Lessons From The ABA's Attempt To Revoke William & Mary Law School's Accreditation In The 1970s

James S. Heller (William & Mary) & Simon F. Zagata (J.D. 2018, William & Mary), Back To the Future: ABA Law School Accreditation in the 21st Century and America's First Law School's Battle to Survive in the 1970s, 111 Law Libr. J. 509 (2019):

In the mid-1970s, the ABA threatened to pull accreditation from the College of William & Mary’s law school. The ABA’s motives were questioned as it had never taken this step before. Would a more aggressive 21st century ABA have stripped accreditation from well-established schools like William & Mary? The reader can be the judge.

Conclusion
The reality for well-established and well-regarded (or at least decent) law schools is probably akin to what William & Mary faced in the 1970s: the ABA sets its standards, makes threats, and holds hearings. But if a school fails—like Arizona Summit, Charlotte, Indiana Tech, Valparaiso, and Whittier—it’s unlikely to be because of the American Bar Association.