Student Organizations

Aggie Law Students seeks to assist those law students who have obtained a degree from Texas A&M and/or have some Aggie connection and wish to realize the benefits of being plugged into the Aggie Network. To that end, the organization invites Aggie attorneys to speak at its meetings, often in a more informal setting where students can ask all types of questions. Aggie Law Students has organized happy hours to gather and watch Texas A&M athletics BTHO their Big 12 opponents. In addition, Aggie Law Students provides a connection to the organization's professional counterpart, the Texas Aggie Bar Association.  

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) promotes the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and the fundamental values it expresses: individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, access to justice, democracy and the rule of law. These abiding principles are reflected in the vision of the Constitution's framers and the wisdom of forward-looking leaders who have shaped our law throughout American history. ACS believes that law can and should be a force for improving the lives of all people. We are revitalizing and transforming legal and policy debates in classrooms, courtrooms, legislatures and the media, and we are building a diverse and dynamic network of progressives committed to justice.      

The National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (NAPALSA) represents the interests of Asian Pacific American law students and provides advocacy, support, and career development opportunities for its members throughout the United States.

APIL is dedicated to public interest work in Texas and serves many purposes, including: (1) raising awareness of public sector jobs through job fairs and speaking events; (2) helping students explore how attorneys address social issues, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and immigration; and (3) raising money through our annual APIL Fools Auction to provide stipends for law students, who will intern for non-profit agencies during the summer. 

The Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) is a non-profit organization founded in 1981 to enhance the professionalism of cross-border energy negotiators throughout the world.

The Association of Law & Politics (ALP) serves as a non-partisan student organization to promote political awareness and involvement at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. The Goals of ALP include: facilitating non-partisan dialogue on political issues; raising awareness of political issues among law students; encouraging current and future participation in the political process and the larger civic community; the examination of political issues from a legal perspective; and providing information related to careers in political advocacy and public policy.  

The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) is one of the largest student-run organizations in the nation. Originally founded in 1968 on the campus of NYU Law School by Mr. AJ Cooper, BLSA's mission is to articulate and promote the needs and goals of black law students, as well as effect change within the legal community. The SMU Chapter perpetuates that mission through academic programs that facilitate the transition to law school for students of all races, ethnicities, and nationalities. In addition, we provide professional development programming that enables our students to learn more about the legal profession through various networking and business etiquette events. Finally, we participate in various community service initiatives so that students may learn to better balance their legal career with their community involvement. BLSA is an all-inclusive organization and ALL students are welcome to attend meetings and social events held throughout the school-year. We look forward to seeing you at a meeting or an event!  

Students at the law school have many opportunities to participate in oral advocacy competitions.

The BOARD OF ADVOCATES (BOA) is a organization led by an Executive Board composed of students and a faculty sponsor. The BOA's primary purpose is to promote practical experience in written and oral advocacy through a variety of competitions throughout the school year, and a Mock Trial Academy during the summer. The competitions are an excellent source for students desiring "real world" advocacy exposure and experience.

The BOA coordinates intramural mock trial, moot court, negotiation, client counseling, and mediation competitions which are open to all SMU law students, as well as the Jackson Walker Moot Court Competition for all first year students. These competitions are judged by local practitioners and members of the law faculty. The BOA also sponsors student teams for various state, national, and international interscholastic mock trial, moot court, negotiation, client counseling, and mediation competitions.

The BOA office is located at room 24B in the lower level of Storey Hall.      

Website

We encourage and support students through relevant and inspiring speakers, provide events of interest to all students, and build a network with other Dallas Christian attorneys through our new mentor program.   

The CLA seeks to further the individual welfare of its members, to foster education and research in the fields of law and commerce, and to educate the student body to appreciate the integration of law and commerce.   

The Criminal Law Association's purpose is to educate students about the different aspects of criminal law and provide them with opportunities to network with professionals who have already made their mark in the field.     

The SMU Energy Law Association's (ELA) objectives are to raise awareness of energy related legal issues; to generate student interest in energy law, to facilitate an ongoing dialogue regarding energy law and related legal issues; and to embrace the educational opportunities of law students interested in energy law. ELA meets these objectives through meetings, speakers, and mentoring.  

The Environmental Law Society gives students interested in environmental law a means to meet people working in the area of environmental law while learning more about the career options available in the field.    

