Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law is a public, historically Black law school in Houston. Its full-time JD includes clinical and advocacy training, with the Earl Carl Institute addressing wrongful convictions, juvenile justice, and property preservation.
This guide walks you through how to get into Texas Southern Law.
Jump to a section
1. Texas Southern Law Admissions Numbers and Statistics
Texas Southern Law Class of 2028:
- LSAT: 75th: 152 | Median: 150 | 25th: 148
- GPA: 75th: 3.62 | Median: 3.33 | 25th: 2.99
Texas Southern Law Class of 2027:
- LSAT: 75th: 152 | Median: 150 | 25th: 148
- GPA: 75th: 3.61 | Median: 3.21 | 25th: 2.72
These are the fall 2025 and fall 2024 entering classes, both entirely full-time. All three LSAT quartiles held steady, while the GPA median increased 0.12 and the lower GPA quartile rose 0.27. First-year enrollment grew from 209 to 221. Five students in the newer class entered through the GRE route.
Aim to be at or above at least one median to be competitive. Above both puts you in a stronger position. Below both medians, this is a prayer, not a reach.
For context on how medians affect your strategy, see How to Build a Smart Law School List.
2. Texas Southern Law Application Essays
Personal Statement (Required)
The school's instructions:
“A personal statement must accompany the application for admission. The personal statement is your opportunity to address the Admissions Committee and provide information that may not appear elsewhere in your application. This statement should be considered to be your “sales tool”.”
For more on how to write a personal statement, see my Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Guide.
For more on making your whole application work together, see my Cohesive Narrative Guide.
Addenda and Character & Fitness (if applicable)
Texas Southern permits an addendum explaining circumstances affecting the GPA or other unusual matters. It also identifies an explanation as helpful when LSAT scores differ by five or more points.
I'll be publishing a guide to addenda and character and fitness.
3. Texas Southern Law Resume Requirements
Texas Southern requires a current resume. Include education, employment, service, and activities with clear dates and responsibilities. Use concrete descriptions of what you did rather than broad claims about your strengths.
For more on preparing your resume, see my Resume Examples and Resume Guide.
4. Texas Southern Law Letters of Recommendation
Texas Southern requires at least two letters of recommendation addressing academic ability and potential for law study. An employer can write for someone who has been out of school. Letters from relatives, friends, and acquaintances are discouraged; submission through LSAC is recommended.
For more on recommendations, see my LOR Guide (Applicants) and LOR Guide (Writers).
5. Texas Southern Law Interview Process
Texas Southern offers individual campus visits. Prospective students can arrange a tour and may be able to observe a class when classes are in session.
6. Texas Southern Law Deadlines and Decision Options
Testing Policy
Application Routes: First-time applicants using an LSAT score apply through JD1. Applicants who have never attended law school and have taken only the GRE use JD3. The GRE route accepts scores from the previous five years, sent through ETS using institution code 1196. Applicants who have taken both examinations must use the LSAT route.
If you're considering the GRE, read my LSAT vs. GRE guide before deciding.
Application Dates and Fees
- Scholarship Priority Date: April 1.
- Application Fee: $55.
- Review: Rolling, beginning in December for completed files.
- Entering Term: Fall for first-time JD students.
- Seat Deposits: Two nonrefundable payments totaling $500, with dates in the admission letter.
Program Formats
The JD is a three-year, full-time program rather than an evening or part-time option. A submitted application is not ready for review until the required supporting materials arrive. Decisions may take several weeks or longer depending on timing and application volume.
Limited one-year admission deferrals are available. A scholarship does not carry over automatically with a deferral; the applicant is reconsidered with the next entering class.
7. Texas Southern Law Scholarships and Financial Aid
Merit Scholarships
Admitted first-time JD applicants receive automatic scholarship consideration without a separate application. Review considers GPA, LSAT or GRE performance, and the overall application. April 1 is the scholarship priority date, and awards depend on remaining funds.
Renewal for the second and third years requires full-time enrollment and the academic performance specified in the award letter. Among 2024-2025 entrants, 83 received conditional scholarships and 56 had them reduced or eliminated. The renewal condition is a material part of the offer, not fine print to set aside until the second year.
Cost of Attendance
For 2026-2027, annual tuition and fees are $20,418.30 for Texas residents and $27,318.30 for nonresidents. Total annual budgets are $49,202.30 and $56,102.30, including room and board, books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. Compare the full budget after aid with the cost of your other options.
For more on scholarship strategy, see How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships.
8. Texas Southern Law Joint Degree Programs
Texas Southern offers a JD/MPA with the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. The combined route is designed for four years rather than the five normally needed to complete the two degrees separately.
Students must satisfy each program's admission requirements. Concurrent coursework begins after the first year of law school, and students continue to meet each program's progression requirements. This combination is particularly relevant to public administration, agency work, and organizational leadership. Its value rests on wanting both forms of training, not simply adding another credential to the JD.
