Dean's Letter, Summer 2023
Effective November 8, 2023, Concord Law School was renamed Purdue Global Law School.
Dear Students and Alumni:
I am happy to be able to share the following updates with you:
Record-Breaking Bar Pass Results. For the first time in Concord's 25-year history, we beat the average pass rate of American Bar Association (ABA) schools on the California Bar Exam — and set a new school record at the same time.
Concord graduates' first-time pass rate on the February 2023 California Bar Exam was 62%, which tops the school's prior record of 60%, set 20 years ago by the first graduating class in February 2003. By comparison, the first-time pass rate for all California-based ABA law school graduates was 49%, and 47% for out-of-state (i.e., non-California) ABA law schools.
Concord's 62% first-time pass rate also equals the first-time pass rate of all (necessarily ABA) takers on the February 2023 administration of the Indiana Bar Exam, i.e., the UBE. Indiana's cut score is 1320, whereas California's is 1390. Congratulations to all of our bar passers — and all of the faculty who helped achieve this amazing result.
Day of Giving Results. Thank you for helping Concord reach its ambitious goals! This past Purdue Day of Giving (PDoG), we raised nearly $64,000, unlocked $22,500 in matching funds, and enabled a school that's just 2% of the size of Purdue Global to raise more than the rest of Purdue Global combined ($56,000). We were instrumental in helping Purdue Global set a new PDoG fundraising record. Your collective generosity has made a big impact on Concord and those we serve.
Regional Meetings. Over the weekend of April 22–23, Concord hosted over two dozen in-person events for alumni, students, faculty, and staff from Honolulu to Boston. These events offered a fantastic opportunity to forge new connections and strengthen old ones. They were also a powerful demonstration that the Concord experience extends far beyond graduation day — it is a lifelong bond. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.
Alumni Mentors Wanted. Concord’s Bar Preparation Program seeks alumni volunteers to serve as mentors for bar exam takers. Mentors will share advice for time management, easing anxiety, and avoiding common pitfalls. Mentors will not be expected to teach substantive material. Instead, this is an opportunity for engagement and accountability. The expected time commitment is about an hour per week, although mentors and mentees may choose to interact more frequently. If interested, please contact Director of Bar Support Quentin Huff at quentin.huff@purdueglobal.edu for details.
Steven J. Bracci Bar Support Endowment. Virtually all Concord students and alumni know Professor Steve Bracci. He has helped students pass the California Bar Exam and First-Year Law Students’ Exam (FYLSE) since long before Concord itself was founded. Earlier this year, Concord announced the establishment of the Steven J. Bracci Bar Support Endowment Fund in honor of Bracci for his commitment to his students. As Concord's first endowment, it will be used to provide programming and support for students as they prepare to pass the bar exam. Be a part of this enduring legacy. Please consider making a gift to the endowment fund.
Distinguished Speaker Series. In June, I had an invigorating discussion with Mark Rienzi, president and CEO at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, entitled “The Battle Over Religious Liberty in the Courts,” just days before some of the Supreme Court’s landmark rulings. In case you missed it, the webinar recording is now available on our YouTube page.
Thanks and all the best,
Martin Pritikin