LAWCENTER

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

The University of Houston Law Center is a top tier institution

and is nationally ranked in Intellectual Property and

Health Law. The Law Center embodies the “Power of Legal

Education,” fundamentally transforming students by

teaching them how to think like lawyers.

Students can then transform the world by seeking justice for

their clients. Our alumni have changed the world, working

at the top of the profession in private practice, government

service, business, the judiciary, and public interest.

The Law Center is powered by noteworthy faculty. They are

highly credentialed and well-published. In addition to holding

the J.D. degree, they have 10 LL.M. degrees, seven Ph.D.s,

five M.B.A.s, and 13 master’s degrees in other disciplines.

We consistently attract students with strong credentials.

The students come from across the United States and more

than a dozen countries and hold multiple degrees, including

the M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and M.B.A. They are also racially,

ethnically, and linguistically diverse.

The Law Center remains committed to empowering future

generations of law school students to achieve their dreams

and become ethical and effective advocates for their clients.

LEONARD M. BAYNESDean and Professor of Law

MESSAGE FROMTHE DEAN

The University of Houston Law Center, a dynamic, top tier school, empowers our students through an unparalleled top-notch legal education. Established in 1947, UH Law Center is the leading law school in the nation’s fourth-largest city, and it offers one of the broadest curricula in the United States. Cited as a “best value” in legal education today, UH Law Center awards Doctor of Jurisprudence ( J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees.

The UH Law Center boasts leadership from globally and nationally recognized faculty who offer expertise in fields such as health law, intellectual property, business and commercial law, immigration law, antitrust, international law, energy and environmental law, tax, family law, constitutional law, and clinical education. The UH Law Center also utilizes more than 80 part-time and adjunct instructors from the Houston bar, one of the most sophisticated and diverse bars in the country. Together, they generate a rigorous, enriching curriculum for approximately 600 full-time J.D. students, 120 part-time J.D. students, and 120 LL.M. students each year.

The UH Law Center’s influence extends locally, nationally, and internationally, encompassing business, legal, and education communities both domestic and abroad. The international activities of its faculty include hosting visiting professors, publishing articles in foreign journals, and participating in international symposia and conferences.

The UH Law Center’s dynamic alumni have propelled their careers to work at the top of the law profession in private practice, government service, business, the judiciary, and public interest.

WHO WE ARE

The UH Law Center’s influence extends locally, nationally,

and internationally.

UH Law Center is nationally recognized and has earned a powerful reputation.

HOW WE RANK

Ranked in the

TOP 10 by U.S. News &

World Report for Intellectual

Property and Health Law

Offers joint J.D. program with

University of Calgary law school

in INTERNATIONAL ENERGY LAW

allowing students to earn both

Canadian and U.S. law degrees

in four years

Ranked

31st by the National Law Journal among “Go To” law schools based on the percentage of graduates hired by the top 250 law firms in the United States

Named a “BEST VALUE” by preLaw Magazine

Facilitates HANDS-ON CLINICAL

PROGRAMS with precedent

setting cases in state and federal courts,

including the U.S. Supreme Court

Recognized as a ‘MOST DIVERSE’ LAW SCHOOL by preLaw and The National Jurist magazines

5DEGREES OFFEREDJ.D./M.B.A.J.D./M.A.

J.D./M.S.W.J.D./M.D.J.D./Ph.D.

The Houston Law Review is ranked in TOP 3.3% of more than 1,600 law journals by Washington and Lee University.

Along with its prominent national reputation, the Law Center is strengthened by its location in the city of Houston – a global hub magnified by its thriving and diverse cultural center. The Law Center embraces Houston, home of America’s energy industry, the Texas Medical Center (the largest in the world), and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Houston is also one of the nation’s leading job creators and provides a home to more Fortune 500 headquarters than anywhere in the country outside of New York. Comprised of a wealth of national law firms, smaller practices, government agencies, non-profits, and corporate legal departments, Houston promises abundant legal opportunities for our graduates. The UH Law Center is one of Houston’s strongest partners in the city’s success.

