Unranked law school changes its name; dean of similarly named school sees possibility of confusion
Updated: The South Texas College of Law has changed its name to Houston College of Law.
Law dean Donald Guter tells Texas Lawyer (sub. req.) he hopes to improve recruiting and the reputation of the school by linking its name to its heritage and location. The law school is the biggest and the oldest among the three law schools in Houston, and the only one downtown, he said.
Market research had shown low name recognition for the school.
The other law schools in Houston are the University of Houston Law Center and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.
TaxProf Blog and Above the Law question whether the name change will cause confusion. TaxProf Blog notes that the South Texas College of Law is unranked, while the University of Houston Law Center is ranked No. 50 by U.S. News & World Report.
The law dean of the University of Houston Law Center, Leonard Baynes, is also concerned, TaxProf Blog reports. Baynes issued this statement:
“It has come to the University of Houston’s attention that South Texas College of Law has announced that it is changing its name to Houston College of Law. The University of Houston Law Center has an established history of nearly 70 years in the city of Houston. The University of Houston is concerned about the significant confusion this creates in the marketplace and will take any and all appropriate legal actions to protect the interests of our institution, our brand and our standing in the communities we serve. As dean, I will protect the integrity and interests of the University of Houston Law Center. “
A press release announcing the name change is here.
Updated on June 23 to add statement by the dean of the University of Houston Law Center.