9. Texas Southern Law Employment Outcomes (Class of 2025)
Texas Southern Class of 2025 employment outcomes (reported to the ABA, measured 10 months after graduation):
- Full-time, long-term bar-passage-required employment (ABA): 54.3%
- BigLaw (firms with 101+ attorneys): 11.6%
- Federal clerkships: 0.6%
- Public service (including government): 16.5%
Texas was the leading employment location. That makes a Texas practice plan more consistent with the school's placement pattern than an application built around immediate national mobility. Houston's legal community provides a setting for internships, clinical work, and professional relationships, but the employment result should remain central to the enrollment decision. Weigh total borrowing and scholarship renewal conditions against the work you intend to pursue.
10. Texas Southern Law Areas of Study and Specializations
Civil Rights and Community Representation: The Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy connects legal research with representation involving wrongful convictions, children's legal needs, and property preservation. Its work gives the school's access mission a concrete setting beyond the classroom.
Immigration and Administrative Law: The Administrative Law Clinic handles immigration and environmental matters. Maurice Hew Jr.'s teaching in administrative trial practice and immigration connects substantive law with the procedures used to represent clients before agencies.
Business and Energy Law: Emeka Duruigbo teaches Business Associations and Oil and Gas. His research on energy, business, and international economic law supports a course of study connecting organizational decisions with regulated industries.
Sports Law: Walter T. Champion's teaching includes Sports Law, Amateur Sports Law, and Recreational Injuries. His books and teaching provide a distinct faculty base for studying the legal relationships surrounding athletes, teams, and sports organizations.
Trial and Appellate Advocacy: Trial Simulation, Advanced Trial Practice, the Board of Advocates, and live-client work offer different settings for developing oral advocacy.
11. Texas Southern Law Clinics and Experiential Learning
Texas Southern combines live-client clinics, externships, and Earl Carl Institute projects. Clinical courses pair supervised work with instruction and feedback; the JD requires six experiential credits.
Clinics and Client Projects
- Administrative Law Clinic: Students work under attorney supervision on administrative matters, including environmental and immigration cases, while developing skills in agency practice and client representation.
- Civil Law Clinic: Students undertake supervised civil representation alongside practice-skills instruction. The work connects legal analysis with the responsibilities of handling a client's matter.
- Criminal Law Clinic: Students combine supervised criminal practice with trial-skills instruction, applying courtroom preparation to client work rather than only simulated problems.
- Thurgood Marshall School of Law Innocence Project: Student investigators examine possible wrongful convictions. Work can include records searches, collecting documents, locating witnesses, and interviewing under attorney supervision.
- ECI Juvenile Justice Project: Student attorneys assist with matters involving children, including school discipline, special education, and juvenile proceedings. Under supervision, they meet clients, prepare pleadings, and participate in hearings.
- Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project: Students help attorneys address threatened property loss through probate, title, inheritance, and foreclosure matters. The work includes client contact, case preparation, and managing files with supervising attorneys.
Pro Bono and Experiential Learning
Civil Law, Criminal Law, and Judicial Law externships place students in supervised professional settings with associated coursework. Internship opportunities include the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Earl Carl Institute student positions require completion of the first year; its clinical positions give preference to third-year students. Volunteer opportunities include legal research and support for client projects.
12. Texas Southern Law Notable Faculty and Journals
Faculty
- Emeka Duruigbo, Roberson King Professor of Law, works on business, energy, and international economic law. His experience includes a research fellowship with Stanford's Program on Energy and Sustainable Development.
- Walter T. Champion, Professor of Law, teaches sports law and related subjects. His publications include Fundamentals of Sports Law and work on the legal dimensions of baseball.
- Maurice Hew Jr., Professor of Law, teaches administrative practice and immigration. He is board certified in immigration and nationality law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
- Lydia D. Johnson, Professor of Law, teaches criminal practice and experiential courses. Her professional background includes service as a Harris County assistant district attorney.
Journals
- Thurgood Marshall Law Review: The school's student-edited general legal journal, with work involving legal research, substantive editing, and scholarly writing.
The Earl Carl Institute also supports student research and publication through its legal and social policy work, including opportunities for research assistants to develop written projects with regular supervisory feedback.
13. Texas Southern Law Culture and Student Life
Texas Southern's historically Black university setting and emphasis on access shape the community. The Student Bar Association, Barbara C. Jordan chapter of the Black Law Students Association, and other affinity organizations create settings for student leadership and professional connections. The Board of Advocates adds moot court, mock trial, and skills programming.
Houston is both the campus location and a practical setting for professional development. The full-time schedule, clinical commitments, and off-campus placements make day-to-day logistics consequential. A sustainable plan for transportation, studying, and living expenses belongs alongside your academic and career plans.
Want Help Getting Into Texas Southern Law?
I work with applicants one-on-one on the whole application process, from strategy through essays and submission.
Explore my services | Request a consultation
Related Reading
→ How to Build a Smart Law School List
→ Should You Apply Early Decision to Law School?
→ How to Negotiate Law School Scholarships
→ 6 Proven Steps to Get Off a Law School Waitlist
→ How to Get Into Law School Below Both Medians
→ What Holistic Law School Admissions Really Means
→ Blog Directory
Note: While I try to keep this guide up to date, always verify deadlines, requirements, and policies at the Texas Southern Law website before applying.
Think you spotted an outdated requirement or something that doesn't look right? Email moshe@sharperstatements.com with the school and a link to the current information.