The SMU Family Law Association (FLA) works to bring together students who are interested in learning about the field of Family Law. The FLA sponsors speakers and events to promote awareness of family law issues and career opportunities, and serves as a source of family law information to both the law school and the local community. In addition, the FLA works to promote interaction with the Dallas Bar Association Family Law section to provide networking and mentoring opportunities for students interested in Family Law.     

Founded more than 25 years ago, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservative and libertarian lawyers founded on the principle that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what the law should be. The Federalist Society currently has active chapters at every ABA approved law school and more than 40,000 active lawyer-members. By welcoming all students and indeed all viewpoints to participate in our debate panels, speaker events, community outreach and social/professional networking events, we believe that the vital sharing of opinions and discussions of such opinions will lead to a more enlightened and thus more educated, tolerant and cohesive generation of lawyers.     

The objectives of the SMU Health Law Association (HLA) are to raise awareness of health related legal issues; to generate student interest in health law, to facilitate an ongoing dialogue regarding health law and related legal issues; and to embrace the educational opportunities of law students interested in health law. HLA meets these objectives through meetings, speakers, and mentoring.      

HLSA's purpose is to serve as a support organization for Hispanic students, to facilitate awareness of education and professional opportunities to these students, and to promote Hispanic interests and awareness in the larger community through involvement with other campus minority organizations, community service projects, and interaction with the Dallas Hispanic legal community. By planning meetings and events that welcome all students at SMU Dedman School of Law, HLSA aims to serve the larger law school community, as well as those who choose to be HLSA members. 

The mission of the Organization shall be to promote awareness of immigration law and the careers therein by bringing professionals from government, public interest, and private immigration practices to the law school. The Organization wishes to encourage greater student involvement with respect to immigrant issues through various edification efforts and community outreach initiatives and will facilitate access to volunteer/job opportunities. Most importantly, the association shall serve as a space where law students can openly discuss the legal and political immigration landscape.

The IPO is one of the most active interest based organizations of Dedman School of Law. Meetings are frequently held to cover various aspects of Intellectual Property including Copyright, Trademark, Tradeservice, and Patent Law. IPO also hosts numerous speaker events to discuss topics such as the practical business application of IP law and how to prepare for the the Patent Bar. IPO also serves as a career base for students interested in IP law as we are the first to hear about job, moot court and out-of-school networking opportunities specifically designed for students interested in IP.    

The International Law Review Association (ILRA) facilitates the editorial and publication processes of a student-run law journal, The International Lawyer (TIL). The ILRA also publishes The Year in Review, an annual publication of the American Bar Association’s Section of International Law. 

Mission Statement: promote awareness, study, and understanding of international law and related issues; to encourage communication and cooperation among law students and lawyers internationally; to contribute to legal education; to promote social responsibility in the field of law; to increase opportunities to learn about other cultures and legal systems worldwide; and to publicize career opportunities in international law.    

We affirm the strength brought to the law by a lawyer's personal religious conviction. Our goals are to foster public service and professional excellence in order to promote fairness and virtue founded upon the rule of law. 

JLSA is a cultural, social, and educational organization that reflects the varied interests of the Jewish student community of SMU Dedman School of Law.      

The SMU Labor and Employment Law Students Association is a student-run organization focused on raising awareness and student interest in the field of labor and employment law. We work with the Dallas Bar Association and American Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section in hosting panels on labor and employment law and to provide networking opportunities for students. Our primary goal is to assist aspiring sports and entertainment attorneys in making the necessary connections to facilitate a future in labor and employment law. Our secondary goal is to educate law students about current trends in the labor and employment legal market and to disseminate information on scholarships and internships in this area of law.      

The SMU OUTlaw student organization is a diverse group of law students, faculty, staff, and their significant others and friends who all support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and initiatives.

The purpose of this Fraternity shall be to form a strong bond uniting students and teachers of the law with members of the Bench and Bar in a fraternal fellowship designed to advance the ideals of liberty and equal justice under law; to stimulate excellence in scholarship; to inspire the virtues of compassion and courage; to foster integrity and professional competence; to promote the welfare of its members; and to encourage their moral, intellectual, and cultural advancement; so that each member may enjoy a lifetime of honorable professional and public service. Phi Alpha Delta ("PAD") welcomes you to SMU Dedman School of Law! PAD is the largest law fraternity in the county and is a great organization from which to begin your legal career. This year we are planning a number of social events and speaker conferences that are a great way to meet other law students and have some fun. PAD will be accepting new members at the beginning of the semester and will also be hosting a welcome back happy hour where new or prospective members can meet PAD's returning students. We will be sending out more information about recruiting and events during the first few weeks of school. We look forward to meeting you!     

