AccessLex Institute Prepares for NextGen Bar Exam with Building Bar Skills Initiative

West Chester, PA – February 20, 2024 – In May 2023, AccessLex Institute^® launched its Building Bar Skills Initiative with the sole purpose of preparing its nearly 200 member law schools for the scheduled rollout of the NextGen bar exam in July 2026. Led by the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence^®, this Initiative represents a significant research and development investment into future methods of bar preparation.    

Central to the Initiative is the collaborative work of the Building Bar Skills Initiative’s Module Building Teams. Drawn from five different law schools and comprised of doctrinal and skills faculty, these teams are creating and testing innovative curriculum units for use in doctrinal courses designed to cultivate the skills tested on the NextGen bar exam.    

Joel Chanvisanuruk, Director of Programs for Academic and Bar Success at AccessLex Institute, explained, “The Bar Skills Modules serve a dual purpose: first, to acquaint law students with the skills assessed in the NextGen bar exam, and second, to afford them the opportunity to put those newfound skills into practice.”  

This Initiative is a proactive response to the challenges posed by the NextGen bar exam. Said Chanvisanuruk, “Recognizing the existing expertise among our colleagues at AccessLex member law schools in crafting skills-based classroom exercises, we’ve assembled a team of these experts as Module Building Teams. Through this collaboration, AccessLex Institute is harnessing this collective expertise with a specific emphasis on addressing the demands of the NextGen bar exam.”  

In support of AccessLex Institute’s commitment to preparing bar candidates for the NextGen exam, Helix Bar Review by AccessLexSM is currently working to develop Helix NextGen, a comprehensive review course tailored to align with the Foundational Concepts and Principles and Foundational Skills being tested on the NextGen bar exam. Helix NextGen will be available to bar takers in March 2026.  

About AccessLex Institute | Helix Bar Review:     

AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the Company’s mission since 1983. Helix Bar Review is a supporting organization of AccessLex Institute. Learn more at AccessLex.org and HelixBarReview.org.