School of Law

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law History

Florida Coastal School of Law was established in 1996 and is independent. The 5-acre campus is in a suburban area near downtown Jacksonville and the beach. The primary mission of the law school is to distinguish itself as a forward-looking, globally interactive, and culturally diverse institution dedicated to having a positive impact on its students, the community, the legal profession, and the justice system. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Jacksonville area. Facilities of special interest to law students include the Information Resources and Technology Division; the Center for Strategic Governance and Information Initiatives, and an on-campus teen court. Housing for students includes a large variety of close and affordable off-campus apartments and homes. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law Academics

Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied.

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, entertainment law, environmental law, family law, international law, juvenile law, labor law, litigation, maritime law, media law, securities law, sports law, tax law, intellectual property, and public interest law. In addition, third-year clinics include Criminal, Civil, Municipal, Domestic Violence, and Caribbean Law Clinic. Students may earn up to 6 credits in each clinic. Seminars are available to upper-division students only. These include Environmental Law, Sports Law, Appellate Advocacy, and Maritime Law, each worth 3 credit hours each. Other seminars may be offered periodically depending upon the interest of students and faculty. Internships with federal and state court judges can be taken for 3 or 4 credit hours. Students must have completed Professional Responsibility, Evidence, and Constitutional Law. Advanced Legal Research, worth 2 credit hours, is open to upper-division students. Independent study with a full-time faculty member is also available for up to 2 credit hours. The School of Law invites practitioners, judges, and other public figures to speak on a variety of topics, including legal practice, legal education, and jurisprudence. An Academic Success program is aimed at serving three groups of students: (1) incoming students considered at risk because of low LSAT scores or low GPA; (2) or students who are re-entering school after a long absence; and (3) current students who are at risk or on academic probation. The program consists of workshops on a variety of topics, including case briefing, study aids, and exam-taking. In addition, the School of Law has tutors for all first-year classes. Students may also meet with the program director to deal with individual problem issues. The most widely taken electives are Remedies, Trusts and Estates, and Florida Practice and Procedure.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 87 total credits, of which 56 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Lawyering Process I and II, Property I and II, and Torts I and II. Required upper-level courses consist of an advanced writing requirement, Business Associations, Constitutional Law I and II, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Professional Responsibility, and Sales. All students must take clinical courses. The required orientation program for first-year students is 2 1/2 days and includes interactions with faculty, staff, and students; the role of the lawyer and professionalism; the responsibilities of the future lawyer and student ethics; Academic Success programs; and a reception.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 223,820 hard-copy volumes and 469,002 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 3125 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Infotrac, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, LOIS, Mathew Bender, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, WESTLAW, CCH Internet Tax, HR and Business Networks, UN Treaty Collection, and Hein On-line are available to law students for research. Recently, the library added staff to provide services to patrons. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 3610 to 1 and to students is 210 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 8.

Special Consideration

The law school recruits minority and disadvantaged students through law forums, career fairs, and scholarships. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and have attended an ABA-approved law school.

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 4663 applied, 1725 were accepted, and 566 enrolled. Thirty-five transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 50; the median GPA was 3.17 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 25; the highest was 95.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. Minimum acceptable GPA is 2.0 on a scale of 4.0. The most important admission factors include LSAT results, GPA, and life experience. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is open. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and 2 letters of recommendation. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is June. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law Financial Aid

About 85% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $18,500; maximum, $27,750. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the FAFSA and Institutional application. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Florida Coastal School of Law, School of Law Students

About 48% of the student body are women; 18%, minorities; 11%, African American; 3%, Asian American; 3%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Florida (40%). The average age of entering students is 27; age range is 21 to 68. About 50% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 20% have a graduate degree, and 50% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 8% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 92% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Florida Coastal School of Law Review and the newspaper, Coastal Tidings. Moot court competitions include the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court and the E. Earl Zehemer Memorial Moot Court. Law student organizations include the Student Bar Association, Black Law Students Association, and CAPIL. There is a local chapter of ABA-Law Students Division, Phi Alpha Delta, and Law and Technology Society. Other organizations include the Environmental and Land Use Club, Hispanic American Law Students Association, and Sports Law Association.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 5 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 6 years. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall and spring. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.