Texas is now the first state in the U.S. to eliminate American Bar Association oversight of its law schools, ending the state’s 42-year-long reliance on the national organization.

The Texas Supreme Court issued an order Tuesday finalizing a tentative September opinion, asserting the ABA should “no longer have the final say” on which law school graduates can take the bar exam — a requirement to becoming a licensed lawyer in each state.

“The Court advised that it intends to provide stability, certainty, and flexibility to currently approved law schools by guaranteeing ongoing approval to schools that satisfy a set of simple, objective, and ideologically neutral criteria using metrics no more onerous than those currently required by the ABA,” reads the order signed by all nine justices.

The change means law school graduates who want to practice in Texas are no longer required to attend an ABA-accredited school. The power to approve those law schools now rests solely with the state’s highest civil court.

In the absence of national guidance, however, the Texas Supreme Court stipulated in Tuesday’s order that it intends to preserve graduates’ ability to use Texas law school degrees in other states and out-of-state law degrees in Texas. The court also doesn’t anticipate immediate changes to the current list of approved law schools and could return to relying on a different multi-state accrediting entity in the future.

  • cheesybuddha@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    the Texas Supreme Court stipulated in Tuesday’s order that it intends to preserve graduates’ ability to use Texas law school degrees in other states

    How exactly does Texas intend to do this in states that are not Texas? Do they not realize that they only have jurisdiction in Texas?

    • tacosanonymous@mander.xyz
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      5 days ago

      The degrees should hold just like they have for as far back as I know. They’d have to pass the new state’s bar exam if they want to practice, though because no one else is doing that.

      • cheesybuddha@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        But is the question of whether or not the degrees will continue to hold after bar oversight is removed up to States in which the person will be practicing, or can Texas dictate that they must accept such degrees in the future?

        I honestly don’t actually know how accreditation and licensing and lawyer stuff actually works.

    • Bakkoda@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      A corrupt SCOTUS. Simple as that. TpUsa certified lawyers coming to a shadow Confederacy near you.

    • stickly@lemmy.world
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      I don’t think it can mean anything even in the best case scenario. If a Texas lawyer is now allowed to use their toilet paper degree in other states that doesn’t mean they have to get hired.

      If someone is dumb/cheap enough to hire one, they’re going to get a shitty lawyer.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    Texas Supreme Court

    ideologically neutral criteria

    And if you believe that one, I have a mountain chalet in Florida to sell you.

    the Texas Supreme Court stipulated in Tuesday’s order that it intends to preserve graduates’ ability to use Texas law school degrees in other states and out-of-state law degrees in Texas

    The latter shouldn’t be a problem, but I’m guessing that other states will be less enthusiastic about accepting lawyers accredited by the Cowboy Court…

    • reddig33@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      Probably depends on the state. I won’t be surprised to see other red states follow this lead.

  • voracitude@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    I just thought: what if this is a long play, to get bad lawyers into positions where they can set precedent?

    Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to log this off as a Texas problem.

  • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world
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    What we should expect to see shortly is a Red State Bar Association that’s respected by SCOTUS, and under circumstances where SCOTUS can, it will force blue states to accept its law.

    • BeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      so what you are describing is the Full Faith and Credit Clause (US Constitution Article 4, Section 1) and specifically thinking of ways in which it might be abused similar to the Dred Scott decision

  • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    JFC.

    If you’re in Texas, get out.

    If you’re staying in Texas to ride the shit wave for your own enrichment, fuck you.

    If you’re planning on moving to Texas, WHY?

    • BeeegScaaawyCripple@lemmy.world
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      If you’re in Texas, get out.

      Have you ever been to Texas? Longest drive i ever took was to Austin from San Francisco. Half of it was through Texas. Leaving it is not just some casual thing. But i agree with you.

  • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    In theory this is not a bad idea, it could bring down costs for educating new lawyers. Extreme skepticism for texas’ motives in doing this though. Texas has never cared about anyone’s cost except the oil barons.

    Edit: my guess is the thing texas is worried about is professional standard and corruption getting their best toadies disbarred.

  • sixpants@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    My brother in laws dad was a judge for 30+ years in a southern state.

    Never went to law school. Just sat for the BAR exam for the hell of it, passed, and the rest is baffling to me.