It is nearly bar exam season. Even though some of us never thought we would see the day, the bar exam is changing. Here’s how.
Bar exams have been a requirement for lawyers from what seems like the beginning of time. However, there are some new developments in the last few years that you need to know about. It seems very clear now that the content of bar exams, and even the requirement for them, is changing.
After complaints about the content of bar exams from a variety of sources, the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) has redesigned the bar exam — for the first time in 25 years. That revision is known as the NextGenBar exam, and, as of May 2026, it has been adopted by 45 of the 56 jurisdictions which require passage of a bar exam for practice certification.
According to the NCBE, there is a phased roll-out of the NextGen bar exam that is currently underway. The first phase will be administered in July 2026 and the last phase after 2028. The schedule is as follows:
• July 2026 (Launch): CT, GU, ID, MD, MO, NMI, OR, PW, VI, WA.
• July 2027: AZ, IA, KY, MN, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TN, VT, WV, WY.
• February 2028: DE, DC, IL.
• July 2028: AL, AK, CO, FL, GA, HI, IN, KS, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT, VA, WI.
• TBD: MS.
As I understand it, the new model is not as top heavy on memorization of the elements of causes of action and the minute requirements of civil procedure as bar exams of the past. Apparently there has been recognition that those are the kinds of details that any lawyer would be a fool not to research and update to avoid malpractice, and the new version will include more emphasis on logical reasoning. So, all of us who suffered through the old version and its emphasis on details should get together for a mass Pity Party.
And for another twist on the subject of bar exams, keep your eye on which jurisdictions are now allowing lawyers to skip the bar exam altogether. What once was a lone exception to the rule, the State Bar of Wisconsin for many years has allowed graduates of Wisconsin’s two law schools the privilege of practicing law in the State of Wisconsin without passing the state’s bar exam. This is known as Diploma Privilege, and there are now additional jurisdictions formulating their own similar exceptions, like apprenticeships for example, as substitutes for bar passage.
Also, as of 2026, four states allow a person to take the bar exam without attending law school. Those states are California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In lieu of law school graduation, these states require “Reading the Law,” a structured law office study program or apprenticeship under the supervision of a practicing attorney or judge. The requirements of these four jurisdictions that allow reading the law differ by state. In addition, the state of New York allows an individual to take the bar exam with only one year of law school combined with three years of law office study. And, if you pass the bar exam of a particular state, you are licensed to practice in that state but not others.
To all of you recent law school graduates, good luck on the bar exam. I hope this Next Gen Bar exam yields better reviews and more favorable results.
