Overview
The National Law Journal quoted John Kavanagh in an article titled, "DOJ, FTC Signal Heightened Antitrust Scrutiny of Accreditation Bodies." The article discusses how the DOJ and FTC are increasing antitrust scrutiny of accreditation bodies for professional schools for professions such as veterinarians and lawyers, due to concerns about monopolistic practices. It highlights recent actions by both agencies signaling that organizations with exclusive accreditation power must justify their standards to avoid restricting competition and raising consumer costs.
Speaking to The National Law Journal about the case, Kavanagh said that "both the DOJ and FTC letters are grounded in basic antitrust principles. Professional organizations made up of competitors should not be allowed to limit new competitors from the market, which could reduce output and raise costs for consumers."
John goes on to say that the DOJ and FTC actions "put these type of organizations on notice," Kavanagh said. "I think that these organizations have to examine or review why they have certain requirements. And if they're changing them, why are they changing them?"
