Stetson University College of Law

June 5, 2002:  - Gulfport, Fla.- Stetson University College of Law is finalizing details on a development agreement with the City of Tampa for a new campus and law center in downtown Tampa. The agreement is expected to come before the Tampa City Council for final approval on June 20.

"The College of Law has worked very closely with the Mayor, the City Council, the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation, civic groups, neighborhood organizations and the business community as we prepared for this campus and law center," said Dean Gary Vause. "We are enthusiastic about our partnerships with the City of Tampa and the business and legal communities. It is fitting that Florida's oldest law school will open a campus in one of Tampa's oldest neighborhoods, Tampa Heights."

Construction on the initial three-story campus building will commence soon after closing on the property, which is seven acres of land just north of I-275 at the Ashley Street exit. The building will house part-time law classes leading to a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, continuing legal education programs and administration. Dean Vause said that the College of Law is in the process of finalizing an agreement with the Florida Second District Court of Appeal to house the court in the building with the law school. He said that the College also is near agreement with the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation to locate the Bar's new headquarters on the property.

Dean Vause says that the College of Law is getting ready to issue nearly $11 million in bonds to pay for phase one of the campus construction. The part-time program will begin classes this August on the main campus in Gulfport. Once the new law center and campus is complete, the part-time program classes will be offered in Tampa.

Pending city council approval, a groundbreaking is planned for this summer. The first phase of construction is expected to be complete in Fall 2003.

Stetson began developing plans five years ago to establish a law center and campus in Tampa. During this time, Stetson gained acquiescence of its accrediting agency, the American Bar Association (ABA), for a new program of this magnitude.

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S tetson University College of Law is Florida's first law school. It has educated lawyers for more than 100 years, and offers continuing legal education programs for regional, state, national and international audiences. Stetson University College of Law tied for first place in Trial Advocacy in the 2003 U.S. News and World Report rankings of law schools. It is also the future headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews.