Texas A&M University School of Law

Texas A&M University School of Law
Name	Texas A&M University School of Law
Established	1989 (as Texas Wesleyan University School of Law); 2013 (acquired by Texas A&M University)
Type	Public law school
Parent	Texas A&M University
City	Fort Worth
State	Texas
Country	United States
Students	ca. 750
Faculty	ca. 60
Bar pass rate	variable

Texas A&M University School of Law Texas A&M University School of Law is a public law school located in Fort Worth, Texas, affiliated with Texas A&M University. The school offers Juris Doctor and advanced legal degrees and participates in clinical training, externships, and scholarship programs that link to statewide legal practice and legislative activity in Austin and Washington, D.C. Its curriculum emphasizes transactional law, regulatory practice, and public service with connections to firms, courts, and agencies across Texas and nationally.

History

The institution originated as Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1989 and later underwent acquisition by Texas A&M University in 2013, a move involving approval by the Association of American Law Schools and accreditation processes with the American Bar Association. Its development intersected with regional legal institutions including the Tarrant County Courthouse, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden neighborhood, and legal practice communities near Dallas and Austin. Key transitional events involved leadership from figures associated with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board decisions and coordination with legal educators from Baylor University and University of Houston Law Center. The school's growth reflects broader shifts in legal education linked to legislative changes in Texas and national trends following actions by the United States Department of Education.

Campus and Facilities

The campus occupies a downtown Fort Worth location adjacent to landmarks such as the Fort Worth Convention Center and Trinity River. Facilities include courtrooms and simulated trial spaces designed for moot court competitions akin to events at American Bar Association-sponsored tournaments and regional rounds of the National Moot Court Competition. The library holdings support comparative research involving collections relevant to cases heard in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and trial dockets at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The building hosts centers that collaborate with external partners like the Texas Bar Foundation and local law firms with ties to the Dallas County Courthouse legal market.

Academics and Programs

Academic offerings center on the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and specialized certificates that prepare graduates for practice before tribunals such as the Supreme Court of the United States and state courts. The curriculum includes coursework in areas frequently litigated in Texas—energy matters related to the Permian Basin, oil and gas disputes associated with ExxonMobil, healthcare regulation linked to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and intellectual property controversies involving entities like Dell Technologies and Texas Instruments. Comparative law and international practice draw connections to courts in Mexico and trade institutions like the World Trade Organization. Faculty scholars publish on statutory interpretation influenced by precedents from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and doctrinal shifts stemming from decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Admissions and Student Body

Admissions practices consider applicants' performance on the Law School Admission Test, undergraduate records from institutions such as The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, and professional experience in legal settings including clerkships with judges from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and externships at offices like the Texas Attorney General and the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas. The student body includes individuals who have participated in internships with firms associated with the American Bar Association and nonprofit placements connected to organizations such as the ACLU and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.

Rankings and Reputation

Rankings from national outlets and evaluations reference bar passage statistics in comparison to peer institutions like University of Texas School of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law, and Baylor Law School. The school's reputation is informed by alumni placements into federal clerkships at courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and practice at large firms with offices in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C.. Publicized metrics also reflect responses to accreditation reviews by the American Bar Association and scholarly output cited in journals such as the Texas Law Review and the Yale Law Journal.

Clinical Programs and Centers

Clinical offerings and centers partner with regional and national institutions: clinics placing students in public defense roles analogous to work before the Tarrant County Criminal Courts, transactional clinics engaging with small businesses similar to Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce members, and policy centers that analyze legislation considered by the Texas Legislature. The school houses institutes and centers that collaborate on energy law, regulatory policy, and veterans' legal services with organizations like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Advocacy Project.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni serve in roles across judiciary and government, including state judicial benches such as the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and federal positions within the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, and in private practice at firms with presence in Dallas and Houston. Faculty have included scholars with prior appointments at Columbia Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and University of Chicago Law School, and practitioners who have argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The school's community includes leaders who engaged with civic institutions like the Fort Worth Independent School District and statewide initiatives tied to the Texas Bar Association.

Category:Law schools in Texas