Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the American Bar Association over allegations that it used its law school accreditation authority to limit competition in legal education.
The ABA has been the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools since 1952. Through its accreditation standards, it exercises significant influence over legal education nationwide. Paxton's office alleges the organization has used that authority to artificially inflate faculty salaries, exclude law schools that challenged its educational model, and impose costly accreditation requirements.
The investigation will examine whether accreditation requirements have unlawfully restricted competition or increased the cost of legal education, including through rules affecting faculty compensation and law school operations.
"There must be competition and a fair playing field when it comes to law school accreditation," said Paxton. "No organization should be permitted to use its position of influence to violate our antitrust laws."
The Attorney General's office issued a Civil Investigative Demand to the ABA as part of the probe. Paxton's office also provided related testimony to the Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity.
The investigation follows action by the Supreme Court of Texas, which ended the ABA's monopoly over accreditation for Texas law schools for admission to the Texas state bar, opening the door for alternative models of legal education.