Thurgood Marshall School of Law

What Thurgood Marshall School of Law does

Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) is an ABA-accredited public law school in Houston, Texas, and a constituent college of Texas Southern University. Founded in June 1947 in the wake of the Sweatt v. Painter litigation and formally named after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 1976, TMSL enrolls approximately 600 students in a J.D. program (90 credit hours) and an LL.M. program in Immigration and Nationality Law, with a documented 12:1 faculty-student ratio and a student body that is approximately 85.49% Students of Color. The school is one of only two U.S. law schools where 100% of students participate in a trial simulation program and operates the oldest continuously running legal clinic in Houston (since 1948), structured into four units: Criminal Defense/Title IX, Family Law, Immigration, and Wills/Probate/Guardianship.

The curriculum is reinforced by a Center for Legal Pedagogy (established 1999), an Externship Program with civil, criminal, and judicial tracks, and the Thurgood Marshall Law Review (publishing since 1970). Co-curricular institutes include the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy, Inc. and the Institute for International & Immigration Law. TMSL holds full ABA accreditation (with documented Standard 501(a) compliance and removal of Standard 501(b) remedial action requirements), AALS membership (since January 2014), and SACSCOC institutional accreditation via Texas Southern University.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees — 2025-2026 in-state tuition and fees total $20,418.30, non-resident $27,318.30 — supplemented by application fees ($55 non-refundable via LSAC), Continuing Legal Education programs (tmslcle.com), bar preparation, and state appropriations as a public institution within the Texas Southern University system. Pricing strategy is a structural differentiator: TMSL offers the lowest Cost of Attendance in Texas, with renewable scholarships covering 10%–100% of tuition awarded to 81% of admitted students, scaling proportionally with tuition increases. Distribution is executed through LSAC application infrastructure, recruitment calendar events, virtual tours, campus visits, and international student outreach for the LL.M. program.

Name

Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Legal name

Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Website

https://tsulaw.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Thurgood Marshall School of Law is an ABA-accredited public HBCU law school in Houston, Texas, offering J.D. and LL.M. programs to approximately 600 students, recognized as the most diverse law school in the U.S. and offering the lowest cost of attendance in Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAA

ABA-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAC

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAG

Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAF

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree programs
• Clinical legal training
• Immigration law studies
• Legal scholarship

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public law school generating revenue primarily through tuition and fees from J.D. and LL.M. programs. Additional revenue from application fees ($55 non-refundable), bar preparation programs, and continuing legal education offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thurgood Marshall School of Law is a public, ABA-accredited law school in Houston, Texas, that awards the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Law. Experiential learning is central through legal clinics, externships, a mandatory trial simulation program, and a Center for Legal Pedagogy. The institution also publishes the Thurgood Marshall Law Review and operates research institutes focused on legal and social policy and international/immigration law.

Product overview

Thurgood Marshall School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school offering a comprehensive legal education portfolio. The institution provides a J.D. Program as its core offering, supplemented by an LL.M. Program in Immigration and Nationality Law. Experiential learning is central to the curriculum through the Legal Clinic (Criminal Defense/Title IX, Family Law, Immigration, and Wills/Probate/Guardianship clinics) and Externship Program (Civil, Criminal, and Judicial tracks). The school also supports academic excellence through the Center for Legal Pedagogy and publishes legal scholarship through the Thurgood Marshall Law Review. Additional institutes include the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy and the Institute for International and Immigration Law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thurgood Marshall Law Review: Academic law journal publishing legal scholarship since 1970, originally called Texas Southern Intramural Law Review
• Legal Clinic
• Earl Carl Institute
• Institute for International & Immigration Law
• LL.M. Program in Immigration and Nationality

