Key Takeaways
- The ABA Council is currently recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor of programs leading to the first professional law degree.
- NACIQI is reviewing the ABA Council’s recognition during its September 23–24, 2026 meeting.
- The Department of Education will make the recognition decision after considering the NACIQI recommendation and other review materials.
ABA’s Law School Accreditation Role Faces Key Federal Review
The American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is undergoing a federal review of its recognition as an accrediting agency for U.S. legal education programs.
The U.S. Department of Education currently lists the ABA Council as a recognized programmatic accrediting agency. Its scope covers legal education programs leading to the first professional degree in law, including programs offered through distance education, as well as freestanding law schools.
Federal Review of ABA Accreditation
The recognition review is being considered through the U.S. Department of Education’s accreditation process. The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, or NACIQI, is scheduled to consider accreditation matters during its September 23–24, 2026 meeting.
NACIQI is an advisory committee that provides recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Education on matters involving the recognition of accrediting agencies and institutional eligibility for federal student aid.
The Department’s official accreditation records list the ABA Council with recognition dates of 1952, 2021 and S2026, with its next review associated with the 2026 summer NACIQI cycle.
Department Raises Compliance Concerns
The ABA said in an August 31 statement that the Department of Education issued a report arguing that its Accreditation Council was not in compliance with federal regulations.
The ABA said the Council is independently operated within the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and is undergoing its regular five-year review for federal recognition.
The Council’s review comes as it has also been examining changes to several accreditation standards. The ABA said the Council has been considering how its standards interact with legal requirements in different states.
What NACIQI Does
NACIQI does not itself make the final recognition decision. According to the Department of Education, the committee provides recommendations concerning the recognition of accrediting agencies.
The Department’s recognition procedures state that a recognition decision is made by the senior Department official within 90 days of the NACIQI meeting. The decision considers materials submitted to NACIQI, the meeting transcript, the committee’s recommendation, the Department staff recommendation, third-party comments and other permitted evidence.
This means the September meeting is part of a broader federal recognition process rather than the final decision itself.
Why ABA Accreditation Matters
Accreditation provides an external evaluation of whether educational programs meet established quality standards. The Department of Education explains that accreditation by an agency recognized by the Department is mandatory for students at a school to be eligible to participate in federal student aid programs.
For the ABA Council, the Department lists its recognized scope as covering programs leading to the first professional degree in law and freestanding law schools offering those programs.
The outcome of the current review could therefore affect the Council’s status within the federal recognition system, although the final decision has not yet been made.
Final Decision Remains With the Department
The current process involves several stages, including the Department’s staff review, NACIQI’s consideration and recommendation, and a subsequent decision by the Department’s senior official.
The ABA has said it will participate in the review and has the opportunity to respond to the Department’s concerns. The Department’s official records continue to list the ABA Council as a recognized accrediting agency while the current review proceeds.
The September 23–24 NACIQI meeting is therefore an important stage in the ongoing recognition process, but it does not by itself determine the ABA Council’s final accreditation status.