‘Groundbreaking’: Arizona Supreme Court approves Grand Canyon University law school under new non-ABA pathway 

The Arizona Supreme Court unanimously approved Grand Canyon University’s new law school under a state-level pathway that lets graduates sit for the bar and practice in Arizona without a degree from an American Bar Association-accredited school, a move the court called “groundbreaking” in response to a growing attorney shortage.

Arizona has two law schools that are ABA-accredited, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, but the court said it has “adopted standards for legal education it believes will serve as a model for improving access to justice in Arizona” and that it will maintain “rigorous educational standards” to ensure graduates are prepared. 

Graduates of the law school must meet the court’s standards to be eligible for the bar exam, and if they pass and complete admission requirements, “they will be authorized to practice law in Arizona without ABA accreditation,” the court said.

The groundbreaking approval may be a bellwether for states across the country: “Arizona is now leading the way, with states like Texas and Florida, in challenging the ABA’s monopoly on legal education accreditation,” Goldwater Institute’s Jon Riches, vice president of litigation, told Heartlander News, “and I expect more states to follow Arizona’s lead.”

The Arizona Supreme Court regulates the practice of law in the state, and “the authority to determine who may practice law rests with the court – not in the American Bar Association, a private organization with its own agenda,” he said.

The move comes as the ABA has been under fire from the Trump administration and federal lawmakers for its promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion standards.

“The responsibility to accredit law schools should ensure meaningful pathways to licensure that promote competition, expand opportunity and increase access to legal services,” Riches said. “Allowing a law school in Arizona dedicated to free-market principles and constitutional law is an encouraging development for competition in legal education and intellectual diversity. It also helps address Arizona’s lawyer shortage, which is among the worst in the nation.”

“This is a historic moment for Grand Canyon University, for legal education in Arizona and, most importantly, for students who have dreamed of entering the legal profession by attending a Christian law school,” James L. Williams, dean of GCU’s College of Law, said in a statement, adding that the school was grateful for the court’s “innovative approach to legal education and for the opportunity to demonstrate that a new pathway to licensure can maintain the highest standards of academic excellence, professional preparation and ethical responsibility.”

There are currently 48 ABA-approved law schools that are “religiously affiliated,” many of which are Roman Catholic, as well as Methodist, Baptist and other denominations.

GCU said its law school will “build upon the educational philosophy that has helped make GCU the nation’s largest Christian university,” including “the integration of a Christian worldview” and free-market values.

The Arizona Supreme Court said it is testing the new standards and won’t currently accept requests from other non-ABA-accredited law schools.

GCU says it will also eventually seek ABA approval, which new schools can’t apply for until they’ve operated for at least a year.

Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer said the court is “optimistic that GCU will provide an excellent legal education and help meet the need for more lawyers in communities throughout our state.”