Alumni and Friends Honored
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(L-R): Back row: James L. Wilkes, Richard A. Harrison, J. Brent Walker, Michele Leo Hintson, Clinton Paris and Judge Charles J. Roberts. Front row: Judge Mary S. Scriven, Homer J. Hand and E. Jenay Iurato. Click for high-resolution image.
Stetson University College of Law presented its annual alumni awards at The Florida Bar Annual Convention on June 24 in Orlando.
Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson presented this year’s awards to dedicated alumni and friends during the Stetson Lawyers Association Annual Meeting and Reception.
Rebecca Harrison Steele ’95 received the Ben C. Willard Award for her distinguished humanitarian achievements that benefit Florida citizens. She is the outgoing president of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers and director of the ACLU of Florida’s West Central Florida regional office. Steele frequently lectures and writes about civil rights issues. She has served as an adjunct professor at Stetson Law and at the University of South Florida.
Rebecca Harrison Steele, 2009 Ben C. Willard Award winner. Click for high-resolution image.
J. Brent Walker ’76 and James L. Wilkes ’83 received Distinguished Alumnus Awards for service to the College of Law and the legal profession. Walker is the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee based in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Supreme Court Bar, Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and is a past member of the Florida Bar Association. Wilkes is the co-founder of Wilkes & McHugh, P.A. He founded a non-profit citizen’s advocacy group now known as Families for Better Care to improve the quality of life and care in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Richard A. Harrison’86 received the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for his continuing support of the College of Law through contributions of time and gifts. Harrison, who also earned a B.A. from Stetson University in 1983, serves as an adjunct professor and as a member of the College of Law’s Board of Overseers.
Michele Leo Hintson ’02, E. Jenay Iurato ’00 and Clinton Paris ’00 each received Stetson Law’s Outstanding Alumni Representative Award for dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Association and for encouraging fellow alumni to be involved in community activities. Iurato and Hintson co-chaired Stetson Law’s inaugural Scholarship Gala and serve in the Stetson Lawyers Association. Paris is secretary of the Stetson Lawyers Association and has served on the Advisory Committee since 2007. He has volunteered significant time as a judge of Stetson’s International Environmental Moot Court Competition and participates in Stetson’s Survival of the Fittest Workshop.
Homer J. Hand and Judge Mary S. Scriven each received the Distinguished Service Award for their lifetime of contributions to Stetson University College of Law. Homer Hand and his wife Dolly ’49 have given generously of their time and resources for many years. They established an awards program at Stetson for excellence in faculty research that has provided more than 175 grants and scholarships for professors and students, including many at the College of Law. Most recently, the couple made the lead gift that established the Doug and Margaret Lee Law Scholarship and provided principal funding to create the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center on Stetson University’s DeLand campus.
Mary S. Scriven was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2008 as judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She was a full-time associate professor of law at Stetson from 1996-1997. During that time, she was voted “Most Inspirational Faculty Member” by the student body. Since then, she has generously donated her time and resources to Stetson by serving as a guest speaker and adviser to student organizations.
Judge Charles J. Roberts ’81, outgoing president of the Stetson Lawyers Association Advisory Council, was recognized with the President’s Award for dedicated service to the organization. Judge Roberts, who presides over the 18th Judicial Circuit, has served as a representative for the SLA since 2005.
“These outstanding individuals have dedicated themselves to making Stetson University College of Law a leader in legal education,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.
Lori Baggett ’02 was announced as this year’s incoming SLA president. The Stetson Lawyers Association comprises more than 8,000 graduates of Stetson University College of Law.
Editor’s Note: Please click on highlighted names for high-resolution images of each of Stetson Law’s award-winning alumni.
Post date: June 24, 2009
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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