Interview with Robert H. Jerry, II, Former Dean & Levin Mabie and Levin Professor of Law

^{Last Updated: September 2026}

Top-Law-Schools.com interviewed Robert H. Jerry II, then Dean and Levin Mabie and Levin Professor of Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, about admissions, legal education, student life, career preparation, and what prospective students should consider when choosing a law school.

Although the original interview was conducted in 2009, many of Jerry’s observations remain useful for prospective law students today. His comments emphasize the importance of looking beyond numerical credentials, considering the total value of a legal education, gaining meaningful professional experience, and choosing a law school based on long-term career objectives rather than rankings alone.

Editor’s Note: Specific tuition figures, enrollment numbers, residency policies, rankings, employment conditions, and other statistics discussed in the original interview reflected conditions at the time it was conducted. Applicants should consult the current University of Florida Levin College of Law profile and official university resources for current information.

What Prospective Law Students Can Learn from Robert H. Jerry II

Several themes from Jerry’s interview remain especially relevant to applicants deciding where to attend law school:

Law schools evaluate more than GPA and LSAT performance.
Work experience, leadership, community involvement, and unusual life experiences can strengthen an applicant's overall profile.
Cost and financial aid should be considered alongside reputation and academic quality.
Rankings are only one factor in evaluating a law school.
Alumni networks and geographic reach can affect career opportunities.
Judicial clerkships, externships, summer employment, and other practical experiences can strengthen career preparation.
Applicants should think carefully about where they hope to practice after graduation.
A law school's academic environment and professional resources may be more important than superficial measures of prestige.

Applicants who are beginning this process can also review the broader Top-Law-Schools Law School Admissions resources and LawCrossing's guide to preparing for law school.

What Does UF Law Look for in Applicants?

TLS: How would you describe the ideal candidate for the University of Florida Levin College of Law? Are there different qualities you look for in applicants coming directly from college, nontraditional candidates with significant work experience, or applicants with graduate degrees?

Robert H. Jerry II: The Levin College of Law seeks students representing a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, interests, and perspectives. A broadly diverse law school community, he explained, can help prepare graduates to serve effectively in many different public and private roles.

Jerry emphasized academic ability, professional excellence, integrity, vision, creativity, and commitment to the legal profession. He also noted that factors such as work experience, leadership, community service, overcoming disadvantage, and a commitment to improving access to legal services may demonstrate what an applicant could contribute to a law school community and ultimately to the profession.

What Applicants Can Take from This Today

One of the most enduring lessons from Jerry’s answer is that a law school application should communicate more than numbers.

LSAT scores and undergraduate grades remain important pieces of the application process, but applicants also have opportunities to demonstrate qualities that are difficult to capture numerically. Professional experience, public service, leadership, extracurricular involvement, significant responsibilities, unusual accomplishments, and the ability to overcome obstacles can all help explain what a candidate may contribute to a law school community.

This is why the personal statement, résumé, recommendations, and supplemental essays should work together rather than simply repeat the same information. Applicants looking to strengthen the written portion of their applications can review the TLS Personal Statement resources and LawCrossing's guidance on submitting law school essays.

Does Work Experience Matter in Law School Admissions?

Jerry's comments also offer an important lesson for applicants who are not applying directly from college.

Meaningful work experience can give an applicant evidence of maturity, responsibility, leadership, communication skills, and exposure to real-world problems. The importance of that experience is not necessarily determined by whether an applicant previously worked in a law office. Experience in business, government, education, public service, science, technology, the military, nonprofit organizations, or other fields can provide useful perspective.

The strongest application explains why the experience matters. Rather than merely listing job titles, applicants should consider what they learned, how their responsibilities developed, and how those experiences influenced their interest in legal education.

For applicants working through the entire application process, LawCrossing's guide to gaining acceptance to a law school of your choice provides additional preparation considerations.

Florida Residency and Public Law School Tuition

TLS: How does the University of Florida determine whether a student qualifies as a Florida resident?

In the original interview, Jerry explained that simply living in Florida or attending school in the state did not automatically establish residency for tuition purposes. Residency involved additional requirements and was determined based on information reviewed by the university.

Because residency requirements can change, prospective students should not rely on the rules quoted in a historical interview when determining present eligibility. Applicants should verify current residency requirements directly through the University of Florida.

Why Residency Can Matter When Choosing a Public Law School

Residency may have significant financial implications at public universities because tuition for residents and nonresidents can differ substantially.

