Tennessee Ends ABA's Monopoly on Law School Accreditation, Allowing Other Accreditors

The Tennessee Supreme Court has finalized a decision to loosen the state's reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) as the sole accreditor for law schools. This move replaces the requirement for future lawyers to attend an 'ABA-accredited law school' with broader language, mandating only a 'law school accredited by an Approved Accreditor.' Tennessee is the fifth state to open accreditation, a change expected to reduce tuition costs and increase the number of lawyers.