Two weeks ago, the UF Levin College of Law hosted its first Double Gator Reception, an event in which professors, administrators, alumni and potential law students could meet and mingle.
I was invited to the event and gladly went. I met plenty of people who were glad to reminisce about their law school experiences and ponder the future of UF Law. After all, the college has a relatively new dean, with only about a year under her belt.
Everyone at the event mentioned the same thing: The new dean is something special.
Naturally, I had to find out what’s so special for myself. On a whim, I asked Dean Laura Rosenbury, UF Law’s first female permanent dean, for an interview. She was busy, but found time for a lowly undergraduate: She’s a true woman of the people.
Within minutes of conducting the interview, I was immediately impressed with Dean Rosenbury. And what’s not to be impressed with? She has a dream resume: Harvard University law degree, professor at the University of Chicago and Stanford University, distinguished feminist scholar and former vice dean of Washington University School of Law.
We talked about her path to deanship, the future of UF Law and some of her reforms. But I’ll start with the last question I asked her: Should students still pursue a law degree?
Unsurprisingly, the law dean answered “yes,” but it was a qualified “yes.” If a student is not sure what to do with his or her life, then going to law school is probably not the best choice. But if a student wants to “use the legal system to come up with creative solutions to solve problems,” then undoubtedly the answer is “yes.” That answer really encapsulated the whole interview: As the head of the law school, Dean Rosenbury is coming up with creative solutions to solve problems the law school faces, especially problems with attendance.
The legal job market has been contracting, leaving some law students behind. This makes potential students reluctant to enter law school. While the market is slowly improving, many are still hesitant to take the law-school plunge. Good law schools like UF — ones with a great culture, alumni base and faculty — are struggling to find new students.
Law school applications nationwide have been dropping. In 2011, applications dropped 35 percent. In 2015, UF law applications were down 65 percent. Luckily, the dean is proactively improving admissions by expanding the application pool and showcasing the strength of the Gator Nation in creative ways. Once “strong and diverse” law students enroll at UF, the students’ talents and her reforms would “propel the law school in the rankings.”
She told me UF is the No. 2 feeder university of law schools nationwide, a factoid unbeknownst to me — she’s dean for a reason. With that in mind, Dean Rosenbury creatively began mining UF’s talent pool. Gator Express, an admissions program in which UF students can submit applications to UF Law in November and hear back within three weeks, was implemented. Data is used in new ways. Application fee waivers are offered to the most promising law students.
To show the strength of the UF Law’s alumni base — loyally ready to hire UF Law graduates — the dean created the Double Gator Reception, an impressive event that flaunts UF’s networking power. Last year, 1,300 students applied to UF Law. This year, applications are currently between 2,300 and 2,400. The application period ends in July.
Not only that, but the dean is also helping struggling students look for jobs. She called on faculty and staff to do everything within their power to assist the students in the job hunt. She’s making sure no Gator is left behind. This is just a small sample of the creative solutions Dean Rosenbury is enacting. If the past few months are indicative of the next few years ahead, I think UF Law has a lot to look forward to.
Michael Beato is a UF political science senior. His column appears on Mondays.
