The University of Florida Levin College of Law is up in U.S. News & World Report rankings released March 12. Among the nation’s 201 public and private ABA-accredited JD-awarding law schools, UF’s law school is 23rd among public schools and 46th overall.

The publication places the school in two top specialty program rankings: first among public law schools and third overall in tax, and fifth among publics and 12th overall in environmental law. UF Law also continues to be highly rated in terms of reputation – 10th among publics and 26th overall in the assessment of practicing lawyers and judges, and 15th among publics and 35th overall in the assessment of academics.

“We are pleased that we continue to be one of the best values available in legal education,” said UF Law Dean Robert Jerry, referring to UF Law’s high placement for quality and equally low placement for cost among all U.S. law schools. “We’re among the three most affordable law schools in the US News top 50, when taking tuition and cost of living into account.

“At the same time, I caution every year that U.S. News and other rankings need to be considered in context and weighed along with other factors in evaluating institutional quality and fit, particularly when one considers the many factors not reflected in this ranking that make UF Law a leading law school,” Jerry said. “For example, we have a proven track record in providing leaders for the profession at both the national and state levels, and the prominence of our alumni in the federal and state judiciaries also sends a strong statement about our quality.”

In other national rankings, UF Law was fourth among public law schools in 2011 (eighth among all law schools in the nation) in the number of its graduates serving as federal district and circuit court judges.  More than 250 graduates serve as state appellate and trial judges in Florida, and many serve in those roles in other states as well. A 2012 Journal of Legal Education article titled “Where Do Partners Come From?” surveyed the National Law Journal 100 law firms and found that UF Law ranked 11th among publics and 29th overall in the number of alumni graduating from 1986 to the present serving as partners. A ranking by Super Lawyers magazine placed UF Law first in Florida, fourth among public schools, and eighth overall in “output,” i.e. the caliber of a school’s graduates. A 2012 article from Legal Metrics ranking law schools based on the number of arguments by their alumni before the U.S. Supreme Court since 2000 placed UF Law in the top 10 nationally.

“That a large number of law schools hire our graduates as law professors is also a sign of the college’s strength,” said Jerry.

A study published in the August 2011 Journal of Legal Education ranked UF Law in the top 33 (17 percent) of law schools nationwide, and as high as 22nd (11 percent) in one calculation, for the impact of its faculty on the law.

UF Law is also one of the top 10 law schools in the nation for Hispanics, according to Hispanic Business Review (seven times in nine years), and was ranked in 2012 as one of the top six schools for blacks in the South by On Being a Black Lawyer magazine.

It is unusual for a school to be so affordable, successful in both academia and the profession, and highly rated in such diverse areas.

“Thanks to our exceptional faculty and outstanding graduates, the UF Law Graduate Tax Program has ranked at the top of the U.S. News specialty tax area for as long as they have published the list, and remains the No.1 public school in this area,” said Associate Dean for Graduate Tax Mike Friel. “We are always gratified to see the program’s quality recognized in this way.”

ELUL Program Director Mary Jane Angelo said, “We are proud that UF’s Environmental and Land Use Law Program continues to be distinguished as a top program in this critical area. We have a large and dynamic program, and the faculty and students work very hard through projects like our annual Public Interest Environmental Conference, which attracted 250 participants to Gainesville this year, to make a genuine impact on current environmental issues.”

Jerry concluded, “The University of Florida is a quality school that cares about our students and offers them multiple paths to career satisfaction and success. We have state-of-the-art facilities and a beautiful campus, and we are part of one of the best and most comprehensive universities in the nation. The loyalty and influence of the Gator Nation’s law alumni cannot be overstated. Rankings like those published in the Journal of Legal Education and elsewhere offer interesting information for prospective students to consider and can help guide us in our continuing efforts to improve, but should be used as only one data point among many.”

In late 2009, when then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was searching for some of Florida’s top experts in environmental, land use and water law, Glenn Waldman’s (JD 83) name came up.

Crist was working toward a complex transaction involving the purchase of a large chunk of the Everglades from U.S. Sugar Corp. and needed professionals who were expert in the intricacies of a real estate transaction with far-reaching environmental implications.

“There was an opening on the board and he asked if I would serve and help the other board members and district staff navigate this rather substantial transaction,” Waldman said.

Waldman was thus appointed as one of nine governing board members of the South Florida Water Management District in early 2010.

