Florida A&M University College of Law

Florida A&M University College of Law
Name	Florida A&M University College of Law
Established	1949 (reestablished 2002)
Type	Public, Historically Black College or University
City	Tallahassee
State	Florida
Country	United States
Dean	Felecia B. Nave (interim)
Students	~250 (J.D.)
Parent	Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University College of Law is a public law school located in Tallahassee, Florida, historically affiliated with Florida A&M University and situated near state government institutions. The college offers a Juris Doctor program and certificates serving a diverse student body with links to regional legal practice in Florida and national networks including connections to American Bar Association‎, National Bar Association, and federal judiciary pathways. It is known for its role within the Historically Black Colleges and Universities network and its urban campus adjacent to state capitol resources.

History

The college traces origins to 1949 when it was established during a period shaped by Brown v. Board of Education litigation and civil rights mobilization including figures associated with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The original incarnation closed amid legal and accreditation challenges before being reestablished in 2002 after advocacy involving stakeholders from Florida State University, the Florida Legislature, and legal organizations such as the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. Reopening followed national debates about legal education access involving proponents connected to the United States Department of Justice, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and state actors in Tallahassee.

Throughout its history the college engaged alumni and faculty who intersect with major legal developments comparable to litigators from Brown v. Board of Education era, civil rights attorneys allied with Thurgood Marshall and organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality while navigating accreditation reviews related to standards cited by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Leadership transitions involved deans and administrators with prior affiliations to institutions including Howard University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and law firms networked with the American Civil Liberties Union and corporate counsel groups.

Campus and Facilities

The college occupies facilities in proximity to the Florida State Capitol and municipal courthouses, providing students access to externships with entities such as the Florida Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, and state agencies. Campus resources include law libraries supporting collections aligned with major repositories like the Library of Congress and research centers connecting to initiatives at the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and policy units at the Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation through visiting scholars and joint programs.

Facilities house moot courtrooms used for competitions paralleling events such as the Moot Court National Championship circuits and interschool contests with teams from University of Florida Levin College of Law, University of Miami School of Law, Florida State University College of Law, and schools across the Association of American Law Schools membership. The campus environment facilitates collaboration with nearby academic units like Florida State University colleges and cultural institutions including the Florida Historic Capitol Museum and statewide legal education partners such as the Florida Bar.

Academics and Programs

The Juris Doctor curriculum integrates doctrinal courses comparable to offerings at Columbia Law School, New York University School of Law, and clinical training modeled after programs at Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Specialized certificates and clinics address practice areas including public interest work aligning with American Civil Liberties Union cases, environmental law with ties to Sierra Club initiatives, and health law related to policies influenced by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Clinical partnerships include placements with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, civil rights litigation with groups such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and transactional clinics working with business incubators connected to SCORE and economic development agencies.

The faculty roster has included scholars and practitioners with backgrounds from Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Chicago Law School, and international links to judicial exchanges involving the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and comparative programs with King's College London and University of Oxford law faculties.

Admissions and Bar Passage

Admissions consider undergraduate records from institutions like Howard University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Florida State University, University of Florida, and other regional and national universities, with LSAT and credential reviews consistent with standards promoted by the American Bar Association‎ and the Law School Admission Council. The college has pursued initiatives to improve bar passage through programs modeled on successful strategies at Rutgers Law School, CUNY School of Law, and University of California, Berkeley School of Law, offering preparatory courses and partnerships with commercial bar review providers used widely across accredited law schools.

Bar passage outcomes are tracked relative to results reported by the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and are subject to variability tied to cohort composition, academic supports, and state examination content reflecting Florida jurisprudence and rules enforced by the Florida Supreme Court.

Student Life and Organizations

Student organizations include chapters of national groups such as the National Bar Association, the Black Law Students Association, the American Constitution Society, and the Federalist Society, as well as affinity groups connected to professional networks like the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Vietnamese American Bar Association, and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Competition teams participate in national events hosted by the American Bar Association and the National Moot Court Competition, and students engage in externships and internships with offices including the Office of the Attorney General of Florida, the Public Defender, and legislative internship programs at the Florida Legislature.

Co-curricular programming hosts speakers from institutions such as the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, major legal nonprofits including the Brennan Center for Justice, and corporate counsel from firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Jones Day, and Baker McKenzie.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty have included judges, legislators, civil rights attorneys, and public officials with careers intersecting the Florida Legislature, the Florida Supreme Court, and federal appointments involving the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office. Notable connections reach to leaders comparable in influence to alumni networks at Howard University School of Law, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University, and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities whose graduates have served in offices such as state legislatures, municipal governments, and federal judiciary posts.

Category:Law schools in Florida