Reassessing the ABA’s Accreditation: Who Gets to Become a Lawyer?

After decades of dominance, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) influence on legal education faces challenges from both states and the federal government. States began increasingly questioning whether a single, self-selected organization should retain exclusive control over who may become a lawyer. Just this year, Texas and Florida were among the first to cease their dependence on the ABA, triggering a domino effect that prompted Ohio and Tennessee to open their own reviews. The federal government has also launched challenges against the ABA. The Trump Administration severed its decades-old practice to collaborate with the ABA to vet judicial nominees. These challenges may have long-lasting effects that can reshape law school attendance and bar admissions. At their core, questions about the ABA’s accreditation power signal a broader shift in who decides who becomes a lawyer.