Illinois signs up for NextGen bar exam as details on test emerge
On the same day that Illinois announced that it would be the 19th jurisdiction to commit to administering the NextGen bar exam, the National Conference of Bar Examiners released additional information about two knowledge areas of the new test. (Image from Shutterstock)
On the same day that Illinois announced that it would be the 19th jurisdiction to commit to administering the NextGen bar exam, the National Conference of Bar Examiners released additional information about two knowledge areas of the new test.
“The NextGen exam represents a step forward in a continuing effort to ensure new attorneys possess the knowledge and lawyering skills to meet the legal needs here in Illinois,” said Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis in a statement.
The state has 10 ABA-accredited law schools.
Illinois, where 2,751 candidates took the bar exam in 2023, will start using the NextGen exam starting in 2028 but has not determined whether the new test will first be used in February or July of that year, according to a May 29 press release from the NCBE.
Meanwhile, the NCBE released more information about what will be included in the family law and trusts and estates knowledge area for the exam’s first four administrations.
Family law and trust and estates questions each will appear in a performance task and possibly in integrated question sets with the provision of legal resources on every exam from July 2026 through February 2028, according to the press release.
Also, starting in July 2028, family law will be included in the foundational concepts and principles tested on the NextGen bar exam and tested in the same manner as the other foundational concepts and principles. No additional information was given about trust and estates questions.
Some states are considering alternatives to the NextGen exam, following the lead of Oregon and Washington. Nevada is considering a three-step process for joining the bar, and California postponed a decision about cutting ties with the NCBE and teaming with Kaplan Test Prep to create its own bar exam.
This month, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved a policy shift that allows states to use methods of licensure beyond bar exams.
