1.15.26
“Texas Supreme Court Takes DEI Gatekeeping Away from American Bar Association”
from Donna Garner
[COMMENTS FROM DONNA GARNER: I believe that in Pres. Trump’s first term, he learned personally the dirty tricks that the Democrat lawyers could throw at him.
During his “off” years while Biden was in office, Pres. Trump dug deep and found the source of the dirty tricks – i.e., the American Bar Association.
When he and MAGA took over in his second term, the first thing he did was to lay out his agenda in his executive orders issued on 1.20.25.
Since that time, he and his administration have demonstrated through action what those executive orders mean in practice.
Unfortunately, so many of the judges in our country are lawyers who were educated and indoctrinated by the American Bar Association and are skilled at practicing “lawfare.”
How does “lawfare” work?
Trump puts an executive order into action.
Leftist, Democrat judges across the United States “slow-walk” Trump’s efforts by ruling against him in the lower courts so that he and his lawyers are forced to go from appeal to appeal to appeal.
Eventually a large number of those cases move to the U. S. Supreme Court level where they stack up waiting for a final decision.
Of course, this slows down the process even more which is exactly what those leftist Democrats practicing “lawfare” want.
The good news is that the nine Justices on the Texas Supreme Court just voted unanimously to end the American Bar Association’s control over law schools in Texas.
No longer will the ABA be the “gatekeeper” which has pushed lawyers into being indoctrinated with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – DEI.
Federal civil-rights laws prohibit treating people differently based upon their race or sex.
Once again, we Texans should be very thankful for the wise decisions being made by the Texas Supreme Court justices.
Hopefully other states will follow.]
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1.6.26 – KERA
“Texas Becomes First State To End American Bar Association Oversight of Law Schools”
By Toluwani Osibamowo
Excerpts from this article:
The American Bar Association [ABA] no longer will have oversight of law schools in Texas.
…Texas is now the first state in the U.S. to eliminate American Bar Association oversight of its law schools…
The Texas Supreme Court [TSC] issued an order Tuesday [1.6.26] finalizing a tentative September opinion, asserting the ABA should "no longer have the final say" on which law school graduates can take the bar exam — a requirement to becoming a licensed lawyer in each state.
"The Court advised that it intends to provide stability, certainty, and flexibility to currently approved law schools by guaranteeing ongoing approval to schools that satisfy a set of simple, objective, and ideologically neutral criteria using metrics no more onerous than those currently required by the ABA," reads the order signed by all nine [TSC] justices.
[Federal civil-rights laws prohibit treating people differently based upon their race or sex. In other words, DEI – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion -- is illegal.]
The change means law school graduates who want to practice in Texas are no longer required to attend an ABA-accredited school.
The power to approve those law schools now rests solely with the state's highest civil court [the publicly elected members of the TSC].
…That means [before this TSC ruling] schools must [had to] comply with the ABA's standards for its faculty, curriculum, and facilities, provide adequate resources for student support, demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion and have successful bar passage rates among graduates.
[Federal civil-rights laws prohibit treating people differently based upon their race or sex. In other words, DEI – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion -- is illegal.]
…The all-Republican Texas Supreme Court hasn't given a reason for initiating the change, but it came after months of conflict between President Donald Trump, the ABA, and the broader legal community.
TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
Trump issued an executive order earlier this year that stripped the ABA of millions in USAID and U.S. State Department funding.
…Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to the ABA later that month alleging its diversity requirements conflicted with the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in college admissions.
The letter also threatened to take away the ABA's ability to accredit law schools.
…Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee are also considering parting ways with the ABA.
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1.13.26 – El Paso Hoodline
“Texas High Court Boots ABA from Law School Gatekeeping”
By Ryan Anderson
Excerpts from this article:
https://hoodline.com/2026/01/texas-high-court-boots-aba-from-law-school-gatekeeping/?utm=newsbreak
Texas's highest court [Texas Supreme Court] has officially sidelined the American Bar Association [ABA] in deciding which law schools qualify their graduates to sit for the Texas bar exam...
WHAT THE ORDER DOES
…The order from the Texas Supreme Court includes an initial list of approved law schools…
U.S. ATTORNEY PAM BONDI
The Texas Supreme Court’s move arrives after months of tension between the ABA and the federal government.
Attorney General Pam Bondi pressed the association over diversity standards, and the administration moved to cut certain federal funding streams…
TEXAS SUPREME COURT MOVES THE POWER TO TEXAS RATHER THAN ABA
By reclaiming direct control, the Texas Supreme Court has shifted regulatory power back to a state body, a change that could influence where and how law schools seek approval and how easily lawyers move between states.
Other jurisdictions are paying attention.
Courts and rule makers in Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee have begun similar reviews, which means the national framework for legal education and bar eligibility could start to look very different in the coming months, according to Inside Higher Ed.
MORE INFORMATION
12.23.25 – “Waco Judge Files Federal Lawsuit – Might Overturn Same-Sex Marriage Law” -- By Travis Morgan – Texas Scorecard -- https://donnagarner.org/12-23-25-waco-judge-files-federal-lawsuit-might-overturn-same-sex-marriage-law-by-travis-morgan-texas-scorecard/
6.2.25 – “TX Supreme Court To Decide If State Judges Have Freedom of Religion” -- By Travis Morgan – Texas Scorecard -- https://donnagarner.org/6-2-25-tx-supreme-court-to-decide-if-state-judges-have-freedom-of-religion-by-travis-morgan-texas-scorecard/
5.31.24 – “Texas Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Abortion Laws” -- By Eleanor Klibanoff – Texas Tribune -- https://donnagarner.org/5-31-24-texas-supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-abortion-laws-by-eleanor-klibanoff-texas-tribune-2/
9.1.23 – “Texas Supreme Court Allows Ban on Gender-Transition Procedures for Minors To take Effect” -- By Brittany Bernstein -- https://donnagarner.org/9-1-23-texas-supreme-court-allows-ban-on-gender-transition-procedures-for-minors-to-take-effect-by-brittany-bernstein-national-review/