Texas becomes first state to end ABA role in lawyer admissions

The Texas Supreme Court finalized a plan to stop relying on the American Bar Association for law school accreditation and will keep its own list of approved schools whose graduates may practice in Texas. The court said it will apply simple, objective and ideologically neutral criteria and aims to preserve degree portability.

The Texas Supreme Court has finalized an order to end its reliance on the American Bar Association for law school accreditation and to create a Texas-approved list of law schools whose graduates may practice in the state. The court said the new process will use "simple, objective, and ideologically neutral criteria" and aims to provide stability, certainty and flexibility for currently approved schools. The decision makes Texas the first state to move away from ABA law school oversight, which had been the standard since 1983. The change follows federal pressure on the ABA and reviews of ABA requirements by several other state high courts. Key facts: - The order replaces ABA accreditation with a Texas-maintained list of approved law schools. - Texas's initial list of approved schools matches the law schools currently accredited by the ABA. - The order recognizes schools that meet the ABA's minimum bar pass standard and certain admissions rules. - The ABA said it will continue to work with Texas and other states and will seek to demonstrate its value as an accreditor. - Florida, Ohio and Tennessee have launched similar reviews of their reliance on ABA standards. Summary: The court's order ends the ABA's formal role in Texas law school approval and could affect how law degrees are approved and used across states. The court said it will develop procedures to evaluate non-ABA-accredited schools, but detailed implementation and effects are undetermined at this time.