Student Affairs

Office Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Phone:
352-273-0620
Fax:
352-392-3800
E-mail:
student.svc@law.ufl.edu

Academic Policies

1st year required courses

The following are first year required courses at the University of Florida Levin College of Law:

Those courses not taken at your prior institution must be completed during your first year of study at the Levin College of Law

The Assistant Dean of Students will review your transcripts prior to the start of classes to determine which course(s) you will be required to register during your first and/or second semester.   Please also be advised that Legal Drafting is a required second year course and you will be required to take this course during the first fall or spring term you enroll as a student at the UF College of Law.  Finally, the Assistant Dean of Students will register you for all required courses, thus, if you have a specific request for a particular course section please contact Dean Mattox at mattoxk@law.ufl.edu.

Degree Requirements

Registration Priority Courses

These courses are not required, but the faculty recommends them for the designated term. Registration for these courses will be allowed in the term of priority. Registration in any other term is subject to space availability after Advanced Registration.
Note: Certificate program students have registration priority for some classes.

Second and Third Years

Second Year – Registration Priority Courses:

NOTE: When transferring, many second year registration priority courses may be full when transfer students attempt to register. Thus, transfer students may not be able to take these courses until a future semester unless the courses are added during the drop/add period.

Third Year – Registration Priority Courses

Grades

NOTE: Transfer students are not part of the curve if they are registered in any of the first year required courses. This simply means that a student’s grade may not be raised or lowered to meet the curve requirements. Letter grades translate as follows:

Transfer of Credits Policy

Transfer of credits will be permitted based on the following criteria:

A student may request to transfer up to 29 hours of classes taken at another ABA accredited institution. The credits you earn will be accepted towards your J.D. degree at the Levin College of Law, provided that you adhere to the following rules:

*A student will receive credit for elective courses only if the student earns a grade of 2.0, "C", or its equivalent or higher in the course. The grades will appear as "S" grades on the UF transcript and will not be calculated in the grade point average.

Joint Degree Information

Non-graduate course options

Order of the Coif

Westlaw, Lexis Nexis

Certificate Programs

UF Law currently has 5 established certificate programs that provide for specific areas of specialization. The current programs are listed below but for additional information regarding requirements for the programs, please visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/programs/ to find the specific program and contact information.

Environmental and Land Use Law Certificate

UF Law’s Environmental and Land Use Law Certificate Program enables students to demonstrate concentration and accomplishment in these two important fields. Certificate requirements were developed by faculty in consultation with an advisory board of leading practitioners from private firms, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Enrolled students take eight credit hours above their JD requirements to graduate. Thus, unlike similar programs elsewhere, students in this personalized curriculum enjoy both breadth and depth in their studies.

Estates & Trusts Practice Certificate

This area of the law is of considerable practical importance since it involves counseling clients on how to effectively provide for themselves and dispose of property during their lifetime or at death. The practice involves planning, drafting and administering gratuitous transfers of property, thus implicating the law of gifts, trusts, future interests, intestate succession, wills, probate, fiduciary law and taxation. Perhaps more importantly, the practice involves counseling clients on the many complex issues confronting the elderly.

Family Law Certificate

The increasing complexity of divorce law and children's law and the rise of the nontraditional family make family law one of the fastest growing and most intricate practice specialties. One new demand, for example, was created by a Florida Supreme Court mandate that established the "Unified Family Court" to handle all family, juvenile and delinquency matters. Administered by the Center on Children and Families, the certificate program offers sequential clinical and classroom experiences for effective training in areas such as child development, family economics, negotiation and drafting, and courtroom advocacy.

Intellectual Property Law Certificate

Traditionally, intellectual property law encompasses several different bodies of law, including patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks. The technology boom has expanded the need for patent lawyers as well as those trained in related fields such as antitrust, media, cyberlaw and general commercial law. The demand also continues to grow for those who can adapt or create doctrines in new fields — such as genetic engineering, accessing and downloading Internet materials, and disputes involving domain names, metatags and hyperlinks — as well as for those who can apply these laws in more traditional Industries and the creative arts.

International and Comparative Law Certificate

Every field of law that involves commerce — civil procedure, business associations, securities regulation, intellectual property, trade regulation, taxation, immigration and environmental law, among others —is affected by globalization. Equally important is the development of human rights laws, domestically and internationally. This certificate program helps prepare students for practice in this new global legal environment by teaching international aspects of every area of the law.

Criminal Justice Certificate

An effective criminal justice system is a fundamental component of a just and prosperous civilization. Our nation has an elaborate system of laws and procedures designed to protect the accused, punish offenders, and preserve the peace. Not surprisingly, a large number of UF College of Law graduates go on to careers in criminal law in both the public and private sectors. One of the primary goals of our Criminal Justice Center is to enhance the law school experience of these students by providing them with academic advising, mentorship, area-specific education, and detailed criminal-practice training.

In particular, the Center's Criminal Justice Certificate Program provides students who are interested in criminal law -- either as an area of academic study or as one of future practice, or both -- with a unique opportunity to obtain and demonstrate special competency in the field. The program offers a rich and coordinated curriculum, clinical programs, independent studies, summer externships, networking opportunities, and the chance to participate in the Criminal Law Association.

Study Abroad

UF Law Academic Policies

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