Accreditation & Standards

ABA again says no to Florida Coastal’s nonprofit application and makes noncompliance finding

Florida Coastal School of Law is out of compliance with two sections of Standard 202, which deals with program resources, according to a public notice posted by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Dec 13, 2019 2:46 PM CST

First-year class sizes for ABA-accredited law schools are slightly smaller in 2019

The total number of students at ABA-accredited law schools rose slightly this year. However, the number of first-year students decreased from 2018 to 2019, according to ABA data released Thursday.

Dec 12, 2019 3:29 PM CST

Law school found out of compliance with program resources standard; dean is ‘surprised by the finding’

The University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law is out of compliance with three sections of Standard 202, which deals with program resources, according to a recent finding from the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

Dec 11, 2019 2:48 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Barr sees ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’ in Epstein death; law school gives up ABA accreditation

AG Barr concludes Jeffrey Epstein’s death due to ‘perfect storm of screw-ups’ U.S. Attorney General William Barr says he initially had suspicions about multimillionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein’s jailhouse death, but he eventually concluded that the convicted sex offender died by suicide. Barr told the Associated Press that he reviewed security…

Nov 25, 2019 4:09 PM CST

Law schools with accreditation issues see bar exam improvement, but will they hit 75% pass rate?

For a small number of schools found to be out of compliance with an ABA accreditation admissions standard, some have concerns that even with bar pass rate improvements, they still may not meet a new standard that requires pass rates of at least 75% for graduates who took a bar exam in the past two years.

Nov 21, 2019 10:21 AM CST

Law school with bar pass rate under 75% threshold considers its future

The University of La Verne in California, which had a first-time bar passage rate of 31.49% for 2018, has assembled a committee to consider the future of its law school, following a recent change that tightened bar passage requirements for ABA-accredited law schools.

Oct 30, 2019 2:00 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Florida Coastal law student sues over prep course; suit tossed over hate group label

Florida Coastal law student sues school for allegedly toughening graduation standard A law student at Florida Coastal School of Law claims in a lawsuit that the school made it more difficult to graduate after she enrolled there. The suit by the “Jane Doe” student alleges breach of contract and negligent…

Sep 17, 2019 4:05 PM CDT

Florida Coastal federal financial aid to be released, following letter of credit submission

Updated: The U.S. Department of Education approved Thursday the release of federal student aid to Florida Coastal School of Law, a for-profit InfiLaw school, after the school submitted a letter of credit to the agency.

Sep 13, 2019 11:07 AM CDT

Law school deans recently hit with noncompliance notice say they can show standards are met

Two law schools—the Western New England University School of Law and the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law—recently received public notice of being out of compliance with ABA accreditation standards.

Sep 9, 2019 12:14 PM CDT

Cooley Law School cuts tuition and seeks to close satellite campus

Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School has announced plans to cut tuition by 21% and close its satellite campus near Detroit in Auburn Hills, Michigan, at the end of 2020.

Sep 3, 2019 3:51 PM CDT

ABA legal ed section set to send various standards and rules revisions to House of Delegates

The council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, which met at the Park Hyatt Chicago in an open session Friday, approved various proposed revisions to accreditation rules and standards, but tabled, for further discussion, a suggested change to Standard 206, which addresses diversity and inclusion.…

Aug 26, 2019 2:05 PM CDT

Closing Time: As Whittier Law School prepares to close, its dean tries to soften the blow for students

Jul 1, 2019 12:16 AM CDT

After tenure removals, Vermont Law School is now on sanction list of professors’ organization

Vermont Law School has been placed on the American Association of University Professors’ sanction list, a year after the private, stand-alone school stripped 14 professors of tenure. The decision was made by a member vote Saturday at the AAUP’s annual meeting, Inside Higher Ed reports. Being placed on the AAUP’s…

Jun 19, 2019 10:46 AM CDT

ABA approval withdrawn for Thomas Jefferson School of Law

ABA approval for Thomas Jefferson School of Law, which was placed on probation in November 2017, has been withdrawn by the council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, according to a memo posted online Monday.

Jun 11, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

ABA’s Legal Ed approves two teach-out plan possibilities for Western State College of Law

Updated: Two teach-out plans for Western State College of Law, which is part of the embattled Argosy University System, have been approved by the council of the ABA’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

May 28, 2019 1:40 PM CDT