Stetson University College of Law

Law school in Florida, US

Stetson University College of Law

Established| 1900; 125 years ago (1900)
School type| Private law school
Parent endowment| US$47.6 million
Dean| D. Benjamin Barros
Location| Gulfport, Florida, U.S.
Enrollment| 926[1]
Faculty| 47[2]
USNWR ranking| 98th (tie) (2024)[3]
Bar pass rate| 78.8% (Florida bar exam, July 2021 first-time takers) [4]
Website| stetson.edu/law/

The Stetson University College of Law (branded as Stetson Law) is the law school of Stetson University.

The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat Hotel, designed by Richard Kiehnel.[5] The College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1931.

## Academics

[edit]

Stetson School of Law main tower as seen from the main courtyard (inspired by Torre del Oro in the city of Seville)

Stetson Law currently employs more than 40 full-time faculty members and has more than 900 students enrolled in its Juris Doctor (J.D.) program.[1] Stetson also offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and a Master of Jurisprudence.[6] The J.D. degree may be combined with an LL.M or a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with the Stetson University School of Business Administration. The J.D. degree may also be combined with an exchange program: an LL.M. in Exchange in Ireland/England with the University College Dublin Sutherland School of Law, a Master in International Economic Law with Toulouse University or a Master in International and European Business Law with Comillas Pontifical University.[7][8]

The school is home to several institutes including the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law.[9][10]

### Admissions

[edit]

For the class entering in 2023, the school accepted 38.39% of applicants, with 35.24% of those accepted enrolling. The median enrollee had a 158 LSAT score and 3.59 undergraduate GPA. Its 25th/75th percentile LSAT scores and GPAs were 156/159 and 3.34/3.77.[11]

### Clinics

[edit]

Stetson Law guarantees a clinic or externship for every student. More than 300 clinic and externship opportunities are available to students each year.[12]

### Publications

[edit]

The Stetson Law Review was the headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews from 2003 to 2008. The Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy and the Journal of International Aging Law and Policy are produced in conjunction with the school.[13]

### Bar examination passage

[edit]

Stetson had a 74.4 percent first-time Bar passage rate for takers of the October 2020 Florida Bar Examination.[14] 77.6 percent passed the July 2019 exam,[15] 67.2 percent passed the July 2018 exam[16] and 76.8 percent passed the July 2017 exam.[17]

### Competitions

[edit]

Since 1980, Stetson Law has won five world championships, 79 national championships, 97 regional championships, 53 state championships, 61 brief awards, 176 brief oralist/advocate awards and six professionalism awards.[18]

As of 2021, Stetson Law has won The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section of the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition 25 times in 38 years.[19]

Stetson Law was the first American Bar Association (ABA) Competitions Champion in 2018 and earned the title for a second time in 2021.[20]

Stetson Law won The Florida Bar Foundation 2021 Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge.[21]

## Law libraries

[edit]

### History of Stetson's law libraries

[edit]

As the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of the Stetson University College of Law in 1899, creating a law library immediately became a concern.[22]: 56–62 To create a core collection for the law library, book and monetary donations were sought and obtained from Florida attorneys.[22]: 61 By its opening in October 1900, the College of Law had a law library and the 1901 annual report indicated that the library donation goals had been met.[22]: 61–62

Upon the law school's move from DeLand to Gulfport in 1954, the library collection also had to be moved.[22]: 285 The new house for the law library consisted of "several small cubicles" and at the time "all the law books 'fit into one moving van.'"[22]: 286 The collection contained less than 18,000 books.[22]: 402 In 1955, an anonymous donor pledged $250,000 to assist in paying for the creation of a new law library and classroom building.[22]: 319 Within one year, the law school was able to raise the money to match the anonymous donation and met its $750,000 goal.[22]: 319 It became known that the anonymous donor was Charles A. Dana and the Charles A. Dana Foundation.[22]: 319 Construction on the new Charles A. Dana Library began in 1957.[22]: 321 Students and staff transferred the small law library collection from the original location on the Gulfport campus to the new library in less than thirty minutes.[22]: 321 This new library included space to expand the collection (housing for 70,000 volumes) and study space for 100 students.[22]: 322 In 1958, the Charles A. Dana Law Library opened.[22]: 322 [23] The dedication of the library, made in the presence of Charles A. Dana, included a convocation by Florida's Governor, LeRoy Collins.[22]: 322 [24] The Charles A. Dana Foundation provided a gift in 1971 for the purpose of doubling the law library's size.[22]: 387 The school completed the expansion in 1973 and provided space for 275 students and 160,000 volumes.[22]: 387 During this time, the Charles A. Dana Library also became "the first law library in Florida to be a depositary for Federal Government documents."[22]: 388 By 1981, the library's collection contained more than 165,182 volumes.[22]: 402

