School of Law

Orlando, FL

Administration

Leticia M. Diaz, M.S., Ph.D., J.D., Dean

Glen-Peter Ahlers, M.L.S., J.D. Interim Associate Dean for Information Services

Doug Brucker, Manager, Orlando Law IT Operations—DCS

Brigitte Debbarh, Director of Special Events and Alumni Relations

Amy Lefkowitz, J.D., Assistant Dean for Academic Programs & Strategic Initiatives, Law School Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs

Angelo J. Milone, B.S., Director of Marketing & Public Relations and Interim Director of Admissions

Diane Trees, Ed. D., Director of Community Outreach and Advancement

TBA, Assistant Dean for Bar Preparation, Academic Success, and Experiential Learning

Virginia Traver, M.B.A., Director of Finance

Ruth A. Witherspoon, J.D., LL.M., Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Law Faculty

Ahlers, Ahmad, Aschenbrenner-Rodriguez, Breedon, Buhi, Coco, D’Angelo-Corker, Day, Deming, Diaz, Dubner, Frank, Garza, Goodman, Henricksen, Hoffman, Hull, Kan, Leacock, Ngov, Ogolla, O’Gorman, Puzone, Rooks, Ross, Schiavo, Schinasi, Simpson-Wood, Sites, Spence, Summers, Witherspoon

An Overview

The School of Law educates students to become responsible lawyers, trained to assume an active role in the legal community. Students are trained to act in strict accordance with the highest ethical standards and to exercise their professional skills competently, with sensitivity to the needs and concerns of their clients.

The Law School offers an array of courses that are designed to develop the students as “practice ready.” Through clinical programs focused on juvenile defense. Earth justice, immigration, collaborative family law and bankruptcy, Barry Law gives students real-world legal experience serving those populations traditionally underrepresented by the legal profession. In addition to its traditional core curriculum, the Law School offers three optional concentrations in which students may earn honors certificates in the following three areas: Child and Family Law; Litigation and Advocacy; and Environmental and Earth Law.

Students at the School of Law have many opportunities to experience the “law-in-action” concept, both in the classroom and through practical application. The law faculty is extremely accessible, offering students ample opportunities for out of classroom discussions.

The School of Law offers a three-year daytime program structured for full-time students. The School of Law also offers a four-year extended studies program in the evening to accommodate working adults or anyone who, for whatever reason, is unable to pursue three full-time years of study toward a law degree.

The School of Law also offers an LL.M. program for foreign attorneys who have previously completed a law degree in another country. The program requires the completion of 24 credits and spans a full academic year.

Mission Statement

Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law is the only Dominican Law School in the United States and the first American Law School to be part of a University founded by women religious. The School of Law endeavors to offer a quality legal education in a caring environment with a religious dimension so that study and reflection lead to informed action and a commitment to social justice leads to collaborative service. The School of Law promotes the highest standards of ethics and competence in the practice of law and other pursuits. The School of Law seeks to challenge students to embrace intellectual, personal, ethical, spiritual, ecological, and social responsibilities in an atmosphere of academic freedom. The program strives to equip its graduates to apply the knowledge, values, and skills they acquire to enhance personal growth, the legal profession, the judicial system, society, and the Earth community. Within its Catholic Dominican tradition, the School of Law values matters of faith through religious freedom. The School of Law seeks to enhance diversity in our community and the profession and endorses recruitment and retention of members of underrepresented groups, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, in order to create a more diverse faculty, staff, and student body.

