Texas Supreme Court Takes Over Law School Accreditation From ABA

The Texas Supreme Court has ended the state’s reliance on the American Bar Association to accredit its law schools, finalizing a rule that places the state high court in charge of that certification.

The court issued preliminary approval of the rule in September but continued to solicit public comments on its move through the fall. The US Federal Trade Commission weighed in with support of the change in December, calling the ABA a monopoly.

In the Jan. 6 order, the Texas Supreme Court noted that it intends to ensure that law degrees from schools in Texas are portable to other states, and vice-versa. It also doesn’t plan to impose any additional burdens on law school accreditation, it said.

The court said it would consider returning to a multi-state accreditation entity that isn’t the ABA “should a suitable entity become available.”

The ABA’s diversity requirements for law schools have made it a target of the Trump administration, which in February threatened to pull its accrediting power nationwide unless it ends the policies. The ABA said it would temporarily suspend enforcement of its diversity and inclusion mandate.