Stetson University College of Law

Stetson University College of Law (Stetson Law), founded in 1900 and part of Stetson University, is Florida's first law school. Originally located near the university's main campus in DeLand, Florida, the law school moved in 1954 to Gulfport, Florida. The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat Hotel, designed by Richard Kiehnel. The College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1931. The college also has a campus in Tampa, Florida that shares space with a working court, Florida's Second District Court of Appeal.

Stetson Law currently employs more than 40 full time faculty members and has more than 900 students enrolled in its Juris Doctor (J. D.) program. The J. D. degree may be combined with an LL. M or a Master of Business Administration (M. B. A.) with the Stetson University School of Business Administration. The J. D. degree may also be combined with an exchange program: an LL. M. in Exchange in Ireland/England with the University College Dublin Sutherland School of Law, a Master in International Economic Law (MINTEC) with Toulouse University or a Master in International and European Business Law (M. I. E. B. L.) with Comillas Pontifical University. The school is home to several institutes, centers, programs, and initiatives, including the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law; Centers for Excellence in Advocacy, Elder Law and Higher Education Law and Policy; and Institutes for Caribbean Law and Policy and Biodiversity Law and Policy.

Stetson Law is one of few U. S. law schools that guarantees a clinic or externship for every student. More than 300 clinic and externship opportunities are available to students each year.

The Stetson Law Review was the headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews from 2003 to 2008. The Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy and the Journal of International Aging Law and Policy are produced in conjunction with the school.

Stetson University is nationally ranked 84th among law schools by U. S. News & World Report. Among specialty rankings, the school ranked first in trial advocacy and third in legal writing. 77.6 percent passed the July 2019 exam, 67.2 percent passed the July 2018 exam and 76.8 percent passed the July 2017 exam.

Since 1980, Stetson Law has won five world championships, 79 national championships, 97 regional championships, 53 state championships, 61 brief awards, 176 brief oralist/advocate awards and six professionalism awards. As of 2021, Stetson Law has won The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section of the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition 25 times in 38 years. Stetson Law was the first ever American Bar Association (ABA) Competitions Champion in 2018 and earned the title for a second time in 2021. Stetson Law won The Florida Bar Foundation 2021 Florida Pro Bono Law School Challenge.

In order to obtain, and maintain, accreditation through the American Bar Association (ABA), law schools must meet certain standards set by the ABA. The Council and Accreditation Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is the accrediting agency for law schools. Among the standards evaluated is the requirement that law schools have a law library. The standards also establish the requirements relative to the administration of the law library, the law library director, personnel, services, and the collection the library shall hold.

As the Board of Trustees authorized the establishment of the Stetson University College of Law in 1899, creating a law library immediately became a concern. To create a core collection for the law library, book and monetary donations were sought and obtained from Florida attorneys. The dedication of the library, made in the presence of Charles A. Dana, included a convocation by Florida's Governor, LeRoy Collins. The Charles A. Dana Foundation provided a gift in 1971 for the purpose of doubling the law library's size. C Span provided video coverage of Justice Ginsburg's speech. In 2004, Stetson University College of Law opened its Tampa Law Center with a satellite library. Dolly Hand spoke at the naming ceremony, which was captured on video.

The Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library is situated on the Gulfport campus. The three story building offers Internet access, 35 study rooms (ranging in size), and more than 600 seats at individual carrels, tables, and lounge areas. Students have 24/7 access to the Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library through use of their swipe cards. and seven additional staff members, including the Systems Administrator and members of the Access Management & Services Team. In addition to its traditional collection of statutes, case reporters, journals, and treatises (both physical and electronic access), the Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library and its librarians also provide LibGuides on a variety of topics, tutorials on researching a variety of sources and using electronic databases, and digital archives including the Harold L. Sebring Collection, the Florida Military Academy Collection and the Hotel Rolyat Collection. Housed within the Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library is a physical archive with artifacts relevant to both university and property history. This collection includes the physical copies of the Harold L. Sebring collection including his personal papers and records as a medical case judge in the Nuremberg War Trials.

Situated near downtown Tampa, the satellite library has two floors consisting of approximately 200 seats and 15 study rooms.

The 2020 ABA employment summary report shows the employment status of 2020 graduates.

The estimated total cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, and living expenses) at Stetson University College of Law for the 2020–2021 academic year is $70,592.

Stetson Law received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest magazine centered on diversity in higher education. The HEED Award recognizes U. S. colleges and universities for outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. As of 2020, Stetson Law and the 11 other Florida law schools formed the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium for Racial Justice (FLSCRJ). This collective will leverage each school's strengths and educational roles to assist community organizations fighting for racial justice and policy reform throughout Florida. Stetson Law is one of the four co founding higher education institutions of the St. Petersburg Higher Education Consortium for Racial Justice. The other three consortium institutions are Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The consortium serves 36,000 students in St. Petersburg, Florida, and focuses on dismantling racial hierarchies. Recognized for their efforts, the consortium and 78 institutions nationwide were invited to the 2021 American Association of Colleges and Universities Institute on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) to learn about the TRHT framework and develop an action plan. In 2021, Stetson Law launched a youth civic education program aimed at teaching underrepresented teens in Pinellas County how to be advocates for themselves and others.