BUILDING A BETTER TEXAS TOGETHER!

Texas House Higher Education Committee Holds Hearing on Rep. Vince Perez’s UTEP Law School Bill

UTEP President Dr. Heather Wilson testifies on Law School Feasibility Study before committee.

AUSTIN, TX – State Representative Vince Perez’s bill, HB 3475 (Relating to the establishment of a public law school in El Paso County) was heard before the House Higher Education Committee, marking the first time a House Committee heard such legislation since the recent completion of a feasibility study on the proposal. UTEP President, Dr. Heather Wilson, testified before the committee about the study.

A feasibility study, funded by the 88ᵗʰ Legislature and led by Kennedy & Company, confirmed that El Paso is the largest U.S. metro more than 250 miles from any law school and that strong student and employer demand exists for a bilingual, outcomes-focused J.D. program. The report recommends enrolling an inaugural 1L class in Fall 2030 and projects that, after an initial ≈ $20 million operating gap over ten years, the school would reach break-even by FY 2037. Estimated capital costs are $40–55 million for the core building shell (≈ $66–110 million all-in), with the UT System and local philanthropy expected to share those start-up expenses.

Perez provided the following remarks before the committee:

"El Paso sits at the strategic crossroads of Texas’s future. This isn’t just about adding another school; it’s about securing Texas’s long-term prosperity.– where education, economy, and international trade converge…Think about our border region: El Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces has over 2.5 million people but not a single law school. The nearest option is 267 miles away in Albuquerque, and the closest in Texas is 345 miles away at Texas Tech. By comparison, within roughly 266 miles of Austin you find nearly every law school in Texas – a dense network of legal education. But far West Texas remains a legal education desert. Our talented students in El Paso must uproot their lives or forgo their dreams. This geographic gap is a strategic weakness we can fix.

Why does this matter for all of Texas? Because El Paso is Texas’s front door to the world. Mexico is our number one trading partner, the top buyer of Texas goods year after year. In fact, $89 billion in U.S.–Mexico trade passed through El Paso in 2021 alone. Every day, commerce, energy, and ideas flow across our border. To keep Texas dominant in trade, law, and business, we must train more lawyers who understand international markets, bilingual communication, and cross-border issues. An El Paso law school at UTEP would do exactly that – producing attorneys skilled in international business law, trade policy, immigration, and AI-driven industry needs. In tomorrow’s economy, where artificial intelligence and global trade shape jobs, Texas needs legal minds on the border ready to lead.

Importantly, this proposal is the product of careful study and broad support – not a leap of faith. The Legislature funded a feasibility study last session, and the results are clear: a UTEP law school is viable and needed. The study found that after a startup period of about ten years, the law school would sustain itself financially. The startup cost – about $20 million over ten years – is a prudent investment for a permanent institution. To put that in perspective, $20 million spread over a decade is a fiscally responsible sum in our state budget, especially given the return: expanded access to justice and economic growth. Local philanthropic efforts are already underway to support facilities and operations.

Let’s also talk about need and demand. El Paso is the largest major metro in Texas without a law school, and it shows – we have fewer lawyers per capita than other big cities. Many state agency lawyers, corporate counsel, and judges in Austin or Dallas started at a hometown law school. El Pasoans deserve that same opportunity. In a UTEP survey, 53% of local respondents expressed interest in attending law school if one were accessible here. Statewide, Texas needs more law graduates in the coming years – J.D. job openings still outnumber law school graduates in Texas. And critically, Texas needs more bilingual, bicultural attorneys. A UTEP law school would meet this need, attracting students from both sides of the border and producing Spanish-proficient lawyers for Texas. Think of the value: attorneys who can seamlessly negotiate a contract in English or Spanish, who understand Texas law and Mexican business culture – they will give Texas an edge in every deal and every courtroom involving our top trading partner.

Under HB 3475, any Texas university system (with particular attention to the UT System with UTEP) could establish the law school in El Paso, with proper approval and accreditation steps. We’ve built in accountability – the school must meet the same high standards as other Texas law schools, and we explicitly allow partnerships, gifts, and even bonds to fund it. In short, we are empowering a smart, phased approach: first secure funding commitments, then obtain the Coordinating Board’s nod and ABA accreditation, and open doors by the end of the decade. The feasibility study gives us a roadmap: if we secure funding commitments in the next 12–18 months, a formal proposal to the Legislature could come as early as 2027, and the school could open by 2030.

Establishing the UTEP School of Law isn’t a regional ask – it’s a strategic move for Texas. It will strengthen our legal workforce in a part of the state that drives immense trade. It will give West Texas students a fair shot to join the legal profession without leaving home. It will produce lawyers uniquely equipped for border security challenges, international business, and emerging technologies. And it will do so with a modest, responsible state investment, after which the school stands on its own feet.

As we consider other bills today about higher education and workforce development, let’s also think big. Texas didn’t become the economic powerhouse it is by being timid. We built Tier-1 universities, medical schools, and research centers because we knew the payoff was huge. A law school in El Paso is our next strategic investment to keep Texas competitive and prosperous…We can open the doors of opportunity in El Paso – and in doing so, secure a brighter future for all of Texas."

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Vince Perez is State Representative for House District 77 in El Paso. He serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee as well the committees on Higher Education and Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendars. He is the former El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 3 and was named the 2016 County Leader of the Year by American City & County Magazine. He is a lifelong resident of El Paso's Mission Valley, where he lives with his dogs Whiskey, Lady, and Manchas.