Our School

The University

Texas Tech University is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established in 1923, the university enrolls over 28,000 students. Texas Tech is the only Texas school to house an undergraduate institution, law school, and medical school on the same campus. The university offers degrees in more than 150 courses of study through 13 colleges and hosts 60 research centers and institutes. Texas Tech is on track to be a Tier One Research University. The International Cultural Center and the university provide a variety of rich cultural activities. Its Red Raider sports teams are members of the Big XII Conference and compete in 15 varsity sports.

The School of Law enjoys a good relationship with University administrators. The central administration has provided matching funds for our $13.6 million professional development center. In addition, two of nine university regents are graduates of the law school.

The School of Law

Established in 1967, the School of Law is now home to approximately 670 law students and over 35 full-time faculty members. We have had only five deans since the school opened 42 years ago and only two in the last 20 years. We are known for our rigorous curriculum, a collegial faculty, and preparing our graduates for the practice of law. We continually strive for excellence, and were ranked by National Jurist Magazine as being the nineteenth Best Value Law School in the United States. Last year we received the inaugural Law School Commitment to Service Award from the Texas Access to Justice Commission.

Students   Each entering class has approximately 230 students. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds with 25% of the students self-identifying as racial minorities. The entering students typically have graduated from approximately 100 undergraduate institutions, and with an average age at enrollment of 25, many students join us several years after completing their undergraduate education. Our students are members of over 40 student organizations and four active law journals.

Faculty   The School of Law has over 35 full-time and 15 adjunct faculty members, all of whom come from diverse legal and professional backgrounds. These professors pride themselves on their accessibility and availability, and they welcome the school’s open door policy. In the past few years, faculty members have published many well-received books and articles in the top 50 law reviews and other prestigious publications. The faculty is also involved in extensive professional leadership at both the local and national levels. Faculty members have served as Lubbock Bar presidents, ABA and AALS committee members, and ALI members.

Advocacy Programs   Known for graduating law students fully prepared for the practice of law, the School of Law has excelled in national and international advocacy competitions. In our short history, we have won 16 national and international championships. Recent notable successes include authoring the Best Brief at the 2009 ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, winning the 2008 State Moot Court Championship, and winning the 2008 ABA National Arbitration Competition. Each year, over 25 teams compete in a variety of interschool advocacy competitions throughout the country. In 2008, we created a new position at the school, Director of Advocacy, to oversee the schools advocacy program on a full-time basis.

Interdisciplinary & Clinical Programs   The school has three Centers of Excellence dedicated to offering interdisciplinary collaboration and consultation in the following areas: Biodefense, Law, & Public Policy; Military Law & Policy; and Water Law & Policy. In addition, we offer ten Dual Degree Programs, including a new JD/MD program with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center's Medical School. We also operate seven clinical programs: Civil Practice, Criminal Prosecution, Criminal Defense, Innocence Project, Health Care and BioEthics Mediation, Tax, and Advanced Dispute Resolution. To learn more about our interdisciplinary and clinical programs, click here.

Growing International Presence   The School of Law offers a Summer Law Institute, an ABA-approved summer program, together with two other partners (University of New Mexico and Southwestern University School of Law). The program takes place in Guanajuato, Mexico, and is now in its 20th year of operation. In addition, we have semester abroad programs in Spain, France, and Australia. Over 10% of our students study abroad at some point during their law school career. The school also regularly hosts international research scholars in residence. In recent years, we have hosted scholars from China, South Korea, and Spain. Click here for more information about our international presence.

Alumni Support & Development   The School of Law has an alumni base of approximately 7,000 graduates. Under Dean Walter Huffman’s leadership, we have received major financial support from our alumni, including a $6 million gift to build a state-of-the-art courtroom. Matching funds from the university thus led to the $13.6 million Mark & Becky Lanier Professional Development Center. This 34,000 square foot addition includes the 130-seat Donald Hunt courtroom, a 300-seat auditorium/classroom, a practice courtroom, and several seminar rooms. Alumni support also led to the creation in 2007 of the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Distinguished Lecture Series—a series that hosted two United State Supreme Court Justices in its first two years. Our benefactors have also supported the addition of two new research professorships in the past year.

Law Library   The Law Library is a spacious facility that offers study areas, group study rooms, computer labs, and a lounge for leisurely reading and research. The Library contains more than 200 study rooms that provide small office-like settings for students to study and conduct research. The Library prides itself on offering superior service to faculty, staff, and students of the School of Law as well as the University community, legal profession, and general public. For more information about the vast Library and Technology services and holdings, please click here.

For more information about the school, please visit the links below. To learn more about the Lubbock community, please visit the Our Community page.

View the School of Law Website

View the School of Law Catalog [PDF]

View the School of Law Strategic Plan