Statement of Institutional Learning Outcomes

ABA Standard 302(a): Knowledge and Understanding of Substantive and Procedural Law
1. Students should have fundamental knowledge of the basic rules, theoretical foundations, and principles of substantive and procedural law.
2. Students should understand the structure of the federal and state court systems, the jurisdiction of appellate state and federal courts to review lower court decisions, and the standards of review appellate courts apply.
3. Students should have a working knowledge of the practical aspects of pleading and practice.
4. Students should be able to demonstrate competence in key foundational areas of U.S. law including areas of substantive law tested on the Multistate Bar Examination and the Florida Bar Examination.
ABA Standard 302(b): Legal Analysis and Reasoning, Legal Research, Problem Solving, and Written and Oral Communication in a Legal Context
1. Students should be able to produce effective and properly formatted court memoranda and appellate briefs using predictive and persuasive styles of legal writing, with due attention to correctness of expression, organization, coherent legal analysis, and the structure of legal argument
2. Students should be able to identify key concepts and related legal issues raised in hypothetical fact patterns and apply that law to hypothetical fact patterns to resolve the legal issues raised and evaluate possible outcomes.
3. Students should be able to plan and implement research to find sources of legal authority from books in the law library, digital legal databases, and the internet
4. Students should be able to recognize precedent, know the difference between binding and persuasive authority, and know the sources of primary and secondary authority and their respective weight and be able to provide proper citation forms for such authority
5. Students should be able to identify and where appropriate to marshal the facts pertinent to legal issues.
6. Students should be able to construct case briefs, interpret judicial opinions, construe rules and statutes, and analogize, synthesize, and distinguish cases and fact patterns.
7. Students should be able to communicate effectively both in writing and orally and will know how to state a legal argument one-on-one or to a group, and to coherently and persuasively deliver such an argument to a court, with due attention to civility, decorum and deference to the court.
8. Students should be able to integrate doctrine, facts, theory, skills, and ethics.
ABA Standard 302(c): Exercise of Proper Professional and Ethical Responsibilities to Clients in the Legal System
1. Students should know and understand the ethical considerations and disciplinary standards governing the practice of law.
2. Students should understand and be familiar with professional conduct, standards, and values of the legal profession and be able to exercise professional judgment in oral, written, and technological contexts to include email communication, and social media.
ABA Standard 302(d): Other Professional Skills Needed for Competent and Ethical Participation as a Member of the Legal Profession
1. Pursuant to the Mission of the Barry University School of Law to provide a quality education in a caring environment with a religious dimension, students should accept social responsibility and promote social and ecological justice through performing pro bono work or community service.
2. Students should have the ability to work with others of diverse backgrounds and understand the importance of building an inclusive community characterized by interdependence, dignity and equality, compassion and respect for self and others.

Adopted by the School of Law Faculty August 13, 2015

Admission to the School of Law

All admissions decisions are made by the School of Law’s Admissions Committee, in conjunction with the Dean. Applicants will be considered for admission to the School of Law if they demonstrate good character, as well as having competitive undergraduate grade point averages and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores that indicate they can meet the academic challenge of law school and be admitted to the bar.

Each application will be given an individual and holistic review, based on the totality of information provided—not just the LSAT score and GPA. The LSAT score and GPA serve as measures of intellectual and academic abilities, but they do not always provide a complete picture. Applicants may be asked to provide additional evidence of ability as well as information regarding special circumstances.

Admissions Process

To be accepted to the School of Law’s J.D. program, an applicant must:

Hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an agency approved by the Department of Education.
Complete and submit the Application for Admission to the School of Law.
Submit scores for the LSAT, taken within five years of the time you apply.
Register with the Law School Admissions Council Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Submit to the Law School Admission Council an official transcript from each college or university attended. Barry’s LSAC Code is #5830.
Submit a personal statement of one to two pages that addresses one or more of these topics: the applicant’s interest in law, any adversity the applicant may have overcome in accomplishing goals, the applicant’s aspirations after earning a law degree.
Submit at least one letter of recommendation, which should be included in the CAS report. Beyond the one required recommendation letter, applicants have the option to submit up to two additional letters. Recommendation letters may be written by someone—a faculty advisor, instructor, employer, commanding officer—who can describe the applicant’s aptitude for the study of law. Recommendation letters may also serve as a character reference from someone who can attest to the applicant’s integrity.

