Professor and Dean Emeritus David Yellen has been appointed to a newly formed Special Advisory Committee by the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. This elite group of 14 experts will advise the Council as it seeks to scale back accreditation standards that may impose “needless burdens or costs.”
The committee is a central part of the Council’s “Core Principles Review,” which aims to foster innovation and accessibility in legal education. Over the coming year, Yellen and his colleagues—including state supreme court justices and fellow deans—will work to identify regulations that can be streamlined to give law schools greater flexibility.
A Leading Voice in Reform
Yellen’s selection aligns with his career-long advocacy for modernizing law school standards, including repeatedly being named one of the "25 Most Influential People in Legal Education". As a former dean and leader of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, he has consistently written about and implemented reforms to improve lawyer training and licensing.
Council Chair Daniel Thies emphasized that Yellen’s “wisdom and insight” will be vital in ensuring the accreditation system operates more efficiently in service of the public.
Yellen’s major area of academic expertise is criminal law, particularly sentencing and juvenile justice. He has written widely about the federal sentencing guidelines, testified before the United States Sentencing Commission, advised President Clinton's transition team on white collar crime enforcement, and argued a federal sentencing case before the United States Supreme Court.
