If you are starting law school in the fall of 2023, you might be faced with the NextGen bar exam. You will most likely graduate in the spring of 2026 and will sit for the bar exam that July. States that now use the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) can keep using it. Or, they might decide to utilize the NextGen bar exam. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
It could be seen as a good thing insofar as fewer legal topics will be tested. It will be more focused on skills, and less on knowing a lot of information. The subjects that will no longer be tested are Conflicts of Law, Family Law, Secured Transactions, Trusts, and Wills.
This should have some influence on how you select your 2L and 3L courses in law school. If a subject is not on the bar exam, and it does not interest you, skip it!
At the beginning of the 3L, you will have a better idea of where you want to practice. States that do not use the UBE, such as California, Florida, and Virginia will continue to administer their own exams. States that use the UBE in its current format can continue to do so. Some states might adopt the NextGen bar exam. This, in turn, should influence what courses you decide to take. In any event, no matter what bar you are going to take, I highly recommend taking a course in Evidence. You may not plan on being a litigator, but you’d be surprised how often litigation might find you. Also, most people find it difficult to master this subject in a bar review course, so the more exposure you have the better prepared you will be for any bar exam.
So, welcome to law school, Class of ’26! Be sure to check back here regularly for updates about the exam.
