ABA Ends Three-Year Investigation, Finds Florida Coastal Law School In Full Compliance With Accreditation Standards

Jacksonville Daily Record, Florida Coastal School of Law Found in Compliance With ABA Financial Standard; ABA Ends Three-Year Investigation:

Florida Coastal School of Law President and Dean Peter Goplerud notified students, faculty and staff Feb. 28 that the American Bar Association found the school in compliance with standards that ensure law schools are financially sound, a requirement for accreditation.

“We received the Decision Letter from the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the ABA this morning regarding our compliance with Standard 202. As many of you are aware, this is the Standard that requires a school to have sufficient financial resources to deliver the program of legal education,” Goplerud wrote in an email. ...

The scrutiny by the ABA began in February 2017 when only 25% of Florida Coastal graduates passed the Bar exam. The ABA, the national law school accreditation authority, conducted a 27-month investigation into whether Florida Coastal was meeting accreditation standards for admission requirements and curriculum.

The ABA declared in May that Florida Coastal School of Law would remain an approved law school, but then questioned the school's financial stability.

Update:  ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar Council Decision, Notice of Law School Demonstrating Compliance With Standard 202(a) and (d) (Florida Coastal School of Law) (Feb. 2020):

At its February 20-22, 2020, meeting, the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association (the “Council”) considered the status of the Florida Coastal School of Law (the “Law School”) regarding its noncompliance with Standard 202(a) and (d).

Following consideration of the record in the matter and the Law School’s response to the Council’s November 2019 Decision Letter, the Council concluded that the information provided by the Law School is sufficient to demonstrate compliance with Standard 202(a) and (d). Accordingly, the Rule 13(a)(2) hearing is cancelled in accordance with Rule 20(d). Florida Coastal School of Law remains an approved law school.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• After 71% Enrollment Decline, Florida Coastal Plans To Further Shrink 1L Class To Raise Minimum LSAT Score By 7 Points And Avoid Fate Of Arizona Summit, Charlotte Law Schools (July 3, 2017)
• ABA Notices To Law Schools About Potential Non-Compliance With Accreditation Standards (Oct. 31, 2017)
• Florida Coastal Law School: 'We Are Not For Sale' (Nov. 29, 2017)
• ABA: Florida Coastal Law School Remains Out Of Compliance With Three Of Four Accreditation Standards (May 3, 2018)
• Florida Coastal Law School Sues ABA; Kirkland & Ellis Alleges Arbitrary Enforcement Of Accreditation Standards (May 11, 2018)
• Florida Coastal School of Law Seeks Restraining Order Against The ABA (June 19, 2018)
• Federal Judge Denies Florida Coastal Law School's TRO Bid Against The ABA (June 20, 2018)
• ABA Gives An Inch In Accreditation Fight With Florida Coastal Law (June 27, 2018)
• ABA Moves To Dismiss Florida Coastal's Lawsuit Alleging Arbitrary Enforcement Of Accreditation Standards (July 3, 2018)
• ABA Wins Early Round Against Florida Coastal Law In Accreditation Lawsuit (July 11, 2018)
• ABA: Florida Coastal Remains Out of Compliance With Law School Accreditation Standards (Sept. 8, 2019)
• July 2018 Florida Bar Exam Results (Sept. 18, 2018)
• In Wake Of 93% Enrollment Decline, Florida Coastal Law School Seeks To Ditch InfiLaw, Become Nonprofit, And Merge With University In The Southeast (But Not In Florida) (Feb 6, 2019)
• All InfiLaw Suits Against the ABA Appear To Be Headed To Resolution (May 3, 2019)
• Lawsuit Claims Florida Coastal Law School Used Mandatory Bar Prep Course To 'Weed Out' Students And 'Artificially Inflate' Bar Passage Rate To Retain ABA Accreditation (Sept. 19, 2019)
• Florida Coastal Law School Asks ABA To Reconsider Its Request To Shed For-Profit Status (Sept. 28, 2019)
• Florida Coastal Law School Makes Another Bid For Nonprofit Status (Nov. 5, 2019)
• In Wake Of 89% Enrollment Decline, ABA Again Says Florida Coastal Law School Is Not In Compliance With Accreditation Standards, Again Rejects Conversion From For-Profit To Non-Profit Status (Dec. 23, 2019)