Team member Audrey Gangloff received an Honorable Mention Oralist award.
The field of the multi-day competition is narrowed to 64 teams after four preliminary rounds. More than 380 teams participated in the oral arguments, and by the round of 32, only two teams from the United States remained. The competition was held virtually for the second time this year; it went online last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were up and competing at all hours of the night and morning during the course of the competition.
The team was composed of Robert Cummings, Audrey Gangloff, Melany Hernandez, Joseph Kim, Brook Somerville, and Andrew Zacherl, with Professors Joseph Morrissey and Stephanie Vaughan and alumnus Matthew Ceriale as coaches.
Each year, the Florida Association for Women Lawyers at Stetson (FAWLS) hosts an award-winning week-long celebration of Women’s History Month called Women’s Week. While 2021 Women’s Week may look a little different, it will still feature informative programs, opportunities to network, and professional development experiences. The programs are open to all students, but some programs do require you to be a FAWLS member.
Events include:
March 22 – Women’s Leadership Panel
This moderated panel will feature local women who hold various leadership positions in their careers. They will discuss their career paths, challenges they have faced, their perspectives and analyze the impact of their roles.
March 24 – A Conversation with Allison Miller
Allison Miller, Public Defender in Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit, will discuss the bill she presented to the Pinellas County Legislative Delegation. The bill defines what qualifies as a serious mental illness and will prevent those afflicted from being given the death penalty. It’s a chance to hear how the bill came to be and her lobbying efforts.
March 26 – A Conversation with Lisa Gorab
Lisa Gorab, the managing partner and president of Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer in Woodbridge, N.J., will discuss her career in public finance and how she has navigated being a women in leadership and her election of president. She will touch on generational gaps in law among other things.
The week also includes mentoring and professional development sessions, as well as a chance to have professional headshots taken. To learn more about the list of programs and to register, check out Campus Docket or Engage.
This year FAWLS built its programming around the State Chapter of FAWL to support its Lobby Days.
From left: Coach Allison Belanger, winners Drew Trautmann and Shannon Walker, and coach Bill Greiner.
Dispute Resolution Board members Drew Trautmann and Shannon Walker won the William & Mary Negotiation Tournament, hosted remotely by William & Mary Law School March 6-7, 2021.
This was the fourth time in a row that Stetson has won the William & Mary Negotiation Tournament. In truly poetic fashion, the fourth No. 1 team was coached by alumna Allison Belanger JD ’18 of the first No.1 team, together with alumnus Bill Greiner, JD ’07.
Although Drew and Shannon are experienced competitors in Trial Team and Arbitration (Drew) and Mediation (Shannon), this was the first negotiation competition for either of them.
Other Dispute Resolution Board members, including Abigail Dean, Bailey Peterson, Alina Evans, and Carlton Robinson, also had a strong showing at the competition, with the team of Abigail and Bailey advancing to the semifinal rounds.
Two Stetson have advanced to the final round of a NAAC regional at least four times in history, but never have two teams been named co-champions who will advance to the national finals together.
The ABA NAAC is one of the most prestigious and well-known moot court competitions in the nation and is the largest domestic competition. This year, 190 teams from 109 law schools competed in six regional rounds over a three-week period, in hopes of advancing to the national finals. Only four teams from each of the six regionals earned the right to compete at the national finals.
Stetson NAAC team of Frieda Lindroth, Anya Pardy, and Toria Ryan won Best Brief Award in addition to being co-champions. Stetson NAAC team of Christopher Gieger and Jessica Merker won their final round by beating the top seeded team.
A special thank you to the teams’ coaches—Jeremy Bailie, Esq. and Evan Dix, Esq.—who were both accomplished Moot Court Board members when they were at Stetson. (In fact, Dix participated in NAAC regionals and national finals.) And a shout out to the NAAC student liaisons Tyler Vaughn and Wilma Metcalf, who helped manage, organize, and facilitate all the Zoom practices and judges.
Stetson Law’s ABA Representation in Mediation team beat out 12 other law school teams in a regional round of the ABA Representation in Mediation Competition last weekend!
