Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez speaks at a Stetson Law Innocence Initiative event.
A young father of an infant and a toddler, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez walked into a New York City police station in 1999 thinking he was helping solve a murder.
His father, who had died recently, had been a police officer and Velazquez trusted the system. Plus, he was on the other side of town when the crime occurred.
“It was the last choice I made as a free man,” Velazquez said.
What ensued were more than two decades in prison fighting his incarceration at Sing Sing Correctional Facility – and not knowing if he would ever experience freedom again.
Now a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, Velazquez spoke March 18 at Stetson Law at an event relaunching the Stetson Law Innocence Initiative, a student organization guided by Professor Judith Scully, co-director of Stetson Law’s Social Justice Advocacy Concentration.
Law Professor Judith Scully introduces speaker JJ Velazquez.
Scully said that conservative estimates place the number of wrongfully incarcerated individuals in the U.S. between 30,000 and 170,000.
“Many people in prison are innocent and they are locked up behind bars,” Scully said. “As part of the legal profession, we are responsible for addressing this problem.”
Early on in his sentence, his fight led him to contact Dan Slepian, an investigative journalist whose work has helped overturn multiple wrongful convictions. Slepian’s work ultimately helped prove Velazquez’s innocence.
Still, it took years for Velazquez’s clemency application to receive the governor’s signature – it was one of the last things outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed before he left office. On August 17, 2021, after nearly 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Velazquez was granted clemency. On September 9, 2021, he was released.
His efforts to fight the systemic issue of wrongful incarceration – beyond just his own – began when he was still behind bars with projects like Voices from Within, a multimedia initiative that explores the criminal justice system from the perspective of the incarcerated. As national program director for the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, he now advocates for criminal justice reform – a mission that brought him to the Oval Office not long after he left Sing Sing.
“I feel like I was placed in prison for a purpose,” Velazquez said. “And while I’d never raise my hand and volunteer to do that time all over again, I won’t change what happened, either. What I’ve learned is instrumental to help change this country in the future.”
Advice for students
Calling wrongful conviction “the worst nightmare any person in this world can face,” Velazquez said such occurrences do not only affect individuals incarcerated for crimes they did not commit, but also families and entire communities.
“All of us, in some way, form or fashion, help each other get through the day,” he said. “And when you start taking those members out of the community, what you’re doing is fracturing your community. And if you fracture it enough, it can break.”
While advocating for systemic change is critical, Velazquez said law students should look to their own work as they seek to transform society – and practice things like listening to their own instincts when defending a client or, as prosecutors, not letting the pursuit of convictions get in the way of doing what is right.
“We’re amenable to peer pressure. We’re amenable to whatever society believes success is,” Velazquez said. “As lawyers, don’t allow a culture to change who you are.”
Wrongfully incarcerated for nearly 24 years, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez has been telling his story to national media outlets – and even the President of the United States.
University of South Florida President and Stetson Law alumna Rhea Law ’79.
Reflecting Stetson Law’s deep ties to higher education institutions throughout the region, Rhea F. Law, University of South Florida president and CEO, will be the commencement speaker at Stetson Law’s Spring 2024 Commencement on May 18, 2024.
A Stetson Law alumna, Law has led an exemplary career that includes leading a large merger between a state and national law firm, holding leadership positions at top Florida organizations, and helping USF secure an invitation to join the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group of leading research institutions.
The first USF graduate to serve as university president, Law began serving as USF’s interim president in August 2021 and was confirmed to the role in a unanimous vote by the Florida Board of Governors in March 2022. She has previously served on Stetson Law’s Board of Overseers, including as chair, as well as on Stetson University’s Board of Trustees, and was inducted to the Hall of Fame.
To College of Law leadership, Law personifies what it means to be a Stetson Lawyer whose drive and passion for her community are inspiration to others.
“President Law is a tireless leader whose impact you can see throughout the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida,” Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “I couldn’t think of a better person to inspire our spring 2024 graduating class to do great things.”
A passionate community advocate
Before her appointment as President and CEO of USF, President Law held numerous leadership positions with many important Florida-based organizations, including the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Tampa Bay Partnership, Tampa Electric, and Moffitt Cancer Center.
In 2014, as President and CEO of Fowler White Boggs, Law led the merger with national firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. Over 35 years as a legal professional, her work focused on environment and land use, economic development, and government.
Her contributions to higher education, the state of Florida, the College of Law community, and the law and business communities demonstrate how determination and optimism can lead to great things. In light of her transformative work, she will be given an honorary Doctor of Laws during the commencement ceremony – a gesture Law said she will cherish.
“Receiving an honorary degree from the Stetson University College of Law is both a privilege and a profound honor,” Law said. “The education I received from Stetson has served me well throughout my career, and I have treasured my connection to the university for many years. I am sincerely grateful to Dean Benjamin Barros and the College of Law for this incredible recognition.”
Clockwise from top left: Former GA Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein; Retired USDA General Counsel Eunice Luke; Senior Judge for the Middle District of Florida Elizabeth Kovachevich; Former FL Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince.
By Curtis Krueger
More than half the students at Stetson University College of Law are women, and this has been true for more than a decade – but some pioneering lawyers from Stetson remember a far different time.
Eunice Luke, for example, graduated from Stetson Law in 1966. She was talking not long ago to some younger female lawyers in Atlanta.
“They couldn’t get their head around the fact that I was the only woman in my class,” she said.
But when Luke visited the Stetson campus a few years ago for her 50th reunion, she was the one trying to get her head wrapped around what she saw.
“I looked around the campus and there are all these women all over the place,” Luke said. “And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh this is so different.’”
Luke and other women in the Stetson Law community were trailblazers, even if they don’t often use such words about themselves. They can remember the people, sometimes their own classmates, who didn’t believe they belonged in law school and the skeptical looks they got in their first job interviews, in spite of their newly minted Stetson Law diplomas.
Making change on campus & the legal profession
Against unlikely odds, these women made an impact — not just on Stetson Law, but on the legal profession as a whole.
There’s Elizabeth Kovachevich, who graduated from Stetson Law in 1961 and went on to become a U.S. District Court Judge for the Middle District of Florida.
There’s Carol W. Hunstein, who graduated in 1976 and went on to become chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.
There’s Luke, who graduated from Stetson, went on to a career in the federal government, and then established a scholarship to help other Stetson students.
And there’s Peggy A. Quince, the first African-American woman to become chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Although she received her law degree from the Catholic University of America, she has been closely associated with the Stetson legal community as a friend, supporter, board of overseers member, and inductee into the Stetson Law Hall of Fame.
