ABA Standard 206 should have never been adopted. Law school deans rushed it through the process in the wake of George Floyd's death. There was no evidence this standard was necessary or would actually improve race relations. Now, barely six years later, the ABA Council has repealed the standard during an emergency meeting.
What was the rationale for repealing the standard? The Council chair said nothing about the emptiness of Standard 206. Instead the sole reason offered was survival:
"The council believes that national accreditation of law schools is in the best interests of law students, the legal profession and the public, and we can best serve in this role with continued recognition by state supreme courts and the Department of Education," said Melissa Hart, the council's chair, in a statement. "Repealing Standard 206 was necessary to preserve recognition by a growing number of state courts, as well as the department."
