Florida State Law School is located in the state capital of Tallahassee and has one of the best environmental law programs in the country. The law school is currently ranked #52 by U.S. News and World Report and had an acceptance rate of 23.8% in 2007.
Florida State Law School’s 3-year full-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from August to May; no part-time or evening programs are available. You can read more about housing options at Housing Information and about the school's laptop requirement here.
Contact Information
425 W. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1601
(850) 644-3787
Email: admissions@law.fsu.edu
Website: http://www.law.fsu.edu
Fast Facts (Class of 2011)
- Enrollment Information
- GPA/LSAT Scores
- Costs and Fees (2008-2009)
Applicants: 3,000
Total enrollment: 220
Women: 45.3%
Minorities: 19.5%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 13.7
LSAT Median: 159
LSAT 25/75 Percentile: 158-162
UGPA Median: 3.5
UGPA 25/75 Percentile: 3.3-3.77
Tuition per credit hour: $411.72 (resident); $1,078.80 (nonresident)
Application Procedures
Application fee: $30
Application deadline: April 1, 2009 for Fall 2009 admission
Applicants can download a PDF version of Florida State Law's application from the school's website or apply online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
In addition to the application and fee, applicants must also submit:
- Personal Statement
- Two letters of recommendation
- Resume
- Residency form (if claiming residency)
- Certification form
Transfer Procedures
Florida State Law accepts a small number of transfer students each year; applicants must have completed one year at an ABA-accredited law school and be in the top third of his or her class.
Transfer applicants must complete an application, pay the $30 application fee, and also submit a personal statement on why they wish to transfer to FSU law; deadline for the fall term is June 15, December 1 for the spring term, and April 1 for the summer term.
For more information on transferring to Florida State Law School, see Procedures for Prospective Transfer Students.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a student must acquire 88 credit hours. For specific requirements, see the Graduation Checklist.
The first-year curriculum includes Civil Procedure, Contracts I, Property I, Torts, and Legal Research and Writing I in the fall; Criminal Law, Constitutional Law I, Contracts II, Property II, and Legal Research and Writing II in the spring. Students choose all courses during the second and third years of study.
FSU offers several joint degree programs in which students can earn a J.D. along with another professional degree from one of FSU’s graduate or professional schools.
Florida State Law School also offers a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program.
Study Abroad
FSU has several semester and summer study abroad programs including those in Australia, England, and the Netherlands.
Law Journals and Other Activities
Florida State Law School has several student journals, including Florida State University Law Review and the Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law, and student organizations such as the American Constitution Society, Intellectual Property Society, and JD Activities Without Stress (JAWS).
Bar Exam Passage RateA majority of Florida State Law students take the Florida State Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved an 88.1% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the Florida Bar Exam was 74%.
Post-Graduation Employment
From the 2007 Florida State Law graduating class, 82% were employed at graduation and 95.1% were employed nine months after graduation. Starting salaries in the private sector averaged $68,000, and $40,000 in the public sector.
