MIAMI, Fla. (Aug.
14, 2002) – Members of the inaugural class of
Florida International University’s College of Law are
about to take their seats in both the classroom and in history.
For the 115 lawyers-to-be, this is the first step toward their
dream of becoming attorneys, as well as the first step toward
a proud new tradition at FIU.
But before that happens, the class – 67 in the full-time
program and 48 in the part-time -- will go through a week of
orientation, starting Aug. 19. The Media is welcome to Court
Day on Monday and the College of Law Convocation.
Court Day will take place at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse
Center, starting at 8:30 a.m. At a 9:30 a.m. breakout session,
law students will attend circuit civil, county civil, family,
domestic violence and probate court proceedings. At 1:30 p.m.
there will be discussion regarding the morning’s experience.
The College of Law Convocation will take place in the Graham
Center Ballrooms located on University Park at 5 p.m. on Fri.
Aug. 23. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead
is the keynote speaker.
Law school classes begin on Mond., Aug. 26. Upon arriving in
the classrooms, which are located in the Green Library, students
will find an impressive faculty made up of 11 professors who
previously taught at institutions such as Harvard, Cornell,
CUNY and Michigan State University. Additional professors will
be hired over the next two years as the college grows.
“We’ve recruited proven law professors, each of
whom brings different areas of expertise to the mix,”
said College of Law Dean Leonard Strickman. “I could not
be more pleased with the faculty who will teach the first class.
They have outstanding records, both as classroom teachers and
as scholars.”
Strickman, who has 20 years of experience as a law school dean,
is also pleased with the caliber of students that the college
has attracted in its first year.
“I had high expectations, and this group of applicants
exceeded them,” said Strickman. “These are smart,
motivated, high-achieving individuals with very good entrance
exam scores and other credentials.”
The FIU College of Law will provide the traditional law school
education with an interesting new specialty – International
and Comparative Law. Comparative law, a course that highlights
the differences between the U.S. legal system and others around
the world and that is typically taught during the second year
-- will instead be part of the first-year curriculum, along
with International law. In addition, every class has a requirement
of at least three hours of a comparative element that will involve
a range of foreign legal systems.
“This will ensure that our graduates will be very comfortable
in an international setting, such as Miami,” said Professor
Jorge Esquirol, who directs the International and Comparative
Law Programs. “This is most definitely a unique approach
to legal education.”
For more information on the FIU College of Law, call 305-348-1118
or visit http://www.fiu.edu/law