It will be easier for the American Bar Association to waive its distance education limits in the fall, should classes remain online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar on May 15 approved a rule change that expands its ability to suspend specific accreditation standards in times of emergency. The change is not final—it still requires approval by the ABA’s House of Delegates—but the proposal has been fast-tracked and could be formally adopted when the House of Delegates convenes virtually in August.