New ABA President Smith Backs ‘Free Speech’ at Law Schools

Law schools’ efforts to protect “free speech” on campus could become a factor in their accreditation, the American Bar Association’s new leader Mary Smith suggested in an interview.

The organization has proposed new guidelines that would urge law schools to develop freedom of expression policies and address “disruptive conduct.” The move comes after student-led protests broke out at Yale and Stanford’s law schools during conservative speaker events.

The ABA’s jurisdiction in mandating school policies is murky, but the association houses the accrediting body for law schools. The ABA already sets guidelines for law schools in other areas such as curriculum ...