The American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted Tuesday to repeal Standard 206, which required law schools to demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion in admissions, faculty hiring, and programming. The decision passed 10-6 with one abstention and took effect immediately.

The standard, in place for decades, mandated that accredited law schools show "concrete action" toward achieving diversity with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity among students, faculty, and staff. It had faced suspension since February 2025 following legal and political challenges to race-conscious policies in higher education.

Council members cited the need to preserve the ABA's role as the primary national accreditor for the nation's nearly 200 law schools. The organization faces a scheduled review by the U.S. Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity later this month. An August Education Department report had flagged compliance issues tied to the diversity mandate.

The repeal follows months of pressure, including from the Trump administration, which directed scrutiny toward accreditors maintaining DEI requirements. Several Republican-led states have also moved to reduce reliance on ABA accreditation for bar admissions. Council Chair Melissa Hart stated that repealing the standard supports continued recognition by state courts and the federal government.

Standard 206 had drawn criticism for potentially conflicting with recent Supreme Court rulings limiting race-based admissions and for pressuring schools to prioritize identity over merit. The ABA had already proposed sending related standards on bias education and nondiscrimination for further review.

The change marks a significant shift for legal education accreditation, which previously used the standard to encourage broader representation in the profession. Law schools must still comply with other nondiscrimination rules under remaining standards.

The decision reflects broader efforts to align accreditation with current legal constraints on racial preferences in education.