Products and services

• J.D. Program The Juris Doctor (J.D.) program is the primary law degree program requiring 90 credit hours for graduation. The curriculum emphasizes bar preparation, experiential learning through clinics and externships, and produces graduates ranked in the top five for African-American attorneys.
• LL.M. Program in Immigration and Nationality Law A Master of Laws program specializing in U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Law, preparing international attorneys for practice in U.S. immigration law.
• Legal Clinic A clinical legal education program offering hands-on experience representing real clients in four units: Criminal Defense/Title IX Clinic, Family Law Clinic, Immigration Clinic, and Wills/Probate/Guardianship Clinic. Provides students with experiential learning while offering free legal services to the community.
• Externship Program Academic credit program for legal work in approved settings including governmental agencies, law firms, nonprofit organizations, and judicial chambers. Includes Civil, Criminal, and Judicial externship tracks.
• Mock Trial Program An extra-curricular program providing students opportunities to develop trial advocacy skills through workshops and national competitions, producing practice-ready graduates. Required of all students (100% participation), making TMSL one of only two law schools in the country with this distinction.
• Center for Legal Pedagogy Established in 1999, this center focuses on instructional design for legal education, providing faculty resources, tutoring, assessment support, and the Prep for Law Pre-Orientation program.
• Thurgood Marshall Law Review A legal research and writing forum publishing scholarly articles since 1970, originally called the Texas Southern Intramural Law Review, renamed in 1981 to honor Justice Thurgood Marshall.
• Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy An institute focused on legal and social policy research and advocacy.
• Institute for International and Immigration Law A specialized institute providing research and education in international and immigration law matters.
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Continuing legal education programs offered through tmslcle.com for practicing attorneys, providing ongoing professional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76.8% employed within 10 months of graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• YMCAminorOthersImmigration Law Clinic receives case referrals from YMCA for immigrant clients needing legal representation in immigration proceedings.
• Catholic CharitiesminorOthersImmigration Law Clinic partners with Catholic Charities for case referrals of immigrants facing removal proceedings.
• Tahirih Justice CenterminorOthersImmigration Law Clinic collaborates with Tahirih Justice Center for referrals of immigrants needing legal services.
• American Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFully accredited by the American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. ABA accreditation is essential for bar admission and federal student aid eligibility.
• Association of American Law Schools (AALS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdmitted to membership in AALS in January 2014. AALS membership provides access to faculty development, scholarly collaboration, and professional standards setting.
• CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTMSL is a longtime partner with CLEO, supporting educational opportunities for aspiring law students.
• AccessLexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessLex provides on-campus and online loan repayment and financial education programming through the Center for Education and Financial Capability to help students manage finances.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern University Law Center: ABA-accredited HBCU law school in Baton Rouge, LA with comparable J.D. curriculum, clinical programs, and a public-university affiliation. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and student demographic profile.
• North Carolina Central University School of Law: ABA-accredited HBCU law school in Durham, NC with similar size, public-university affiliation, and historic focus on training African-American attorneys. Comparable admissions profile and clinical emphasis.
• Howard University School of Law: ABA-accredited HBCU law school in Washington, DC with a similarly strong civil rights heritage, comparable J.D. and LL.M. programs, and parallel mission of producing African-American attorneys. Closest structural peer to TMSL.
• South Texas College of Law Houston: ABA-accredited independent law school located in Houston, directly competing for the same metropolitan applicant pool, with overlapping J.D. curriculum and clinical offerings.
• Florida A&M University College of Law: ABA-accredited HBCU law school in Orlando, FL that is the only public law school in its state within an HBCU. Highly comparable in mission, public funding model, and demographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• The University of Texas at Austin School of Law: Top-tier public ABA-accredited law school and the flagship of Texas legal education. Sets the upper bound on admissions selectivity and employment outcomes in the state.
• Texas Tech University School of Law: Public ABA-accredited law school in Lubbock, TX. Comparable public-university structure and Texas applicant pool, but with broader geographic reach and program scale.
• Texas A&M University School of Law: Public ABA-accredited law school in Fort Worth affiliated with a major Texas research university. Competes in the same Texas legal-education market with a much larger resource base and broader program offerings.
• University of Houston Law Center: Larger, established public ABA-accredited law school in Houston with a broader portfolio of programs and stronger national ranking. Competes directly for Houston-area applicants but offers more extensive resources and specializations.
• SMU Dedman School of Law: Private ABA-accredited law school in Dallas, TX with significantly higher tuition. Competes for Texas applicants and offers a broader set of LL.M. specializations, serving as a benchmark for private alternatives to TMSL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thurgood-marshall-school-of-law-59568128158
• Xx.com/tsulaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tmslcareers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thurgood Marshall School of Law