A THRIVING DESTINATION

> To provide students an excellent legal education and enable them to develop the skills necessary for a successful career

> To serve as a hub for innovative research and legal scholarship that fuels important policy discussions on a global, national, state, and local level

TWO-FOLD MISSION

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & INFORMATION LAW (IPIL) INSTITUTE The Intellectual Property & Information Law (IPIL) Institute is a recognized global leader in IP, technology, and information law, including patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets law. Houston is one of the nation’s largest markets for the IPIL disciplines, and the UH Law Center’s strong presence in this frontier yields significant research opportunities for faculty and students. Each year, the IPIL Institute hosts a national conference and other events to develop and debate commentary and policy proposals.

HEALTH LAW & POLICY INSTITUTE

The Health Law & Policy Institute advances understanding of health law issues and provides guidance for significant policy decisions affecting every element of health care. Known for its associations with academic and health institutions locally, across the United States, and around the world, the Institution also facilitates student externships at government agencies and non-profit health institutions, including the Texas Medical Center. Topics of ongoing study include electronic medical records, human experimentation, food and drug law, genetics, managed care, patient safety and medical error, disability discrimination, health care finance, and health care fraud and abuse.

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES (EENR) CENTER The Environment, Energy & Natural Resources (EENR) Center provides a forum for education and discussion in environment, energy, and natural resources law in the city widely acknowledged as the Energy Capital of the World. The Center examines some of the most important issues of the day, including climate change, air pollution, clean coal, and renewable energy. The Center provides a platform for government, industry, public interest, and academic leaders from around the state, nation, and world to discuss the interplay among protection of the environment, development of energy and other natural resources, and the impact of human and natural forces on those resources.

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY LAWYERS PROGRAM The Law Center also has partnered with the University of Calgary to establish the International Energy Lawyers Program, an initiative that allows students to earn both Canadian and U.S. law degrees in four years. The driving force behind the international program is a shared commitment to natural resources, energy, and environmental law. The UH Law Center and Calgary Law each enjoy international reputations as leading law schools in these areas, and the cities of Houston and Calgary both sport recognition as leading energy centers.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCEThe UH Law Center operates a strategic and focused collection of centers, institutes, and programs to fuel its educational mission and its national reputation.

BLAKELY ADVOCACY INSTITUTE The Blakely Advocacy Institute is a national leader in teaching lawyering skills. It trumpets an exceptional success rate in law student tournaments nationwide and abroad in negotiation, mock trial, moot court, mediation, and arbitration. Some of Houston’s most experienced trial and appellate lawyers and judges teach a wide variety of programs and courses that cover the entire dispute resolution continuum, including the key building block courses of trial advocacy, appellate advocacy, and pretrial litigation. Specialty courses include Storytelling, Attorney Communication and Persuasion, and Advocacy Survey. Within the Institute is the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center, which provides training in commercial arbitration, basic mediation, and family mediation.

CENTER FOR U.S. AND MEXICAN LAW The Center for U.S. and Mexican Law is the first independent research center in the United States dedicated to the study of Mexican law and legal aspects of U.S.-Mexico relations. Houston’s position as a gateway between the two countries serves as a natural setting for the Center’s work to improve understanding of each other’s laws and legal institutions. In addition to conducting research and analysis of the interplay between the two legal systems, the Center promotes cross-border education of law students, lawyers, judges, and other professionals. The Center works with various agencies to fund specific studies and research projects and organizes periodic symposia. The Center also sponsors activities to promote professional cooperation and comparative legal education in North America through a partnership with the North American Consortium on Legal Education. The Center also helps students arrange summer externships in Mexico City with the several prestigious Mexican institutions.

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE The Criminal Justice Institute aims to enhance the study and practice of criminal law at the local, national, and international levels. The Institute brings together nationally recognized scholars, top criminal law practitioners, judges, and students through a variety of programs to succeed in this goal.

NORTH AMERICAN CONSORTIUM ON LEGAL EDUCATION (NACLE)The North American Consortium on Legal Education (NACLE) is comprised of 13 participating law schools in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. NACLE’s aim is to promote and share understanding of the legal systems within North American countries. The specific purpose of the Consortium is to enhance the capabilities of each member to provide high quality legal education and research germane to the demands of the professional environment in North America. NACLE offers law students the opportunity to participate in semester-long exchange programs at its member universities.

INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION LAW AND GOVERNANCEThe Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance provides information and analysis to colleges and universities worldwide on higher education legal issues. It serves as a focal point for discussion and thoughtful analysis through publications, conferences, and the maintenance of a database of experts on higher education issues and institutions. The work of the Institute primarily benefits both affiliated scholars across the globe whose research is in law and higher education as well as representatives of governmental agencies and legislative staff concerned with higher education. In addition, it offers an extensive research library and a monthly research monograph series. The Institute hosts an annual Houston Higher Educational Roundtable for junior scholars and has hosted over two dozen visiting fellows and postdoctoral students.

THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN, LAW & POLICYThe Center for Children, Law & Policy conducts research on juvenile justice and child welfare issues, provides national training for attorneys representing children in courts, and offers law students an opportunity to represent children in delinquency and dependency cases. This innovative center has coordinated a number of important symposia and lectures that band together professionals from a variety of disciplines to closely examine important issues relating to children’s rights.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

CENTER ON BIOTECHNOLOGY & LAW The Center on Biotechnology & Law develops new curricular options and collaborations to prepare students for careers in the expanding life sciences, biotechnology, research oversight, and healthcare restructuring fields. It conducts an active portfolio of sponsored research projects funded by National Institutes of Health/National Human Genome Research Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Greenwall Foundation to explore privacy, access, and regulatory policy issues with large-scale health information networks and clinical integration of next-generation DNA sequencing. The program achieves its goals in close collaboration in concert with leading genetics and biomedical research centers and health lawyers nationwide.

CENTER FOR CONSUMER LAW The Center for Consumer Law educates the public about consumer law, helps to resolve disputes through the Texas Consumer Complaint Center and Consumer Law Clinic, and presents conferences and seminars for lawyers and law professors who deal with consumer problems. The Texas Consumer Complaint Center has helped thousands of consumers. In keeping with the Law Center’s heritage of direct involvement with the Houston community, the center hosts two “People’s Law School” sessions every year. This popular program offers free legal information on everything from trusts and wills to family law, landlord-tenant law, and bankruptcy.

THE TEXAS INNOCENCE NETWORK The Texas Innocence Network focuses on investigative claims of actual innocence raised by inmates in Texas or elsewhere. Students work closely with faculty to exhaustively examine these claims for both capital (death penalty) and non-capital cases. Also, the Juvenile & Capital Advocacy Project ( JCAP) works to reduce juvenile crime and delinquency while simultaneously improving the long-term educational success rates and life outcomes for socially and economically disadvantaged juveniles through early intervention. Law students can get involved by mentoring these at-risk young people.

CLINICAL PROGRAMSClinical programs serve Houston’s low-income residents involved in consumer, immigration, and juvenile cases, among others. Students in the Civil Practice Clinic work on a variety of cases, including bankruptcy, landlord-tenant, divorce, domestic violence, adoption, and wills. In the Consumer Law Clinic, students help clients with consumer problems such as credit and debt collection. The Mediation Clinic trains students to serve as court-appointed mediators or mediators at the Greater Houston Better Business Bureau. The Immigration Clinic specializes in handling applications for asylum and representing immigrants who have been the victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other crimes. The Transactional Clinic provides students the opportunity to help small businesses and non-profit organizations with legal matters encountered on a daily basis. In the Innocence Investigations Clinic, students examine inmates’ claims of innocence and work on post-conviction legal assistance. Students in the Death Penalty Clinic work on all phases of capital murder trials and post-conviction claims.

STUDENT-RUN JOURNALS The UH Law Center houses several acclaimed student-run journals, including the Houston Law Review, the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal, the Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law, the Houston Journal of Health Law & Policy, and the Houston Journal of International Law.

TAX PROGRAMThe tax law program at the Law Center boasts a level of sophistication that has earned it national prominence and stature. Proficient tax lawyers are in demand, and the University of Houston Law Center, based in one of the most vibrant economies and legal practice areas in the United States, excels in filling that need. The tax program focuses on helping students identify issues, plan solutions to tax problems, and hone the skills needed to assimilate the ever-changing tax rules into their future practice. The program emphasizes professional responsibility and a thorough understanding of the tax system and how it affects individual, nonprofit, commercial, and financial affairs.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

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