University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law

Overview ³

A law school dedicated to advancing human dignity, social welfare and justice through knowledge of law.

The mission of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law is to achieve excellence in educating professionals, advancing legal scholarship, serving the public and fostering justice. We aspire to prepare lawyers to serve their clients, the justice system and the public with a high level of accomplishment and a commitment to the highest ideals of the legal profession. We strive to provide students with a well-rounded legal education. Our curriculum is designed to teach students about the law and to help them develop the skills necessary to use that knowledge in practice. Our goal is for our graduates to possess the core competencies essential to embark on the practice of law.

Student-Faculty Ratio ⁴

12.1:1

Admission Criteria ⁵

	LSAT	GPA
25th-75th Percentile	156-161	3.33-3.77
Median*	160	3.50

The above LSAT and GPA data pertain to the 2016 entering class.

Director of admissions	Delphine Byrd
Application deadline	July 15

Law School Admissions details based on 2016 data.

*Medians have been calculated by averaging the 25th- and 75th-percentile values released by the law schools and have been rounded up to the nearest whole number for LSAT scores and to the nearest one-hundredth for GPAs.

Admission Statistics ⁶

Approximate number of applications	2703
Number accepted	962
Percentage accepted	35.6%

The above admission details are based on 2015 data.

Law School Cost ⁷

Tuition and fees Full-time:	$22,299 per year (in-state) $38,904 per year (out-of-state)
Room and board	$12,090
Books	$1,850
Miscellaneous expenses	$3,850

Class Ranking and Grades ^8-9

Class Ranking

Two official class rankings are available during a student’s law school tenure, after completion of the first year and upon graduation. The end-of-first-year ranking is calculated based on cumulative grade point average compared with other students of the same matriculation date. Graduation ranking is calculated based on cumulative grade point average compared with other graduates of the same date. Unofficial rankings are also available after each fall and spring term and are approximate based on cumulative grade point average compared with other students of similar credits completed. Class rank shall be available to all requesting students. Individual class rankings can be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs in person with a picture ID, by fax or email.

Grades are recorded permanently by the Office of the University Registrar. The grade point average (GPA) is determined by computing the ratio of grade points of semester hours of work attempted in courses in which letter grades are assigned.

Students receive grade points according to the following scale:

A (Excellent)	4.0
A	3.67
B+	3.33
B (Good)	3.0
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C (Satisfactory)	2.0
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D (Poor)	1.0
D-	0.67
E (Failure)	0.0

Per faculty policy, the mandatory mean grade for all course sections is 3.15-3.25, inclusive. If the mean GPA for students enrolled in the course section (determined as of the beginning of the semester) is above 3.2, the lower end of the range is 3.15 and the upper end of the range may be .05 higher than the mean GPA of the students enrolled in the course. If the mean GPA of the students enrolled in the course section (determined as of the beginning of the semester) is below 3.2, the lower end of the range may be .05 lower than the mean GPA of the students enrolled in the course and the upper end of the range shall be 3.25.

The mean grade specified in this section shall be recommended rather than mandatory with respect to any seminar (classified as LAW 6936) and any course section of 15 or fewer students.

In no event, however, may the mean grade exceed 3.6, except as follows: If the mean GPA (determined at the beginning of the semester) for students enrolled in a course section after the last day to drop a class is above 3.55, the mean grade for the course section may exceed 3.6, but may not exceed the mean GPA of the students enrolled in the course section plus .05.

Grades awarded to LL.M. students, exchange students, and graduate students, and grades of E are excluded from calculation of the mean grade.

Grade Normalization (Curve)¹⁰

Except as otherwise provided, the distribution of the final grades awarded in all required courses in which more than 15 students are enrolled and in which letter grades are awarded must fall within the following percentages:

A	5 to 15%
A-	10 to 20%
B+	20 to 35%
B	20 to 35%
B-	5 to 15%
C+ and below	0 to 20%

Honors ¹²

In cases of superior scholarship and intellectual attainments, the Juris Doctor degree may be awarded Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Cum Laude. Qualifying GPAs are based on all work attempted in law courses.

Honors requirements are as follows:

Honor	Criteria
Order of the Coif	The Levin College of Law is one of a select group of law schools with a chapter of the Order of the Coif, the national academic honor society for law. The top 10 percent of a blend of all graduating classes—summer, fall, spring—within a fiscal year are chosen for the award, upon faculty approval. Notice is usually provided the fall following the prior year’s graduations.
Cum Laude	Grade point average of 3.30 or higher.
Magna Cum Laude	Grade point average of 3.70 or higher.
Summa Cum Laude	Grade point average of 3.90 or higher.
Dean’s List	Established by individuals and law firms, Book Awards provide financial support to the college and recognize outstanding academic performance. Recipients are chosen by their professors based on exam grades and are recognized with an inscribed plaque and during an award ceremony during the fall and spring terms.

