Getting the Lowdown on FAMU Law School and Its Ranking

All About FAMU Law School

Florida A&M University College of Law, located in Orlando, opened its doors in 2002 yet the history of the School of Law goes back to the early 1950s. At that time, Florida A&M College, which was then located in Tallahassee, first obtained authority from the Florida Board of Control to teach law, and offered an LL.B. degree. The first class of 24 students graduated in 1954 and the School of Law was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1958. However, in 1968, the Florida Board of Regents withdrew the University’s authorization to confer the degree of bachelor of laws (J.D.) and authorized the University to offer a master’s degree instead (LL.M.). After 1975 Florida A&M discontinued offering any legal education programs.
In 1986, Florida A&M submitted a proposal for the re-establishment of a law school . The proposed law school would be a full-time day program located in Orlando and would have regional (South Florida) rather than national accreditation. The reestablishment of a law school would provide legal services for poor and minority citizens on Central Florida.
On July 17, 2000, the American Bar Association granted provisional accreditation to the Florida A&M University College of Law. In granting provisional accreditation, the ABA’s Council of the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar stated that the University’s law school "will help facilitate the development of an enhanced climate of professionalism within the State of Florida." The ABA gave provisional accreditation status to the law school for a period of three years.

FAMU Law Ranking Today

The most recent comprehensive rankings are the 2022 rankings. U.S. News & World Report ranks Florida A&M University College of Law No. 139 nationally out of the 193 ABA approved law schools. Florida A&M University College of Law is currently tied for 139 in peer assessments with the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America and Southern Illinois University School of Law, as well as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock – William H. Bowen School of Law and Western New England University School of Law.
The real story isn’t so much about the overall ranking but the change in ranking over time. The most recent ranking is a significant drop from before. In the 2021 rankings, Florida A&M University College of Law was 109 out of 193 law schools or a difference of -30. In the 2020 rankings (the first post-pandemic rankings), Florida A&M University College of Law was ranked 116 of 193 law schools. In the 2019 ranking, Florida A&M University College of Law was ranked 113 of 194 law schools or a difference since the most recent ranking of -26.
Below is a graph of Florida A&M University College of Law’s USNWR rankings for the years 2010 to the present.
Florida A&M University College of Law’s USNWR ranking has gone down over the years from No. 98 in 2010 to No. 139 in 2022— a drop of 41 schools or -41.8%. So the over time paradigm has been that Florida A&M University College of Law Law School may have reached its high-water mark in time to begin the decline from there.

Factors that Affect FAMU Law Ranking

Accreditation Status: The American Bar Association (ABA) granted provisional accreditation to the Florida A&M University College of Law (FAMU Law) in 2005, a full seven years after it first applied. The accreditation provided the credibility and legitimacy the school needed to bolster its reputation. However, it was not until 2012 that it received full ABA accreditation, furthering its standing as one of the top law schools in the Sunshine State.
Bar Passage: The bar passage rate directly after graduation is one of the most important factors when assessing a law school’s quality. In 2011, just 52 percent of FAMU Law graduates passed the Florida Bar exam on the first try, compared to a 70 percent state average. In 2012 and 2013, the rates jumped to 73 and 79 percent, respectively. In 2013, the law school’s overall bar pass rate jumped to 79.6 percent (the first exam in Florida had a low bar pass rate). This is due to several factors, namely an improved curriculum and investment in the students’ success, including the offering of series of bar prep classes.
Employment Outcomes: After graduation, a law school’s employment rate is another essential ranking factor. According to published ABA data, 64.2 percent of the Class of 2013 was employed in a full-time, long-term position within nine months after graduating. Approximately 51 percent of graduates found a job that required bar passage, with another 9 percent employed in part-time positions. The typical gross salary for 2013 FAMU Law graduates employed full-time, long-term was $50,000, with those in private practice reporting a median annual salary of $53,000. Both numbers are very good for an emerging law school like FAMU Law.
Faculty Expertise: A strong faculty is vital to a law school’s success. While its student-faculty ratio of approximately 14-to-1 is just slightly above the national and regional averages, the school’s faculty is noted for its academic excellence and hands-on approach. Further, the association with a major pre-law program (FAMU’s Pre-Law Center has served more than 5,000 students since 1994) also makes it stand apart from other law schools. In fact, Florida A&M serves a larger number of undergraduate pre-law students than any other university in the country; in 2013, approximately 614 students majored or minored in pre-law.
School Selectivity: The school’s selectivity and the academic quality of its incoming students also drive rankings. In Fall 2014, 26 percent of applicants were admitted. Full-time students had a median LSAT score of 149, compared to 160 nationally. In addition, 67 percent of the incoming class had LSAT scores above 145.

