Florida Becomes Second State To Break American Bar Chokehold On Law Schools
Future lawyers in Florida are no longer required to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), ending the “highly partisan” organization’s chokehold on universities as the nation’s sole law…
Future lawyers in Florida are no longer required to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), ending the “highly partisan” organization’s chokehold on universities as the nation’s sole law school accreditor.
The Florida Supreme Court ruled on Jan. 15 that “it is not in Floridians’ best interest for the ABA to be the sole gatekeeper deciding which law school graduates are eligible to sit for the state’s General Bar Examination and become licensed attorneys in Florida.” ABA has been criticized for forcing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices on universities in order for them to maintain recognition, essentially requiring schools to adhere to racial quotas. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: School District Cares More About Hiring ‘Diverse,’ ‘Culturally Competent’ Teachers Over Effective Ones)
While ABA-accredited schools will remain recognized, the ruling opens opportunities for any agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to approve law schools in the state.
“At present, the ABA is the sole programmatic accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education to accredit programs in legal Education