Higher Education: Issues Related to Law School Accreditation

摘要

In summary, Education has established criteria for recognizing an accrediting agency and has mechanisms in place to assess compliance with the criteria. Agencies found to be in compliance with Education's criteria can be approved for up to 5 years. There are also mechanisms in place to defer or deny an agency's recognition. ABA has established standards for approval of law schools and has mechanisms in place to assess compliance with the criteria. Law schools are eligible for provisional approval when they demonstrate that they are in substantial compliance with each of the standards, and must demonstrate they are in full compliance to be fully approved. Some Education staff, law school administrators, and other third-parties have raised concerns about ABA's accreditation process, particularly with respect to the transparency and consistency of the process, as well as the legality of its diversity standard, which requires schools to demonstrate they are reaching out to underrepresented groups. Based on concerns that ABA is not fully in compliance with regulatory provisions that govern accreditation, Education and NACIQI have recommended that the Secretary of Education renew ABA's recognition for a period of 18 months, rather than the maximum period of 5 years.