April 14- Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist to speak at Stetson University College of Law’s spring commencement
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Gulfport, Fla. – Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist will speak to graduates at Stetson University College of Law’s spring commencement at 9 a.m., May 15, in the College of Law’s outdoor courtyard.
Attorney General Crist has served the state of Florida in a number of positions. He spent six years as a Florida state senator, two as Florida’s education commissioner, two as deputy secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and he also served as state director for former U.S. Senator Connie Mack.
Stetson has worked closely with the Office of the Attorney General to fight consumer fraud and exploitation of the elderly through a number of programs. In December, Crist presented Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law with the final installment of $700,000 to support the College of Law’s statewide program to educate elderly residents to avoid fraud.
Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson said Crist’s efforts complement the goals of the College of Law and the values its faculty members try to instill in its graduates.
“General Crist has used his office to reach and protect those whom he serves, which should be the goal of all in the legal profession,” she said.
During the ceremony, 199 students are expected to receive their degrees, including eight who will receive the LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree in International Law and Business. Thirty-six students also will have earned both the juris doctor and master of business administration degrees from Stetson University College of Law and the Stetson University School of Business Administration.
Several students with interesting stories are among this graduating class:
Slade Dukes is one of three law students statewide selected to participate in the Attorney General’s Honors Program. Dukes will have the opportunity to work in the Attorney General’s Office for at least two years.
Garrett Pendleton spent nearly two years on Antarctica as an air traffic control technician for a defense contractor after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in Antarctica, Pendleton helped with several missions for emergency medical treatment for those on the continent.
Alvin Brown will receive his LL.M., Master of Law. He is the principal of Brown Security & Law Group P.A. Before opening his own firm, Brown was employed by the CIA as a security officer. His duties included providing executive protection to the Director of Central Intelligence. He also trained and served as an as an intelligence operations officer.
Alva Cross will receive the Vause Award, in honor of the late dean of the College of Law, Gary Vause. Ms. Cross will be moving to Jacksonville to practice labor and employment law.
Steve Morgan, a retired Marine Corps Colonel, won The Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Professionalism Second Annual Essay Contest in August 2002. Morgan’s daughter graduated from Stetson University College of Law the year Morgan started law school.
Post date: April 14, 2004
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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