FTC Backs Texas Bid to End ABA Control Over Law School Rules

The Federal Trade Commission dubbed the American Bar Association a monopoly for its hold on determining which law school’s graduates qualify for the state’s bar exam, endorsing a Texas Supreme Court proposal to strip its authority.

In a stern 9-page annotated letter to Texas justices, FTC officials argued that the ABA’s control over law school accreditation creates anti-competitive conditions that harm consumers by limiting the supply of lawyers while driving up legal costs. The current Texas rule requires applicants to graduate from an ABA-approved school, effectively giving the association veto authority over who can practice law in the second-largest state. ...