Students considering practice in environmental and land use law can learn from Waldman’s path. When he graduated from UF Law more than a quarter century earlier, Waldman didn’t necessarily set out to be one of the go-to names in environmental and land use law in South Florida – rather, that was a result of a unique confluence of opportunity and interest, combined with years of valuable experience. He founded Waldman Trigoboff Hildebrandt Marx & Calnan, P.A. in 1991 as a boutique firm that focused primarily on complex commercial litigation and health care issues. His expertise in environmental and land use law came after.

“Part of this had to do with the fact that there weren’t a lot of attorneys practicing in (environmental and land use law) and at the time it was a burgeoning area of the law,” he said. “If you look at growth industries in Florida in particular – outside of tourism and health care – you would have to point to environmental because of the nature of our ecology, particularly in South Florida where we have the Everglades.”

Waldman points out that there is a good deal of overlap between complex commercial litigation and environmental and land use law, so it was a natural fit. Some of that overlap had even ensnared the South Florida Water Management District which Governor Crist also cited as a basis to appoint Waldman.

“I am a lifelong South Florida resident and have a keen interest in our environment,” Waldman said. “I think it’s important to Florida’s future; I think it’s important to Florida’s overall economy – inclusive of the sometimes competing environmental and agricultural interests.”

Waldman also became a certified mediator in 1990 and an arbitrator in 2000. Over time, he became well regarded for his blending of knowledge in the area of environmental land use and water law and skills as a mediator and arbitrator. As a result, “I started receiving a lot of referrals to help parties mediate and arbitrate those specific matters,” he said.

Waldman said his greatest challenges and rewards are both wrapped up in the cases he and his firm take on.

“Because we handle complex commercial matters of high-dollar disputes, typically we find ourselves as a boutique firm up against large, national law firms which have substantial resources,” he said. “The logistics of handling very substantial matters is, and continues to be, our biggest challenge.”

He said the rewards are often in those very same cases.

“In larger firms, they’ll have layers and layers of lawyers, none of whom know the entire case. In a smaller firm such as ours, you tend to have only one or two lawyers who are routinely involved in the day to day affairs of the case and, typically, that leads to advantages when it comes down to framing and arguing substantial motions or trial proceedings,” Waldman said. “The reward is the results we obtain for our clients.”

For those law students and young lawyers who are interested, Waldman said he doesn’t see any slowdown in the growth of environmental, land use and water law in Florida.

“Complex problems resulting from the intersection of governmental regulation; private development and property rights; and environmental and pollution impacts present continuous tension,” he said. “It’s all very complex and that provides for lawyers and lobbyists – many whom are lawyers – tremendous opportunity going forward.”

Waldman urges those interested to take every available course they can in environmental and water law.

“There is no substitute for that,” he said.

Additionally, he said it’s important to work with the Center for Career Development during their time at UF Law to get matched up with the most suitable firms for the student’s interests.

He also emphasizes the importance of volunteering with organizations such as the Everglades Foundation and other non-governmental organizations. Not only are such organizations doing great work, they can provide potential employment and, at least, valuable knowledge and background for a future practice, he said.

Waldman is no stranger to volunteering his time either. In addition to his seat on the Water Management Board, Waldman serves on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 4th District of Appeal in West Palm Beach. He previously served as a special prosecutor for the Judicial Qualifications Commission and on grievance committees of The Florida Bar.

“I want to be involved in activities specifically designed to help improve the judicial system in general,” he said.

He also takes an active role in the future of UF Law, serving on the UF Law Board of Trustees and the Environmental and Land Use Law Advisory Board.

“Mr. Waldman has been very supportive of the ELULP,” said Director Mary Jane Angelo. “Among other things, he has been the driving force behind creating and funding the new Florida Water Law Endowment, which will be used to enhance students’ education in Florida Water law by providing funding to help support courses such as the existing South Florida Ecosystems course, and other potential courses on Florida Water Law.”

In addition to Waldman receiving his undergraduate and JD degrees at UF, he currently has a son in the UF MBA program – having received an undergraduate degree from UF, a daughter entering her senior year at UF who is a student senator and member of Florida Blue Key and another daughter in high school who can’t wait to get to UF.

“We have several generations of Gators,” Waldman said. “I am absolutely committed to our University, and it will always be so.”

