No, the point is that he didn't "stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night". The pass rates for ABA approved law schools are usually broke out in bar exam statistics - and for an elite law school like Michigan - I would think the bar pass rate averages about 95%. Putting Ford in the select 5%, and reinforcing the idea the Michigan was selecting on race and not on merit in his case.
That's not necessarily true. Many of the so-called elite schools have first-time bar passage rates that are lower, sometimes significantly lower than the lesser known regional schools. That's because many of the "elite" schools focus on national and international legal issues and principles that have little direct relevance outside of academia, judicial clerkships, and political or philosophical debate. The lesser known regional schools often have a more practical approach that is geared to teaching students not only what they need to know to practice as a lawyer, but to pass the bar exam in the state where the school is located