Download App | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 Upload Your Resume   Employers / Post Jobs 
  1. Home
United States
We Believe in You. Let's Find Your Next Job.

Advanced Search

Browse Legal Jobs | By State | By City | Government | Law Firm | In-House | Public Interest
Employers & Reviews | Upload Resume | Search Articles

Stetson University College of Law

MAILING ADDRESS
1401 61st Street South
Gulfport, FL 33707-3299
MAIN PHONE
727-562-7800
WEBSITE
http://www.law.stetson.edu
ADMISSIONS EMAIL:
lawadmit@law.stetson.edu
REGISTRAR'S PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
727-562-7803/727-345-2607/
registrar@law.stetson.edu
CAREER SERVICE PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
727-562-7815/727-347-5692/
career@law.stetson.edu

An Overview


Founded in 1900 as Florida's first law school, Stetson University College of Law has educatedoutstanding lawyers, judges and other leaders for 112 years. Stetson University College of Lawhumbly began on Oct. 2, 1900, with five students from Florida. Since then, the state's oldest lawschool has trained thousands to become legal experts and societal leaders.

In 1954, Stetson Law moved from DeLand to a beautiful new 21-acre campus in Gulfport. Anenrollment boom after World War II spurred the relocation to the 17 buildings which had beenpart of the Hotel Rolyat built in 1925. The College of Law opened a satellite campus in downtownTampa in 2004. Stetson is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and has been amember of the Association of American Law Schools since 1931.

Today, the student body exceeds 1,000 and Stetson Law has grown to become home of thenation's top-ranked advocacy program and LL.M. degree programs in advocacy, elder law andinternational law. The Tampa Law Center opened in 2004 as a major hub for legal activity --housing evening law classes, the Tampa branch of the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, andlegal conferences.

Degrees Offered
  • LL.M. Program in Advocacy
  • LL.M. in Elder Law
  • LL.M. in International Law

Admission Information


Requirements Details
Eligibility Demonstrate a strong desire to advance their advocacy skills.Be proficient in the English language. Applicants whose native language is not English must achieve a TOEFL examination score of at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based).Meet the following educational criteria:

Applicant must hold a law degree from a U.S. law school accredited by the American Bar Association; or hold a law degree from a U.S. law school that is not, or was not accredited by the American Bar Association at the time of the applicant's graduation, and the applicant: is licensed to practice law in at least one state within the U.S., he or she can provide a certificate of good standing from that state's bar, and has significant experience as an advocate; he or she must hold a first law degree from a foreign law school approved by the appropriate authority in that country.
Transcripts N/A
Letters of Recommendation Students requesting admission must submit at least two (2) letters of recommendation. Most helpful are Letters written by individuals who can discuss the student's interests in advocacy, academic performance, professional success, skills, ethics, and professionalism.
Personal Statement Applicants are requested to prepare a personal statement of up to five, single-spaced pages addressing their reasons for wishing to pursue the LL.M. in Advocacy; their personal, professional or academic accomplishments; and any other information that may help Stetson evaluate their candidacy. Due to the limited number of seats in the program, Stetson's goal is to admit students who have some experience in advocacy, or can identify how this program would advance their careers. Therefore, personal statements addressing these points are particularly helpful. They need to ensure that they include their name on their personal statement.
Proof of Competency in English They must be proficient in the English language. Applicants whose native language is not English must achieve a TOEFL examination score of at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based).
Application Fee N/A
Law School Admission Test N/A
Curriculum Vitae Yes

Other Information


Criteria Details
Nature and Tenure of Courses Offered One year
Application Procedure/Time to apply/Application deadline June 30, 2013,
LL.M. Degree Requirements Applicants for admission to the LL.M. 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. All applicants must demonstrate strong academic achievement and must be proficient in the English language.
To earn an LL.M. degree in the Specialized Programs, students are required to get:

Course Requirement
LL.M. in Advocacy Students must be proficient in the English language. Applicants whose native language is not English must achieve a TOEFL examination score of at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based).
LL.M. in Elder Law Applicants for admission to the LL.M. 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. All applicants must demonstrate strong academic achievement and must be proficient in the English language.
International Law LL.M. Candidates for the LL.M. degree must satisfactorily complete two full academic semesters for a total of at least 24 credit hours. The first semester's curriculum includes two special courses designed exclusively for foreign trained attorneys: United States Legal Systems and United States Legal Research and Writing.

