Trump Administration Moves to Strip ABA of Law School Accreditation Role

The Trump administration is taking steps to strip the American Bar Association (ABA) of its authority to accredit US law schools, escalating tensions between the professional organisation and the federal government.

 

The US Department of Education said it had found the ABA’s accreditation standards did not comply with federal accreditation regulations and recognition standards.

 

“After reviewing ABA’s accreditation standards, Department staff found the accreditor out of compliance with the agency’s accreditation regulations and recognition standards,” a department spokesperson said in a statement, referring to a report made public on Friday.

 

The spokesperson said the department would not comment further while the process was ongoing, adding that it involved multiple stages of review, including consideration by an independent, bipartisan advisory committee in September.

 

ABA officials are due to meet with the Education Department next month to seek reauthorisation of the organisation’s longstanding authority to accredit law schools.

 

The ABA’s role in accrediting law schools makes it a key gatekeeper in determining which graduates are eligible to qualify for admission to practise law in the US.

 

The development comes as the ABA’s independent accreditation council moves to scale back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements for law schools.

 

The council voted on Friday to formally reduce one DEI-related requirement, Standard 205, which has been on hold since shortly after President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year. The council is also scheduled to vote on September 8 on another DEI provision, Standard 206, which is expected to be repealed.

 

The DEI accreditation requirements made the ABA an early target of the Trump administration during the president’s second term. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other administration officials had threatened the organisation’s law school oversight role, while Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut federal grant funding.

 

“Although it is difficult to comment on a recommendation we haven’t yet received, we look forward to the opportunity to address any misconceptions and clarify the record,” Melissa Hart, who leads the ABA’s accreditation council, said in a statement.

 

“As a national accrediting body for American law schools, we remain focused on ensuring quality legal education that produces competent, ethical attorneys who are eligible for licensure,” she said.

 

Several states have also taken steps to reduce the ABA’s influence over law school accreditation. Texas shifted accreditation authority to the state Supreme Court in January, while Florida and Ohio are among the states that have moved to weaken the ABA’s role.

 

The ABA is also engaged in a legal battle with the Trump administration over the president’s attacks on major US law firms. An ABA lawsuit has led to a separate dispute over an attempt to subpoena Boris Epshteyn, a personal lawyer to Trump.

 

The organisation has faced financial pressures in recent years, including federal funding cuts and declining membership. It is seeking to reduce spending after laying off about 300 employees last year.

 

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