Ambitious Response to Uniform Bar Examination
eginning in February 2023, Michigan made a dramatic change to its bar examination. For many decades, Wayne Law graduates toiled over 15 essay questions on a variety of Michigan topics on one day, then 200 multiple choice Multistate Bar Examination questions on the next.
But after years of study and consideration by the Michigan Board of Law Examiners, the Michigan Supreme Court adopted an order, and the Michigan Legislature amended the Revised Judicature Act, to mandate the Uniform Bar Examination (“UBE”). Administered in Michigan by the National Conference of Bar Examiners and the Michigan Board of Law Examiners, the UBE has become the national standard, with more than 40 jurisdictions now using it. Michigan’s adoption of the UBE allows for consistency of testing, resulting in increased portability of bar results across participating jurisdictions.
This sea change in the Michigan Bar Examination has prompted the state’s law schools to rethink how they prepare students for the grueling task. Wayne Law is at the forefront in developing new programs and services to augment its graduates’ success on the UBE.
The UBE is designed to evaluate candidates on their knowledge of general legal principles, legal and factual analysis, reasoning, and communication skills. It combines the traditional Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) with two exams that are new to Michigan: The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) and the novel Multistate Performance Test (MPT). The MEE presents six essay questions testing knowledge of majority and minority views of the general law, not Michigan law, but answered in more depth than Michigan’s previous essay questions. And the MPT presents two problems requiring applicants to perform lawyerly tasks such as a research assignment, a portion of a legal brief, a demand letter, or even correspondence to a client regarding a legal matter. By adding this real-world component to the bar examination, the UBE tests both legal knowledge and legal skills in a way not previously done in Michigan.
Given the novel bar exam skills format and broadened focus on substantive law, Wayne Law has increased the resources it provides to students to prepare for bar exam success—including a commercial bar preparation offering and a new required course added to the curriculum by the faculty.
Key to this effort is Wayne Law’s new partnership with bar prep company JD Advising to offer a full-scale, comprehensive bar preparation program. This collaboration aims to provide a comprehensive suite of services.
“JD Advising’s Michigan bar pass rates for Wayne Law first-time takers are exceptional. Its services include on-demand courses taught by exam experts, live workshops, access to NCBE-released multiple choice questions, and concise overviews of what is highly tested on the exam, as well as practice exams and other print and digital resources,” said Senior Assistant Dean for Career Success and Adjunct Professor of Law Lisa L. Fadler.
“This partnership will provide Wayne Law’s 2024 bar takers with a free, supplemental bar preparation program designed to bolster graduate success on the bar examination,” Dean Fadler added. For 2025 bar takers and beyond, JD Advising will provide a full-scale, comprehensive bar preparation program, offering an individualized approach with one-on-one tutoring and feedback on practice bar questions.
Recognizing that bar exam preparation begins long before students graduate, Wayne Law is creating a culture of bar exam success by integrating bar preparation throughout law school. The faculty recently approved a two-credit required course offered in collaboration with JD Advising. Called “Bar Exam Strategies and Fundamentals,” the course introduces students to the components of the new UBE, shows them key bar-pass strategies, and teaches them how to effectively answer its questions.
The partnership with JD Advising underscores Wayne Law’s commitment to ensuring its graduates are well prepared for the UBE. By offering tailored support and resources, the institution is playing a crucial role in facilitating a smooth transition for its students, solidifying its reputation for forward-thinking and student-centric legal education practices.
“After extensively researching the options, we believe this is the best bar preparation program in the country,” said Wayne Law Dean and John W. Reed Professor of Law Richard Bierschbach. “Programs like this typically cost students thousands of dollars out of pocket. Because we want every bar taker to be able to benefit from it, and consistent with our repeated recognition as one of the best values in American legal education, we have made the program available to all Wayne Law students at no cost. We couldn’t be more pleased to do so. We are committed to our students’ success, and this offering is just another example of that,” said Dean Bierschbach.