ABA Gives Final Approval To Law School Free Speech Accreditation Standard

Following up on my previous post, ABA Council Unanimously Votes To Send Law School Free Speech Accreditation Standard To House Of Delegates For Final Approval In February (Nov. 20, 2023):  ABA Journal, Free Speech and Academic Freedom Standards Will Now Be Part of ABA Accreditation Process:

Law schools will now be asked to explicitly protect free speech rights for faculty, students and staff as part of the ABA accreditation process. ... The ABA House of Delegates on Monday voted [Resolution 300] in favor of the creation of the law school standards regarding academic freedom and freedom of expression at its midyear meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. ...

The proposal follows protests that disrupted conservative speakers at Stanford Law School and Yale Law School and continuing tensions on campuses since Hamas attacked Israel last fall. Standard 208, however, forbids disruptive activities that hinder free expression or impede law school activities.

• Bloomberg Law, ABA Vote Requires Law Schools to Prohibit Disruptive Protests
• Law360, ABA Passes Historic Law School Free Speech Proposal
• Law.com, ABA HOD Adopts Council's 'Academic Freedom' Proposal
• Reuters, Law Schools Must Adopt Free Speech Policies, After ABA Passes Rule

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• ABA Weighs New Free Speech Rule For Law Schools (Aug. 16, 2023)
• ABA Sends Out For Notice And Comment Proposed Law School Accreditation Standards On Academic Freedom And Freedom Of Expression, Learning Outcomes And Assessment, And Library and Information Resources (Sept. 1, 2023)
• ABA Receives Favorable Comments On Proposed Law School Free Speech Accreditation Standard (Oct. 4, 2023)
• ABA To Vote On Law School Free Speech Accreditation Standard This Friday (Nov. 15, 2023)
• ABA Council Unanimously Votes To Send Law School Free Speech Accreditation Standard To House Of Delegates For Final Approval In February (Nov. 20, 2023)
• BYU, Catholic, Cumberland, Liberty, Notre Dame, And Pepperdine Deans Support ABA's Proposed Free Speech Accreditation Standard, But Object To Extra Burden Placed On Faith-Based Law Schools (Dec. 3, 2023)