Office of Communications

Contact: Laura Hanna

Director of Communications

Office: (817) 531-5810

lhanna@txwes.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2009.  Originally founded as the Dallas/Fort Worth School of Law located in Irving, Texas, the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law has provided excellence in legal education to traditional and non-traditional students since 1989.  Since its move to downtown Fort Worth in 1997, the Law School, located minutes away from the judicial and legal communities, affords students the opportunity to enhance and expand their careers by networking with lawyers and judges and by gaining practical work experience from some of the nation’s most prestigious law firms.

“The support of our community has been tremendous,” said Fredric White, dean of the Law School. “We are extremely proud of our downtown location and our Fort Worth roots, and thankful for the generosity of local firms, companies, organizations, and individuals who have contributed to the successes of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.”

Dean White added by saying, “In celebrating our twentieth year as a legal institution in North Texas, we are proud of the traditions we have created and we stand wholeheartedly behind our mission to educate a future generation of lawyers who are committed to serving the legal profession and the greater community.”

Named one of the nation’s most outstanding law schools in the 2009 edition of the Best 174 Law Schools by the Princeton Review, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law received more than 1970 applications for only 240 seats for the 2009-10 academic year.  

In addition, Texas Wesleyan School of Law will host the 2010 National Conference of Law Reviews (NCLR) March 17-20, 2010 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown. 

Tradition

The Law School is one of only 31 ABA-accredited law schools across the country to require students to complete 30 hours of legal-related pro bono work through the Equal Justice Program. To date, 1,256 students have completed more than 64,000 hours of pro bono legal service, which is an average contribution of 51 hours per student. Conservatively valued at $25 an hour, the hours equate to more than $1.6 million in pro bono legal services contributed to the D/FW community.

Experience

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law’s distinguished faculty and staff includes nationally recognized scholars who are committed to excellence in teaching and whose rich and varied professional experiences provide an excellent educational experience. With more than 40 faculty members, experienced professors range from Fulbright Scholar Grant recipients to the president of the State Bar of Texas.

Success

The Law School has graduated more than 2,800 graduates in its 20-year history. Contributing to the growing success of the program, the Law School remains committed to keeping pace with the ever-changing and ever-vital legal profession to offer more opportunities for law students to excel in their careers. Many students enter the program with diverse backgrounds in business, education, finance and real estate and go on to be legal professionals shaping the local community. Prominent alumni include district attorneys, state representatives and judges. 

“Our program offers flexibility to those seeking a legal education through either a traditional or a non-traditional program which has yielded much success for our student body,” said Dean White. “The impact of the diverse course offerings and student organizations of the school has resulted in alumni over the last 20 years impacting the legal community as public servants, elected officials and working professionals.”

Community

The Law School offers over 30 different student organizations and many experiential programs providing students hands-on experience. Notable community based programs include The Wesleyan Innocence Project (WIP), a nationally recognized program that works in collaboration with attorneys and other Innocence Projects to investigate Texas inmates’ post-conviction claims of “actual innocence.”

The newly created Center for Law and Intellectual Property (CLIP) focuses on advanced property, IP and art law. The innovative program offers students the opportunity to gain real-life experience by working with community organizations such as the Amon Carter Museum, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and TECH Fort Worth along side of scholars, practitioners and local community members.

About Texas Wesleyan University School of Law

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law was founded upon the mission to provide excellence in legal education, emphasizing service to the diverse student body, the profession and the community. The Law School continues to pursue excellence through outstanding teaching and scholarship, the development of innovative academic programs, and a commitment to public service and community outreach initiatives. At present, there are more than 870 students, representing more than 93 colleges and universities across the country. With an overall minority enrollment of approximately 20 percent, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law is committed to providing students from all educational, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds with opportunities to pursue their professional goals.

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