US Department of Justice files statement of interest in LMU lawsuit

On December 15, 2025, the US Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the lawsuit Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) filed against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) challenging its accreditation standards and procedures. The Department of Justice said in its press release that professional accreditation societies, such as the AVMA, cannot “erect anticompetitive hurdles” that reduce competition by restricting the number of veterinary providers entering the profession.

“Pets and animals give us so much in life and form the backbone of American food security, but their healthcare needs can add up over time,” said Dina Kallay, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

“The Justice Department is committed to supporting pet owners, livestock farmers, and aspiring veterinarians by ensuring that accreditation standards and procedures do not unnecessarily restrict competition in veterinary education and services. Free markets succeed when there is robust competition unhindered by unnecessary restrictions. Veterinary services are no exception to this rule.”

According to the release, the Department of Justice is taking no position on the plaintiff’s claims. Its statement of interest claims that when accreditation standards are created and assessing conformance with them, any professional association must comply with antitrust laws.¹ Accreditors tend to be made up of interested market participants who develop standards behind closed doors and then later one, face inherent conflict of interest when regulating admission into a profession.1 Because of this, their professional and occupational restrictions can unnecessarily stop market entry, stymie innovation, increase costs, and at the core of it, harm American citizens and in this case, their pets.

To protect people from anticompetitive practices, the antitrust laws emphasize the importance of procedural safeguards when it comes to creating standards and have long scrutinized self-regulation by trade associations and professionals. In this case of LMU vs AVMA, accreditation practices are not exempt from antitrust laws because each state requires veterinarians to graduate from accredited schools, and under federal law, the AVMA has been recognized as an accreditor.

For clients and livestock farmers, the rising costs of veterinary care is threatening their ability to afford the care the animals they care for need. According to the Department of Justice, the US has only had around 34 accredited veterinary colleges for the last few decades, all accredited solely by the AVMA.

The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice routinely files amicus briefs and statements of interest in federal court to help protect competition and consumers. These filings, which also encourage development of antitrust law, are available on the Antitrust Division’s website.

LMU verus AVMA

On June 18, 2025, Lincoln Memorial University announced that it filed a lawsuit against the AVMA for allegedly hindering competition in educating future veterinary professionals, which then hurts patients in need of veterinary care. The university stated in its release that it is suing to challenge its anticompetitive accreditation practices that "illegally restrict the number of accredited schools of veterinary medicine," the output of students, and the number of veterinarians in the United States.²

"These insurmountable barriers to entry for new veterinary schools limit the number of available veterinary schools, which limits the number of graduates, which limits the veterinary options for pet owners in America," said Jason McConnell, DBA, LMU president, in the organizational release.³ "This is the essence of an antitrust violation. One economically interested group controlling the market to the detriment of consumers."

Within the lawsuit, LMU also claims that the AVMA is using its monopoly power to restrict new and existing schools from obtaining accreditation through the AVMA’s Council on Education by imposing requirements the university says are unnecessary to graduate competent veterinarians. LMU alleges these requirements include mandates for research resources, facilities, and faculty that may not be financially feasible for some schools or essential to the practice of veterinary medicine.

Reference

1. Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust Scrutiny. News release. United States Department of Justice. December 15, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reaffirms-veterinary-accreditation-standards-and-procedures-are-subject
2. McCafferty C. Lincoln Memorial University sues American Veterinary Medical Association. June 18, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/lincoln-memorial-university-sues-american-veterinary-medical-association
3. Largest U.S. veterinary school takes legal action to protect consumers and their pets. News release. Lincoln Memorial University. June 18, 2025, Accessed June 18, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/largest-us-veterinary-school-takes-legal-action-to-protect-consumers-and-their-pets-302484550.html