Texas has opened an antitrust investigation into the American Bar Association’s law-school accreditation system and issued a civil investigative demand seeking information about standards that the state says may restrict competition.
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office said the inquiry will examine whether accreditation requirements have increased the cost of legal education, constrained new schools and discouraged alternatives to traditional training. The demand also covers rules affecting faculty compensation and school operations.
The announcement is an investigative step, not a finding that the ABA or its Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar violated the law. The council has served as the federally recognised accreditor for law schools for decades and its approval remains central to licensing pathways in much of the United States.
Texas has already changed its own approach. The state supreme court ended exclusive reliance on ABA accreditation for eligibility to the Texas bar, creating room for state-approved alternatives. Paxton said the investigation will focus on the effect of national accreditation standards on legal education and the price of legal services in Texas.
The ABA has received the demand and said it will work with the attorney general’s office in responding. No enforcement complaint has been filed.
Official Texas attorney general announcement
