A New Law School for Dallas and North Texas.
A plan for providing affordable and accessible public legal education to an underserved population in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and partnering with Dallas to revitalize the historic Main Street area.

Proposed timeline

  • Spring 2009: Tuition Revenue Bonds Facility financing approved in conjunction with city commitment
  • Spring 2009: Recruit founding dean
  • Summer 2009: Initiate feasibility study with the T.H.E.C.B.
  • Fall 2009: Begin building renovation, Complete ABA accreditation planning
  • Fall 2009/Spring 2010: Recruit faculty for fall 2010 entering class
  • Spring 2010: Enroll first students for fall 2010
  • Fall 2010: Complete renovation of the Universities Center at Dallas
  • Fall 2010: Complete installation of furniture and equipment
  • Fall 2010: Begin classes at UNT College of Law

Why is a law school needed in
downtown Dallas?

  • North Texas (north of Austin and east of Lubbock) has no public law school.
  • Dallas/Fort Worth is the largest metropolitan area in the country without a public law school.
  • Average Texas private law school tuition is $19,000 and average Texas public law school tuition is $6,600. Full time tuition for the SMU Dedman School of Law is more than $31,000.
  • Dallas/Fort Worth has more people than Houston but about one-half the law school class positions available.
  • Heavy applications for admission to the fine SMU Dedman School of Law (600 for 95 night positions and 3,000 for 180 day positions) demonstrate the need for more law school opportunities.
  • Applications for the SMU Dedman School of Law have climbed to 3,000 in 2006 from 1,582 in 2001 and 2,300 in 2002.
  • The opportunities for students to attend law school in the Dallas area have been declining with an increase population.
  • If affordable legal education is a facet of access to justice, a public law school in Dallas will dramatically increase the access to justice.
  • You cannot have a truly free society if a significant part of the population does not have access to justice.
  • The recent recommendations of the Dallas Bar Task Force on diversity would be better realized if we had a public law school in downtown Dallas.
  • Increasing the opportunities for Dallas residents to obtain an affordable legal education wil also increase the chances that talented graduates will remain in Dallas to work and live. The only choices now for many are to move away from home or assume higher personal loan debt.
  • The old City Hall building at Main and Harwood would provide a distinguished and historically significant home for the proposed new UNT Collge of Law.
  • Creation of the UNT College of Law at the old City Hall building will enhance the easter part of downtown Dallas.
  • It is impossible now for judges to find enough minority lawyers to appoint as guardians ad litem, mediators and receivers to reflect the diversity of the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Get involved!

To find out about how you and/or your firm can support the public UNT College of Law, contact:

Jay Patterson, Co-Chair of the Founders Board
Proposed UNT College of Law
9854 Estate Lane
Dallas, Texas 75238-1963
(214) 533-6433
(214) 343-8303 fax
jayjanp@earthlink.net