When
it
comes
to
the
bar
exam,
more
is
less.
In
an
ideal
world
there
wouldn’t
be
one;
law
schools
would
be
so
adept
at
teaching
their
students
the
ins
and
outs
of
being
a
lawyer
that
Biglaw
firms
would
be
eager
to
pay
them
$235K
a
year
as
soon
as
they
waltz
across
the
graduation
stage.
But
here
in
the
real
world,
God
doesn’t
give
with
both
hands.
Instead
of
Knicks
sweeps,
we
get
runs
marred
by
the
commander
in
chief
catching
up
on
his
beauty(?)
rest
after
getting
mercilessly
booed
and
a
nail-biting
game
4
comeback.
Instead
of
uniform
diploma
privilege,
we
get
an
improved
bar
exam
that
shaves
three
hours
off
of
the
exam
time.
Imperfect,
but
still
one
hell
of
a
thing
to
brag
about.
The
National
Conference
of
Bar
Examiners
is
rolling
out
the
new
and
improved
NextGen
Uniform
Bar
Exam
for
lucky
lawyers-to-be
to
take
next
month.
From
NCBEX:
Based
on
participants’
feedback
and
the
performance
data
we
gathered
from
those
tests
across
thousands
of
examinees,
we
repeatedly
revised
and
reworked
the
exam
questions,
format,
and
experience
until
we
were
satisfied
that
they
met
the
high
standards
the
bar
exam
requires.1
The
result
is
a
thoroughly
validated
exam
that
is
highly
relevant
to
today’s
practice
of
law.So
you
can
rest
assured
that
the
NextGen
UBE
you’ll
be
taking
is
tried
and
tested.
You
just
need
to
prepare
well,
take
care
of
yourself,
and
show
up
on
exam
day
ready
to
do
your
best.
NCBE
and
your
jurisdiction
have
worked
hard
to
make
sure
that
your
experience
before,
during,
and
after
exam
day
will
be
smooth
so
you
can
stay
focused
on
what
matters:
demonstrating
your
legal
knowledge
and
skills
so
you
can
take
the
next
step
on
your
career
path.
Considering
how
botched
the
Californian
attempt
to
break
from
the
standard
bar
exam
was,
leading
with
the
new
test
being
tried
and
tested
is
a
brilliant
salvo.
After
calming
the
reader’s
nerves,
they
go
on
to
compare
and
contrast
the
old
and
busted
version
of
the
exam
to
the
new
hotness.
Highlights
include
a
three
hour
reduction
in
exam
length,
an
exam
that
lets
you
use
your
own
computer,
and
—
here’s
the
big
one
—
subject
matter
changes
that
should
do
a
better
job
of
assessing
readiness
to
practice.
The
content
will
be
tested
through
a
blend
of
multiple
choice
questions,
integrated
question
sets,
and
a
performance
task
that
should
be
done
within
an
hour.
This
exam
will
expect
you
to
demonstrate,
among
other
things,
an
ability
to
do
legal
research,
client
counseling
and
advising
savvy,
and
knowing
the
constitutional
protections
afforded
to
accused
persons.
In
other
words,
they’re
testing
for
the
sort
of
stuff
you’d
actually
be
expected
to
know
if
an
Esq.
were
attached
to
the
end
of
your
name.
If
you’ve
already
signed
up
for
the
next
bar
exam,
you’ve
got
about
a
month
left
to
study.
If
not,
the
next
NextGen
UBE
will
be
administered
in
February.
Best
of
luck!
Official
Examinees’
Guide
To
The
NextGen
UBE
[NCBEX]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boat
builder
who
is
learning
to
swim
and
is
interested
in
rhetoric,
Spinozists
and
humor.
Getting
back
in
to
cycling
wouldn’t
hurt
either.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at
[email protected]
and
by
Tweet/Bluesky
at @WritesForRent.