The LMU veterinary medicine lawsuit is a federal antitrust case that could change how veterinary schools are accredited across the country. Lincoln Memorial University filed suit against the American Veterinary Medical Association in June 2025, accusing the organization of using its accreditation powers to illegally restrict competition.
This case matters because it sits at the center of a real problem. Veterinary care costs have risen more than 60% since 2014. The supply of new veterinarians hasn’t kept up with demand.
In this article, you’ll find the full case background, 2026 updates including DOJ involvement, the October 2026 accreditation deadline, and what this all means for pet owners, students, and the veterinary profession. The facts here are sourced from court filings, government statements, and veterinary industry reporting.
What Is the LMU Veterinary Medicine Lawsuit?
The LMU veterinary medicine lawsuit is a federal antitrust action filed by Lincoln Memorial University against the American Veterinary Medical Association. LMU, home to one of the nation’s largest veterinary schools, accuses the AVMA of leveraging its accreditation authority to limit competition and restrict the number of practicing veterinarians.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The docket number is Case No. 3:25-cv-00282-TAV-JEM.
LMU is not seeking any monetary damages from this lawsuit, only an injunction to stop the AVMA from continuing to execute its current accreditation standards in an unreasonable and anticompetitive manner.
Think of it this way. Imagine one company controlled who could open a restaurant in every city. That’s essentially what LMU says the AVMA does with vet schools.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Case Filed | June 18, 2025 |
| Court | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee |
| Case Number | 3:25-cv-00282-TAV-JEM |
| Plaintiff | Lincoln Memorial University |
| Defendant | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| Relief Sought | Injunctive (no money damages) |
LMU Veterinary Medicine Lawsuit Update 2026
As of 2026, the case has not been decided and has not yet reached the discovery phase. LMU’s case against the AVMA has not been decided. It hasn’t even reached discovery yet, the point in the trial where the parties present evidence. All we have so far is both parties’ claims rather than evidence.
The biggest development so far came on December 15, 2025. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the lawsuit. That filing made it harder for the AVMA to get the case thrown out.
Meanwhile, the accreditor green-lit plans for a second LMU program to open in Florida. That’s a twist. LMU had alleged the AVMA would block that campus.
- December 2025: DOJ files 18-page statement of interest
- September 2025: AVMA files motion to dismiss
- October 2026: LMU’s accreditation probation correction deadline
- Pending: Court ruling on motion to dismiss
LMU vs AVMA Antitrust Case
This is an antitrust case under the Sherman Act. The university asserts this effort is part of a larger conspiracy “to restrain trade, eliminate competition, reduce output, and raise prices” in both veterinary education and professional veterinary care.
LMU’s complaint names two specific antitrust claims. The first targets Section 1 of the Sherman Act, covering illegal agreements to restrain trade. The second targets monopoly power abuse.
According to the filing, the AVMA’s actions hurt consumers by limiting the supply of veterinarians during a national shortage.
The AVMA has declined to comment publicly on the case. The AVMA, headquartered in Illinois, declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing the ongoing litigation.
| Antitrust Claim | What LMU Alleges |
|---|---|
| Sherman Act Section 1 | Conspiracy to restrain trade in vet education and services |
| Monopoly Power | AVMA uses sole accreditor status to block competitors |
| Consumer Harm | Fewer vets, higher costs, limited access |
Key Takeaway: The LMU lawsuit is an antitrust case seeking injunctive relief only, with the DOJ stepping in as a significant procedural development in late 2025.
LMU Veterinary School Probation
LMU’s veterinary school was placed on probation in October 2024. LMU’s veterinary school was placed on probation in October due to a “major deficiency” in its research program and a “minor deficiency” in admissions.
Under AVMA policy, schools have two years to correct major deficiencies before facing possible termination of accreditation. That puts the correction deadline at October 2026.
The AVMA COE probation doesn’t remove accreditation, only that there’s a deficiency that needs to be corrected in a timely manner. Students at LMU can still graduate with accredited degrees during the probation window.
The specific standard at issue is Standard 10 (Research). LMU claims the research provisions are vague and onerous under what appears to be a new interpretation.
- Probation start: October 2024
- Correction deadline: October 2026
- Primary deficiency: Standard 10 (Research)
- Secondary deficiency: Admissions (minor)
- Accreditation status: Still accredited during probation
What Is the AVMA Council on Education Lawsuit About?
