The ABA's bizarre status as accrediting body for law schools has increasingly been called into question, most recently by a federal panel that assesses accreditors:
They've been kicking this around for a while, and in light of Trump's distaste for the ABA it's likely the ABA is out. And that's a mixed bag; while in practice the ABA has been pretty worthless, at least they pretend to have standards. With this change, not sure if that pretense will still exist....so does that mean zero standards, claimed or enforced, and so a law school on every corner? And what happens to the "must graduate from an ABA-accredited law school" requirement for bar admission?
This year a couple of states have already eliminated ABA accreditation as a requirement for admission, although in practice they are starting with the list of ABA-accredited schools, so they really haven't changed much until a court comes along and lends its imprimatur to the clip-art diplomas of East Bumblefuck U.
The only glimmer of hope is that federally guaranteed student loans have been capped. Maybe that will help to pare down the set of toilet schools. At least it should reduce the public funding of toilets.
I honestly think that federally guaranteed student loans are the key. They are what keep toilet law schools going, and provide and incentive for students to attend them. That said, colleges and universities nationwide are eliminating various worthless degree programs and shrinking. Trade School is rising in popularity, and college is fading. I don't think that the endless stories of alcohol/drug/sex abuse help either. You can't start law school without a college degree, and if fewer people spend four years in college, fewer will be available to apply to law school. I expect more law schools to "merge" or shut down altogether in the coming years.
This needs a post of its own. Did they learn nothing from Arizona Summit's closure? And let's not forget that until the administration changed, GCU has been levied the biggest fine in the dept. of ed's history for misleading students.
It'll also be AZ's first law school approved directly by the state supreme court without ABA (though they do supposedly plan to pursue that in the future, its an illustration of what abolishing ABA accreditation will ACTUALLY do, which is open the floodgates to even more toilets). The state supreme court statement on the matter actually had the temerity to say there's a shortage of lawyers! Ha!
ABA accreditation. The only thing worse than having them around, would be NOT having them around...
They've been kicking this around for a while, and in light of Trump's distaste for the ABA it's likely the ABA is out. And that's a mixed bag; while in practice the ABA has been pretty worthless, at least they pretend to have standards. With this change, not sure if that pretense will still exist....so does that mean zero standards, claimed or enforced, and so a law school on every corner?
ReplyDeleteAnd what happens to the "must graduate from an ABA-accredited law school" requirement for bar admission?
This year a couple of states have already eliminated ABA accreditation as a requirement for admission, although in practice they are starting with the list of ABA-accredited schools, so they really haven't changed much until a court comes along and lends its imprimatur to the clip-art diplomas of East Bumblefuck U.
DeleteThe only glimmer of hope is that federally guaranteed student loans have been capped. Maybe that will help to pare down the set of toilet schools. At least it should reduce the public funding of toilets.
I honestly think that federally guaranteed student loans are the key. They are what keep toilet law schools going, and provide and incentive for students to attend them. That said, colleges and universities nationwide are eliminating various worthless degree programs and shrinking. Trade School is rising in popularity, and college is fading. I don't think that the endless stories of alcohol/drug/sex abuse help either. You can't start law school without a college degree, and if fewer people spend four years in college, fewer will be available to apply to law school. I expect more law schools to "merge" or shut down altogether in the coming years.
Deletehttps://www.abajournal.com/news/article/grand-canyon-university-picks-founding-law-dean
ReplyDeleteSelling point: it's the first National Park with its own law school. So what's next-Yellowstone School of Law?
DeleteThis needs a post of its own. Did they learn nothing from Arizona Summit's closure? And let's not forget that until the administration changed, GCU has been levied the biggest fine in the dept. of ed's history for misleading students.
DeleteIt'll also be AZ's first law school approved directly by the state supreme court without ABA (though they do supposedly plan to pursue that in the future, its an illustration of what abolishing ABA accreditation will ACTUALLY do, which is open the floodgates to even more toilets). The state supreme court statement on the matter actually had the temerity to say there's a shortage of lawyers! Ha!
ABA accreditation. The only thing worse than having them around, would be NOT having them around...