ABA Council Votes to Scrap Decades-Old Law School DEI Rule as Trump Threatens Accreditor Status
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 15
ABA Council Votes to Scrap Decades-Old Law School DEI Rule as Trump Threatens Accreditor Status
6 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 15
Friday’s vote by the American Bar Association’s law school accreditation council would end a rule requiring schools to show diversity commitments in recruitment, admissions and student programming.
The council said keeping the standard could jeopardize the ABA’s role as the federally recognized law school accreditor after Trump ordered a review of its status and Republican-led states moved to bypass it.
The diversity rule has been suspended since February 2025, and the change still needs House of Delegates review starting as early as August, with final elimination potentially delayed until 2027.
The council also opened comment on rolling back a 2022 bias-and-racism instruction rule and sharply narrowing student and faculty nondiscrimination standards, with decisions possible as early as August.
The shift would unwind one of the legal profession’s main levers for boosting women and minority representation at a time when the field remains whiter and more male than the U.S. population.
What does this vote mean for the future diversity of America’s lawyers and judges?
Has the ABA sacrificed its independence, or made a necessary move to protect legal education?
The 2026 ABA Repeal of Standard 206: How Law School Accreditation and Diversity Are Being Reshaped
Overview
On May 15, 2026, the American Bar Association’s legal education section voted to repeal Standard 206, which had required law schools to show a commitment to diversity for accreditation. This decision followed the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in higher education, prompting a nationwide reevaluation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards. The ABA’s move reflects ongoing national debates and legal challenges around diversity initiatives in academic institutions. Alongside repealing Standard 206, the council also began reviewing other DEI-related standards, signaling a broader shift in legal education policy.