To be accepted to the School of Law’s LL.M. program, an applicant must:

Create an application on LSAC LL.M. Applicant Services.
Submit a non-refundable $30 application fee.
Submit verification of law degree on CAS.
Demonstrate proficiency in English. If English is not the applicant’s first language, the applicant must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and earn a minimum total score of 100 on the Internet-Based Exam, a minimum score of 26 on reading and listening skills, a minimum score of 22 on writing and speaking. The test scores must be sent directly to Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law and cannot be older than two years.
Submit two letters of recommendation provided by professors who can expound on applicant’s academic work. Letters can be submitted in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.
Submit a resume or CV.
Submit a statement, not to exceed 600 words, in which the applicant describes why (s)he wants to study law in English and pursue an LL.M. in the United States.
Participate in a Skype interview.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all materials have been received by the School of Law. After being admitted, the applicant must submit a nonrefundable seat deposit of $250.00 and mail final official transcripts to the School of Law. For further information, please call Admissions at (321) 206‑5600, or visit the School of Law’s website at www.barry.edu/law.

Traditional Admissions

Each year the Barry Law Admissions Committee considers about 2,000 applications for 250 to 280 seats available in the entering class. The Law School follows a rolling admissions policy, with a priority deadline of May 1 for Fall admission and November 15 for Spring admission. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

The Admissions Committee acts on all admissions requests following receipt of a completed application. The LSAT is designed to measure some of the mental and academic abilities that are needed for successful law study. Within limits, it provides a reasonable assessment of these factors. Similarly, undergraduate grades are a significant indicator of potential success in law school. In addition to being one measure of academic ability, a strong scholastic record may indicate the level of a student’s perseverance, motivation, and maturity.

Applicants will be accepted for admission to the School of Law if they are of good character and have LSAT scores and GPAs which indicate a likelihood for academic success. This statement applies to those applicants who apply in a timely manner before the class is filled.

Applicants are notified by email or writing of all decisions pertinent to their applications taken by the Admissions Committee. The Committee meets frequently, so decisions are made promptly after receipt of all required admissions documents. Following written notification of acceptance as a student, each degree candidate should send in the required seat deposit, and an official undergraduate transcript conferring a Bachelor’s degree.

Barry Law is proud to serve over 600 current student members, and proud to represent the thousands of Barry Alumni working in the legal field across the globe today. With over half of our student population currently represented by women, and nearly half our student body identified as a minority, Barry Law is proud to be distinguished as a vibrant diverse student body.

International Admissions

The application and admission protocol for international students seeking admission to the J.D. program is identical to the process outlined above.

Notification of Admission

Applicants are notified in writing when the Admissions Committee has made decisions on their applications. The Committee meets frequently, so decisions are made promptly after receipt of all required documents. Following written notification of acceptance as a student, each degree candidate should submit the required seat deposit and an official transcript from all institutions attended.

Admissions Testing

For information concerning registration for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), visit www.lsac.org.

Transfer Admissions

An applicant may be admitted as a transfer student according to ABA standards. Applicants must be in good standing at an ABA-accredited institution and eligible to return there, as documented by an official transcript and a letter of good standing. In all respects, transfer students follow standard application procedures. Admitted students may transfer up to 30 credits only for those courses in which they have earned a grade of “C” or higher.

Student Financial Assistance

At the Barry University School of Law, the Office of Student Financial Services acts in partnership with students to provide the necessary guidance in financial planning and the financial aid application process. The financial aid application process is streamlined with minimal requirements. Step-by-step instructions for completing the process are available by visiting the Financial Services tab on the School of Law’s website at www.barry.edu/law. For further information and assistance, please call the Office of Student Financial Services at (321) 206‑5636 or e-mail the staff at lawfinaid@barry.edu.

Student Employment Policy

Although some students find it necessary to work to finance their legal education, the Law School requires that a full-time student work no more than twenty hours per week. Moreover, outside work during the first year of law school is strongly discouraged in view of the unique educational experience of the first year and the time constraints imposed by the program of study.

Program Objective

The School of Law combines traditional and innovative teaching methods to provide a dynamic and professional educational program. The J.D. curriculum is also designed to develop students’ analytical ability, communication skills, and understanding of the codes of professional responsibility and ethics that are central to the practice of law. Courses designed to develop and refine legal writing and research abilities are required. Seminars and advanced courses provide close interaction with faculty.