Law Students Face Mandatory Bias Training Beginning In Fall 2022 Under Proposed ABA Diversity Accreditation Requirement

Karen Sloan (Reuters), Law Students Face Mandatory Bias Training Under Proposed ABA Rule:

Law schools would have to train students in bias, racism and crosscultural competency under a proposal before the American Bar Association’s policymaking body this month.

The ABA’s House of Delegates on Feb. 14 will consider a series of changes to its law school accreditation rules, including a new requirement that schools provide bias training at least twice during a student’s time on campus — once at the start of their studies and at least once more before they graduate.

In July 2020, 150 law deans signed a letter urging the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to consider such a requirement as part of a wider anti-racism movement in legal education. ...

The council in August approved the proposed new requirement, and it could be in place this fall if the House of Delegates signs off, said William Adams, the ABA’s managing director of accreditation and legal education.

But the proposal has garnered skepticism from some inside and outside the legal academy.

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)
• ABA Standards Committee Approves Anti-Racism, Bias Training As New Accreditation Standards For Law Schools (Aug. 17, 2021)
• In Response To Criticism, ABA Releases Revised Proposed Diversity Accreditation Standard For Notice And Comment (Nov. 23, 2021)