Notice - Supreme Court Adopts the "NextGen" Uniform Bar Examination - First Administration in July 2028

The Supreme Court has adopted the “NextGen” Uniform Bar Examination as the bar admissions exam to be administered in New Jersey beginning in July 2028.  New Jersey will continue to administer the Uniform Bar Examination in its current form through the February 2028 administration, after which the National Conference of Bar Examiners will discontinue that examination format.  

In adopting the NextGen UBE as the way to assess minimum competency to practice law, the Supreme Court relied substantially on the thoughtful and thorough Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on the “NextGen” Uniform Bar Examination, chaired by retired Associate Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, now of McCarter & English, LLP.  The membership of the Ad Hoc Committee included representatives of New Jersey’s law schools, professionals and volunteers with experience in bar admissions, and distinguished practitioners from across the state, including representatives from the organized bar.

Among other findings, the Ad Hoc Committee concluded that

the NextGen UBE is a thoughtful evolution of the licensure exam that is keyed to the skills and knowledge necessary for an attorney entering the profession. The refined format, including the introduction of integrated question sets, blends long-tested competencies such as reading, writing, and legal analysis, with the skills of investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, and client relationship and management. This enhancement to the format is a natural extension of the practical approach that the Court embraced [in 2016] when adopting the UBE . . . and ensures that the bar exam remains a relevant and reliable tool for measuring ability to practice law.

The Ad Hoc Committee further observed that “[t]he test material also will be offered through a secure platform and with a range of assistive technologies, both of which are critical for a modern bar exam administration.”  Further details about the format, content, development, and administration of the NextGen UBE is available in the Ad Hoc Committee’s Report.

In embracing the NextGen UBE, the Court is mindful of the tremendous value that score portability has bestowed on law students and practitioners.  The Court first adopted a uniform examination ten years ago, and the concept of score portability now exists in most jurisdictions.  The overwhelming majority of New Jersey attorneys today hold two licenses, for example, in New Jersey and either New York or Pennsylvania.  As the Ad Hoc Committee observed, “[t]he value that transferrable scores have bestowed on new attorneys and their employers since 2016 cannot be overstated,” and adopting the NextGen UBE is critical to continuing that important benefit.  

During this transition, applicants may continue to seek admission in New Jersey based on UBE scores earned in other jurisdictions, and may also seek admission based on a NextGen UBE score submitted after the Court establishes the passing score for admission in New Jersey.

With the question of adoption now settled, the Ad Hoc Committee will reconvene to study the available literature on grading and recommend a passing score on the new examination.  In the meantime, the Board of Bar Examiners will begin planning and laying the groundwork for implementation in July 2028.

Questions regarding this Notice may be directed to the Board of Bar Examiners at bar.mailbox@njcourts.gov.