Due Process: Florida A&M, Florida International Finally Get Law Schools

Black Issues in Higher Education, May 25, 2000 by Gary Fineout

Legislators filed bills again this year to create law schools, but initially the measures were expected to go nowhere. The Board of Regents continued to oppose the law schools and the Florida Bar Association also recommended an expansion of pre-law programs and minority scholarships to address the lack of minorities in the legal profession.

But then a group of Miami businessmen began pushing for the Florida International law school. Republican leaders also were eager to repair some of the ill will that had built up against Bush in the wake of his One Florida Initiative.

One Florida was the governor's effort to end race-based programs in state contracting and university admissions, which has been targeted by protests and legal challenges. Bush announced the plan last November as a way to counteract California businessman Ward Connerly's effort to put an anti-affirmative action referendum on the Florida ballot.

"It's been a long fight and I have taken on Democratic administrations and not made any progress," says Rep. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, and a Florida A&M graduate who has sponsored bills to create a law school at his alma mater in the past.

Senate President Toni Jennings, R-Orlando, pressed the law school issue in budget negotiations with House Speaker John Thrasher, R-Orange Park. Thrasher wanted money to establish a new medical school for Florida State University, his alma mater.

"The House issue was a medical school," says Jennings. "The Senate issue became two law schools ... I found something I thought was worth trading a medical school for, and that was two law schools."

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Al Cardenas concedes that the party will use the creation of the Florida A&M law school in this year's upcoming elections. One African American lawmaker who switched to the Republican Party in the last year is trying to win a state Senate seat against two veteran African American Democrats.

"You better believe we're going to tell the voters that by having an African American in our party, you are able to achieve something," Cardenas says.

Republicans will be able to take that message to voters without having to worry about battling Connerly. Connerly announced in early May that he was going to wait until 2002 before trying to place a referendum on the Florida ballot.

Bush -- who was given high-fives by Lawson and other African American lawmakers after the end of the session -- says he will sign the legislation creating the two new law schools. He noted that the legislation specifically prohibits admitting any student to the new law schools based on race, gender and ethnicity.

"There's a bit of irony here in that the most vehement opponents of One Florida supported the bill ... I think this concept is beginning to catch on," says Bush.

Outstanding Graduates of Florida A&M Law School

Gwendolyn S. Cherry, (1965) of Miami, was the first African American woman elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1970.

Alcee Hastings, (1963) of West Palm Beach, represents Florida by serving as congressman of District 23, which includes Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.