ABA Standards Committee Approves Anti-Racism, Bias Training As New Accreditation Standards For Law Schools

Following up on my previous posts (links below):  ABA Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, Final Recommendations: Standards 205, 303, 507, and 508 (Aug. 16, 2021):

At its meeting held on May 13-15, 2021, the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar approved for Notice and Comment proposed revisions to Standards 205, 206, 303, 507, and 508 of the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools. Written comments were due by June 28, 2021, and a hearing was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This memorandum provides final recommendations for Standards 205, 303, 507, and 508. (There are not yet final recommendations on Standard 206.) The Council’s Notice and Comment Memorandum is included as Appendix A. The written comments received during the Notice and Comment Period are provided as a separate document due to volume of comments received. If the final recommendations are approved, they will go to the ABA House of Delegates (HOD) for concurrence at the HOD’s February 2022 meeting.

(Hat Tip: Scott Fruehwald)

Update:  Brian Leiter (Chicago), Standards Committee Ignores Critics, and Does What It Wants:

What an embarrassment. ... The Committee has obviously been captured by special interests, who are more concerned with posturing than the costs it is imposing on law schools. If this wasteful and ill-considered proposal is to be stopped, it will have to be at the next stages.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• ABA Mulls Racism, Bias Training Accreditation Requirement For Law Schools (May 6, 2021)
• ABA Sends Proposed Changes To Accreditation Standards Out For Notice And Comment (May 18, 2021)
• Leiter Questions ABA's Proposed Accreditation Standards Relating To Racism, Bias Training (June 6, 2021)
• Monday Is The Last Day To Submit Comments On ABA's Proposal To Mandate Racism And Bias Training At All Law Schools (June 26, 2021)
• Peltz-Steele, Sander, Steinbuch & Volokh Criticize ABA's Proposed Accreditation Standard On Diversity (June 29, 2021)