In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.FORT WORTH, Texas — Just outside the cascading pools of the Fort Worth Water Gardens, a different kind of transformation is underway.Construction crews move between rising buildings. Law students hurry between classes. Texas Business Court judges work inside facilities, literally inside the law school. Across several downtown blocks, Texas A&M University is building what its leaders hope will become one of the nation’s premier hubs for legal education, business innovation, and public service.
Texas A&M signage awaits installation outside the university’s new Fort Worth campus as construction nears completion. (Courtesy of Texas A&M University)
The construction and development follow the trajectory of Texas A&M University School of Law itself.In 2022, the school ranked No. 46 among 192 law schools. Four years later, it sits at No. 22, closing the gap with the University of Texas School of Law, which ranks No. 16, and placing itself ahead of longer-established institutions such as George Washington University, Boston University, Villanova University, and George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.“No law school has risen in the rankings and in the eyes of the profession as far and as fast as Texas A&M has,” said Lawrence Solum, a nationally recognized constitutional law scholar who is leaving the University of Virginia School of Law to join Texas A&M this fall.The school’s ascent has also attracted the attention of influential figures beyond academia and closer to Washington.Tax records reviewed by the Washington Examiner show that Leonard Leo, the conservative legal activist who played a major role in helping President Donald Trump select three Supreme Court justices during his first term, donated $5 million to Texas A&M in 2024.A source familiar with the matter said Leo’s total support is believed to be upwards of $15 million, though the Washington Examiner was only able to confirm the amount reflected in tax filings.In this Nov. 16, 2016, photo, Federalist Society Executive Vice President Leonard Leo speaks to media at Trump Tower in New York. Leo is advising President Donald Trump on his Supreme Court nominee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
