Happy 10th birthday, Umphrey Law Center!

Ten years ago this week, the first classes were held in the new home of Baylor Law School, the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center.

Located on the banks of the Brazos River, the facility measures 128,000 square feet — more than double the size of the law school’s previous home, Morrison Constitution Hall, which had housed Baylor Law for 45 years. The center was named for 1965 Baylor law graduate Walter Umphrey and his wife, Sheila, who made a then-unprecedented $10 million gift to the school.

With its state-of-the-art classrooms, courtrooms, law library facilities and other areas, the Umphrey Law Center has allowed Baylor law to maintain its place among the top programs in the country. For example, Baylor students have claimed the top pass rate on the Texas State Bar Exam 14 times since 2001, and in the latest U.S.News rankings, Baylor’s trial advocacy program was ranked third in the nation.

Sic ’em, Baylor Law!