Bar exam: Candidates clear hurdle before legal career

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A legal career is much closer for the 298 candidates who passed the South Carolina bar exam when it was administered this summer.

The 12-hour, two-day exam is given in February and July in Columbia, Tina Bryant, manager of the Office of Bar Admissions, said. The minimum passing score is 266.

Leading the list of institutions whose graduates passed was the University of South Carolina School of Law, a release says. Of its 181 candidates, 151 passed, an 80.32% success rate.

From the Charleston School of Law, 71 of 109 graduates passed, a 65.14% success rate.

From out-of-state schools, 76 of 109 graduates passed, a 69.72% success rate.

The overall pass rate was 73.4%, the release says.

After USC Law and Charleston Law, the next law schools with the largest number of candidates were the University of Georgia, eight, and Liberty and Washington and Lee universities, four each, Lauren Brown, director of public information for the South Carolina Judicial Branch, said by email.

The exam also drew students from distant schools, including Brigham Young University, Salt Lake City; Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, Oregon; the University of Iowa; and the University of Nebraska, Brown said.

Passing the exam isn’t the only requirement for a South Carolina law license. Others include being at least 21 years old and of “good moral character,” having graduated from an American Bar Association-accredited law school, scoring at least 77 on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, and not having been disbarred, suspended or subject to bar discipline in another state, Bryant said.

Of the 406 candidates who took the exam, 108 failed, the release says.

Candidates can repeatedly take the exam.

“There’s not a final number [of permitted attempts], but starting after the third fail and going forward, for each fail you have to wait a year before you can sit again,” Bryant said.

Thirteen successful candidates at the July exam had taken it at least three times before, Brown said.

The candidates who passed the July exam are:

• Nathan John Roger Abernathy
• Matthew Bruce Abney
• Christopher Raymond Acre
• John Leon Adair
• Brent Carlton Adams
• Sarah Nixon Addy
• Tabitha Christine Alcott
• John Sudarshanam Aluri
• Carson Seabrook Anderson
• Kaiya Rebecca Andrews
• Mikaela Lynn Andrews
• Michael Paul Anthony
• Anne Grace Arneman
• Deborah Erin Grace Bagwell
• Miranda Mae Bailey
• John Wells Baker Jr.
• Andrew David Balcerzak
• Katherine Elise Banick
• Caroline Hunter Barker
• Erik Noel Batlle
• John Tyler Baxley
• Cathryn Fay Beaman
• Greg D. Beaman
• John Henry Belser III
• Harrison Delaney Benefield
• Eugene Lampson Bigelow III
• James Garrett Biggart II
• Ella Catherine Biggins
• Morgan Reilly Boes
• Robert Turner Bonds
• Jeffrey Alexander Boone
• Arden Elise Boore
• Christine Ann Bosco
• Stephen Philip Bosco
• George Pasquale Bournazian
• Dillon Tyler Bowie
• Timothy Jabriel Boykin
• Jessica Berard Boylan
• Eric Joseph Brislinger
• Kennedy Nicole Britt
• Paige Luvenia Brown
• Marissa Gayle Bryan
• Rachel Augusta Bryant
• Elisabeth Marie Bulzomi
• Melissa Campbell Byars
• Robert Edward Byrd
• Dena Leigh Byrd-Byrum
• Caitlin Summer Cameron
• Blake Sandifer Campbell Jr.
• Benjamin Stillwell Cardew
• Luther Fredrick Carter Jr.
• Charles Guy Castles IV
• Robert D Cathcart III
• Sydney Katherine Catlett
• Christopher Shane Cauthen
• Scott W Childress
• Mallory Anna Clamp
• Adam James Clardy
• Caroline Madison Clark
• Cydney Evonne Clark
• Christopher Ress Clemens
• Alex Emmanuel Colon
• Christian Lane Compton
• Morgan Lindsey Compton
• Sarah Kathleen Compton
• Wayne Anthony Comstock
• Kyle Christopher Cooper
• William Dennis Corbin
• Joseph Frank Corrao
• Angela Lea Cothern
• Michael Austin Coward
• Katherine Jarrett Cox
• Parker Steven Craig
• Collin Hunter Davidson
• Tabitha Suzanne Davidson
• Alison Ann Davis
• Kyanna Hazel Dawson
• Danielle Leora Dechant
• Lisa Ann Deitle
• William Albert Dennis Jr.
• Jenna Kay Depoy
• Samantha Jordan Dorward
• Anne Benton Downs
• Joshua Clyde Dressendorfer
• Grace Elizabeth Driggers
• David Wilson Dunlavey
• Hunter Zane Dunn
• Jacob Daniel Edwards
• Jared Ralston Elrod
• Elliot Matthew Engstrom
• Kerrie Kennedy Ezekiel
• Henry H. Fair
• James Edward Fant
• Kristen Alexandra Farmer
• Shayla Joan Flores
• Auguste Brook Fout
• Andrew Ryan Gardner
• Cristina Denise Pan Go
• Rebecca Kay Golly
• Angelica Marie Gonzalez
• Jonathan George Graab
• Reginald Anthony Jason Greene II
• Natalie Nicole Greve
• Tiffany Grace Grooms
• Michael Folger Grosso
• Alexander James Hall
• Andrew Sanders Hall
• Casey Fisher Hall
• Drayton Marshal Hammes
• Chandler James Hammond
• Jesse Abraham Haskins
• Sarah Grace Heaton
• Jordan Don Heavner
• Kathryn Patton Hemphill
• Lydia Robins Hendrix
• Zoe Rebekka Henrikson
• Lillian Kate Henry
• Duncan Robertson Hickman
• Matthew Christopher Hicks
• Emma Grace Higgins
• Morgan Briggs Hill
• Clair McKinney Hollingsworth
• Lori Larson Horst
• Paul Eric Hotchkiss
• Lauren Allison Hoyns
• Ashley Lauren Hrubala
• Corey Allen Hughes
• Allyson Simons Hurst
• Matthew Palmer Hussnatter
• Harper Lee Hutson
• Gabriel Vernon Paul Ingram
• Abby Leigh Jenkins
• Benjamin Roper Jenkins IV
• Edward Aubin Jesson
• Katelyn Merideth Johnson
• Adam Steele Johnston
• Alexandria Shai Jones
• Dylan O’Ryan Jones
• Taylor Nicole Jones
• Travis Ray Joyce
• Adam Christopher Keating
• Toni Prewitt Kee
• Molly Marie Keegan
• Virginia Claire Kendall
• Meredith Anne Keough
• Richard Hill Kirkland
• Christopher Ryan Kitter
• Kyle Matthew Koch
• William Brendan Koontz
• William D Kuriger
• Justin Charles Lawlor