By the mid-1990s, Stetson University College of Law "had been put on notice years earlier that its library was on shaky grounds regarding ABA requirements, and that the problems were of such magnitude that a new structure might have to be built."[22]: 606 Some individuals did not believe a new library was warranted as they doubted the future of libraries, but Dean Moody proceeded with the planning stated by her predecessor Dean Bruce Jacob, Emeritus Law Librarian Lamar Woodard, and architect Canerday.[22]: 606 In 1998, the new facility, named Stetson Law Library and Information Center, was completed.[22]: 607–608 The new facility provided 58,000 square feet and had ample accommodation for the current collection (350,000 volumes), as well as "government documents, and other traditional resource materials."[22]: 607 United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke at the new library's dedication on September 5, 1998.[25][26]

In 2004, Stetson University College of Law opened its Tampa Law Center with a satellite library.[23] In 2010, Stetson University College of Law renamed the Stetson Law Library and Information Center for philanthropists Frances R. "Dolly" and Homer Hand. The renaming occurred as part of the College of Law's celebration of its 110 years in existence.[27] Dolly Hand spoke at the naming ceremony, which was captured on video.[28]

### Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library

[edit]

The Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library is situated on the Gulfport campus.[29] When constructed in the late 1990s, the new library was built in the Mediterranean Revival design style to maintain consistency with the style of the buildings comprising the Gulfport campus, which were originally the Rolyat Hotel.[29][22]: 607 The Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library contains a collection of approximately 400,000 volumes.[29] The three-story building offers Internet access, 35 study rooms (ranging in size), and more than 600 seats at individual carrels, tables, and lounge areas.[29]

The Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library contains physical archives including the Harold L. Sebring Collection, which include his personal papers and records as a medical case judge in the Nuremberg War Trials,[30] and digital archives of the Florida Military Academy Collection and the Hotel Rolyat Collection.[31]

### Tampa Law Center Satellite Library

[edit]

Situated near downtown Tampa, the satellite library has two floors consisting of approximately 200 seats and 15 study rooms.[29]

## Costs

[edit]

The estimated cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, and living expenses for nine months) for the 2024–2025 academic year is $79,166.[32]

## Diversity and inclusion

[edit]

Stetson Law received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest magazine centered on diversity in higher education. The HEED Award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.[33][34][35]

As of 2020, Stetson Law and the 11 other Florida law schools formed the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium for Racial Justice (FLSCRJ). This collective will leverage each school's strengths and educational roles to assist community organizations fighting for racial justice and policy reform throughout Florida.[36][37]

Stetson Law is one of the four co-founding higher education institutions of the St. Petersburg Higher Education Consortium for Racial Justice. The other three consortium institutions are Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The consortium serves 36,000 students in St. Petersburg, Florida, and focuses on dismantling racial hierarchies. Recognized for their efforts, the consortium and 78 institutions nationwide were invited to the 2021 American Association of Colleges and Universities Institute on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) to learn about the TRHT framework and develop an action plan.[38][39][40]

In 2021, Stetson Law launched a youth civic education program aimed at teaching underrepresented teens in Pinellas County how to be advocates for themselves and others.[41][42]

## Rankings and reputation

[edit]

Stetson University is nationally ranked tied for 98th among law schools by U.S. News & World Report.

