St. Thomas University College of Law

The information on this page was provided by the law school.

Official Guide to ABA-Approved JD Programs

St. Thomas University College of Law, fully accredited by the American Bar Association and the prestigious Association of American Law Schools, was founded in 1984 and is one of the most culturally diverse and technologically advanced law schools in the country. St. Thomas Law emphasizes professional ethics throughout its programs, provides intensive academic support on an individual and small-group basis, and offers a broad curriculum, including an array of concentrations and clinical experiences.

St. Thomas University is located on a 140-acre campus located in Miami. St. Thomas is centrally located 15 miles northwest of downtown Miami and approximately 20 miles south of Ft. Lauderdale.

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The JD Program

Clinical Legal Education Programs

St. Thomas University College of Law offers a number of opportunities for students to gain legal experience and develop professionally. All students who are in good standing are eligible to participate in clinical and externship opportunities over the course of their studies at St. Thomas Law.

Bankruptcy Externship: The Bankruptcy Clinic offers a comprehensive set of legal services focused on assisting and empowering low-income individuals in their interaction with the bankruptcy system.
Appellate Litigation Clinic: The Appellate Litigation Clinic is a yearlong clinical program open to third-year students that provides experience in handling criminal cases in state appellate courts. Each student will have primary responsibility for at least two cases from inception through the oral arguments before the appellate court. Students will prepare the record for appeal, file all relevant motions, write the briefs, and present oral arguments. The program features a weekly seminar in the appellate process.
Immigration Clinic: Third-year law students who participate in the Immigration Clinic represent asylum seekers, battered spouses and children who have fled their native countries, and other noncitizens seeking immigration relief in Immigration Court before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Department of Homeland Security (formerly the INS).
Judicial Internship: Judicial internships provide an opportunity for students to hear arguments, discuss cases with judges, and apply research and writing skills to real facts. Interns will work closely with supervising staff attorneys and judges.
Tax Clinic: Second- and third-year students in the Tax Clinic represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the District Counsel, and the United States Tax Court. The students are expected to attend conferences with the IRS, job fairs in the community, and Tax Court sessions.
Civil Practice Externship: The Civil Practice Externship may be taken full-time or part-time in one semester, and is available to second- and third-year students. Students whose placement requires that they be a Certified Legal Intern must be in the third year of law school. Typical placements include Legal Aid, City Attorney, County Attorney, Attorney General, or other public-sector agencies that handle civil matters.
Criminal Practice Externship: The Criminal Practice Externship may be taken full-time or part-time in one semester and is only available to incoming third-year students. Typical placements include the offices of the State Attorney, US Attorney, and Public Defender. The externship includes a classroom component in which students discuss their cases and review relevant law. Students learn through a combination of actual trial practice and classroom work. Under the supervision of an assistant state attorney, the students engage in plea-bargain negotiations and try cases. Placement in the Public Defender’s office provides students with the opportunity to defend indigent adults and minors charged with felonies and misdemeanor crimes.
Elder Law Clinic: The Elder Law Clinic covers the growing legal needs of the elderly. Students will work with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court and members of the Elder Law Bar on case-management issues and strategies to deal with a continually aging population.
Florida Supreme Court Externship: The Florida Supreme Court Externship is a one-semester internship in Tallahassee. The student intern will function as a law clerk to an individual justice or as a central-staff law clerk working for all of the justices.
United Nations Internship in New York: The Pax Romana United Nations Internship is a one-semester internship. The experience aims to form global legal leaders by instilling in students a knowledge of multilateral international organizations, the importance of globalizing international relations, and a desire to use law to assist the world's most vulnerable. Pax Romana interns are accredited to the United Nations by permanent missions, intergovernmental organizations, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as by various offices of the United Nations Secretariat. Interns obtain access to meetings, events, and discussions available only to diplomats and delegates.

Academic Success Programs

The law school is committed to the success of its students and offers a comprehensive support system, including fellows, tutors, practice examinations, lectures, workshops, bar preparation courses in the second and third years, and a program to assist graduates with the bar examination. Our Academic Success Program begins even before you begin the fall semester.

Summer Conditional Program--

Applicants who may not have strong academic credentials but nonetheless possess the abilities necessary to succeed in a rigorous program of legal study may be invited to participate in a summer conditional program. Students who successfully complete a summer conditional program are offered admission to the fall entering class. This program is usually offered each year but, under special circumstances, may not be available.

Introduction to Legal Studies (ILS)

This non-credit program is offered to students who are already admitted. ILS allows students an opportunity to experience the study of law and begin to develop their study skills before they begin law school. Students who participate in the program are exposed to the law school classroom experience and take an exam at the end of the program for evaluation. Some students may be required to participate in ILS as part of the acceptance. The program offers scholarship opportunities to all students.

Certificate Programs (Concentrations)

St. Thomas Law offers several certificate programs. These programs are designed for students who want to focus on a particular area of practice while in law school. St. Thomas Law offers a certificate in Admiralty and Maritime Law, Business Law, Criminal Litigation, Elder Law, Environmental Sustainability, Immigration Practice, Intellectual Property Law, Intercultural Human Rights, Real Estate Law, and Tax Law.

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The law school offers several joint-degree programs in cooperation with other graduate divisions of the university.

JD/MBA in Accounting couples lawyering skills with those traditionally in great demand in the corporate, tax, and accounting worlds.
JD/MBA in International Business opens the burgeoning field of international transactional law.
JD/MS or JD/MBA in Sports Administration prepares participants for a diverse set of positions in the world of sports.
JD/MA in Criminal Justice Administration is designed to provide the needed academic knowledge and practical skills for those seeking to advance into higher-level career positions within the criminal justice system. The MACJ program prepares students for mid-level or upper-level positions with the FBI, ICE, DEA, US Marshal, US Secret Service, US Treasury Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, US Department of Justice, and other law enforcement agencies.

The LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights offers in-depth instruction on a critical issue of our time: the protection of human dignity across political, cultural, and religious lines. Its faculty of global distinction includes top-level United Nations experts, outstanding scholars, judges, and practitioners in the field. This program of global renown has attracted students from over 65 countries since its inception in 2001. A one-year, 24-credit program, it offers mostly one week compact courses in intercultural human rights. Taught by eminent faculty from the United Nations and prominent centers of scholarship, this program features human rights law and complaint procedures; international law; humanitarian law; human rights and terrorism; issues of refugees, women, and children; indigenous peoples; religion; criminal law; and international trade.

The J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights provides a premier opportunity for human rights scholars to make a lasting contribution to this dynamic and action-oriented field. The J.S.D. degree is conferred upon successful completion of a dissertation in the field, the passing of the rigor, and proof of publication of the dissertation.

The College of Law also offers a Master of Laws in Cybersecurity Law and Policy. The program is designed for candidates interested in issues of law, policy and developing risk management skills expressly to create the next generation of cybersecurity’s legal professionals. This online program is designed to be completed in one year and is designed to meet the needs of working professionals, as well as traditional students, seeking a flexible opportunity to advance career goals. The program will offer a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity law, policy, and risk management and will address the legal ramifications of cyber-threats especially at the present moment of increased concerns with widespread cyber-attacks.

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The Summer in Spain Program is designed to prepare students for practicing law in the globalized atmosphere of the 21st century by broadening their understanding of international and civil law. Law students have the opportunity to take six credits at San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain, located in the foothills of the beautiful Guadarrama Mountains, about 45 minutes from Madrid.

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Student Life

Law students can reserve on-campus housing. Private rooms with private baths and a choice of meal plans are available for graduate students. On-campus housing is available on a first come basis. You may secure on-campus housing by contacting Matthew Roche at 305.628.6648 or mattroche@stu.edu. Several areas near campus offer off-campus housing, including: Miami Lakes, North Miami, Aventura, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Sunny Isles, Miami.

STU Law’s extracurricular student-run organizations and publications reflect the diversity of the school body in their academic and practice interests, race, ethnicity and religion, and political and jurisprudential thought. The law school encourages all students to engage with student organizations as a way of learning about the law and interacting with alumni and the legal community.

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Career Placement and Bar Passage

The Office of Career Development is dedicated to assisting students in identifying and attaining their professional goals. It offers a range of traditional and innovative services, including a career-services resource center, on-campus interviews with major law firms and government agencies, and speakers drawn from various areas of legal practice.

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Tuition and Aid

Expense	Cost
Tuition	$42,200.00
Fees	$2,630.00
Expected Cost of Attendance	$77,570.00

St. Thomas University is pleased to offer a variety of Merit Scholarships for incoming first-year students. These scholarships are automatically awarded by the College of Law's Office of Admissions, and no additional application is necessary. Students awarded these scholarships receive notification in their Letter of Acceptance to the College of Law.

In addition, St. Thomas University College of Law provides various Donor Scholarships administered through the Office of Student Affairs. These scholarships are awarded annually on the basis of eligibility criteria and availability of funds. Applications are available in October of each year, and funds are generally awarded in the Spring semester.

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Admission Decisions: Beyond the Numbers

St. Thomas University College of Law is a highly-regarded, student-centered law school where diversity is cherished, a commitment to human rights and international law flourishes, and the Catholic heritage of social justice enhances the education of all faiths.

One of the greatest strengths of our law school is the profound sense of community shared by students, faculty, and administration. St. Thomas Law is a leader in diversity, boasting one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the country. This global diversity, within such a close-knit community, facilitates a cosmopolitan learning environment where intellectual discovery thrives.

The Admissions Committee seeks candidates who are able to successfully complete a rigorous program of legal study. The study of law at St. Thomas University College of Law is intensive and challenging. In assessing a candidate’s ability to meet the requirements of the program, the Admissions Committee carefully assesses each applicant’s ability to grasp and synthesize complex material, communicate clearly and persuasively both verbally and in writing, diligently prepare for class and examinations, and act in an ethical and professional manner. Specifically, the Committee considers an applicant’s Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score(s); undergraduate (and any graduate) academic record, including evidence of academic progress; the personal statement; letters of recommendation; any school disciplinary or criminal record or involvement as a party in a lawsuit; and any additional information the candidate brings to the Committee’s attention in connection with the application. The Committee will conduct a personal interview when it believes the interview will assist it in reaching a decision.

The Admissions Committee also values signs that a candidate will, as an attorney, make a positive contribution to the profession and the community. St. Thomas University College of Law seeks students who will participate in our mission of service to the community, and who can emerge as ethical leaders in the legal profession. Accordingly, the admissions process will consider carefully each applicant’s character and fitness to practice law. Successful applicants must display honesty and maturity by disclosing and learning from past mistakes, and should also demonstrate civility, compassion, and respect toward others.

The Admissions Committee strives for diversity. Unlike many other disciplines, the study of law is highly interactive, while law itself, as Justice Holmes put it, is grounded principally in human experience. The vast range of experience of a diverse student body is a vital pedagogical feature in a law program and helps explain the Admissions Committee’s strong commitment to diversity. The College of Law’s mission of helping provide traditionally under-served communities with access to legal services and of enhancing minority representation within the profession also helps explain the Committee’s emphasis on diversity.

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