Court & LawLegal writing and drafting
You turn the analysis into documents: a letter to the client, sections of a complaint or answer, affidavits, contract provisions, a memo or brief, and discovery. Each one must fit the facts, the relevant rules and standards, and the client's objectives, interests and constraints. These are the legal writing and drafting tasks of the NextGen bar exam.
Free to startScenarios
- The client needs a letter on the status of the matter and the next steps.
- A draft complaint has language that does not match the facts.
- A contract draft has a provision that works against the client.
The steps
- Draft or edit correspondence to the client that explains the legal implications of a course of action, updates the status of the matter or advises on the next steps.
- In draft sections of a complaint or an answer, identify the language that should change and suggest how.
- For affidavits to be submitted to a court or other tribunal, choose the best affiant and the best language to support each element to be proved.
- In draft provisions of a contract or other legal document, identify the language that should change, explain why and suggest how.
- From a collection of legal sources, draft the specified sections of a memo, a persuasive brief or letter, or another common document, with an original legal analysis.
- Draft or revise discovery documents.
- Keep every document consistent with the facts, the relevant legal rules and standards, and the client's objectives, interests and constraints.
To pass
- Each document fits the facts, the rules and the client's objectives.
- The changes to the drafts are identified, explained and proposed.
- The letter tells the client the implications, the status or the next steps clearly.
Official source
NextGen UBE Content Scope, July 2026–February 2027 (August 2025)
The NCBE publishes the NextGen UBE Content Scope free, with the 28 tasks that measure the foundational lawyering skills.
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the NCBE, the American Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar or any jurisdiction. NextGen, UBE and MBE are trademarks of their respective owners and are named only to describe the exams.