We are a global law school community of distinguished alumni residing throughout the United States and in more than 75 countries.
Our faculty is well-recognized for its outstanding teaching and scholarly leadership in such areas as dispute resolution (including litigation), international and comparative law, intellectual property, corporate, commercial and tax law. We offer a rich curriculum of over 165 upper class courses in subjects such as oil and gas, health and environmental law. Over one-half of our upper class courses have fewer than 25 students; three-fourths have fewer than 50 students. The first year class is divided into three sections (two full-time and one part-time evening) of approximately 90 students each, with small legal writing sections of approximately 25 students each. We emphasize the vital skill of legal writing through our six-hour legal research, writing and advocacy course and an elective three-hour edited writing seminar.
The law quadrangle provides an idyllic setting for learning. The Underwood Law Library houses the largest private law collection in the Southwest. The Godwin Gruber Lawyers Inn offers students an elegant backdrop for study breaks and meals. A secure wireless network is available in all law school buildings. Most importantly, our small size fosters a scholarly community that features interaction with faculty, attention to your personal needs, and lifelong friendships. We have an active student government, five respected law journals, six specialized legal clinics and two related projects, numerous moot court and mock trial competitions, and one of the finest Career Services Offices in the country.
In addition, students participate in the thriving intellectual life of the school. We have been chosen as the national headquarters for the Appellate Judges Educational Institute. In 2006 the Institute brought over 225 appellate judges and attorneys from across the country to SMU, including Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the Chief Justices of Texas and Indiana, and the Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit. Recently, the 35 students in our SMU Oxford program assisted with our Supreme Court Summit in which Justices O’Connor, Ginsburg, and Breyer participated, as did Justices from Europe's highest court, the European Court of Justice. In spring 2007, we were honored to host a group of distinguished Justices from the ECJ on campus.
A thriving community of scholars call Dedman Law home. Our distinguished faculty, coupled with our intelligent and inquisitive student body personify Robert Dedman's words, "Leadership starts with learning."
