The University of Texas at Austin announced on March 16, 2026, that it will construct its first dedicated residence hall for law students, to be built at the northwest corner of East Dean Keeton and Medical Arts streets directly across from the law school.

The new residence hall will have more than 300 beds and amenities, including a large library-style reading room, a cafe, a gym and two roof decks. It will provide Texas Law students with unprecedented proximity to the school, a strong sense of community and extraordinary value, according to the university.

The design architects are Ryan and Stephanie Lemmo of Austin-based Lemmo Architecture and Design; Meeks + Partners, a Houston-based firm, serves as the architect of record; and Greystar is the builder.

"Texas Law has long been the best place in the world to be a law student," said Bobby Chesney, dean of the UT School of Law. "The residence hall will ensure that remains the case long into the future, delivering extraordinary training and job outcomes for our students, with affordability that our peers cannot match. As changes in the Austin rental market increased costs for some students while driving others to commute long distances, we saw this as a challenge that could also be an opportunity. The residence hall will deliver on that with a remarkable boost to community, value and proximity for our students."

Chesney added that philanthropy associated with the new building is expected to result in a further strategic benefit: a massive increase to the school's scholarship resources.

This announcement follows recent news of the university's campus master planning initiative, which is designed to guide the university's growth and enhance the campus experience, including housing on and near campus.

Groundbreaking on the law school residence hall project occurred in late March, with construction of the building scheduled for completion before its first residents are welcomed in August 2028. 