The latest U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings are out, and Stetson Law remains at the head of the class in two key areas.
The College of Law is Number 1 in Trial Advocacy and Number 3 in Legal Writing, per the publication’s 2025 rankings. This is the third year in a row Stetson has ranked as such in these areas. The college has been at or near the top of the list for trial advocacy for decades. Ranking 99th overall for its full-time juris doctor program, it is also a top-100 law school in the nation. Flex JD, Stetson Law’s part-time law program, ranked 33rd in that category.
The recognition is the direct result the Stetson Law community’s tireless dedication to equipping students with the practical tools they need to succeed in the legal profession regardless of their area of practice.
“These rankings are the result of the substantial time, energy, and resources the Stetson Law community invests in our students,” said Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “We are once again honored that U.S. News & World Report recognizes the passion our faculty, staff, alumni, and friends have for preparing our students for success as legal professionals.”
Situated on a historic campus in Gulfport, Florida, Stetson Law is Florida’s first law school and poised to celebrate its 125th anniversary. It is part of Stetson University, which has a main campus in DeLand, Florida. University leaders believe the spirit of advocacy fits well within the culture and values the entire university embraces.
“We are incredibly proud of our College of Law, which receives national recognition — year after year — for providing a world-class legal education,” said Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. “These rankings reflect Stetson’s unwavering pursuit of excellence across the institution.”
A national leader in advocacy
From premier events like the Educating Advocacy Teachers (EATS) conference that takes place on campus every June to the campus culture that encourages students to advocate for themselves and others in daily life, Stetson Law offers a supportive community for those interested in developing their advocacy skills.
In its 25 years of existence, the College of Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy has been steadfast in its mission of and holistic in its approach to cultivating the next generation of advocates, including trial, dispute resolution, and moot court teams that have won more than 100 national competitions.
“We take a holistic approach to advocacy skills education that incorporates emerging trends to ensure that are teaching methods remain relevant in an ever-evolving legal landscape,” said Elizabeth Boals, director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy. “We are once again honored by U.S. News’ recognition and inspired to continue innovating and building on our success.”
In fall of 2023, the College of Law celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art Advocacy Institute, a large facility dedicated to the study and practice of this fundamental skill.
The beautiful 16,000-square-foot Advocacy Institute symbolizes the college’s deep advocacy roots while offering extensive space for scholarship, collaboration, and practice.
With state-of-the-art spaces for practice and instruction, including the most practice courtrooms of any law school in the nation, it empowers students with essential advocacy skills to thrive in an ever-evolving world. It houses Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy, Center for Elder Justice, and the Jacobs Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment.
A balanced approach to teaching legal communication
Stetson Law’s celebrated Legal Writing program ranking at No. 3 for the third year in a row reflects this community’s understanding that legal communication is fundamental to the study and practice of law. Through its Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication, the college fosters passion for exploring legal writing’s many aspects.
“Through rigorous and critical exploration of the discipline, we play an essential role in leading the ongoing development of our discipline both at the academic, as well as at the practical, level,” said Elizabeth Berenguer, who directs the institute. “Through this work, we set a high bar for practice, ensure access to justice, and protect the very systems that sustain our democracy. We are honored to be recognized as a top destination for legal writing by our colleagues and by U.S. News & World Report.”
While the program uses methods of developing legal communication skills, its leadership closely monitors evolving technology trends such as artificial intelligence and how these trends may impact the ways in which legal writing is taught and conducted by legal professionals.
Original source can be found here.