Awards ¹²

Book Awards

Established by individuals and law firms, Book Awards provide financial support to the college and recognize outstanding academic performance. Recipients are chosen by their professors based on Commencement by Kristen Hines exam grades and are recognized with an inscribed plaque.

Journals ^13-16

Florida Law Review

Since its inception, the Florida Law Review has maintained a tradition of excellence, publishing the highest quality scholarly work in a timely manner. Throughout the years, the Florida Law Review has contributed to the legal discourse on many hot-button issues and served as a launch-pad for the careers of many well-respected lawyers, judges, businessmen, and professors.

Entirely student-edited, the Florida Law Review publishes articles, essays, lectures, and other scholarly work from professors, practitioners, and students from across the country and around the globe. The ninety student members and two staff assistants work tirelessly to publish one volume per year, with five issues in each volume. The Florida Law Review has evolved since its modest, postwar beginnings but has continued the tradition of excellence and commitment to service instilled by its founders six decades ago.

Florida Journal of International Law (FJIL)

Founded in 1984, the Florida Journal of International Law (FJIL) is a scholarly publication devoted to timely discussion of prescient international legal issues. Its subscribers include legal scholars and practitioners from around the world.

The Journal, published three times a year, is one of four co-curricular, student-run publications produced at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. On occasion, the Journal will also have Special Editions that can be purchased in addition to its subscription. The Journal selects its editorial board and staff from the top ten percent of students at the law school and from winners of the open write-on competition held once per year.

The Journal enables students to earn academic credit while honing their legal research and writing skills. Recent articles published or accepted have treated subjects as varied as International Trade and Commerce Law, Human Rights Law, Terrorism, National Security, War Crimes, International Environmental Law, International IP (Intellectual Property), and Maritime Law.

The University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy

Founded in 1987, the Journal fosters contemporary discourse on judicial decisions, legislation, law reform, and other legal and social issues facing public policy decision-makers. Each issue contains both analytical and thought-provoking articles written by lawyers, judges, scholars, and public officials. The Journal is published three times a year by the University of Florida Levin College of Law. The Journal is designed to serve the needs of professionals, researchers, instructors, and students in the academic fields of law and public policy, journalism and mass communications, business and social science, and other related disciplines, as well as law libraries, policy analysts, and public officials.

Journal of Technology Law and Policy

The Journal of Technology Law & Policy is a scholarly legal journal devoted to the discussion of relevant technology issues, including, but not limited to, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, antitrust, information privacy, and computer law. The Journal is one of four co-curricular journals produced at the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.

Since its founding in Fall 1995, the Journal steadily emerged as one of the foremost national intellectual property and technology law academic publications. The Journal began as a project of the Internet and Computer Law Association, a University of Florida student organization. The Journal became a fully accredited independent academic journal in Spring 1999. Since the June 2000 edition, the Journal has been available in hardbound print.

In the Spring of 2016, the Journal began to publish its articles online. The Journal hopes to reach a wider audience and to allow the Journal to be on the cusp of current and relevant topics to the legal society. The new website hosting the Journal’s online publication also affords members an opportunity to demonstrate their legal writing and analysis on the Journal’s forum. Member contributions to the forum can then be easily accessed and reviewed by potential employers and interviewers.

Membership in the Journal is limited to students at the College of Law, who exclusively review and edit the Journal, under the supervision and guidance of a College of Law faculty advisor. Students in good academic standing may compete in each year’s unified writing competition. If the work demonstrates superior analysis and writing skills, the Journal extends an offer of membership. Students may also be eligible for membership on the Journal based on outstanding academic achievement in their first year of law school.

Moot Court ^17-18

The Florida Moot Court Team is a prestigious co-curricular organization at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Founded in 1961, the team’s mission is to promote excellence in appellate advocacy.

Throughout its rich history, the team has received numerous state and national awards. Two- and three-member teams travel to over a dozen competitions throughout the United States each academic year.

At the end of each summer, the team holds a try-out competition for those students interesting in joining the team, who are entering their third semester. The competition requires students to write an appellate brief and then present two oral arguments before a panel of student and faculty judges. To be eligible to try out, students must have completed Appellate Advocacy and be in good academic standing.

The Florida Tax Moot Court

Welcome to the Florida Tax Moot Court Team’s website. Our team consistently places among the top competitors in various national tax and securities law competitions. We pride ourselves on developing and refining oral and written advocacy skills in the context of the most complex areas of law. Our team members, through their participation, build a lasting foundation of analytical skills and competence that cater to the practical aspects of the legal profession. Moreover, members of the Florida Tax Moot Court team cultivate relationships that endure far beyond law school. Please browse through our site to learn more about our success, membership, and opportunities. Thank you for your interest and GO GATORS!