A history of elevating women
Stetson, which is Florida’s first law school, also holds the distinction of having the state’s first female law school graduate, in 1908. That didn’t make it a common occurrence. While female lawyers did exist in the 1960s, they were, as Luke put it, “as rare as hen’s teeth.”
When Hunstein enrolled in the 1970s, she was one of six female law students, the largest number of any class in Stetson Law history up to that point.
“We were sort of an oddity,” she said. “The men frankly thought we were there to marry a lawyer.”
The men also could be heard grading the women by appearance, on a scale of 1 to 10.
“But all the women graduated,” she said of the six in her class.
Kovachevich recalls what she terms “the Stetson shuffle.” When a female student presented in class, “the fellows in the class would shuffle their feet and make that noise, like you’re on your way out of here.”
“It wasn’t a very pleasant experience and I for the first time in my life experienced discrimination, and it was gender discrimination,” she said.
In spite of the slights, these women persevered, each believing they had to make the most of their opportunity. Kovachevich’s grandfather, an immigrant from Croatia, had urged her to study the law because of his deep love for the freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. She wanted to honor his wish.
Hunstein first thought of going into law after a college aptitude test suggested she would excel in a legal or military career. Once in law school, she was determined to succeed.
“It was so important to me to have this opportunity, something that I never dreamed would be available to me,” said Hunstein, who was the first in her family to graduate from college.
Facing early-career challenges
For these women, earning a law degree was a huge accomplishment, just as it is today. They knew that after passing the bar exam, they could reach out to any law office and seek a job – but that didn’t mean anyone would listen.
Luke said some law firms simply ignored her applications. One lawyer asked how many children she intended to have. It took her by surprise. All she managed to blurt out was, “I’m not even engaged.”
When she realized the federal government paid men and women the same, she applied. She was hired by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and worked there for 34 years.
Kovachevich became a sole practitioner who “specialized in anything that walked through the door.”
After she was appointed by Florida Gov. Claude Kirk to serve on the Board of Regents, friends told her she should run for office. She set her sights on a circuit judgeship.
“There was not any support from the local Bar, even though I was secretary of the (St. Petersburg) Bar Association,” she said. “But here again when a woman had the audacity to offer herself for public service, wow that wasn’t acceptable.”
But Kovachevich was successful, winning election as a circuit judge in 1982. President Ronald Reagan appointed her as a U.S. District Judge in 1982. She is now a senior judge in Florida’s Middle District. After more than four decades on the bench, she feels she has been exactly in the right place.
“I just had the feeling that this was what I was meant to do…. I have a firm religious belief in God and I felt that this is what God wanted me to do. And I’ve tried to do it to the best of my ability,” Kovachevich said.
Hunstein, who had managed to make it through law school as a single parent, began her job search in Georgia.
“I couldn’t get a job searching titles,” she said. “That’s true.”
But a program in Fulton County allowed attorneys to come to the Atlanta jail on Mondays and be assigned misdemeanor cases, which needed to be resolved by the end of the week.
“After which you would be paid $50,” she recalled. “And that’s slowly how I built my practice.”
She handled litigation, criminal defense, domestic relations, and more.
“I loved being in the courtroom,” she said.
She said she was generally treated well by fellow attorneys and by juries, but sometimes found judges could be surprisingly condescending. She remembers one in particular.
“He was absolutely horrible to me,” she said. “He called me ‘little lady’ and any time he could rule against me he would.”
But this judge gave her inspiration once she realized, “I could be a better judge than he was. That was the motivation for me running for a Superior Court judgeship in DeKalb County.”
With help from friends who knew how to run a good campaign, she was elected in 1984. She eventually applied to be named to the Georgia Supreme Court. Then-Gov. Zell Miller appointed someone else, also a woman, and conventional wisdom was that two women would not be appointed to the high court in a row.
But a friend encouraged her to apply again anyway, and Miller did appoint her. When she got the call, she said, “There was just this flood of emotion. I was just so grateful to have that opportunity. I still call him my governor.”
A common thread
All these women showed the acumen and grit to succeed. And all say Stetson has been an important part of their story.
“Without an excellent education, with all the challenges academically and professionally, where would I be?” Hunstein said. “They were there for me and they gave me the foundation to become a good lawyer, a good judge and really honor the law.”
Luke, the retired USDA attorney, established a scholarship because she received one in her third year at Stetson Law that was crucial to helping her finish school. She wanted to make sure others would have the same opportunity. The scholarship is open to women and men.
Kovachevich has given back much to Stetson also, through an extensive judicial internship program in the federal court.
Inspiring future generations
Quince says that while she did not attend Stetson Law, “the law school was and is important to me because it was a part of the legal community that I was also a part of.”
“I don’t necessarily consider myself a pioneer,” she said, but she strongly believes in the value of women and minorities having the opportunity to succeed in areas once closed to them.
“I take pride in the fact that I was the first African American female to be appointed to both a district court of appeal and the Florida Supreme Court,” she said. “It was also an honor and a privilege to be the first African American female to head a Florida branch of government when I was the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.”
Yes, she said, these firsts were important to her. But what she really hopes is for them to be an inspiration to others.
“I hope that young people will look on these accomplishments as a chance to say ‘I can do this too and more,'” she said.
An earlier version of this story ran in the Spring 2019 edition of Stetson Lawyer magazine.
Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown speaks at Stetson Law in February, 2024.
Coinciding with World Day of Social Justice, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, a prominent eco-justice scholar, spoke on the link between environmental problems and social injustices.
Her moving address, which she gave Tuesday, February 20 in the Great Hall, was the first installment of the Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series of the spring 2024 semester.
“You may be familiar with the phrase ‘a comic’s comic,’” Law Professor Royal Gardner, Director of Stetson Law’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, told the audience as he introduced her. “Dr. Shankar Brown is not a comic’s comic. She’s a teacher’s teacher – wonderful in the classroom. She puts into practice what she preaches.”
Thinking differently about environmental policy
An internationally renowned professor, environmental justice scholar, artist, author, and activist, Shankar-Brown opened her talk by commending the students, faculty, staff, and others gathered for their commitment to the fields of environmental law and social justice.
“I am just so grateful for all of the amazing work and the passion that all of you have, and that you are launching into our world – especially because our world needs all of you – us, collectively,” she said. “My hope is, it will stimulate conversations, it will give pause to wrestle, to start to ponder and ask questions, and to engage in meaningful conversations.”
