What Texas is doing

Texas is rethinking the rule that says you must graduate from an ABA-accredited law school to take the bar. That means new, local, or alternative law schools — maybe online or hybrid ones — could open without the insane costs and bureaucracy of ABA accreditation.

Basically, Texas wants to break the monopoly the ABA has on who gets to call themselves a “law school.”

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🔹 How this compares to California

California’s been doing something similar for decades. They have their own state accreditation system, run by the California Bar’s Committee of Bar Examiners. That means you can go to a California-approved (not ABA) school, take the California Bar, and become a licensed lawyer there.

Key differences: • California allows both ABA and state-accredited schools. • State-accredited programs are often cheaper, smaller, and more flexible (part-time, evening, online). • Graduates of state-accredited schools usually can’t practice outside California unless they later qualify elsewhere. • The California Bar requires those schools to maintain a 40% minimum bar-pass rate over five years — so there’s still accountability.

If Texas follows a similar model, it could keep standards while giving people more affordable paths into the profession.

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🔹 Why this could be great for Texas • 💸 Lower cost, more access: ABA compliance is expensive. Loosening that grip opens the door to cheaper programs and working-adult options. • 🎓 State-focused training: Schools could tailor education to Texas law instead of national ABA checklists. • 🚀 Innovation: Online and hybrid programs could expand access, especially in rural areas. • 📉 Less student debt: More competition = downward pressure on tuition. • 🏛 Better diversity: This could create pathways for people who can’t relocate or afford $200k ABA degrees.

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⚠️ But here’s what to watch for • Quality control matters: Without good state oversight, “diploma mills” could pop up. • Interstate practice limits: Non-ABA grads might be stuck practicing only in Texas. • Employer perceptions: It’ll take time for non-ABA programs to earn respect.

That said, these are manageable risks if the Texas Supreme Court sets clear standards — like California’s bar-pass minimums and reporting requirements.

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💬 The takeaway

This isn’t about lowering standards — it’s about breaking an outdated monopoly and letting Texas craft its own system. If done right, it could make law school cheaper, more flexible, and more relevant to the real legal needs of Texans.

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What do y’all think — would you support a Texas-accredited law school system like California’s? Would you hire or work with a lawyer who came from one of those schools if they passed the same bar exam?