The competition was hosted virtually by The Ohio State University. Fourteen teams competed, and only two advanced to the finals.
Naomi Robertson
Mary Grace Henley
“This competition is known for its brutal cuts,” said Professor Kristen Adams, director, Dispute Resolution Board. “All four of our advocates – Jess, Mel, Mary Grace, and Naomi – did a fantastic job, and we are exceptionally proud of their excellent work, and thankful to Coach Amy for being a fantastic mentor and coach.”
Naomi Robertson and Mary Grace Henley will represent Stetson at Nationals the second weekend in April.
Amy A. Catledge, JD ’02, is an attorney with The Ruth Law Team. She has coached students at Stetson as an Advocacy Skills Trainer for two decades and said she enjoys watching the law students grow and learn as they prepare to enter the legal field themselves.
By Scott R. Horn, 3P Stetson University College of Law
Nathan Bruemmer
Nathan Bruemmer, the Legislative Director for the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus and a Stetson Law alumnus, spoke March 2 as part of Diversity Week in a session hosted by Lambda Legal Society and the Stetson Law Democrats.
Bruemmer, a trans man who served as president of Lambda during his time on Stetson’s campus, spoke about his experiences lobbying the Florida Legislature on LGBTQ+ issues.
Just a few hours before the event, a pair of bills had been filed in the legislature that would effectively ban trans women from participating in women’s school sports (HB1475 and SB2012). Another bill, filed in the House but not yet the Senate, would criminalize doctors who provide affirming care to transgender youth (HB935). Though disappointed, Bruemmer refused to let the negativity affect him.
“Telling a personal story can change hearts and minds,” he told his audience. “You can make a world of difference in just a short period of time.”
He was referring to lobbying activities, when groups often have less than ten minutes to present their case to members of the state legislature; at times, they don’t even meet with a legislator, but one of their aides. Sometimes these legislators are hostile to their requests. Still, he described how rewarding it is to see progress when it happens.
Bruemmer also discussed the importance of intersectionality.
“There are a number of marginalized groups that have created a conversation in the last year.”
These groups often have intersecting interests that allow them to serve as allies to each other. For those seeking to use their privilege to help marginalized groups, he talked about the difficulty of moving from allyship to accomplice. In the world of lobbying, the people who are the most diverse are often asking those who are the least diverse to protect them.
For current students looking into this sort of work, he recommended taking a few administrative law classes, as that mindset can help students interpret and understand legislation. Contract law can also provide the framework for understanding how vague legislation can have a real effect on people. He also stressed how important it is to sometimes step back to protect your own health when doing such emotional work, especially when the issues affect you personally.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, the day’s anti-transgender bills a prime example of the continuing struggle. There’s also a lot of weakness in Florida law, especially in the realms of property and family law because many statutes still refer to opposite-sex couples solely – leaving protections for same-sex couples lacking. Unfortunately, a significant portion of Florida’s legislators don’t hold the same belief in equality.
Still, Bruemmer emphasized the most important parts of advocacy.
“We have shown ways, especially this year, in how we’re stronger together. Celebrate the wins. Make sure you provide hope and carry it forward.”
Stetson’s Willem C. Vis International Arbitration team and coaches, from left: Melany Hernandez, Andrew Zacherl, Robert Cummings, , Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Brook Somerville, Professor Joseph Morrissey, alumnus Matthew Ceriale, Audrey Gangloff and Joseph Kim.
In an unprecedented victory, Stetson’s Willem C. Vis International Arbitration team won the Florida Bar International Law Section’s Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot competition on Feb. 27, 2021. It marked the 13th win for Stetson in the 17 years of the pre-moot’s existence.
The team, composed of Robert Cummings, Audrey Gangloff, Melany Hernandez, Joseph Kim, Brook Somerville, and Andrew Zacherl, competed virtually in four rounds, and was named the winner in a field of 20 teams. Despite the name, this year’s competition, hosted by the Miami Office of the JAMS Center for ADR Services, featured teams from 13 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Mozambique, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
One of the judges even wrote of Stetson’s students, stating “You guys were the best team I saw!”
