition, there was policy learning between the groups. Policy makers must realize that it is necessary to collaborate with the attentive public and at the same time change the structure of the policy network. This is to modify the policy which has been unchanged because of the existence of the strong policy community. This paper also proves that the irregular policy making process, such as reform, could be more effective and that policy learning is very important for the policy change.

The first Malayan Chinese women barristers and their pursuit of legal education in Britain, 1923–1934

ABSTRACT With the enactment of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act in 1919, the gender barrier was torn down and the once male-exclusive legal profession in the UK finally opened its doors to women. This article focuses upon its early Chinese beneficiaries, and traces the pioneer Chinese women students’ odyssey to seek legal education at the Inns of Court in London and the University College London in the early 1920s and 1930s. It evaluates their performances at the Bar Examination and at the law school, and further explores the challenges they faced as they beat a path into the highly selective and traditionally male-dominated legal profession. Finally, it seeks to show how these Chinese women barristers were able to wield the legal knowledge and the advocacy skills obtained through their legal education to make notable contributions on returning home. However, their educational and professional success also reveals the persistence of gender and racial hierarchies across the empire despite ongoing legal reform and social activism, as they were subjected to confrontations and discriminations throughout their career.

The Analysis and Improvement plan of the Case-type Questions of Criminal Procedure Law of Bar Examination for 10 years

The Analysis and Improvement plan of the Case-type Questions of Criminal Procedure Law of Bar Examination for 10 years

QUIZMASTER 20 QUESTIONS: POINT OF LAW UBE BAR REVIEW QUESTIONS

This eBook provides detailed authoritative answers to the 21 released MBE questions from the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Detailed explanatory answers to actual questions asked on past bar exams. Why the wrong answers are incorrect, why the right answers are right. Use of these questions does not constitute an endorsement by the NCBE. Dr. Engle's doctrinal materials are available at: http://amazon.com/author/quizmaster