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Archive of Accreditation matters and decisions

Accreditation Archives

Accreditation Decisions

February 2018

Public Notice of Council Decision to Remove Specific Remedial Actions from Ave Maria School of Law

Council Decision to Withdraw ABA-Approval from Charlotte School of Law

November 2017

Council Decision to Remove Sanction from Valparaiso University School of Law

October 2017

Atlanta's John Marshall Law School

Florida Coastal School of Law

June 2017

Granted Western State College of Law application for acquiescence in a major change (change in control and legal status)

Deferred final action on WMU Thomas Cooley Law School application for acquiescence in major change (branch campus in Kalamazoo)

May 2017

Appalachian School of Law

University of Buffalo Law School-SUNY

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

December 2016

Council Grants Full Approval to University of Massachusetts School of Law-Dartmouth

November 2016

Public Notice of Council Decision to Place Charlotte School of Law on Probation (November 15, 2016)

Public Notice of Council Decision to Censure Valparaiso University School of Law (November 15,2016)

Statement on Accreditation Actions Regarding the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law

September 2016

U.S. Department of Education Continues Recognition of Council's Accrediting Authority

August 2016

Public Notice of Council Decision to Direct Ave Maria School of Law to Take Specific Remedial Action

June 2016

Council Grants Full Approval to Belmont University College of Law

Council Acquiesces in Application of Willamette University College of Law to Operate  a Separate Location in Portland, Oregon

March 2016

Summary of Council Actions Regarding the Standards at March 2016 Meeting

Council Grants Full ABA Approval to University of La Verne College of Law

Council Grants Provisional ABA Approval to Indiana Tech Law School

Council Acquiesces in Application of Albany Law School to Affiliate with University at Albany-SUNY

December 2015

The Council acquiesced in the application of Hamline University School of Law and William Mitchell College of Law to combine the two schools into Mitchell | Hamline School of Law.

The Council acquiesced in the application of the University of New Hampshire School of Law to establish a part-time Patent Track Program.

The Council acquiesced in the application of Western State Coillege of Law at Argosy University for a change in the location of its campus from Fullerton, California, to Irvine, California.

August 2015

Public Notice of Council Decision to Deny Provisional Approval to Indiana Tech Law School

Council acquiesces in application of Rutgers University School of Law-Camden and Rutgers University School of Law-Newark to merge into one fully approved law school: Rutgers University School of Law

June 2015

Concordia University School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

University of Oregon School of Law granted acquiescence in establishment of a separate location in Portland, Oregon

Council Denies Application of Indiana Tech Law School for ABA Approval

March 2015

Council Acquiesces in Widener University School of Law's Application to Separate Campuses into Two Separate ABA-Approved Law Schools

Council acquiesces in application of Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center to realign with Louisiana State University

December 2014

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

August 2014

Council granted provisional approval to the Tampa Bay branch campus of the fully approved Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School

June 2014

Penn State University Receives Approval to Operate Two Independent and Fully Approved Law Schools

University of California-Irvine, School of Law Granted Full Approval

Council approved Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School Teach-out Plan for its Ann Arbor campus.

Council granted acquiescence in application of Seattle University School of Law to establish a separate location in Anchorage, Alaska.

Council recognized Savannah Law School as an approved branch campus of the fully approved Atlanta's John Marshall Law School.

December 2013

University of Kansas School of Law Public Censure

ABA News Release Regarding University of Kansas Public Censure

Rutgers University-Camden School of Law Public Censure

ABA News Release Regarding Rutgers-Camden Public Censure

Council granted acquiescence in application of the University of New Hampshire School of Law to be integrated into the university.

Council approved application of William Mitchell College of Law to offer a part-time hybrid J.D. option.

August 2013

Council Acquiesces in Texas Wesleyan School of Law/Texas A&M University Merger

June 2013

Belmont University College of Law Granted Provisional Approval

October 2012

Statement Regarding Dismissal of LMU Appeal and Lawsuit

July 2012

Council Affirms Its Decision to Deny Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Provisional Approval

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law has appealed the Council's denial of its application for provisional approval on remand from the Appeals Panel. The Council's decision on remand is stayed pending the Appeals Panel's decision on the second appeal under Rule 10 of the Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools.

