Accreditation

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

UNT Dallas College of Law is provisionally approved by the American Bar Association’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Provisional accreditation is effective June 3, 2017.

Graduates of a provisionally approved law school are considered by the ABA to be graduates of an ABA-approved law school and are eligible to sit for most state bar exams, including in the State of Texas.

The national accrediting body for U.S. 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 a new law school to successfully complete its first academic year operating a full-time program of legal education before applying for provisional accreditation. The College of Law began its first academic year in fall 2014 and filed its application for provisional accreditation in fall 2015.  Graduates of a provisionally approved law school are considered by the ABA to be graduates of an ABA-approved law school and are eligible to sit for most state bar exams, including in the State of Texas.

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. Under the ABA Standards, a provisionally approved law school may apply for full approval no earlier than two years after receiving provisional approval and must obtain full approval within five years after receiving provisional approval.

Having received 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. Of course, we cannot guarantee that the College of Law will achieve full approval by a particular date. More detail on the accreditation process can be found here.

Our Commitment

The UNT Dallas College of Law will seek full approval according to the timeline and requirements of the ABA. Under the ABA Standards, a provisionally approved law school cannot apply for full approval for two years after it receives provisional approval and must obtain full approval prior to expiration of the five-year provisional approval status. This means the UNT Dallas College of Law may apply for full approval as early as June 2019 and as late as June 2021.   The Dean and administration of the UNT Dallas College of Law are committed to devoting the necessary resources, and in other respects, taking all appropriate steps to provide a program of legal education that will qualify for full approval by the ABA. The College of Law does not make any representation to any applicant that it will be fully approved by the ABA before the graduation of any matriculating student.

Questions concerning ABA accreditation may be directed to the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, American Bar Association, 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654 or call (312) 988-6738.

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.