Why Southern Methodist University?

Class profile

US News rank

#42

Median GPA

3.81

25th–75th: 3.52–3.92

Median LSAT

164

25th–75th: 160–165

Acceptance rate

33.9%

Class size (FT 1L)

226

Transfers admitted (2025)

8

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students Southern Methodist University admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

25th percentile

—

Suppressed (small cohort)

Median

3.34

50th percentile

75th percentile

—

Suppressed (small cohort)

5 1Ls transferred out of Southern Methodist University in the same cycle — context for how portable Southern Methodist University's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1. 1Texas
2. 2California
3. 3Washington, DC

Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.

Signature clinics

Clinical programs that define Southern Methodist University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Southern Methodist University" essay where they align with your interests.

• Civil / Consumer Clinic
  Provides legal assistance to low-income individuals with civil and consumer needs.
• Criminal Clinic
  Offers students experience in criminal defense and prosecution matters.
• Federal Tax Clinic
  Assists individuals with federal taxpayer problems.
• First Amendment Clinic
  Focuses on cases involving First Amendment rights.
• Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women
  Provides legal services to victims of crimes against women.
• Small Business and Trademark Clinic
  Offers legal assistance to small businesses and on trademark matters.
• VanSickle Family Law Clinic
  Handles a variety of family law cases.
• W.W. Caruth, Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic
  Represents abused and neglected children as Guardian/Attorney ad Litem.

Notable journals

Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.

• SMU Law Review— Flagship journal publishing articles by legal scholars and practitioners, often featuring symposium issues on timely legal topics.
• Journal of Air Law and Commerce— The oldest scholarly periodical in English devoted to legal and economic problems in aviation and space.
• The International Lawyer— Official publication of the ABA's Section of International Law, focusing on international law, trade, and dispute resolution.
• SMU Science and Technology Law Review— Addresses current issues within science and technology and their intersection with law, including AI and intellectual property.
• SMU Annual Texas Survey— Focuses on legal developments within Texas.

Faculty highlights

Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.

• Roy Ryden Anderson
  Contracts, Commercial Law, Commercial Remedies
• Hillel J. Bavli
  Evidence, Torts, Law and Statistics, Law and Economics
• Dale Carpenter
  Constitutional Law, First Amendment Law, LGBT Rights and the Law
• Anthony J. Colangelo
  Conflict of Laws, Public International Law, U.S. Foreign Relations Law
• Nathan Cortez
  Health Law, Administrative Law, Food and Drug Law
• Christopher H. Hanna
  Income Taxation, International Tax, Corporate Tax
• Orly Mazur
  Federal Income Tax Law, International Tax Law, Tax Policy
• Carla Reyes
  Business Law and Technology, Uniform Commercial Code
• Christina Sautter
  Corporate Governance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Technology-Powered Investing
• Diane M. Sumoski
  Child Welfare Law, Trial Advocacy, Civil Litigation
• Jenia Iontcheva Turner
  Criminal Procedure, Comparative Criminal Procedure, International Criminal Law

What makes Southern Methodist University distinctive

Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.

• ·The Inns of Court program provides an interdisciplinary approach to the first-year experience, connecting students with faculty, alumni, and career advisors.
• ·SMU Dedman School of Law was the first law school in Texas to implement a mandatory Public Service Graduation Requirement.
• ·Offers joint degree programs including a J.D./M.B.A. with the Cox School of Business and a J.D./M.A. in Economics.
• ·Home to the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation, which explores how law and policy affect scientific research and technological development.
• ·The Underwood Law Library houses the largest private academic law collection in the Southwest.
• ·Offers a summer program at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.

Frequently asked about Southern Methodist University

Schools similar to Southern Methodist University

Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.