Belmont’s College of Law classes 2024 and 2025 received back-to-back 100% pass rates for the fall and spring administration of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, known as the MPRE.
Required by the American Bar Association and administered three times a year by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the MPRE measures a candidate’s knowledge and understanding of established standards related to the professional conduct of lawyers. The exam covers a variety of topics including conflicts of interest, how to handle clients’ money, keeping a client’s confidence and other subjects meant to indicate an individual’s knowledge of rules that govern the profession.
The pristine passage rate of 225 law students from the classes of 2024 and 2025 signifies Belmont Law students’ preparedness for the legal profession whether serving as judges, advocates, counselors or other legal roles. It also highlights the law program’s emphasis on developing graduates who are both qualified and ethical.
“It is imperative that our students understand what the rules are of the profession and the importance of following the rules,” Associate Dean Deborah Farringer said. “We are a self-policing profession, and the public will only have trust in lawyers and their practices if there is also a belief and perception that lawyers are ethical and follow rules themselves.”
All law students are required to take “Professional Responsibility,” a course instructed by Associate Professor Lynn Zehrt and designed to prepare them for the MPRE by teaching the professional rules of responsibility that govern licensed attorneys.
“The goal of our Professional Responsibility course is not just to prepare our students for the MPRE, but also to prepare them for practicing law in a professional manner,” Zehrt said. “This course addresses the ability to recognize the most common ethical and professional liability dilemmas facing lawyers and the ability to resolve them with high professional standards.”
Zehrt structures the class using a problem-based method where students work through practice and discussion problems in each class. This format is implemented so students gain experience applying the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Responsibility in multiple real-world scenarios.
“Professional Responsibility is a cornerstone of the practice of law,” Farringer said. “We are training our students not just to know the law, but to be ethical, thoughtful and contributing members of the bar that help to promote trust and confidence in the legal profession.”
In Belmont Law’s Professional Responsibility course, students build a significant knowledge base about how to conduct themselves as licensed attorneys in the future. The high MPRE pass rate further distinguishes Belmont Law students and alumni as leaders and models for others in the legal profession.
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