The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States. The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association, and is the only public law school in South Florida. FIU College of Law is the third highest ranked law school in the state of Florida and is ranked in the top 70 in the nation.[7] The College of Law had the highest July bar exam passage rate in the state of Florida consecutively for eight years (2015–2023).[8]
Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall, home of the FIU College of Law
Florida International University worked towards the creation of a public law school in South Florida for many years, beginning with the 1986 appointment of Modesto A. Maidique as University president. Maidique met resistance from the Florida Board of Regents, which had a number of graduates of other Florida law schools, and opposed the opening of any new public law schools in the state. The establishment of this institution was finally realized in 2000, when Governor Jeb Bush pushed the project through the state legislature, along with the re-establishment of a law school at Florida A&M University.
The College of Law is one of the university's 26 schools and colleges and was founded in 2000. It officially opened its doors in August 2002, received provisional accreditation from the American Bar Association in August 2004, and was granted full accreditation on December 1, 2006. The inaugural class graduated on May 22, 2005.
On February 10, 2007, the new law school building, the Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall, was dedicated.
The 2024 U.S. News & World Report's "Best Law School Rankings" ranked the FIU College of Law 60th (tied) out of 196 [9] in the United States.
The magazine also ranked FIU at 24 in the U.S. for its part-time law programs.[10]
Employment
According to FIU's official 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 74.7% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment ten months after graduation.[11] FIU's Law School Transparency under-employment score was 14.01%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2018 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job ten months after graduation.[11]
Exam passage
In terms of percentage of students who pass on the first attempt, FIU Law has ranked in the top three among Florida law schools for every administration of the Florida Bar Exam since July 2015 (ranking first 13 out of 19 times).
This table does not account deferred applications or other unique situations.
The College of Law only admits students during the fall to its full-time day program or its part-time evening program. Admissions is done on a rolling basis.
For Fall 2016, 1,901 students applied for admissions into the FIU College of Law, 545 were accepted, and 130 enrolled for the day program and 16 for the evening program. The Fall 2016 entering class had a median LSAT score of 156 (out of a possible 180 points) and a 3.64 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). 62.9% of students were ethnic minorities, and 52% were women. The average age is 25 for the day program and 28 for the evening program.[15]
Annual tuition for in-state students in the day program is $21,407 and $14,501 for those in the evening program.[16] Annual tuition for out-of-state students in the day program is $35,650 and $24,150 for those in the evening program.[16]
Specialty programs
Specialty programs
International and Comparative Law Program
Legal Skills and Values Board
Moot Court Board of Appellate Advocates
Community Service Board
Trial Advocacy Program
Intellectual Property Certificate
Environmental & Natural Resources Law Certificate
Faculty
The FIU College of Law has about 30 full-time faculty members (including the Dean and the Associate Dean for Academics, both of whom teach on an occasional basis), and also has various visiting professors who teach subjects within their areas of expertise.
Founding faculty
The founding faculty are the professors who came to the University before it was opened to students. They included:[citation needed]
Scott F. Norberg, professor of bankruptcy and contracts
In addition, Professor John Stack, already a long-time professor of political science at FIU before the foundation of the law school, and director of the Jack D. Gordon Public Policy Institute, became a jointly-appointed faculty member in the College of Law and the Political Science department.
Larry R Leiby teaches construction law and commercial arbitration.
Students
A view of the main entrance to Rafael Díaz-Balart Hall, home of the FIU College of Law.
The Florida International University College of Law opened with a class of 67 full-time and 60 part-time students. LSAT and GPA scores placed the inaugural class around the middle of Florida's 11 law schools.[17] The first graduate was Rosann Spiegel,[18] also a previous FIU alumnus, who finished the program a semester ahead of schedule. Spiegel graduated in December 2004 and passed the February 2005 bar examination - briefly making FIU the only law school in the country with a 100% bar passage rate.[19]
In January 2010, FIU College of Law students placed first among the Southeastern States Regional American Bar Association negotiation competition. Students also placed second in the Zehmer Mock Trial Competition and second on the brief at the Skadden Arps International FDI moot competition.[20]
The student body has also formed two Law Reviews and a Moot Court team, as well as a Student Bar Association and other student organizations, such as a chapter of the Federalist Society, a student newspaper called "Ipsissima Verba", and a Sports and Entertainment Law Society (SELS). Currently, the institution has about 450 students, including part-time and full-time first, second, and third year students.
Law journals
FIU Law Review
Established in 2004, the FIU Law Review is the law school's official student law review.[21] The FIU Law Review is committed to facilitate FIU Law's growth and impact in the legal community.
The Review organizes two symposia and publishes two symposium-based issues annually (Fall and Spring).[21] Articles Editors and Staff Members also write about current changes in the law on the Law Review’s blog.[22]
FIU World Arbitration and Mediation Review
The FIU World Arbitration and Mediation Review ("WAMR") was established to provide a contemporary resource for arbitrators and mediators.[23]
Curriculum
The FIU College of Law requires all students to take a course entitled An Introduction to International and Comparative Law during their first year. Other required first year courses are more typical - Constitutional law, Torts, and Contracts in the first semester, Criminal law, Civil Procedure, and Property in the second, and legal writing classes (called Legal Skills and Values, or simply LSV) throughout. However, each of the substantive classes also dedicates a portion of its discussion to international and comparative issues in that area of law.
Upper level requirements also include an additional course relating to international law, an additional LSV class, a writing seminar, and a course in Professional Responsibility.
Clinical programs
The FIU College of Law offers six in-house clinics:
The Carlos A. Costa Immigration and Human Rights Clinic
The Community Development Clinic
Consumer Bankruptcy Clinic
Family Law and Education Advocacy Clinic
The H.E.L.P. (Health, Ethics, Law and Policy) Clinic, and the Education Advocacy Clinic.
The Florida International University College of Law operates out of the Rafael Díaz-Ballart Hall, designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the law school's building on May 22, 2005 (the same day as the inaugural commencement). $34 million was budgeted for the construction of the facility. The new building is also on the University Park campus, across from the FIU Arena and adjacent to the Recreation Center and a 1,000-car parking garage.
On-campus housing is available for graduate students in the College of Law at the University Park Towers and the University Park Apartments through the graduate housing community.
