ABA Repeals Law School Diversity Standard Under Trump Administration Pressure

The American Bar Association's law school accreditation council voted 10-6 on Sept. 8, 2026 to repeal Standard 206, which had required the roughly 200 law schools it accredits to show a commitment to diversity among students, faculty and staff. The vote followed sustained Trump administration pressure: then-Attorney General Pam Bondi called the standard unconstitutional in 2025, and the Education Department recommended in August that the council be stripped of its federal recognition as an accreditor.

Members who backed repeal said the requirement risked fracturing the accreditation system, as state supreme courts increasingly treated it as a political litmus test that could jeopardize graduates' ability to sit for the bar in all 50 states. Members who opposed repeal said dropping the standard amounted to capitulation to political pressure on a body meant to remain independent.

The repeal took effect immediately. An Education Department committee is set to vote on stripping the council's federal recognition at a meeting beginning Sept. 23, with a final call to follow from Under Secretary Nicholas Kent.