Southern Methodist University Law School

Southern Methodist University Law School
Name	Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Established	1925
Type	Private
Parent	Southern Methodist University
City	Dallas
State	Texas
Country	United States
Dean	Will O. Carter
Students	530 (approx.)
Faculty	70 (approx.)
Website	dedmanlaw.smu.edu

Southern Methodist University Law School is a private law school located in Dallas, Texas, affiliated with Southern Methodist University. It offers Juris Doctor and specialized graduate degrees and hosts programs linked to regional and national legal institutions such as the Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association, and Federal Judicial Center. The school engages with legal practitioners, judges, legislators, and scholars connected to institutions including the United States Supreme Court, United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Texas Supreme Court.

History

Founded in 1925, the school developed amid interactions with prominent Texas figures like Pat Neff and legal practitioners tied to firms such as Baker Botts and Vinson & Elkins. During the mid-20th century it intersected with events involving the Civil Rights Movement, jurists from the Fifth Circuit and litigators who argued before the United States Supreme Court. Faculty appointments and visiting scholars have included alumni and professors with ties to institutions like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Chicago Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, New York University School of Law, and University of Pennsylvania Law School. The law school’s evolution paralleled legal developments involving treaties and statutes adjudicated in forums such as the International Court of Justice, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and deliberations at the United Nations.

Campus and Facilities

The law school's campus in the University Park, Texas area of Dallas County, Texas sits near landmarks such as the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Arts District, and the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Facilities include moot courtrooms modeled after chambers used by judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, a law library with collections referencing decisions from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas and archival materials relating to figures like Lyndon B. Johnson, Sam Rayburn, and litigators who practiced before the Supreme Court of Texas. The campus hosts lectures and symposia featuring representatives from organizations such as the American Bar Foundation, Federal Communications Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Internal Revenue Service, and nonprofit advocates like the ACLU and Human Rights Watch.

Academics and Programs

The school provides a Juris Doctor program with concentrations and externships tied to courts including the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas and agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Environmental Protection Agency. Graduate offerings include Master of Laws tracks engaging with subjects found in cases from the Fifth Circuit, regulatory frameworks developed by the Federal Trade Commission, and international law taught with reference to decisions from the International Criminal Court. Faculty research and courses often cite precedent from the Supreme Court of the United States, influential opinions like Brown v. Board of Education, and statutory developments such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Securities Act of 1933, and the Violence Against Women Act. The curriculum includes transactional clinics and partnerships with corporations headquartered in the region such as ExxonMobil, AT&T, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, and Neiman Marcus.

Admissions and Rankings

Admission criteria consider LSAT or GRE scores and undergraduate records from institutions including Princeton University, Rice University, University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Southern Methodist University, Duke University, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, and Vanderbilt University. Rankings by outlets that evaluate law schools reference metrics tied to research funding and employment placements in markets like Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, Austin, Texas, San Antonio, and connections to firms such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Latham & Watkins, Jones Day, Kirkland & Ellis, and regional boutiques. Graduates pursue clerkships with judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and state appellate courts including the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations include chapters of national groups such as the Federalist Society, American Constitution Society, Phi Alpha Delta, American Bar Association Law Student Division, and advocacy groups that partner with local nonprofits like Texas Legal Services Center and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Competitive teams participate in moot court competitions named after cases and figures like Cyrus Vance, John Marshall, and regional invitational tournaments hosted with schools including University of Texas School of Law, SMUNote: Do not link SMU variants, Southern Methodist University affiliates, Baylor Law School, Texas Tech University School of Law, Vanderbilt Law School, and University of Oklahoma College of Law. Student life connects with campus entities such as Perkins School of Theology lectures, arts events at the Meadows Museum, and public policy forums involving legislators from the Texas Legislature.

Clinics and Centers

The law school operates clinical programs and centers collaborating with judicial, governmental, and nonprofit partners including the Civil Rights Division (DOJ), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, and think tanks such as the Cato Institute and Brookings Institution. Centers focus on areas reflected in litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States and international forums like the International Court of Justice, while providing experiential learning through partnerships with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, Public Defender Service, Ad Litem Program, and corporate counsel from Texas Instruments and AT&T.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty include judges and practitioners who have served on tribunals such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the Texas Supreme Court, as well as public officials who worked with presidents like George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan. Graduates have led firms including O'Melveny & Myers, Sidley Austin, Holland & Knight, Greenberg Traurig, and held executive roles at corporations like American Airlines, Neiman Marcus Group, and Texas Instruments. Faculty have been drawn from institutions such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Oxford University, Cambridge University, and scholarly associations like the American Law Institute and the Association of American Law Schools.

Category:Law schools in Texas