AALS has launched a series that will highlight a different member school and focus on a recent program or accomplishment in order to showcase the rich variety of approaches to legal education that makes up the American legal academy. A list of past highlights is available below.

Member School Highlight – Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law

Location: Dallas, Texas
Founded: 1925
Joined AALS: 1929
Dean: Jason P. Nance

The first law school in the city of Dallas was founded at Southern Methodist University in 1925. Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law is a private legal institution that features distinctive programs that benefit our students and the communities they will serve. High-impact initiatives include:

Cutting-edge curriculum and programs, most notably in the areas of corporate law, commercial law, health law, energy law, tax law, intellectual property, criminal law, and international law, among others.
Ten pro bono legal clinics, including the second oldest in the country, provide legal assistance to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Clinical training also gives students practical, real-world legal experience and helps them develop a public-service mindset.
Externship programs in fields like corporate counsel, criminal law in small and rural communities, judiciary systems, and government and public interest, among others.
Inns of Court is an interdisciplinary group that helps first-year law students build community, develop networking skills, and receive vital insights from alumni, mentors, and faculty members.
Four law journals, featuring over 150 student-published articles each year.

By providing a cutting-edge legal education, SMU Dedman School of Law trains its students to become successful lawyers, business leaders, policy experts, and legal counselors in fields ranging from corporate, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, and blockchain technology law to public service, criminal, and child advocacy law. SMU Dedman Law continues to raise the bar for what a successful legal education looks like.

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law celebrates a century of educating lawyers, leaders, and changemakers.

SMU Dedman School of Law is kicking off a yearlong celebration honoring its 100th year of legal education. For 100 years, SMU Dedman School of Law has been a leader in legal education, preparing its alumni to excel in law, business, government, and beyond. Now, Dedman Law is a leading center of legal thought, instruction, and hands-on educational experiences. From its founding in 1925, Dedman Law has built a reputation for academic rigor, innovative programs, and a commitment to public service. Since 1996, all J.D. students at SMU Dedman School of Law must complete a minimum of 30 hours of law-related public service before graduation to establish a lifelong commitment to public service.

The first graduating class of 10 men and one woman in 1928 has grown into an alumni network nearly 17,000 strong, consisting of federal, state, and international jurists; legendary litigators; founders of celebrated law firms; corporate CEOs; and leaders across a range of legal and business disciplines. The SMU Dedman School of Law faculty comprises some of the top legal scholars, and their work helps bridge the gap between legal practice and theory by examining and challenging real-world legal issues as our society evolves.

“Thanks in large part to the support of so many alumni and supporters, we have evolved from our modest roots into a school with some of the brightest students in the nation and a faculty made up of the top legal minds in their fields. And we are poised for even greater things to come,” said Jason P. Nance, Judge James Noel Dean and Professor of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law.