The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States. The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association, and is the only public law school in Southern Florida. The FIU College of Law has consistently ranked 1st in the state of Florida with the state's highest bar-passing rates (2005, 2007, and 2009), and 1st in Florida in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam at 96% in 2007. Florida International University worked towards the creation of a public law school in South Florida for many years, beginning with the 1986 appointment of Modesto A. Maidique as University president. Maidique met resistance from the Florida Board of Regents, which had a number of graduates of other Florida law schools, and opposed the opening of any new public law schools in the state. The establishment of this institution was finally realized in 2000, when Governor Jeb Bush pushed the project through the state legislature, along with the re-establishment of a law school at Florida A & M University. Shortly thereafter, the College of Law hired Leonard Strickman as its inaugural Dean.