Supreme Court Order Sets Pathway Forward for Applicants
Updated Aug. 17, 2026: Reimbursement Process Now Open
WSBA has opened a reimbursement process for eligible July 2026 exam-related expenses, including nonrefundable travel, lodging, meals, change fees, and other reasonable costs, as well as childcare and out-of-state travel where applicable. Details on eligibility, required forms, and submission instructions are available on our reimbursement page. Reimbursement requests and questions can be directed to 2026BarExamExpense@wsba.org.
Updated Aug. 14, 2026: September Exam Safeguards, Courtesy Seating, and Court Response to Board Advocacy
Following a technical failure at the venue that led to the cancellation of the July 2026 bar exam for the majority of applicants, the WSBA remains committed to transparency as the September make-up exam approaches. As previously communicated to examinees, the make-up exam will be administered at University of Washington Tacoma on Sept. 1–2, 2026. The July exam was the nation's first administration of NCBE's NextGen Bar Exam, which — unlike prior NCBE bar exams — is designed to be administered entirely online. The WSBA understands that applicants want assurance of a smooth exam experience, and we take that seriously. Our goal is to give September applicants every reasonable safeguard against a repeat failure.
While we continue working to understand the factors underlying the technical failure, based on initial review we are taking three steps ahead of September:
- Direct involvement with University of Washington Tacoma and NCBE in verifying UW Tacoma's ability to meet NCBE's technology requirements.
- Confirming UW Tacoma's backup (redundancy) plan.
- Putting WSBA's own operational contingency plan in place in the event that both the primary and backup systems fail.
Separately, the WSBA Board of Governors has adopted a temporary "courtesy seating" policy for July 2026 bar exam applicants who elected admission by bar exam waiver. This policy will allow Washington lawyers admitted by exam waiver, or individuals who elected admission by exam waiver, to sit for the bar exam in 2027 in Washington — giving them the opportunity to earn a portable NextGen UBE score without traveling to another jurisdiction to test. A registration fee and technology fee will be required. Additional details will be posted online by Oct. 9, 2026, when registration for courtesy seating opens.
Following the Board of Governors' emergency meeting on Aug. 13, WSBA formally advocated to the Washington Supreme Court on behalf of applicants not currently eligible for the waiver option, urging equal treatment across all applicant categories. On Aug. 14, the Court responded that its Aug. 6, 2026 order will stand and will not be modified. In its response, the Court noted that its resolution was not intended to be individually tailored to each applicant's circumstances, and reflected a balance of competing interests among applicants, employers, law schools, WSBA, and NCBE. WSBA is updating applicant-facing resources to help affected individuals navigate the options available to them under the Court's order, as well as any further remedies available based on their individual circumstances.
Please email admissions@wsba.org with any questions.
Updated Aug. 12, 2026: Rule 9 Licensed Legal Intern License Relief
On Aug. 12, 2026, the Washington Supreme Court issued a further order (No. 25700-B-754) addressing Rule 9 Licensed Legal Intern licenses for applicants affected by the July 2026 exam cancellation. If you registered in-person in Yakima and either completed the July 2026 exam, do not qualify for the exam waiver, or qualify but decline it, you may request an extension of your current Rule 9 license — or apply for a new one. Upon confirmed eligibility, the Court will extend or issue the license through July 31, 2027. Affected applicants have been notified directly by email with instructions. Questions can be directed to rule9@wsba.org. Full eligibility details and answers to common questions are available in our July 2026 NextGen Bar Exam FAQs.
Updated Aug. 11, 2026: Options & Deadline for Applicants
Applicants affected by the July 2026 exam cancellation have four options: a conditional exam waiver for qualifying applicants, a fee-waived make-up exam Sept. 1–2 in Tacoma, WA, a fee-waived transfer to the February 2027 exam, or withdrawal with a full refund. Applicants must notify WSBA of their election by noon PDT Aug. 14, 2026. Full eligibility details and answers to common questions are available in our July 2026 NextGen Bar Exam FAQ.
Updated Aug. 6, 2026: A Statement from the WSBA President and Executive Director
The Washington Supreme Court today issued an order to provide solutions and clarity to applicants sitting for the July 2026 bar exam. The bar exam was canceled for the majority of applicants because of a technology failure, and we want to first acknowledge the impact on examinees: The amount of study and preparation—and the personal measures they undertook to show up at the venue—were momentous. We appreciate that the Court’s path forward comprises a careful consideration of all the circumstances with a focus on the applicants, as well as the importance of the admissions process; we at the WSBA are ready to implement the order.
Bar applicants, potential employers, and members of the legal and nonlegal communities will likely have different viewpoints on the Court’s resolution, which includes waivers and special exam makeup considerations. There is no perfect solution here, as the Court notes in its statement to applicants, but as leaders of the state bar, our underlying commitment is twofold:
- To ensure this group of aspiring lawyers enters the profession—and begins serving Washingtonians who need legal help—with no delay due to the exam-administration failure.
- To uphold the integrity of and public confidence in the profession, including our admissions processes.
The Court’s order delivers on the first commitment. With respect to the latter, we are actively pursuing a full, independent review of the July failure and working closely with the National Conference of Bar Examiners. The Court moved early to adopt the NextGen exam, so that Washington joined a group of nine other jurisdictions in July as the first wave to implement the new format, which better tests real-world lawyer skills and competency. We still believe in these goals and are working to ensure that future administrations run as expected.
We have reached out directly to all July 2026 bar-exam applicants with specific information about the order and how it applies to them. If you have questions, please refer to our FAQs or reach out to admissions@wsba.org.
Sincerely,
Terra Nevitt, Executive Director, and Francis Adewale, President
