The Supreme Court of Texas has asked the public to weigh in on whether it should end its requirement that lawyers admitted in the state must graduate from an American Bar Association-accredited law school — following a similar move last month by Florida.
The Texas high court did not stipulate why it is reviewing the ABA requirement — adopted in 1983 — when it issued an administrative order, opens new tab on Friday seeking public comment. A court spokesperson declined to comment.
The ABA’s legal education council “appreciates” the Texas Supreme Court’s consideration of its continued role in accreditation, said Jenn Rosato Perea, the ABA’s managing director of accreditation and legal education. The council’s primary purpose is “contributing meaningfully to the production of effective and ethical lawyers,” she added.
Texas’ move comes as the ABA faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration and other Republicans to end its diversity and inclusion requirement for law schools. All of the Texas Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican governors.
The Supreme Court of Florida, also composed entirely of Republican-appointed justices, in March appointed a workgroup to study the state’s ABA requirement for admission and propose possible alternatives. The court cited both the diversity standard and the “ABA’s active political engagement” as reasons for the inquiry.
Source: Reuters