Clinical Programs ¹⁹

The Fredric G. Levin College of Law Clinics are faculty-supervised, advice, representation, and mediation clinics that integrate the college’s nationally-ranked scholarship with applied lawyering, mediation, and problem-solving skills developed through simulation courses and by legal services provided in a fully-operational legal aid clinic.

Joining a Clinic will give students the opportunity to gain real-world legal skills through participation with real clients alongside experienced lawyers.

Virgil D. Hawkins Civil Legal Clinics

Each of the Virgil D. Hawkins Civil Clinics offers advice, representation, or mediation assistance to income-eligible clients in the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Alachua County, Florida.

Family Advocacy Clinic

The Family Advocacy Clinic operates as an actual law office where students provide exceptional assistance and representation to clients with family law problems.

Gator TeamChild Juvenile Law Clinic

The Gator TeamChild Clinic provides free legal services to children and gives students an opportunity to advocate for children regarding a broad spectrum of issues.

Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Center

The Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Center (IPVAC) helps to provide indigent victims of domestic, dating, and/or sexual violence assistance with civil issues surrounding their abuse.

County Court Mediation Clinic

The County Court Mediation Clinic provides students with an opportunity to participate in real court mediations while also helping students attain certification as a County Court Mediator.

The Criminal Law Clinics

While participating in the Criminal Law Clinics, students intern at the actual offices of the State Attorney or the Public Defender while also attending clinical lectures and simulation-based classes.

Prosecution Clinic

The Prosecution Clinic provides students with an opportunity to perform as interns in the actual practice of law under the direct supervision of a licensed Assistant State Attorney

The Criminal Defense Clinic

The Criminal Defense clinic offers students an opportunity to represent indigent persons accused of crimes through the Public Defender’s Office.

The Conservation Clinic

The University of Florida Conservation Clinic is an initiative of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida. Housed at the law school’s Center for Governmental Responsibility, the clinic offers both law and graduate students the opportunity to work on cutting edge environmental and land use law and policy issues.

Placement Facts ²⁰

Starting Salaries (2015 Graduates Employed Full-Time)

Private sector (25th-75th percentile)	$60,000 - $99,000
Median in the private sector	$70,000
Median in public service	$45,000

Employment Details

Graduates known to be employed at graduation	48.2%
Graduates known to be employed ten months after graduation	81.5%

Areas of Legal Practice

Graduates Employed In	Percentage
Law Firms	63.7%
Business and Industry	8.5%
Government	19.7%
Public Interest Organizations	0.4%
Judicial Clerkships	6.9%
Academia	0.8%
Unknown	0%

Externships/Internships

Externships²¹

All externships are made up of two parts: a field placement and an academic component. In the past, Levin students have obtained field placements throughout Florida and the United States, with government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including EEOC, FCC, NOAA, World Intellectual Property Organization, Department of Homeland Security and the ACLU; with sitting federal and state judges including federal district courts, bankruptcy courts, state circuit courts, district courts of appeal, federal circuit courts of appeal, and the Florida Supreme Court; and for-profit corporations, including the Discovery Network, Elizabeth Arden, Office Depot and Sony Corporation. Students may access a list of currently available and previously approved externships on Symplicity.

During their externships, students are closely supervised by lawyers and judges at the field placement and by a faculty member who provides the academic framework for the placement. Depending upon the time of year, a faculty supervisor provides academic guidance through an online class, or one–on-one tutorial. All students participating in an externship are required to complete the academic portion of the externship in order to receive a passing grade.

For second-semester third-year law students, a more intensive version of the externship program is available in the Semester in Practice Program (SIP). SIP students spend the entire spring semester working between 18 and 36 hours per week in an externship located where the student wishes to practice after graduation. During our first SIP, students participated in externships in South Florida and Washington, DC.

Externships are considered a class, so students register and pay for credits like any other course. Financial aid is available for academic year and summer externships; please see the Office of Financial Aid in Student Affairs for detailed information.

Summer

Summer Externship positions are posted on Symplicity throughout the academic year. Application dates vary. Many federal agencies expect to receive applications during the fall semester, but others don’t request or expect applications until the spring semester.

Students are expected to work at the field placement for 8-9 weeks during the Summer B session. All summer externs participate in the externship’s academic component through the Canvas platform during the Summer B session. At all times that a student is working hours to attain course credits, a faculty member supervises the student to ensure the academic and experiential nature of the placement. Externship hours must be completed on or before the last day of the summer session.