Phi Delta Phi (aka "PDP") is SMU Dedman School of Law's only Legal Honors Fraternity. During the spring semester of each school year, Phi Delta Phi invites the top 33% of the class to become initiated. PDP is an International Legal Fraternity that was established in 1869, and it is now the world's largest legal fraternity. Please note that to become a member of PDP, you may not be a member of any other legal fraternity. The most notable activity of PDP is the Teddy Bear Immunity toy drive and fundraiser, in which PDP collects teddy bears, or alternatively $5 donations, from SMU law students. In exchange for their donations, the students receive immunity from getting called on in their classes, and the proceeds are used to give teddy bears to children for comfort during times of sickness and tragedy. For more information on Phi Delta Phi, please see the website at  http://www.phideltaphi.org/

The Real Estate Law Association serves the unique interests of law students interested in pursing a career in real estate through connecting law students to the larger real estate legal community. We invite real estate practitioners in the fields of law and finance to speak at workshops and seminars at the law school. We encourage networking in the real estate community by keeping students updated on DFW real estate events and organization membership opportunities.     

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms. To that end, the SAF carries on many educational and legal action programs designed to better inform the public about the gun control debate.   

Published four times each year, the SMU Law Review reaches law schools, attorneys, and judges throughout the United States and abroad. Each issue includes articles by prominent legal scholars and practitioners dealing with significant questions of local, national, and international law. In addition, articles by students analyze recent cases, statutes, and developments in the law. All editing is done by student members of the board of editors and the staff. The SMU Law Review also sponsors the annual SMU Corporate Counsel Symposium on current developments in corporate law. The symposium attracts corporate practitioners from throughout the United States.      

The SMU Sports and Entertainment Law Association is a student run organization that facilitates various sports and entertainment law related events for educational and networking purposes. We bring in guest lecturers from major sports and entertainment firms in the DFW metroplex to give lunch talks. We collaborate with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers and the Dallas Bar Association to organize workshops and outings. We bring in speakers from major sports law institutes and ABA accredited law schools. Our primary goal is to assist aspiring sports and entertainment attorneys in making the necessary connections to facilitate a future in sports and entertainment law. Our secondary goal is to educate law students about current trends in the sports and entertainment legal market. Additionally, our organization seeks to provide public service to the community through volunteer activities and donations.    

The Student Bar Association (SBA) is the governing body for the students at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. The objectives of the SBA are to advance the best interests of legal education; to actively support and institute, when necessary, procedures and practices for the betterment of the law school; and to promote the academic, professional and social well-being of the membership. The SBA also represents the concerns and interests of the law school student body and sponsors a variety of extracurricular events. All students are urged to serve on one or more of the SBA committees.

The SMU Student Bar Association (SBA) is composed of all students in the School of Law. Each year the students of the Dedman School of Law elect 21 student representatives, including 4 executive officers, to serve on the SBA Voting Council. The Voting Council is the Legislative arm of the SBA. Officers, second-year, and third-year class representatives are elected in the spring semester of each academic year. Class representatives for first-year students are elected approximately one month after the fall semester has commenced.
A list of the2017-2018 student organizations's officers is here.

Mailing Address:
The Student Bar Association
Dedman School of Law
Southern Methodist University
P.O. Box 750116 Dallas, Texas
75275-0116
Phone: 214-768-2359
Website: http://blog.smu.edu/sba/    

Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA), was founded in 1949 to protect the rights of Texas’ families.  It is the only organization comprised of trial lawyers who stand up for the rights of plaintiffs and the trial lawyers who represent them. 

Women in Law (WIL) is a student organization that strives to increase career, mentoring and networking opportunities for all women at the Dedman School of Law. With over 300 members, WIL is the largest law student organization on-campus. Because of its size, WIL attracts a diverse and well-rounded student population, who actively participate in all of our events.