Law Schools

10 Law Schools Sanctioned By The ABA -- More To Come?

The ABA is going after poorly performing law schools and more may be in the crosshairs.

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Long considered a paper tiger willing to rubberstamp law schools seeking the organization’s seal of approval, the ABA has dramatically pivoted into a conscientious watchdog, issuing public reprimands and swatting down cosmetic fixes offered up by doomed law schools hoping to keep the gravy train running. Ten schools have faced public discipline from the ABA dating back to August 2016.

Does that timing correspond at all to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity telling the Department of Education in June 2016 that they should strip the ABA of its accreditation power if it didn’t crack down on schools pumping out students unable to pass the bar exam? Nah, I’m sure it’s a coincidence.

We’ve noted some of these punishments before. Thomas M. Cooley (d/b/a Western Michigan University) was even dumb enough to sue over it to guarantee the entire legal community swung the Eye of Sauron on their troubles.

Over at Law.com, Kristen Rasmussen recaps the scope of the ABA’s recent Frank Castle-style swath of retribution through the lower-tier of American law schools:

The schools are: Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia, Arizona Summit Law School in Phoenix, Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida, Charlotte Law School(now closed), Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston and Valparaiso University Law School in Valparaiso, Indiana. Some schools have since been found to be in compliance, in whole or in part, and had the sanction removed.

Charlotte rests on the dustbin of history — its Infilaw brethren are both on this list too, and Thomas Jefferson earned probation just this month. Valpo is adamant that it’s not closing, though the events of the past few days sure look like a wind-up procedure. We haven’t previously reported troubles at Appalachian or Thurgood Marshall, but they’re now on the hot seat to shore up their numbers or face the consequences.

The real question though is: have we reached the end of this process? It’s not like there aren’t more ABA-accredited law schools out there with abysmal bar passage numbers. For example, Southwestern had a lower bar passage rate than Charlotte this year. Granted that’s the ludicrously protectionist California bar exam, but still. What about UDC’s 52 percent passage rate in Maryland? And until Virginia starts quizzing on the Ten Commandments, Liberty’s 52.8 percent looks like it’ll continue to put those students in a bind.

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If the past year is any indication, the ABA isn’t done giving the law schools operating under its aegis a stern talking to. And if the risk of DOE action really is the spinach that transformed this weakling into a juggernaut, it’s worth noting that the new, for-profit oriented DOE hasn’t dissuaded the ABA from its duty.

If I were running a poorly performing law school, I’d certainly be worried.

10 Law Schools Sanctioned by ABA for Lax Admissions [Law.com]

Earlier: ABA Cracks Down On Law Schools Admitting Students Who Can’t Pass The Bar Exam
Cooley Law School Asks Court To Prevent ABA From Releasing Letter About Its Noncompliance With Accreditation Standard
Charlotte Law School Excels At Making Enemies Everywhere
ABA May Be Stripped Of Power To Accredit New Law Schools
ABA Finally Puts Law School Poster Child For Piss-Poor Bar Pass And Employment Rates On Probation
Valparaiso Law School Will Stop Accepting New Students, May Wind Down (Updated)
Open Letter To The DOE: Put Above The Law In Charge Of Accreditation

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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