Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro, P.C. Commits Transformational $5 Million Gift to Support UTEP Law School
Gift helps advance community-led effort to establish law school in El Paso.
EL PASO, Texas (April 8, 2026) Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro, P.C. has committed $5 million to support efforts to establish a law school at The JAV名女优馆 of Texas at El Paso. The gift was announced today at a celebration with UTEP President Heather Wilson and partners James Tawney, Alejandro Acosta and Daisy Chaparro Cavazos.
“El Paso is ready for a law school that matches the scale, talent and needs of our region,” said James Tawney, founding parter of Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro, P.C. “This gift provides access and opportunity. Too many talented students in our region, especially first-generation and Hispanic students, face barriers to pursuing a legal education because of cost, distance, or the need to stay close to family support systems that are critical to their success. El Paso institutions have proven that when our students are able to pursue advanced degrees in their own community, they stay, build their careers here, and give back in meaningful ways.”
The gift matches an original $5 million challenge grant committed by the Paul L. Foster Family Foundation last fall, bringing the total raised for the prospective law school to $10 million.
“The legal community is answering the call to make a law school,” said UTEP President Heather Wilson. “Every day, I grow firmer in my belief: There will be a law school in El Paso one day – and it will be at UTEP.”
Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro, P.C. is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year. James Tawney, Alejandro Acosta and Daisy Chaparro Cavazos founded the firm in 2016 and have grown its presence across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The firm represents individuals and families in complex injury matters and is committed to giving back through community-focused initiatives that strengthen the region it serves.
“For more than a decade, we’ve stood with our clients during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and that trust is something we never take lightly. As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, this gift is our way of giving back to our community that has supported us from the very beginning,” said Tawney. “This law school will not only change the lives of the students attending, it will be transformational for generations of families and the future of this community. We’re proud to be part of an initiative that will open doors, create opportunities and expand access to legal services across our region in ways never seen before.”
“We are deeply grateful to James, Alex and Daisy for their leadership,” said UTEP Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Andrea Cortinas. “Their commitment reflects dedication to the El Paso community and helps advance the work needed to bring a law school to UTEP.”
A Texas legislature-commissioned feasibility study completed in 2024 found that establishing a law school at UTEP would fill a gap in the region’s and state’s need for legal services. The study also found that, properly managed and supported, a law school would support itself after a start-up period of 10 years. The cost to start up the law school is about $20 million over that ten-year period, plus the cost of a law school building.
With sufficient support from the community, UTEP will engage in conversations with The JAV名女优馆 of Texas System Board of Regents and Texas Legislature to seek needed approval and additional capital support, potentially submitting a formal request to start a law school during the 2027 legislative session.
UTEP continues to work with local leaders to secure philanthropic and business commitments from the El Paso community to start the law school.
Last Updated on April 08, 2026 at 12:00 AM | Originally published April 08, 2026
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