Students argue an international commercial law dispute in front of many of the best practitioners of international private law in the world. The competition gives students an opportunity to practice and sharpen their skills by presenting and defending their legal arguments and receiving feedback.
Stetson Law’s Trial Team competed in the National Trial Competition Region 6 contest Feb. 12-14, and though they fell just two points short of winning, two members claimed Best Opening and Best Overall Advocate.
Francesca Naumann
“We are so proud of our advocates,” said Trial Team Coach and Trial Advocacy Adjunct Don Anderson, JD ’98. “We swept every ballot every round but lost by two points in the final round.”
Team members Francesca Naumann and Molly Goodwill faced Fordham University School of Law, University of Georgia, and Florida State University on the road to the finals, eventually taking on The University of Miami for the regional title.
Francesca “Frankie” Naumann won Best Opening despite having just been assigned the role five days prior, and at the awards ceremony they emphasized she had received a perfect score, Anderson said.
Molly Goodwill
Molly Goodwill was recognized as Best Overall Advocate for the competition.
Each school was also required to recruit four witnesses prepared to testify in any role they were assigned in each of the five rounds. Stetson’s witnesses were Stevin Smith, William Linton, Lauren Cleveland, and Cami DiGiacomo.
The National Trial Competition (NTC) was established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen students’ advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar. The program is co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and is designed to expose law students to the nature of trial practice and to serve as a supplement to their education. The regional contest was held virtually and jointly hosted by the University of Florida Levin College of Law and the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law.
The Stetson University College of Law Lambda Legal Society is now a National LGBT Bar Association Law School Affiliate.
Jen Rex
“We are confident that our work with the National LGBT Bar Association will allow us to continue to promote the growth of our organization on campus,” said President Jen Rex. “Additionally, we welcome this opportunity to connect on a much larger level with the LGBTQ+ legal community and contribute toward LGBTQ+ equality on a national, local, and campus-wide level.”
Lambda Legal Society provides a forum for exploring the legal issues faced by people in the LGBTQ+ community, and a goal of Lambda is to educate young attorneys about these unique concerns.
For example, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, which extends Title VII protections against employment discrimination on the basis of sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity, is something that is going to be of extreme importance moving forward, Rex explained. Young lawyers will play a large role in ensuring this extension is enforced properly and making persuasive arguments how this can be applied to areas outside of employment discrimination, she said.
Other recent federal policy changes and court decisions affecting the LGBTQ+ community include the new Biden Administration executive order to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the rescindment of the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, and the November 2020 ruling from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The court ruled local government ordinances prohibiting the use of conversion therapy on minors are unconstitutional on the basis that they infringe on the First Amendment rights of therapists or other medical practitioners who engage in this practice. This places LGBTQ+ youth in the Eleventh Circuit at increased risk of being subjected to conversion therapy.
Edson Abadia
LGBTQ+ individuals are still fighting to be treated equally under the law, and it is up to young lawyers to stay informed, educated and involved so that they understand the full effect of how court decisions and federal policies impact all levels of society, said Edson Abadia, community outreach coordinator for Stetson’s Lambda Legal Society.
“LGBTQ+ advocates must now work harder than ever to ensure that all levels of our government, local, state, and federal, are complying with the new LGBTQ+ protections,” Abadia said.
Though COVID has changed the way the organization functions, Lambda has continued to host guest speakers to discuss a variety of issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, including professors, community leaders, local attorneys, and other LGBTQ+ advocates in other areas of work. They aim to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals to come together to socialize and discuss legal issues. Students need not identify with any particular label to join the organization.
“As a national affiliate, we will continue to work towards our ultimate goals of raising awareness within the community about LGBTQ+ issues,” Rex said.
Becoming a national affiliate also means more practical perks, such as a chance to join the National LGBT Bar Association as a student member at a discounted rate of $20 with promo code StudentGroup50. Those who register can sign up for the organization’s Annual Lavender Law Conference for free. The event will be held in Los Angeles, July 28-30, 2021. Stetson offers assistance for attending opportunities such as this through the Professional Development Fund.
