The USF-Stetson partnership also offers students an accelerated pathway and direct admission to Stetson University College of Law.
Courtesy of USF
By Aubrey Carr
This semester, University of South Florida undergraduate students received a glimpse at law school through a partnership with Stetson University College of Law.
The newly introduced honors class, “Text, Tweet, Take to the Street: Dissent and the First Amendment,” covers many of the same topics taught in a traditional law school class, discussing the First Amendment through examinations of the U.S. Constitution, past court rulings and case studies.
The course, taught by Kirsten Davis, a law professor at Stetson University and the inaugural Judy Genshaft Honors College Visiting Professor of Law, tackles a modern approach to the topic, considering issues that affect students today.
“In all areas of life, we are dealing with what dissent looks like. We see it on television, in our neighborhoods, on Twitter and Facebook,” Davis said in a press release. “For any citizen, understanding how the First Amendment fits with that discourse is really important.”
In order to bring a law school level curriculum to an undergraduate class, Davis incorporates a range of creative techniques, like crossword puzzles, pangram puzzles and art projects, to keep students engaged and interested in the high-level coursework.
“I’ve taken what I know about teaching law school and adapted it for what I hope is a fun and interesting course for outstanding undergraduate students, no matter their major,” Davis said. “I think our favorite in-class activity has been making art as a way to review key concepts of the course. Later on, we’ll be working with poetry as a way to explore free speech concepts.”
The class was brought to USF St. Petersburg to help expose undergraduate students to legislation before they commit to a law degree.
“The class will help students decide whether or not they want to attend law school. Even if it’s not for them, now they’ll know,” said Thomas Smith, associate dean of the Judy Genshaft Honors College and a professor of political science. “Students will come away from the class with an understanding of the boundaries of the First Amendment, but also an appreciation of the role of free speech in a democratic society.”
The course enrolled students of all majors, including psychology, political science and biology.
“I didn’t realize how much was covered under the First Amendment, and it’s been really interesting to have those debates about what should and should not be covered,” sophomore psychology major, Isabella Simon-Pleines, said.
Even for students without an interest in a law career, the course offered in-depth information valuable for any workforce.
“I’m still deciding between going into experimental psychology or social work therapy-based psychology,” senior Elaine Begleiter said. “If it’s the latter, the law would play a big part in working on issues regarding child advocacy and the court system and the rights between parents and children.”
The class is one of several collaborations between USF and Stetson University.
A similar course focusing on environmental regulation was offered this semester for environmental science majors, taught by Stetson’s Foreman Biodiversity Fellow Katherine Platt and third-year law student Lauren Beames.
In addition to classes, Stetson offers USF students an accelerated pathway and direct admission to Stetson University College of Law.
Stetson 4+3 allows students who meet a certain GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores guaranteed admission to the College of Law.
The 3+3 Bachelor’s/J.D. Program allows eligible students to graduate from USF having already taken their first year of law school courses through Stetson.
