St. Thomas Law's Legal Writing Department Hosts Panel on Administrative Agencies

“Administrative Agencies:  Interplay with Congress, Courts, and Client Interests”

On Wednesday, January 20th, 2016 the St. Thomas Law Legal Writing Department welcomed David Buente and Frances A. Dubrowski, attorneys from Washington D.C.,  to address our first year students.

Our law students had the rare opportunity to learn from attorneys who both played key roles in helping to shape legislative policies and judicial interpretations of environmental protection law early in their careers.  They shared their unique perspectives from those experiences, and their subsequent roles as advocates on behalf of private clients in the area of environmental law.  

Pictured from left: Annie Chan, Director of Legal Writing; Attorneys
David Buente and Frances A. Dubrowski; Law Dean Alfredo Garcia

“Mr. Buente and Ms. Dubrowski offered insights into the interrelationship of governmental agencies, congressional policies, and judicial decisions in a way which was unique and invaluable,” expressed Professor Annie Chan, Director of the Legal Writing Program. 

The student attendees shared Professor Chan's sentiments and expressed their appreciation of the attorneys’ visits.

St. Thomas Law's Legal Writing department has been recognized nationally in Princeton Review's 2015 Best Law Schools ranking.

St. Thomas Law Named Number One Law School in the Nation for Hispanics

St. Thomas University School of Law has long been nationally-recognized for its students' quality of life and the diversity among its student body. Now, the Miami-based law school has been ranked the number one law school in the United States for Hispanics by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine.

The Top 25 rankings, released in the December 2015 issue, is based on enrollment and completion surveys submitted to the National Center for Education Statistics in Washington D.C., an arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

“The ranking is consistent with our school’s mission of access for students from groups that have been underrepresented in the profession," stated St. Thomas Law Dean Alfredo Garcia. "We are proud of our students and alumni who have fulfilled our mission and aspirations.”

St. Thomas Law, where 67% of the students are Hispanic, was also featured for the innovative programs created to support our students from pre-admission to post-graduation. The Summer Conditional Program, which is geared towards newly-admitted students and exposes them to the law school experience, and the Active Learning Instructor (ALI) Program which involves, among other things, upper-level students serving as mentors to first-year students, were mentioned. 

The learning process is further enhanced through workshops on exam-taking, essay skill-building, and bar exam preparation.

Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education is a national monthly magazine rooted in serving the unique needs of the Hispanic community in higher education.  It is notable for its annual Top 100 list of colleges and universities awarding degrees to Hispanic students.