This petition proposes eliminating the existing Wisconsin Bar Examination and replacing it with the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), and then with the successor to the UBE in 2028 (NextGen exam).
Wisconsin Supreme Court Final Order
Rule Petition 24-05: In Re Amendment of SCR 40.04 and 40.14 Relating to The Wisconsin Bar Examination
On Dec. 17, 2025, the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE), by its director Jacquelynn Rothstein, filed this rule petition asking the court to amend Supreme Court Rules (SCR) 40.04 and 40.14, relating to the administration, content, and fees for the Wisconsin Bar Examination. This petition proposes eliminating the existing Wisconsin Bar Examination and replacing it with the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), and then with the successor to the UBE in 2028 (NextGen exam). Under the proposal, the current Wisconsin essay portion of the bar exam would be eliminated and replaced with a Wisconsin law and practice educational component. The petition also includes a provision for transferring eligible UBE scores (260 and higher) from other jurisdictions with a 36-month look-back period, as well as an increase in related bar examination fees. The petition proposes implementing these changes for the July 2026 bar exam.
ORDER ISSUED: March 24, 2026
DISPOSITION: Repealed and recreated, with newly created sections.
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