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What You Should Know about Law School Accreditation 

If you've done any research into the world of law schools, you know that you can't open a school brochure or peek at a list of law school rankings without seeing that magic phrase, "ABA-APRROVED," in shining bold letters. After so many encounters with the omnipresent acronym, though, you might not have a sense o f what it means for a school to be ABA-approved, and you might not realize that some law schools function without the approval of the American Bar Association—especially in California, where the California Bar Association (CBA) is a powerful (and legitimate) presence.

In most states, a law school graduate cannot take the bar exam without having attended an ABA-approved school (or, in legal lingo, a school that has earned ABA accreditation.) And in most states, passing the dreaded bar exam is a requirement for the practice of law, so a degree from a non-ABA-accredited school is a ticket to nowhere.

In California and a small number of other states, however, the rules are less stringent. Let's take a closer look at the processes of state and national accreditation, and the implications of choosing a law school in either camp.

What Is Accreditation?

As of February 2003, 188 institutions had earned the American Bar Association coveted seal of approval through the rigorous process known as accreditation. Through this process, which spans a minimum of three years (including a probation period known as "provisional accreditation"), the ABA determines whether or not a given law school adheres to its Standards for Legal Education—evaluating the extent to which lofty values like integrity, responsibility, equality, and competence are promoted at the institution. The process of accreditation is meant to insure a level of national uniformity in legal education and practice.

In addition to the ABA, states have their own bar associations, which administer the Bar Exam. In some instances, as in California, the state bar also provides its own form of accreditation. The California Bar Association is the largest and most powerful state-level bar association in the United States, and California is one of rare states that issues accreditation to many schools not accredited by the ABA. Whereas most states contain only one or two non-ABA-accredited schools, California currently contains nineteen schools accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CALS) and twelve unaccredited schools—which, combined, outnumber the nineteen ABA-approved schools in the state.


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The Bar Exam and Accreditation (Perfect Together?)

Most states won't let you take the bar exam if you haven't attended an ABA-accredited school. California is in a barely traceable minority of states, however, that allow students from non-ABA-accredited schools to take the bar exam. If they pass, they can practice law in California and a small number of other districts as specified in their reciprocity law. The trick is: the California Bar Exam is known as the toughest in the nation (it's called an "exclusionary bar" because it's meant not just to measure competence, but also to regulate the number of lawyers who can practice in the state), so no matter what sort of school you've attended, you will be judged by the same ruthless standards as your accredited-school or non-accredited school peers. Simply put, it is NOT easy to become a lawyer in California, no matter what sort of school you choose.

To Pursue ABA Accreditation or Not to Pursue ABA Accreditation…

There's no doubt about it: Going to an ABA-accredited school is the most prestigious route, and allows for greater geographic mobility. Some firms only accept graduates from ABA-accredited schools, and an ABA-approved education often guarantees a higher starting salary. Furthermore, some critics argue that schools not accredited by the ABA are oriented less towards instilling students with a thorough knowledge of the law, and more towards teaching them how to pass the bar exam, supplying part-time professors and Spartan facilities. Two years ago, approximately eighty percent of students who attended ABA-approved schools in California passed the bar exam, versus approximately thirty percent for students who attended CBA-approved schools, and about fifteen percent for those who went the non-accredited route.

Some people argue that within California, CBA-approved schools are treated with the same respect as ABA-schools. But outside of California, that open-mindedness disappears, and people tend to regard CBA-approved schools in the same way they view unaccredited schools, which is to say, with less respect. If you know that you want to practice law in California, and you feel that your GPA and LSAT score are not competitive enough to get you into an ABA-accredited school, attending a CBA-approved school becomes a logical choice. Or, in an age of growing legal specialization, if a CBA-approved school matches your interests especially well, it might be perfect for you. Just keep in mind that this choice could affect your options further down the road.