Ohio Supreme Court Advisory Committee Begins Evaluation of Law School Accreditation

In July 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court established the Law School Accreditation Advisory Committee (the “Advisory Committee”), composed of nine members appointed by Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy, to evaluate and review accreditation standards and procedures for Ohio law schools. The first full meeting of the Advisory Committee was on Thursday, November 6, 2025.  The meetings are public, but advanced registration may be required. More information about the Committee members and upcoming meetings can be found here.

Rule I of the Supreme Court Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio requires that applicants for the admission to the practice of law in Ohio earn a degree from a law school that was approved by the American Bar Association, except in limited circumstances as outlined in the Rule. ABA accreditation is evaluated by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for programs that lead to the J.D. degree for U.S. law schools.

There are many standards applied by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (2025-2026 Table of Contents).  A complete copy of the standards can be found here, which includes Standard 206 – Diversity and Inclusion.

In March 2025, the ABA Council confirmed it suspended enforcement of Standard 206 pending possible development of a new standard concerning access to legal education that conforms with all applicable laws. The suspension of Standard 206 is stated to be in response to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s February 2025 letter contending that the council subjected law professors and their students to “unlawful race and sex discrimination under the guise of ‘diversity’ mandates.”  Some reporting suggests the timing of the Advisory Committee could be related to the political pressure on the ABA exposed by these communications.

Jenifer E. Novak and Frantz Ward’s Litigation Practice Group will continue to monitor the developments and recommendations that result from the Advisory Committee meetings. Should you have any questions, please reach out to our team.