Law Honors Program
Advance your learning and collaborate closely with faculty.
The Stetson Law Honors Program is designed to give you a strong foundation in the historical and theoretical aspects of the legal profession, preparing you for the practice of law. As a full-time JD student, you may qualify for the Law Honors Program if you demonstrate exceptional ability and achievement in your first and second semesters. If you are a part-time student, you can qualify by showcasing outstanding performance in your first and second years of law school.
As a Law Honors Program student, you will have access to exclusive opportunities, including faculty works-in-progress presentations, discussions with prominent scholars from other institutions, and meetings with esteemed members of the bench and bar. By completing both the colloquium and honors seminar, you will receive a certificate at graduation, recognizing your participation in the Law Honors Program.
If you are a full-time student ranked in the top 15% of your entering class after either your first or second semester, you will be invited to interview for the Law Honors Program during the summer following your first full year.
If you are a part-time JD student ranked in the top 15% of your entering class after your second or fourth semester, you will receive an invitation to interview for the Law Honors Program after your second spring semester. Additionally, you will be invited to interview if you are a part-time student who meets either of the following criteria:
- After your second semester, your cumulative GPA is equal to or higher than the lowest cumulative GPA of the top 15% of the equivalent cohort of full-time students after their first semester.
- After your fourth semester, your cumulative GPA is equal to or higher than the lowest cumulative GPA of the top 15% of the equivalent cohort of full-time students after their second semester.
The Law Honors Program Director will determine which students are selected for the program. Typically, the program includes between 15 and 25 students. Once accepted, you may remain in the program as long as you stay within the top 20% of your class.
All Law Honors Program students will be required to take the following courses:
LAW 3535 - Honors Colloquium
The Honors Colloquium is designed for students accepted into Stetson's Honors Program based on academic performance in the first and second semesters. The Colloquium will explore various topics concerning the history and theory of law. Conducted in a seminar format, various professors will lead students in discussion of the assigned topics.
LAW 3605 - Jurisprudence Honors Seminar
An introduction to legal theory and the broad knowledge necessary in the professional use of case law and legislation. The course examines the system of political, economic, moral, and psychological ideas that lies at the root of modern jurisprudence and focuses on the origin, nature, function, and development of the law.