Florida Still Stumbling Through Trying To Replace ABA Accreditation - Above the Law

"In late September, the Texas Supreme Court penned an order stating that the ABA shouldn't have the final say on whether law school alumni can sit for the Texas bar or be licensed. It has been that way for a while, but the ABA is now compromised what with its insistence on the importance of the rule of law. Florida feels similarly, but they're still trying to iron out the kinks of replacing the largely unproblematic accreditation role the ABA has played for decades. Florida Bar has coverage:"

"The main problem is that they have big shoes to fill. Like it or not, the ABA is good at the whole accreditation thing. Err too far on throwing out the bad for the new and you risk approaching new accreditation needs the way that California approached needing a new bar. If, after all that research and development, you end up dyeing your product so that it looks like Heisenberg's, you'd have been better off tightening your belt and going with the program."

"Remember: all this hubbub about diversity requirements in accreditation doesn't hold that much water considering the ABA has and had extended the moratorium on that bit for a while now. Speaking frankly, Texas and Florida would probably be better off lobbying to get the ABA proper to make the changes they want to see rather than making a garment from entirely new cloth."

Texas and Florida are moving to reduce ABA authority over law school accreditation and bar admissions. The Texas Supreme Court ordered that the ABA should not have the final say on whether law school alumni can sit for the Texas bar or be licensed. A Florida Supreme Court workgroup is proposing alternatives to near-exclusive ABA reliance to promote flexibility, innovation, access, and accountability in legal education. Concerns exist that replacing the ABA risks undermining accreditation quality and repeating mistakes seen in California. The ABA has paused diversity accreditation requirements, and lobbying the ABA for reforms may be a safer route.

Read at Above the Law