FIU Law School- reputation? (Miami, Tallahassee: employment, best school, salary)

[MoverandShaker2004]

Tallahassee is in the "panhandle". Ewwwww. I bet your cultural learnings at FSU are eating at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. FIU's law school will continue to swap for first place with FSU's for the forseeable future. I think Miami would be a better environment to study law, simply because of the size of the metro area and the availability for internships and jobs during and after law school. How many law firms are there in Tallahassee? 2? 3?

[Valwpcc9w6]

Originally Posted by Eva19

If FIU has a high Bar passage rate, it is because they expel all the underachievers after their first and second years, just like all the other third and fourth tier law schools down here do...at least you won't waste tens of thousands of dollars if you go to FIU. But seriously, the only attorney I knew who graduated from there was publicly fired from a low-status job...plus it's in Doral or somewhere way out west where no one wants to be...campus is beautiful though.
It is really kind of absurd that someone compared it to FSU though...that is like comparing Yale to Texas A&M or something.
If you have any other choices, pursue those...see what kind of LSAT UM is accepting these days. Apparently they're not too selective right now, but they have a smidgen of respect around the country and the Miami-Dade area.

If that is the case, imagine how the underachievers were.

[HoneyRyder]

If you want to be a lawyer in Miami, here's your options in order from best to worst:

(1) UMiami or UF (tie)**

UMiami is located in Miami, so it's reputation is best there. Almost all of the UM alumni are in the area. Also, you can network with the local law firms and do an internship while in school. Miami is a private school...so students will come there from all over. Thus, it has more of a national reputation (as compared to UF).

UF is the best law school in the state. I think it ranks somewhere in the top fifty schools (UM is in the top 100, non-top 50, i.e. tier two). Located in central Florida...so don't count on doing an internship there while in school. UF will place good anywhere in Florida, but UM will place best in South Florida. Florida is harder to get into than UM. Also, it has a very cheap instate tuition. However, if you sailed by the UF admissions committee you will fly by the UM committee and get a scholarship

** If you are from Miami and get accepted to a fancy southern ivy or something like that (Duke or Vandy) or a regular ivy like Harvard, then you already have the area ties so you could go for the prestigious degree. However, it will be just as respected as UM/UF in S. Fla. Also, wayyyy more pricey. If you are not from Florida and want to break into the market, UM/UF is THE best way to establish ties to the area.

(2) FSU or Nova (tie)

Nova is located in Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm Beach area (not sure)...it's at the same level as FIU in terms of rankings but is more respected because it is better established. They have a PT program like FIU. Seriously plan on ranking in the top 5% of your class though.

FSU is also a good school in Florida. The rankings go UF->FSU->UM, but you are at a big disadvantage because FSU is located very far from Miami and their alumni are not prominent in the area. It's in the panhandle so you know...it's not trendy south florida..it's more like Alabama.

[schiphol]

I'm at FIU for an MBA and am considering FIU for law school as well. Someone else mentioned that they are making serious moves to improve their rankings and image. I agree with the name recognition statements mentioned by other posters, but seriously, unless you plan on staying in Florida or South Florida one should plan on attending one of the ranked and known schools.
I'm not from here so I don't know how this works but, NSU is, from what I have read in the Princeton Review, US News, Business Week, etc., not even worth it for business school or law school. The MBA program is not accredited and the law program is provisionally accredited by the ABA. Seems like a whole lot of money to spend on nothing. Plus it is incredibly easy to gain admission to their graduate programs.

[illini84]

If it is of interest, here are the 2008 law school rankings (from U.S. News):

University of Florida....................#46
Florida State University...............#55
University of Miami.....................#82
Stetson University.....................#100

Every other law school in Florida (Barry, Florida A&M, Florida Coastal, FIU, Nova, and St. Thomas) is a 4th tier school. 4th tier is the lowest category there is.

[HoneyRyder]

Yeah...I would definitely go for UM if I lived in Miami. They don't have a part time program though so...

[piranhaman]

UM is overrated...and overpriced. Going there is like eating at an expensive restaurant, but getting a salad with wilted lettuce and cork wine... If you get accepted you are definitely smart, but that school will take you to the cleaners.

[HoneyRyder]

Yeah, I agree that U of Miami is expensive. However, they give a lot of scholarships to qualified candidates (for law).

[TriMT7]

Go to a state school if you want to practice in FLorida. You'll save LOTS of $, and they rank higher than the private schools anyway. Unless you want to move to New York, no need to go Ivy league, and after your first job at a big state or regional firm, people start looking at your experience and results, rather than your academics.

UF and FSU have basically identical entrance statistics (Median LSAT scores and GPA). UF is older and more established.

Go to FSU if you want government work experience, or for the environmental law program, which is nationally ranked. A lot of FSU grads go into government positions at the Capitol.

Go to UF if you want tax law, which is #2 in the country.


I went to FSU law originally wanting to get into environmental law, but when I decided to forgo that path and come back to South Florida, the alumni and placement network wasn't as strong as say, UM's or even UF's down here. FSU has major connections in the Atlanta, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville markets... not so much South Florida! I had to do a lot of networking and job searching on my own. There is a small group of FSU grads at my office, however.


As far as "culture," both UF and FSU are islands in seas of country living. UM has "culture" if your own qualification for culture is "Spanish" culture. (Although I believe FSU law is actually ranked as one of the best for Hispanic students -- don't ask me why?!)


Just work hard and place high in your class. A sad part is, for all the snobbery of law schools, firms will pick the top % of just about any school. We had top complaining about clerking at good firms with the top % of some of the other.... less prestigious schools.... in the state.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by illini84

Every other law school in Florida (Barry, Florida A&M, Florida Coastal, FIU, Nova, and St. Thomas) is a 4th tier school. 4th tier is the lowest category there is.

Law school is law school. All lawyers have to pass the same bar exam. I would place quite a bit of emphasis on how many of a particular school's candidates pass the bar exam. THAT is important.

My husband went to a 4th tier school in NY, passed the bar exam in NY, and FL and is a very successful attorney in his own practice. There is no reason to put so much emphasis on the law school. Each candidate should focus on whether the law school will meet all of their needs. Students should focus on the accessibility of faculty, social considerations, and whether the student can integrate the law school's program into their entire life.