Texas Southern University is setting its sights on securing $120 million in legislative funds to construct a new building for the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, with concerns about safety and accessibility for students with disabilities driving the initiative. The law school, nestled in Houston's historic Third Ward, has endured the wrath of multiple storms over nearly half a century, from Hurricane Rita to Hurricane Harvey, leading to persistent infrastructure issues. In response to these challenges, the American Bar Association has warned Texas Southern University that their current facilities do not meet the association's standards, as was reported by Click2Houston.
The American Bar Association's concerns with the current state of the building include health and safety risks and the need for more elevators and space to accommodate students and faculty—especially those with disabilities. Despite the lack of a set deadline from the American Bar Association for these improvements, the risk looms over Texas Southern University that failing to act could impact the school's accreditation, which is crucial as it ensures students are eligible for federal financial aid. These concerns were echoed by the university's president, James W. Crawford III, who emphasized the importance of delivering an optimal learning environment, stating "I cannot speculate on what failing to replace the aging facility would mean. What I would say is we owe our students the best learning and preparatory experience possible," according to an interview with Texas Tribune.
This isn't the first time Texas Southern University has reached out for funds; a previous request for $415 million for capital projects was rejected during the last legislative session. Now, the $120 million ask for a new law school is part of a broader $202 million request that also includes maintenance and safety upgrades across other campus facilities. As chronicled by the Texas Tribune, the university's law school holds significant historical weight, having been established in the 1940s for a Black student who was denied entry into the University of Texas at Austin's law school and was later renamed after the U.S. Supreme Court's first Black justice, Thurgood Marshall, in 1978.
The Thurgood Marshall School of Law plays a crucial role not only in the fabric of Texas Southern University but in the legal landscape of Texas as it's renowned for graduating the most Black attorneys in the state and ranking third for Latino attorneys. Such institutions, however, have faced systemic underfunding; the U.S. Department of Education informed that 16 states, Texas included, have failed to sufficiently fund historically Black colleges and universities, resulting in a collective shortfall of $12 billion over 30 years, as Click2Houston reports. The resolution of Texas Southern University's funding request remains to be seen as the legislative session continues, with a budget deadline looming on June 2.
