Florida Law Schools Forum

[Detail]

Despite the fact that most of Florida truly is a gator nation, the fact that UF sends more to firms doesn't mean their grads are that much more employable.

True.... but the fact that UF grads make substantially more does suggest that they are much more employable.

[cdingman]

Unless you intend on going into state politics, UF is the clear choice. If someone has an interest in politics FSU could quite possibly be the better choice however. About the numbers you will need, the numbers jumped significantly with a drastic reduction in class size. To be comfortable getting in to UF you need over a 160 regardless of your GPA. I got in off the WL with a 160 but from what I have heard from other people that applied, I was the lucky one.

[missvik218]

Go to UF, UNLESS you are dying to live in Miami and can get a good scholarship to UM (from what I understand if you have numbers above their averages you should be able to accomplish this).

To the other point 160 is likely sufficient, anything between there and 165 should get you a decent scholarship to any FL school.

Good advice, but, and this is just out of curiosity, why the red?

I've toned it down to pink in the last few weeks (I was getting too many complaints that it was burning ppls retinas) .. I just like it, everyone writing in the same color bores me + it's easier to find my posts and responses to them this way!

[willis14]

Does anyone know anything about the area of Miami that FIU is in? When I visited I didn't really take the time to drive around and check it out.

[MlhopeTC]

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[E\/ERLAST]

If you are looking at JD/MBA then Florida is really the only option in my opinion. Good law school and great business school. I am from the Orlando area and FAMU and Barry are both kinda jokes....

Stetson has the #2 trial program but is private an a lower t-2 school so the amount money you pay won't be worth it in my opinion
Miami is also private and unless you only want to work in Miami I don't see any perks there
FSU is close to UF but I just don't think it is going to have the clout in Florida unless you want to work in Tallahassee in government, oh yea, and I personally hate Tallanasty but obviously you probably are familiar with it.
With all that said, UF is the top choice if I was in your shoes. They even have the #2 tax law program if something like that interests you and as already stated, they have a great MBA/Business program. Gainesville is definitely a college town with not a ton beyond downtown though and one of the negatives for me is that where I grew up (Ocala) is a 30-45 drive and quite frankly I don't want my mom to be able to invite me to dinner once a week, haha.

lol i'm not gonna lie there's no real substance to this response...

FSU does not have any clout in Florida? Huh?

Your saying the school has no pull in Florida? lol Reasons? Evidence?

[Arredondo]

I'm at FSU and I am working in Jacksonville this summer. This week there was a get together during the day for summer interns working in Jacksonville. I was really surprised at the number of UF students in attendance--they definitely had the majority.

I went to UF undergrad and I'm a Gator sports fan, but I really like FSU law and feel like I'm getting the same education as any UF student. I definitely think the difference between the two schools is in the number of alumni that UF produces.

[AJaKe]

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[E\/ERLAST]

I just turned down FSU law for UF.

Go Gators


Also: Go to UF/FSU/Stetson/UM. Any other school isn't worth it.

Scratch off UM & Stetson from that list. 150k-200k? Unless your receiving a nearly free education... Miami is a cheap bunch of bastards though, and Stetson gives out very few full scholarships.

[geoanthem]

if you can get into UF go there, unless you get a substantial scholarship from one of the other schools and don't want the risk.

[jpin22]

I'll be attending UF next year and UF and FSU is the only schools I would attend at full tuition. Stetson and Miami are good if you want to live in those respective areas but still 120k+ debt just sounds awful.

[rcsbball11]

I just turned down FSU law for UF.

Go Gators


Also: Go to UF/FSU/Stetson/UM. Any other school isn't worth it.

This is a misconception that many people end up believing after looking around this site. I want to practice in Florida and turned down going to UM and Stetson because of the price tag and am going to FIU. Am I looking into possibly transferring after the first year? Yes. But FIU is up and coming and places well within Florida, especially South Florida, and in my case, having in-state tuition plus $5k in grants, it saves me a lot of money. So saying any other school isn't worth it is not accurate and sounds arrogant to anyone going to one of those "any other schools".

[jpin22]

I just turned down FSU law for UF.

Go Gators


Also: Go to UF/FSU/Stetson/UM. Any other school isn't worth it.

This is a misconception that many people end up believing after looking around this site. I want to practice in Florida and turned down going to UM and Stetson because of the price tag and am going to FIU. Am I looking into possibly transferring after the first year? Yes. But FIU is up and coming and places well within Florida, especially South Florida, and in my case, having in-state tuition plus $5k in grants, it saves me a lot of money. So saying any other school isn't worth it is not accurate and sounds arrogant to anyone going to one of those "any other schools".

In certain situations a school like FIU isnt a terrible choice, and yes its cheaper but do you know your job prospects? Yes you'll save money but theres no guarantee you'll finish in the top of your class. I wouldnt want to looking for a job if I hadnt graduated in the top 35 percent from FIU. There are schools in FL that no one should go to (Fl. Costal and Barry etc) given this legal market. What you fail to take into account is the the legal market is saturated by lawyers and there certainly isnt a need so students graduating from UF and FSU are taking jobs that in the past they wouldnt have considered.

[rcsbball11]

I just turned down FSU law for UF.

Go Gators


Also: Go to UF/FSU/Stetson/UM. Any other school isn't worth it.

