Furgeson, 70, appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton in 1994, presides over a federal court in the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. He has also served in federal courts in El Paso, Midland-Odessa and San Antonio.
Furgeson declined to comment, citing judicial ethics, but said in a prepared statement through the university that he's excited for the new challenge.
"Several colleagues have asked me why I would give up a lifetime appointment to take on a startup law school during these tough economic times, when tuition is rising and demand for lawyers is declining," his statement said. "But the prospect of pioneering a new law school that addresses these issues head-on was too challenging and exciting to pass up."
He is committed to serve another 15 months on the bench and plans to take his new position in April 2013. UNT officials plan to begin offering classes in August 2014.
Furgeson earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 1964 and graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1967.
UNT system Chancellor Lee Jackson said Furgeson has a balanced set of skills that matched the university's need to start a law college.
"Judge Furgeson has a superior experience with the Texas legal community, having practiced law and served as judge in four or five of the major areas of the state," Jackson said. "He is quite well known and quite well respected."
Jack Wall, chairman of the UNT Board of Regents, said he is happy with Furgeson's experience both as a lawyer and as a judge, and that his experience should help the university build a well-rounded law school.
"He's going to be familiar with the legal community," Wall said. "We think he'll open all the doors that need to be opened for a new law school to flourish."
He said Furgeson's appointment helps solidify the university's timeline to open the law school by 2014.
Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill in 2009 to create the law school after Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Sen. Royce West, R-Dallas, sponsored the legislation.
Jackson has worked for nearly a decade on creating a law school at UNT, and university leaders have been looking that direction for even longer than that.
In the early 1980s, the university began collecting materials for a law library, anticipating that one day it would open a law school.
Jackson said members of the Board of Regents first talked to him about forming a law school in the area in 2002. That year, Jackson talked to officials at Texas Wesleyan University about purchasing its Fort Worth law school, but Texas Wesleyan wasn't interested in selling.
In 2004, Jackson announced from the steps of the historic Old City Hall complex in downtown Dallas that UNT hoped to open the region's first public law school. Texas Wesleyan and Southern Methodist University, both private institutions, include law schools.
UNT plans to spend $24 million to renovate the former Titche/Joske's department store at 1901 Main St. to serve as the home for the law school for its first three years. As state funds become available, the university plans to renovate the Old Municipal Building, where Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, within five to 10 years.
That area has seen "a great renaissance" in the last three years, Jackson said. Old buildings have been renovated and new buildings have been built. New restaurants and other businesses have opened in the area that was already in close proximity to county, state and federal courts, he said.
"It's changed the face of the neighborhood around where the law school will be," Jackson said. "We're excited about being a part of a downtown that is improving every month."
Jackson said at first the law school would open as an independent part of the UNT system, but after five years, it will become part of UNT Dallas.
He said the university hopes to announce soon the hiring of associate deans for academic affairs and for the law library
