Dedman Law

Advancing tomorrow’s legal leaders

Dedman School of Law

Empowering excellence

Dedman Law empowers our law school community by providing a rich educational experience for its students, pro bono legal representation for underserved clients through its clinical program, and a robust resource for the legal and business sectors. Our alumni lead international law firms, serve as CEOs and general counsels to some of the nation’s largest corporations, and serve as judges and public servants across the globe. Our faculty members are award-winning professors and instructors, nationally recognized attorneys and legal scholars engaged in influential, cutting-edge research, committed to their students’ success.

Make an impact

  • 100
    corporate legal departments

    host Dedman Law students in the Corporate Counsel Externship Program

  • 3
    academic centers

    Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center; Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law and Leadership; Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation

  • 60
    placements a year

    in the Government and Public Interest Externship Program

  • 9

    extern with judges in the Federal Judicial Externship Program

  • 2025

    where, under the supervision of clinic directors, students serve as advocates for clients in many areas of the law

Create your legacy

As your current gifts support today’s greatest needs, creating an endowment or estate commitment makes a difference in perpetuity. Whether you are a graduate, parent or friend, your endowment gift establishes a permanent legacy in your area of strongest interest. Your giving helps offset the rising cost of higher education by providing a dependable source of income to meet student and faculty needs.

Create a named, endowed fund in memory or honor of a person or organization with a gift of $100,000 or more. With a similar gift, you can endow faculty positions, scholarships, fellowships and excellence funds. Just imagine what you could do. We look forward to talking with you about your philanthropic goals. Together, we can align your passions with Dedman Law’s most pressing needs to do the most good.

I am extremely grateful and appreciative for the kindness and generosity of the donors that make it possible for students like myself to have the opportunity to attend ҽDedman School of Law. Without your support, I would not be able to attend SMU. I know that I am here because of the compassion of others.

— LaKeenya Colvin ’21, ҽDedman School of Law, J.D.

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As the premier private university in North Texas, ҽexists to shape future leaders who transform communities and organizations through ingenuity and thoughtful problem-solving. Building on our history of excellence, we have launched ҽIgnited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow – our multiyear, $1.5 billion campaign to attract and support outstanding students and faculty, to explore new fields and cutting-edge technologies, and to positively impact Dallas and the world beyond. We invite you to join us and empower the bold, the curious and the creative to better their professions and their communities.

Blaze a new path
Clayton Ellis
Director of Development
Dedman School of Law
crellis@smu.edu or 214-768-4527