Accreditation Statement

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

UNT Dallas College of Law is not currently accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). As with any new law school, the process of seeking accreditation from the ABA cannot begin until the College of Law completes its first academic year. We will seek accreditation according to the timeline and requirements of the ABA.

The Accreditation Process

The national accrediting body for American legal education is the Council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The standards and process for accreditation are set out in the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools. These standards and procedures, as administered by the Council, are aimed at ensuring the quality and professionalism of law schools.

The ABA requires all new law schools to successfully complete their first academic year, which began at the College of Law in fall 2014, before applying for provisional accreditation. The College of Law will be permitted to file its application for provisional accreditation after the start of the fall 2015 semester. Graduates of a provisionally approved school are entitled to the same recognition as graduates of a fully approved school and are eligible to sit for most state bar exams, including in the State of Texas. We of course cannot guarantee that the College of Law will gain provisional approval by a particular date.

Once a school gains provisional approval, it remains on provisional status for at least three years during which time it is monitored closely by the Council. Upon receiving provisional approval, the College of Law will work hard to establish that it is in full compliance with the ABA Rules and Standards in order to become fully approved by the ABA. More detail on the accreditation process can be found here.

Our Commitment

The UNT Dallas College of Law will seek accreditation according to the timeline and requirements of the ABA. The College of Law—including the Dean and its administration—are fully informed as to the ABA’s Standards and Rules of Procedure for the Approval of Law Schools. The Dean and administration of the UNT Dallas College of Law are committed to devoting all necessary resources, and in other respects taking all necessary steps, to provide a program of legal education that will qualify for approval by the ABA. The College of Law does not make any representation to any applicant that it will be approved by the ABA before the graduation of any matriculating student.

SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS (SACS) COMMISSION ON COLLEGES 

The University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law is an academic division of the University of North Texas at Dallas.

The University of North Texas at Dallas is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of North Texas at Dallas.