Supreme Court
June 25, 2024
Contact: Amy Starnes
Director of Public Affairs
512.463.1441 or email
The Supreme Court of Texas issued an order today regarding the adoption and implementation of the NextGen Bar Exam and a separate Texas Law Component. The Court expects both to debut with the July 2028 bar exam administration.
According to the Court order, the NextGen Bar Exam, like the current Uniform Bar Exam, will result in portable scores transferrable to other jurisdictions. Likewise, the Court anticipates that NextGen scores earned in other jurisdictions will be transferrable to Texas.
The Court issued the order after much study and positive recommendations from the Texas Board of Law Examiners and its NextGen Work Group. The work group included BLE board members and Texas law school deans.
The Court also accepted the BLE’s recommendation to reintroduce a graded Texas Law Component to the bar exam “to ensure that applicants who wish to be admitted to the Texas Bar have sufficient knowledge of important aspects of Texas law.”
The content and format of the Texas component have not yet been determined, but the Court anticipates it will be a half-day graded exam and the change will take effect in conjunction with the NextGen exam in July 2028. The Court continues to study the matter with guidance from the BLE.
The National Conference of Bar Examiners has said the NextGen Bar Exam will replace the Uniform Bar Exam in some jurisdictions as early as July 2026. The NCBE also said the final administration of the UBE will be in February 2028.
The Supreme Court invites public comment on this order through September 30, 2024. Written comments should be emailed to rulescomments@txcourts.gov.