The Association of American Law Schools approved the membership of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law on Jan. 5, along with three other law schools, at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. There are now 176 AALS member schools.

“I am proud to announce that the AALS House of Representatives voted favorably on the recommendation of the executive committee to admit Texas Wesleyan University School of Law to full membership,” Dean Frederic White said. “The AALS was founded in 1900 and its purpose is ‘the improvement of the legal profession through legal education.’ Texas Wesleyan Law is honored to become a full partner in an AALS tradition more than a century old.”

The addition of four new law schools was the largest AALS yearly increase since the 1970s. In a National Law Journal article, AALS Executive Director Susan Westerberg Prager said, “This is a very special year, as far as membership. Each one of these schools brings its own personality to our membership.”

Texas Wesleyan University President Fred Slabach, who is also a former dean at the law school, noted, “Membership in AALS is a very prestigious milestone for Texas Wesleyan’s law school. It is an external validation of the excellence of our faculty and our students. We are proud of this recognition.”