Administration presses law school accreditor over DEI policies

A U.S. House task force questioned the president of the American Bar Association in a hearing Wednesday about the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion policies despite a 2025 executive order prohibiting “unlawful discrimination” in accreditation practices.

Wednesday’s hearing followed discussions of changes within the ABA in the more than a year since the Department of Education issued new guidance on DEI policies and President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting them in accrediting bodies.

In April 2025, Trump issued an executive order titled “Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education,” which was directed at the ABA Council and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the only federally recognized accreditors for Juris Doctor and Doctor of Medicine programs. Although a few states have alternative pathways to bar eligibility, most states have historically required graduation from an ABA-accredited law school to take the bar exam and become a licensed attorney, making the ABA ...