St. Thomas University School of Law has been found out of compliance with the American Bar Association’s (ABA) standards related to financial resource sufficiency, according to a recent determination by the ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.
In addition to the compliance issue, the ABA denied the school’s application to establish a part-time hybrid-distance Juris Doctor program. The decision was issued in February 2025.
“We are working closely with the ABA to ensure full compliance and are confident in the positive direction we are heading,” Tarlika Nunez-Navarro, the dean of the law school, wrote in a letter to the ABA Journal. “We view this as an opportunity to build upon that momentum.”
While the school remains accredited, it must resolve the financial deficiencies to regain full compliance status, the ABA Journal
reports.According to the ABA Rules of Procedure, the law school is required to “maintain a budget reflecting anticipated financial resources and expenses for the current and subsequent three fiscal years.” The guidelines further specify that “for law schools that are part of a university, the budget must reflect any anticipated obligations of the law school to the university or of the university to the law school.”
St. Thomas submitted an initial report to the ABA on Sept. 26, 2024. The ABA Council will review the submission during its quarterly meeting in November 2025. Administrators from the law school are expected to be present at the February 2026 meeting, which will determine the future of the school’s accreditation.
Founded in 1961 as Biscayne College by the Augustinian order, St. Thomas University became a university in 1984, adopting its current name to reflect the region’s strong Cuban-American influence. The law school, established in 1984, has historically served a diverse student population
and is known for its focus on public service and social justice.The School of Law has about 800 students enrolled and is one of only a few Catholic law schools in the southeastern United States.
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