Sen. Grassley Gives ABA Two Weeks to Address Law School Accreditation

On Monday, Senator Charles Grassley sent this letter to the ABA, demanding answers, by July 25, to a series of 31 questions about the ABA’s role in law school accreditation:

Given the questions being raised by the increase of the number of law schools, the increase in graduate debt, and the decrease in graduate job prospects, this raises concerns regarding the ABA‟s internal controls. As the Ranking Member of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, I have an interest in the health of the legal profession. To the extent that taxpayer dollars are used, I also have an interest in ensuring that the students who take out federally-backed loans are in a position to pay back their loans and that the default rates on these loans do not increase. To further explore these concerns, please provide written responses to the following questions:

ABA Journal, Sen. Grassley Questions ABA’s Law School Accreditation Process
Above the Law, And Now The ABA Has Bi-Partisan Pressure To Actually Regulate Law Schools
National Law Journal, Senate Republican Joins the ABA’s Inquisitors Regarding Law Schools
WSJ Law Blog, Law School Accreditation Standards Questioned by U.S. Senator

About the Author

Paul Caron

Paul Caron was named Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law on June 1, 2017. Dean Caron joined the Pepperdine faculty in 2013 after serving as the Dorothy and Leonard Straus Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law in the spring semesters of 2010 through 2013. He served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development at Pepperdine in 2015-2017. Before coming to Pepperdine, he was Associate Dean of Faculty and Charles Hartsock Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.