Details of Courses Offered


The LL.M. in Advocacy was designed to foster participants' development into full-spectrum legal advocates by challenging common assumptions about advocacy, encouraging personal growth, and teaching how to couple advocacy skills with sound legal analysis and strategic planning.

With the demanding schedules of practicing attorneys in mind, Stetson's LL.M. in Advocacy program uses a part-time, distance-learning model, similar to their highly successful Online LL.M. in Elder Law program. The vast majority of course work is conducted online through activities such as viewing lectures, contributing to discussion boards, and submitting video content; with in-person participation required 1-2 times per semester. Generally, lectures are prerecorded and students view them at their convenience within a given timeframe. Other components are conducted in real time. Regardless of individual component formats, the program as a whole is designed to be as flexible and convenient as possible.

As the nation's elder population rises, so does the need for experts in the specialized field of elder law. Stetson Law's LL.M. in Elder Law program offers attorneys a convenient online curriculum from which students can advance their legal education without relocating or interrupting their professional careers.

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Law program is an intensive one-year course that leads to an advanced legal degree in International Law with concentrations in International Public Law or International Private Law.

Stetson offers a special two-week orientation course to foreign-trained attorneys enrolled in the LL.M. program designed to facilitate the process of understanding and overcoming the challenges of the study of law in a different legal and educational system. This course provides the students with the necessary tools to succeed in a U.S. law school.

Financial Aid


Federal Direct Stafford Loans: Federal Direct Stafford Loans are available to eligible students who apply for federal aid using the FAFSA application. Students may qualify for up to $10,250 in Unsubsidized Loans every semester. With Unsubsidized Loans, the interest accrues while the student attends law school. The interest rate is fixed at 6.8 percent and has an origination fee of 1.051 percent. Borrowers receive a six-month grace period following graduation or from the time their enrollment falls below five credit hours.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans: A student can borrow up to the cost of education minus the Stafford Loan. To be eligible for this Loan, students must have acceptable credit. Direct Loans sets credit criteria according to their own policy independent of the College of Law. The interest rate is fixed at 7.9 percent and has an origination fee of 4.204 percent. There is no grace period on this loan; however, Direct Loans grants an automatic six-month deferment.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans: Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are available to eligible students who apply for federal aid using the FAFSA application. Students may qualify for up to $10,250 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans every semester. With unsubsidized loans, the interest accrues while the student attends law school. The interest rate is fixed at 6.8 percent and has an origination fee of 1.051 percent. Borrowers receive a six-month grace period following graduation or from the time their enrollment falls below five credit hours.

Tuition Scholarships: A limited number of merit scholarships are awarded on a semester-by-semester basis. The decision to award a partial merit scholarship is based on a variety of factors, including an individual's contributions to elder law, course load, financial need and/or academic performance in the LL.M program. Individuals interested in being considered for a partial scholarship should indicate their request on the application for admission into the LL.M. in Elder Law program and should attach a separate letter requesting a scholarship and the reasons for their request. Scholarships will be awarded in varying amounts. Since scholarships are only awarded for one semester at a time, recipients seeking a continuing award must reapply each semester, but any student, even those who were not awarded a scholarship in the past, may apply for the following semester; specific deadlines are available from the Center for Excellence in Elder Law and must be rigidly enforced. Both students taking a full course load or a partial course load may apply for scholarships.

Cost of Attendance


LL.M. in Advocacy
Tuition and Fees 2013-2014
$1,100 per credit hour

LL.M. in Elder Law
Tuition and Fees 2013-2014
$1,400 per credit hour

Career Development/Services Offered


At Stetson, it is known and well understood that a students' first job after law school is just that - the first step in a long, successful and rewarding career. Accordingly, Stetson will provide the career toolkit to help students launch the career that is right for them. Stetson will support their career choices through individual counseling sessions and group workshops, which focus on career strategy and planning, research, document preparation and publishing, communication and outreach, decision making, and mentoring.

Altogether, Stetson's 9,000-plus law graduates make up a diverse, multicultural network of connections and support.

Successful Stetson lawyers work in every sector of the legal profession, including government agencies, the judiciary, the military, nongovernmental organizations, and at large, medium and small law firms, as well as solo law practices. Beyond the legal arena, Stetson's sgraduates have achieved success in business, public and private education, health care, sport management, broadcasting and other fields. Many have gone on to pursue advanced degrees from Columbia, George Washington, Georgetown, NYU and other universities.

References