Florida And Texas Break From ABA On Law School Accreditation (And What Banning Plato Has To Do With It) - Above the Law

"Florida has decided that the American Bar Association is just too much. Yesterday, the Florida Supreme Court graciously opened the door to alternative law school accreditors by cutting off the ABA as its sole accepted accreditor for law schools. The court framed this as a bold strike for institutional freedom and not, say, an effort to turn public legal education into a Heritage Foundation book club."

"According to the court, "The Court's goal is to promote access to high-quality, affordable legal education in law schools that are committed to the free exchange of ideas and to the principle of nondiscrimination." For the record, the GOP interpretation of "free exchange of ideas and to the principle of nondiscrimination" in law schools just got the new dean of Arkansas fired before she even started, so take this per curiam pronouncement from a collection of Republican appointees with appropriate levels of salt."

"The "particular agendas" that the ABA pushed - which at this point are all but abandoned - were diversity commitments. Obviously, there are people who think diversity training is an objectionable agenda. We call those people "white supremacists." But the ABA recognized a diverse legal workforce as advantageous, both within the workplace and to the reality of a diverse client base, and determined that credible law schools should operate accordingly. It's why comments like "stick to its proper role" miss the mark."

Florida's Supreme Court removed the ABA as the sole recognized law school accreditor, permitting alternative accrediting bodies. The court framed the decision as expanding access to high-quality, affordable legal education while protecting free exchange of ideas and nondiscrimination. Critics point to recent conservative actions, including the firing of a new Arkansas law dean and a similar Texas decision, as evidence of politicized motivations. Supporters argue the ABA's diversity commitments influenced accreditation standards, and that accreditors should ensure graduates meet professional demands. Observers warn the move could enable ideologically driven accreditors and affect workforce diversity and client representation.

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