White House / President·Education

Trump administration to decide by late December whether to strip the ABA's law school accreditor of federal recognition

Published 6:00 AM CT, Sunday, October 18, 2026 · Updated 7:47 AM CT
In the 6 AM CT update

The Education Department is expected to decide by late December whether the American Bar Association's law school accrediting arm keeps the federal recognition it has held since 1952, Fox News reported. Department staff have recommended denying renewal after the federal advisory panel on accreditation deadlocked in September, leaving the call to Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent. Losing recognition would not automatically end ABA accreditation or change state bar rules, but experts told Fox it could speed state efforts, such as one taking shape in Texas, to approve cheaper, shorter paths to becoming a lawyer.

• American Bar Association
• Law schools
• Accreditation
• Education Department
• Nicholas Kent
• NACIQI
• Bar exam
• Texas
• Student debt
• Government overreach
• United States