FTC staff back Ohio plan to end the ABA's grip on law school accreditation
In a letter to the Ohio Supreme Court, FTC staff supported a proposal that would end the American Bar Association's explicit control over whether bar candidates' legal education qualifies.
Staff from the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning and Bureau of Competition sent a letter on Friday, July 10, 2026 supporting an Ohio Supreme Court proposal that would weaken the American Bar Association’s accreditation monopoly over law schools, the agency announced on July 14. The letter responded to the court’s request for public comment.
The proposal aims to end the ABA’s explicit control over whether an applicant to the Ohio bar has satisfied the state’s legal education requirement. FTC staff argued that restricting the supply of lawyers raises the compensation of ABA members while increasing costs for Ohio residents, and that the ABA bodies responsible for accreditation are composed of law school faculty and administrators who have an incentive to block lower-cost alternatives.
The letter cited the Justice Department Antitrust Division’s 1995 civil suit alleging that the ABA’s accreditation process had been captured by interested parties. It also noted that the Florida and Texas supreme courts have amended their rules so that the ABA is not the sole gatekeeper, that the Tennessee Supreme Court is considering reducing its reliance on ABA accreditation, and that the Department of Education is supporting entry by new accreditors and regulatory relief.
FTC staff have previously endorsed the reforms in Florida and Texas and encouraged other states to follow, according to the agency.