Washington state loosens bar exam eligibility, joining wave of states sidelining ABA

Washington state will open its bar exam starting in September to graduates of non-ABA-accredited law schools, provided they are already eligible to sit for the exam in at least one other state. The Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governors approved the change in early May.The decision makes Washington the fourth jurisdiction in recent months to reduce its dependence on ABA accreditation as a prerequisite for attorney licensing. Earlier this year, the highest courts in Alabama, Florida and Texas – all under Republican leadership – moved to either eliminate the ABA requirement entirely or expand recognition to include additional institutions.
The ABA’s influence over legal education has drawn intensifying scrutiny, including from the Trump administration, in part over the organization’s past diversity and inclusion mandates for law schools. The ABA recently voted to repeal those requirements.
Washington officials were careful to distinguish their rationale from that of the Republican-led states. The state bar described its decision as the result of a multi-year review of its regulatory framework focused on broadening access to the legal profession, not a rebuke of the ABA.
Critics of this broader trend warn that a patchwork of state-by-state eligibility rules could create complications for lawyers seeking to practice across state lines and may put graduates of unaccredited programs at a disadvantage in the job market. 
As more states reconsider the ABA’s role, the legal community is watching closely to see how the changes affect attorney quality, mobility, and the long-term coherence of bar licensing standards nationwide.

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