Applicants comparing public law schools should investigate:

Current resident and nonresident tuition
Rules for establishing residency
Whether residency can change after enrollment
Merit scholarships
Need-based assistance
Fees and living expenses
Scholarship renewal conditions
Total estimated debt at graduation

The goal should be to evaluate total cost, not simply the published annual tuition.

The current TLS University of Florida Levin College of Law profile provides updated admissions, tuition, academics, and employment information for students researching UF Law.

How Important Should Cost and Financial Aid Be?

TLS: How affordable is UF Law for students coming from outside Florida?

Jerry described UF Law at the time as offering significant educational value and noted that nonresident students could seek merit scholarships and need-based grants.

The exact financial picture has changed since the original interview, but the broader issue remains highly relevant: what will a particular law degree cost, and what career opportunities may reasonably follow from it?

Applicants should compare:

Tuition and mandatory fees
Scholarships and grants
Scholarship retention requirements
Housing and living costs
Borrowing needs
Interest on educational debt
Employment outcomes
Expected geographic market after graduation
Career paths commonly pursued by graduates

A larger scholarship from one school may materially alter the comparison between two institutions, even when another school has a stronger reputation. Conversely, cost should not be considered in isolation from employment outcomes and career objectives.

Should Law School Rankings Determine Where You Attend?

TLS: You have discussed concerns about law school rankings. How should a school respond to rankings while continuing to improve?

Jerry said that strong institutions should continually evaluate and improve their programs and services. He pointed to curriculum, faculty-to-student ratios, student support, career development, and institutional resources as areas worth improving because they make the school itself stronger—not merely because improvement could affect a ranking.

His central point was simple: a law school should make decisions that improve the quality of education, with rankings treated as a consequence rather than the primary objective.

What Applicants Should Consider Beyond Rankings

Rankings can provide one reference point, but they cannot tell an applicant everything needed to make a sound decision.

Applicants should also consider:

Employment outcomes
Geographic placement
Bar passage
Cost and debt
Scholarship conditions
Practice-area opportunities
Clinical and experiential programs
Faculty and curriculum
Class size
Alumni network
Career services
Judicial clerkship opportunities
Student culture
Personal and geographic preferences

Prospective students can explore these issues through the TLS Choosing a Law School forum, where applicants and students discuss tuition, schools, career opportunities, and other factors involved in law school decisions.

How Should Applicants Compare UF Law with Other Florida Law Schools?

TLS: Applicants interested in Florida often compare the University of Florida with other schools in the state. Why should someone consider UF?

In the original interview, Jerry emphasized UF Law's academic reputation, affordability for Florida residents, and extensive alumni network. He also cited contemporary recognition that the school had received at the time.

Those historical rankings and comparisons should not be treated as current measurements. However, his underlying emphasis on value, alumni relationships, and career geography remains useful when comparing law schools.

A Better Framework for Comparing Law Schools

Instead of asking only, “Which school ranks higher?” prospective students should ask:

Where do I want to practice?
Schools may have especially strong professional networks in particular cities, states, or regions.

How much will each school cost me?
Compare realistic net cost after scholarships rather than published tuition alone.

Where do graduates work?
Review employment outcomes by employer type, geography, firm size, clerkships, government work, and public interest employment.

Does the school support my intended practice area?
Look for relevant faculty, courses, clinics, journals, externships, student organizations, and recruiting relationships.

Would I actually be happy studying there for three years?
Location, campus environment, housing, family considerations, and community can influence academic performance and quality of life.

The University of Florida Levin College of Law profile can serve as a starting point for applicants making these comparisons.

Student Life at UF Law and Living in Gainesville

TLS: What is the quality of life like for UF Law students in Gainesville?

Jerry described Gainesville as an active university community offering outdoor recreation, arts, music, cultural activities, and access to Florida's natural environment. He also emphasized the variety of activities available to students outside the classroom.

Some specific accolades quoted in the original interview date from that period, so students researching present-day life in Gainesville should use current housing and cost-of-living information.

The broader point remains important: where you attend law school becomes your home for several years.

Applicants should consider:

Housing availability
Cost of living
Transportation
Campus accessibility
Recreation
Student organizations
Community life
Proximity to family
Internship opportunities
Whether they would be comfortable building a personal and professional network there

Quality of life is not a trivial consideration. The demands of law school make it particularly important to choose an environment in which a student can realistically remain productive and healthy.

Are Joint Degrees Worth Considering?

TLS: UF offers joint-degree programs. What types of career paths can they support?

At the time of the original interview, Jerry described graduates combining the JD with disciplines such as finance or science and moving into careers including investment banking and patent law.

