Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 30

FEATURE
Testing Tomorrow's Lawyers
With theNextGen Bar Exam
By Tynekia Garrett
ore than 50 years after it was first administered
to aspiring lawyers, the Multistate Bar Examination
is reimagined, moving away from memorization
to testing for foundational lawyering
skills addressing real-world practice problems.
Debuting in July 2026, the NextGen Bar Exam will test future lawyers'
knowledge of basic principles in eight areas of law as well as their legal
writing, research, and analysis skills, among others. " The next version of
the bar exam will measure what lawyers actually do, " says Judith Gundersen,
president of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE).
The first states and territories to adopt the new exam are Connecticut,
Guam, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington. Arizona, Iowa, Kentucky,
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Vermont, and Wyoming will
administer it in July 2027, followed by Colorado, Kansas, and Utah in 2028.
As of April, the D.C. Court of Appeals has not announced if it will switch
to the new version.
30 WASHINGTON LAWYER
* MAY/JUNE 2024
M
Ronald Weich, dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law, says the
new bar exam is a " step in the right direction " by " testing what lawyers actually
do - spot legal issues and solve legal problems. " The University of
Baltimore was one of 88 schools that participated in a nationwide field
testing of the NextGen Bar Exam in January 2024. " It's important to move
away from memorizing and have the test measure legal analysis skills, " says
Weich.
THE BAR OF THE FUTURE
The bar exam redesign reflects the slow yet steady evolution in strategies
to assess future attorneys in the United States. Before the 1800s, in a
process called " reading law, " hopeful lawyers studied under experienced
attorneys and completed an oral examination.
In the late 1800s, as law schools became common, states granted law
school graduates diploma privilege to join the bar without an examination.
The bar exam came about in 1921 when the American Bar Association
(ABA) announced its preference for a written test for licensing lawyers,
superseding oral examinations and diploma privileges.
continued on page 32
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Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024

Digital Extras
Your Voice
From Our President
Calendar of Events
Toward Well-Being
Real Time Crime Surveillance feature
Genetic Resources Access feature
Algorithmic Accountability feature
Eli Rosenbaum feature
Going International feature
NextGen Bar Exam feature
Sponsored content
Revised Rules Special Section
Member Spotlight - Stephen Pershing
Attorney Briefs
Upon Further Review
Practice Management
Speaking of Ethics
The Learning Curve
Disciplinary Summaries
Pro Bono Effect
A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Cover1
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 1
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 2
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 3
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Digital Extras
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Your Voice
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 7
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Calendar of Events
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Toward Well-Being
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Real Time Crime Surveillance feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 11
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 12
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 13
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Genetic Resources Access feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 15
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 16
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 17
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Algorithmic Accountability feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 19
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 20
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 21
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Eli Rosenbaum feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 23
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Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 25
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Going International feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 27
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Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - NextGen Bar Exam feature
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 31
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Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Sponsored content
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Revised Rules Special Section
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 35
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Member Spotlight - Stephen Pershing
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 37
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 39
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Upon Further Review
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Speaking of Ethics
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 43
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - The Learning Curve
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Pro Bono Effect
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - 47
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Cover3
Washington Lawyer - May/June 2024 - Cover4
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