Ripple effect. Follow the money. First you admit a bunch of unqualified morons to law schools, so the student loan money keeps flowing in. Then you give them JD degrees even though they really can’t/don’t comprehend the curriculum. Then, when the bar exam is too difficult for them, we find a way around that unpleasant fact by admitting them to practice despite their deficiencies.
If you want to follow it further upstream, look to the proliferation of mediocre law schools over the past 50-60 years.
The whole machine is designed to keep the student loan money rolling in. End the failed federal student loan program and you solve the problem. resume treating law school students like students, not customers. Tuition will plummet and law schools will once again see more qualified applicants.
Ending the failed federal student loan program will actually solve a lot of problems. A dumbed-down bar is just one of them.
This is why the Nevada Bar and Nevada Supreme Court should be more wary of suggestions and influence from UNLV Boyd Law School, re: bar exam and admissions. The duty of the Bar and NVSC are misaligned with the incentives of UNLV’s law school.
The Nevada Bar exam was already reformed and changed before the changes were adopted. Why couldn’t the Examiners keep the exam the way it was just without the MBE. This made the most sense. I do agree that there were few comments in opposition. It could have made a difference. Does everyone understand that the new fangled bar exam will have no essays. They will have a push over 100 multiple choice Foundation Law Exam. The crux of the bar exam will be the Performance Test and then submission of legal work. WTF. How is that going to work. I just hope the exam will be rigorous enough to keep the graduates of those non ABA California schools from getting a Nevada license. It does appear the exam will favor Boyd graduates over out of state graduates and lawyers. We have to keep in mind that Boyd wanted diploma privileges. Reciprocity will be a killer for Nevada. Hardly anyone in Nevada wants to be licensed elsewhere but there are plenty of lawyers who want to come here. Don’t know how this will work with out of state law grads and lawyers.
You know, some of us have been complaining about the then proposed bar exam for years, often on this blog.
The bottom line is that not enough of you submitted letters opposing the online 100 question bar exam. It is your fault.
I agree with pretty much all of this. I’m also curious as to what effect this new exam will have on (1) the bar prep industry in Nevada (Barbri, Kaplan, etc.), and (2) any hope for reciprocity between Nevada & other jurisdictions. For (2), it seems like the door might be shut on admission by motion, but at the same time, this move could prompt an increase in out-of-state attorney exam applicants based on relative ease in passing Nevada’s exam vs. other states’ exams. Not having to study/prepare for essays on commercial paper, secured transactions, and any other substantive area would have saved me so much time & energy. I’m sure it’s saving the NV Bar staff some time & money in not having to read those essays, as well.
This always comes off as *pissed that 20-somethings have the same certification as you, which makes you feel less special*. Always.
Guest
Anonymous
June 18, 2025 1:06 pm
This headline makes me wonder. Does anyone here use golf anymore as a networking/marketing tool? Many moons ago when I was breaking in i was advised this was an indispensable skill for marketing. I can say now that perhaps in the last ten years i have golfed with clients twice maybe?
Not so much with clients, but being in the golf community has helped with contacts with other lawyers and judges. I think it helped in the early days of my career getting my foot in the door at an early job and generally building a network. It’s not what it used to be for business but I think it still helps.
Supreme Court approved bar changes set to take effect in February 2027. I guess its goodbye to the traditional bar exam.
https://nvbar.org/supreme-court-approves-nevada-licensure-plan-for-implementation-in-2027/
Right after I plan to retire. Good timing!
Ripple effect. Follow the money. First you admit a bunch of unqualified morons to law schools, so the student loan money keeps flowing in. Then you give them JD degrees even though they really can’t/don’t comprehend the curriculum. Then, when the bar exam is too difficult for them, we find a way around that unpleasant fact by admitting them to practice despite their deficiencies.
If you want to follow it further upstream, look to the proliferation of mediocre law schools over the past 50-60 years.
The whole machine is designed to keep the student loan money rolling in. End the failed federal student loan program and you solve the problem. resume treating law school students like students, not customers. Tuition will plummet and law schools will once again see more qualified applicants.
Ending the failed federal student loan program will actually solve a lot of problems. A dumbed-down bar is just one of them.
This is why the Nevada Bar and Nevada Supreme Court should be more wary of suggestions and influence from UNLV Boyd Law School, re: bar exam and admissions. The duty of the Bar and NVSC are misaligned with the incentives of UNLV’s law school.
Many overlapping stakeholders.
The Nevada Bar exam was already reformed and changed before the changes were adopted. Why couldn’t the Examiners keep the exam the way it was just without the MBE. This made the most sense. I do agree that there were few comments in opposition. It could have made a difference. Does everyone understand that the new fangled bar exam will have no essays. They will have a push over 100 multiple choice Foundation Law Exam. The crux of the bar exam will be the Performance Test and then submission of legal work. WTF. How is that going to work. I just hope the exam will be rigorous enough to keep the graduates of those non ABA California schools from getting a Nevada license. It does appear the exam will favor Boyd graduates over out of state graduates and lawyers. We have to keep in mind that Boyd wanted diploma privileges. Reciprocity will be a killer for Nevada. Hardly anyone in Nevada wants to be licensed elsewhere but there are plenty of lawyers who want to come here. Don’t know how this will work with out of state law grads and lawyers.
You know, some of us have been complaining about the then proposed bar exam for years, often on this blog.
The bottom line is that not enough of you submitted letters opposing the online 100 question bar exam. It is your fault.
No. It would not have mattered. This decision was made before the formal process was set in motion.
I agree with pretty much all of this. I’m also curious as to what effect this new exam will have on (1) the bar prep industry in Nevada (Barbri, Kaplan, etc.), and (2) any hope for reciprocity between Nevada & other jurisdictions. For (2), it seems like the door might be shut on admission by motion, but at the same time, this move could prompt an increase in out-of-state attorney exam applicants based on relative ease in passing Nevada’s exam vs. other states’ exams. Not having to study/prepare for essays on commercial paper, secured transactions, and any other substantive area would have saved me so much time & energy. I’m sure it’s saving the NV Bar staff some time & money in not having to read those essays, as well.
Essays were never read or graded by NV Bar staff
Just one econ class in undergrad would have stopped you from embarassing yourself in this comment.
From where? Bovine University?
This always comes off as *pissed that 20-somethings have the same certification as you, which makes you feel less special*. Always.
This headline makes me wonder. Does anyone here use golf anymore as a networking/marketing tool? Many moons ago when I was breaking in i was advised this was an indispensable skill for marketing. I can say now that perhaps in the last ten years i have golfed with clients twice maybe?
Have never used it to my advantage in my law practice. But, I do love golfing.
Dictaphone too?
don’t go dragging the dictaphones into this. They’re innocent
Lunches.
Not so much with clients, but being in the golf community has helped with contacts with other lawyers and judges. I think it helped in the early days of my career getting my foot in the door at an early job and generally building a network. It’s not what it used to be for business but I think it still helps.
As a newer attorney, and an absolutely terrible golfer, this gives me relief