The ruling clears Grand Canyon University to establish a College of Law under requirements adopted by the Arizona Supreme Court, opening a route for graduates to seek state bar admission without a degree accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).
In an order dated Oct. 15, the justices voted unanimously to approve the school. Graduates who satisfy the court’s education criteria may apply to take Arizona’s bar exam, but licensure also requires a passing score and compliance with other state conditions, including character and fitness review.
The order does not grant ABA accreditation. It says graduates may pursue admission in Arizona unless another jurisdiction expressly permits their admission.
The court cited a shortage of lawyers as part of its rationale. It placed Arizona 49th among states for lawyers relative to population and noted that rural communities are among those with too few attorneys. Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer described a “significant shortage of attorneys.” ABA figures for 2024 counted 2.14 lawyers living in Arizona per 1,000 people, compared with an average of 3.81 per 1,000 across U.S. states.
Arizona has two ABA-accredited law schools, the order says. The court noted that earning ABA accreditation can take years and consume substantial resources, with some costs potentially passed along to students. It said its education framework is intended to maintain rigorous academic standards while limiting expenses it considers unnecessary.
The court will monitor GCU’s curriculum, faculty, academic performance, bar-exam results and reporting. GCU is the only non-ABA-accredited school approved under this approach while the court evaluates its standards; the justices said they will not consider requests from other such schools during that review.
GCU says it hopes to open the school as early as 2027. After receiving approval from the Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education, the university says it will next seek Higher Learning Commission approval and plans to pursue ABA accreditation when eligible.
