Skip to content
Stetson Law Logo

Special Needs Trusts Conference, Oct. 21-22

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

The Center for Excellence in Elder Law at Stetson Law will bring experts in the area of special needs from around the nation to St. Pete Beach, Fla., on Oct. 21-22. Stetson is sponsoring its 12th annual national Special Needs Trusts conference at the historic Don CeSar Beach Resort, 3400 Gulf Blvd.

“This national conference is designed to educate those in the field of special needs on the cutting edge issues and trends in this area of the law,” said Professor Rebecca C. Morgan, the Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law, who also directs Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

More than 350 attendees are expected to attend this year’s conference, which is designed for attorneys, trustees, estate planners, financial advisors, CPAs and other special needs professionals. A diverse group of more than 20 experts from across the country will present.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available by contacting Brianna Wetherwax, Director of Conferences and Events, at 727-562-7898.

CLE credits are also available. For CLE credit information, please contact Irena Milasinovic at 727-562-7312 or [email protected].

For tuition and registration information for the conference, visit the Office of Conferences and Events at Stetson on the Web at www.law.stetson.edu/conferences/snt2010, e-mail [email protected], or phone 727-562-7312. The conference will also be available via Webcast. A Webcam to view the beautiful beach outside the Don is located at http://www2.tbo.com/static/weather/tbo-webcams-don-cesar/.

The deadline for early-bird registration is Sept. 24.

SLA Honors Alumni and Friends

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

 
 
Slideshow: SLA 2010 Honorees

The Stetson Lawyers Association honored alumni and friends in Boca Raton on June 23 during the Florida Bar Annual Convention.

Fred R. Dudley JD ’68 received the Ben C. Willard Award for humanitarian achievements of distinction. A member of the College of Law Board of Overseers, Dudley is senior counsel with Holland & Knight and is a board certified construction lawyer. He served 16 years in the Florida Legislature, retiring from the Florida Senate in 1998, where he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Judge Simone Marstiller BBA ’88, JD ’96 received the Distinguished Alumna Award for extraordinary service to Stetson Law and to the legal profession. Judge Marstiller of Florida’s First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee has served the state of Florida in a variety of ways. Before becoming a judge, she was the state’s chief information officer and deputy attorney general as well as executive director for the Florida Elections Commission.

Scott J. Sternberg JD ’98 received the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for his generous contribution of time and gifts to the College of Law and alumni association. Sternberg owns a firm in Boca Raton that concentrates on workers’ compensation. He supports various projects at the College of Law and is an active member of the College of Law Board of Overseers.

Judge Gail A. Adams JD ’80 and Donald A. Pumphrey JD ’96 both received Outstanding Alumni Representative Awards for dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Association. Judge Adams, a circuit court judge in Orange County, annually hosts the annual alumni gathering in her home. Pumphrey, a criminal defender and member of the Stetson Lawyers Association, also regularly hosts alumni events in his home and reaches out to alumni.

Thomas W. Carey, Connie Pruitt, and Arturo M. Rios and Myrna Rios each received Distinguished Service Awards for significant, meritorious and continuing contributions benefiting the College of Law. Carey, a partner in the Carey & Leisure law firm, represents plaintiffs in personal injury and complex tort cases. His law firm established an award for the top student in each first-year Torts class at Stetson. Pruitt, executive director of the Hillsborough Bar Association, supports Stetson Law student scholarships and many collaborations between the bar and Stetson. Arturo Rios, an immigration attorney in St. Petersburg, and his wife Myrna, manager of the Rios Law Firm, regularly host several Stetson events, including the annual moot court party, as well as alumni receptions in Puerto Rico.

Lori Y. Baggett JD ’02 received the Stetson Lawyers Association President’s Award for service and dedication as immediate past-president of the SLA. Baggett, who dedicated substantial time to helping to advance the SLA as president, received the presidential gavel from incoming SLA president Barbara Cowherd JD ’00. The dedication and stewardship of the Stetson Lawyers Association, with more than 8,000 members, helps make Stetson Law a national leader in academic excellence.

Stetson Law Alumna, Overseer Help Tip the Scales for Female Jurists

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

(L-R): Chief Justices Sue Bell Cobb, Peggy Quince and Carol Hunstein.
The July 2010 ABA Journal features Stetson Law alumna Chief Justice Carol Hunstein and Stetson Law overseer Justice Peggy Quince, as well as Inns of Court lecturer Justice Janice Holder. (L-R): Chief Justices Sue Bell Cobb, Peggy Quince and Carol Hunstein. Click for high-resolution image.

