Year in Review: 10 Ways Stetson Law Triumphed in 2022
With 2023 on the horizon, it is safe to say 2022 was an incredible year for Stetson Law. It wasn’t just ranking near the top in key U.S. News & World Report areas, having one of Florida’s highest bar passage rates, or earning the college’s third INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine HEED Award in a row.
1. Prolific Writing & Publishing
With such an incredible legal writing program at Stetson Law, it’s no wonder students wrote and published award-winning pieces, including:
- 2L Michael Harrigan’s winning paper on the impact of NFTs on copyright law, which he submitted to the American Bar Association’s Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest, a competition held in April in association with the GRAMMYs.
- 2L Brooke Cleary’s essay on the legal implications of sea-level rise, which won a Florida Bar Environmental Land Use Law Section competition in September.
- 3L Kyle Ridgeway’s paper on federal funding inequities for Black farmers, which was chosen for publication by the UC Davis Social Justice Law Review.
- 3L Logan Jackson’s paper on reproductive care inequities, which won first place in contest organized by If/When/How, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law, and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
2. Compelling Conversations on Campus
Throughout the year, the Stetson Law community enjoyed enlightening conversations with nationally known scholars, community leaders, and accomplished alumni. Among the most notable speakers in 2022:
- Renowned legal scholar Jules Coleman.
- Judge Timothy Walmsley.
- A panel of judges that included Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel.
- Alumna and Center for Biological Diversity Florida Director Elise Bennett.
- Poet and literary critic Stephanie Burt.
- Legal Scholar Catherine Smith.
3. Popular In-Person Conferences & Events Returned
As in-person events returned in 2022, Stetson Law was thrilled to invite colleagues back to industry-leading events like the 43rd Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Ed, the International Environmental Moot Court Competition, the Educating Advocacy Teacher Conference (EATS), and the National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts.
4. Winning Performances at National Competitions
Once again, Stetson Law students dominated the national moot court scene. From yet another sweep of the Florida Bar Association International Law Section’s Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot in Miami to a “double-double” at the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition at the Florida Bar’s Annual conference in Orlando, Stetson Law’s amazing competitors helped bring the college’s national championship tally to a whopping 86. See more competition stats.
5. Faculty Recognition & Leadership
Throughout the year, pioneering Stetson Law faculty members saw national recognition:
- The American Law Institute named Law Professor Ellen Podgor a Life Member.
- Law Professor Rebecca Morgan Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Law Schools’ Elder Section.
- Law Professor Roberta Flowers was inducted as president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
6. Students Used Their Skills to Serve Others
As the college’s pro bono program turned 30, students carried on the tradition of putting their knowledge to good use. This includes everything from helping veterans confront bankruptcy to helping research and write an amici brief for an important U.S. Supreme Court clean water case.
7. Spring ’22 Graduation Was a Day to Remember
On a sunny day in May, Stetson Law’s Class of ’22 officially became alumni – but not before hearing a compelling, touching, and often funny commencement address from Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Donald Remy. The valedictorian was Jessica Zellitt, a passionate advocate for improving healthcare policy.
8. Advocacy Institute Construction Began
In late May, Stetson University officials heralded the start of a construction project that will bolster Stetson Law’s legacy as a destination for advocacy. When it opens, Stetson Law’s Advocacy Institute will be a destination for accomplished and aspiring advocates alike.
9. Stetson Law Reached out to the Greater Community
By inviting youth from the surrounding community to learn about the role local, state, and national governments play in their lives, the creators of Stetson Law’s summer Youth Civic Engagement Program aimed to show them how to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Over the spring semester, Law Professor Kirsten Davis taught a course at University of South Florida St. Petersburg that introduced undergraduates to studying law.
10. Eye-Opening Travel Experiences Ensued
With Covid-era travel restrictions lifted, Stetson Law’s beloved study abroad programs took flight, including beloved summer programs in Oxford, England and The Hague, The Netherlands. Critical partnerships with international agencies and NGOs brought Professor Luz Nagle to Colombia to help fight exploitation of migrants and Professor Royal Gardner to add Stetson Law as a signatory to an international sea turtle protection agreement.
Stateside, Stetson Law re-launched its popular Civil Rights law travel course, which took students to important sites throughout the South for an exploration of the Civil Rights Era through a legal lens.
See all Stetson Law News.
Post date: Dec. 19, 2022
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580