What Rankings Mean to Students and Alumni

For current students, FAMU Law’s ranking can signal the trajectory of their legal careers. Higher-ranked schools offer broader access to opportunities because they often collaborate with law firms nationally and have robust national recognition. Such schools could also have more funding to help students with job placement. In contrast, lower rankings may impact job security for students soon entering the job market. The rankings also highlight that though on the lower tier, FAMU Law is still producing socially conscious lawyers dedicated to civil rights, honesty and serving the community. Future lawyers vetted at FAMU Law will continue with the legacy of those who came before them. Such highly sought-after virtuous skills make the institution and students it produces still competitive and actively contributing to the legal profession and society at large.
Current or recent alumni with political aspirations may in the future seek to leverage the institution’s higher standing into positions with greater authority or influence. The better-ranked a university, the more appealing its graduates become . Alumni who pursue public office tend to fare well in the job market since elected officials represent an impressive professional platform. Perhaps in response to the dire need for competent legal representation, FAMU Law alumni are consistently granted prominent positions in the state and county. For example, one of the latest C-suite appointments at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles was a FAMU Law graduate. Like so many of his predecessors, his academic achievements reflect well on FAMU Law, reinforcing that when students leave the institution, they are prepared to do good work.
Lastly, while networking is essential in any field, it is particularly indispensable in the practice of law. Social capital entails relationships with those already involved in the industry: judges and lawyers for instance. For students starting their careers, how well they interact and network with the lawyers of their field is critical. Who you know determines how soon you can get to where you desire. The bar is in attendance at every FAMU Law event, either as a guest speaker, moderator, or panelist. So, the ranking of FAMU Law has implications for current students and recent alumni as well.

How FAMU Law School Can Improve Its Ranking

Once FAMU Law School attains full accreditation, there will be certain strategies, which if implemented will increase its ranking. These include curricular innovations, enhanced career services, and faculty recruitment.
Curricular Innovations
Many law students said they would like to have greater choices in their elective courses. FAMU Law should consider adding courses in:
(a) Health Law
(b) Sports Law
(c) Entertainment Law
(d) Civil Rights Law
(e) Environmental Law
(f) International Law
(g) International Human Rights Law
(h) Advanced Trial Advocacy
(i) Underserved Client Representation Clinic
Enhanced Career Services
Some law students said they would like to see more programs that prepare them for the bar exam. There were suggestions that FAMU Law hire a bar preparation coach and open a bar prep center in the library. Some law students said they would like bar prep workshops after classes. Also, some law students said they would like more information regarding judicial internships and clerkship positions. FAMU Law should help its best students secure top-notch judicial clerkships. FAMU Law currently has sixty-five 2Ls and 17 3Ls.
Faculty Recruitment
It is important that FAMU Law recruit professors who focus on professional skills training. For example, the law school should seriously consider hiring an Advanced Trial Advocacy professor. With Florida having a rich diversity of practicing lawyers (approximately 2,000 are African-American), the law school should also aggressively recruit more African-American attorneys to teach.

Comparing FAMU Law to Other Schools

FAMU Law School, along with other law schools, are ranked by two popular organizations: the American Bar Association (ABA) and U.S. News and World Report. According to the ABA, the criteria for ranking are based on in large part upon the LSAT score and grade point average of its incoming class. Another organization, U.S. News and World Report, has a different ranking approach that places great emphasis on schools, relying essentially on self-reporting in its surveys of deans, faculty, and lawyers.
According to Hollis Wright, citing reliable legal sources, the average LSAT for Florida A&M University college of law is 145, and the average undergraduate GPA is 3.17. In comparison, the LSAT of the University of Miami College of Law is 155, and the average undergraduate GPA is 3.66. Florida State College of Law has an LSAT of 156, and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.53. Nova Southeastern has an LSAT of 149 , and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.24. Stetson College of Law has an LSAT score of 157 and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.46.
Below are comparisons of the two organizations’ ranking of FAMU. The 2014 American Bar Association ranking places the school at 9 among Florida law schools and U.S. News and World Report has put the law school in the third tier. This ranking is based on a combination of the law school’s acceptance rate of 58.2 percent and job placement of its graduates only in part of their first year out of law school. The acceptance rate of other Florida law schools is as follows: Barry College of Law, 66.3 percent; Nova Southeastern College of Law, 70.6 percent; Stetson University College of Law, 56.2 percent. In comparison, the acceptance rate of FAMU is higher than that of the Law School at the University of Miami (43.3 percent), Stetson University (56.2 percent), and the University of Florida (41.9 percent).