Accreditation & Standards

64 ABA Journal Accreditation & Standards articles.

ABA Legal Ed council asked again to remove requirement for entrance exams

A suggestion to eliminate the accreditation standard requiring entrance exams for law school admissions has been made to the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

May 9, 2022 3:21 PM CDT

ABA’s new CLE policy appears to comply with state ban on diversity ‘quotas,’ Florida Bar says

The ABA Board of Governors on Tuesday revised the association’s diversity policy for continuing legal education programs after the Florida Supreme Court banned course credit in the state for programs with panel “quotas.”

Apr 6, 2022 2:38 PM CDT

Here’s what could have been behind the shake-ups in US News rankings, say some deans

The University Oregon School of Law moved up the U.S. News & World Report rankings this year, from No. 72 to No. 67, while the University of Wisconsin Law School moved down, from No. 29 to No. 43. Deans at both schools advised potential applicants to take the rankings with “a grain of salt.”

Mar 31, 2022 12:28 PM CDT

Florida mayor commits $5M in public funds to help open new law school

The mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, has committed to contribute $5 million in public investment to help open a new law school in the city.

Mar 2, 2022 4:08 PM CST

Law school recently dinged for bar passage rate comes into compliance

The Western New England University School of Law has demonstrated compliance with an ABA accreditation standard that requires a bar passage rate of at least 75% within two years, according to notice posted Monday.

Mar 2, 2022 8:47 AM CST

ABA legal ed section plans to send another diversity standard, revisions for remote learning requirements to HOD

A law school accreditation standard requires full opportunities for underrepresented groups, and on Friday the council of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved a proposed revision to clarify that the standard does not allow schools to engage in “racial balancing” or limit representation of individuals from any group.

Feb 22, 2022 2:21 PM CST

As law schools admit more students, will there be enough jobs?

Following a reported 13% increase in law school applications, five of 196 ABA-accredited law schools expanded their first-year classes by more than 50% for the 2021 admissions cycle, and 36 saw growth between 20% and 41%.

Jan 6, 2022 1:45 PM CST

2 law schools found to be out of compliance with ABA’s bar passage standard

The Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco and the Western New England University School of Law in Massachusetts recently received notices that they are out of compliance with the ABA’s bar exam passage standard for law schools.

Dec 20, 2021 12:43 PM CST

With GRE restrictions lifted for law schools, some urge caution

As of November, ABA-accredited law schools can accept the Graduate Record Examination from applicants in lieu of the Law School Admission Test, and some wonder if those with the financial resources will purchase test prep classes for both and submit their best score.

Dec 16, 2021 11:56 AM CST

Ohio law school back in compliance with program standard, ABA legal ed section’s council finds

Following a finding that the Cleveland State University's law school did not meet an ABA accreditation standard regarding program resources, it has since demonstrated compliance, according to recent notice from the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Nov 29, 2021 10:08 AM CST

For second time, ABA Legal Education Section seeks public comment on diversity accreditation standard

Standard 206, which is at the center of the discourse, requires that law schools provide full opportunities for students from underrepresented groups in the profession and have diverse faculty and staff in regards to gender, race and ethnicity.

Nov 22, 2021 12:02 PM CST

More law school applicants with high LSAT scores are getting rejected, admissions officers say

Law school admissions officers are becoming choosier amid a surge in law school applicants. In a survey by educational services company Kaplan, 72% of law school admissions officers said they rejected more applicants with what they consider to be high scores on the Law School Admission Test than they did in the previous cycle.

Nov 8, 2021 3:08 PM CST

Weekly Briefs: US renews ABA status as law school accreditor; lawyer gets NBA scoring gig

Law school accreditor status of ABA recognized for another five years

The ABA was approved for renewal of recognition as the accreditor of law schools, the U.S. Department of Education…

Oct 29, 2021 2:16 PM CDT

Law school dinged for noncompliance with ABA standard addressing financial conditions

Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law has been found to be out of compliance with an ABA accreditation standard focused on program resources.

Sep 7, 2021 11:02 AM CDT

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