Texas Tech University School of Law

Texas Tech University School of Law was founded in 1967. It has a rich history. In the 1930s, Alvin R. Allison, a self-described "country lawyer from Levelland," could not afford to attend one of the three American Bar Association-accredited law schools in Texas. He decided to work as an apprenticing attorney under local attorneys for two years and passed the Texas Bar Examination in 1934. His struggles to become a lawyer inspired him to create a West Texas law school at Texas Technological College. Richard B. Amandes was appointed the School of Law's inaugural dean by the Texas Tech Board of Directors in 1966. In 1967, Texas Tech Law's 72-student first class enrolled. In August 1970, the ABA awarded accreditation to the school. Texas Tech Law was granted membership in 1969 to the Association of American Law Schools. In 1974, Texas Tech Law was elected to the Order of the Coif. This is a distinction shared by less than half of the country's law schools. The School of Law opened in 1969. It has graduated over 8,500 students. This includes the Army's highest-ranking lawyer, general counsels of corporations, and elected officials. Texas Tech Law has a strong clinical program, 10 dual-degree programs, three concentration programs, and a regional-externship program. It also offers a legal-practice program and a public-service graduation requirement. The school attracts passionate teachers. Texas Tech Law won the University's Departmental Excellence in Teaching Award 3 times in recent years. Three professorstheyre awarded the Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching Award in Fall 2013. Seven professors have been elected members of the prestigious American Law Institute. Texas Tech Law is the only law school to have a whole court, the Seventh Court of Appeals at Amarillo, teach a full-year course.