For 2023 graduates, 82.52% obtained full time, long term, Bar passage required employment (i.e. as attorneys) with most graduates employed by firms with 1—10 attorneys.[43]

## Notable faculty

[edit]

* Cary D. Landis (former faculty) – 25th Florida Attorney General, (1931–1938)
* Harold Sebring (deceased) – former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court; a judge at the Nuremberg War Trials; Dean of Stetson Law (1955–1968)

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Stetson Law's campus from the library Stetson Law's Crummer Courtyard from the coffee shop

* Gus Bilirakis (1989) – Florida House of Representatives (1998); United States House of Representatives (2006)
* Pam Bondi (1990) – US Attorney General (2025-present); Attorney General of Florida (2011–2019)
* John Cosgrove – Florida House of Representatives (1981-1984, 1986-2006)
* Edward Cowart (1952) – Dade County circuit court judge who presided over the Ted Bundy case
* Richard E. Doran (1981) – Attorney General of Florida while Jeb Bush was Governor
* David W. Dyer (1933) – United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida; Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
* Joe Hendricks (1934) – United States House of Representatives (1937-1949)
* Bruce Jacob (1959) – Florida Assistant Attorney General during the early 1960s and argued the case for the respondent, Louis Wainwright, the losing party in the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright
* Craig T. James (1967) – United States House of Representatives (1989-1993)
* Elizabeth A. Kovachevich (1961) – District Judge for the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida
* Carl M. Kuttler Jr. (1965) – President of St. Petersburg College, 1978–2009[44]
* Kenneth Marra (1977) – Federal judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
* Rich McKay (1984) – President and general manager of the Atlanta Falcons (2004)
* Ashley Moody (LLM 2003) – Attorney General of Florida
* E. Clay Shaw Jr. (1966) – represented South Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981-2007)
* David Sholtz (1914) – twenty-sixth Governor of Florida (1933-1937)
* James C. Smith (1967) – Attorney General of Florida
* Chris Sprowls (2009) – Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2020-2022)[45]
* Dean Trantalis (1979) – mayor of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (2018–present)[46]
* Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse (2006) — former member of Thai Royal Family
* Emmett Wilson (1904) – United States House of Representatives (1913-1917)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Admissions". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
2. ^ "Faculty". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
3. ^ "Stetson University". U.S. News & World Report – Best Law Schools. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2024-12-16.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. ^ Stetson Tour
6. ^ "Message from the Dean". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
7. ^ "Dual/Joint Degrees and Special Programs". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
8. ^ "Semester Exchange Programs". Stetson University College of Law. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
9. ^ "National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
10. ^ "Institutes, Centers, Programs and Initiatives". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
11. ^ "Stetson University College of law - 2023 Standard 509 Information Report". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
12. ^ "Clinics and Externships - Get Real World Experience". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
13. ^ "Academic Journals". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
14. ^ "Bar Preparation". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
15. ^ "FLORIDA SUPREME COURT RELEASES THE JULY 2019 BAR EXAM RESULTS". The Florida Bar. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
16. ^ "OCT 15, 2018 ERRATA". The Florida Bar. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
17. ^ "July bar passage released". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
18. ^ "National Recognition of Stetson Law". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
19. ^ "Mock Trial Competition". Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
20. ^ "Hats off: Stetson wins 2021 Competitions Champion title". ABA for Law Students. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
21. ^ "Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge". The Florida Bar Foundation. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Swygert, Michael; Vause, W. Gary (2006). Florida's First Law School: History of Stetson University College of Law. Durham, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 1-59460-316-2.
23. ^ a b "History - Florida's First Law School". Stetson University. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
24. ^ "Charles A. Dana Building". Stetson University. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
25. ^ Bellerose, Kaitlin (October 21, 1998). "Dean of College of Law Will Resign in May". The Stetson Reporter. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
26. ^ "September 5, 1998: College of Law Dedication". C-SPAN. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
27. ^ "Stetson Law Celebrated 110 Years as Law Library Named for Dolly and Homer Hand". Reuters. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
28. ^ "Dolly Hand Speech Excerpt - Stetson Law Library Naming Ceremony on Oct. 2, 2010". YouTube. Stetsonlaw. 5 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
29. ^ a b c d e "University Libraries". Stetson University. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
30. ^ Moore, Kristen R. "Stetson Law Library Research Guides: Digital Archives: Home". libguides.law.stetson.edu. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
31. ^ "Digital Archives". Stetson University College of Law. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
32. ^ "Estimated Student Budget". Estimated Student Budget / Cost of Attendance. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
33. ^ "2020 Recipients". Insight Into Diversity. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
34. ^ "Our Company". Insight Into Diversity. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
35. ^ Mulrooney, Laura (14 September 2020). "Stetson Gets Noticed for Diversity and Inclusion". The Gabbe. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
36. ^ Sloan, Karen (29 June 2020). "Florida's Law Schools Team Up to Fight Racial Injustice". Law.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
37. ^ Dobson, Byron (8 July 2020). "Florida law schools teaming up to address social, racial injustice". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
38. ^ Weathers, Saundra (3 June 2020). "Group of Florida colleges, universities come together to address racial injustice". www.baynews9.com. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
39. ^ "Higher education institutions in Pinellas County unite for racial justice". Stetson University College of Law. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
40. ^ Gerard, Sam (18 May 2021). "Seventy-Eight Institutions Selected to Participate in AAC&U Institute on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers". Association of American Colleges & Universities. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
41. ^ Weathers, Saundra (24 May 2021). "Law school offers course to underrepresented students". www.baynews9.com. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
42. ^ Baker, Abby (15 May 2021). "Stetson Launches Program for Underserved Teens". The Gabber. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
43. ^ "Stetson University Employment Summary for 2023 Graduates". abarequireddisclosures.org. American Bar Association. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
44. ^ The presidents and chancellors: Profiles of chief executive officers of member institutions of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges. American Association of Community and Junior Colleges and its Presidents Academy. 1982. p. 68\. ISBN 0-87117-113-9.
45. ^ "CHRIS SPROWLS". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
46. ^ "Mayor Dean J. Trantalis". City of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

