Law School Could Get Cheaper Under New Trump Plan

Becoming a lawyer might soon cost less money and take less time, thanks to a major shake-up expected from the Trump administration this month.

By late December, the Education Department will decide whether to remove the American Bar Association's federal recognition as the main accreditor of law schools. While this wouldn't immediately change how law schools operate, it could jumpstart efforts in several states to approve alternative paths into the legal profession.

The ABA has served as the primary gatekeeper for legal education since 1952. Most states require aspiring lawyers to graduate from an ABA-accredited school before taking the bar exam. Critics say this monopoly has created a "one size fits all elitist model" that drives up costs and limits innovation.

The federal panel that advises on accreditation matters deadlocked in September on whether to renew the ABA's recognition. Education Department staff have already recommended denial, leaving the final call to Under Secretary Nicholas Kent.

Adam Biggs, general counsel of the University of Austin, is already developing an alternative. His school plans to offer legal education without ABA accreditation, potentially cutting the traditional three-year program to two years or combining undergraduate and law studies into one degree.

The proposed school would make tuition completely free and rely more on practicing attorneys and judges as instructors rather than expensive full-time faculty. Biggs says current ABA requirements make it "impossible to cut overhead," forcing students to take on massive debt that pushes them toward high-paying city jobs instead of serving rural communities.

The Ripple Effect

Lower-cost legal education could help solve attorney shortages in underserved areas. When new lawyers don't carry crushing student debt, they gain freedom to take lower-paying positions in small towns and rural communities where legal help is desperately needed. More affordable law schools could also make legal services cheaper for everyday Americans who struggle to afford representation.

The Justice Department is already pressuring the ABA on costs. In October, officials threatened an antitrust investigation over rules that restrict adjunct professors from teaching core courses, arguing these requirements drive up tuition unnecessarily.

Graduates of alternative programs might face challenges practicing across state lines, since each state's supreme court sets its own bar admission rules. But proponents believe momentum is building for change as more states explore new pathways into the profession.

If the federal government removes the ABA's special status, it could spark the biggest transformation in legal education in over 70 years.