The Texas Supreme Court is taking a bold step: in a tentative opinion, the Court now argues that the American Bar Association (ABA) should no longer hold the final authority over which law schools in Texas are approved for admitting graduates to sit for the state bar. Inside Higher Ed+2Legal.io+2
What’s Changing — And Why Now
- The Court’s preliminary order proposes to amend Rule 1 of the Texas Rules Governing Admission to the Bar so that it would directly oversee approval of law schools, rather than relying on ABA accreditation. Tribunal du Texas
- This move coincides with broader political pressure: critics of the ABA argue it has too much centralized power, and some conservative voices have raised concerns about its ideological leanings. Inside Higher Ed+2JD Journal+2
- Importantly, the Court says it does not intend to impose onerous new requirements on law schools. Rather, it proposes “simple, objective, and ideologically neutral” metrics (like bar pass rates) for approving schools. Tribunal du Texas+2Bloomberg Law+2
- The Court also emphasizes it aims to preserve degree portability: both for Texas graduates who want to practice out of state, and out-of-state graduates who wish to practice in Texas. Tribunal du Texas
Pushback and Concerns
Not everyone agrees:
- Texas law school deans from eight of the state’s ten ABA-accredited schools have pushed back, warning that removing the ABA requirement could hurt mobility for graduates, reduce transparency, and undermine quality assurance. Inside Higher Ed+1
- They argue ABA accreditation provides a consistent, rigorous framework — and voices like University of Houston Law’s dean have expressed concern that its removal could isolate Texas graduates. JD Journal
- On the other hand, supporters of the Court’s proposal say this could usher in competition and innovation in legal education — and reduce the ABA’s monopoly on accreditation. JD Journal
What Happens Next
- The Texas Supreme Court has opened a public comment period, asking for feedback on the proposed rule changes. Comments are due by December 1, 2025. Tribunal du Texas+1
- If adopted, the Court expects to finalize the amendments so that they take effect on January 1, 2026. Tribunal du Texas
- The Court’s order also notes that it “does not anticipate immediate changes” to which schools are currently approved — meaning it may preserve existing ABA-accredited schools for now. Tribunal du Texas
Why This Matters
- Precedent-setting: Texas would be one of the first states to explicitly shift away from the ABA for formal oversight of law-school accreditation. ICLR+2Texas Standard+2
- Impact on Mobility: Any change could affect how easily Texas law graduates can practice in other states, and could influence whether out-of-state law school grads come to Texas to practice.
- Competition vs. Standardization: By proposing “ideologically neutral” criteria, the Court is signaling it wants to maintain oversight but in a more streamlined, possibly less politically loaded way.
- Regulatory Uncertainty: Law schools, students, and prospective applicants will need to monitor these shifts closely. The final rules, once adopted, could reshape the legal education landscape in Texas — potentially opening doors to new kinds of law schools, or new approaches to accreditation.
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