NCBE proposes to eliminate all land use subjects and de-emphasize takings on its subject outlines beginning in 2026

I was asked by NCBE to begin a discussion of the Real Property outline of the proposed 2026 NextGen Bar Exam.  For the uninitiated, this is the outline of subjects that NCBE plans to test on the standardized portions of the bar.  NCBE is taking public comment at https://nextgenbarexam.ncbex.org/csopc-register/. The deadline for public comments is April 18.

Here are the proposed new outlines:   Download NextGen Content Scope Outlines Report.

It just so happened that I had undergone an extensive review of our Property course and so I had the existing NCBE coverage for Property handy, and went through the 2026 proposal.  A couple things stand out:

1. The elimination of all land use subjects.  The existing outline requires a study of zoning laws, non-conformity, and "rezoning and other changes."  
2. The elimination of all discussion of common interest communities, the most common form of private land use controls.
3. Takings also appears to be de-emphasized; it is not a starred subject in the Con Law section meaning students apparently are not expected to know the doctrine, just be able to work with it. See the intro note below.
4. Private nuisance is emphasized; public nuisance is not.

I have not submitted comments to NCBE, but wanted to get this out on the blog at their request, and also get folks thinking about it.  I doubt land use has ever played much of a role in the bar exam overall, but I thought it was worth flagging the elimination of these sections of the existing outline.

 

2026 Proposal:  Topics followed by an asterisk (*) will be tested in a way that assumes examinees know the details of the relevant doctrine without consulting legal resources.  All other topics will be tested in a way that assumes examinees have general familiarity with the topics for purposes of issue-spotting or working efficiently with legal resources provided during the exam.
Existing NCBE Real Property Outline subjects (no new subjects proposed by 2026 NCBE Proposal)	Existing NCBE coverage	2026 NCBE Proposal coverage
I.         Ownership of real property	x	x
A.    Present estates and future interests	x	x
1.     Present estates	x	x
a.     Fees simple	x	x*
b.     Defeasible fees	x	x
c.     Life estates	x	x
2.     Future interests	x	x
a.     Reversions	x	x
b.     Remainders, vested and contingent	x	x
c.     Executory interests	x	x
d.     Possibilities of reverter, powers of termination	x	x
e.     Rules affecting these interests (including survivorship, class gifts, waste, and cy pres)	x	x (arguably broader here, stating "language used in conveyance (children, heirs, issue); class members not yet born; when the class closes; conditions on disposition; contingency of survival (express and implied); and affirmative waste, permissive waste, and ameliorative waste (open mines doctrine, obligations to pay taxes, make repairs, apportionment of costs for special assessments)"
B.    Cotenancy	x
1.     Types: tenancy in common and joint tenancy	x	x* (also includes tenancy by the entirety)
2.     Rights and obligations of cotenants	x	x* (also obligationscludes and by the entirety)
a.     Partition	x	x*
b.     Severance	x	x*
c.     Relations among cotenants	x	x
C.    Landlord-tenant law	x	x
1.     Types of tenancies	x	x*
2.     Possession and rent	x	x
3.     Transfers by landlord or tenant [assignment / sublease]	x	x*
4.     Termination (including surrender, mitigation of damages, anticipatory breach, and security deposits)	x	x*
5.     Habitability and suitability [constructive eviction / IWOH]	x	x*
D.    Special problems	x	x
1.     Rule against perpetuities: common law rule and statutory reforms	x
2.     Alienability, descendibility, and devisability of present and future interests	x	x*
3.     Fair housing/discrimination	x	x*
4.     Conflicts of law related to disputes involving real property	x
II.        Rights in real property	x	x
A.    Restrictive covenants (includes equitable servitudes)	x	x
1.     Nature and type	x	x*
2.     Creation	x	x
3.     Scope	x	x*
4.     Transfer	x	x*
5.     Termination	x	x*
6.     Property owners’ associations and common interest ownership communities	x
B.    Easements, profits, and licenses	x	x
1.     Nature and type	x	x*
2.     Methods of creation	x	x
a.     Express	x	x*
b.     Implied	x	x*
c.     Prescription	x	x*
3.     Scope and apportionment	x	x*
4.     Transfer	x	x*
5.     Termination	x	x*
C.    Fixtures	x	x*
D.    Zoning (fundamentals other than regulatory taking)	x
1.     Zoning laws	x
2.     Protection of pre-existing property rights	x
3.     Rezoning and other zoning changes	x
III.       Real estate contracts	x	x
A.    Real estate brokerage	x	x
B.    Creation and construction	x	x
1.     Statute of frauds and exceptions	x	x*
2.     Essential terms	x	x*
3.     Time for performance	x	x*
4.     Remedies for breach	x	x*
C.    Marketability of title	x	x
D.    Equitable conversion (including risk of loss)	x	x
E.    Options and rights of first refusal	x
F.     Fitness and suitability	x
G.    Merger	x	x*
IV.       Mortgages/security devices	x	x
A.    Types of security devices	x	x
1.     Mortgages (including deeds of trust)	x	x*
a.     In general	x	x
b.     Purchase money mortgages	x	x
c.     Future advance mortgages	x	x
2.     Installment land contracts	x
3.     Absolute deeds as security	x
B.    Security relationships	x	x
1.     Necessity and nature of obligation	x
2.     Mortgage theories: title, lien, and intermediate	x	x
3.     Rights and duties prior to foreclosure	x
4.     Right to redeem and clogging the equity of redemption	x
C.    Transfers	x
1.     By mortgagor	x
a.     Assumption and transfer subject to	x
b.     Rights and obligations	x
c.     Application of subrogation and suretyship principles	x
d.     Restrictions on transfer (including due-on-sale clauses)	x
2.     By mortgagee	x
D.    Discharge of the mortgage	x
1.     Payment (including prepayment)	x
2.     Deed in lieu of foreclosure	x
E.    Foreclosure	x
1.     Types	x	x
2.     Acceleration	x	x
3.     Parties to the proceeding	x	x
4.     Deficiency and surplus	x	x
5.     Redemption after foreclosure	x	x
V.        Titles	x	x
A.    Adverse possession	x	x
B.    Transfer by deed	x	x
1.     Requirements for deed	x	x*
2.     Types of deeds (including covenants for title)	x	x*
3.     Drafting, review, and negotiation of closing documents	x
4.     Persons authorized to execute documents	x	x*
C.    Transfer by operation of law and by will	x	x
1.     In general	x	x
2.     Ademption	x	x
3.     Exoneration	x	x
4.     Lapse	x	x
D.    Title assurance systems	x
1.     Recording acts	x	x
a.     Types	x	x
b.     Indexes	x	x
c.     Chain of title	x	x
d.     Hidden risks (e.g., undelivered or forged deed)	x	x
2.     Title insurance	x
E.    Special problems (including estoppel by deed and judgment and tax liens)	x
Other topics covered on bar on other sections of MBE outline
Takings [Con Law IV(d)]	x	x (Proposal Con Law V(b)) ("This topic includes just compensation, the “public use” limitation, and the distinction between taking and regulation.")
Eminent Domain
Penn Coal; Penn Central
Per Se Rules
Trespass [MBE Torts I(a)]	x	x (Proposal Torts I(b)]
Nuisance [MBE Torts IV(a)]	x	x (Proposal Torts V(a)]
Private nuisance	x	x*
Public nuisance	x	x