SMU Dedman School of Law's academic centers provide an interdisciplinary platform for educational programming, to facilitate academic research, and to provide educational opportunities that engage students and the academic and business/legal communities.
The Tsai Center explores how law and policy affect scientific research and discovery as well as the development and commercialization of new technologies. The Tsai Center also explores the converse — how scientific discoveries and new technologies affect ethics, society, private industry, and governmental institutions and agencies.
The Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center’s independent research and its development of educational opportunities are focused on issues ranging from wrongful convictions to over-incarceration. The overarching goal of the Center is to promote the fair, ethical, and compassionate treatment of people involved in every stage of the criminal justice process.
The new Robert B. Rowling Center for Business Law and Leadership in SMU’s Dedman School of Law will train the next generation of prominent legal and business leaders and influence national conversations surrounding business and corporate law. The Rowling Center will enrich the School’s existing curriculum, and include new leadership training to highlight professionalism and “soft skills,” as well as empirical training to teach core business skills.