The AVMA Council on Education is the sole recognized accrediting body for veterinary programs in the United States. The only veterinary program accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education is the AVMA’s Council on Education.
LMU’s lawsuit targets the COE directly. The university contends in its complaint that the AVMA uses the COE “to restrict the accreditation of new and existing veterinary schools by demanding that they meet arbitrary, unreasonable, and impossible-to-meet requirements.”
LMU is requesting that the court implement a long-term solution: the complete and total separation of the COE from the AVMA.
That’s a big ask. It would mean creating an entirely new, independent accreditation body for vet schools.
| COE Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Sole U.S. accreditor for vet schools |
| Recognized By | U.S. Department of Education |
| Schools Accredited | 36 in the U.S. |
| LMU’s Request | Full separation from AVMA |
How the LMU Vet School Accreditation Lawsuit Challenges Standards
LMU’s accreditation lawsuit challenges specific standards it calls unfair barriers. The AVMA has started demanding that veterinary schools offer their students research resources, facilities, and faculty that some schools may not be able to afford.
The release states that AVMA knows that these research requirements cannot be met by schools like LMU, which rely almost entirely on tuition for funding.
The lawsuit states that the COE had not taken issue with its research programs before, including when it approved the school’s request to add a second cohort of 100 students in 2022.
That’s the heart of LMU’s unfairness argument. The rules changed, but the school didn’t get a fair chance to adapt.
- Research faculty requirements raised without clear benchmarks
- Facilities and grant access demands imposed on tuition-funded schools
- Standards previously met by LMU are now allegedly interpreted differently
- LMU approved for enrollment expansion in 2022 under old interpretation
Key Takeaway: LMU argues the AVMA raised the research bar after approving its growth, then penalized it for not meeting standards that didn’t exist when it expanded.
AVMA Anticompetitive Practices Alleged in the Lawsuit
LMU’s complaint accuses the AVMA of anticompetitive behavior designed to protect existing veterinarians’ incomes. The suit claims the AVMA has even “openly acknowledged” its intent to restrict output in the education and veterinary services markets to keep prices artificially high.
The university argues that the AVMA’s mission to protect and enhance the economic well-being of its members conflicts with the accreditor’s mission of “ensuring the entry-level competency of graduates.”
That conflict of interest sits at the core of LMU’s theory. When the trade group for practicing vets also controls who gets to become a vet, incentives clash.
AVMA’s Council on Education allegedly sits within the same building as the AVMA, uses AVMA email addresses, and relies heavily on the AVMA for staff, who report to the AVMA.
Not everyone agrees with LMU’s framing. Critics point out that accreditation is designed to maintain quality and protect the public. But the structural overlap is hard to ignore.
LMU Florida Veterinary School Accreditation
LMU planned a second veterinary school campus in Orange Park, Florida, near Jacksonville. Lincoln Memorial’s planned introduction of a second veterinary medicine campus in Orange Park, Florida, is facing impending accreditation denial.
That allegation was a major part of the original lawsuit. But the story took a turn after the case was filed.
The letter indicating that the Florida program is on track to become accredited is an “important milestone,” the program dean, Dr. Kimberly Carney, told the VIN News Service. If all goes as scheduled, it would be the 37th veterinary school in the U.S.
The inaugural class is projected to be 150 students.
| Florida Campus Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Orange Park, FL (near Jacksonville) |
| Planned Class Size | 150 students |
| Status | Received letter of reasonable assurance |
| Potential Impact | Would become 37th U.S. vet school |
The Florida development could cut both ways for LMU’s legal argument. It weakens the claim that the AVMA was blocking the campus, but the antitrust claims remain unresolved.
DOJ Statement on the LMU AVMA Lawsuit
The U.S. Department of Justice weighed in on this case on December 15, 2025. The Department of Justice said that professional accreditation societies, such as the AVMA, cannot “erect anticompetitive hurdles” that reduce competition.
In its 18-page statement in the AVMA case, the DOJ zeroes in on whether the accreditor is exempt from antitrust laws, arguing that it is not.
The DOJ did not take sides on LMU’s factual claims. While the DOJ said it takes no position on LMU’s claims, it highlighted potential concerns about conflict of interest at professional associations that are also accreditors.
