A pending rule petition before the Wisconsin Supreme Court would propose changes to the Wisconsin bar exam, including adopting the Uniform Bar Examination, a standardized exam used by many states.
If approved, the rule change would replace Wisconsin’s current examination with the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and would continue to require applicants to complete a Wisconsin-specific law component for admission. The UBE consists of essay questions, including two multistate performance test questions, and a 200-question multiple-choice portion. UBE scores may be transferred between participating jurisdictions, subject to each state’s admission requirements.
The petition was filed by the Board of Bar Examiners and reflects a recommendation from the Attorney Recruitment and Retention Committee, which the Court convened to study attorney workforce issues across Wisconsin. In its report, the committee identified the adoption of the UBE as one option to reduce barriers to entry and to improve attorney mobility, noting that many neighboring states already use it.
The committee’s recommendation was presented as part of a broader set of strategies intended to support attorney recruitment and retention statewide, particularly in areas facing ongoing workforce challenges.
The petition is part of the Court’s rule-making process. Additional information, including the petition and supporting materials, is available on the Wisconsin Court System website.