Ohio Republicans, Law School Deans to Examine ABA Accreditation

The Ohio Supreme Court’s chief justice appointed law school deans, Republican lawmakers and staffers, and court personnel to a committee charged with reviewing the accreditation process of the state’s nine law schools—a task currently done by the under-fire American Bar Association.

Robert W. Horner III, the court’s administrative director, was appointed by Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy (R) to chair the committee, the court said in a news release Thursday. Other members include the deans of the Ohio State University and the University of Akron law schools, the CEO of the state bar, chief counsel to US Sen. Bernie Moreno (R), and Republican state legislators. The committee’s work will focus on “identifying potential opportunities for innovation, in light of the evolving needs of the legal profession,” the release said.

• The announcement comes more than a month after the court confirmed its work to form the committee
• Florida and Texas are also examining the accreditation process, moves that came after the Justice Department in February threatened to pull the ABA’s authority to accredit law schools, and President Donald Trump’s order to end federal funding of DEI programming
• “The Court’s responsibility to uphold the integrity and efficacy of the profession means constant reflection, research, and openness to innovation,” Horner said in the release, which doesn’t mention the ABA