Following up on my previous post, Texas Supreme Court May No Longer Require Graduation From ABA-Accredited Law School To Practice Law In The State: Symposium, Texas and the Future of Legal Education, University of Texas Civitas Institute (2025):
The long-term position the American Bar Association has held, under the authority granted it by the Texas Supreme Court to accredit law schools in Texas and make these institutions the sole pathway to becoming a licensed lawyer in the state, is now in question. The Texas Supreme Court has invited commentary on what, if any, role the ABA should have in determining the legitimacy of legal education in Texas. A similar process is now unfolding in the State of Florida. This online symposium, which has brought together law professors and scholars, inside and outside Texas, aims to make a hopeful contribution to this conversation.
- Josh Blackman (South Texas; Google Scholar), The Supreme Court of Texas Must Put Texas First, and Liberate Law Students from the ABA ("The Supreme Court of Texas should play a crucial role in ensuring that law schools adequately prepare students to be effective lawyers in Texas. However, this can be achieved without the ABA’s stringent and arbitrary standards.")
- Seth J. Chandler (Houston), Accrediting for Tomorrow: Law School Metrics and Interstate Compacts ("Current ABA accreditation has established a common floor for bar admissions and federal loan guarantees, creating a nationally portable credential. Yet that success has created significant costs.")
- Andrew P. Morriss (Texas A&M; Google Scholar), Ending the ABA's Role in Accreditation Will Benefit Texas ("If the Texas Supreme Court ultimately opens doors to alternative routes to the practice of law, it will expand the availability of legal services in the state, primarily benefiting poor and middle-class Texans.")
- Derek T. Muller (Notre Dame; Google Scholar), New Paths for Legal Education Should Be Considered." ("Reconsidering the ABA's monopoly on accrediting law schools is a worthwhile endeavor, but some notes of caution are in order.")
- Ilya Shapiro (Manhattan Institute; Google Scholar), The ABA Deserves to Lose Its Accreditation Monopoly ("The ABA has used its accreditation monopoly to bend law schools to its ideological will.")
- John Yoo (UC-Berkeley; Google Scholar), The Conserving Force of Lawyers in American Democracy ("Law education should not rest in the hands of those who view the legal profession as the handmaiden to change and even revolution.")
Houston Law News, The 10 Texas Law Schools Face Uncertainty as the State Seeks Comments on the Continued Viability of ABA Accreditation:
What if the 10 Texas law schools no longer were accredited with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) seal of approval?
That “what if” scenario has become a much-discussed possibility since April 4, 2025, when the Texas Supreme Court issued an order inviting comment on the future role of the ABA in accrediting the state’s 10 law schools. The Court is weighing whether to reduce or eliminate reliance on the national accreditor — a move that could significantly change how legal education and licensure work in Texas with ripples beyond its borders.
Such a change raises important questions about the future of legal education, the availability of federal financial aid, and portability of Texas bar licensure potentially affecting the careers of thousands of current and future law students.
The Texas Supreme Court issued an order seeking comments from Texas law school deans, the Texas Board of Law Examiners, the bar, and the public on this topic — with a focus on ensuring high-quality, cost-effective legal education, meeting Texan’s needs for legal services, and strengthening public accountability in the profession’s oversight.
To provide the Court with reasoned and informed input, the Houston Bar Association convened a virtual discussion titled “A Conversation on the ABA Accreditation of Texas Law Schools.” The goal of this discussion was to provide attendees with information about the value of ABA accreditation along with critiques of the ABA’s operations and processes ahead of the July 1 deadline, allowing members of the audience time to submit comments to the Court.
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