Cara Pierce

Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Masters of Legal Studies Program @Smu Dedman School Of Law

Dallas, TX, US

I am thrilled to return to SMU law school to lead a new online Masters of Legal Studies program and to teach the next generation of business, sports and public service professionals. SMU’s part time, online MLS program will serve professionals whose work involves the law, but who are not lawyers, including HR professionals, compliance officers, real estate agents, and business managers that work in highly regulated industries. The program will offer a sports law concentration for those wanting to work as sports agents or in sports related business, and a criminal justice concentration for law enforcement and criminal justice professions seeking career advancement or wanting to teach. I am excited to have the opportunity to direct and teach in this program, that is expected to launch in the Fall of 2025.As an Assistant Clinical Professor, I will also have the opportunity to teach law students on campus. In my first course, Advanced Criminal Law: Human Trafficking and Hate Crimes, I will share knowledge I gained during my twelve years as a federal prosecutor and two years as Division Chief over the Texas Attorney General’s Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Division.