Texas has taken a historic step by ending its reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) for law school accreditation, making it the first US state to break with the legal establishment on this matter. The Texas Supreme Court finalised a plan to remove the ABA from its law school oversight and instead create its own list of approved schools for lawyer admissions. This move marks a dramatic change in how lawyers may gain the qualification to practise in the state.
Under the new system, the Texas Supreme Court will assess law schools based on 'simple, objective, and ideologically neutral criteria' rather than the detailed standards previously set by the ABA. The court stated the change aims to give law schools more certainty and flexibility while ensuring the quality of legal education for students.
