Stetson University College of Law, the oldest law school in Florida, prepares students to be practice-ready attorneys through experiential learning, intensive mentoring, and a community focused on civil discourse and kindness. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top law schools in the country for trial advocacy and legal writing, Stetson teaches future leaders the framework and skills lawyers use every day.
Stetson Law’s two Tampa Bay area campuses nestle near the waterfront in Florida, one of the country’s most active legal markets. The strong College of Law alumni network stretches across all 50 states and 60+ countries, providing rich learning, advising, and employment opportunities to Stetson students and graduates.
Dean Benjamin Barros
Dean and Professor of Law
Dean D. Benjamin Barros came to Stetson Law from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he served as Dean from 2015 through 2023. A nationally recognized property law scholar, he has taught and written extensively on Property Law and Theory, Property Law Reform, Regulatory Takings, and the Philosophy of Science. He brings a broad set of experience in the academy and in practice to Stetson Law.
He is the author of a prominent casebook on property law with Aspen Publishers and was the founding editor of the Journal of Law, Property, and Society.
Prior to his time as Dean of the University of Toledo College of Law, Dean Barros was the associate dean of academic affairs and professor of law at Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, PA.
His passion for improving legal education and, by extension, the legal profession itself, is evident in the leadership roles he has held within professional organizations. Dean Barros served twice on the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Executive Committee and was one of the youngest educators to serve in such a role when he was first appointed. He also served as chair of the AALS Property Section and is a past president of the Association for Law, Property, and Society.
Before becoming an educator, Dean Barros worked as a litigator at the New York City law firms of Latham & Watkins LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton. After he graduated from law school, he clerked for Judge Milton Pollack of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Dean Barros earned his JD from Fordham University School of Law (1996). He was an editorial board member on the Fordham Law Review and a member of Order of the Coif. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Colgate University (1991) and a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Maryland (2013).