The American Bar Association (ABA) has denied the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) John J. Duncan Jr. School of Law’s (LMU-DSOL) application for provisional approval, officials announced Thursday.

The decision came following LMU-DSOL’s appeal of the December 2011 denial of its initial application for provisional approval. The appeal resulted in a remand of the initial application to the ABA’s Council on Legal Education.

“LMU is committed to providing the highest quality legal education to our students,” LMU Chairman O.V. “Pete” DeBusk said. “The trustees and administration of Lincoln Memorial University founded the Duncan School of Law to continue the mission of service to Appalachia. The ABA’s decision does not change our mission. LMU will remain steadfast in its pursuit of academic excellence in all disciplines of study.”

The Doctor of Jurisprudence program at LMU-DSOL has approval from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In March, the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE) reviewed the program with an on-site visit. The result of that visit was an extension, through 2017, to achieve ABA provisional accreditation.

“I am deeply disappointed with the ABA’s decision,” said Vice President and Dean Sydney A. Beckman. “As the founding administration, our goal has always been to provide a high-quality, student-centered education for our students. In doing so, we believe we have met or exceeded every applicable standard for accreditation set forth by the ABA. We look forward to working with the ABA to address any concerns that they have and move forward with whatever steps are necessary to achieve our goals.”

LMU-DSOL remains committed to obtaining ABA approval and will take all necessary actions to achieve its goal.

LMU-DSOL has approximately 160 enrolled full- and part-time students and 16 faculty members. The inaugural class is slated to graduate in 2013. Regardless of the ABA status, all graduates of LMU-DSOL may apply to sit for the bar exam in the state of Tennessee.