Benjamin L. Crump College of Law
This article contains promotional content. (April 2018) |
St. Thomas University School of Law | |
---|---|
Established | 1984 |
School type | Private university |
Parent endowment | $23.4 Million |
Dean | Tamara Lawson[1] |
Location | Miami Gardens, Florida, US |
Faculty | 31 full-time; 39 part-time |
USNWR ranking | 147th–193rd (bottom 25%) (2022)[2] |
Bar pass rate | 50.8% (Florida bar exam, July 2021 first-time takers) [3] |
Website | St. Thomas homepage |
St. Thomas University School of Law is one of the graduate schools of St. Thomas University located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The School of Law was founded back in 1984. According to its 2017 ABA-required disclosures, 54.7% of the Class of 2017 obtained full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners.[4]
Diversity
The U.S. News & World Report Diversity index places the law school in a tie for fourth place among all ABA-accredited law schools in its Diversity Index (2008 edition). St. Thomas is also first in the nation in conferring J.D. degrees upon Hispanic students, according to Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine (December 2006 Issue) and it was ranked as number one for Hispanic students by Hispanic Outlook magazine once again in its December 2015 edition. The former and current dean, Alfredo Garcia, serving from 2007 to 2010 and since July 2014 is the first Cuban-born dean of a U.S. law school. The Princeton Review ranks St. Thomas # 3 for the Best Environment for Minority Students (2009 edition).[citation needed] The diverse faculty is ranked # 9 in the country according to the Princeton Review.[citation needed]
Advocacy Teams
The Trial Team are back-to-back national champions having won the ABA Labor Law Mock Trial Competition in 2018 and 2019. The law school also had two teams place in the top 4 of the ABA Labor Law Trial Advocacy Competition in prior years. They have also been crowned champions in the Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial National Competition. St. Thomas University School of Law most recently won the First Runner Up Brief Award at the 2019 National Tax Moot Court Competition.
First-year courses and beyond
In the first semester of law school, students are divided into sections and are automatically enrolled in Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, and Legal Research and Writing. The following semester students are enrolled in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Property, and Advanced Legal Research and Writing. Students in the first year have class Monday-Friday. In the second year, students are given the opportunity to choose the courses they take.
Upon completion of the first year, students are eligible to participate in a study abroad program that takes place in El Escorial, Spain. The Spain curriculum is designed to prepare students to practice law in the globalized atmosphere of the 21st century by broadening their understanding of International and Civil Law. Four, 3-credit courses are generally offered and each student must enroll in two of the four courses available.
Programs
Joint Degrees: The faculties of the law school and the graduate school offer five joint degree programs: the J.D./M.S. in Sports Administration, the J.D./M.B.A. in Sports Administration, the J.D./M.S. in Marriage and Family Counseling, J.D./M.B.A. in International Business, and the J.D./M.B.A. in Accounting.
Employment
According to St. Thomas' official 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 64.6% of the Class of 2017 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners.[5] St. Thomas' Law School Transparency under-employment score is 27.6%, indicating the percentage of the Class of 2017 unemployed, pursuing an additional degree, or working in a non-professional, short-term, or part-time job nine months after graduation.[6]
Costs
The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at St. Thomas for the 2017-2018 academic year is $69,328, which refers to the cost of living on-campus.[7] The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $233,742.[8]
Publications
The law school has three publications:
- St. Thomas Law Review
- Journal of Complex Litigation
- Intercultural Human Rights Law Review
Notable alumni
- Jose Baez - defense attorney in the Casey Anthony trial
- Jesus David Borrero - Commissioner for City of Sweetwater
- Gaston Cantens - Vice President of Florida Crystals and former member of the Florida House of Representatives (1998-2004)
- Joshua Dieguez - Councilman for Town of Miami Lakes
- Ana Navarro - Republican strategist and political commentator
- Juan-Carlos Planas - Former member of the Florida House of Representatives (2002-2010)
- Jeffrey Rodriguez - Councilman for Town of Miami Lakes
- Isaac Wright Jr. - defense attorney who secured his own release and exoneration
References
- ^ "New Deans Appointed at St. Thomas University" (PDF).
- ^ "U.S. News & World Report St. Thomas University".
- ^ https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/content/download/788827/file/09-20-2021-FBBE-Full-Press-Release.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY FOR 2017 GRADUATES" (PDF). Retrieved April 22, 2018.
- ^ "Jobs". St. Thomas University.
- ^ "Overview". St. Thomas University.
- ^ "Cost of Attendance".
- ^ "St. Thomas University - Florida Profile".