Real Estate Law

Miami skyline at night

Build Your Expertise in the Most Dynamic Real Estate Market in the U.S.

Miami Law offers a robust curriculum in real estate taught by faculty recognized as leaders in a field that covers land use, housing, and commercial real estate, as well as the environmental and tax implications. Begin by gaining a fundamental understanding of property development and investment, then specialize by pursuing courses in our top-ranked Real Property Development LL.M. program. Our students gain hands-on experience by representing clients in our Affordable Housing Practicum.

Whatever your aspirations, Miami Law prepares you to practice real estate law in law firms, companies, corporate law departments, state and federal government agencies, in financial institutions such as banks, or in the affordable housing field. Miami’s booming real estate market coupled with our longstanding ties to the local real estate market, offers exceptional career-building opportunities in local, national and global markets, making it the ideal location to begin your legal career. Learn real estate law in a dynamic environment and home to some of the country’s most creative architects, real estate developers, builders, and lawyers.

Some Facts about Miami and Miami Law:

prelaw winter 2023 top real estate school badge

Gary McPherson“The Affordable Housing Practicum exposed me to many different areas of the law, including transactional real estate, corporate law, and tax. This exposure gave me the experience necessary to take on more complex assignments during my clerkship, like drafting various condominium formation documents, merger documents, a general contractor agreement, a commercial lease, an answer to foreclosure complaint, a response and offer of settlement to HUD.

Gary McPherson, J.D./LL.M. ’18 in Real Property Development
Development Manager, Atlantic / Pacific Communities
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Courses*

  • Advanced Condominium and Planned Development
  • Affordable Housing
  • ARGUS Software
  • Business Litigation
  • Coastal Law
  • Commercial Real Estate Leasing
  • Condos, Co-Ops, and Planned Unit Developments I and II
  • Conservation, Tourism and Development
  • Construction Law
  • Construction Projects
  • Contracts
  • Developing Affordable Housing
  • Disaster Law
  • Distressed Property Workouts
  • Drafting, Design, and Construction Documents
  • Environmental Regulation of Real Property
  • Financial Analysis of Real Estate Transactions
  • Gaming Law
  • Hospitality Law
  • Housing Discrimination
  • Insurance Law
  • Islamic Legal System
  • Jewish Law and Talmud
  • Land Securities and Finance
  • Latin American Contracts
  • Law of Green Buildings
  • Mortgage Law
  • Negotiation Skills
  • Planning and Zoning
  • Problem-Solving in Real Property Development
  • Property I and II
  • Property Transactions
  • Real Estate Development
  • Real Estate Documents
  • Real Estate Market Research and Analysis
  • Real Estate Project Development
  • Real Estate Tax
  • Real Estate Transactions
  • Securitization of Real Estate
  • Space Law
  • State and Local Government
  • Title Insurance
  • Transactional Lawyering: Negotiating and Drafting Contracts
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Urbanism, Capitalism, and Development
  • Wetlands Regulation and Real Property

*Course list is not exhaustive and does not set out a path of study.

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Clinics and Practicums

Natalie CavellierThe Environmental Justice Clinic made me realize how much I like litigation, which I was able to continue [in summer 2020] while I interned for the Department of Justice. Most importantly, the EJC helped me learn that as a lawyer you can be a part of the community. I was able to see how important that relationship is firsthand.”

Natalie Cavellier, J.D./LL.M. '21 in Real Property Development
Attorney, Rural Property Rights
Braun and Gresham, PLCC
Austin, TX

Joint Degrees

International Opportunities

Externships and Internships**

  • AB Capstone (New York, NY)
  • Akerman LLP
  • Alvarez Arrieta & Diaz-Silveira LLP
  • American Liver Foundation
  • Berger Singerman LLP
  • Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP
  • Broward County Attorney's Office, Finance, Real Property, and Housing Development
  • Carlton Fields P.A.
  • City of Miami, Office of the City Attorney
  • Everstream Solutions (Cleveland, OH)
  • Fortune International Group
  • Goldman Properties
  • Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
  • Greenspoon Marder LLP
  • Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP (Chicago, IL)
  • Hogan Lovells
  • Holland & Knight LLP
  • Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
  • Jones Day
  • Katz Barron
  • Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc.
  • Miami Association of Realtors
  • Miami Beach Community Development Corporation
  • Mombach, Boyle, Hardin &
  • Simmons, P.A.
  • Rennert Vogel Mandler & Rodriguez P.A.
  • Sacher Zelman Hartman, P.A.
  • Sherman & Howard LLC (Atlanta, GA)
  • Shutts & Bowen LLP
  • Siegfried, Rivera
  • Stearns Weaver Miller
  • Tenzer Arrieta PLLC
  • The Related Group
  • TSG Group

**List is not exhaustive and is intended to provide examples of past externships and internships.

Marcela CamargoI enjoyed being exposed to different real estate laws and perspectives, best practices, and real cases, all of which has expanded my capacity to execute with judgment, knowledge, and confidence.”

Marcela Camargo, LL.M. in Real Property Development ‘16
Almacenes Exito, S.A. (largest retail company in South America)
Jefe Jurídico Inmobiliario / Chief Real Estate Officer
Envigado, Colombia

Faculty Experts

The faculty teaching Real Estate Law and Real Property Development courses are among the most prominent and respected authorities and practitioners in the field - all subject matter experts, partners and managing partners of prominent law firms, general counsels of major real estate companies from across the U.S., and leading municipalities’ attorneys.

