The JD-Next Story

JD-Next was born from a simple but powerful idea: there is no single profile of a successful law student. 

The concept emerged from conversations at Aspen Publishing’s Leading Edge Conference, where legal educators and industry leaders recognized a growing concern: traditional admissions tools often did not capture the full range of talent, preparation, and potential among aspiring law students. Those discussions inspired Marc Miller, then Dean of the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona, to explore a new approach to identifying legal aptitude and law school readiness. 

Working alongside legal educators, psychometricians, and admissions professionals, Dean Miller and his team developed JD-Next around the principle of “proximal testing,” evaluating students through learning experiences that closely mirror the demands of law school itself. With support from AccessLex Institute and ETS, the program became an online course that culminates in a rigorous law school admissions assessment focused on legal reasoning, case analysis, rule synthesis, and issue spotting. 

From the beginning, JD-Next was designed around two goals: helping more students demonstrate their potential for law school while preparing them for success once they arrive. The course introduces students to foundational legal concepts and analytical skills before they enter the classroom, while giving law schools another evidence-based way to evaluate readiness. 

Research has shown that JD-Next predicts first-year law school performance while producing smaller score disparities among underrepresented groups than traditional standardized tests. Additional studies have linked JD-Next participation to stronger first-year academic outcomes and bar passage rates, reinforcing its value as both an admissions signal and a preparation tool.