| Levin College of Law | |
| Established | 1909 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public |
| Parent endowment | US$1.250 billion[1] |
| Dean | Dean Robert Jerry |
| Location | Gainesville, Florida, USA |
| Enrollment | 1,106 (approx.) |
| Faculty | 88 (approx.) |
| USNWR ranking | 47th |
| Bar pass rate | 86.8% (July 2010)[2] |
| Annual tuition | $16,386.60 (Florida resident), $35,751.30 (Non-resident) |
| Website | www.law.ufl.edu |
The Fredric G. Levin College of Law is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida.
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The College of Law was founded in 1909. It was first housed in Thomas Hall, and then in Bryan Hall from 1914 to 1969. The college desegregated on September 15, 1958, with the admission of its first African-American student, and its faculty was desegregated shortly thereafter. In 1969, the college moved to its current location in Holland Hall, which is named after the former Florida Governor, U.S. Senator, and alumnus Spessard L. Holland (LL.B. '16). Holland Hall is located in the northwest section of the university's campus. In 1984, Bruton-Geer Hall, named after the parents of alumnus Judge James D. Bruton (LL.B. '33) and his wife Quintilla Geer Bruton, was added to the law school complex.
The College of Law was renamed the Levin College of Law in 1999 after prominent Pensacola trial lawyer and alumnus Fredric G. Levin (J.D. '61), who donated $10 million to the college, a sum that was matched by a $10 million grant from the state of Florida to create a $20 million endowment.
The College of Law underwent a major renovation between 2004 and 2005, creating new academic space and expanding the law library, which was named the Lawton Chiles Legal Information Center after the former Florida Governor, U.S. Senator, and alumnus Lawton Chiles (LL.B. '55). The renovated Legal Information Center is now among the largest law libraries in the Southeast. A large elegant reading room within the Legal Information Center was named for former Florida Supreme Court Justice, university president and alumnus Stephen C. O'Connell (LL.B. '40).
In September 2005, Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor spoke at the dedication of the renovated facilities. In September 2006, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg visited the College of Law to speak and to dedicate a classroom in honor of her friend and alumnus Chesterfield Smith (LL.B. '48). In August 2008, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts judged the college's Moot Court Competition, along with three other Federal Appellate Judges. That same semester, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens conducted a "conversation" with the student body, where the law students had an opportunity to ask Justice Stevens questions regarding his past decisions.
A new courtroom facility was completed in 2009. The facility, which was made possible by an additional $2 million donation from the Levin family,[3] is named the Martin Levin Advocacy Center in honor of UF Law alumnus Martin H. Levin (J.D. '88). The facility is 20,000 gross square feet, two stories tall, and includes a state of the art courtroom.[4] The new courtroom is designed to incorporate new technology to allow students to understand the role of technology in modern practice. Construction began on the second phase of the building (the second floor) in the Fall 2010 and was completed in Fall 2011. The second floor will include offices and meeting/seminar rooms.[5]
The College of Law offers a three-year, full-time program leading to a Juris Doctor degree. It also has several graduate law programs, including an LL.M-S.J.D. degree program in tax law and LL.M. programs in international taxation, comparative law, and environmental law. The Levin College of Law is also well known for its commitment to diversity. Over twenty percent of the incoming class are minority students and about half of the students are female.[6]
According to the 2012 U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, the Levin College of Law ranks 47th overall among J.D. programs, 2nd in tax law LL.M. programs and 13th in environmental law. Its 2010 entering class had a median undergraduate GPA of 3.67 and a median LSAT score of 162. The incoming group's 25th/ 75th percentile LSAT scores were 160 and 164, making the class of 2013 the law school's best credentialed class to date.
In 2009 the Levin College of Law trimmed the size of the incoming class from 400 to 300 students to improve the resources and services offered to each student, as well as in response to a national surplus of lawyers in a tight job market. The college only offers admission in the fall semester (spring admissions were discontinued in 2006).
Required first-year courses are torts, professional responsibility, criminal law, contracts, legal research and writing, constitutional law, civil procedure, property, and appellate advocacy. Students are also required to take legal drafting prior to graduation. It is recommended, though not required, that students also take evidence, estates and trusts, corporations, and trial practice.
Students can choose to pursue their J.D. in conjunction with another graduate degree, including a master's degree, Ph.D, or M.D. in one of the university's thirty three dual-degree programs. Students can also complete specific requirements in addition to those required for the J.D. and receive a certificate showing specialization in estate planning and trusts, family law, intellectual property law, environmental and land use law, or international, and comparative law.
The College offers one-year courses of study leading to the degree of LL.M. in taxation or in international taxation. Nearly all students in the LL.M. in the taxation program are graduates of American law schools; the LL.M. program in international taxation is open to graduates of U.S. and foreign law schools. In a typical year, about 90 students are enrolled in the tax LL.M programs. The College of Law also offers a S.J.D in taxation, a doctorate. Nearly all courses in the program are taught by full-time faculty. The College employs more full-time tax professors than any other law school in the United States, including several distinguished tax law experts. The faculty and students of the graduate tax programs publish the Florida Tax Review.
The college's comparative law program is offered to graduates of foreign law schools who seek to increase their understanding of the U.S. legal system.
The Fredric G. Levin College of Law has produced numerous United States Senators, fifteen members of the United States House of Representatives, a plethora of state governors, and a couple of United States Ambassadors. In the past forty years, four presidents of the American Bar Association were graduates of the college, more than any other law school for that time period. Since 1950, over sixty percent of Florida Bar Association presidents were graduates of the college. Numerous alumni have served as judges on the federal bench, and five have even served on the United States Court of Appeals. Seventeen graduates have served on the Florida Supreme Court, fifteen of them as chief justice. Ten graduates have served as presidents of a college or university.
In addition to their achievements in law and politics, the alumni have also excelled in other fields. Many have gone on to become influential journalists, writers, broadcasters, business leaders, activists, environmentalists, and even military officers.
The College of Law is home to a number of institutes including the Center for Governmental Responsibility, the Center for Race and Race Relations, and the Elder Law Center.
The College of Law has over 40 active student organizations, including:
The College of Law has a mock trial team, which competes nationally. Additionally, it has five moot court teams:
The College of Law publishes four law reviews:
The John Marshall Bar Association (JMBA) organizes social activities for law students. Membership is optional.
The architectural style of Bruton-Geer Hall, completed in 1984, is best classified as brutalism; concrete features prominently in its design. The renovation of Holland Hall was completed in 2005 at the cost of $25 million and features brick and concrete.
The grounds of the College of Law contain several pieces of artwork. The newest additions are three metal sculptures by Jim Cole of the Rhode Island School of Design representing the three branches of government: The Legislative and The Executive (installed 2005) and The Judiciary (installed 2006). These sculptures also function as benches. The lobby of the law school library contains a sculpture made by Cole in the form of a chair entitled The Lobbyist.
Also contained on the grounds of the college are a series of large, intertwined metal rings, which have the appearance of being partially underground. They are known as "the Cheerios."
| Years | Dean |
|---|---|
| 1909–1912 | Albert J. Farrah |
| 1912–1915 | Thomas Hughes |
| 1915–1947 | Harry R. Trusler |
| 1948–1958 | Henry A. Fenn |
| 1959–1970 | Frank E. Maloney |
| 1971–1980 | Joseph R. Julin |
| 1981–1988 | Frank T. Read |
| 1988–1996 | Jeffrey E. Lewis |
| 1996–1999 | Richard A. Matasar |
| 1999–2003 | Jon L. Mills |
| 2003–Present | Robert Jerry |
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