Nashville School of Law's pass rates on the Tennessee bar exam have cratered in recent years, with the school posting the lowest rates in the state for every round since July 2015.

The rates hit a new low in February, when only 12 of the 87 NSL students who took the exam passed. Pass rates at several schools were lower than usual in February, but NSL's 14 percent rate still fell well below the statewide rate of 36 percent.

But NSL administrators think new curriculum changes rolled out in the 2017-18 year could reverse the trend.

"We expect to see some of the results of those changes soon, likely in the bar administered this July," Michele Wojciechowski, director of communications and engagement at NSL, said Thursday in an email. "In addition to the curriculum changes, we have paired our students with alumni mentors to assist individually with bar preparation, which our recent graduates are in the midst of right now."

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NSL caters to adults with full-time jobs who can earn law degrees after four years of night classes. It is not accredited by the American Bar Association.

Documents provided by Wojciechowski do not mention the school's low pass rates, but it seems clear that administrators are looking for ways to boost students' performance on the exam aspiring lawyers must take before they can practice in Tennessee.

A fact sheet explaining "curriculum improvements" includes the new requirement of practice bar exams for first- and second-year students and a required "bar exam workshop" for fourth-year students.

"These improvements will better enable you to strengthen skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communicating," Dean William C. Koch Jr. said in a 2017 message announcing the changes. "Proficiency in these areas will help you succeed not only in law school, but also on the bar exam and in your career."

Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and atamburin@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @tamburintweets.