Stay tuned to Campus Docket for the latest information from Lambda Legal Society or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Their newsletters include scholarship and mentorship information, as well as job opportunities and upcoming events. Alternatively, students who would like to know more can reach out to any of the current officers: President Jen Rex, Vice President Jessica Merker, Treasurer Jacob Erdman, Secretary Kyle Ridgeway, Community Outreach Coordinator Edson Abadia, and 1L Representative Justice Galaris.
Members of the Dispute Resolution Board competed at the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition. Clockwise from top left: Joseph “J.R.” Boyd, Leah Le’Vell, Gabriele Bodanza, Lydia Plotz, Taylor Bollt, and Brooke Ennis.
Members of Stetson Law’s Dispute Resolution Board competed at the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Client Counseling Competition hosted virtually by Liberty University School of Law Feb. 12-14, and one Stetson duo will advance to the national rounds in March!
The competition included nine teams representing five schools. All six students represented Stetson with professionalism, poise, and excellent preparation, and all three Stetson teams advanced to semifinal rounds, with veteran advocates Gabriele Bodanza (team captain) and Lydia Plotz seeded first, veteran DR/Trial Team member Brooke Ennis and Taylor Bollt (who also competed in arbitration last semester) seeded fourth, and Joseph “J.R.” Boyd and Leah Le’Vell seeded sixth.
In semifinal rounds, the team of J.R. and Leah, in their first-ever Stetson DR competition, scored a huge upset, defeating Stetson veterans Gabriele (a national finalist in this very competition last year) and Lydia, and the team of Brooke and Taylor was narrowly defeated by Georgetown.
“Training up the next generation of advocates so that they can defeat our formidable veterans is a sure sign that our veterans have done fantastic work in getting their teammates ready,” said Professor Kristen Adams, director of the Dispute Resolution Board.
Final rounds of this competition consisted of two Georgetown teams and the Stetson team of J.R. and Leah. Competition was fierce, as only the No. 1 team advances to national rounds in March, and J.R. and Leah entered the final round seeded third. In addition, in this particular competition, teams do not get to see their opponents perform; all they can do is their own best work. J.R. and Leah went first and then waited for several grueling hours for the other teams to compete.
After a lengthy deliberation, the results were in, and J.R. and Leah won and will be representing Stetson in national rounds in March!
The teams were expertly coached by Stetson Law alumna Emily VanOosting J.D. ’12, who has taken the Stetson Client Counseling team to Nationals now four years in a row.
Eve Samples, executive director of the Friends of the Everglades, presented as part of The Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series at Stetson Law.
“Saving the Everglades is a test. If we pass, we may get to keep the planet.”
That’s the mantra of the Friends of the Everglades, a simple and easy-to-remember reason why the biodiverse section of South Florida is so essential for preservation and restoration. Put another way:
“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth; remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them,” wrote the organization’s founder, Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Stoneman Douglas was a journalist, activist and author whose 1947 book, The Everglades: River of Grass, was an accessible analysis that helped drive awareness of the rareness of the Everglades. Today, members of Friends of the Everglades work to continue her legacy by compelling government agencies to comply with existing environmental laws, fighting any efforts to weaken such laws, and pushing initiatives to restore the historic flow of water through the Everglades.
Eve Samples, the organization’s current executive director, spoke to Stetson Law students on Feb. 4, 2021, as part of The Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series. She explained how, in early 1900s, Florida leaders thought it was a good idea to drain Lake Okeechobee to the east and west, disconnecting the “River of Grass.”
The 18,000-square-mile greater Everglades system stretches from a chain of lakes near Orlando all the way down to Florida Bay, she said, adding that more than 50 percent of the water system has been diverted over time. As a result, toxic algae blooms are an increasing problem in Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee estuary, and St. Lucie River. Meanwhile, the Everglades and Florida Bay remain parched and suffering from hyper-salinity. Fertilizer runoff from agricultural lands accounts for 79 percent of the pollution in Lake Okeechobee and is a leading cause of toxic blue-green algae, which exacerbates naturally occurring red tide.
Toxic algae and red tide have sickened people (research links it to ALS and liver disease), fish, marine mammals and birds, as well as negatively impacted the state’s aquaculture, tourism and hospitality industries.
