Director of Jurisdiction Relations

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing a competent, ethical, and diverse legal profession. We develop and deliver high-quality assessment products, services, and research that support state courts and licensing authorities in evaluating the readiness of aspiring lawyers.

NCBE is committed to fostering a collaborative, mission-driven environment with competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, flexible scheduling, and professional development opportunities. NCBE's headquarters is based in Madison, Wisconsin, a dynamic community with exceptional amenities.

The Director of Jurisdiction Relations serves as NCBE's primary liaison to jurisdiction administrators, Courts, and Boards, fostering strong partnerships to support the successful administration of NCBE programs, including the NextGen UBE. The position also serves to ensure that NCBE is a resource for the bar admissions community to assist admissions offices in fulfilling their public protection role.

This role requires deep expertise in bar admissions, policy development, and regulatory frameworks, combined with proven exceptional written and oral communication and relationship management skills.

Reporting to the President, the Director collaborates extensively with jurisdictions and internal teams across the organization to ensure alignment between NCBE's strategic vision and the needs of jurisdiction stakeholders. The Director is uniquely positioned to identify opportunities for improving NCBE's services to jurisdictions and implement changes at the operational level.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Jurisdiction Engagement and Relationship Management

• Serves as NCBE's primary point of contact for jurisdiction administrators, coordinating communication, relationship management, and outreach across the organization.
• Ensures that NCBE is both proactive and reactive to the needs expressed by jurisdictions.
• Plans and leads regular jurisdiction engagement activities-including webinars, office hours, and administrator forums-to ensure consistent and clear communication, iteration, and feedback loops.
• Monitors and synthesizes jurisdiction feedback and trends, providing insights to the President and senior leadership to inform decision-making, collaborative opportunities, risk management, and strategic planning.
• Supports the onboarding of new jurisdiction administrators and ensures consistent understanding of NCBE systems, processes, and policies.
• Works with NCBE teams and jurisdictions to identify enhancements to the services NCBE provides to jurisdictions in furtherance of their public protection function.
• Serves as a resource to the President, Board, and Implementation Steering Committee by preparing outreach updates.

NCBE Programs

• Manages the onboarding of jurisdictions adopting the NextGen UBE, establishing detailed timelines, procedures, and training programs to ensure smooth implementation.
• Provides guidance and model language to assist jurisdictions with bar admission rules and policy changes necessary for adopting NextGen UBE.
• As primary liaison to jurisdictions, serves as an internal voice for jurisdictions when collaborating across NCBE teams.
• Partners with IT, Operations, Test Security, and Product teams to evaluate technical capabilities, align systems readiness and features with jurisdiction needs, and support efficient and secure exam administration.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Works closely with internal stakeholders to maintain fluency in the NextGen ecosystem to represent NCBE accurately and confidently.
• Collaborates with Assessment Development, Product, Psychometrics, and Communications teams to align outreach with key milestones such as beta testing, readiness reviews, and operational launches.
• Coordinates with Communications team on external messaging to ensure alignment between public- and jurisdiction-facing materials.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an ABA-approved law school and admitted to the bar in at least one jurisdiction.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in bar admissions, regulation, or a related field.
• Deep understanding of bar admissions and examination programs, including policy development, regulatory frameworks, and implementation processes.
• Proven ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Exceptional communication and public speaking skills, with the ability to build trust and convey complex information effectively to a wide range of audiences, including justices, Boards, and administrators.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing the highest level of customer service and support.
• Strategic and analytical thinker with strong policy development and problem-solving skills.
• Adaptability and flexibility to navigate changing priorities, emerging challenges, and evolving stakeholder needs.

Preferred Background

• Prior experience as a jurisdiction administrator or direct involvement in bar admissions processes.
• Strong understanding of technology and digital assessment platforms.
• Personable, collaborative, and proactive approach to stakeholder engagement.

NCBE welcomes applicants from the following states: FL, IA, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MN, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OK, PA, TX, WA, and WI. Applicants from across the U.S. may be considered.

This position includes at least 30% travel to jurisdictions across the U.S.

Mission

NCBE promotes fairness, integrity, and best practices in admission to the legal profession for the benefit and protection of the public. We serve admission authorities, courts, the legal education community, and candidates by providing high-quality

• assessment products, services, and research;
• character investigations; and
• informational and educational resources and programs.

EEO Statement
NCBE is proud to be an equal employment opportunity organization. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees.

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