Nebraska will switch to a new exam to be taken by aspiring attorneys beginning in July 2027. The NextGen bar exam, developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), will launch in time to allow law schools to prepare students entering their programs starting next fall for the new exam.

The NextGen bar exam will replace the current Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which has been administered in Nebraska since 2013. Both exams allow attorneys to transfer their exam scores between participating jurisdictions.

“Nebraska has enjoyed a strong and lengthy relationship with NCBE and implementation of the Next Gen bar exam is the logical next step,” said Chief Justice Heavican. “NCBE provides expertise in high-stakes testing environments which will help to ensure competent attorneys practice in Nebraska and will assist with the protection of Nebraska’s citizens.”

Nebraska, along with Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, and Wyoming, is an early adopter of the NexGen bar exam. This examination will consist of multiple-choice questions and integrated question sets. The latter will incorporate a blend of short-answer and multiple-choice questions, responding to a shared factual scenario, along with performance tasks similar to the current bar exam.

Questions for the NextGen bar exam are written by teams of law professors and deans, practicing attorneys, and judges drawn from jurisdictions throughout the United States. Like the current Nebraska bar exam, the NextGen exam will be administered by the Office of Attorney Services of the Nebraska Supreme Court, and the written portions graded by the Nebraska State Bar Commission.
 
The Nebraska Supreme Court has jurisdiction over admission to the practice of law in the State of Nebraska. The Court established the Nebraska State Bar Commission to review all applicants and make recommendations to the Court for admission to the practice of law.

The Nebraska bar examination is offered twice a year in Lincoln.

For More Information: NextGen Bar Exam | NCBE (ncbex.org)

Or Contact

• Janet Bancroft, Public Information Officer, Nebraska Judicial Branch, 402-429-7635
• Valerie Hickman, Senior Communications Coordinator, National Conference of Bar Examiners, 608-316-3092, www.ncbex.org