Arizona Supreme Court approves GCU College of Law without ABA accreditation

Grand Canyon University will open a College of Law as soon as next fall — without being approved by the American Bar Association.

For the first time in state history, the Arizona Supreme Court has approved a plan allowing graduates of a law school that lacks ABA accreditation to seek admission to the State Bar of Arizona after passing the bar exam.

Typically, graduates must attend a law school accredited by the ABA to practice law in Arizona, but a school must be in operation for at least a full year before gaining that accreditation.

The Arizona Supreme Court made the exception to allow GCU students to practice law before the school receives accreditation. GCU will still seek ABA approval after it has completed a full year of classes.

According to the court, the exception was made to improve access to justice in the state.

“Arizona faces a significant shortage of attorneys, and we are optimistic that GCU will provide an excellent legal education and help meet the need for more lawyers in communities throughout our state,” Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer said in a statement.

When will new GCU College of Law open?

GCU President Brian Mueller said in a statement that the approval allows creativity and entrepreneurship.

“Throughout history, the Christian worldview and free-market principles have been the most powerful forces for human flourishing,” Mueller said. “When those two principles work together, they create something remarkable: a society that encourages individual initiative and achievement while recognizing our responsibility to something greater than ourselves.”

The College of Law is set to open in fall 2027.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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