University of Florida Levin College of Law

University of Florida Levin College of Law
Name	University of Florida Levin College of Law
Established	1909
Type	Public law school
Parent	University of Florida
City	Gainesville
State	Florida
Country	United States
Dean	Laura Rosenbury
Students	~600

University of Florida Levin College of Law is a public law school located in Gainesville, Florida, affiliated with the University of Florida and housed on the Gainesville campus near the Florida Museum of Natural History, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and the University of Florida Campus Historic District. The college offers professional legal education including the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees and participates in statewide legal initiatives with the Florida Supreme Court, Florida Bar Association, and federal courts in the Eleventh Circuit.

History

The college traces roots to the early 20th century alongside the expansion of the University of Florida and the consolidation of land-grant institutions influenced by the Morrill Acts. Its development paralleled milestones involving the Florida Legislature, the dedication of campus facilities during the administrations of presidents such as Andrew Sledd and John J. Tigert, and legal transformations during the eras of the New Deal and Brown v. Board of Education. Notable institutional changes occurred amid state-level legal reforms tied to the Florida Constitution of 1968, integration following decisions of the United States Supreme Court, and fundraising efforts connected to donors like the Levin family.

Campus and Facilities

The law complex is situated near the Marston Science Library and the Harn Museum of Art, with buildings that host classrooms, moot courtrooms modeled after spaces in the United States Capitol, and specialized libraries that house collections relevant to cases litigated before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida and appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Facilities support clinics that interact with agencies such as the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency during externships. The campus plan connects to the Shands Hospital medical campus and regional transportation routes including Interstate 75.

Academics and Programs

The college's curriculum integrates doctrinal courses on subjects like constitutional law, Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Property law with specialized offerings in Environmental law, Tax law, Intellectual property, and International law. Joint degree programs partner with units including the Warrington College of Business Administration, the College of Journalism and Communications, and the Florida Gators athletic compliance offices. Clinical programs and externships place students with entities such as the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, the United Nations, and the Federal Public Defender, while seminars draw visiting scholars from institutions like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School.

Admissions and Student Body

Admissions criteria reflect median metrics comparable to peer institutions including recorded averages similar to those at University of Virginia School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, and University of Michigan Law School, with consideration given to undergraduate records from universities such as Florida State University, University of Miami, and Miami University. The student body includes members from across the United States and international students who previously attended institutions like Oxford University, University of Cambridge, and the University of Toronto. Career services place graduates in positions at firms including Jones Day, Baker McKenzie, Holland & Knight, as well as clerkships with judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Rankings and Reputation

The college is regularly assessed by national evaluators that also rank schools such as University of Chicago Law School, New York University School of Law, and Duke University School of Law. It is recognized for programs in trial advocacy and tax law, drawing comparisons with specialized programs at Georgetown University Law Center and New York University School of Law. The school's reputation is influenced by faculty scholarship published in journals of the American Bar Association, citations in opinions by judges from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States, and contributions to bar passage rates evaluated alongside state bar data from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni include jurists, legislators, and legal practitioners who have served as judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, members of the United States Congress, state attorneys general, and leaders at firms such as Greenberg Traurig and Akerman LLP. Faculty and visiting professors have come from institutions including Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and have produced scholarship cited by jurists connected to the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Prominent former students have held offices in the Florida Legislature, the United States Senate, and executive branch posts at the United States Department of Justice.

Research, Centers, and Clinics

The college hosts centers and institutes that collaborate with state and federal entities like the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Department of Education on policy and litigation, and operates clinics that provide representation in matters before the Florida Supreme Court, federal trial courts, and administrative agencies. Centers focus on areas including health law, tax law, international law, and environmental law, engaging scholars who publish in journals affiliated with the American Bar Association and universities such as Georgetown University Law Center and NYU School of Law. Clinical partnerships place students in prosecutorial and defender roles with offices like the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida and externships with nonprofit organizations including Legal Services Corporation.

Category:Law schools in Florida