Legal experts called the DOJ’s involvement significant. Dr. Lance Roasa, a veterinarian and lawyer, described the DOJ filing as significant, saying “it does place a thumb on the scale.”
- DOJ filed an 18-page statement of interest
- Argued AVMA is not exempt from antitrust scrutiny
- Took no position on LMU’s factual allegations
- Part of a broader pattern of challenging professional accreditation monopolies
Key Takeaway: The DOJ’s filing didn’t declare a winner, but it told the court that the case raises real antitrust questions that deserve a full hearing.
LMU AVMA Motion to Dismiss
The AVMA responded to the lawsuit by filing a motion to dismiss in September 2025. The AVMA responded to the suit in September with a motion to dismiss, saying that LMU’s claims are “not ripe for adjudication” because there has been no harm to the university and may never be.
The AVMA made several arguments to support dismissal.
The AVMA further argued that LMU’s antitrust claims don’t apply because COE standards have been “reviewed” by the U.S. Department of Education.
The AVMA argued that alleged anticompetitive effects are not attributable to AVMA standards and procedures but rather to state laws governing the licensure of veterinarians.
The AVMA says, “Those objections should be addressed, not to this court, but to the USDE.”
| AVMA Defense | Summary |
|---|---|
| Ripeness | No actual harm has occurred yet |
| Immunity | DOE reviewed and approved COE standards |
| State Action | State licensure laws cause the effects, not AVMA |
| Wrong Forum | Complaints belong at the Dept. of Education |
The DOJ’s statement of interest directly challenged several of these defense arguments.
Veterinary School Accreditation and Antitrust Law
Accreditation lawsuits involving professional schools are rare but not without precedent. The legal question here is whether a private trade association’s accreditation decisions are subject to antitrust scrutiny.
When a professional association like the American Veterinary Medical Association promulgates and enforces accreditation criteria, it is not exempt from the antitrust laws merely because states often require practitioners to graduate from an accredited school.
That’s the DOJ’s position. The AVMA disagrees.
LMU has sued an accreditor before. In 2011, during an accreditation push for an LMU law school in Knoxville, the university sued the American Bar Association. The suit alleged the ABA was using accreditation to limit the production of new lawyers. LMU dropped the suit in 2012, and its law school was provisionally accredited in 2014.
That history cuts both ways. It shows LMU is willing to use litigation as a strategy. But the ABA case was dropped, not won.
The case is not the first in which the Trump administration has weighed in on professional school accreditation. The FTC endorsed a proposed rule in Texas that would revoke “monopoly control” by the American Bar Association over bar exam eligibility.
There’s a growing political appetite for challenging accreditation monopolies across all professions.
How the Veterinarian Shortage Connects to This Lawsuit
The veterinarian shortage provides critical context for this case. The veterinary workforce shortage is the single biggest operational issue facing U.S. animal-care employers in 2026.
In 2023, the United States had a veterinarian shortage of 7,400 full-time equivalents in food supply veterinary medicine, according to the USDA.
In 2025, the USDA declared 243 rural veterinary shortage areas in 46 states, which is the highest number of shortage areas ever.
LMU argues that restricting vet school access worsens this shortage. The AVMA’s own commissioned research paints a different picture. “The projections in this analysis do not justify a conclusion of overall excess capacity or capacity shortage by 2030 or 2035,” according to an analysis by Brakke Consulting commissioned by the AVMA.
| Shortage Stat | Source |
|---|---|
| 7,400 FTE shortage (food supply) | USDA, 2023 |
| 243 shortage areas in 46 states | USDA, 2025 |
| 15,000 projected shortage by 2030 | USDA projection |
| $180,000 average student debt | AAVMC, 2024 |
Key Takeaway: Whether the vet shortage is a real crisis or a temporary post-COVID correction depends on who you ask, and the answer could shape how the court views LMU’s claims.
LMU Veterinary Lawsuit Timeline
Here is every major event in this case from start to present.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 2024 | LMU vet school placed on probation by COE |
| June 18, 2025 | LMU files antitrust lawsuit against AVMA |
| September 2025 | AVMA files motion to dismiss |
| September 2025 | COE issues letter of reasonable assurance for Florida campus |
| December 15, 2025 | DOJ files 18-page statement of interest |
| October 2026 | LMU’s deadline to correct accreditation deficiency |
| TBD | Court ruling on motion to dismiss |
| TBD | Discovery phase (if case proceeds) |
On June 18, 2025, Lincoln Memorial University announced that it filed a lawsuit against the AVMA. That set the clock ticking on what could become a years-long legal fight.
