{"id":242344,"date":"2026-04-09T18:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T18:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/242344\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T18:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T18:15:07","slug":"could-el-paso-get-its-first-law-school-its-one-step-closer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/242344\/","title":{"rendered":"Could El Paso Get Its First Law School? It\u2019s One Step Closer!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Bringing a law school to El Paso? What, like it\u2019s hard? Not for a few El Paso lawyers who have taken a major step toward bringing a law school to The University of Texas at El Paso!<\/p>\n<p>Tawney, Acosta &amp; Chaparro, P.C. has pledged a transformational $5 million gift to support efforts to establish the long-anticipated law school in El Paso. The announcement was made during a celebration alongside UTEP President Heather Wilson and firm partners James Tawney, Alejandro Acosta and Daisy Chaparro Cavazos.<\/p>\n<p>The donation matches a $5 million challenge grant previously committed by the Paul L. Foster Family Foundation, bringing the current total raised to $10 million.<\/p>\n<p>Credit: University of Texas at El Paso<\/p>\n<p>Credit: University of Texas at El Paso<\/p>\n<p>Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/kisselpaso.com\/cheapest-gas-in-el-paso\/?utm_source=tsmclip&amp;utm_medium=referral\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">LIST: Where to Find the Cheapest Gas in El Paso, Texas<\/a><\/p>\n<p>UTEP Law School Plan Is A Big Win for El Paso<\/p>\n<p>El Paso leaders say the impact could be game-changing for the region because it could help keep aspiring law students here in El Paso instead of them having to leave the city to study.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For years, many aspiring law students in the Borderland, especially first-generation and Hispanic students, have faced barriers like cost, distance, and the need to stay close to family. A local law school would remove many of those obstacles!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is about access and opportunity,\u201d said founding partner James Tawney, noting that students who study locally are more likely to build careers and give back to El Paso.<\/p>\n<p>Credit: University of Texas at El Paso<\/p>\n<p>Credit: University of Texas at El Paso<\/p>\n<p>Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/kisselpaso.com\/feria-juarez-2026\/?utm_source=tsmclip&amp;utm_medium=referral\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez Announces Feria Ju\u00e1rez 2026 Summer Dates<\/a><\/p>\n<p>UTEP\u2019s Law School Dream Could Soon Be A Reality<\/p>\n<p>A 2024 feasibility study commissioned by the Texas Legislature found that a UTEP law school would help address a growing need for legal services across the region and could become self-sustaining within a decade. Startup costs are estimated at $20 million, not including a facility.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe legal community is answering the call to make a law school,\u201d said UTEP President Heather Wilson. \u201cEvery day, I grow firmer in my belief: There will be a law school in El Paso one day \u2013 and it will be at UTEP.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With continued community support, UTEP leaders hope to seek formal approval as early as the 2027 legislative session which will bring the vision of a hometown law school one step closer to reality.<\/p>\n<p>Rolling with the Ladies Car Show<\/p>\n<p>From classic cars to lifted trucks, this El Paso event brings together the best rides and a strong community vibe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photogallery-credit\">Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Rolling with the ladies<\/p>\n<p>Krystall Poppin For A Purpose Fest 2026<\/p>\n<p>Krystall Poppin for a Purpose Fest invites El Paso locals to a parade, bazaar, car show, and abuelita contest benefiting Our Lady of Assumption Church.<\/p>\n<p class=\"photogallery-credit\">Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Krystall Poppin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bringing a law school to El Paso? What, like it\u2019s hard? Not for a few El Paso lawyers&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":242345,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139,141,142,6262,143,833],"class_list":{"0":"post-242344","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-el-paso","8":"tag-el-paso","9":"tag-el-paso-headlines","10":"tag-el-paso-news","11":"tag-featured-carousel","12":"tag-include-in-newsletter","13":"tag-list-posts","14":"tag-local-el-paso","15":"tag-local-texas"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}