She urged the audience to employ intersectionality in their approach to developing strategies and policies to fight climate change and other environmental challenges as future legal professionals or policymakers.
Coined in 1989 by legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, intersectionality refers to the way multiple aspects of an individual’s identity – race, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, housing status, and more – create a unique lived experience worthy of consideration and respect, especially when it comes to environmental disasters like storms and sea-level rise.
Vulnerable, underserved communities such as the unhoused are disproportionately affected by flooding, inadequately infrastructure, heat exposure, pollutants, and other consequences of unsustainable practices.
“One of the things that we have to actively and intentionally do in our work is to break silos and make sure that we are honoring intersectionality to understand the interconnective web of all of these huge, massive challenges that our world is facing today,” Shankar-Brown said.
An urgent call to action
Shankar-Brown ended her talk by imploring her audience to practice “radical empathy” in their advocacy work, and to be actively engaged in their communities. She read aloud a passage from Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, a book she heartily encouraged the audience to read:
“Radical empathy is not about you and what you think you would do in a situation you have never been in and perhaps never will,” she recited. “It is the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another, as they perceive it.”
As for staying engaged, she said activism can come in many forms: finding others to be “coconspirators” in the cause of eco-justice, attending demonstrations, and speaking at city council and county commission meetings when monied interests promote policies that could potentially harm communities.
“There is greed but there is also good,” she said. “My hope is that we refuse to just give up and be apathetic.”
From standing up to violent drug cartels in Medellin, Colombia to spending nights and weekends tailoring lesson plans to meet the evolving needs of students, Law Professor Luz Nagle has spent decades in selfless pursuit of a more just world.
After 25 years of tirelessly leading Stetson’s international law courses and programs, Nagle has retired from her full-time faculty role.
Stetson Law Professor Luz Nagle
A passionate human rights advocate, she was Stetson Law’s first Hispanic tenured faculty member. Her deep commitment to her students – and, off campus, to fighting human trafficking and other international crimes – has helped earn her the honor of Professor Emerita. Nagle’s time at Stetson Law follows a long, varied career that began in her native Colombia, where she served as a young judge during serious sociopolitical violence in the 1980s.
Asked what she will miss the most about life at Stetson Law, Nagle said she’ll miss her students and watching them evolve into legal professionals.
“It’s so great to see the transformation of the students, from the first two weeks of class until the end,” she said. “The students taught me a lot, and that is what I treasure the most and what I miss the most.”
Tireless commitment, innovative approach
Colleagues say Nagle’s passion for teaching international law was contagious – and that she had a unique ability to engage students on the subject.
“While she continued to pile up awards and accolades throughout her career and was highly sought as a speaker around the world, Luz’s real passion was teaching and she excelled at it,” said Stetson Law Professor Mark Bauer. “Students were excited and inspired by Luz’s classes.”
He added that Nagle modeled exemplary professionalism and achievement for students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the College of Law.
Law Professor Linda Anderson said Professor Nagle is a beacon of knowledge in the realm of international law whose unwavering commitment to her students and passionate advocacy against human trafficking have left an indelible mark that will persist long after her retirement.
“Her profound dedication to shaping the next generation of legal minds and her tireless efforts in addressing global issues showcase a legacy that extends far beyond the classroom,” Anderson said. “Luz exemplifies the intersection of expertise and empathy, leaving an inspiring imprint on the lives she has touched.”
In photos: Professor Luz Nagle Abroad
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Nagle’s approach to teaching was unconventional. Every semester, for every course she taught, she would tailor the coursework to the unique needs of her students.
“My first two weeks of class were always a thermometer for me,” Nagle said. “I would try to learn who my students were to see what method I was going to use for them to better understand and absorb the material.”
Nagle also went to great lengths to ensure her coursework was informed by current events, such as the war in Ukraine.
“In international law, events change every single semester and year,” she said. “I would grab events to create simulations for the students to be able to apply the cases and what we were covering.”
One year, as wildfires impeded California winemakers’ ability to grow grapes, she learned about the domestic and European wine industries and the laws governing them to develop a fact pattern that reflected the real-world complexities of international business.
Deep-seated passion for justice
Nagle’s commitment to student success seems to run in the family. The dean of a chemical engineering department at a university in Colombia, her father would invite struggling students to their home for tutoring sessions to help them grasp the material. His practices provided an early foundation for her own teaching techniques when she became a law professor.
The eighth of nine siblings, she grew up keenly aware of the poverty others were experiencing, and of her own privilege.
“I grew up in a country where the gaps between the haves and have-nots were huge,” Nagle said. “I remember being a little girl and my mom would always tell my younger brother and me to serve a plate equal to the ones we were serving ourselves and put it to the side because little kids would be knocking at the door asking for food. I saw a lot of kids going through trashcans looking for food.”
As a teenager, she was debating whether to study chemistry or law. She chose the latter after witnessing the way the justice system treated children living at local orphanages, whose legal troubles snowballed as the root cause of their behavior went unaddressed.
“I always thought that the children were not to blame for a lot per se; that there were issues in society that needed to be fixed,” Nagle said.
Seeking justice at all costs
Nagle’s early career was often harrowing.
She worked as a judge in a time and an area of Colombia where drug cartels paid off public officials – and targeted those who wouldn’t take a bribe. Unlike the justice system in the U.S., Colombia’s is inquisitorial, which means members of the judiciary conduct investigations. Nagle took her role seriously, regularly standing up to violent criminals and corrupt officials.
She faced death threats and multiple attempts on her life. Her car was tampered with. She was followed while driving to work by men on motorcycles who shot out her windshield.
One day, a drug cartel member came to Nagle’s office and tried to shoot her – but his gun got stuck in its holster. Nagle managed to draw a revolver she had been given for protection and shot him in the leg.
“When you’re young, you think you’re invulnerable,” Nagle said. “You think that you can change the world alone.”
The final straw was a warning from a concerned family friend, who asked her if she could stomach her family members being killed, one by one, if she persisted.
“And that’s when I said ‘Shoot. This is for real,’” Nagle said.
A new beginning
Nagle’s now-husband, Jerry, who she met years earlier while studying English in Santa Barbara, was planning to join her in Colombia as the threats reached a crescendo. Instead, they married and returned to California, where she had to build her career from scratch.
“I was a house painter,” she said. “I cleaned offices at night. I cleaned toilets. I had told my husband I didn’t want to be a lawyer because I didn’t believe in law. I didn’t believe in lawyers – because I thought they were corrupt.”
Her husband kept encouraging her to pursue law. She was moved to do so when, visiting a local Latin market, she heard stories about people having been brought to the U.S., kept as prisoners, and forced to work with no pay.
