Law schools across the country are on the brink of a significant change, with the American Bar Association (ABA) rolling out new rules to standardize the learning outcomes of every class. The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has officially adopted a set of changes aimed at bringing more consistency to required courses like Contracts and Torts, which are often taught by different professors.
Under these new guidelines, law schools must ensure that every section of a required course meets the same learning objectives. Additionally, all first-year courses will now include an early assessment to provide students with feedback before their final exams, and academic support must be made available to those who need it. The rules also mandate that, barring extraordinary circumstances, 80% of first-year classes must be taught by full-time faculty, limiting the use of adjunct instructors.
Daniel Thies, a member of the ABA council, emphasized the importance of these changes, stating that the new requirements must be meaningful and enforceable, as some schools have previously viewed similar standards as mere “busy work.”
The proposed standards are expected to be implemented in 2026, pending approval by the ABA’s House of Delegates, which will convene in February. This move is part of a broader effort by the ABA to tighten its oversight of law schools, sparking mixed reactions among legal academics. While some welcome the increased uniformity, others argue that the changes could undermine the flexibility and academic freedom of law professors.
In a letter to the ABA, over 76 law deans voiced their opposition, arguing that the new requirements could impose unnecessary burdens on schools and potentially harm legal education. Despite the controversy, supporters of the changes believe that greater course uniformity will ultimately benefit students by ensuring that each class contributes effectively to the overall curriculum.
