New twist approved for Nevada bar exam

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada bar exam will feature a new wrinkle come July.

The Nevada Supreme Court has approved a recommendation that fledgling attorneys must now take an additional "performance test" to judge how they handle realistic situations.

Until now, there have been eight essay questions that tested a person's "fundamental knowledge of legal issues," said Deena Trueblood, admissions director of the State Bar of Nevada.

"The performance examination will test skills in legal reasoning," Trueblood said.

There won't be anything to memorize and the case law will be available to the test taker. As an example, the applicant may be required to write a memo on why a firm should or should not take on a case. Or he or she might prepare a complaint or map strategy for a suit.

Ronald Alling, chairman of the Board of Bar Examiners, said, "You need a test on more than legal knowledge." He said performance tests are an option now available in all states as part of bar exams. California has been using this type of test for 15 years. Its debut in Nevada will be with the July bar exam.

Approved by the Nevada Supreme Court last week, the new rule requiring the performance test says it is "aimed at testing skills in problem solving, legal analysis and reasoning, factual analysis, communication, organization and management of a legal task and resolving ethical dilemmas."

This is in addition to the 200 multiple choice questions on real property, contracts, torts, evidence, criminal law and constitutional law.

Last year, 536 people took the Nevada bar exam and 63 percent passed. The new rule does not change the 75 percent passing grade to practice in Nevada.