“Maybe learning a different system will allow me to be a bridge between countries in Latin America that are so corrupt,” she said. “And maybe the U.S. legal system will have more answers. Maybe the process will be fairer. And that’s how I decided to go back to school.”
In photos: Professor Nagle at Stetson Law
(L-R): Natalia C. Reyna Forero with Professor Luz Nagle.
Professor Luz Nagle presented in Canada.
Panelists (L-R): Professor Royal Gardner, Professor Luz Nagle, Professor Jason Palmer and alumnus Ahmad Yakzan.
(L-R): Professor Luz Nagle, Ahmad Yakzan, Franziska Kues and Gregory W. Kehoe.
(L-R): Stetson Law pioneering educators Professor Dorothea Beane, Ruth Thurman, and Luz Nagle.
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She earned an M.A. in Latin American studies and an LL.M. in international law at UCLA, then went to the College of William & Mary for her J.D. She clerked for the Supreme Court of Virginia and worked for Microsoft Corporation’s Latin America Copyright Enforcement Practice.
Nagle was looking to transition into a teaching role that would allow her to spend more time with family. She wasn’t pleased with her options – until Dean Gary Vause called. The College of Law was developing an International Law LL.M. and he wanted to see if she was interested in leading the program.
She started in 1998, when Liz Moody was dean – the same year the Dolly & Homer Hand Library opened its doors. The International Law LL.M. launched that year. Over 25 years, her scholarly accomplishments were myriad. She has written extensively on human trafficking, lectured at universities across the world, advised governments, and served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and Lecturer in the Canary Islands, Spain in 2019. (See Nagle’s full bio.)
No slowing down
Nights and weekends spent tailoring her lesson plans to the ever-evolving needs of her students may be over, but Nagle said she is not done working.
She is wrapping up a project on the link between human trafficking and public corruption for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, working with George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, and is chair of American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“I hate the word retirement. If you retire, it’s like you just do nothing. No. I’m just changing,” Nagle said. “I’m going to be busy.”
Wills for Warriors is a free program for veterans who qualify.
Stetson University College of Law will once again partner with the Community Law Program and the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation to prepare free simple wills and advance directives for low-income veterans and spouses over 60.
Those who qualify will receive individualized assistance from professionals who care deeply about veterans and aging individuals.
The event will take place in March. As walk-in appointments are not available, veterans or their spouses are invited to schedule appointments in advance by calling 727-562-7577 by February 23, 2024. Interested applicants are encouraged to call early, as there is a limited number of appointments available.
With support from Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law, the Wills for Warriors program assists eligible veterans and their spouses in the development of these essential documents. To qualify, applicants must be aged 60 or older and have low incomes and limited assets. Individuals who own real estate outside the State of Florida are not eligible to participate. Stetson Law students and volunteer attorneys from the Pinellas County Community Law Program will assist Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law with this program.
Dr. Kirsten Davis, Professor of Law and Faculty Director of Online Legal Education Strategies at Stetson.
From embracing virtual learning during the pandemic to inspiring colleagues to reimagine legal education in the age of artificial intelligence, Dr. Kirsten Davis is leading important conversations about the ways tech transforms how we teach law.
Earlier this month, Davis, a Professor of Law at Stetson and the college’s Faculty Director of Online Legal Education Strategies, was an inaugural recipient of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Technology, Law, & Legal Education Technology Mentorship Award.
The Section’s award announcement to its members described Davis a “a respected authority in legal ethics and communication” who “has made significant strides in integrating technology into legal education,” particularly with regard to the effects A.I. is having on the field.
“Through her impactful pedagogy, scholarly work, and direct mentorship, she has been a catalyst in helping students and peers understand and adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape in practice,” the Section announcement said. “Her initiatives have set a benchmark for technology mentorship within legal academia.”
Advancing the conversation
To be eligible for the award, nominees are required to have made notable efforts to help colleagues navigate the changing technology landscape, such as workshops, scholarship, or events aiming to share insights about emerging tech and offer mentees hands-on opportunities to apply what they’ve learned.
Law Professor Ashley Krenelka-Chase nominated Davis for the AALS award. She said she was motivated to do so because Davis works tirelessly to share her knowledge and understanding of emerging technologies – specifically the proliferation of Generative A.I. programs like Chat GPT.
“Her mentorship has helped people feel more comfortable with what they do and don’t know about using this technology in their classrooms and has allowed all of us to think about the use of generative A.I. and other technologies beyond the black and white in which it is often portrayed,” Krenelka-Chase said.
How it started: Adapting to The New Normal
In 2020, as education institutions everywhere grappled with how to ensure learning continued amid a global pandemic, Davis sprang into action.
She developed tutorials for colleagues who were new to virtual platforms like Zoom, created Amazon shopping lists to help them outfit their home offices with lighting and audio equipment, and more.
“From Zoom to working with Canvas to helping teaching assistants get up to speed on how to support online teaching, we were really just in survival mode in that first bit,” she said.
For that work, the university gave Davis an award for Covid-era innovation.
As the campus transitioned to the learning management software Canvas, Davis worked with Academic Technology Manager Julie Kitzmiller and faculty members Elizabeth Berenguer and Ashley Krenelka Chase on a program to train faculty and staff on the platform.
Sparking New Conversations about A.I.
As ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence began to grab headlines in late 2022, Davis – on sabbatical at the time – jumped at the chance to explore its implications for law schools.
“This was the moment I’ve been waiting on my whole career: the opportunity to study technology that might represent a paradigmatic shift for writing and researching the law,” Davis said.
Realizing the likely impact generative A.I. was about to have on legal education – especially legal writing – Davis reached out to colleagues on a listserv read by legal-writing experts across the country and invited them to join a national online conversation, the Generative A.I. and Legal Writing Convo Group.
Dr. Kirsten Davis, a Professor of Law at Stetson, presented on artificial intelligence’s impact on law careers at Campus to Career 2024.
“I sent out an invitation and faculty started joining on Zoom. We talked about our concerns: Would legal writing classes need new outcomes?” Davis said. “Would faculty need new writing assessment practices? What kind of academic integrity policies should we have with generative AI in the mix? Do we need new curriculum, exercises, and assignments, and what would they look like?”
The group has grown from under 30 members in May 2023 to nearly 300 as of January 2024. Davis has since spoken on generative A.I. and legal writing at law schools at Georgetown, Rutgers, Temple, and Southwestern and will speak at the University of Baltimore in April.
