Fredric G. Levin College of Law

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law History

University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law was established in 1909 and is a public institution. The 2000-acre campus is in a suburban area in north-central Florida. The primary mission of the law school is to offer excellence in educating professionals, advancing legal scholarship, serving the public, and fostering justice. Students have access to federal, state, county, city, and local agencies, courts, correctional facilities, law firms, and legal aid organizations in the Gainesville area. Students may access resources at the University of Florida ranging from medical help to entertainment options. Facilities of special interest to law students include the enlarged law library and 2 new education buildings, with modern, comfortable classrooms equipped to offer the latest in teaching technology. Housing for students is available in university dormitories, family housing, and numerous nearby apartments. All law school facilities are accessible to the physically disabled.

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and S.J.D. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Medicine), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science), and J.D./Ph.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Philosophy). Numerous options are available and can be tailored to specific interests and needs.

The number of credits students must take in their area of concentration varies. The Fredric G. Levin College of Law offers concentrations in environmental law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, and estates and trust practice. In addition, clinics include Child Welfare Clinic for 9 credits, Criminal Clinic for 6 credits, Mediation Clinic for 6 credits, and Conservation Clinic for 3 credits. Seminars are available in a variety of legal topics for 2 credits and are open to students who have completed the first-year curriculum. Internships and a large number of for-credit externships are available to students who have completed the first-year curriculum. Independent study under the supervision of a faculty member is also available. Special lecture series include Environmental and Land Use Law and Graduate Tax. Students may study abroad at Leiden University (Netherlands), the University of Frankfurt (Germany), the University of Montpellier (France), University of Cape Town (South Africa), Universidad de Costa Rica, and Warsaw University (Poland). First-semester students participate in the Academic Success Program and may participate in a tutorial program. Academic Support workshops for all students at risk of being placed on academic probation are available. The College’s Office of Student Affairs offers programs, support, and services to minorities and diverse student groups. The most widely taken electives are Corporations, Evidence, and Estates and Trusts.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 total credits, of which 34 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: Appellate Advocacy, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing, Professional Responsibility, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Advanced Seminar and Legal Drafting. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 2-day comprehensive orientation to the profession and College of Law.

To graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement and a senior writing project seminar.

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law Unique Programs

Library

The law library contains 635,308 hard-copy volumes and 312,318 microform volume equivalents, and subscribes to 7430 serial publications. Such on-line databases and networks as CALI, CIS Universe, Dow-Jones, Infotrac, Legal-Trac, LEXIS, Mathew Bender, NEXIS, OCLC First Search, RLIN, WESTLAW, Wilsonline Indexes, BNA, CCH, HeinOnline, and RIA are available to law students for research. Special library collections include Tax, U.S. government documents, and video and multimedia collections. Recently, the library installed an extensive wireless system. The ratio of library volumes to faculty is 8359 to 1 and to students is 492 to 1. The ratio of seats in the library to students is 1 to 2.

Special Consideration

The College of Law is represented at a large number of Law Day programs in Florida and other southern states. This activity is supplemented by individual campus visits and other visits to historically black colleges in Florida and the South. The law school actively seeks a diverse student body. Requirements are not different for out-of-state students. Transfer students must have one year of credit, have attended an ABA-approved law school, must rank in at least the top third of their class to be considered, and must have finished the required first-year curriculum.

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 2961 applied, 955 were accepted, and 378 enrolled. Nine transfers enrolled. The median GPA of the most recent first-year class was 3.65.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. All admissions factors are considered. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is January 15. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, and a nonrefundable application fee of $30, Letters of recommendation are not required, but 4 are recommended. Candidates are strongly encouraged to use the LSDAS letter option. Notification of the admissions decision is Late March/early April. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is December. The law school uses the LSDAS.

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law Financial Aid

About 80% 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 $19,213; maximum, $44,725. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the FAFSA and an additional application for merit/need-based scholarships and grants. The aid application deadline for fall entry is April 1. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include need-based grants. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application some time after acceptance but prior to enrollment.

University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law Students

About 47% of the student body are women; 22%, minorities; 5%, African American; 6%, Asian American; 10%, Hispanic; and 1%, Native American. The majority of students come from Florida (78%). The average age of entering students is 22. About 3% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 97% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Florida Review, Florida International Law Journal, Journal of Law and Public Policy, Florida Tax Review, Journal of Technology Law and Policy, Entertainment Law Review, and the student newspapers, FlaLaw and The Docket. Moot court competitions include ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, National Security Law Competition, and Duberstein Bankruptcy Competition. Other competitions include the Thomas Tang Moot Court Competition, St. Johns National Civic Rights Mock Trial Competition, the Robert Orseck Florida Bar Competition, and the Sutherland Cup. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include John Marshall Student Bar Association, BLSA, SALSA, International Law Society, American Bar Association-Law Student Division, College Law Council, Lamda Legal Alliance, Criminal Law Association, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi.

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 84 months. There is no part-time program. New students are admitted in the fall. There is an 8-week summer session. Transferable summer courses are offered.