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Practical Education. Lifelong Connections.

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South Texas College of Law Houston’s Moot Court Program Ranked No. 1 in the Nation

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Discover the South Texas Difference

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Offering students a practical education, a strong community of support, and professors committed to student success

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South Texas College of Law Houston is located in the heart of downtown Houston.

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NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson '97 to Serve as May 2019 Commencement Speaker

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DID YOU KNOW?

We foster a supportive culture where students recognize the value of working together and professors are committed to supporting their students.

Our alumni have gone on to distinguished careers in public service, corporate law, judiciary, and some of the nation’s premier firms.

Graduates of South Texas College of Law Houston enjoy one of the state’s highest employment rates.

Our students graduate with some of the lowest debt burdens among private law schools in Texas.

National Jurist magazine lists South Texas College of Law Houston as one of the most diverse in the country.

Our 19 legal practice clinics give students the chance to handle real cases on behalf of those who need it most.

We offer a legal education that blends case law theory with relevant experience and professional opportunities.

Our Advocacy Program has trained student teams that have won 131 national championships—more than any other law school in the country.

We believe that an accessible legal education can be a powerful force for positive change.

Located in downtown Houston, home to one of the nation’s largest legal communities, we offer unparalleled access to internships and job opportunities.

Our graduates consistently outperform the five-year average bar pass rate for Texas.

PATHWAYS TO PRACTICE

Current and prospective students can learn about different career options in many legal fields, what it’s like to practice in those fields, and how to plan a curriculum to emphasize desired career goals.

Find Your Pathway

LAW SCHOOL NEWS

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program at STCL Houston Offers Free Tax Return Preparation and Electronic Filing

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program at South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) will offer free tax return preparation and electronic filing for low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the Greater Houston region, including those in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery Counties. Individuals and families with an annual income of […]
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FACULTY IN THE NEWS

The Washington Post, SFGate, and the Connecticut Post quoted Professor Josh Blackman in an article titled, “Controversial ruling on health care law could face a skeptical Supreme Court — if it gets there.”

President and Dean Don Guter co-authored an editorial published in the Houston Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, and the Laredo Morning Times titled, “Time to fight for veterans’ right to legal aid.”

News Radio 740 (KTRH) quoted Professor Charles “Rocky” Rhodes in an article titled, “Texas Court Takes Up Online Anonymity.”

Professor Geoffrey S. Corn co-authored an editorial published in Indian Strategic Studies titled, “Israel’s Next Northern War: Operational and Legal Challenges.”

The Dallas Morning News quoted Professor Derek Fincham in an article titled, “70 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus skull is caught in tug-of-war.”

KPRC-TV (NBC Houston) interviewed Professor Kenneth Williams for a story titled, “Is current law enough to protect children?”

WUSF News quoted Associate Dean T. Gerald Treece in an article titled, “One Year After Texas Church Shooting, Families Want the Air Force Held Accountable.”

More Faculty in the News

LEGAL CLINICS

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Real World Experience, Critical Representation

Our 19 clinics offer students the chance to learn valuable, real-world legal skills by providing critical legal representation to traditionally under-represented populations.

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A large variety of employment opportunities fall under the general umbrella of business and corporate law. For example, business lawyers may help create business entities, facilitate commercial dealings, finance business endeavors, or steward clients through bankruptcy proceedings.

Learn more about Business & Corporate Law »

Dispute resolution specialists should be familiar with multiple dispute resolution processes, both in and out of court. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes include arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. The stages of litigation include discovery, motions practice, and trial advocacy.

Learn more about Civil Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution »

A focus on criminal law can open an array of potential career choices. Possible career options include state or federal trial practice as a prosecutor or defense attorney, as well as post-conviction practice, which includes direct appeals and habeas.

Learn more about Criminal Law »

There are a multitude of career opportunities for South Texas College of Law Houston students to pursue in the energy industry, which include working for law firms doing energy work, oil and gas companies, and oil field service providers. Attorneys practicing in this field must develop a firm understanding of the oil and gas industry.

Learn more about Energy Law »

Environmental and natural resources law encompasses all areas of law dealing with the protection of air, land, water, plants, and animals. A technical background in public health, science, or engineering is not required to practice in this field, but it could be beneficial.

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Estate planning attorneys provide legal assistance to clients in order to arrange for the efficient transfer of client wealth during life and following death. Estate planning attorneys may be called upon to draft wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and prenuptial agreements, along with other planning documents.

Learn more about Estate Planning Law »

Family law encompasses divorce, custody, and a variety of other issues regarding domestic relations and the family. In addition to understanding the substantive law, family law attorneys must be well versed in procedure and should develop familiarity with several dispute resolution processes.

Learn more about Family Law »

Immigration law encompasses the avenues and procedures available to temporarily or permanently come to the United States. It also includes the rules that dictate whether and how to remove individuals from the country.

Learn more about Immigration Law »

Intellectual property is the study of law relating to certain products of the mind, usually patented inventions, copyrighted expressions, the trademarks used to symbolize commercial goodwill, and secret information used for competitive advantage.

Learn more about Intellectual Property Law »

In a globalized world, lawyers need to be trained in more than domestic law. Increasingly, U.S. lawyers practice in fields where they may have foreign clients, deal with foreign parties as well as with foreign and international laws through transactional work, and litigate or arbitrate with foreign parties or on issues that concern foreign and international law.

Learn more about International Law & International Economic Law »

The practice of employment law may be attractive to anyone interested in people, personalities, and the dynamics of personal relations at the workplace. Employment lawyers may practice in a government agency or private firm.

Learn more about Labor & Employment Law »

Public interest work includes “legal aid” practice and “targeted” lawyering. In the legal aid practice, lawyers represent clients at or near the poverty level in an array of civil legal issues. Targeted lawyering takes place when an attorney works for a non-profit or nongovernmental organization that advocates for one or more causes.

Learn more about Public Interest Law »

Property law is a field that encompasses a broad array of practice areas and opportunities. The primary areas of focus for property attorneys are real estate and land use law. Property law can also intersect with many other practice areas, including environmental and energy law.

Learn more about Real Property & Real Estate Law »

Being a solo practitioner or member of a small practice provides attorneys with many unique opportunities but also challenges. Such attorneys must understand how to establish and manage a practice, and how to market and grow a practice.

Learn more about Solo & Small Firm Practice »

Tax attorneys provide tax planning services and help clients resolve disputes with taxing authorities. They may work in law firms, accounting firms, in-house tax departments, or for federal or state government agencies.

Learn more about Tax Law »

The Texas Bar Examination is a gateway through which all the specific career pathways must pass, so all Texas law students should pay at least some attention to the subjects tested on the Texas Bar Examination when planning their law school curricula.

Learn more about the Texas Bar Examination »