Assessing A.I.’s new role in the classroom & beyond
Those conversations encouraged others to ask questions about how generative A.I. is changing legal education. Davis said developing new approaches to student assessment will be particularly important. Evaluating legal writing assignments has long been seen as a way to evaluate not only the skill of communication but also underlying lawyering skills like legal reasoning. Students’ use of generative A.I. to write papers may change that assumption, which could mean that new ways of assessing skills need to develop.
“I think from a legal education perspective, faculty have to ask, what does the world of lawyering look like for our students three, five, ten years from now?” Davis said. “How are we going to prepare them to navigate a practice world with unprecedented writing technology? Our responses to these questions are going be important.”
The future ubiquity of generative A.I. means law schools need to consider right now whether to teach students prompt engineering skills – and how to evaluate and refine the text A.I. generates, she said. The legal profession will also likely see significant impacts, such as changes to staffing models and billing practices in an environment where legal documents can be generated and refined in a fraction of the time it has historically taken, Davis said.
One question Davis is frequently asked is whether artificial intelligence will eliminate the need for lawyers.
“The discussion of the end of lawyering has been going on for decades, Davis said. “So this question is not something entirely new. Generative A.I. changes the calculus, but I think clients and the legal system will always need careful, smart, lawyers with good judgment and even better ideas who can make good use of technology.”
As the first week of the spring semester drew to a close, students were invited to take a day to reflect on their career aspirations, meet potential mentors, and explore job opportunities at the 2024 Campus to Career Experience.
A signature event at Stetson Law, Campus to Career aims to help students make concrete connections between the passion that brought them to law school and the fulfilling careers they seek.
More than a dozen presentations, workshops, and keynote addresses were led by nationally known speakers, practicing legal professionals, faculty, and staff members on everything from overcoming imposter syndrome to how to succeed as a summer associate.
An invitation to reflect
After mingling over coffee and breakfast, attendees settled into the Great Hall for opening remarks from Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros. While the point of law school is primarily to pass the bar and get a job, Barros said, it is important for students to take a moment to determine what excites them the most, and how to incorporate that into their professional goals via events like Campus to Career.
Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros addresses a Campus to Career audience in the Great Hall.
“You need to make the space to kind of step back and think about the bigger picture. And today gives you a great opportunity to do that,” he said. “You’re investing your career and your future in a really important way…I love my job and I feel lucky to go to work every day. My wish for all of you is that you find that path that you will be really happy with.”
Telling your story
The first keynote of the day came from St. Petersburg-based actor, writer, and speaker Patrick Arthur Jackson, who led an interactive session on the importance of defining oneself through personal narrative, and letting that narrative evolve over time.
“Life is a series of stories, and each of us in this room, each of is in this state, this nation, and world, is the author of our own narrative,” Jackson told the audience. “Our stories aren’t just tales of trials and tribulations. They are testaments to the extraordinary gift of transformation that resides in each of us.”
Actor and writer Patrick Arthur Jackson speaks at Campus to Career 2024.
Through anecdotes from his own life, Jackson demonstrated how one’s story of themself can help them cultivate the confidence they need to succeed in their lives and careers.
“This is a reminder of your existence that provides full permission to live your life authentically, unapologetically, and fully,” he said.
On perfectionism & imposter syndrome
Speaking frankly on some of the attributes that can lead many law students to overwork themselves to the detriment of their physical and mental health, professor and professional coach Jordana Confino shared insights on overcoming imposter syndrome and the perfectionism it manifests.
In environments like law school, where expectations are high, perfectionism is often perceived as a positive attribute – but Confino urged the audience to see it for what it is masking: a profound underlying fear of not measuring up.
Speaker and Law Professor Jordana Confino speaks at Campus to Career 2024.
“One of the reasons it’s so hard to reign in our perfectionism is that we don’t actually want to, because we think it’s helping us,” she said.
Confino countered that perfectionism leads to setting nearly impossible goals, then setting more impossible goals once the initial goals are achieved, so a perfectionist is in a chronic state of struggle. The constant stress can affect sleep, personal relationships, and other aspects of physical and mental health.
As an alternative to perfectionism, Confino suggests becoming a “big picture perfection-seeker” who adopts a holistic view of success, responds to setbacks with self-compassion, and practices self-care techniques.
“On the other hand, the big-picture perfection seeker expects for there to be obstacles and detours and inevitable tradeoffs that they have to make as they pursue their goals, which means they can plan for them, they can navigate those tradeoffs intentionally,” Confino said. “And they can actually enjoy the process.”
From law to comedy
Closing out the Campus to Career programming was a keynote from lawyer-turned-comedian Liz Glazer, who joked that she is living proof that one can do anything with a law degree.
“I wasn’t always a comedian. I used to be a law professor. And that’s generally how people get started in comedy,” Glazer said.
Lawyer-turned-comedian Liz Glazer spoke at Campus to Career 2024.
She said going to law school seemed like an inevitability, even though she often didn’t love the experience as much as her classmates seemed to.
“I grew up with immigrant parents and they were like, nobody can take your education away from you,” Glazer said. “I went to law school because it made sense for me to go to law school.”
Yet she grew to appreciate it, then went on to work for a firm before being recruited to teach law. Glazer was well into her career as a law professor when she experienced the thrill of stand-up comedy. Though it took some time for her to pursue it as a career and retire from the legal profession, Glazer has since performed sold-out shows at New York Comedy Festival, appeared on network television, and won first place at the Boston Comedy Festival and Ladies of Laughter Competition.
She joked that she was invited to speak at Campus to Career as a cautionary tale.
“In all seriousness, I think that I am living proof that with a law degree, you can do absolutely everything,” Glazer said. “Literally.”
The Stetson Law community is excited to welcome Professor Robyn Powell back to campus, where she will begin as tenure-track faculty in the fall 2024 semester.
Powell, who teaches professional responsibility, disability law, public health law, and other courses, is a nationally recognized expert in disability law, particularly where it intersects parental rights. She previously served as Stetson Law’s Bruce R. Jacob Visiting Assistant Professor of Law before becoming an associate professor at University of Oklahoma College of Law. Powell said her initial time at Stetson left an enduring, positive impact on her professionally and personally and that she is eager to return to campus and the surrounding Gulfport community.
“I cannot adequately express how genuinely honored and enthusiastic I am at the opportunity to rejoin Stetson Law’s exceptional community of educators and justice-oriented students as a tenure-track professor,” Powell said. “I am beyond thrilled to contribute meaningfully to preparing practice-ready attorneys, producing impactful legal scholarship, and collaborating to empower the next generation of lawyers to drive social change.”
