A renowned faculty, a comprehensive Juris Doctor curriculum that addresses the needs of today's profession-als and affordable tuition make the University of Florida the first choice for many students who desire a degree in law. Since its establishment in 1909, the College of Law has been educating the state’s leadership in law, business, education and government. The college is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
While Florida’s broad curriculum provides students with a solid career foundation, several curricular concen-trations and new and developing certificate programs allow students to specialize in particular areas. The col-lege's curricular strengths include tax law, business law, environmental law, dispute resolution, international law, intellectual property law, criminal law and family law—all with an emphasis on developing the highest standards of professional conduct.
The state of Florida is home to many prominent, ac-tive and skilled lawyers, and a number of those lawyers and judges are actively involved in the teaching and practical skills training of UF law students. Because writing skills are critical to success in the legal profes-sion, these skills are developed through required courses and a nationally acclaimed legal drafting program.
Through programs offered on campus and abroad, students gain international experience for today’s com-petitive job market. In addition, UF law students help impact state, national and international environmental and social policy by assisting in research conducted by the Center for Governmental Responsibility, housed at the law school. The center has influenced more public policy decisions during the past 20 years than any other organization of its nature and scope in the nation.
The college is named for alumnus Fredric G. Levin of Pensacola, a nationally prominent trial lawyer who re-cently made possible a $20 million endowment to sup-port excellence in legal education. The college is located on the Holland Law Center campus in Gainesville and housed in Holland and Bruton-Geer Halls. Fund raising is underway toward a third, state-of–the-art academic building.
Students conduct research and study in one of the largest academic law libraries in the southeastern United States. The Legal Information Center houses more than 590,000 volumes and extensive computer and audio-visual resources.
The three-year curriculum develops students’ analyti-cal ability, knowledge of the theory and practice of law, communications skills, and an understanding of the codes of professional responsibility and ethics central to the practice of law. Students experience a variety of teach-ing methods, including the traditional case and Socratic methods, as well as problems, simulations, role-playing, videotaping, computer-assisted instruction and interac-tion with actual clients. After completing first-year re-quirements, students can tailor their course load to fit their interests and career plans.
Enrollment is approximately 1,200, including 60 lawyers in the Graduate Tax Program. Dozens of co-curricular and extra-curricular organizations support a rich and diverse student life.
Pre-Law Study
The best pre-law program is a diversified course of study. Beginning law students are expected to possess effective written and oral communication skills as well as critical thinking skills.
For additional information about pre-law study, law school and the legal profession, refer to the Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools. It may be ordered from Law Services during registration for the LSAT or purchased at most college bookstores.
Admissions
Admission to the College of Law is determined by the applicant’s potential for success in law school, the legal profession and other law-related careers. An appli-cant’s credentials are measured against others applying to the same class.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a qualified institution, have an acceptable grade point average and a satisfactory score on the Law School Ad-mission Test. The median LSAT score and undergraduate grade point average of a traditional fall class are approxi-mately 159 and 3.5 (4.00 scale), respectively. The median LSAT score and undergraduate GPA of a spring class are 156 and 3.4, respectively.
Computer Requirement
All new students must have access to and ongoing use of a computer to complete a degree program success-fully. Computers may be purchased, rented, leased or shared. Complete details and recommendations are avail-able in application materials and through the college’s web site.
Refer to the college's home page at http:// www.law.ufl.edu or to the CIRCA home page at http://www.circa.ufl.edu/computers for general computer information.
Joint Degrees
A credit-sharing arrangement between the College of Law and the Graduate School allows qualified J.D. stu-dents to combine their legal studies with graduate work, earning two degrees in less time. Students can earn both a J.D. and a master’s degree in accounting, business ad-ministration, exercise and sport sciences, forest resources and conservation, health administration, mass communi-cation, political science/public administration, real estate, sociology or urban and regional planning; or a J.D. and a Ph.D. in educational leadership, forest resources and conservation, history or psychology. Other degree com-binations may be developed by contacting the College of Law’s Student Affairs Office.
Candidates must take both the LSAT and the GRE or GMAT, and gain admission to the College of Law and the Graduate School. Application deadlines vary. Contact both the College of Law and the Graduate School for more information.
Master of Laws in Taxation
Widely recognized as one of the nation’s two best programs for the advanced study of tax law, Florida’s Graduate Tax Program is an intensive one-year course of study leading to the Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.T.) degree. Unlike many LL.M.T. programs, Flor-ida’s tax program is staffed almost exclusively by full-time faculty and is designed for full-time degree candi-dates who are lawyers planning to specialize in tax law.
Florida’s tax program attracts outstanding students from throughout the United States. Its graduates are employed by law firms, accounting firms, industry and government throughout the nation and abroad. Both faculty and students benefit from the comprehensive tax collection housed in the Richard B. Stephens Tax Re-search Center.
The Graduate Tax Program produces the Florida Tax Review, an innovative scholarly journal dealing with contemporary federal and state tax law and policy issues. For more information, contact the Graduate Tax Program, 320 Holland Hall, Box 117627, Gainesville, FL 32611-7627; (352) 392-1081.
Master of Laws in Comparative Law
The LL.M. in Comparative Law program is designed exclusively for graduates of foreign law schools who want to enhance their understanding of the American legal system. The one-year program builds on the univer-sity’s international studies programs and decades of involvement by College of Law faculty in international legal issues.
The LL.M.C.L. program tailors a course of study to the needs and objectives of each student, with individual-ized counseling by the director and members of the fac-ulty and staff. The college offers a Certificate of Speciali-zation in International Tax Studies for lawyers who seek an understanding of U.S. tax laws and international trans-actions. For more information, contact the Comparative Law Program, 319 Holland Hall, Box 117643, Gainesville, FL 32611-7643; tel. (352) 392-0082; fax (352) 392-3005.
Financial Aid
Financial aid for law study is available through the College of Law and federal sources. Nearly all College of Law financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need. However, the college offers a number of merit-based scholarships.
For more information, contact
the College of Law Financial Aid Office, 164 Holland Hall, Box 117622,
Gainesville, FL 32611-7622; (352) 392-0421 or visit our web site.