Samples said the three-pronged solution for Everglades restoration includes addressing:
Operations – meaning managing Lake Okeechobee with human health in mind rather than to appease the agricultural industry, as is the current practice; and
Water quality – meaning actively enforcing pollution limits across the region. Florida has a long history of “presumption of compliance” instead of thorough oversight. For example, state inspectors visited only 3,600 of 11,000 agricultural sites last year.
Law students can help, Samples said.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
First, voice opposition to the M-CORES toll roads project, which proposes the construction of three north/south highways cutting through the center of the state. Second, participate in the development of the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM). Third, demand the Florida Legislature enforce mandatory pollution limits and mandatory septic inspections, as well as ban biosolids (partially treated human sludge).
But above all else, remember the advice of Marjory Stoneman Douglas:
“Be a nuisance where it counts. Do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join your action. Be depressed, discouraged, and disappointed at failure and the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption, and bad politics – but never give up.”
TAMPA, Fla. — The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay and Stetson University College of Law welcomed three new Community Fellows as part of the Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy partnership.
As part of this collaboration, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay offers paid fellowships each semester for students attending Stetson University College of Law. The fellows will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of community philanthropy and have hands-on experience in working with nonprofit organizations.
Bailey Peterson, Blake Radford and Shannon Walker were selected as our 2021 Community Fellows and begin the program on January. 15, 2021.
Bailey Peterson, Candidate for Juris Doctor, 2021
Bailey Peterson
In May 2021 Bailey will graduate with a JD and a concentration in Social Justice Advocacy. She is a member of Stetson’s nationally ranked Dispute Resolution Team. She serves as Vice President for Stetson’s ACLU chapter, and on the board of Stetson’s Innocence Initiative, and Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She is a Tampa native and previously interned at the 13th District State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit in Tampa.
Blake Radford, Candidate for Juris Doctor, 2023
Blake Radford
Stetson University College of LawBlake Radford graduated from Hudson High School in 2012 and joined the United States Marine Corps, serving as a legal service specialist and court reporter onboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. While enlisted in the Marines, Blake applied and was accepted to the University of West Florida and pursued a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Pre-law. After leaving the Marines in 2016, Blake worked at the law firm of Taylor, Warren, Weidner & Hancock, P.A. in Pensacola, Florida, as a paralegal until he departed to attend Stetson University College of Law in the Fall of 2020.
Shannon Walker, Candidate for Juris Doctor, 2021
Shannon Walker
In May 2021, Shannon will graduate with a JD and a concentration in Social Justice Advocacy. She is a member of Stetson’s Dispute Resolution Board, earning honors as a Finalist Mediator in 2019. Her work experience includes teaching social work and clerking for a local non-profit. Shannon grew up in Spring Hill, Fla. She will use her legal education to help families and foster youth in crises in her community.
“This partnership is an incredible opportunity for our students and our community,” said Michèle Alexandre, dean of Stetson University College of Law. “Working together, we can empower the next generation of nonprofit and Tampa Bay leaders to become effective community advocates, which will have a positive impact on our region.”
“We look forward to working with Florida’s first law school to create opportunities for our region, to discuss community wide challenges and possible solutions, and to promote the economic health and vitality of Tampa Bay through this innovative program” said Marlene Spalten, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay.
About the Organizations:
The Alliance for Advocacy and Philanthropy, created in 2019, formalizes the organizations’ shared belief in aligning resources and investing in advocacy, thought leadership, and programs to solve community challenges. The partnership includes pro bono program opportunities for students to support Tampa Bay area not-for-profits.
Stetson University College of Law is Florida’s first law school and has consistently been recognized as No. 1 in Advocacy by U.S. News & World Report. Faculty and students at Stetson Law provide more than 30,000 hours of pro bono legal and advocacy services through various institutes, programs and centers, including the Veterans Law Institute, the Social Justice Advocacy Program, and the Center for Excellence in Elder Law.
The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay connects donors, nonprofits, community and business leaders, professional advisors, volunteers, and residents to make the maximum positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. For 30 years, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community.
