Florida State University College of Law gives the Sunshine State one of the best value schools in the country. It is among the top three most rigorous schools in the region in which to gain admission and offers in-state students a great deal on tuition just above $20,000 per year.
Located 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the Tallahassee, Fla., school attracts 78 percent of its students from Florida. Naturally, Florida State graduates place well throughout the state, where most of them stay to practice. In addition to Tallahassee, graduates are well represented in Tampa, Orlando, Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville.
Dean Erin O’Connor said the school’s location is one of their greatest strengths.
“Another strength of Florida State is our capital location in Tallahassee, which is home to 500-plus law firms, state and federal courts, numerous state agencies, the Governor’s Office and the Florida Legislature, and most are within a short walk of the law school campus,” she said. “Students have many unique opportunities to gain classroom knowledge and work experience in areas of the law that interest them while strengthening their credentials for long-term employment.”
Florida State offers clinics and a variety of externships and, keeping up with the region’s growth in experiential learning trend, the school recently introduced its new Advocacy Center, a five-courtroom facility where students can practice their advocacy skills.
“FSU Law is a collaborative community, where students and professors engage deeply both inside and outside of the classroom on a vast array of legal topics,” O’Connor said. “In addition, our 9,500-plus alumni are successful in the worlds of law, business and government, and they are eager to help students.”
In addition to having one of the better academic reputations among Gulf Coast schools, it ranked 8th in The National Jurist 2018 ranking of Best Value Law Schools.