5 biggest changes to the bar exam in 2024
This year was a key moment for the bar exam, with changes to the exam and paths to licensure taking place around the country. (Image from Shutterstock)
This year was a key moment for the bar exam, with changes to the exam and paths to licensure taking place around the country. Here are the top five that caught our attention.
• In May, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved additional pathways to licensure. The ABA has supported the use of bar exams since 1921.
• Oregon launched its apprenticeship program, known as the Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination, which proved popular with students and employers. The additional pathway allows applicants to complete a 675-hour paid apprenticeship under a qualified, supervising Oregon-licensed lawyer. The Washington Supreme Court approved an alternative pathway in March.
• On Oct. 22, the California Supreme Court green-lit the state bar’s plan to create a proprietary bar exam that could be administered remotely as well as at in-person test centers with Kaplan North America, following months of back-and-forth bargaining. The new exam will launch in February 2025. California tests the second-largest number of bar examinees each year.
• This year, 20 additional jurisdictions approved using the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ NextGen bar exam by at least 2028, bringing the current total to 29 of the 56 jurisdictions. The first NextGen bar exam is scheduled to debut in July 2026. Also, the NCBE posted its family law subject matter outline for the new test. Initially, family law was not to be included on the NextGen, but the NCBE reversed course in 2023 after criticism from jurists.
• Nevada approved a unique three-stage assessment for bar licensure. The first step will be a 100-question, multiple-choice test that could be taken any time after a law student successfully completes the third semester. The second is a one-day, in-person performance exam after graduation. The third, 40 to 60 hours of supervised practice, could be completed in law school clinics, externships or legal aid organizations with supervising lawyers.
