The Michigan Supreme Court and the Board of Law Examiners (BLE) announce that starting in July 2028, Michigan bar applicants will take a new version of the bar exam: the NextGen Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). The NextGen UBE will replace the current version of the UBE, referred to as Legacy UBE. With this announcement, Michigan joins 45 other jurisdictions, to date, that have announced they will administer the new test.
“This is a forward-looking step that aligns with our commitment to both public protection and access to justice,” said Justice Brian K. Zahra, who serves as the Court’s liaison to the BLE. “The NextGen bar exam represents a meaningful evolution—placing greater emphasis on the practical skills new lawyers need while maintaining a strong foundation in legal knowledge.”
The NextGen UBE is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which currently develops bar exam content for 54 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions. In the U.S., the highest court in each jurisdiction has authority over the admission of attorneys to practice in its courts, aided by its own bar admissions agency.
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE tests nine areas of legal doctrine (civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, real property, family law) and seven foundational lawyering skills (legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, client relationship and management). Tenets of attorney ethics will also be tested in conjunction with other topics and skills.
The July 2025 bar exam was Michigan’s sixth Legacy UBE administration (February 2023 – July 2025). The UBE is different from the Michigan exams administered prior to February 2023. Exams administered prior to February 2023 contained a full day of Michigan law essay questions.
“This is a forward-looking step that aligns with our commitment to both public protection and access to justice,” said Justice Brian K. Zahra, who serves as the Court’s liaison to the BLE. “The NextGen bar exam represents a meaningful evolution—placing greater emphasis on the practical skills new lawyers need while maintaining a strong foundation in legal knowledge.”
The NextGen UBE is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which currently develops bar exam content for 54 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions. In the U.S., the highest court in each jurisdiction has authority over the admission of attorneys to practice in its courts, aided by its own bar admissions agency.
Designed to reflect the work performed by newly licensed attorneys, the NextGen UBE tests nine areas of legal doctrine (civil procedure, contract law, evidence, torts, business associations, constitutional law, criminal law, real property, family law) and seven foundational lawyering skills (legal research, legal writing, issue spotting and analysis, investigation and evaluation, client counseling and advising, negotiation and dispute resolution, client relationship and management). Tenets of attorney ethics will also be tested in conjunction with other topics and skills.
The July 2025 bar exam was Michigan’s sixth Legacy UBE administration (February 2023 – July 2025). The UBE is different from the Michigan exams administered prior to February 2023. Exams administered prior to February 2023 contained a full day of Michigan law essay questions.
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