Stetson University College of Law: A Legacy of Legal Excellence

Founded in 1900 as Florida’s first law school, Stetson University College of Law has a long and distinguished history of educating outstanding lawyers, judges, and leaders for over a century. Situated in Gulfport/St. Petersburg, Florida, Stetson Law offers a tranquil environment for the study of law, nestled within a residential beachfront community. The college is committed to teaching excellence, legal scholarship, law reform, and service to the public and the legal profession.

A Rich History and Idyllic Location

Stetson University College of Law was established 124 years ago. Its primary campus is located within the residential beachfront community of Gulfport, a tranquil place to live and work that is contiguous with the city of St. Petersburg. Few places in the world can compete with Stetson’s main law campus as an idyllic environment for the study of law. Inside the walls of this former 1920s resort in Gulfport/St. Petersburg, you’ll find classrooms and courtrooms equipped with sophisticated audiovisual technology.

The law school's move from DeLand to Gulfport in 1954 marked a significant chapter in its history. The initial library collection, containing fewer than 18,000 books, was housed in "several small cubicles." However, an anonymous donation of $250,000, later revealed to be from Charles A. Dana and the Charles A. Dana Foundation, paved the way for a new law library and classroom building. Construction on the Charles A. Dana Library began in 1957, and it opened in 1958, with space for 70,000 volumes and 100 students. The Charles A. Dana Foundation continued its support, providing a gift in 1971 to double the library's size, which was completed in 1973. In 2010, Stetson University College of Law renamed the Stetson Law Library and Information Center for philanthropists Frances R. "Dolly" and Homer Hand.

Academic Programs and Opportunities

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. The school accepted 38.39% of applicants for the class entering in 2023, with 35.24% of those accepted enrolling. The median enrollee had a 158 LSAT score and 3.59 undergraduate GPA.

Stetson also offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and a Master of Jurisprudence. 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.

Read also: Explore Stetson Law

Stetson Law guarantees a clinic or externship for every student, providing real-world experience and practical skills development.

LL.M. Programs

Stetson University College of Law offers several specialized LL.M. programs designed for attorneys seeking advanced knowledge and skills in specific areas of law.

LL.M. in Advocacy

The LL.M. in Advocacy program is designed with the demanding schedules of practicing attorneys in mind, utilizing a part-time, distance-learning model. The vast majority of coursework is conducted online through activities such as viewing lectures, contributing to discussion boards, and submitting video content, with in-person participation required one to two times per year. Lectures are generally prerecorded, allowing students to view them at their convenience within a given time frame. Other components are conducted in real time.

LL.M. in Elder Law

As the nation’s elder population has risen, so has the need for experts in the specialized field of elder law. Applicants for admission to the LL.M. in Elder Law program must have a law degree from a U.S. law school or a law school approved by the appropriate authority in a country other than the United States and exhibit a strong interest in elder law through job experience or courses completed. Courses are taught by talented full-time faculty and adjunct professors, including many of the past presidents of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). The program is directed by Roberta K. Flowers, codirector of the Center for Excellence in Elder Law. Also teaching in the program is Professor Rebecca Morgan, Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law.

LL.M. in International Law

With more than 160 alumni hailing from 50 countries, Stetson’s LL.M. in International Law program serves as a hub for domestic and foreign lawyers seeking advanced careers on a global scale in business, government, education, or the law. The program is an intensive one-year course of study for those interested in international public law or international private law. Stetson’s rigorous curriculum consists of a wide range of doctrinal courses, practical skills classes, internships, and electives on a variety of topics. The program emphasizes the professional, leadership, and business skills necessary to succeed in the global marketplace and offers a unique, multicultural experience in a close-knit community setting. Stetson Law’s International Law LL.M. program has been recognized as one of the best LL.M. programs for career opportunities and where students feel most at home.

For foreign-trained attorneys enrolled in the LL.M. in International Law program, Stetson offers a special two-week orientation program designed to facilitate the process of understanding and overcoming the challenges of studying law in a different legal and educational system. The associate dean of academic affairs may grant an admitted J.D. applicant who holds a foreign law degree up to 29 academic credits toward a Stetson J.D. degree. This allows qualified students to complete the J.D. in two years and sit for a bar exam in any state. An LSAT score is not necessary for qualified applicants in this program.

Resources and Support

Stetson Law provides a comprehensive range of resources and support services to its students.

Faculty

Stetson’s greatest resource is its faculty who share their experiences and passion for the law with generations of lawyers. Our professors are among the finest legal educators in the country-Fulbright scholars, Supreme Court advocates, acclaimed authors, and public servants.

Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library

Stetson’s Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library features a wealth of legal resources. In 2004, Stetson University College of Law opened its Tampa Law Center with a satellite library. The Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library contains physical archives including the Harold L. 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.

Financial Aid

Financial aid, including scholarships, for LL.M students is available. A limited number of merit scholarships are awarded on a semester-by-semester basis.

Read also: Applying to Stetson University

Career Development

At Stetson, we know that your first job after law school is just that-the first step in a long, successful, and rewarding career. Accordingly, we will provide the tools and toolkit to help you launch the career that is right for you. An accessible career development staff supports your career choices through individual coaching sessions, group meetings, and programs. For 2023 graduates, 82.52% obtained full time, long term, Bar passage required employment.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

As of 2020, Stetson Law and the 11 other Florida law schools formed the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium for Racial Justice (FLSCRJ). 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. 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.

Notable Alumni

Stetson University College of Law has produced numerous distinguished alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and beyond. Some notable alumni include:

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.
Dean Trantalis (1979) - mayor of Ft. Lauderdale.

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