Laboratory for Advancing Dispute Resolution Skills Teaching

NextGen

The NextGen bar exam, which is being developed by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), will first be administered in July 2026. This exam will have much more of a focus on lawyering skills than the bar exam of past years. With this enhanced focus on skills, we are in the process of producing teaching materials to enhance both the current skills courses as well as skills components for doctrinal courses. We also will connect with other colleagues in the field to include their new NextGen focused innovative simulations and teaching aids so that we can all enhance our teaching to best prepare our students for the NextGen bar exam.

Jim Coben, DRI Senior Fellow, is currently collaborating with his first-year doctrinal colleagues to create a series of roleplays for use in property, contracts, torts and civil procedure classes to help students develop NextGen foundational skills in client counseling and advising, negotiation, and dispute resolution. The team also will produce companion videos and detailed teacher’s guides for each roleplay. Information regarding module download (free for educational use) will be forthcoming as each module is completed..