Stetson Law--overrated? Forum

[Bmg08d]

"Offering a tropical setting and some outstanding academic programs, the Stetson University School of Law is a diamond in the rough. It is still a low-ranking, regional institution however, and students should be aware of the limitations that come with a Stetson Law degree."

That's the first sentence in the Stetson profile on this website.

Stetson is #1 in Trial Advocacy and #5 in Legal Writing training nationally. The campus is beautiful and is located in the decent size Tampa metropolitan area. The weather is nice and price of living is good. Its also not that expensive for a private school. Average starting salary for private practice is 75,000. This beats FSU, my current undergrad. FSU is ranked #51 or 52 with a starting salary of only 67,000.

"Tuition is low, quality-of-life is high, and many of the academic offerings are outstanding. Stetson University School of Law outperforms its ranking on a number of counts. Career prospects are not great however, and prospective students should keep this in mind as decision-time nears."

That's the conclusion for stetson on this website.




I plan on going there and only plan to practice in Florida. So looking for a job in Nevada will not be a problem. Does anyone know why this school is consistently ranked low? I just dont get it. Are Florida and Florida State ranked higher because they are public institutions and cheaper?

[Eruannon]

I'm interested in this answer as well. John Marshall in Chicago has some strong program rankings but is still a TTTT.

[Cupidity]

Based on personal experience, Stetson admits idots. The school is beautiful, but its USNWR ranking of 101-110 depending on the year is well earned by the caliber of its students. It is seriously limited by its alumni base. While FSU/UF/UMiami have large undergrads, business and other programs which supply their law grads with other outlets to find employment, ie: going for in house council instead of a law- firm, Stetson has none of this because they are a liberal arts college of around 4,000. Their high starting salary is due to some shoddy statistics, look at percentage responded, the date, other factors. Sure, average private starting was 75k, what percentage of class went private.

[Eruannon]

I've heard the way the produce individual program rankings is pretty screwy, I've never read a long argument about why though.

[snakemongler84]

Until this year Stetson had a smaller first-year class entering in the Spring as well as the Fall. This had some negative impact on the rankings, and from what I gathered at orientation the way they handled their part-timers in the past may have affected rankings. However, the Spring entry pathway has been scrapped and they made some changes to the part-time program this year - although I do not know how exactly.

I like it here (as a 1L, about to start 2nd semester) and Advocacy is definitely our top program from what I can tell so far. Legal R & W was not bad, and I'm looking forward to R & W II. This site's assessment seems accurate enough to me.

I might be an "idot" though so take my perspective with a grain of salt.

[cubswin]

Average starting salary for private practice is 75,000. This beats FSU, my current undergrad. FSU is ranked #51 or 52 with a starting salary of only 67,000.

Stats like this are very equivocal. Cupidity pointed out a few of the ways that schools play with their statistics. I'm sure something is up.

FYI I thought this post was going to be a Stetson employee troll.

I'm interested in this answer as well. John Marshall in Chicago has some strong program rankings but is still a TTTT.

Stay away from JM. I have met people who have had success with a degree from there, but ITE I woudn't even attend for free.

[Eruannon]

Average starting salary for private practice is 75,000. This beats FSU, my current undergrad. FSU is ranked #51 or 52 with a starting salary of only 67,000.

Stats like this are very equivocal. Cupidity pointed out a few of the ways that schools play with their statistics. I'm sure something is up.

FYI I thought this post was going to be a Stetson employee troll.

I'm interested in this answer as well. John Marshall in Chicago has some strong program rankings but is still a TTTT.

Stay away from JM. I have met people who have had success with a degree from there, but ITE I woudn't even attend for free.

Neither would I. I just find the specialty rankings rather curious.

[Bmg08d]

So everyone knows that statistics can be skewed and is common practice. As the saying goes, "47.3% of all statistics are made up, believe me?"



While salary is a good quantitative indicator of performance and a good school. There are other qualitative issues here as well. Take salary out of it, Stetson has both a #1 and #5 program for academics. They are in an arguably great area. Who would turn down the south florida life?


I have taken the LSAT and this is one of my top choices. My uncle went here as well. I just dont get why they are so bad. Fsu's football team is at a 25yr low and was still in the top 25 until 4 games into the season. Yet stetson consistently ranks >100 year after year. Stetson is a liberal arts school only too. Just sounds like something stinks in denmark, if you know what I mean.


In response to the comment about low caliber students, that is understandable, but schools only accept low caliber students when they can't compete and attract higher caliber ones. Just trying to find out what it is. Is it bad faculty?

[scribelaw]

Go to FSU/UF. They're both pretty cheap, especially for in-state, and are what you want if you want a legal career in Florida.

Florida, for some reason, is a TTT factory. But if you look at the top law firms and good government jobs, they all to go to FSU and UF grads (and UM in Miami-Dade and Broward counties).

[GATORTIM]

Who would turn down the south florida life?

Tampa =/= South Florida

[micsse]

I want there. No they don’t admit idiots. It is a very rigorous education and many do not make it past the first year. Consistently number one or two nationally in advocacy and top five in legal writing. It also has excellent clinical programs and elder law programs. The school has several LLM programs as well. If anything, the school is very underrated. I do quite well in court thanks to my Stetson education when I’m there. However, I’m primarily an estate and real property attorney.

[nealric]

Undisputed #1 in hat law.

[laanngo]

Why does the building look like that?

[nixy]

Because they built it that way.

What should it look like?

[laanngo]

Because they built it that way.

What should it look like?

Because they built it that way.

What should it look like?

I don't care, but it's special. Many law schools are built in a corporate (Columbia) or gothic (Yale) style, particularly the top ones. Stetson's looks like it belongs in Disneyworld. unique, and captivating.

[ignorantfoot96]

I think Stetson is appropriately ranked. The school is objectively not very good despite its individual program ratings (which don't matter anyways). Florida has SO many garbage schools and I guess out of those schools it is slightly better, but I personally would not attend unless I had a guaranteed job after graduation and was attending for free.

General rule of thumb would be that if you can name ~3 better law schools that are not T-14 in a relatively small market then its going to be iffy.

[Helicopter]

I don't think you're being overtly self-righteous or intentionally mean, but I wanted to respond as someone who went there.

I think Stetson is appropriately ranked.

I agree, but I think the ranking system is stupid. It's the Vault of US News and focuses on LSAT score (poor predictor of future performance, only indicative of 1st year grades).

The school is objectively not very good despite its individual program ratings (which don't matter anyways).

Okay, well that is objectively false. I've been there and the quality of education far surpasses the next school I transferred to, waaay up the rankings.

Florida has SO many garbage schools and I guess out of those schools it is slightly better, but I personally would not attend unless I had a guaranteed job after graduation and was attending for free.

True, but Stetson isn't one of them. Cooley, Atlantic, etc--sure. But, Stetson is a solid program. I'm not a shill, either.

Also true on the employment. It's why I left after there was 1x biglaw firm at OCI for 1L's. LOL. But, its not bad for an education in a really nice setting.

General rule of thumb would be that if you can name ~3 better law schools that are not T-14 in a relatively small market then its going to be iffy.

I like this rule. If, by iffy, you mean finding gainful employment for 60% of the class.

Stetson deserves some hate for high $$$ and bad employment outcomes, but quality of education and being labeled "garbage", it doesnt deserve.