Two state supreme court chief justices with ties to Stetson University College of Law —alumna and Board of Overseers member Carol Hunstein of the Georgia Supreme Court and Board of Overseers member Peggy Quince of the Florida Supreme Court —are featured on the cover of the July 2010 ABA Journal. The cover story features female chief justices who lead supreme courts in 8 out of 13 southern states. The south has more female chief justices than any other region.

Hunstein, J.D. ’76, was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in 1992 and was elevated to chief justice in July 2009; she was inducted into the College of Law’s Hall of Fame in 2006. Quince, LL.D. ’99, has dedicated significant time to Stetson Law’s Board of Overseers, which she will rejoin as an active member in Fall 2010.

In January 2010, Stetson Law’s annual Inns of Court banquet featured Chief Justice Hunstein, Chief Justice Quince, and Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice Holder, each of whom discussed being chief justice of a state supreme court in the South —the same topic addressed in the ABA Journal article. During this event, they discussed the incredible advances women have made in the legal profession and judiciary, but reminded the crowd that there was still much important work to be done.

 

State supreme court justices Holder, Hunstein and Quince spoke at Stetson Law's Inns of Court in January.
State supreme court justices Holder, Hunstein and Quince spoke at Stetson Law's Inns of Court in January. Click for high-resolution image.

Editor’s Note: To read the ABA Journal article about the trend-setting state supreme court justices, visit http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/tipping_the_scales.

Moot Court Team Wins Competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Stetson Law's award-winning Moot Court Team in Boca Raton.
Stetson Law's award-winning Moot Court Team in Boca Raton. (L-R): Professor Stephanie Vaughan, students Megan Fossen, Sandra Harrell and Erik Hanson and alumna team coach Aleks Jagiella. Click for high-resolution image.

Stetson University College of Law’s Moot Court Team won all three top awards at the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition in Boca Raton, Fla., June 23-26. In addition to being named Overall Best Team, Stetson won the Best Brief and Best Oralist awards.

Stetson students Megan Fossen, Erik Hanson and Sandra Harrell defeated a team from St. Thomas University School of Law in the finals. Hanson, a part-time law student at Stetson who also works full-time, was named best oralist in the final round. All seven justices of the Florida Supreme Court judged the final round.

“This is the first time in our memory that Stetson has taken home all three top honors with best team, best brief and best oralist in this competition,” said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Stetson’s moot court advisor. “We could not be more proud of our students’ skills as legal writers and advocates.”

The competition included teams from all 11 Florida law schools and was sponsored by the Florida Bar Young Lawyers’ Division. Stetson alumna Aleks Jagiella ’06  coached the award-winning team.

To learn more about moot court at Stetson, visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/advocacy.

Part-Time Program Information Sessions

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Stetson University College of Law will offer two information sessions in August for potential part-time law students. The sessions are designed to provide prospective students with all the information they need to know before applying to law school. Attendees are encouraged to R.S.V.P.   for one of the sessions in either Tampa or Gulfport.

• Aug. 5 in classrooms 135 and 136 at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.

• Aug. 26 in the Great Hall at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Both programs will start at 6:30 p.m. Registration begins at 6:15 p.m.

“The part time law program allows me to balance the study of law with the time I spend at my job or with my children,” said student John Kinsella.

“Our part-time law students bring a breadth of real-life experience to the class,” said Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Laura Zuppo. “We are excited about welcoming the next diverse group in the fall.”

Stetson Law enrolls new part-time evening students in the fall of every year. The information sessions will provide an overview of law school admission and financial aid, law school curriculum, legal careers, and insights from part-time law students.

To R.S.V.P. and for more information and directions to campus, visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/admissions/ptinforsvp/. See the J.D. Part-Time Program page for more information.

For more information, contact:
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
(727)  562-7802
[email protected]

More than 200 Alumni Listed as Super Lawyers

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

A total of 238 Stetson University College of Law alumni were recognized in this year’s Florida Super Lawyers ® list, and 134 alumni were listed in the 2010 Florida Rising Stars ® list. Super Lawyers is a list of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas and Rising Stars is a list of the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state —those who are 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less.

Stetson alumnus Christian D. Searcy ’73 was listed on the Florida Super Lawyers top 10 list.

Stetson graduates Stephen D. Busey ’69, Robert S. Freedman ’90, Mark A. Hanley ’80, Luis Prats ’81, Robert J. Sniffen ’93 and Alton C. Ward ’82 joined Searcy on the top 100 list for Florida. The six Stetson alumni were also on the top 50 list for North Florida.

Stetson alumnae Caroline K. Black ’84, Lorena Hart Ludovici ’89, Marian P. McCulloch ’79 and Denise L. Wheeler ’94 were mentioned in the top 50 women list for Florida, and on the top 25 women list for North Florida.

