Ohio has become the third U.S. state, after Texas and Florida, to consider dropping the requirement that lawyers must graduate from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school to qualify for admission to the bar. The Supreme Court of Ohio announced on July 18, 2025, that it has established an advisory committee to evaluate its accreditation rules, citing the need for “excellence and innovation” in legal education. Although the court did not attribute its review to political pressures, the development comes amid rising scrutiny of the ABA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies—particularly from Republican-led states and the Trump administration.
The ABA has faced federal threats, including the potential revocation of its status as the government’s designated accreditor of law schools, and restrictions on its role in judicial nominations. State-level efforts have mirrored these concerns. Florida and Texas courts—both composed entirely of Republican-appointed judges—are reviewing their own ABA requirements, with Florida explicitly referencing the ABA’s DEI mandates. Meanwhile, legal educators have voiced concerns that removing the ABA accreditation requirement could hinder lawyer mobility and increase regulatory fragmentation.
With six of Ohio’s seven justices elected as Republicans, this latest review signals a broader ideological challenge to national legal accreditation standards, raising questions about the future uniformity and portability of U.S. legal qualifications.