St. Mary’s University School of Law

Introduction

Established in 1927, St. Mary’s Law provides comprehensive opportunities for legal education. The graduate programs at St. Mary’s Law teach more than the rules of law. We accomplish this through holistic admissions, programming to support non-traditional students and our commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Our mission is increase access to the study of law and graduate leaders in the law—advocates with the moral compass to make a difference and a commitment to service. 

Our primary vehicle to create more opportunities for professionals to interface with the law is through Texas’ first Master of Jurisprudence (M.Jur.) degree, which educates non-attorney professionals about the legal system and a host of master’s level certificates, two of which are accredited by the Compliance Certification Board. We are one of 14 schools nationwide and 1 of 17 world-wide with this designation. 

We celebrate and cater to the non-traditional students by recognizing that many of us balance, work, families and school at the same time. As such more than half of our programs can be earned asynchronously and online. All of our faculty are certified to teach online and approach the modality with enthusiasm and respect for the learner.

Master of Jurisprudence (30 credits)

• Concentration in Business and Entrepreneurship Law
• Concentration in Business Risk and Intelligence
• Concentration in Commercial Law
• Concentration in Compliance Business Law and Risk (CCB accredited)
• Concentration in Criminal Justice
• Concentration in Cyber and Data Security Law
• Concentration in Education
• Concentration in Environmental Law
• General Law
• Concentration in Health Care Compliance (CCB accredited)
• Concentration in Health Law
• Concentration in International and Comparative Law
• Concentration in Military and National Security Law
• Concentration in Natural Resource Law
• Concentration in Tax Law
• Concentration in Territorial Law

Certificates (14-17 credits)

• Compliance, Business Law and Risk (CCB accredited)
• Health Care Compliance (CCB accredited)
• Legal Studies
  • Administrative Law
  • Business and Entrepreneurship Law
  • Cyber Law and Data Security
  • Education Law
  • Employment and Human Resources Law
  • International and Comparative Law
  • Oil and Gas Law
  • Procurement Law
  • Tax Law

At St. Mary’s University School of Law, our deep Catholic roots, our innovative instruction, and our location in one of the nation’s most vibrant cities will lead you on a powerful journey toward personal.

We also have several Master of Laws (LLM) degree options, which allow for concentrated focus on specific legal subjects, as well as degree programs for internationally trained attorneys seeking a better understanding of American and international legal systems. 

• LLM in General Law (24 credits)
  • Concentration in Cybersecurity – Private
  • Concentration in Cybersecurity – Public
  • Concentration in Territorial Law 
• LLM in American Legal Studies (24 credits)
• LLM in International and Comparative Law (24 credits)
• LLM in International Criminal Law (24 credits)

Bar Prep for Foreign-trained Attorneys

• Online Access: LLM students enrolled full time in the American Legal Studies Program can prepare for the bar by participating in several courses online at no extra charge. These courses will not appear on the student’s transcript but present an opportunity for LLM students to gain exposure to more instructional time in highly tested bar content. Titles include Contracts, Property, Torts, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law & Regulatory Interpretation, Business Structures & Statutory Compliance, and Commercial Law & Contracting.

• Law Success: Students at any stage in their law school careers are welcome to stop by and visit the Office of Law Success to discuss academic issues, improve their skills in various areas of law study. LLM students enrolled full time in the American Legal Studies Program can prepare for the bar by participating in Law Success Program’s offerings. These courses will not appear on the student’s transcript but present an opportunity for LLM students to self-test and determine their readiness for various sections of the Texas State Bar Exam. Titles include Bar Preparation and Experiential Legal Analysis with MPT.

Top-Notch Clinical Programs

The Center for Legal and Social Justice is home to multiple clinical programs that offer students hands-on legal experience representing San Antonio’s indigent and disadvantaged citizens.

The clinical programs are the Civil Justice Clinic, the Criminal Justice Clinic, and the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic. Students partner with licensed attorneys to work with clients in need.

Law students serve the underrepresented throughout the year in activities including spring break service trips, identity recovery and immigration outreach at San Antonio’s Haven for Hope, pro bono projects, and monthly trips to underserved areas along the Texas-Mexico border.

