CHICAGO, May 9, 2025 – Today the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted during its Council meeting to extend the suspension of Standard 206 until August 31, 2026. During any period of suspension, the Council will not take any action based in whole or part on Standard 206, conduct any evaluation that includes an assessment of institutional compliance with Standard 206, or issue any guidance regarding compliance with this Standard while suspended.
There continue to be emergent developments in the higher education landscape, including litigation pending related to several recently issued Executive Orders and Dear Colleague letters. In light of these developments, the Council determined that extraordinary circumstances exist in which compliance with Standard 206 would constitute extreme hardship for multiple law schools, and that the Standard should not be presently enforced.
The Council has directed the Standards Committee to continue monitoring legal developments and to provide an update no later than its May 2026 meeting.