UC Law SF Graduates Achieve Rising Bar Passage Rate, Strong Employment Outcomes
UC Law San Francisco graduates recite the attorney’s oath during a Dec. 1 ceremony. Led by Orange County Superior Court Judge Eric Wersching ’03, graduates were sworn in as members of the California Bar, a milestone that reflects years of intensive study and rigorous training.
- Graduates of UC Law San Francisco are quickly launching successful careers in the legal profession.
- For the Class of 2025, 86% of graduates passed the California bar exam on their first attempt, continuing a decade-long upward trend.
- UC Law SF’s integrated curriculum, bar support, and career development programs provide students with a clear path to success.
More UC Law San Francisco graduates are passing the bar on their first try and securing jobs in the legal field soon after completing their degrees—evidence of the College’s long-term investment in academic skills instruction, career development, and student success.
This past year, 92% of the Class of 2024 secured employment in the legal profession within 10 months of graduation. The achievement continues a four-year trend in which around 90% or more graduates moved directly into legal roles after law school.
Bar exam performance is also rising, part of a steady upward trajectory over the last decade, excluding pandemic-related anomalies. This year, 86% of the Class of 2025 graduates passed the California bar exam on their first attempt — an increase from 84% the previous year and again exceeding the state average. Graduates also performed exceptionally well on out-of-state exams: 93% passed exams outside California, and 100% of UC Law SF graduates who sat for the New York bar exam passed.
Provost & Academic Dean Morris Ratner said these results reflect years of strategic investment in academic skills-building and career preparation.
“We have built a curriculum and a support structure that meet students where they are and help them get where they want to go,” Ratner said. “By weaving bar preparation into the learning experience from day one — and pairing that with robust career development — we’re creating the conditions for our graduates to thrive both on the exam and in their early careers.”
Nasser Banihani ’25, now an assistant DA with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, credits UC Law SF’s bar-focused curriculum with strengthening skills that helped him succeed on the bar exam.
Building Bar Success Through Innovative Curriculum
The College’s increase in first-time bar passage stems from a range of evidence-based reforms and investments, including long-term work to incorporate bar exam skills into doctrinal classes and expand specialized courses focused on writing and analysis for bar-tested subjects.
Academic and bar-related skills-building now appears at every stage of the JD program, including:
- Skills-focused orientation emphasizing writing, test-taking strategies, and analytical reasoning
- The Sack Program, which adds personalized skills training to first-year doctrinal courses
- Advanced Sack classes offering additional writing practice for upper-division, bar-tested subjects
- Law & Process courses that reinforce analytical writing and legal analysis
- Critical Studies courses dedicated to essay writing, multiple-choice bar exam questions, and performance tests
- Specialized support for LEOP students, including skills workshops, personalized tutoring, and targeted programming
Nasser Banihani ’25, now working as an assistant DA with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, said the school’s bar-focused curriculum made a significant difference in his preparation.
“The Law and Process classes especially helped ground my legal writing and analysis and contributed to my success on the bar exam,” he said.
In 2024-25, the law school launched a new spring course, Critical Studies 4, giving 3Ls an early start on the commercial bar review program of their choice: Themis or Barbri.
“Critical studies 4 allowed me to ease into full-time studying and take the breaks I needed to stay focused during bar prep,” said Stella Low ’25, who passed the July bar exam and now works as a law clerk at Jackson Lewis PC.
UC Law SF’s winning formula for success involves alumni mentorship and donor support. Read the story.
Extensive Bar Passage Support for Recent Grads
Beyond graduation, UC Law SF provides extensive support for alumni sitting for the bar, including mentorship, coaching, essay feedback, counseling, and mental health resources.
Director of Bar Passage Support Margaret Greer ’15 said the priority is helping graduates stay on track with their bar review courses — one of the strongest predictors of passing — while also ensuring the preparation itself is rigorous and thorough.
“Our support is designed to strengthen the exact skills the exam tests — from legal analysis to essay writing — so students aren’t just supported emotionally, they’re academically equipped to succeed,” Greer said. “That combination of rigorous preparation and well-being support is a major reason our graduates perform so well and why support for these programs by alumni donors and volunteers is so important.”
Greer works with Daniel Martin ’15, a professor of practice and associate director of bar passage support, to help graduates build disciplined study plans, sharpen exam skills, and stay on track through the full exam preparation cycle.
Key bar prep support programs for graduates include:
- Faculty and alumni bar mentor programs
- One-on-one coaching and study plan assistance
- Personalized feedback through the BEST Essay Program
- A therapist-led bar support group
- Guidance on disability accommodations through the Disability Resource Program
Stella Low ’25 says UC Law SF’s bar passage support programs helped her identify areas to focus on for improvement and adopt study strategies better suited to her learning style, contributing to her success on the exam.
Low credited Professor Heather Varanini for guiding her through the BEST Essay Program, which helped her evaluate her performance and pinpoint areas for improvement. One-on-one meetings with Greer allowed her to tailor her study approach to her learning style. She was also matched with Professor James Higa through the faculty bar mentor program.
“I would email him throughout prep when I felt stuck and needed a second opinion,” Low said. “His feedback and perspective helped me better structure my prep and identify how to do things differently if something was not working for me.”
Career Development That Opens Doors
UC Law SF’s strong employment outcomes also reflect the work of the Career Development Office (CDO), which guides students as they explore practice areas, build networks, and develop job strategies tailored to their goals.
Imahn Daeenabi ’25 worked closely with the CDO on job search strategy, application materials, and interview preparation. He credited Assistant Dean for Career Development Amy Kimmel ’01 with encouraging him to apply for a 2L summer associate position at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, where he now works as a litigation associate.
“She my was incredibly supportive throughout law school and guided me through the search, application, and interview processes for numerous positions,” Daeenabi said.
His story is just one example of how the CDO helps students build the skills, relationships, and experiences that lead to professional success. Kimmel has assembled a team of counselors to support students as they navigate a rapidly changing legal services market and hiring process.
“When we meet with students, we’re working toward the same goal: helping them pursue a career path that makes them happy and fulfilled,” Kimmel said. “Seeing a student secure a position they’re excited about is one of the most rewarding parts of our work.”
CDO initiatives include:
- One-on-one advising: Personalized guidance on career goals, practice areas, and job-search strategy.
- Resume and cover-letter support: Targeted edits to strengthen clarity and impact.
- Interview preparation: Mock interviews and tailored coaching.
- Career panels and employer events: Regular opportunities to meet and learn from Bay Area attorneys in different practice areas.
- Networking strategy: Practical advice for outreach, relationship-building, and follow-through.
- Alumni connections: Pairing students with alumni who offer insight and advice.
- Summer job support: Assistance finding and securing 1L and 2L positions.
- Post-grad job coaching: Access to one-on-one counseling and support after graduation
Together, UC Law SF’s curriculum, bar-prep resources, and career guidance give students a clear path from law school to legal practice. Recent results show the impact: bar passage continues to climb, and graduates secure gainful employment in the legal profession at consistently high rates.