Exploring emerging areas of law
Powell’s work largely focuses on the intersection of disability law, family law, reproductive justice, and public health law, with a particular emphasis on how laws and policies affect disabled people’s decision-making about whether and when to have children. As a disabled woman, she said her scholarship and advocacy in this area are deeply personal.
“I have faced barriers to accessing healthcare and reproductive services,” she said. “I have seen how societal attitudes, stigma, and lack of accessibility can limit choices and agency.”
Her passion on the issue only strengthened when, through her work, she learned of the historical connections between the disability rights and reproductive justice movements, given how both have fought against coercive practices and policies targeting bodily autonomy and self-determination among certain populations. Before entering academia, she gained a crucial perspective while serving as an Attorney Advisor at the National Council on Disability and authored their report “Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children.” Powell’s other professional roles advanced disability rights through government, legal, and nonprofit work.
A transformative vision
Powell said her goal is to raise awareness of and secure reproductive justice for disabled people by transforming narratives and systems she says have discounted their humanity and diversity. She plans to continue writing and advocating for greater autonomy in making informed choices about their bodies, sexuality, and reproduction.
“My vision is one of equality, autonomy, and access for all,” Powell said. “Empowerment matters, so I am committed to advancing equal rights and inclusive policies that allow each of us to make our own reproductive decisions. Securing reproductive justice and access for the disability community ultimately advances everyone’s rights and opportunities.”
Powell added that she hopes to help Stetson Law students realize their potential for advancing justice and equity, and to produce impactful legal scholarship on salient social justice issues while benefiting from Stetson’s supportive research culture. “The community’s shared commitment to developing ethical advocates and proactive contributors who shape society for the better deeply aligns with my own principles as an educator,” Powell said. “I could not be more excited to dedicate my energies toward advancing Stetson’s mission of equipping students to enact lasting justice. I eagerly look forward to formally re-joining this community I admire so greatly.”
A welcoming community
Among the college’s faculty, staff, and leadership, that admiration is mutual.
“Professor Powell’s unique experience and expertise align perfectly with our commitment to promoting justice for all through sharp scholarship and through fostering tomorrow’s best advocates,” said Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “We look forward to her contributions to this vibrant community.”
Kathryn Pelham Esq. ‘06, Stetson Law’s associate director of accessibility resources and ADA coordinator, said her presence will be an inspiration to Stetson Law’s disabled student population.
“I’m thrilled that Professor Powell is returning,” Pelham said. “Students who took her courses here at Stetson were empowered to see a person with a disability represented in such a prestigious position.”
Powell holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Brandeis University, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, and a B.A. from Bridgewater State University. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Michigan Law Review, California Law Review, UCLA Law Review, and Washington University Law Review, among others.
Pride flags fly on Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus every June.
Reflecting Stetson Law’s deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, the Association of American Law Schools Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues (SOGII) has chosen the college for its 2024 LGBTQ+ Inclusive Excellence Award.
The recognition follows years of considerable effort recruiting and enrolling LGBTQ+ students, supporting them in their law school journey and beyond, and creating opportunities for them to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community both on and off campus.
“This award is the result of a long, multifaceted campaign to invite the nation’s brightest aspiring legal professionals to build upon the successes of Florida’s First Law School,” said Admissions and Student Financial Planning Director Darren Kettles. “To call this accomplishment an honor is an understatement – we are absolutely thrilled and inspired to continue this important work.”
Building on years of success
The award follows years of measures aimed at ensuring LGBTQ+ students are not only welcome on campus, but supported and celebrated – and that they have opportunities to network and gain experience advocating on the causes that matter most to them.
Stetson Law Professor Joseph Morrissey
“This is huge,” longtime Stetson Law Professor Joe Morrissey said of the award. “We’ve made incredible progress in the last 20 or so years, culminating in Stetson being able to claim well-deserved, award-winning leadership in the LGBTQ+ inclusivity space.”
Morrissey said much of the credit goes to Kettles, whom he said “has not only communicated to future generations of Stetson lawyers about our inclusive culture, but has also shaped that culture by cultivating more and more diverse cadres of admits.”
Inviting all to study law
Under the leadership of Kettles, the College of Law has for years actively invited members of the LGBTQ+ community from around the nation to consider Stetson Law for their legal education, telling them, “You Belong Here.”
The result? A diverse, thriving community of students eager to explore the law through an LGBTQ+ lens.
Currently, LGBTQ+ students made up five percent of the fall 2023 entering class. The campus community strives to foster an inclusive, supportive environment to help them succeed in their coursework and in their career pursuits.
“We believe that creating a law school community where LGBTQ+ students feel welcome and have opportunities to thrive will have impacts beyond our campus,” Kettles said. “These students go on to cultivate meaningful careers advocating for the people and causes most important to them.”
Thoughtful community engagement
Recognizing the needs and contributions of the growing LGBTQ+ community in the greater Tampa Bay region, the college has for years engaged in community outreach efforts such as marching in and tabling at St. Pete Pride, Florida’s largest Pride parade and street fair. In fall of 2023, in partnership with Lambda Legal Society, Stetson Law’s LGBTQ+ student organization, the college hosted a fundraising event culminating in a drag show.
Stetson Law alumnus Nathan Bruemmer
In partnership with alumnus Nathan Bruemmer, the college developed a Name Change Clinic for students, employees, and local community members. Students also embarked on a collaboration with the City of Gulfport’s LGBT Resource Center, which included establishing a liaison position for a Lambda member on the LGBT Resource Center’s Executive Board.
Bruemmer, a Tampa native, recently served as Florida’s LGBTQIA+ consumer advocate with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, thereby making history as the first transgender statewide appointee in the U.S. He said the AALS SOGII award has been years in the making – and that it comes at a critical time.
“To protect the rule of law and ensure justice for all, it is imperative for law schools to graduate attorneys from a diverse array of backgrounds who are ready to use their skills to tackle the mounting challenges we face,” Bruemmer said. “Stetson Law didn’t just make me feel welcome – this community ensured that real-world opportunities to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community were woven into my legal education. This is a major reason that I remain connected to this community, and why I am proud to call myself a Stetson lawyer.”
Creating a home for diversity
In 2021, Stetson University created the role of Executive Officer for Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion to develop measurable ways of advancing leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion while building a community where members of the LGBTQ+ community feel safe and capable of thriving. Stetson Law alumna Carmen Johnson, who was hired for that role, works tirelessly to identify opportunities for fostering a diverse campus community.
