Seventy four of the 87 UNLV law school graduates who took the Nevada Bar Exam for the first time this summer passed, according to results released Tuesday by the Nevada Board of Bar Examiners.

This represents the highest passage rate in the 10 year history of UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law.

"I am extremely proud of our law graduates and their impressive success in passing the Nevada Bar exam on their first attempt," said John V. White, dean of UNLV's Boyd School of Law. "Achieving an 85 percent passage rate is an important mark of excellence and a reflection not only of the hard work and commitment of our students but of the dedication of our faculty and staff as well."

In total, 320 of the 488 applicants who took the test statewide passed, for an overall state passage rate of 66 percent.

The Nevada bar is a three day exam consisting of several Nevada essay questions, one Multistate Performance Test (MPT) problem, and a Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). The successful applicant must achieve a total scaled score of 75 on the exam as a whole, as well as passing at least three essays with a scaled score of 75.

The William S. Boyd School of Law has over 450 students and offers three juris doctor degree programs: a part-time evening program, a part-time day program, and a full-time, day program and two dual degree programs: a J.D./MBA and a J.D./M.S.W. It is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the American Association of Law Schools, an accomplishment it achieved in record time.