The precise programs and enrollment numbers available today should be confirmed through current university sources. Nevertheless, interdisciplinary education can make sense for students with clearly defined professional objectives.

Potential combinations may connect legal education with areas such as:

Business
Finance
Tax
Public policy
Science
Technology
Healthcare
Environmental studies
International affairs

A joint degree should not be pursued simply because an additional credential sounds impressive. Students should evaluate the additional tuition, time, opportunity cost, and actual relevance of the second degree to their intended career.

Judicial Clerkships and Career Preparation

TLS: How does UF assist students interested in competitive state and federal judicial clerkships?

Jerry described programs designed to educate students about different types of courts and clerkships, including discussions with judges and judicial law clerks. He also discussed counseling and assistance with clerkship applications.

While historical claims about the number or ranking of UF clerkships should be verified with current data, the resources Jerry described illustrate what prospective law students should investigate at any school.

A strong clerkship support system may include:

Faculty recommendations
Application counseling
Writing-sample guidance
Interview preparation
Alumni connections
Information about judges and courts
Application timelines
Support for federal and state opportunities

Judicial clerkships can give new lawyers intensive experience with legal research, writing, litigation, judicial decision-making, and courtroom procedure. Students considering this route can read LawCrossing's Law Student Guide to Securing Clerkships, Internships, and Fellowships and its advice on securing a clerkship without top grades or a T14 degree.

What Can Students Learn from Difficult Legal Hiring Markets?

TLS: What effect did the economic downturn have on job prospects for UF Law graduates?

The original interview took place during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Jerry explained that legal employers had reduced hiring and recruiting activity and that graduates faced a more difficult employment environment.

Those comments describe a specific historical period and should not be interpreted as a description of today's legal market.

But there is an evergreen career lesson within his response: legal hiring conditions change.

Students cannot control economic cycles, but they can improve their ability to compete by developing:

Strong academic credentials
Legal writing skills
Practical experience
Professional relationships
Geographic flexibility
Interviewing skills
Practice-area knowledge
A well-developed professional reputation

Law students should begin career preparation early instead of waiting until graduation.

Geography and the Strength of an Alumni Network

Jerry emphasized the strength of UF's alumni network and noted that graduates historically developed careers throughout Florida, including major legal markets such as Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and South Florida.

The exact distribution of graduates changes from year to year, so prospective students should review current employment disclosures when evaluating geographic placement.

Nevertheless, Jerry's comments highlight an important question every applicant should ask:

Where does this law school's network have the greatest influence?

A school with a strong alumni presence in the geographic market where a student intends to work can offer valuable advantages through:

Mentorship
Informational interviews
Job referrals
Alumni events
Recruiting relationships
Professional introductions
Long-term business development connections

Applicants who hope to practice outside a school's primary geographic market should investigate whether the degree travels effectively to their preferred location.

Law Reviews, Journals, and Academic Opportunities

TLS: What journal opportunities are available to UF Law students?

Jerry discussed several journals available at the law school at the time, including the Florida Law Review and journals focused on public policy, technology law, and international law.

Students researching UF today should confirm current journal offerings and membership procedures directly with the school.

More broadly, journal experience can help students develop:

Legal research abilities
Citation skills
Editing experience
Advanced legal writing
Attention to detail
Exposure to legal scholarship
Professional relationships with faculty and classmates

Journal membership can be particularly useful for students interested in litigation, appellate work, clerkships, academia, or writing-intensive practices, although it is only one of many worthwhile extracurricular opportunities.

How Should Law Students Spend Their Summers?

TLS: How do UF Law students spend their summers?

Jerry encouraged students to gain meaningful experience. He identified externships, summer associate positions, government internships, legal services work, summer programs, law-clerk positions, and additional coursework among the paths students pursued.

That advice remains highly relevant.

The goal of a law student's summer should generally be to emerge with stronger skills, more informed career preferences, additional professional relationships, or ideally all three.

Students may consider:

Law firm summer associate programs
Small and midsize law firms
Judicial internships
Government agencies
Prosecutors' offices
Public defenders
Public interest organizations
Legal services organizations
Corporate legal departments
Faculty research
Clinics and externships

Even when a position is not a student's ultimate career goal, practical legal experience can improve research, writing, client interaction, professionalism, and understanding of how attorneys actually work.

LawCrossing provides additional guidance through its Summer Opportunities for Law Students resource and its detailed law student questions and answers.

Why Did Robert H. Jerry II Recommend UF Law?