For more information, please visit Super Lawyers online at www.superlawyers.com.

Stetson Graduate Wins Legal Writing Award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Forrest Bass, 2010 Burton Award winner and 2009 Stetson Law graduate.
Forrest Bass, 2010 Burton Award winner and 2009 Stetson Law graduate. Click for high-resolution image.

Stetson University College of Law graduate Forrest Bass ’09 recently received a Burton Award for student legal writing. This national award, presented on June 14 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., was given to only 15 recent law graduates nationwide.

Bass was honored for his article “Calming the Storm: Public Access to Florida’s Beaches in the Wake of Hurricane-Related Sand Loss,” which was published in the Stetson Law Review‘s spring 2009 issue. Bass also received the St. Petersburg Times Award for his writing on the Stetson Law Review.

On June 17, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case Mr. Bass analyzed.   Bass now practices estate planning and tax law with the Punta Gorda law firm of Farr, Farr, Emerich, Hackett & Carr P.A.

The Burton awards, which were created by attorney and author William C. Burton of New York City, recognize achievements in legal writing, legal practice, and public service. Others honored at the 2010 ceremony included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, CNN senior legal correspondent Jeffrey Toobin, and Bryan Garner, editor in chief of Black’s Law Dictionary and the May 2010 commencement speaker at Stetson University College of Law.

Stetson, which has been honored with six Burton Awards over the past 10 years, is ranked third in the nation for legal writing by U.S. News & World Report.

National Clearinghouse to Receive Award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law has been selected to receive the 2010 August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic Science Award in the category of Innovation in Forensic Technology.

The National Clearinghouse was selected for outstanding achievements on behalf of the law enforcement profession by the International Association of Chiefs of Police Forensic Committee. The award will be presented on Oct. 24 at the IACP’s 117th Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse provides a unique online resource that concentrates on the nexus of science, technology and the law, educating and sharing information with scientists, legal professionals, law enforcement, academics and the public. Its forensic research database provides more than 100,000 resources about forensic science and technology, the law of scientific evidence and expert witnesses.

To learn more about Stetson’s National Clearinghouse, visit http://www.ncstl.org or call 727-562-7316.

Nagle Appointed to IBA Council

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Prof. Nagle Appointed to IBA Council
Professor Luz Nagle. Click for high-resolution image.

Stetson University College of Law Professor Luz Nagle has been appointed to the International Bar Association Legal Practice Division Council for a four-year term starting in January 2011.

“I feel honored to have been selected for this important appointment,” Nagle said. “As a member of council, I am thrilled to have an opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading legal organizations.”

Nagle, an expert in international law and international criminal law who has been published in English and Spanish on four continents, began her legal career in Colombia, where she was a judge in Medellín fighting drug lords. At Stetson, she teaches International Law, International Criminal Law, Transborder Criminal Law, National Security, and an Advanced Seminar on Terrorism and Global Security. Deeply involved in the global fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery, Nagle was honored with the 2009 Freedom Award given by the Florida Coalition against Human Trafficking.

She is a member and co-chair of the Criminal Law Section of the IBA, member of the American Bar Association, ABA Criminal Justice Council, Teaching of International Law Committee, and serves as Stetson’s editor to the American Society of Comparative Law. Nagle is also a member of the American Law Institute, L’Association Internationale de Droit Pénal, the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law, the Academia Mexicana de Derecho Internacional Privado y Comparado, the College of Lawyers of Colombia, and the Tampa Chapter of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

The IBA, with a membership of more than 40,000 lawyers and 197 bar associations and law societies, spans every continent. It influences the development of international law reform and shapes the future of the legal profession throughout the world.

Nagle will attend her first meeting as an entering council member in the fall.

Professor Barbara Bergman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award in Advocacy

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Bergman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
L-R): Stetson Law Vice President and Dean Darby Dickerson, University of New Mexico School of Law Professor and Associate Dean Barbara Bergman, and Stetson Law Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Charles Rose III. Click for high-resolution image.

On May 26, Stetson University College of Law presented its Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Advocacy to Barbara Bergman, professor of law and associate dean for academic affairs at the University of New Mexico School of Law. The award was presented during Stetson’s third annual teaching advocacy skills program in Gulfport.

“Dean Bergman personifies excellence in teaching advocacy,” said Stetson advocacy center director Professor Charles H. Rose III.   “Her accomplishments as a trial lawyer, as a champion of others, and as both a lifelong student and teacher of advocacy place her in the forefront of all that is noble about our profession. She honored us by accepting the lifetime achievement award.”

