Trump administration wants to deny ABA ability to oversee law schools: Report

The Department of Education has suggested ending the American Bar Association's (ABA) oversight on the law school accreditation process.

The ABA has had the power to accredit nearly 200 law schools over the last 70 years, but this power may come to an end, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The department made its first official move to limit the association's power on Friday.

Assistant Education Secretary David Barker told the Journal that he sees the accreditation process "like a cartel," as many of these oversight agencies lack competition. He added that the model allows accreditors to "feel free to inject their own political preferences."

Chair of the ABA's Accreditation Council Melissa Hart wrote in a statement to the Journal that the Education Department's move was "one step in the regular recognition process that the Council and other accreditors periodically complete."

"A hearing is the next step in that process, and we're confident the Council will address any concerns the Department may have at that hearing," she added.

The accreditation process acts as an educational quality check that also determines whether students at a given higher education institution will have access to federal loans. In many states, a law student who did not attend an ABA-accredited program cannot take the bar exam.

The ABA and Department of Education did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.

This attack to the ABA's power falls within a broader pattern within the Trump administration, as officials continue to leverage grants and government funding to keep educational institutions on a short leash.

In March, for example, The Department of Education announced it would investigate more than 50 colleges and universities over alleged "racial preferences" in admissions and academics.

The ABA similarly faced pressure in May to roll back Standard 206, which stated law schools desiring accreditation must "demonstrate by concrete action a commitment to diversity and inclusion."

Republicans have also accused the association of harboring left-leaning political biases. In late 2025, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) referred to the ABA as an arm of a political left-wing party.

In February 2025, Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson barred political appointees from renewing their ABA membership, writing in a letter to staff that the association "advances radical left-wing causes and promotes the business interests of Big Tech."