Texas Bar Foundation Awards $20K to SMU Dedman Law's Heirs' Property Project

Grant supports free legal help for Dallas families working to secure title to inherited homes.

DALLAS (SMU) – The Texas Bar Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Heirs’ Property Project at SMU’s Dedman School of Law which helps Dallas families with limited incomes prove they own the homes they inherited. The grant runs for one year beginning October 16, 2026, and funds a full-time attorney who will represent families while helping train the next generation of lawyers. The grant also provides funding for the project’s community workshops, where the public receives education on heirs’ property issues. So far in 2026, the project has cleared title on more than 21 properties, and at least 25 more matters are in progress. It estimates that its work has already preserved $4.7 million in home equity for Dallas families in 2026 alone, an average of about $225,000 per property handled since January.

Heirs’ property occurs when a home passes down without a will or a completed probate. Family members still live there, but without clear legal title; they cannot claim a homestead exemption that lowers property taxes or qualify for subsidized home repair programs. The family is also more exposed to tax foreclosure and predatory buyers.

The project’s law students and lawyers help clients clear title with affidavits of heirship, new deeds, probate representation and estate planning designed to prevent similar problems in the future. The project also seeks to expand legal capacity in the Dallas community by engaging volunteer attorneys and developing future public interest lawyers.

Legal work handled by the project can range from helping a widower remain in his late spouse’s home with their children, to researching five generations of family history to determine the current owners of a home, to helping parents preserve the family home for the next generation.

Professors Mary Spector and Joanna Grossman co-direct the project through Dedman Law’s Legal Clinics. Homestead Preservation fellow Eryn Lyle serves as the staff attorney and runs the day-to-day casework. Law students work on cases under faculty supervision and develop practical legal skills they can take with them into their practice.

The project began in fall 2024 with workshops at Jubilee Park Community Center, then moved into West Dallas with Wesley-Rankin Community Center and Builders of Hope CDC. It has also expanded into additional Dallas neighborhoods with other community partners.

“Without access to legal services, many families have owned their homes for generations without formal legal title,” Spector said. “Through their work to clear title on heirs’ property matters, students develop important legal skills while gaining an appreciation of the difference that lawyers can make in their communities.”

Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $32 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation's largest charitably-funded bar foundation. 

Families seeking help can contact the project at heirsproperty@smu.edu or 214-768-2562.

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For over 101 years, SMU Dedman School of Law has been a leader in legal education, preparing over 18,000 alumni to excel in law, business, government, and beyond. From its founding in 1925 as the first major law school in the city of Dallas, Dedman Law has built a reputation for academic rigor, innovative programs, and a commitment to public service. With nationally ranked specialties in areas like Business and Corporate Law and Trial Advocacy, the school offers distinctive programs that benefit more than 750 students each year. Learn more at smu.edu/law.

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