Susan Cavailhon earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law from Florida State University, but when she decided to attend law school, she chose the young law school of Jacksonville University.
She began her classes in the VyStar Tower when JU temporarily rented space there. This semester, she and her fellow students moved to the former Atlantic Bank building downtown, where JU and the city partnered on a $12 million renovation of the historic building, which dates to 1908.
Cavialhon said the building, which has “Faculty of Law” written in large letters above the entrance, feels like a more permanent place for students compared to the VyStar Tower.
“It feels like our building here, you know, our home, and hopefully we’ve left our mark in that way,” she said.
The downtown law school is a joint venture between the city and the university. The city is providing $6.5 million of the $12 million renovation effort. That’s on top of the $5 million the city previously budgeted to help JU get the new law school off the ground. The city’s support began during Lenny Curry’s time as mayor and has continued under Mayor Donna Deegan.
“So many of our peer cities across the country have a law school in the heart of their thriving downtowns,” Deegan said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning. “As one of the fastest-growing cities in America, I’m pleased to say we’ve joined those ranks.”
“Location is important,” said JU President Tim Cost. He said JU has plans to continue expanding its main campus in Arlington, but for the law school, “we wanted to be downtown because we thought it was the right thing to do.”
JU Law School began classes in the VyStar Tower two years ago with 14 students. The following year, the incoming class grew to 27 students, and this year it increased again to 44 newcomers. There are currently 86 students enrolled in all classes.
The law school received about 200 applications in 2022, up from 700 this year. University officials say the renovated 50,000-square-foot space has room for more of that growth, spread across four floors.
“It’s on time, on budget and it’s a fantastic place to learn,” said Nick Allard, dean of JU’s law school.
JU opened its law school after Florida Coastal School of Law, a private institution, closed its Jacksonville campus in 2021. City Councilman Kevin Carrico said he is confident that the city taxpayer money for JU’s law school will be a lasting asset to the city center because of Cost’s track record leading the university.
“We trust him,” Carrico said. “We know that the institution is a higher education institution that is truly cutting edge and a cut above the rest.”
He said he hopes that as the law school grows, the presence of students will generate other activities that the city center desperately needs.
“It’s going to bring some life to downtown,” he said. “It’s going to bring some vibrancy to downtown. It’s going to bring some students — some young people — who want to stay up late and study all night. Maybe we can put a Waffle House or a White Castle or something here (and) give those kids a place to eat in the middle of the night.”
The University of Florida has said it wants to build a new graduate campus downtown. UF has not yet announced a specific location, but if it moves forward with that plan, the downtown area will see more higher education activity.
Florida State College Jacksonville has already secured a spot downtown with 20 West Housing on Adams Street, a few blocks from the College of Law building. FSCJ renovated the historic building into 58 student housing apartments.
Cavailhon, who is on track to graduate with a JU degree in spring 2026, said Urban Grind Coffee Company, Bellwether and The Happy Grilled Cheese are among students’ favorite dining options within walking distance of the College of Law building. The shops and restaurants of Riverside are a short drive away.
“There is definitely room for growth, but I think there are enough places to keep us entertained for the time being,” she said.
She said her parents are Cuban immigrants and that influences her interest in politics and public policy. She said she might pursue a career in lobbying after she gets her degree and would like to do that in Jacksonville.
She said that after attending FSU, she saw what a law school looks like on a large scale. She said she wanted a school with an “individual plan for me” with smaller classes and more interaction between students and professors.
“I walk by Dean Allard’s office and he says, ‘Come in, let’s have a conversation,'” she said. “My professors and I have coffee, so the expectations that I had, I was able to meet.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville University renovates historic building for law school
