Florida Coastal School of Law is announcing today that it has filed a major change application with the American Bar Association for permission to become a non-profit law school. Florida Coastal was founded in 1996 on the pillars of serving the underserved, student centeredness, and graduating practice ready lawyers. After over 20 years of development, Florida Coastal is now positioned to make the change from for-profit to not-for-profit. At the completion of this transition, Florida Coastal will be an independent law school run by an independent board, and will no longer be owned by InfiLaw or related companies.
The move to non-profit is the next step in the law school’s strategic plan for growth and a stable future—one building on increased incoming credentials, a rising bar passage rate, and improved employment statistics. A second part of its strategic plan is to affiliate with a non-profit university partner. Moving to an independent non-profit is a critical step in that transition. Florida Coastal is currently in discussions with a potential non-profit university partner.
Florida Coastal’s Dean Scott DeVito said, “Moving to non-profit is the right thing for our students, alumni, and our community. It will also strengthen the institution and open the door to our becoming affiliated with a non-profit university. We are extremely fortunate in having the support of all of our stakeholders as we transition to non-profit.”
Florida Coastal is working with its parent company InfiLaw, to ensure that the process for this change moves forward as smoothly and quickly as possible. “I am impressed with how hard everyone in the organization is working to bring about this change. It shows the commitment of everyone involved to the students and the law school,” said Dean DeVito.
Florida Coastal’s long-term plan to improve incoming credentials and bar pass rates are already showing big returns for the law school. Florida Coastal School of Law is the only law school in the state of Florida to improve Florida bar pass rates over the last four test administrations. The February 2018 results placed Florida Coastal fourth in the state with the July 2018 results placing the law school 7th out of 11 Florida law schools. The median LSAT for the 2018 entering class is 150 with a median UGPA of 3.11. Florida Coastal’s 2018 entering LSAT credentials are at or above 44 other law schools. The move to non-profit will better align Florida Coastal with its direct competitors in the law school admissions market.