Stetson University College of Law

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Stetson University College of Law
Established:	1900
Type:	Private, coeducational
Dean:	Darby Dickerson
Faculty:	61
Students:	800
Location:	Gulfport, Florida, USA
Campus:	21 acres, suburban
Website:	www.law.stetson.edu

Stetson School of Law main tower as seen from the main court yard (inspired by Torre del Oro in the city of Seville)

Stetson School of Law Library (58,000 square feet)

Stetson University College of Law, founded in 1900, is Florida's first law school. Located in Gulfport, FL (moving to the city in 1954 from its original location in DeLand), it also has a campus in Tampa, FL. The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat.[1] The College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1931. One of the "Top 100 Law Schools" in the most recent U.S. News rankings (2008).

[edit] Programs

• Offers J.D. Certificates of Concentration in Advocacy, Elder Law, Higher Education Law and Policy, and International Law; J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.D., and J.D./M.P.H. dual-degree programs; LL.M. in International Law and online LL.M. degree in elder law.
• The Stetson Law Review is the Headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews from 2003-2008. NCLR is the leading organization for law reviews and journals with approximately 145 members from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada.
• Home to the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law.
• Centers for Excellence in Advocacy, Elder Law, Higher Education Law and Policy, and International Law.
• Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy and the Journal of International Aging Law and Policy are produced in conjunction with the school.

[edit] Standings

• Ranked #1 in Trial Advocacy, and #5 in Legal Writing for 2008 by U.S. News (note, the rankings are given a year ahead). Ranked #1 in the nation in trial advocacy by U.S. News and #3 (tied) in legal writing in 2006. Over the past dozen years, the school's advocacy program has been ranked first in the nation eight times, and second three times.
• Stetson Law School team is the 2004-2005 world champions at the 12th Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition, the first U.S. law school to win since 1996, receiving Frederic Eisemann Award (i.e., prevailing team in orals) for winning. Stetson defeated the University of Vienna for the gold.

[edit] Points of interest

• The law school is part of the Stetson University, which is located in DeLand, Florida.
• Its Tampa campus shares space with a working court, Florida's Second District Court of Appeal.
• A new book entitled Florida's First Law School: History of Stetson University College of Law by Michael I. Swygert provides a detailed history of the school covering its founding, development, and growth (ISBN 1-59460-316-2).
• Harold Sebring, a former chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court (and a judge at the Nuremberg War Trials), became the first dean of Stetson Law School on the Gulfport campus (1955-1968).

[edit] Notable alumni

• Gus Bilirakis (1989) - Florida House of Representatives (1998)
• Rich McKay (1984) - President and general manager, Atlanta Falcons (2004)
• Prakash Khatri (1983) - Department of Homeland Security’s Ombudsman and a specialist in Immigration and Citizenship issues as they relate to national security^[1]
• Michael William Lebron, Lionel (1983) - Nationally syndicated radio talk show host.
• Craig Crawford (1981) - television political commentator, writer, and columnist for the Congressional Quarterly
• Justice Carol W. Hunstein (1976) - Georgia Supreme Court Justice (1992)
• Congressman E. Clay Shaw Jr. (1966) - Represented South Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981-2007.
• James T. Russell (1954) - Florida Legislature (1958); Florida assistant state attorney (1965)
• Frederick B. Karl (1949) - Florida Supreme Court Justice
• David Sholtz - twenty-sixth Governor of Florida (1933-1937)
• Bruce Jacob - Florida Assistant Attorney General during the early 1960's and counsel in Gideon v. Wainwright. Bruce Jacob represented Louie Wainwright, the Director of the Florida Department of Corrections, and as such, argued that the State of Florida did not have a constitutional obligation to provide Clarence Gideon with counsel. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of Clarence Gideon.
• E. Harris Drew (1923) - Member of the Florida Supreme Court (Chief Justice)

[edit] Noted Faculty

• Bruce Jacob (see above)
• Darby Dickerson (Dean of School and editor of ALWD Citation Manual)
• Ellen Podgor (co-editor of White Collar Crime Prof Blog)
• Charles Rose (author of Fundamental Trial Advocacy and noted military law scholar)
• Carol Henderson (Director of National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law and president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

[edit] References

1. ^ Khatri's Homeland Security's Bio

[edit] External links

• Stetson Law Home Page
• Brief History of Stetson Law
• Extended History of Stetson Law
• Satellite Photo 2004
• Law School Ranking