“Whether it’s flying the Pride flag over the campus for the duration of Pride Month or offering courses examining LGBTQ+ issues and the law, Stetson Law is home to concrete actions that not only show students from underrepresented communities that they belong, but that they can use what they learn here to make a difference,” Johnson said. “I am proud yet humbled that we are now recognized as a national leader in this space.”
Relevant, impactful programs & course offerings
Home to leading scholars in areas pertaining to the relationship between the law and gender and sexuality, Stetson offers extensive coursework in this area, including Law and Sexual Orientation, Feminist Jurisprudence, Reproductive Technology and the Law, Employment Discrimination, Human Rights in International Family Law, and Civil Rights and the Constitution: DOMA/Marriage.
Stetson Law’s Lambda Legal Society actively provides a forum to explore legal issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The organization welcomes students of any sexual orientation interested in raising awareness of the issues attorneys face with the increasing number of LGBTQ+ clients who seek legal protection.
Lambda Legal Society values engaging with the greater community through events like St. Pete Pride.
In 2021, Lambda became a National Affiliate of the LGBTQ Bar, and in 2023, the organization established an endowed Pride Scholarship. Lambda hosts regular events, including displaying a National Transgender Remembrance Day Memorial, hosting important community discussions such as Intersectionality: Black and LGBTQ+ Communities with nationally renowned LGBTQ+ activist and Executive Director and Founder of Equality Florida Nadine Smith, and offering pronoun pins at tabling events like Diversity Week. In June of 2021, the organization spearheaded the raising of the Pride Flag over campus. It flew for the entire month and has done so every June since.
To help students connect their growing legal acumen in this area, Lambda also launched a Student Mentorship Program, drafted a Chosen Pronoun and Chosen Name policy for Stetson students and employees and created an “Inclusive Classroom Training” during Annual Law Faculty Orientation, a comprehensive overview of chosen pronouns and names as well as the college’s expectations towards inclusion.
Lei-Lani Rogers, president of Stetson Law’s Lambda Legal Society (left), and Hunter Wolf, the group’s vice president, in 2022.
“There is no community like the LGBTQ+ community and it is a testament to our resilience that we are one of the largest and most active student organizations on campus,” said Hunter Wolf, vice president of Lambda. “It is incredibly special to be recognized for the work that we have put in to show that Stetson Law is not only an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, but a fierce advocate.”
Supportive faculty & campus leadership
From day one of law school, students will find professors who are members of the LGBTQ+ community or passionate allies eager to help students develop their legal skills.
Former Chair of AALS SOGII Subcommittee and longtime Law Professor Ellen Podgor launched an independent student research project highlighting and creating the Past Chairs of AALS SOGII Leadership and Initiatives Project, with plans to publish it soon.
Left to right: Law Professor Ellen Podgor, Admissions & Student Financial Planning Director Darren Kettles, and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Professor of Law Jason Palmer celebrate Stetson Law winning an Association of American Law Schools’ LGBTQ+ Inclusive Excellence Award in January 2024.
Recently, Kettles served as a member of the Law School Admission Council Annual Meeting and Educational Conference Planning Committee, where he developed sessions aimed at assisting law school admission teams in advancing work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.
In fall of 2023, Professor Morrissey was a guest on an episode of the Real Cases podcast discussing attracting LGBTQ+ students to law school in states that appear hostile towards them.
With vision, collaboration, and support from executive leadership, Stetson Law will continue to thrive as a place where members of the LGBTQ+ and allies are invited to celebrate their shared passion for the law and for justice for all.
“When it comes to initiatives promoting inclusion and justice for all, we are just getting started,” said College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “We look forward to celebrating our diverse campus community in 2024 and beyond, starting with this award.”
Scenes from the December 2023 Graduate Celebration
Marking the end to the fall 2023 semester, members of the Stetson Law community gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate students who successfully completed their law school journey in December. (See full event video below.)
The group of 20 graduates primarily consisted of part-time students, who have spent the last four years juggling careers, volunteer work, family, and other obligations with the rigors of their legal education.
Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros addresses the December 2023 graduates.
“Tonight, we celebrate the skills you have honed and the ways in which we know you will give back to the world as Stetson lawyers,” said College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “Tonight, we celebrate our graduates who are part of our Stetson family – today, and for a lifetime.”
Alumna Brittany Maxey-Fisher ’07, who is president of the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association, urged the new alumni that they have earned the ability to face the new chapter of their careers with confidence.
“Today, you turn the page from being law students to law graduates,” she said. “You are joining an elite group of attorneys. You and I have been trained by the top professors in first-class facilities to sharply hone our advocacy skills.”
Faculty and university leadership remarked on the unique circumstances that shaped their law school journey: the onset of a global pandemic took hold, civil unrest, and political polarization.
Stetson University President Christopher Roellke
“Class of 2023, you are part of a unique and unshakeable cohort and have experienced more in your time in law school than most have had in their lifetime,” Barros said. “You persevered through a global pandemic, all while caring for your friends, family, and colleagues. You’ve weathered many shifts in the last few years, and remain resilient and excellent. We are so proud of you.”
Dr. Christopher Roellke, President of Stetson University, said these students faced “a once-in-a-century set of challenges for higher education and for the globe.”
“Not only have you survived the demands of an outstanding Stetson education, but you have succeeded in accomplishing something very difficult during a time of great adversity,” he said. “In my view, these challenging experiences have undoubtedly developed in you a repertoire of skills that will serve you exceptionally well as you move on to your legal careers.”
Reflecting on Stetson’s university-wide embrace of a culture of kindness, Roellke asked the graduates to “bring kindness and empathy in everything that you do.”
A celebrated professor’s keynote
After Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jason Palmer read the names of the graduates, Professor Joseph Morrissey spoke on what it means to aspire to do great things.
Law Professor Joseph Morrissey addresses December 2023 graduates.
“Aspire to use your advocacy powers to do more than observe and complain,” he said. “Instead, try to bring people back together. We taught you about advocacy skills. You never persuade by alienating. You persuade by finding common ground, identifying our commonalities as human beings, and building from there.”
Morrissey, to whom many students were introduced through his Contracts course, has been on faculty for nearly 20 years. He is the faculty advisor for the Stetson chapter of Lambda Legal Society, the LGBTQ+ student organization, and for years has helped coach championship-winning student advocates. The ability to advocate effectively, he said, is a power they can and should use to fight not just for their clients, but for a better world.
