Purdue Global Law School graduates achieve 75% pass rate on Indiana bar exam, continuing success for the online law school

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Graduates of Purdue Global Law School are proving that nontraditional pathways to the legal profession can lead to exceptional results.

Graduates from the nation’s first fully online law school achieved a 75% overall pass rate on the February 2026 Indiana bar exam, significantly outperforming the statewide average of 45.7%. Among first-time takers, the school saw an 83.3% pass rate, while 50% of repeat takers passed.

The six students who passed the bar exam and respective graduation years include:

• Ryan Bormann (2018)
• Bernina Dorsey (2024)
• Ritchie Loerch (2018)
• Stefan May (2025)
• Lauren Mollon (2025)
• Natalie Stewart (2025)

Martin Pritikin, dean and vice president of Purdue Global Law School, said the results further validate the education and preparation students receive at the law school.

“Strong bar pass rates mean more lawyers serving Hoosiers’ needs, so this is a win-win for everyone,” Pritikin said. “Our goal in advocating for Indiana to expand opportunities to the bar was not to take students away from existing law schools, but rather to make it easier for more people to go to law school, particularly in rural or other underserved areas. Our Indiana students do, in fact, skew toward those legal deserts.”

The school’s mission focuses on expanding access to legal education and pathways to becoming a lawyer to help address shortages, especially in rural and underserved communities.

An Indiana rule change in 2024 allowing Purdue Global Law School graduates to sit for the bar exam, along with Purdue Global Law School’s success and visibility, has led to a 900% increase in enrollment in Indiana-based students over the past two years.

Kim Kass, Purdue Global Law School’s director of employment and community outreach, played a vital role in the students’ success by building pipelines with local law firms and agencies.

“It allows our students to enhance their legal skills and build their own network, which ultimately prepares them for a career within the Indiana legal profession,” Kass said. “I can’t help but think of all of the clients these new attorneys will help and the contributions they will make to our legal community.”

Kass worked with students like Stefan May, a 2025 graduate and law clerk at Robbins and Seville LLC in Crown Point. May, who was admitted to the bar on May 12, is already seeing the benefits from passing the bar exam.

“Upon being admitted to the bar, I am being promoted to an associate attorney at the law office,” May said.

Lauren Mollon, who completed both corporate law and judicial externships during her time at Purdue Global Law School, will be promoted from a senior legal specialist to in-house staff counsel after being admitted to the bar. She most recently completed an externship with the Tippecanoe County Circuit Court. The school’s experiential learning was the key to her career advancement.

“Purdue Global Law School’s Legal Experience Education Program was invaluable to me,” Mollon said. “Through hands-on experience in both corporate and judicial settings, I was able to put myself in a position to have an attorney role lined up upon passing the bar.”