The mission of the Florida International University College of Law is to serve the citizens of the State of Florida, particularly South Florida, by providing access to the legal profession through a contemporary, high-quality educational program.
Like the University and metropolitan communities of which they are a part, the student body, faculty and administration reflect a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Out of this diversity, the College of Law seeks to create a scholarly community in which students and faculty discuss issues freely and with respect for differing perspectives.
The College of Law offers a curriculum that prepares students for ethical and effective practice of law in an increasingly global and multicultural world. The curriculum includes a full and faithful presentation of the courses traditionally offered at nearly all U.S. law schools. In addition, building on the parent university’s distinction in its international programs, the curriculum incorporates important developments in the globalization of both public and private law. The academic program takes a pervasive approach to international and comparative law, incorporating these perspectives into all domestic law classes, and includes a required introductory course and a rich array of upper level electives in international, transnational and comparative law. Recognizing the importance of a solid grounding in the skills and values of the profession, the College of Law curriculum further provides students with extensive, rigorous legal research and writing experiences, introduces other lawyering skills such as counseling and negotiation, and introduces the important professional values of civility and ethical practice.
The curriculum is taught by a faculty committed to excellence in both teaching and scholarship. Faculty members are actively engaged in research in their respective areas of expertise. The scholarly mission of the College of Law enriches classroom teaching and learning; contributes to the understanding, development and reform of the law; and promotes the University’s mission as one of the nation’s leading urban public research institutions.
As a community of legal scholars, the College of Law has obligations to the region, state, nation and the international community to assist the legal profession and the society it serves. The FIU College of Law seeks to graduate students who appreciate the lawyer’s professional and ethical obligations to serve the community. The College of Law will educate future lawyers who will understand the value – to the community and to them personally – of helping those in need. Students are required to satisfy a community service requirement, and the College of Law will offer clinical legal education programs in which students represent indigent clients. Faculty members model these values by participating in local, state, national and international professional service activities.