By American Bar Association
The ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar met in Chicago last month and voted to approve a statement of Core Principles and Values of Law School Accreditation as well as to delay action on revisions to the experiential learning standards for law schools.
The council identified the following statements as the primary goals of accreditation:
• Accreditation requires that law schools maintain a rigorous program of legal education that prepares their students, upon graduation, for admission to the bar and for effective, ethical, and responsible participation as members of the legal profession.
• Accreditation protects against the economic exploitation of law students and ensures applicants and the public receive accurate information about the program.
Accreditation protects clients, the public, and the legal system by helping to ensure that lawyers are competent to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
• Accreditation standards must reflect changing forms and methods of law practice.
• Accreditation standards support and promote the rule of law.
The statement also outlined 12 substantive values and 8 procedural values to guide the Council’s work on standards development and interpretation.
The Core Principles and Values statement was the result of work from a committee that had been convened in Fall 2024.
After the Standards Committee had recommended revisions to the changes to Standards 303, 304 and 311 dealing with experiential learning, the Standards Committee decided to withdraw the proposal prior to the full Council’s consideration.
“At the August 2025 meeting, the Standards Committee decided to withdraw the proposal related to the experiential learning standards, to allow further discussion with new members of the Standards Committee and incorporate recent information and research,” Carla Pratt, vice-chair of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, said.
The committee will report back to the council regarding any revisions to the experiential learning standards later in the year, Pratt added.
The council also voted to extend the deadline for law schools to submit applications requesting to admit students without using an admission test, agreeing to accept variances to Standard 503 pursuant to this process through the May 2026 Council meeting.
Finally, the Council adopted the proposed Standards Committee Agenda for the year, which includes a general review of the Standards to determine how the Council’s work might better promote innovation, affordability and efficiency in the delivery of legal education.
The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13-15 in San Francisco.
The Council of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (the Council) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as the national accrediting agency for programs leading to the J.D.
As the national accreditor, the Council is separate and independent from the ABA and works on a non-profit basis for the betterment of legal education at a national level.
The council’s work ensures a national standard of quality for legal education across every U.S. jurisdiction so that graduates’ law degrees are portable among states.
The ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar met in Chicago last month and voted to approve a statement of Core Principles and Values of Law School Accreditation as well as to delay action on revisions to the experiential learning standards for law schools.
The council identified the following statements as the primary goals of accreditation:
• Accreditation requires that law schools maintain a rigorous program of legal education that prepares their students, upon graduation, for admission to the bar and for effective, ethical, and responsible participation as members of the legal profession.
• Accreditation protects against the economic exploitation of law students and ensures applicants and the public receive accurate information about the program.
Accreditation protects clients, the public, and the legal system by helping to ensure that lawyers are competent to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
• Accreditation standards must reflect changing forms and methods of law practice.
• Accreditation standards support and promote the rule of law.
The statement also outlined 12 substantive values and 8 procedural values to guide the Council’s work on standards development and interpretation.
The Core Principles and Values statement was the result of work from a committee that had been convened in Fall 2024.
After the Standards Committee had recommended revisions to the changes to Standards 303, 304 and 311 dealing with experiential learning, the Standards Committee decided to withdraw the proposal prior to the full Council’s consideration.
“At the August 2025 meeting, the Standards Committee decided to withdraw the proposal related to the experiential learning standards, to allow further discussion with new members of the Standards Committee and incorporate recent information and research,” Carla Pratt, vice-chair of the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, said.
The committee will report back to the council regarding any revisions to the experiential learning standards later in the year, Pratt added.
The council also voted to extend the deadline for law schools to submit applications requesting to admit students without using an admission test, agreeing to accept variances to Standard 503 pursuant to this process through the May 2026 Council meeting.
Finally, the Council adopted the proposed Standards Committee Agenda for the year, which includes a general review of the Standards to determine how the Council’s work might better promote innovation, affordability and efficiency in the delivery of legal education.
The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13-15 in San Francisco.
The Council of the ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (the Council) is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) as the national accrediting agency for programs leading to the J.D.
As the national accreditor, the Council is separate and independent from the ABA and works on a non-profit basis for the betterment of legal education at a national level.
The council’s work ensures a national standard of quality for legal education across every U.S. jurisdiction so that graduates’ law degrees are portable among states.
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/accreditation
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