Minnesota Board of Law Examiners Looking into Adopting NextGen Bar Exam and Licensing Alternative
Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea delivered some bar exam-related news during her 2023 State of the Judiciary Address to the Minnesota State Bar Association Annual Conference last week.
Here’s the relevant portion of her 2023 State of the Judiciary Address:
I can say that the Board is recommending that Minnesota switch from the Uniform Bar Examination to what is known as the NextGen Bar Exam. The NextGen Bar Exam is currently under development by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and is set to debut in July 2026. According to the BLE’s report, the NextGen exam will cover fewer subjects than the current Uniform Bar Exam, and will place a greater emphasis on lawyering skills, rather than memorization.
The BLE is also recommending that the Supreme Court form an implementation committee to further explore and develop a curricular-based alternative to the Bar Exam that could be completed during law school. The report contends that the three Minnesota law schools already have in place robust clinic and experiential learning programs to move this concept forward. The proposed implementation committee would be directed to propose amendments to the Minnesota Rules for Admission for consideration by the Court.
