Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law is a prestigious law school located in Dallas, Texas. The school was established in 1925 and offers a full range of legal education, including traditional JD programs, LLM and Master’s degrees, joint degrees in business and law, international law programs, and specialized certificate programs. The school is highly ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Schools” list and boasts an impressive faculty composed of distinguished scholars and practitioners from across the legal profession. The curriculum focuses on developing strong analytical skills, critical thinking abilities, practical experience, and ethical judgment needed to succeed in the modern legal environment. Dedman School of Law also offers students a wide variety of opportunities to participate in clinics, externships, moot court competitions, pro bono activities, student organizations and publications.
This page focuses on national rankings, acceptance rates, program costs, and merit-based scholarships of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, an accredited law program in the United States. Should you be interested in official name and common abbreviation of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, please follow this link: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/smu_southern-methodist-university.html
Motto: Veritas Liberabit Vos · The Truth Shall Set You Free
Parent school: Southern Methodist University
Established: 1925
School type: Private
Endowment: $1.633 billion (parent institution for FY 2019)
Dean: Jennifer M. Collins
Location: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Enrollment: 900
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Ranking: Southern Methodist University (Dedman)
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law is consistently ranked among the top Tier 1 law schools in the United States. The most recent rankings from U.S. News & World Report place the school at number 65 in its list of the top law schools in the nation, placing it firmly within the top 20 percent of all law schools in America. The school is also highly rated for its clinical programs, which focus on providing students with practical experience and prepare them to become successful lawyers after graduation. In addition, Dedman has earned recognition for its Intellectual Property Law program, which was named one of the top five IP programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The school is also well-known for its faculty members, who are made up of award-winning professors and distinguished scholars from across the globe. This impressive faculty provides students with an unparalleled learning experience and helps them become well-rounded legal professionals ready to tackle any challenge they may face upon graduation.
| Top Law Schools of 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Score | 54 |
| Peer assessment score (5.0 highest) | 2.7 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (5.0 highest) | 3.2 |
| 25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students | 3.29-3.85 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students | 154-165 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 29.1% |
| Student/faculty ratio | 15.0 |
| Graduates employed at graduation | 81.4% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 98.1% |
| School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 92.6% |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | TX |
| Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 84.0% |
Tuition & Scholarships: Southern Methodist University (Dedman)
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law offers competitive tuition rates and a variety of scholarships to help students finance their legal education. Tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year is $55,890 for full-time students and $3,929 per credit hour for part-time students. The school also offers a variety of scholarship options such as merit scholarships, need-based grants, public interest fellowships, and loans. Merit scholarships are awarded to incoming law students based on their academic performance in college or graduate school. Need-based grants are available to those who demonstrate financial need. Public interest fellowships are designed to assist those who plan to pursue careers in public service or public interest law after graduation. Additionally, the school offers loan options through federal loan programs and private lenders. Students can also take advantage of the SMU Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program which helps graduates with their loan repayment obligations by providing partial loan forgiveness over five years.
| Financial Aid Office Information | |
|---|---|
| Financial aid application deadline | 04/01 |
| Financial aid director | Marc Peterson |
| Financial aid telephone | (214) 768-4119 |
| 2019-2020 Expenses | |
| Tuition | Full-time: $36,546 per year, part-time: $27,410 per year |
| Room and board | $14,400 |
| Books | $1,900 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $2,700 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | Yes |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? | No |
| Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? | Yes |
| Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? | No |
| 2019 Grants | |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 54.6% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 41.3% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 23.5% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 0.2% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of full tuition | 2.1% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of full tuition | 0.0% |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 3.4% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 0.0% |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $10,000 |
| Median grant amount of aid per full-time recipient (50th percentile) | $15,000 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $18,000 |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | $2,500 |
| Median grant amount of aid per part-time recipient (50th percentile) | $3,000 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | $4,125 |
| Indebtedness | |
| Average indebtedness of 2019 graduates who incurred law school debt | $80,413 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 63.6% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2019 J.D. graduates? | No |
