Welcome back to Ahead of the Curve. I'm Karen Sloan, legal education editor at Law.com, and I'll be your host for this weekly look at innovation and notable developments in legal education.

This week, I'm chatting with AccessLex Institute researcher Aaron Taylor about his new study that looks at what factors correlate to higher bar pass rates. While it's nice to start off law school with strong grades, he found that students whose grades improve even modestly over the course of their studies fare significantly better on the bar. Next, Harvard Law School and the University of California, Irvine School of Law have snagged some big—and familiar—names for commencement. Read on and stay safe.

Please share your thoughts and feedback with me at [email protected] or on Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