2009-2010 FSU Graduate Bulletin
College of Law
Dean: Donald J. Weidner; Associate Deans: Wayne A. Logan, Nancy L. Benavides, Donna R. Christie, Jim Rossi; Assistant Deans: Rosanna Catalano, Janeia Daniels, Ryan Little; Director of the Research Center: Faye Jones
Florida State Law's highly-accomplished and accessible faculty delivers a program with a liberal-arts orientation designed to produce well-rounded and effective lawyers.
U.S. News & World Report (2008) ranks the school's environmental-law program 10th in the nation, and also ranks the school in the top tier of American law schools in terms of academic reputation (at 49). PreLaw magazine ranks the school as the nation's 4th "Best Value" law school, based on employment rate, bar passage, and tuition. Additionally, the law school is also the nation's 5th best law school for Hispanics, according to Hispanic Business magazine. In August 2008, the Student Bar Association was selected "SBA of the Year" by the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association.
The current student body represents 36 states, 10 countries, and 172 colleges and universities. 25 percent of the students in the entering 2008 class have LSAT scores of 161 or higher and the average LSAT is 159. The average GPA is 3.5.
Because of its liberal-arts orientation, the Law School places great value on close working relationships among students and faculty. Students consistently say that our accessible faculty of experts is what makes their law-school experience outstanding. The dynamic faculty is comprised of scholars who make it a priority to be available to students inside and outside of the classroom.
Florida State offers law students a wealth of legal employment opportunities. Located in Tallahassee, a city with more than 450 law firms and numerous government agencies, Florida State Law is just steps away from the State Capitol, the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
Florida State Law offers two unique programs to undergraduates interested in attending law school. The Summer for Undergraduates program is the largest of its kind and has become a model for other law schools in the nation. Approximately sixty undergraduate college students are chosen to participate in this month-long program which exposes students to the law school experience. During the program, undergraduates attend daily classes taught by law-school professors and writing instructors. Lectures familiarize students with the functions of the American legal system and the process by which conflicts are resolved. Writing workshops help students develop their writing and communication skills. In addition to classes, the program provides guest lecturers from the legal community and includes observation of courtroom proceedings and visits to local law firms. The Florida State University College of Law provides room and board, course materials, and a $500 stipend to all participants. Students are responsible for their travel to and from Tallahassee. For more information about this program, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at (850) 644-7338 or saffairs@law.fsu.edu.
Florida State Law also offers an honors program to FSU undergraduates. Each year, a select number of Honors Program undergraduate students are invited to become members of the FSU Honors Legal Scholars Program. This competitive program provides FSU honors students the opportunity to become members of the law school community as undergraduate students. As a member of the Honors Legal Scholars Program, students have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with FSU law faculty and administrators, observe law classes, attend law-school events and lectures, and gain valuable information and insight into law school and the legal profession. Upon completion of the bachelors degrees, these scholars will receive automatic admission to the FSU College of Law, provided that they complete and submit an FSU law-school application;, have an LSAT score of 161 or higher and, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.6;, and have a record that reflects the fitness of character to study law. For more information about this honors program, please contact the Admissions Office at (850) 644-3787 or admissions@law.fsu.edu.
Curriculum
The College's three-year curriculum for the Juris Doctor (JD) degree is rich and diverse; it begins with traditional courses and expands to include the latest in theoretical and interdisciplinary analyses. The school has especially strong programs in environmental law, international law, and business, with certificate programs in environmental law and international law. Florida State Law also has one of the strongest criminal-law programs in the region.
The Law school has five co-curricular academic organizations, including three student-edited journals and trial-and-appellate advocacy teams. The journals include the Florida State University Law Review, the Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law and the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy. The Law school's advocacy teams are regionally and nationally competitive.
Special Programs
Florida State Law has especially strong programs in three areas: environmental law, international law, and international business, with certificate programs in environmental law and in international law. The Law school's program in environmental law is recognized as one of the best in the country. The law school also has one of the strongest criminal-law programs in the region. For more information on these programs, please visit http://www.law.fsu.edu/academic_programs/index.html.
Florida State Law offers seven joint-degree programs in cooperation with other colleges, schools, and departments at Florida State. The joint degrees bring together law with business, economics, information studies, international affairs, public administration, social work, and urban and regional planning.
The law school also offers an LLM program for foreign lawyers, which provides law-trained foreign graduate students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the American legal system and the role of law in the United States.
Additionally, Florida State Law offers one of the most extensive externship programs in the United States, with more than 80 placements throughout Florida and elsewhere. The law school's Public Interest Law Center provides "live client" training for second- and third-year students.
Summer Program in Law at Oxford
The College of Law conducts a summer program in Oxford. As the oldest ongoing program in Oxford sponsored by a U.S. law school, ithis program provides students with a unique opportunity to study comparative law and the history of the common law and its institutions in their original setting. Since its establishment in 1973, law students from the United States and Canada as well as a limited number of graduate students in related fields, lawyers, and others have been taught by tenured members of the Oxford University and The Florida State University law faculties.
For information contact: Director, The Florida State University Summer Program in Law at Oxford, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1600; (850) 644-4578; http://www.law.fsu/academic_programs/interational_law/oxford.
Academic Policies
All academic policies of the College of Law can be found at: http://www.law.fsu.edu/current_students/rules/index.html.
Admission Requirements
For August admission, students must apply one year in advance, between October 1 and March 15. The College of Law enrolls only one class in the Fall of each year, and does not offer a part-time or evening program. Submit and complete law-school applications as early as possible, preferably by December 1. Files must be complete by April 1 to receive full consideration.
Factors considered by the admissions committee include numerical credentials (LSAT and GPA), exceptional personal talents, interesting or demanding work or service experience, leadership potential, rigorousness of the undergraduate course of study, maturity, a history of overcoming economic or other social hardships, ability to communicate effectively, and other factors. Decisions on applicant files are made as early as November.
One of the greatest strengths of the College of Law is its student body, which currently represents 36 states, 10 countries, and 172 colleges and universities.
Admission to the College of Law is a competitive process; 25 percent of the students in the entering the 2008 class had LSAT scores of 161 or higher, an average LSAT score of 159, and an average GPA of 3.5.
All registrants are required to have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to commencing law study. Every prospective law student must take the Law School Admissions Test given by the Law School Admission Council. For more information about the LSAT, please visit http://www.lsac.org. Registration with the Law School Data Assembly Service is also required
For more information about the admissions process, please visit http://www.law.fsu.edu/prospective_students/index.html or call (850) 644-3787.
Student Services
The Student Affairs Office is responsible for coordinating a number of different services, activities, and programs for the benefit of all law students. The Student Affairs Office assists students in all facets of student life, from financial aid to the adjustment to law school. The Placement Office within the college assists students in finding employment both during and after law school. The primary goal of the Placement Office is to provide students and alumni with the tools and skills that they need to launch successful job searches and fulfilling legal careers.
The Law School Research Center is a dynamic, highly responsive force in the life of the College of Law. An indispensable resource for faculty, students, alumni, attorneys, and members of the public, the Research Center is dedicated to research, teaching, and service. The Research Center is also a major force for innovation as it constantly seeks new, more effective ways to use technology in order to provide research and services and to enhance teaching, including such tools as Facebook, Mediasite, Camtasia, SnagIt, ScanSnap, Second Life, and Blackboard Content Collection.