Further reading

* Florida's First Law School: History of Stetson University College of Law (2006) by Michael I. Swygert provides a detailed history of the school covering its founding, development, and growth. ISBN 1-59460-316-2.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

27°45′24″N 82°43′06″W﻿ / ﻿27.756559°N 82.718199°W﻿ / 27.756559; -82.718199

* v
* t
* e

Law schools of the Southeastern United States

Alabama|

* Birmingham School of Law
* Cumberland School of Law (Samford Univ.)
* Miles Law School
* Thomas Goode Jones School of Law (Faulkner Univ.)
* University of Alabama School of Law

Arkansas|

* University of Arkansas School of Law
* William H. Bowen School of Law (UALR)

Florida|

* Ave Maria School of Law
* Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law (Barry Univ.)
* Florida A&M University College of Law
* Florida International University College of Law
* Florida State University College of Law
* Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF)
* University of Miami School of Law
* Shepard Broad Law Center (Nova Southeastern Univ.)
* St. Thomas University School of Law
* Stetson University College of Law

Georgia|

* Atlanta's John Marshall Law School
* Emory University School of Law
* Georgia State University College of Law
* Savannah Law School
* University of Georgia School of Law
* Walter F. George School of Law (Mercer Univ.)

Louisiana|

* Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
* Paul M. Hebert Law Center (LSU)
* Southern University Law Center
* Tulane University Law School

Mississippi|

* University of Mississippi School of Law
* Mississippi College School of Law

North Carolina|

* Duke University School of Law
* Elon University School of Law
* Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (Campbell Univ.)
* North Carolina Central University School of Law
* University of North Carolina School of Law
* Wake Forest University School of Law

Puerto Rico|

* Eugenio María de Hostos School of Law (closed)
* Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law
* Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law
* University of Puerto Rico School of Law

South Carolina|

* Charleston School of Law
* University of South Carolina School of Law

Tennessee|

* Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (Univ. of Memphis)
* Duncan School of Law (Lincoln Memorial Univ.)
* Nashville School of Law
* University of Tennessee College of Law
* Vanderbilt University Law School

Virginia|

* Appalachian School of Law
* Antonin Scalia Law School (George Mason)
* The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School
* Liberty University School of Law
* Regent University School of Law
* University of Richmond School of Law
* University of Virginia School of Law
* Washington and Lee University School of Law
* William & Mary Law School

* v
* t
* e

Stetson University

Located in: DeLand and Gulfport, Florida

Academics|

* Stetson University College of Law

Life|

* Gillespie Museum
* Lake Beresford International Rowing Center
* Rolyat Hotel

Athletics|

* Stetson Hatters
* Football
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Baseball
* Women's volleyball
* Spec Martin Stadium
* Edmunds Center
* Melching Field at Conrad Park
* ASUN Conference
* Pioneer Football League

* Founded: 1883

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

People|

* ISIL: OCLC-FPS

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template