• Lillian Reid Lawrence
• Sunni Joannah Lawson
• Caroline Elizabeth Leadmon
• Margaret Caswell Leatherwood
• Alan G Lee
• William Patrick Michael Lee IV
• Jennifer Elizabeth Leffew
• Marie Margaret Lerch
• Grace Kendall Lesesne
• Jordan Huffman Lester
• Michael Grant Lindsay
• Christy Yiling Litz
• Ezekiel Bruce Lollis
• Gregory Swanson Lynch
• McCarley Elizabeth Maddock
• Anne S Magyaros
• Olivia Gray Maklary
• Chase Langston Marini
• Katherine Rose Martin
• Lauren Elaine Martin
• Madison Rosemary Martin
• Samantha J. McDonough
• Joseph Reilley McDougall
• Jonathan Patrick McKenna
• S. A. McKenzie
• Jacqueline Hennessee McKinney
• Phillip Reynolds Mead
• Joseph Dante Meade
• Grace Elizabeth Meadows
• David John Meury
• Michael Chalmers Middleton II
• Danielle Shinese Miller
• Anna Woodfin Mobley
• Kelley Derek Mobley
• Justin Matthew Moffitt
• Alexandra Brooke Moseley
• Ryan Andrew Mosser
• Keira Isabel Moyer
• Margaret Grace Mullins
• Morgan Meadows Murphy
• Rion Henry Murrah
• Benjamin Bradley Murray
• Cara Beth Musciano
• Dominic Michael Nation
• Susan Emily Ness
• Maximos Nicholas Nikitas
• Katharine Layne Nix
• Madalyn Michele Norton
• Wesley Chandler Norville
• Patrick Ryan O’Hara
• Patrick James O’Shaughnessy
• Anthony Clark Odom
• Lauren Tatum Olan
• Robert Wise Oldfield Jr.
• Addison Leroy Osborne III
• Charlotte Harrell Painter
• Amy Marie Parker
• Austen Albert Parker
• Katherine Michelle Parris
• Maxwell Nileshbhai Patel
• Nicholas Gregory Pauley
• Meghan Julia Pearson
• Allison Olivia Pennington
• Samuel J Person
• Morgan Taylor Petty
• Matthew Holden Phillips
• William Keith Phillips III
• Savannah Marie Pierce
• Michaela Noel Pocock
• Zachary Alexander Porter
• Andrew Douglas Powell
• Hannah Gracyn Pressley
• Christel Lopez Purvis
• Nicholas Joseph Michele Quatraro
• Henry Drennan Quattlebaum
• Matthew Robert Raunikar
• Travis Wade Redd Jr.
• Tia LaNee Reed
• Garrett Malone Reinhart
• Miranda Faye Rhodes
• Briana Symone Richie
• David Howard Rittgers
• Karli Marie Riviello
• James Boyce Robbins
• States T Roberson
• Alexander James Robinson
• Courtney Hill Robinson
• Perry Shane Rupert
• Michaela Abigail Russell
• Kelsey Elizabeth Saalmann
• Brittany Rebecca Schelper
• William Christopher Schwartz
• Edmund Jackson Scott Jr.
• Joshua David Sexton
• Chase Michael Seymour
• Charles E Sharkey III
• Gabrielle Louise Sharp
• Brody Max Shulman
• Joseph Trail Siegel
• Sukhpreet Singh
• Isabel Jane Sink
• Kelli Nicole Smith
• Matalyn Humphreys Smith
• James Bonner Snyder
• Nicholas Salvador Sottile
• Jacob Andrew Spandorfer
• Benjamin Scott Stevens
• Amanda Ellerine Stevenson
• William Tradd Stover
• Ethan S Strickland
• Kathleen Elizabeth Stringer
• Caroline Neal Strom
• Cameron Amir Tabrizian
• Jessica Faye Tallant
• Sarah Rebekah Tamura
• Wesley Bruce Tetsworth
• McKenna Elise Thomas
• Spenser Chase Thomas
• Charles Edgar Thompson III
• Matthew Drake Thompson
• Amanda Nicole Toto
• Catherine Makenzi Tsirigos
• Jennifer Edwards Turchetta
• Caitlin Burrell Turner
• Jonathan Robert Umbriano
• Truxtun Umsted III
• Arslan Shamil Valimohamed
• Sarah Jeannette Vandenberg
• Andrew Vasserman
• Anna Catherine Vilatte
• Christian Tyler Wall
• Robert Alan Walters
• Jacob Daniel Watson
• Kevin Michael Webb
• Anna Jean Weeks
• Hannah Grace Cantolino Weeks
• Jonathan Davis Weeks
• Madison Jean Westerholt
• Courtney Bryant White
• Harrison Philip Williams
• Sydney Nicole Willingham
• Danielle Cheyenne Wilson
• Jada Tanay Wilson
• Erin Elizabeth Wingo
• James Baiardi Wise
• Robert Lane Woodruff
• Kaitlyn Jo Yost