  • Brian S. Adler: Land use, zoning and permitting in the development process
  • Ross J. Altman: Construction law, drafting and negotiation of architect’s and contractor’s contracts
  • Suzanne M. Amaducci-Adams: Hospitality, marina and hotel acquisition, finance and development
  • Ralph B. Bekkevold: Real estate, finance, banking, workout and business transactions
  • Charles Bohl: Mixed-use development and the public process for planning and community design
  • Joni Armstrong Coffey: Land use and entitlements, development, local government advocacy, public-private partnerships, and government contracts
  • Anthony De Yurre: Land use and zoning, large scale mixed-use development, and public private partnerships
  • Shahrzad Emami: Affordable Housing and Community Development
  • Jason S. Gibson: Retail, office, and industrial leasing
  • John Halula: Mortgages, syndicated loans and other financing
  • Joseph D Harbaugh: Negotiation skills
  • Joseph Hernandez: Acquisitions, development, financing, leasing, and joint ventures
  • Lauren M. Hunt: Land security and finance transactions
  • Amir A. Isaiah: Receivership, fiduciary services, and litigation 
  • Michael T. Lynott: Commercial leasing
  • Betsy McCoy: Developer’s counsel, business and commercial litigation
  • Thomas F. Nealon III: Bankruptcy, creditors' rights litigation, REMIC tax matters, real estate purchase and sale transactions
  • Howard E. Nelson: Environmental law, wetland matters including issues related to protected and sensitive wetlands, preservation efforts and enforcement defense
  • Marshall R. Pasternack: Real estate tax, limited partnerships, joint ventures
  • Patricia Redmond: Bankruptcy, insolvency, restructuring, and Director, Bankruptcy Clinic
  • Franchesca Rhodis: End-buyer closings for large condominium projects, document drafting
  • Vivian N. Rodriguez: Real estate tax law
  • Steven Siegfried: Construction law

William SklarMiami Law was not only the first to provide a graduate-level program in real estate, finance, and development, but it has evolved into the leading real estate graduate law program in the nation.” 

William Sklar, J.D. '80
Adjunct Faculty, Robert Traurig-Greenberg Traurig LL.M. in Real Property Development 
Director, Miami Law Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium Law  
Of Counsel, Carlton Fields
Task Force Chair, Florida Condominium Law and Policy on Life Safety

  • William P. Sklar is an expert in planning, drafting, and the development of residential, commercial, and complex mixed-use condominiums and planned developments.

University of Miami Graduate School Partnerships

Our interdisciplinary approach to teaching enables law students to learn the perspectives of the architect and the business side of a real estate development project through a unique collaboration with our premier graduate schools. Students partaking in our Real Estate Development Workshop paired up with students from the Masters of Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U) program out of the School of Architecture and with students from the Business School and the College of Engineering. They  work jointly with architectural, design, engineering, and business students, each contributing within their area of expertise to develop plans for real estate sites.

Fellowships and Scholarships

Eligible students can apply for a fellowship and if accepted have the opportunity to do a one-year, full-time Fellowship at GreenbergTraurig, LLP to gain work experience and specific training in the real estate practice area. Although not guaranteed, fellowships often turn into permanent job placements

Students in the Real Property Development LL.M. program can apply for the premier networking opportunity to become a Swire Scholar for the annual Real Estate Impact Conference. This invitation-only conference is organized by the University of Miami School of Architecture and the Miami Herbert Business School and brings together more than 500 industry leaders at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Miami. Swire Scholars receive complimentary registration to attend the conference, and participate in a private luncheon with real estate advisory board members from the Architecture, Business and Law schools.

There are a range of internal and external scholarships available for the Real Property LL.M. program. See a full listing.

Conferences, Lectures, Centers

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  • Real Estate Impact Conference

    Real Estate Impact Conference: each year the law school hosts this conference with the schools of business and architecture, and our students have the opportunity to apply to be Swire Scholars. The annual conference brings together more than 500 industry professionals and is a gathering of the most prominent national and international real estate industry leaders who discuss cutting-edge issues in commercial and residential real estate. In addition to networking sessions, students are able to interact with close to 100 prominent real estate professionals who are members of the University of Miami Real Estate Advisory Board.

  • Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development

    Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development  – Our students are invited yearly to participate in the Ralph E. Boyer Institute on Condominium and Cluster Development, one of the leading conferences on current issues affecting condominiums and planned developments.

  • U-Talk Real Estate Lecture Series

    U-Talk Real Estate Lecture Series - this is an initiative of the Advisory Boards from University of Miami's School of Architecture MRED+U Program, Miami Herbert Business School Real Estate Programs, and Miami Law’s LL.M. in Real Property Development, and features in-depth conversations with influential leaders on the transformations currently reshaping every sector of the real estate industry.

  • Site Visits

    Students visiting a construction siteThrough site visits to real estate projects, students gain first-hand knowledge from the various perspectives of participants, including experts in zoning, environmental issues, architects, developers, lenders or tenants.

  • Speed Networking

    Our students are regularly invited to exclusive speed networking events with real estate industry leaders.

  • Roundtables

    Students from Miami Law, Miami’s School of Architecture, and Miami’s Business School regularly gather with industry leaders in small roundtable settings and discuss topics of interest such as Technology in Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Land Use & Zoning, Marketing, Glass Ceiling/Life Balance Issues, and many others.

  • Commercial Real Estate Women

    Initially founded to bring together women in real estate, today CREW Network is the premier business network for real estate professionals of all genders, with over 12,000 members worldwide. In partnership with its Miami chapter of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) we annually co-host a UCREW event that brings together real estate industry professionals and students for conversation and networking.

  • Guest Speakers and Panelists

    Throughout the year guest lecturers and panelists from across the country visit classes or participate in special sessions to discuss cutting edge real estate issues and give students the opportunity to ask questions and apply the knowledge they are acquiring in the classrooms to real life situations.