Top Advocacy Competitors

Year after year, St. Mary’s law students excel in regional and national moot court and mock trial competitions.

The development of practical, real-world litigation skills in a courtroom setting is a crucial element of the St. Mary’s experience. This belief is affirmed every day through the actions and accomplishments of our highly respected advocacy programs. These programs provide an ideal environment for students to develop and polish their trial and appellate courtroom skills, as well as their negotiation, mediation, client counseling and dispute resolution skills that are the hallmark of great attorneys. The St. Mary’s advocacy programs are consistently recognized for competitive excellence on regional and national levels.

Culture

From our UNESCO World Heritage Mission Trail to the River Walk, San Antonio offers culture, history, and nightlife! Our city boasts world-class museums, the King William Historic District, La Villita, and many events such as Fiesta, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and Spurs games. Whether you are in search of a festival, farmers market, or dance hall, we’ve got something just for you. We’re bursting with venues offering vibrant music, traditional and haute cuisine, and dancing. Throw in the mild climate, sunny skies, and low cost of living and it’s easy to understand why San Antonio has become a popular destination of choice!

Strong Alumni Network

Graduates of St. Mary’s University School of Law have become members of the United States Congress, governors and lieutenant governors nationwide, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, state legislators, members of the federal judiciary, and leaders of some of the nation’s most prestigious law firms.

We are recognized as among the nation’s best for post-law school, full-time employment.

Law School Enrollment

During a given year the Law School has approximately

• 700 Juris Doctor (JD) students enrolled.
• 30 Master of Laws (LLM) students enrolled.
• 80 Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) and certificate students enrolled.

World-Class Faculty and Facilities

The St. Mary’s Law faculty includes nationally known subject-area experts, scholars, and practitioners, some of whom have served as Fulbright Scholars as well as former United States Supreme Court and White House Clerks and Fellows.

St. Mary’s University School of Law is a state-of-the-art practice facility for the school’s advocacy programs and also houses visiting courts that occasionally hear oral arguments on campus.

• Sarita Kenedy East Law Library: The Sarita Kenedy East Law Library is the largest legal information center in San Antonio and the surrounding area with a knowledgeable staff equipped to help students with their legal research needs.
• Center for Legal and Social Justice: The Center for Legal and Social Justice is a former retreat house of the Marianist Sisters, located less than one mile from the main campus. In 1996, it became part of St. Mary’s University, and now houses the St. Mary’s Clinical Program, the Pro Bono Program, and the Practice Credit Program. 
• Clinical Program: Students enrolled in clinical program courses can earn academic credit while they gain real-world lawyering skills by acting as the attorney of record for income-qualified clients. Second- and third-year law students participate in the Clinical Program by applying for one of three for-credit courses: Civil Justice Clinic, the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, or the Criminal Justice Clinic. 
• Pro Bono Program: Law students may also volunteer their time through pro bono program opportunities, assisting disadvantaged individuals with legal issues. Students may perform important legal work and gain a better understanding of the legal processes while helping those in need through opportunities, such as those with the ID Recovery Project at Haven for Hope and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Students who meet certain criteria may be awarded a Pro Bono and Public Service Certificate during their graduation ceremony. 
• Warrior Defense Project: The Warrior Defense Project is an educational and working institution, which operates hand-in-hand with government, business and academia on a variety of legal matters associated with providing legal services to deserving service members. It is our intent that over time, as a sufficient body of knowledge is developed, that the legal lessons learned – while assisting service members in need – may become the basis for fixed templates to more efficiently manage the applicable legal issues of the future.
• Conferences/Training: The center conducts seminars, conferences, and training workshops with business entities, law enforcement agencies (at all levels, including the FBI), the Department of Defense, foreign nations, and other educational institutions. These events include challenges associated with human rights, cyber terrorism and infrastructure assurance, disaster relief, border issues, bioterrorism, information assurance, personnel recovery and training, and force protection issues. The events have been held in the United States and abroad, including in Germany, India, China, England, Mexico, France, Egypt, and Israel.