This is a misconception that many people end up believing after looking around this site. I want to practice in Florida and turned down going to UM and Stetson because of the price tag and am going to FIU. Am I looking into possibly transferring after the first year? Yes. But FIU is up and coming and places well within Florida, especially South Florida, and in my case, having in-state tuition plus $5k in grants, it saves me a lot of money. So saying any other school isn't worth it is not accurate and sounds arrogant to anyone going to one of those "any other schools".

In certain situations a school like FIU isnt a terrible choice, and yes its cheaper but do you know your job prospects? Yes you'll save money but theres no guarantee you'll finish in the top of your class. I wouldnt want to looking for a job if I hadnt graduated in the top 35 percent from FIU. There are schools in FL that no one should go to (Fl. Costal and Barry etc) given this legal market. What you fail to take into account is the the legal market is saturated by lawyers and there certainly isnt a need so students graduating from UF and FSU are taking jobs that in the past they wouldnt have considered.

Yes, I know the job prospects are not as promising as UF or FSU, but saying that going to a school like FIU is not worth it is a little harsh. There are many people who went to FIU and have respectable careers, and once the school gets a little older and the alumni base gets a little larger, it will be easier for graduates. Of course you should aim to finish as high as possible in the class, especially when the school is newer and not as highly ranked, but if the idea of FIU not being worth going to is true, then basically it should be shut down. I just think there are many times on this forum when certain ideas get over-dramatized by people who are not wise enough to make the assumptions that they do, which then leads people to believe ideas that are not true.

[ndmertens]

Law School Grapevine...FAMU is in danger of losing its accreditation...

Berry... Horrible

Stetson... Gold-mine if you want to work in Tampa Bay, which is a great city, but not a huge legal market

UF... great schools, Tax law is up there with the T-14s

FSU... good school, especially environmental

St John, Nova... stay away

FIU... started out with strong numbers (162 average) just like Drexel Law... but dropped fast

UM... getting better, made the jump from 90s to low 70s

Florida Costal and St. Johns... I don't know much about but don't hold your breath

I work with a LSAT Prep company in Tampa, 95% of our student want to attend a FL school and a majority go to UF or Stetson.

[keg411]

I'm at FSU and I am working in Jacksonville this summer. This week there was a get together during the day for summer interns working in Jacksonville. I was really surprised at the number of UF students in attendance--they definitely had the majority.

I went to UF undergrad and I'm a Gator sports fan, but I really like FSU law and feel like I'm getting the same education as any UF student. I definitely think the difference between the two schools is in the number of alumni that UF produces.

Grapevine from a UF Law grad from a couple of years ago (very top of class, no issues with employment): "UF Law thinks they're better than they are". I'm considering school in Florida (UF/FSU/Stetson; though I'd prefer the price tag of UF/FSU even though I'd like to be in Tampa rather than Tally or Gainesville) if my LSAT breaks okay, and this person recommended FSU over UF. (I graduated from Miami UG several years ago and am thinking of a return to the Sunshine State). Nice to hear that you like FSU .

[AJaKe]

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[cfishy305]

I went to UF undergrad and i never understood why people hate on Gainesville... Gainesville is awesome IMO... Whats the deal ?

[newcritic]

Echoing above poster - UF Tax Law is world class.

[mdd05d]

Grapevine from a UF Law grad from a couple of years ago (very top of class, no issues with employment): "UF Law thinks they're better than they are".

You could say that about the university as a whole.

[Brooklyn13]

[Deleted]

[invictus]

I will be applying to UF this fall...I hope they like out of state applicants!

I got in fine...though they're cutting the class sizes so it may be more difficult, so apply early. Just be aware you won't be getting in-state tuition at any point.

[the lantern]

I will be applying to UF this fall...I hope they like out of state applicants!

I got in fine...though they're cutting the class sizes so it may be more difficult, so apply early. Just be aware you won't be getting in-state tuition at any point.

I called FSU the other day and they told me it was still entirely possible to get in state tuition your second and third years, there were just more hoops to jump through. Is this a UF specific thing or ..? Just wondering because if I can't get in-state at FSU/UF, they will go from my top choices to schools I won't even apply to.

[paq04]

There are many that think FSU will soon be overtaking UF in the US News rankings. They are currently only one spot behind and have been moving up rather rapidly.

Also, there are many who get into both schools and choose FSU. I don't know if it has to do with Tallahassee being the state capitol or just the general reputation FSU has as a law school with a great atmosphere. Either way many of these students who made the choice went to UF for undergrad, so they must have had their reasons for coming to Tallahassee. Again, some may be for government related reasons, but so far I haven't heard anyone mention anything like that.

[invictus]

I will be applying to UF this fall...I hope they like out of state applicants!

I got in fine...though they're cutting the class sizes so it may be more difficult, so apply early. Just be aware you won't be getting in-state tuition at any point.

I called FSU the other day and they told me it was still entirely possible to get in state tuition your second and third years, there were just more hoops to jump through. Is this a UF specific thing or ..? Just wondering because if I can't get in-state at FSU/UF, they will go from my top choices to schools I won't even apply to.

You might, but from what I understood talking with folks knowledgeable in such matters it will be a big gamble. It comes down to whether you're willing to make a $50,000 bet on in-state tuition. Evaluate the schools for their merits, not their cost.