Photo by: J. Albert Diaz/Daily Business Review
A Message From Dean Acosta
Thank you for considering Florida International University College of Law as your gateway to the legal profession. FIU Law is a rapidly ascending institution of excellence.
Today, FIU Law stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the icons of legal education in Florida. Our U.S. News & World Report ranking now exceeds that of some of the oldest Florida law schools. We are home to a faculty whose productivity and scholarly impact ranks among the highest in Florida. We are an engaged community. Last year, through our in-house legal clinics and legal externships, our students provided more than 27,000 hours of service to the people of South Florida.
Though we stand alongside long-established law schools, we embrace our founding principles. We are a majority-minority school of opportunity, recognized as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation. We concern ourselves with value, controlling tuition and offering our students what National Jurist has deemed one of the best-value legal educations in the country.
No endeavor is more important to us than the education of our students. We treat our students as individuals, whose education is enhanced by personal interaction with our faculty and administration. To foster these relationships, we keep our class size small. Our typical incoming class is approximately 150, and no section is larger than 60 students. Our job is not only to teach our student the law, but also to teach them professionalism and help them successfully embark on their legal careers.
Our graduates have succeeded in all areas of law, and work in public interest law, in BigLaw, as Presidential Management Fellows, and participate in the Department of Justice’s Honors Program. More than sixty alumni work in state attorneys’ offices, public defenders’ offices, or at county attorneys’ offices. Since 2009, 13 alumni have accepted state appellate or federal clerkships; including five at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. As our graduates gain experience, today’s law clerks will become tomorrow’s judges, and in turn, offer our future students even greater opportunities.
Miami is the legal capital of Florida, and its vibrant, diverse population is reflected in our faculty and student body.
FIU Law is consistently ranked in the Top 10 by Princeton Review in the category of faculty diversity, and best environment for minority students. US News & World Report recognizes our student body as being one of the most diverse in the nation, and Hispanic Business, similarly, has ranked us among the top two law schools for Hispanics. This diversity is one of our greatest strengths, as it fosters a nurturing environment where individuals with widely different views can come together in earnest inquiry to resolve the critical issues facing our nation and the world. Access to quality higher education changed my life, and I believe it can do the same for you.
I invite you to take the next step toward getting a top-notch legal education. Contact our admissions office to schedule a tour. I am confident that you will be delighted with what you find waiting for you here at the FIU Law.
R. Alexander Acosta
Dean of the College of Law