LMU-CVM was informed in October of 2024 that it would be placed on probationary accredited status for major deficiency in Standard 10. They were given until October 2026 to correct the deficiency.
The probation deadline and the lawsuit timeline are running on parallel tracks. That creates pressure on both sides.
What Happens Next in the LMU Lawsuit?
The most immediate question is whether the court will grant the AVMA’s motion to dismiss. The DOJ’s Statement of Interest makes it less likely that Judge Varlan will grant AVMA’s motion to dismiss.
If the motion fails, the case proceeds to discovery. Discovery is the phase where both parties must produce evidence supporting their claims. Discovery is expensive, time-consuming, and uncomfortable for everyone involved.
If the case survives the motion to dismiss, expect these next steps:
- Discovery: Both sides exchange documents, emails, internal records
- Depositions: Key witnesses testify under oath
- Summary judgment motions: Each side argues the case should be decided without trial
- Trial: If no summary judgment, a full trial before a judge
A lawsuit of this nature means that LMU, an organization bringing in more than $200M a year in revenue, is spending at least $250,000 to $500,000 if the case settles and potentially $2 to $3M or more in legal fees if the case goes to trial and appeal.
This case won’t be resolved quickly. Federal antitrust cases often take two to four years from filing to final resolution.
How the LMU AVMA Lawsuit Affects Pet Owners
This lawsuit could reshape veterinary education and, by extension, vet care access and pricing. Veterinary care costs have risen more than 60% since 2014.
Pet owners in shortage areas pay 17% more for emergency care due to limited options.
If LMU wins, here’s what could change for pet owners:
- More veterinary schools could open, producing more graduates
- Increased vet supply could slow the rate of price increases
- Rural and underserved areas could get better vet coverage
- Wait times for appointments could decrease
If the AVMA prevails, the current accreditation system stays in place. Standards would remain unchanged. The number of vet schools would grow only at the pace the COE approves.
An estimated 67% of United States households own a pet. That’s nearly 87 million people. Every one of them has a stake in how this plays out.
| Outcome | Effect on Pet Owners |
|---|---|
| LMU Wins | More vet schools, potentially more vets, slower cost increases |
| AVMA Wins | Current system continues, accreditation pace unchanged |
| Settlement | Possible COE reforms without full structural separation |
Key Takeaway: Whether you own a golden retriever or raise cattle, the outcome of this case could affect how much you pay for animal care and how quickly you can get an appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LMU veterinary medicine lawsuit about?
The LMU veterinary medicine lawsuit is a federal antitrust case accusing the AVMA of using its accreditation powers to illegally restrict competition in veterinary education.
LMU wants the court to separate the accrediting body from the trade association.
The case was filed in June 2025 in U.S. District Court in Tennessee.
Is LMU’s veterinary school losing its accreditation?
No. LMU is on probationary accreditation, not facing immediate loss.
The school has until October 2026 to correct deficiencies in its research program.
Students can still graduate with accredited degrees during the probation period.
Did the Department of Justice support LMU’s lawsuit?
The DOJ filed a statement of interest in December 2025, arguing that accreditation practices are subject to antitrust laws.
The DOJ did not take a position on LMU’s specific factual claims.
The filing does make it harder for the AVMA to get the case dismissed.
What does LMU want from this lawsuit?
LMU is seeking only injunctive relief, not money.
The university wants the court to order a complete separation of the COE from the AVMA.
It also wants to stop the AVMA from enforcing what LMU calls arbitrary research standards.
How could the LMU AVMA lawsuit affect vet care costs?
If LMU wins, more vet schools could open, producing more veterinarians and potentially slowing cost increases.
Veterinary care costs have risen more than 60% since 2014.
More competition in veterinary education could eventually translate to more affordable care for pet owners.
This case is far from over. The October 2026 accreditation deadline and the pending motion to dismiss ruling will shape its next chapter.
If you’re a pet owner, a vet student, or someone working in animal care, this lawsuit touches your world. Stay informed as the court moves forward.
Watch for the ruling on the AVMA’s motion to dismiss. That single decision will determine whether this fight heads to discovery or ends early.
