Offering real-world experience, a sense of community, and opportunities to connect with Stetson Law, Stetson University’s growing Law Ready program invites undergraduates to build the knowledge and skills they’ll need as law students – and as lawyers.
About 330 students have indicated interest in Law Ready. The program offers two distinct pre-law minor options: Law, Society, and Advocacy, which asks broader questions about the substantive aims of law, and Business Law, which focuses on law in commercial and organizational contexts.
“Stetson DeLand’s pre-law programming has made tremendous strides over the past couple of years,” said Dr. Joshua Rust, Stetson’s pre-law director and a professor of philosophy. “Students are energized, and the content has fostered stronger alignment between the DeLand and Gulfport campuses.”
Immersive legal learning with alumni
Enrollees earn credit for law-related immersive work, including Mock Trial, Moot Court, Model UN, and related Hatter Ready activities. The new Law Ready Living Learning Community (LLC) cohort program, which invites students to live and study together in Lynn Hall, has seen exceptionally strong interest, with more than 100 applications vying for around 20 spots.
In fall, the cohort enrolls in “The Architecture of Law,” taught by Rust; in spring, a practitioner teaches “Ethical and Legal Context of Business.”
As part of the fall course, local elder law attorney and 2011 Stetson Law alumna Brittany Gloersen teaches students how to help local elders prepare advance directives and estate-planning documents. Students also converse with Stetson Law Professor Rebecca Morgan, a 1980 Stetson Law alum and nationally recognized elder law expert.
“Overall, this class embodies Stetson’s Hatter Ready approach to education,” Rust said. “We are preparing students both inside and outside the classroom by grounding a practical, career-focused curriculum in Stetson’s rich liberal arts tradition.”
Seizing opportunities on campus
Students are also taking initiative to grow the pre-law network. The pre-law fraternity chapter of Phi Alpha Delta supports members through test prep partnerships and events like the recently revived Stetson Law School Fair.
Students also established campus chapters of National Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Latinx Law Student Association.
“I think in the three years that I’ve been here, our pre-law program has taken a significant leap,” said junior Temi Adediji, a mock trial participant who helped found the BLSA chapter. “Just the amount of growth that this program has experienced, the amount of passion that its students have poured into it, I believe that we’re starting to reap the benefits.”
For Stetson undergraduates interested in becoming Double Hatters, the Fast-Track 3+3 Program to Stetson Law allows students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in six years – one year less than the traditional seven-year track. The 4+3 program, meanwhile, guarantees admission to Stetson Law under certain conditions.
In his three years leading the College of Law, Dean D. Benjamin Barros has been unflagging in his support of Law Ready initiatives – and has worked across campuses to grow the program.
“When I first came here, I thought there was a really great opportunity at the undergraduate campus to capitalize on the fact that Stetson has a world-class law school, “Barros said. Law Ready is a great collaboration between the two campuses.”