“One thing we know for sure is that you are going to be a Stetson lawyer, and it’s my aspiration for you that you will be a compassionate counselor for your clients, and a zealous advocate for your causes,” Morrissey said. “I’m so delighted to be able to celebrate you and all your accomplishments today. I want to once again extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of you on a job well done. You did it. You made it. And now, the future is yours.”
WATCH VIDEO: Stetson Law December ’23 Graduate Celebration
Over the past year, the Stetson Law community has had so many incredible moments, from national recognition to amazing pro bono work. Students, faculty, alumni, staff, and friends have won championships, been thought leaders in emerging areas of law, and taken pivotal steps in their career journeys – but not without a little self-care.
In no particular order, here are ten highlights from Stetson Law in 2023.
1. Serving Others Through Pro Bono Work.
Stetson Law’s inaugural members of the AALS Pro Bono Honor Roll
For years, Stetson Law has been committed to helping overlooked and underserved populations through a robust, pioneering program requiring students and faculty to perform pro bono work. This results in thousands of hours of legal and non-legal pro bono work performed throughout the community each year through initiatives such as Wills for Warriors, an event in which students and volunteer attorneys prepare free simple wills and advance directives for elderly veterans. In January of 2023, the AALS inducted three individuals – a faculty member, a staff member, and a student – into its inaugural Pro Bono Honor Roll: Law Professor Judith Scully, alumna and Veterans Law Institute Staff Attorney Morgan MacIsaac-Bykowski, and then-student Phillip J. Faires, who graduated in 2023.
2. The Advocacy Institute Opened.
Officials celebrated the opening of the Advocacy Institute with a ribbon cutting on October 28, 2023.
After years of planning and hard work, Stetson Law’s Advocacy Institute began welcoming the community in the fall 2023 semester. The breathtaking new facility features 16,000 square feet of space, including new conference and office space, six new courtrooms, two new jury deliberation rooms, a stunning trophy area, and more. The addition of so many new courtrooms brings the total number to 12, which means Stetson Law has the highest number of practice courtrooms of any U.S. law school.
3. Student Wellness Took Center Stage.
Students will find adjustable lighting, aromatherapy, yoga mats, and other features to help them destress in Stetson Law’s meditation rooms.
Recognizing the toll that the rigors of law school can have on one’s mental and physical health, Stetson’s Student Bar Association, with support from the Student Affairs Department and others, launched several initiatives around student health and wellness in 2023. In April, two student meditation rooms opened on campus. Student Health & Wellness Week created a sense of community around cultivating healthy habits and mindful practices to combat stress. Campus even hosted a pair of miniature therapy horses to help students take a break from their studies and make adorable new friends.
4. New Heights in Student Achievement.
Despite the rigors of law school life, Stetson Law’s students were driven to excel in their scholarly pursuits and experiential endeavors in 2023. From recent grads being two of the top bar exam scorers in the state (one of whom was Stetson Law’s spring 2023 valedictorian, Sam Ciulla) to winning a prestigious public service award from a national nonprofit, Stetson Law students shined in 2023.
5. Reclaiming the Top Spot in Advocacy.
In May, Stetson Law regained its status as U.S. News & World Report’s number-one law school for trial advocacy – and maintained its number-three rank in legal writing. These triumphs are the result of deep commitment among students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Through forward-thinking scholarship, championship-sweeping competition performance, innovative teaching methods, and more, the College of Law remains a national leader in these critical areas of legal education and practice. The advocacy and legal writing communities look forward to more success in 2024.
6. Leading Conversations About AI.
In 2023, artificial intelligence took workplaces by storm. As A.I. stood poised to transform many industries, including the legal profession, Stetson Law faculty and others seized on opportunities to share insights on how this evolving tech will transform what lawyers do. In October, Law Professor Mason Clark spoke to legal professionals at Stetson Law’s annual National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts about why they shouldn’t be afraid of A.I. and should instead harness it. A month later, Law Professor Luz Nagle hosted LexisNexis Executive Vice President and General Counsel Ian McDougall for a lecture and discussion about how closed A.I. databases will impact legal work – and why lawyers will still be needed in the future. And in December, Law Professor Kirsten Davis, PhD was recognized by the American Association of Law Schools for her “significant strides integrating technology into legal education particularly with respect to use of Generative AI,” according to a statement from the AALS Section on Technology, Law, and Legal Education.
7. Remaining a Champion of Diversity.
At a challenging time for diversity initiatives at many universities, Stetson bolstered its commitment to fostering a welcoming, inclusive campus community. Students collaborated and conversed during Diversity Week, held important discussions around culture and heritage, and marched in St. Pete Pride. In November, Lambda, Stetson Law’s LGBTQ+ student organization, hosted a fundraising event exploring Florida Law and Drag, which culminated in a series of dazzling drag performances. These initiatives aren’t going unrecognized. The college won its fourth Insight Into Diversity HEED Award in a row, and was the only School awarded the national AALS Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues (SOGII) LGBTQ+ Inclusive Excellence Award.
8. Major Milestones for Signature Programs.
Stetson Law’s 2023 National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts.
In July, Dean D. Benjamin Barros embarked on his new role at the helm of the College of Law. He quickly became a warm, visible presence on campus whose enthusiasm for Stetson Law’s mission is contagious. Barros came to Stetson from University of Toledo School of Law, where he also served as dean. He looks forward to spending his first full year fostering growth and student success – and even doing some teaching. Learn more about Dean Barros.
10. Alumni Achievement: From SCOTUS to SLAA.
Anisha Patel ’15 was sworn into office as ’23-’24 president of the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division in June of 2023.
It was also a huge year for Stetson Law alumni. Double Hatter Viviana Vasiu, who received her J.D. in 2018, was selected for a prestigious fellowship with the U.S. Supreme Court, a yearlong term she began in September. Over the summer, 2015 alumna Anisha Patel was sworn in as president of the Florida Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. And as mentioned above, 2018 alumna Taylor Sartor launched an app to help youth in foster care navigate the system’s legal landscape and advocate for themselves. The concept stems from her time in Stetson Law’s Social Justice Advocacy Concentration; Professor Judith Scully, who mentored Sartor at the time, won a national award for her role in the project.
BONUS: Restoring Our Historic Fountains.
Stetson Law’s beloved “wishing well” fountain was also restored in Fall of 2023.
Everyone enjoys strolling past the ornate fountains that can be found throughout campus. Thanks to a federal grant, workers are now in the middle of lovingly restoring three century-old fountains to their full glory so they can be enjoyed in perpetuity. These include the large circular South Fountain, the iconic Wishing Well, and the Granary Tower Fountain.
