Type Public Dean Andrew Morriss Elevation 207 m Founded 1989 Academic staff 39 | Established 1989 Website law.tamu.edu Phone +1 817-212-4000 Number of students 735 Parent organization Texas A&M University | |
Location Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. Address 1515 Commerce St, Fort Worth, TX 76102, USA Notable alumni Nicole Collier, Craig Watkins, Phil King Similar Texas A&M University, Texas Wesleyan University, South Texas College o, Baylor Law School, Texas Tech University School of Profiles | ||
Texas A&M University School of Law (previously Texas Wesleyan University School of Law) is a public, ABA-accredited law school located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The law school is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and offers the juris doctor degree through its full-time, part-time, and evening programs.
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Founded in 1989, the law school began as the DFW School of Law in Irving, Texas, then became the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1992. Texas A&M University acquired the law school in 2013.
On June 26, 2012, Texas Wesleyan University and Texas A&M University reached an agreement whereby the university would take over ownership and operational control of the School, to be renamed the Texas A&M University School of Law. The agreement was finalized on August 12, 2013, with Texas A&M purchasing the school and all its physical and licensing assets for $73 million.
Academics
The school confers the Juris Doctor degree upon students who satisfactorily complete a 90-hour course of study, rigorous writing requirement, and a 30-hour pro bono requirement. For July 2015, the school had a Texas Bar Exam pass rate of 73.96%, placing it sixth in the state of Texas behind University of Texas School of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, Baylor Law School, and the University of Houston Law Center. In 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office approved a clinic at the law school after the school had shown a strong intellectual property program. The school has expanded that program, doubling that faculty in 2015.
Programs
The Texas A&M Law Fellowship awards fellowships to deserving students who work in public interest organizations, made possible in part by the Tarrant County Bar Association and the Tarrant County Young Lawyers. The program pairs students with practicing attorneys and provides practical experience in both trial and appellate courts. It is student run.
The law clinic at the law school focuses on family law, children’s issues, social security, and SSI disability. Additionally, the law clinic collaborates with the charities SafeHaven and the Lena Pope Home. Students who are accepted into the clinic are supervised by practicing attorneys and a faculty supervisor.
Ranking
As of Spring 2017, Texas A&M University is ranked 92 out of 204 ABA accredited law schools, in the US News Rankings of Best Law Schools. The school was ranked 31 (of 61) for the school's part-time program.
Employment
According to Texas A&M's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 43.75% of the Class of 2013 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation. Texas A&M's Law School Transparency under-employment score is 24.1%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2014 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.
Controversy
In 2014, Texas A&M Provost Karen Watson invited the alumni to a meeting where she explained that A&M would not issue updated diplomas its alumni and has disbanded the alumni association. The alumni responded with a petition to the school asking it to "do the right thing," but received no response. In August 2015, the alumni filed a class action suit against Texas A&M University to resolve their alumni status. The issue is that A&M has caused problems for the alumni by refusing to provide full alumni status. As an example, it has become difficult to "apply for jobs or take bar exams" because they require that you select your ABA accredited Law school and the new name has replaced the old name in the government and ABA records The lawsuit is in the federal court of the Northern District of Texas.
Costs
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Texas A&M for the 2014-2015 academic year is $54,920.
Publications
Notable alumni
Tim Ford, Former District Attorney for Palo Pinto County, Texas. First graduate of the school of law to be elected to office.