Starting in 2015, Civil Procedure will be added to the Multistate Bar Exam. The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) has added it as a subject to the multi-state portion of the bar exam, the first change in more than 40 years. The number of core legal subjects is now seven including the current six subjects: Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Real Property and Torts. Athough new to the MBE portion of the bar exam, applicants for the New York State bar have always had to contend with New York Civil Procedure as a subject matter.
“This is a very positive development. Procedure is something that is fundamental to everything a lawyer does.” Brooklyn Law School Professor James Park said. The NCBE has hinted for some time that civil procedure would be included in the MBE. The announcement came in late February with a memo to law school deans announcing the February 2015 implementation date. The memo urged the deans to inform faculty and staff who teach civil procedure of the change. Brooklyn Law School Dean Nick Allard said “We will likely add more civil procedure courses.” BLS Professors Alan M. Trammell, James Park, Jayne Ressler, Elizabeth Schneider, Maryellen Fullerton, Michael Mushlin, Robin Effron, and Roger Michalski currently teach the Civil Procedure course that is designed to introduce beginning law students to the elements and procedures of the civil justice system. The course covers the litigation process from commencement of a case through appeals. Major topics include jurisdiction, remedies, pleading, discovery, class actions, and pretrial and trial procedures.
