ABA under pressure to better regulate legal education

Enrollments at US law schools have continued to climb despite worsening job prospects, leaving many graduates with debt burdens of $120,000 or more, and no real way to pay back their loans. In response, regulators and members of Congress have called upon American Bar Association – the body that accredits law schools – to step up efforts to keep student debt levels down and reduce the risk of default. A recent Department of Education review of the ABA found that the Association fell short on meeting 17 federal standards, including a failure to demand that schools keep loan default rates below a certain level, a failure to set minimum standards for postgraduate employment rates and a failure to show that it has a transparent and public accreditation process.

ABA under pressure to better regulate legal education washingtonpost.com Mon, Jul 25, 2011