Texas to end ABA role in law school oversight

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By Sara Merken

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REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Texas is poised to end its reliance on the American Bar Association for law school oversight and instead let its highest court determine which schools' graduates can be admitted as lawyers in the state.

The Supreme Court of Texas said in an order that it "is of the tentative opinion that the ABA should no longer have the final say" on whether a law school's alumni can sit for the Texas bar or be licensed. The court itself would determine which law schools are "approved" under the state's lawyer admissions rules, according to the preliminary order.

Texas is the first state to say it plans to end oversight of its law schools by the ABA – the federally recognized accreditor of U.S. law schools. The supreme courts of Florida, Ohio and Tennessee have launched similar reviews of their own ABA requirements in recent months. 

The Texas court did not provide details on how any new law school approval system would function but asked the public to submit comments on the proposal by Dec. 1, with anticipated changes taking effect Jan. 1. Read more from Karen Sloan.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest level in decades this year after the Trump administration ordered enforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants, a Reuters review of nearly 2 million federal court records found.

So far this year, about 10% fewer people have been prosecuted for drug violations compared to the same period of 2024, court records show, a drop of about 1,200 cases and the slowest rate since at least the late 1990s. The pullback was more dramatic for the types of conspiracy and money-laundering cases often used to pursue higher-level traffickers. The number of people charged with money-laundering dropped by 24%, according to Reuters' analysis.

Read more from Brad Heath.

When Amazon last week agreed to pay $2.5 billion mid-trial to settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission that it duped customers into signing up for Prime, the payout showcased what until recently had been regarded as a law of little consequence. Not anymore. Jenna Greene in her latest column looks at what's behind the agency's increased use of the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act, or ROSCA, and the companies that remain on the hot seat. Read more in On the Case.

President Trump said he would impose a 100% tariff on all films produced overseas that are then sent into the U.S. … Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for pivotal talks to press him to back a Gaza peace proposal … Moldova's pro-European ruling party won a resounding victory over its Russian-leaning rival in a key parliamentary election … The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to furlough 41% of its workforce if Congress fails to prevent a looming government shutdown … China's new visa programme aimed at attracting foreign tech talent kicks off this week … Shares of pot companies rose after Trump advocated the potential benefits from the use of cannabidiol in senior healthcare.

sara.merken@thomsonreuters.com

@saramerken

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