June 2012

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Ann Arbor Branch Campus Granted Full Approval

University of Illinois College of Law Public Censure

March 2012

University of La Verne College of Law Granted Provisional Approval

December 2011

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Denial of Provisional Approval

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law has appealed the Council's denial of its application for provisional approval. The Council's decision is stayed pending the decision of the Appeals Panel under Rule 10 of the Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools.

August 2011

Villanova University School of Law Public Censure

Charleston School of Law Granted Full Approval

Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law Granted Full Approval

June 2011

University of LaVerne College of Law Denied Full Approval

Final Council Decision Regarding the University of La Verne College of Law

The University of La Verne College of Law Response Regarding Submission of Comments

Charlotte School of Law Granted Full Approval

Elon University School of Law Granted Full Approval

University of California-Irvine, School of Law Granted Provisional Approval

March 2011

Changes Approved for Statement of Ethical Practices in the Process of Law School Accreditation

Standards and Rules

2016
Summary of September 2016 Standards Review Committee Actions
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2016-2017 Review of ABA Standards, Interpretations, and Rules of Procedure
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Adoption and Implementation of Revised Standards and Criteria Related to Foreign Study

2015
Adoption & Implementation of Revised Standards and Rules

2014
Revised Standards and Rules Concurred in by ABA House of Delegates
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Implementation of New Standards and Rules for Approval of Law Schools
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Revised Memo on Compliance with Standard 509: July 2014
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2013

Compliance with Revised Standard 509

2012

Standard 509 (Consumer Information), Rule 16 (Sanctions) and Foreign Program Criteria (August 2012)

Information on New Standard 509

2011
Standards 105, 306, 512 and Rules 20, 24
(August 2011)

Standard 509, Rules 10, 22, 24 (February 2011)

2010

Revisions to Criteria for Approval of Study Abroad Programs Approved (August 2010)

Resolutions

Council Adopts Resolution on Tracking Bar Exam Passage (December 2013)

2011 Resolution on Interference with Clinics

2010 Resolution on the Accreditation of Foreign Law Schools

Task Force Reports

2012 Task Force on the Accreditation of Foreign Law Schools 
Task Force Report
Executive Summary and Reports
Supplemental Report 1: June 2010 Report on the Special Committee on Foreign Law SchoolsSupplemental Report 2: 2010 Report by Chair Christine Durham to the CouncilCCJ Resolution

2007 Accreditation Policy Task Force
Accreditation Policy Task Force Report (May 2007)
2007 Accreditation Task Force Charge
Open Forum Transcript (January 2007)
Open Forum Transcript (February 2007)
Comments

2003 Task Force on Foreign Programs
Final Report
Semester Abroad Criteria
Foreign Summer Program Criteria
Student Study at a Foreign Institution Criteria

2002 Task Force on Accreditation Processes
Cover Memo
Final Report

1995 Wahl Commission
(Commission to Review the Substance & Process of the ABA's Accreditation of American Law Schools)
Final Report
Supplementary Report

Special Committee Reports

ABA Task Force on the Financing of Legal Education Issues Its Final Report (2015)

20 Years After the MacCrate Report: 2013 Report of the Special Committee on the Professional Educational Continuum


2010 Report of the Special Committee on Foreign Law Schools Seeking Approval Under ABA Standards (Kane Report)

2009 Report of the Special Committee on International Issues

2008 Reports of the Special Committees on Outcome Measures, Security of Position and Transparency

Data Collection

Law School Consumer Data Available in New Easy-to-Use Format (February 2015)

Compliance with Revised Standard 509 (August 2013)

ABA Releases Class of 2012 Law Graduate Data

March 2012 Statement on Collection of Employment

Class of 2012 Law Graduate Employment Data

Updated Announcement Regarding Collection of Employment Data (March 2012)

Council Approves Changes in Collection & Publication of Law Graduate Employment Data (December 2011)