Accreditation Notices
May 2021
Mississippi College School of Law
February 2021
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
Florida A&M University College of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
60-Day Notice of Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Concordia University School of Law
November 2020
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Concordia University School of Law
October 2020
60-Day Notice of Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Whittier Law School
60-Day Notice of Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Arizona Summit Law School
60-Day Notice of Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Valparaiso University School of Law
August 2020
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Valparaiso University School of Law
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Whittier Law School
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Arizona Summit Law School
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
May 2020
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
Florida A&M University College of Law
Mississippi College School of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
February 2020
Golden Gate University School of Law
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law
November 2019
University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
Western New England University School of Law
August 2019
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
Western New England University School of Law
May 2019
Council Approves Western State College of Law Teach-Out Plan
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
February 2019
Valparaiso University School of Law Teach-Out Plan
University of Puerto Rico School of Law
Council Decision to Grant Concordia University School of Law Full Approval
Council Decision to Grant Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Full Approval
November 2018
Council Decision to Place Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
on Probation
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
October 2018
Arizona Summit Law School Teach-Out Plan
September 2018
Arizona Summit Law School Teach-Out Plan
University of Puerto Rico School of Law
August 2018
Florida Coastal School of Law - Public Notice re Specific Remedial Action
June 2018
North Carolina Central University School of Law
May 2018
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Arizona Summit Law School
Council approves Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Teach-Out Plan of Savannah, Georgia Branch Campus
April 2018
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Submits Teach-Out Plan of Savannah, Georgia Branch Campus
March 2018
Golden Gate University School of Law
Florida Coastal School of Law - Public Notice re Specific Remedial Action
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
February 2018
Public Notice of Council Decision to Remove Specific Remedial Actions from Ave Maria School of Law
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Charlotte School of Law
December 2017
Appalachian School of Law - Public Notice re Specific Remedial Action
North Carolina Central University School of Law
November 2017
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Council Decision to Remove Sanction from Valparaiso University School of Law
October 2017
Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
August 2017
Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Indiana Tech Law School
Council Decision on Denial of Charlotte School of Law Teachout Plan
June 2017
Council approves Whittier Law School Teach-Out Plan
Council Grants Provisional Approval to UNT Dallas College of Law
May 2017
Whittier Law School Submits Teach-Out Plan
March 2017
Public Notice of Council Decision to Place Arizona Summit Law School on Probation (March 27, 2017)
Council Letter on Charlotte School of Law Teach-Out Plan
December 2016
Council Grants Full Approval to University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth
November 2016
Public Notice of Council Decision to Place Charlotte School of Law on Probation (November 15, 2016)
Public Notice of Council Decision to Censure Valparaiso University School of Law (November 15, 2016)
August 2016
Council Decision to Direct Ave Maria School of Law to Take Specific Remedial Action
March 2016
Council Grants Full ABA Approval to University of La Verne College of Law
Council Grants Provisional ABA Approval to Indiana Tech Law School
Council Acquiesces in Application of Albany Law School to Affiliate with University at Albany-SUNY
December 2015
The Council acquiesced in the application of Hamline University School of Law and William Mitchell College of Law to combine the two schools into Mitchell | Hamline School of Law.
The Council acquiesced in the application of the University of New Hampshire School of Law to establish a part-time Patent Track Program.
The Council acquiesced in the application of Western State College of Law at Argosy University for a change in the location of its campus from Fullerton, California, to Irvine, California.
Applications for Approval
Provisional Approval
University of North Texas-Dallas, College of Law
March 2015
Indiana Tech Law School
August 2014
Concordia University School of Law
September 2013
Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law
December 2012
Full Approval
University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth
October 2015
University of California-Irvine, School of Law
January 2013
Applications for Major Change
February 2017
Western State College of Law
Application for Change in Control and Legal Status
September 2016
University of Idaho College of Law
Application for a branch campus in Boise [Standard 105(a)(9)]
June 2016
Charleston School of Law
Application for Change in Control and Legal Status (WITHDRAWN)
October 2015
September 2015
Albany Law School
Application to Affiliate with University at Albany-SUNY
August 2015
Willamette University College of Law
Application to Operate a Separate Location in Portland, Oregon
June 2015
Western State College of Law at Argosy University application to change the location of its campus from Fullerton, California, to Irvine, California
April 2015
March 2015
Hamline University School of Law and William Mitchell College of Law
Application to merge into one fully approved law school
February 2015
2015 Standard 105(a)(15) Council Acquiescences
December 2014
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Application to institute a part-time Patent Law program
October 2014
Rutgers University School of Law-Camden and Rutgers University School of Law-Newark
Application to merge into one fully-approved law school
September 2014
WMU Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Teach-out Plan to cease operations at its Ann Arbor branch
June 2014
Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Request to realign with Louisiana State University
Widener University School of Law
Application to separate into two separate fully approved law schools
February 2014
University of Oregon School of Law
Application to open a separate location in Portland, Oregon
2014 Standard 105(a)(15) Council Acquiescences
December 2013
Charleston School of Law
Application to be acquired by Infilaw Corp.
