The ABA Should Lose Federal Accreditation Power Due to Political Bias
Source: Breccan F. Thies. "ABA Is Unfit To Accredit Law Schools. USED Can Stop Them." June 13, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that the American Bar Association has become too politically biased to fairly accredit law schools. Since they control access to federal funding and bar eligibility for almost all law schools, they're forcing left-wing political training on future lawyers, even though most lawyers aren't even ABA members.
Conclusion
The U.S. Department of Education should strip the American Bar Association of its federal accreditation power for law schools
Premises
- The ABA has injected far-left politics into legal education through mandatory DEI requirements like Standards 206 and 303(c)
- The ABA holds a monopoly as the only federally recognized accreditor for nearly 200 law schools, controlling access to federal loans and bar eligibility
- 80% of the ABA's amicus briefs to federal courts support left-wing causes, with the Supreme Court ruling their positions unconstitutional in major cases
- Only 11% of lawyers are ABA members, yet the organization wields disproportionate power over the entire legal profession
- ABA requirements create a hostile environment for conservative viewpoints in law schools, with students afraid to express non-leftist ideas
- The ABA's recent pausing of some DEI standards appears to be temporary political maneuvering rather than genuine reform
- Alternative accreditation would allow law schools to focus on constitutional jurisprudence and rule of law rather than political orthodoxy
Assumptions
- Political neutrality is essential for proper legal education and accreditation
- The current ABA standards constitute harmful political indoctrination rather than legitimate educational requirements
- Federal accreditation power should reflect the views of the broader legal profession, not a minority organization
- Conservative legal perspectives are being systematically suppressed in law schools
- The Trump administration will take action against politically biased accreditors