A past-president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Bergman has been a member of the University of New Mexico law faculty since 1987. Her expansive legal career includes working as a criminal defense lawyer, employment law attorney, and as associate counsel to former President Jimmy Carter. Bergman also worked on the defense team in the State of Oklahoma v. Terry Nichols, a state death penalty case in which Nichols was prosecuted for conspiracy and murder in connection with the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.

Bergman is the co-author of Wharton’s Criminal Evidence, 15th edition, and The Every Trial Criminal Defense Resource Book and is the editor of the fourth edition of the Criminal Jury Instructions for the District of Columbia.

For the past three years, Stetson’s Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills program has provided attendees with opportunities to hone their skills in the fine art of persuasion and communication while learning the Stetson method of teaching and practicing advocacy.

Stetson is again ranked #1 in trial advocacy this year by the U.S. News & World Report, and enjoys a winning legacy in mock trial, alternative dispute resolution and moot court competitions.

To learn more about the advocacy program at Stetson, please visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/advocacy.

Alumni Appointed to NAELA Leadership

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Edwin Boyer, 1977 Stetson Law J.D.
Edwin Boyer, 1977 Stetson Law J.D. Click for high-resolution image.

Three Stetson University College of Law graduates were elected to leadership positions at the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys during its annual meeting in May.

 

Edwin Boyer became NAELA’s president-elect on June 1. He becomes president of the organization on June 1, 2011. Boyer is a 1977 graduate of Stetson Law, where he serves as an adjunct professor. He is a partner in the firm of Boyer and Jackson, which specializes in elder law with an emphasis on guardianship, estate planning and administration, advance directives, end of life issues, nursing home resident’s rights, and elder exploitation.

Catherine Seal and Amos Goodall were sworn in as members of the NAELA board of directors. In 2008, Seal earned Stetson’s first LL.M. degree in elder law. She is a senior partner in the Colorado firm of Kirtland & Seal, specializing in elder law, estate planning, and probate and real estate law. Seal authored “Colorado Elder Law” in the Thomson-West Colorado Practice Series. The National Elder Law Foundation certified her as an elder law attorney in 2003, and she received a graduate certificate in gerontology in 2004.

Catherine Seal, 2008 Stetson LL.M. in Elder Law.
Catherine Seal, 2008 Stetson LL.M. in Elder Law. Click for high-resolution image.

Amos Goodall is president and partner of the law firm of Goodall & Yurchak PC in State College, Penn. His practice emphasizes elder law matters, business organization, litigation and planning as well as real estate litigation. He was certified as an elder law attorney in 2000 and earned his LL.M. degree in elder law from Stetson in 2009. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. His community service awards include the Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award, Centre County Youth Service Bureau R. Paul Campbell Award, IOLTA Board Recognition Award, and the Clearwater Conservancy Award for Thompson Wood Project.

Amos Goodall, 2009 Stetson LL.M. in Elder Law.
Amos Goodall, 2009 Stetson LL.M. in Elder Law. Click for high-resolution image.

Charles Rose Named Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy

Contact Frank Klim
Executive Director of Communications
727-562-7889
[email protected]

Professor Charles H. Rose III.
Professor Charles H. Rose III. Click for high-resolution image.

Professor Charles H. Rose III has been named Stetson University College of Law’s first Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy.

Stetson alumni S. Sammy Cacciatore, Jr., B.A., J.D. ’66 and Michael C. Maher, J.D. ’65funded the endowed position to honor retired Professor William McKinley Smiley, Jr., who taught for 38 years at Stetson Law, founded the Society of Trial Advocacy and coached many of Stetson’s trial advocacy teams to victory.

Rose, who received tenure in 2009, directs Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. He joined Stetson’s faculty after retiring from the U.S. Army in December of 2004.

Since joining Stetson, Rose has written Fundamental Trial Advocacy and co-authored the well-received Military Crimes & Defenses and Fundamental Pretrial Advocacy. He recently worked with professors Christopher B. Mueller and Laird C. Kirkpatrick on one of the premier evidentiary hornbooks, Evidence: Practice Under the Rules, Third Edition. A 2008 co-recipient of the Florida Bar’s Professionalism Award given to law school faculty, Rose has also been recognized by Stetson with university awards for both teaching and scholarship.

Rose primarily researches in the areas of advocacy, evidence, professional responsibility and criminal procedure.  He is a noted commentator who has appeared in national print and broadcast news discussing a variety of legal issues. Rose is a graduate of Indiana University at South Bend and the University of Notre Dame Law School.

For information about Stetson’s advocacy program, please see the Center for Excellence in Advocacy.