Accreditation & Standards

St. Thomas College of Law found out of ABA accreditation compliance

The St. Thomas University College of Law has fallen out of compliance with a core accreditation standard titled “Nondiscrimination and Equality of Opportunity,” according to a memo from the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 23, 2025 12:44 PM CDT

Cooley Law School found noncompliant with ABA accreditation standard

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has found Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School to be not compliant with law school accreditation standards.

Sep 22, 2025 2:44 PM CDT

Tennessee joins 3 other states in reconsidering law school accreditation process

Citing the need to address access to justice, the Tennessee Supreme Court is asking for comments on potential reforms for accrediting law schools and admission to the bar, which include reconsidering the ABA’s role in that process.

Sep 22, 2025 1:22 PM CDT

Legal Ed council hands down compliance decision for two Puerto Rican law schools

The council informed the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law that it is on probation for not meeting the bar passage standard, while the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law is in compliance with Standard 316.

Sep 19, 2025 1:03 PM CDT

New Hampshire law school returns to compliance with ABA accreditation standard

he University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is back in compliance with ABA standards, according to an August memo posted by the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Sep 18, 2025 11:34 AM CDT

ABA Legal Ed council defines accreditation goals and values

Facing threats from the Trump administration and proposed alternative accreditors, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar adopted a set of core principles that sharpen the definition of its mission.

Aug 25, 2025 3:31 PM CDT

ABA Legal Ed council holds off on experiential learning recommendations

After pushback from many law school deans, the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar decided that it would take more time to reconsider tweaks to its proposed mandate to increase the number of hands-on learning credits from six to 12 at its quarterly meeting Friday in Chicago.

Aug 22, 2025 4:09 PM CDT

Based on allegations of cheating services, online LSAT testing will be suspended in mainland China

In an attempt to shut down cheating services, the Law School Admission Council will suspend online LSAT testing in mainland China following next month’s international administration.

Aug 18, 2025 1:29 PM CDT

Facing deadline, California debates way forward on bar exam

Time is of the essence as State Bar of California officials consider their options for the future of the state’s bar exam after its disastrous attempt to launch a proprietary exam in February.

Aug 15, 2025 1:53 PM CDT

4 online law programs join forces to let students swap courses

Students at four law schools will be able to take high-level, specialized courses at the other three ABA-accredited schools for no cost and little paperwork hassle starting in spring 2026. Andrew Perlman, dean of the the Suffolk University Law School, reached out to deans at schools with established online programs, asking who might be interested in exploring an exchange of online courses.

Aug 13, 2025 3:37 PM CDT

Record-setting employment rate for class of 2024 law grads comes with asterisk, new NALP report finds

Class of 2024 law graduates had the highest ever overall employment rate and the highest ever employment rate in bar-admission-required jobs, but percentages only tell part of the story, according to Nikia L. Gray, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement.

Aug 5, 2025 9:04 AM CDT

Focusing on ‘people law,’ state chief justices encourage ‘innovative pathways’ to law license, new report says

Changing the requirements for a law license and supporting financial help for public-interest lawyering are among the ways that state supreme courts can help address “staggering” unmet legal needs, according to a study by a group of state chief justices and court administrators released Wednesday.

Aug 1, 2025 10:19 AM CDT

Following similar moves from Florida and Texas, Ohio reconsiders ABA accreditation

Last week, the Ohio Supreme Court created an advisory committee to review the accreditation process for law schools there. It follows similar actions from Florida and Texas.

Jul 23, 2025 9:21 AM CDT

ABA Legal Ed council proposal to increase experiential learning credit requirement faces pushback

The proposal to double the required number of experiential learning credits from six to 12 by the council of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has met fierce opposition, with the majority of comments received arguing against it.

Jul 17, 2025 3:12 PM CDT

Deans, law school associations oppose Texas proposal to end ABA accreditation

Deans from eight Texas law schools—along with leaders of the Association of American Law Schools, the Law School Admission Council, the AccessLex Institute and the National Association for Law Placement—oppose ending Texas’ requirement that bar exam takers graduate from an ABA-accredited law school, according to responses to the Texas Supreme Court obtained by the ABA Journal.

Jul 10, 2025 9:26 AM CDT