- Matt Walker
Senior writer

Environmental Law(n) sports event April 2
The faculty affiliated with the Environmental and Land Use Law Program invite all interested students to join us for lawn sports (volleyball, bocce, badminton, croquet) on Thursday, April 2, from 4:30-6 p.m. The faculty will seek to improve its overall record against the teams mustered by the students. Pizza will be served. If you have an interest in environmental or land use law, please join us on Thursday afternoon, on the lawn to the south of Bruton-Geer for a chance to get to know your fellow students and professors. For more information contact Lena Hinson at elulp@law.ufl.edu.

Attention Student Alumni Association members
You are cordially invited to SAA’s inaugural Distinguished Gator Series event featuring Attorney General Bill McCollum on Thursday, April 2, at 3:30 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall. Available to SAA members only, the Distinguished Gator Series is free and connects current students with prestigious alumni. Alumni discuss how their university experience shaped their careers and why staying connected to their alma mater is so important. Students will also have the unique opportunity to ask questions and mingle with our featured guest. Attire is business casual. Space is limited so be sure to register early. The deadline to RSVP is March 31. For more information contact saa@ufalumni.ufl.edu or 352-392-9533.

Enrollment deadline for Environmental & Land Use Law certificate program
Students wishing to enroll in the Environmental & Land Use Law Certificate Program this semester are encouraged to do so before Friday, April 3. For information on the ELUL Certificate Program and visit www.law.ufl.edu/elulp/certificate/index.shtml. Enrollment forms are available at www.law.ufl.edu/elulp/pdf/ELULP_Application.pdf or in 319 Holland Hall or Student Affairs. Students enrolled in the certificate program will receive e-mail notification regarding priority pre-registration for core courses.

Grad Tax speaker discusses policy and personal identity
Lawrence Zelenak, a law professor at Duke University, explained the philosophy underlying personal equity at on Friday. Zelenak addressed more than 50 students in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom and outlined several arguments proposed by public finance economists. “Philosophers have been raising questions about personal equity since Locke and Hume,” Zelenak said. One approach taken by public finance economists is to calculate a “lifetime endowment,” which looks at a person’s career over his or her lifetime. Congress, however, looks at one-year “slices” of a person’s life. “Congress, at the other extreme, says ‘maybe we should just look at the single year,’” Zelenak said. The current tax system, nevertheless, makes no effort to achieve lifetime equity, Zelenak said in a 30-minute question-and-answer session.

Conservation Clinic camping trip on bank of St. Marys
Faculty and students in UF Law’s Environmental and Land Use Law Program took advantage of the glorious spring weather and the largesse of White Oaks Plantation Conservation Center to camp on the banks of the St. Marys River on the Florida Georgia border. Students in the Conservation Clinic and the Professor Richard Hamann’s Adaptive Watershed Management course have been examining legal, scientific and management issues related to management of the transboundary river, including designation as an Outstanding Florida Water, harmonized local environmental regulation and the potential for an interstate compact. They have been collaborating with the University of Georgia’s environmental law practicum under the direction of Professor Laurie Fowler. Fowler will visit the UF Water Institute on April 14 to discuss her work developing River Basin Centers in Georgia. At White Oak students were treated to a tour of the facility, which provides a refuge for 35 species of endangered African wildlife. Several students braved the season’s last chill and swam across the river to Georgia and back.

2009-2010 law school calendar photo contest
Do you like taking photos? Are you interested in seeing your work in print? This year, the Communications Office and Student Affairs is asking you to submit your best photo for the 2009-2010 calendar. You do not have to be a professional photographer to enter this contest. The winning photo will be chosen by a committee and published in the 2009-2010 calendar. The deadline to submit is April 1, 2009. For examples of photos used in previous calendars, visit www.law.ufl.edu/news/calendar.shtml. For more information contact Communications Coordinator Katie Blasewitz at blasewitz@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0652. (Photo by Joshua Lukman)

L.A.W. donates money raised from professor auction
Officers from Law Association for Women met with Alachua County P.A.C.E. to donate $2,040. The money was raised as part of L.A.W.’s annual professor auction held last semester. P.A.C.E. (Practical Academic Cultural Education) is a not-for-profit, state-wide organization dedicated to helping at-risk girls from 12-18 who are experiencing difficulty at home or school. Since 1985, PACE has helped more than 12,000 girls to stay in school and to stay out of the juvenile justice system. UF’s L.A.W. is proud to support our community and such a worthwhile endeavor. L.A.W. also thanks the professors and students at the Levin College of Law who made it possible by their generous contributions.