When it comes to the bar exam, more is less. In an ideal world there wouldn’t be one; law schools would be so adept at teaching their students the ins and outs of being a lawyer that Biglaw firms would be eager to pay them $235K a year as soon as they waltz across the graduation stage. But here in the real world, God doesn’t give with both hands. Instead of Knicks sweeps, we get runs marred by the commander in chief catching up on his beauty(?) rest after getting mercilessly booed and a nail-biting game 4 comeback. Instead of uniform diploma privilege, we get an improved bar exam that shaves three hours off of the exam time. Imperfect, but still one hell of a thing to brag about.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners is rolling out the new and improved NextGen Uniform Bar Exam for lucky lawyers-to-be to take next month. From NCBEX:
Based on participants’ feedback and the performance data we gathered from those tests across thousands of examinees, we repeatedly revised and reworked the exam questions, format, and experience until we were satisfied that they met the high standards the bar exam requires.1 The result is a thoroughly validated exam that is highly relevant to today’s practice of law.
So you can rest assured that the NextGen UBE you’ll be taking is tried and tested. You just need to prepare well, take care of yourself, and show up on exam day ready to do your best. NCBE and your jurisdiction have worked hard to make sure that your experience before, during, and after exam day will be smooth so you can stay focused on what matters: demonstrating your legal knowledge and skills so you can take the next step on your career path.
Considering how botched the Californian attempt to break from the standard bar exam was, leading with the new test being tried and tested is a brilliant salvo. After calming the reader’s nerves, they go on to compare and contrast the old and busted version of the exam to the new hotness. Highlights include a three hour reduction in exam length, an exam that lets you use your own computer, and — here’s the big one — subject matter changes that should do a better job of assessing readiness to practice. The content will be tested through a blend of multiple choice questions, integrated question sets, and a performance task that should be done within an hour. This exam will expect you to demonstrate, among other things, an ability to do legal research, client counseling and advising savvy, and knowing the constitutional protections afforded to accused persons. In other words, they’re testing for the sort of stuff you’d actually be expected to know if an Esq. were attached to the end of your name.
If you’ve already signed up for the next bar exam, you’ve got about a month left to study. If not, the next NextGen UBE will be administered in February. Best of luck!
Official Examinees’ Guide To The NextGen UBE [NCBEX]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at christopherrashadwilliams@gmail.com and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.
The post The NextGen UBE Drops Next Month appeared first on Above the Law.
When it comes to the bar exam, more is less. In an ideal world there wouldn’t be one; law schools would be so adept at teaching their students the ins and outs of being a lawyer that Biglaw firms would be eager to pay them $235K a year as soon as they waltz across the graduation stage. But here in the real world, God doesn’t give with both hands. Instead of Knicks sweeps, we get runs marred by the commander in chief catching up on his beauty(?) rest after getting mercilessly booed and a nail-biting game 4 comeback. Instead of uniform diploma privilege, we get an improved bar exam that shaves three hours off of the exam time. Imperfect, but still one hell of a thing to brag about.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners is rolling out the new and improved NextGen Uniform Bar Exam for lucky lawyers-to-be to take next month. From NCBEX:
Based on participants’ feedback and the performance data we gathered from those tests across thousands of examinees, we repeatedly revised and reworked the exam questions, format, and experience until we were satisfied that they met the high standards the bar exam requires.1 The result is a thoroughly validated exam that is highly relevant to today’s practice of law.
So you can rest assured that the NextGen UBE you’ll be taking is tried and tested. You just need to prepare well, take care of yourself, and show up on exam day ready to do your best. NCBE and your jurisdiction have worked hard to make sure that your experience before, during, and after exam day will be smooth so you can stay focused on what matters: demonstrating your legal knowledge and skills so you can take the next step on your career path.
Considering how botched the Californian attempt to break from the standard bar exam was, leading with the new test being tried and tested is a brilliant salvo. After calming the reader’s nerves, they go on to compare and contrast the old and busted version of the exam to the new hotness. Highlights include a three hour reduction in exam length, an exam that lets you use your own computer, and — here’s the big one — subject matter changes that should do a better job of assessing readiness to practice. The content will be tested through a blend of multiple choice questions, integrated question sets, and a performance task that should be done within an hour. This exam will expect you to demonstrate, among other things, an ability to do legal research, client counseling and advising savvy, and knowing the constitutional protections afforded to accused persons. In other words, they’re testing for the sort of stuff you’d actually be expected to know if an Esq. were attached to the end of your name.
If you’ve already signed up for the next bar exam, you’ve got about a month left to study. If not, the next NextGen UBE will be administered in February. Best of luck!
Official Examinees’ Guide To The NextGen UBE [NCBEX]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s . He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boat builder who is learning to swim and is interested in rhetoric, Spinozists and humor. Getting back in to cycling wouldn’t hurt either. You can reach him by email at christopherrashadwilliams@gmail.com and by Tweet/Bluesky at @WritesForRent.
The post The NextGen UBE Drops Next Month appeared first on Above the Law.
