Our Story

South Texas College of Law Houston was the city’s first law school, established at the YMCA by prominent Houston leaders to ensure working professionals could gain an exceptional legal education. So began a tradition of educational excellence and relevant career preparation that has now spanned a century.

First established as South Texas School of Law, it opened its doors Sept. 24, 1923, with seven part-time instructors and 34 students. Classes were held in a single room in the YMCA, with wooden fans suspended from the ceiling and chairs with arms that served as desks. By 1945, when it changed its name to South Texas College of Law, enrollment had surpassed the University of Texas School of Law for the first time.

In the following years, the law school experienced consistent growth in faculty, students, educational quality, and visibility. Reflecting this, South Texas received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates in 1959 and earned the ABA’s full accreditation in 1969. During that decade, it became the first law school in Texas to award a J.D. degree to graduates.

A key moment in the law school’s history came in 1974 when it hosted the first Spurgeon Bell Moot Court Competition. This was a critical step in establishing South Texas’s reputation in advocacy — a reputation that has only grown stronger over time. Under Professor T. Gerald Treece’s leadership, the advocacy program became a national advocacy powerhouse. In 1979, the program was for the first time named one of the best in the country.

After South Texas won the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition for the fourth straight year in 1993, the ABA retired the national trophies for best team and best brief to the school. The following year, a South Texas team won the Association of the Bar of New York National Moot Court Competition, nicknamed “the Super Bowl of trial advocacy.” By 2016, the Advocacy Program earned “best of the decade” recognition.

As it continued to grow, STCL Houston also became known as one of the nation’s most diverse law schools. Enrollment would increase significantly among women and minority students, eventually leading to high rankings from a number of national publications. In the final years of the 20th century, STCL Houston built on its commitment to provide a high-quality, relevant legal education that prepared graduates for a successful career. It gained membership in the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) by a unanimous vote and also created the unique Consortium for Innovative Legal Education (CILE) with four other independent law schools.

Now, the law school is located at 1303 San Jacinto in a building that takes up an entire city block. In fall 2022, STCL Houston began its 100^th year of classes and continued innovating — adding a part-time, primarily online schedule to allow students to earn its exceptional J.D. degree from anywhere. In the centennial year of 2023, the law school will honor the past, celebrate the present, and build the future.