Centers and Programs

The USF School of Law's curricular and co-curricular opportunities are enriched by a number of centers and institutes.

The Center for Law and Global Justice expands the law school's commitment to international justice. The center, which has worked in Cambodia, China, the Dominican Republic, India, Vietnam, and elsewhere, develops and implements international rule of law projects. Students may participate in research projects, international internships, and volunteer human rights initiatives.

The J. Thomas McCarthy Institute for Intellectual Property and Technology Law was founded by intellectual property law pioneer Professor J. Thomas McCarthy, who is recognized as a pre-eminent expert in the field. The institute serves as the center of USF's intellectual property and technology program, which features a distinguished faculty, internationally-focused curriculum, and innovative clinical offerings.

The objective of the Center for Law and Ethics is to teach students to become ethical lawyers. Through various projects, it engages practicing attorneys in discussions about ethics and explores possibilities for reform and improvement of the legal system.

Symposia

The USF School of Law each year features a dynamic calendar of symposia, which bring together scholars, practitioners, and other leaders to address critical issues and emerging trends in the law. Recent symposia have focused on topics including trademark law, the future of same-sex marriage,  California water law, climate change, and antitrust enforcement in the pharmaceutical industry.

Projects

Special projects at the USF School of Law include the Juvenile Life Without Parole Project, which aims to reform juvenile sentencing in the United States. The project has been pivotal in raising the issue of juvenile life without parole sentencing practices, and was cited in a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing the sentence in some cases. The law school also maintains the Keta Taylor Colby Death Penalty Project, in which law students work in the American South each summer for capital defense offices.