Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that he and 20 other attorneys general from across the country sent a letter to the American Bar Association. Demand an end to discriminatory policies It impacts law school applicants.

The ABA, the accrediting body for America's law schools, is now forcing schools to choose between racially discriminatory accreditation, rejecting some of the most qualified applicants, or complying with the Constitution.

“Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision clarifying that 'the core purpose of the Equal Protection Clause' is 'the elimination of all government-imposed discrimination on the basis of race,'” Marshall said. “It is ironic that an organization whose mission statement is to 'protect liberty and pursue justice' would seek to justify discrimination against law school applicants on the basis of skin color.”

The ABA’s obligations are set out in the 2023-2024 Law School Admissions Standards and Rules of Procedure, Standard 206. The letter explains that Standard 206 is not consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA).

Marshall said that even if the intent of Standard 206's racial preference system was well-intentioned, it cannot be legally implemented in its current or revised form. The ABA is reportedly considering revising the standards in response to the ruling, but the proposed changes include an unlawful requirement that law schools base admissions and hiring on race.

In addition to Marshall, the attorneys general of Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia joined the lawsuit.

Austin Shipley is a staff writer for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on X. @ShipleyAusten