TLS: Finally, why UF Law?

Jerry pointed to several characteristics he believed distinguished the school during his tenure: educational value, academic opportunities, connections to the larger University of Florida, Gainesville's college-town environment, and what he described as the strength and loyalty of the university's alumni community.

He also highlighted the long history of UF Law graduates serving in government, the judiciary, organized bar leadership, universities, and other leadership positions.

Some of the numerical claims and comparative statements made in the original 2009 interview are now historical rather than current. Applicants should therefore use current information when assessing rankings, alumni counts, tuition, and employment outcomes.

What remains relevant is the framework underlying Jerry's answer. A student choosing a law school should investigate not just its name or ranking, but the combination of:

Education
Cost
Professional network
Geography
Career resources
Practical opportunities
Institutional culture
Long-term career fit

Key Takeaways for Prospective Law Students

Build an application that demonstrates more than academic performance.
Leadership, service, professional experience, resilience, and distinctive perspectives can help admissions committees understand what an applicant may contribute.

Evaluate value rather than prestige alone.
Tuition, scholarships, employment outcomes, location, and debt should all be considered alongside reputation.

Treat rankings as one source of information—not the decision itself.
No single ranking can account for every student's career objectives, finances, geography, or personal priorities.

Think geographically.
Where graduates work and where alumni networks are strongest can materially affect career opportunities.

Develop practical experience while in law school.
Summer jobs, externships, clerkships, clinics, government work, and public interest experience can strengthen professional skills and clarify career goals.

Use career services early.
Students should not wait until their final year to begin thinking about employment, networking, clerkships, or practice-area interests.

Choose the school that fits your long-term goals.
The best law school for one applicant may not be the best law school for another. Cost, location, intended career, academic opportunities, and personal circumstances all matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does UF Law look for in applicants?

In Jerry's original interview, he emphasized academic ability, professional excellence, integrity, leadership, community service, diverse experiences, and the potential to contribute to the legal profession. Current applicants should consult UF Law's latest admissions information for present criteria and requirements.

Does work experience help when applying to law school?

It can. Work experience may demonstrate maturity, leadership, professional responsibility, communication skills, and perspectives that distinguish an applicant. The value of experience depends heavily on how effectively the applicant explains its relevance.

Should law school applicants choose a school based primarily on rankings?

Rankings can be useful as one comparison point, but applicants should also examine employment outcomes, cost, debt, geographic placement, bar passage, scholarships, curriculum, alumni networks, and career opportunities.

Is cost important when choosing a law school?

Yes. Applicants should compare net cost after scholarships, living expenses, expected borrowing, scholarship conditions, and realistic career outcomes. A law school's value depends on more than its published tuition.

Why are judicial clerkships valuable?

Judicial clerkships can provide intensive legal research and writing experience, exposure to litigation and judicial decision-making, mentorship, and strong professional credentials. Students interested in clerkships should investigate the resources each law school provides for applicants.

What should law students do during their summers?

Students should seek opportunities that build legal skills, professional relationships, and practical understanding. Possibilities include law firms, judicial internships, government agencies, public interest organizations, clinics, externships, and legal services programs.

How important is a law school's alumni network?

An active alumni network can help students obtain information, mentorship, professional introductions, and career opportunities. Alumni strength may be particularly relevant when a school has deep ties to the city or state where a student hopes to practice.

Where can I find current information about the University of Florida Levin College of Law?

See the Top-Law-Schools University of Florida Levin College of Law profile for updated information about admissions, academics, tuition, employment, and student life.

Related Top-Law-Schools Resources

Related LawCrossing Resources

Relevant Top-Law-Schools Forum Discussions

Prospective students can also explore discussions and experiences shared by applicants, students, and graduates in the TLS forums:

Law School Admissions Forum — discussions about applications, recommendations, admissions strategy, and related topics.
Choosing a Law School Forum — discussions comparing law schools, tuition, career outcomes, rankings, and student life.
Law School Acceptances, Denials, and Waitlists Forum — applicant discussions about admissions decisions and waitlists.
University of Florida Levin College of Law Applicant Discussion — historical applicant discussion related specifically to UF Law.
University of Florida Law Student Discussion — historical student discussion covering UF Law and life in Gainesville.
University of Florida Tax LLM Discussion — discussion concerning UF's graduate tax program and related career considerations.

Note: Forum posts reflect individual users' experiences and opinions and may contain information that has since changed. Applicants should verify admissions deadlines, tuition, policies, and other current requirements directly with the law school.