Amid on-going concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements, Texas and Florida recently ended the American Bar Association’s role as the only accreditor of law schools in their states.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Florida decided that its justices will determine the accreditation status of law schools in the state moving forward, Reuters reports. The Texas Supreme Court issued a similar decision earlier this month.
“Graduates of ABA law schools are still eligible to take Florida’s exam, but the court said it plans to extend bar eligibility to law schools approved by other federally recognized accrediting agencies — though it noted that no such agencies currently have rules specific to law schools,” according to Reuters.
The justices wrote in the 5-1 ruling that their “goal is to promote access to high-quality, affordable legal education in law schools that are committed to the free exchange of ideas and to the principle of nondiscrimination,” according to the report.