A new bill in the Kansas Legislature, House Bill No. 2348, could have serious consequences for the state’s law schools. The bill aims to strip tenure protections from university professors, making it easier for institutions to fire faculty or change their job security at any time. While this may seem like a bureaucratic change, it carries real risks—especially for Kansas law schools that must meet strict accreditation standards to continue operating.
What’s Changing?
Traditionally, tenure has provided professors with job security after years of proven dedication and research. It allows them to teach controversial or challenging subjects without fear of losing their jobs. Under HB 2348, tenure would no longer be considered a protected right. Instead, the Kansas Board of Regents and individual universities would have the power to change, revoke, or limit tenure protections whenever they see fit.
For law schools, this change could be a major problem. The American Bar Association (ABA), which accredits all reputable law schools in the country, requires law schools to provide job security for full-time professors. This is a key requirement because legal education depends on experienced faculty who are free to teach students about difficult legal and social issues without political or financial pressure.
If Kansas law schools can no longer guarantee job security to their professors, they could be found non-compliant with ABA accreditation standards. That means schools could face warnings, probation, or even loss of accreditation—leaving students unable to take the bar exam and practice law after graduation.
Why This Matters for Kansas
Kansas already faces a severe shortage of lawyers, especially in rural areas. Many counties struggle to find attorneys to handle basic legal needs like family law cases, estate planning, and small business matters. If law schools lose accreditation or struggle to attract top faculty, the problem will only get worse.
Without accredited law schools, fewer students will choose to study law in Kansas. Many will go to other states for their education and may never return to practice here. Meanwhile, existing law schools will struggle to recruit experienced professors, reducing the quality of legal education. This will create a ripple effect, making it harder for Kansans to find affordable legal representation.
Potential Consequences
- Accreditation Risk – If Kansas law schools don’t meet ABA standards, they could lose accreditation, meaning their graduates won’t be able to take the bar exam.
- Faculty Exodus – Top law professors will likely leave Kansas for states that still offer strong tenure protections, lowering the quality of legal education.
- Fewer Law Students – If Kansas law schools become unstable or lose accreditation, students will go elsewhere, reducing the number of new lawyers in the state.
- Legal Education Crisis – Fewer experienced faculty could lead to lower bar passage rates and an overall decline in the state’s legal expertise.
What Can Be Done?
Kansas lawmakers should reconsider the unintended consequences of HB 2348. If the goal is to increase flexibility in hiring and firing faculty, alternative solutions—such as multi-year contracts or performance-based reviews—could be used instead of eliminating tenure altogether. Otherwise, the state risks driving away law school faculty, weakening its legal education system, and deepening an already serious lawyer shortage.
For a state that desperately needs more attorneys, this bill could make things much worse. Instead of improving higher education, it may create a crisis that affects every Kansan who needs legal help.
