cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50950096

Education Department staff on Friday suggested ending the American Bar Association’s ability to oversee law school programs across the country amid fierce Republican criticism of the organization.

The association has had government approval to oversee law schools since 1952, but agency staff said its next renewal bid should be denied because of alleged conflicts of interest. The association was last approved to accredit nearly 200 law schools in 2021, with its oversight authority up for review next month.

The recommendation marks a major development in President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the college oversight system, which he has criticized as too liberal. Critics fear this will politicize the accreditation process, but the department’s skepticism of close relationships between accreditors and trade associations is shared across the political aisle.

Accreditors are the nongovernmental agencies tasked with reviewing educational quality. For freestanding law schools that aren’t affiliated with a university, the ABA determines if the school can accept federal student aid.