Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated an antitrust investigation into the American Bar Association (ABA) to assess whether its law school accreditation standards have unlawfully restricted competition and increased the cost of legal education. The inquiry will examine the impact of these standards on faculty compensation, law school operations, and the broader legal services market in Texas. ([texasattorneygeneral.gov](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-american-bar-association-over-potential-anticompetitive?utm_source=openai))
Since 1952, the ABA has served as the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools, significantly influencing legal education nationwide. The Texas Attorney General’s Office contends that the ABA’s accreditation authority may have been used to artificially inflate faculty salaries, exclude law schools that challenge the ABA’s conception of elite legal education, and impose costly, burdensome accreditation requirements. ([texasattorneygeneral.gov](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-american-bar-association-over-potential-anticompetitive?utm_source=openai))
In response to these concerns, the Supreme Court of Texas recently ended the ABA’s monopoly over accreditation for Texas law schools for admission to the Texas state bar, opening the door for new models for legal education. ([texasattorneygeneral.gov](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-american-bar-association-over-potential-anticompetitive?utm_source=openai))
Attorney General Paxton emphasized the need for competition and fairness in law school accreditation, stating, “There must be competition and a fair playing field when it comes to law school accreditation, or else we risk inflated costs for students, unfair restrictions, and illegal discriminatory practices.” ([texasattorneygeneral.gov](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-american-bar-association-over-potential-anticompetitive?utm_source=openai))
As part of the investigation, the Office of the Attorney General has issued a Civil Investigative Demand to the ABA. The investigation will examine whether accreditation requirements have unlawfully restricted competition or increased the cost of legal education, including through requirements affecting faculty compensation and law school operations. ([texasattorneygeneral.gov](https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-investigates-american-bar-association-over-potential-anticompetitive?utm_source=openai))
This state-level inquiry coincides with a federal review of the ABA’s role as the nation’s recognized law school accreditor. The U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity recently deadlocked on whether to renew the ABA’s federal recognition, leaving the final decision to the Department of Education. ([wbap.com](https://www.wbap.com/2026/09/30/paxton-investigates-aba-over-law-school-accreditation-practices/?utm_source=openai))
The outcome of Texas’s investigation could have significant implications for legal education, potentially leading to increased competition among law schools and alternative pathways to legal practice. Legal professionals and educators will be closely monitoring developments as the inquiry progresses.