Please let Professor Menendez or Ms. Barnes know about your summer externship plans before the start date of summer registration. If you are waiting to hear from a site, you should let us know what you are planning, so that we may ensure that you have a spot in the program. If, after registration, you tell us about your plans for the first time, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to participate in the externship program.

Fall and Spring Semester Externships

During the spring and fall semesters, second- and third-year law students may participate in externships located throughout North Florida (for Semester in Practice externships, please see below). Students may earn 2-5 credits for participating in an externship, depending on the number of hours they work. Externs are expected to work for the entire semester.

Internships²²

Legal Intern Certification (CLI)

Students must become certified by the Florida Supreme Court for practice in the Criminal and most Civil clinics by applying to the Florida Supreme Court and by meeting the requirements of Chapter 11, Rules Regulating The Florida Bar (aka “Student Practice Rule”).

Students who participate in the Mediation Clinic or Conservation Clinic are not required to obtain Legal Intern Certification.

1) To be eligible to become a CLI, students must first register with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and receive a “Notice of Registrant Clearance” Letter. This will take at least 3-6 months. A copy of this letter is required to be attached to the student’s application for any clinic that requires CLI certification.

When registering for the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, students will have two options. The first option the student may choose is “student registration,” as part of the student’s normal application for the Florida Bar. As an alternate option, if the student does not intend to sit for the Florida Bar, the student may choose “Certified Legal Intern (CLI) Registration” only. For more information, please see the FAQ at http://www.floridabarexam.org/. Pay particular attention to the questions: “May I register as a first-year law student” and “How do I meet the clearance requirement for the Certified Legal Internship (CLI) program.”

2) After students have registered for a Civil or Criminal Law Clinic, they must complete an application for CLI certification with the clinic staff. After the Dean of the Levin College of Law certifies the student, the clinic staff will submit the CLI application to the Florida Supreme Court for approval.

Student Organizations ²³

• American Bar Association-Law Student Division
• American Constitution Society for Law and Policy
• Art Law Society
• Asian & Pacific American Law Student Association
• Association for Law and Business
• Association for Tax Law
• Association of Public Interest Law
• Black Law Students Association, W. George Allen Chapter
• Caribbean Law Students Association
• Christian Legal Society
• Corporate and Securities Litigation Group
• Criminal Law Association
• Cuban American Bar Association – CABA
• Eighth Judicial Circuit Law Student Association (EJCLSA)
• Entertainment & Sports Law Society
• Environmental and Land Use Law Society (ELULS)
• Estates and Trusts Law Society
• Family Law Society
• Federalist Society
• Florida Association for Women Lawyers
• Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Law Student Division
• Gators for Alternative Dispute Resolution (GADR)
• Health Care Law Society
• Immigration Law Association (ILA)
• Intellectual Property & Technology Law Association
• International Law Society
• Jewish Law Students Association
• John Marshall Bar Association
• Latino Law Student Association (LLSA)
• Law Association for Women
• Law College Council
• Law School Democrats
• Law School Republicans
• Law Student Division of The Florida Bar
• Law Transfer Student Organization (LTSO)
• Law Yoga Club
• Mental Health Law Association (MHLA)
• Middle Eastern Law Students Association (MELSA)
• Military Law Student Association
• Native American Law Student Association
• Outlaw
• Phi Alpha Delta
• Phi Delta Phi
• Public Interest Environmental Conference (PIEC)
• Real Property Law Association
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

References

1. http://www.law.ufl.edu/about/about-uf-law/contact-information
2. http://www.law.ufl.edu/student-affairs/transfer/registration
3. http://www.law.ufl.edu/about/about-uf-law/vision-mission
4. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-florida-levin-03037
5. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-florida-levin-03037/admissions
6. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-florida-levin-03037/admissions
7. http://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-florida-levin-03037/cost
8. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/office-of-student-affairs/current-students/uf-law-student-handbook
9. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/office-of-student-affairs/current-students/academic-policies
10. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/office-of-student-affairs/current-students/academic-policies
11. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/office-of-student-affairs/current-students/academic-policies
12. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/office-of-student-affairs/current-students/academic-policies
13. http://www.floridalawreview.com/about/
14. http://fjil.org/?page_id=14
15. http://ufjlpp.org/about/
16. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/student-organizations/journal-of-technology-law-and-policy
17. https://floridamootcourt.com/
18. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/student-organizations/tax-moot-court
19. https://www.law.ufl.edu/areas-of-study/experiential-learning/clinics
20. https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/university-of-florida-levin-03037/career-prospects
21. https://www.law.ufl.edu/areas-of-study/experiential-learning/externships
22. https://www.law.ufl.edu/areas-of-study/experiential-learning/clinics/for-students
23. https://www.law.ufl.edu/life-at-uf-law/student-organizations/extracurricular-organizations