Education Department moves to strip ABA of law school accreditor role

AI digestMimile.ai EditorialAugust 21, 2026 at 10:39 PM

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Education Department moves to strip ABA of law school accreditor role

The U.S. Department of Education moved on Friday to strip the American Bar Association of its role as the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools. The move deepens a clash between the Trump administration and the ABA, which has held the role since 1952. A bipartisan advisory committee will consider the recommendation in September.

Key Facts

The Education Department found the ABA's law school accreditation council is not 'separate and independent' from the parent organization.
The ABA has served as the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools since 1952.
A bipartisan accreditation advisory committee will consider the recommendation in September, with a final decision several months away.
The ABA's accreditation council chairperson, Melissa Hart, said the council is 'confident' it can address the Education Department's concerns.

Accreditation Review

Education Department staff concluded in a report released Friday that the ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is not 'separate and independent' from the larger ABA as required. The report also faulted the ABA for being too slow to revise its rule requiring law schools to meet diversity standards. An Education Department spokesperson said a review of the ABA's accreditation rules found it 'out of compliance with the agency's accreditation regulations and recognition standards.' Revoking the ABA's accreditor status would disrupt federal student loan access for some law schools and could make it harder for law students to take the bar exam and become licensed attorneys in different states.

Clash with Administration

Trump signed an executive order in April 2025 directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to assess whether to suspend or terminate the ABA as the government's official law school accreditor, citing its 'unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements.' Since then, the ABA has sued the administration over canceled domestic violence grant funding and to challenge Trump's executive orders targeting individual law firms. The U.S. Department of Justice has barred its attorneys from speaking at or attending ABA events and curtailed the ABA's longtime role in vetting judicial nominees.

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Education Department moves to strip ABA of law school accreditor role

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Education Department moves to strip ABA of law school accreditor role

Key Facts

Accreditation Review

Clash with Administration

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