Seattle University School of Law
Application to open a separate location in Anchorage, Alaska
October 2013
WMU Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Application to open a branch location in Tampa Bay, Florida
September 2013
Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
Application to open a branch location in Savannah
University of New Hampshire School of Law
Application for integration of law school into the university
August 2013
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Application to affiliate with Western Michigan University
April 2013
Penn State University Dickinson School of Law
Application to separate into two fully approved law schools
2013 Standard 105(a)(15) Council Acquiescences
December 2012
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law
Application to be acquired by Texas A&M University
2012 Standard 105(a)(15) Council Acquiescences
Applications for Variances
June 2017
Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law request for variance from Standard 106(a) (Separate Locations and Branch Campuses) WITHDRAWN
May 2017
University of Utah College of Law request for variance from Standard 307 and 505 (Foreign Study)
October 2016
Vermont Law School request for variance from Standard 306 (Distance Education)
September 2016
Syracuse University College of Law request for variance from Standard 306 (Distance Education)
Florida Coastal School of Law request for variance from Standard 306 (Distance Education) WITHDRAWN
March 2016
Rutgers University School of Law request for variance from Standard 306(3) (Distance Education)
July 2013
William Mitchell College of Law request for variance from Standard 306 (Distance Education)
Council Decisions
August 2017
Denied University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law application for Standards 307(a) and 505(c) variance (Foreign Study)
June 2017
Denied Vermont School of Law application for Standard 306 variance (Distance Education)
March 2017
Denied Rutgers University School of Law application for Standard 306 variance (Distance Education)
Denied Syracuse University College of Law application for Standard 306 variance (Distance Education)
December 2013
Granted variance from Interpretation 306-3 of Standard 306 (Distance Education) to William Mitchell College of Law for its part-time JD program
Council School Actions
February 2018
Public Notice of Council Decision to Remove Specific Remedial Actions from Ave Maria School of Law
November 2017
Public Notice of Council Decision to Remove Sanction from Valparaiso University School of Law
October 2017
60-Day Notice of Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Indiana Tech Law School
August 2017
Council Decision on Denial of Charlotte School of Law Teachout Plan
June 2017
Council Grants Provisional Approval to UNT Dallas College of Law
March 2017
Council Letter on Charlotte School of Law Teach-Out Plan
December 2016
Council Grants Full Approval to University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth
November 2016
Public Notice of Council Decision to Place Charlotte School of Law on Probation (November 15, 2016)
Public Notice of Council Decision to Censure Valparaiso University School of Law (November 15, 2016)
Statement on Accreditation Actions Regarding the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law
August 2016
Public Notice of Council Decision to Direct Ave Maria School of Law to Take Specific Remedial Action
June 2016
Council Grants Full Approval to Belmont University College of Law
March 2016
Council Grants Full ABA-Approval to University of La Verne College of Law
Council Grants Provisional ABA-Approval to Indiana Tech Law School
General News Archive
December 2019
ABA Website Updates Data on Law School Admissions, Tuition and Other Matters
October 2019
August 2019
June 2019
The Honorable Christine M. Durham is the 2019 Robert J. Kutak Award Recipient
Media Statement Regarding Thomas Jefferson School of Law
May 2019
Statement from Barry Currier Regarding Council Revision of Standard 316
Nominating Committee Announces 2019-2020 Council Slate
April 2019
The Section releases a comprehensive data set on 2019 bar passage outcomes
February 2019
Media Statement Regarding Florida Coastal Law School Litigation
January 2019
Media Statement Regarding Arizona Summit Law School Litigation
December 2018
ABA Website Updates Data on Law School Admissions, Tuition and Other Matters
Section Releases Fall 2018 Standard 509 Information Reports
November 2018
Media Statement Regarding WMU Thomas M. Cooley Law School Litigation
September 2018
Standards Review 2018-2019 Agenda – Suggestions Welcome
August 2018
July 2018
Media Statement Regarding Arizona Summit Law School
June 2018
The Honorable Solomon Oliver, Jr. is the 2018 Robert J. Kutak Award Recipient
Accreditation Statement of Barry Currier
May 2018
Summary of May 2018 Council Meeting Actions
Nominating Committee Announces 2018-2019 Council Slate
April 2018
Summary of the Standards Review Committee Public Hearing on April 12, 2018
March 2018
The Section releases a comprehensive data set on 2018 bar passage outcomes.
February 2018
Summary of February 2018 Council Meeting Actions
December 2017
Section Releases Fall 2017 Standard 509 Information Reports
November 2017
Summary of November 2017 Council Meeting Actions
August 2017
Managing Director's Memo on Standard 503 (August 2017)
Summary of August 2017 Council Meeting Actions
June 2017
Summary of June 2017 Council Meeting Actions
Standards Review Committee to Set 2017-2018 Agenda, Invites Comments
April 2017
Section Releases Employment Data for Graduating Law Class of 2016
Statement by Barry Currier, Managing Director, ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, on Whittier Law School:
“Rule 34 of the Rules of Procedure requires an approved law school that decides to cease operations to promptly announce that decision and to notify my office and other relevant regulators/program approvers of that decision. We look forward to the college formally communicating that decision to our office in the very near future. From there, we will follow the requirements of Rule 34, working with the school and other regulatory bodies, as appropriate.”
March 2017
Summary of March 2017 Council Meeting
February 2017
February 2017 Notice of Revisions to ABA Standards and Rules
Information Regarding Charlotte School of Law
August 2017: Managing Director's Statement on Council Action on Charlotte School of Law
March 2017: Council Letter on Charlotte School of Law Teach-Out Plan
December 2016
2016 Standard 509 Data Overview
October 2016
August 2016
Statement Regarding the Status of Indiana Tech Law School
Statement on Accreditation Action Regarding Ave Maria School of Law
Other Archives
October 2016
Summary of October 2016 Council Meeting Actions
September 2016
Summary of September 2016 Standards Review Committee Actions
August 2016
2016-2017 Review of ABA Standards, Interpretations, and Rules of Procedure
Adoption and Implementation of Revised Standards and Criteria Related to Foreign Study
March 2016
Summary of Council Actions on Standards at March 2016 Meeting