Fast Facts

The 2017-2018 entering class admission statistics were certified by the American Bar Association and the Law School Admission Council.
Number Enrolled 208
Median GPA 3.68
Median LSAT 161
J.D. Application Deadlines
Applications are processed on a continuous basis beginning in early November.  It is in your best interest to submit your application as early as possible.
 
Early Decision* Regular Decision Late Decision
LSAT Exam June or October December or February** Any
Application and Supporting Materials Due November 15 February 15 After February 15
Decision Notification End of January End of April After file completion, on a rolling basis
*Our early decision program is non-binding.  Any application that is complete by the early decision deadline will be evaluated as part of our early decision program.  Early decision applications may be accepted, denied, or held for further review.  If your application is held for further review, it will be reconsidered with regular decision applications.
**We will accept a February LSAT score for regular decision, even if the scores are not posted by February 15.
Rankings
Dedman School of Law holds top local and national rankings in job placement.  

All rankings based on statistics provided to the American Bar Association (ABA) by the 194 ABA accredited law schools for the class of 2017. Visit the CAREER SERVICES website and view all of our employment statistics.
 
  • #20 “Go-To Law Schools” for the most alumni promoted to partners during 2017; The National Law Journal, March 2018
  • #28 “Go-To Law Schools” for the highest percentage of 2018 graduates into associate jobs at the nation’s 100 largest law firms; The National Law Journal, March 2018
Examples of Work Experience
Banking and finance, consulting, education, engineering, government, information technology, judicial clerkships, insurance, law, law enforcement, marketing & sales, medicine, real estate, and social work.
Full-Time Tuition and Fees (12-17 hours ea. semester for Fall/Spring)
Tuition $47,966
Fees $6,128
Total $54,094
Applications completed by the regular decision deadline will automatically be considered for academic scholarships. Scholarships for full-time students are typically awarded on the basis of an outstanding undergraduate record and a strong performance on the LSAT.

In addition, there are several scholarships funded by private foundations.  Two of the private scholarships for entering law students– the Hatton W. Sumners Scholarship and the Sarah T. Hughes Scholarship - require a separate application.

Review our full offering of scholarships.
SMU graduates' pass rate on the July 2017 bar exam was 85.44% for first time takers.
The law school is committed to having a diverse student body, and 24.2 percent of the 2017 incoming class are students of color and approximately 50 percent are female. We also boast these student organizations which are active within the law school and the community: Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA), Asian/Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) and OUTLaw Students Association.
Dartmouth, Emory, Harvard, NYU, Rhodes, Stanford, Tulane, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Washington University, Wellesley, Yale, all of the major Texas universities, and many more.

Graduates are located in every state in the United States and in more than 80 countries around the world.

Recent CEOs, Chairmen, Presidents and Executive Directors
7-Eleven; Allegiance Title Company; Austin Industries; Building Materials Holding Corporation; Cathay Life Insurance; ClubCorp; Communities Foundation; Dallas Cowboys; DuPont Chile; Fogo de Chao; The Hart Group; Hexter-Fair Title Company; Kroger; Omni Hotels; Potter's House of Dallas; Six Holding; State Farm Insurance Companies; Stewart Title Company; Texas Oil and Gas; TXU; Tupperware; WellPoint; Worldwide Shipping; Matador Resources; TRT Holdings; Human Rights Initiative; HBK Capital

Recent General Counsel
7-Eleven; Affiliated Computer Services; Archon Group; AT&T; Belo Corporation; BJ Services Group; Blockbuster; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas; Brinker International; Commercial Metals; CompUSA; Cuban Enterprises; Dallas Mavericks; Dr Pepper Snapple; EDS; Fossil; FedEx Kinko’s; Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Frito-Lay; Fujitsu; Hicks Muse; Hunt Oil; La Madeleine; MADD; Neiman Marcus; Papa Johns; Rosewood Hotels & Resorts; Triad Hospitals; TXU; Interstate Batteries; Dallas Stars

Judiciary
Over the years, the Dedman School of Law has counted among its alumni six Justices of the Supreme Court of Texas, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, three Justices of the Supreme Court of Japan, as well as justices on the highest courts of the Philippines and Taiwan.  In addition, alumni currently serve as Judges on Courts of Appeal and as trial judges in Texas, throughout the United States and around the world.

We would be happy to arrange for you to meet with an admissions counselor, tour the law quad, or observe one of our classes.  To schedule a campus visit or ask questions, please call the Admissions Office at (214) 768-2550 or e-mail us at lawadmit@smu.edu. 

During the fall semester, you can also visit with an SMU Dedman Law representative at one of the many recruiting events we attend. We also offer an annual Minority Pre-Law Symposium. We invite you to apply and become part of the distinguished group of individuals who have obtained a law degree from SMU Dedman School of Law.