FTC Urges Tennessee Supreme Court to Reconsider ABA Accreditation Amid Competitive Concerns
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has called on the Tennessee Supreme Court to reassess its reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) for law school accreditation. In a letter dated April 30, Brendan Chestnut, director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning, and Daniel Guarnera, director of its Bureau of Competition, expressed concerns that the ABA's role in determining educational requirements for the bar exam and legal practice in Tennessee poses significant competitive risks. The FTC argues that the ABA's monopoly on accreditation limits lower-cost alternatives for legal education, potentially affecting the quality and accessibility of legal services. This move follows similar actions by the Texas and Florida Supreme Courts, which have also taken steps to evaluate the ABA's influence on legal education standards. 
