News Archives - Page 104 of 139

Free Consumer Protection Expo for Seniors at Stetson Law

Contact Brandi Palmer
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WHO: The public is invited to attend an expo to learn more about how to guard against current financial frauds and scams targeting the elderly and seniors. This free event will be held in the Great Hall on the Stetson University College of Law campus at 1401 61st St. S. in Gulfport.

WHAT: The Bay Area Elder Consumer Protection Expo provides an opportunity to meet with various local and state consumer protection agencies; hear from speakers about the latest financial scams and frauds; and take advantage of identity theft protection services, including on-site document shredders, Do-Not-Call/Opt-Out registration, and credit reporting services. Expo attendees also will be treated to a continental breakfast and door prizes.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 20, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

WHERE: Great Hall, Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport.

For more information, please call Elder Consumer Protection Fellow Slade V. Dukes of Stetson’s Financial Scam & Fraud Awareness Project at 727-562-7888 or e-mail [email protected]. You may also learn more about the latest scams and frauds by visiting Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program.

Former Jamaican Attorney General Teaching Human Rights Course

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Former Jamaican Attorney General Arnold J. Nicholson is teaching a course in February at Stetson Law. High-resolution image.

Jamaican senator Arnold J. Nicholson, who served as Jamaica’s attorney general for 12 years, is teaching a course on Human Rights in the Commonwealth Caribbean through Feb. 21 at Stetson University College of Law. Nicholson, who arrived on campus Feb. 7, is a distinguished international fellow at Stetson Law through spring 2012.

“The Distinguished International Fellows program is a splendid opportunity for Stetson Law students to learn from leading legal scholars and judges from around the globe,” said John Cooper, Associate Dean of International and Cooperative Programs at Stetson Law.

Nicholson has been a member of the Jamaican Senate since 1998, and the legal advisor to the People’s National Party since 1996. He was Jamaica’s minister of legal affairs from 1995-1998, and the minister of justice from 2001-2007.

Nicholson joins Canadian Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, who is also currently serving as a distinguished international fellow at Stetson.

Students Help Pinellas Project Homeless Connect

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Heather Cain, a third-year Stetson Law student, offers a pair of shoes to a client at Pinellas Project Homeless Connect. Click for high-resolution image.

On Saturday morning, Jan. 30, a Homeless Court opened for the first time in St. Petersburg, Fla. More than 40 students from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport volunteered to help staff a legal clinic for Pinellas Project Homeless Connect during the opening of the new court.

Stetson Law students helped pro bono attorneys work with homeless people to resolve legal issues and complete advanced directives like living wills. Students also spearheaded Project Shoe, collecting and donating more than 270 pairs of shoes to the homeless people attending Saturday’s event at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg. Realizing a need for them, the law students also bought and distributed 250 pairs of socks to compliment the shoes.

“Often, Pinellas County’s homeless are treated like they are invisible,” said student volunteer Noah Kores. “But on Saturday, they were catered to and treated with dignity.”

Stephen Lutz (left), a third-year Stetson Law student, discusses living wills with one of the many clients receiving assistance at Pinellas Project Homeless Connect in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Jan. 30. “It’s great to be able to help those who wouldn’t receive help otherwise,” said Lutz. Click for high-resolution image.

Kores, who chaired the legal committee at Project Homeless Connect, said planning for the event began back in August at the start of the fall semester. He approached fellow student Brett Henson about including an Advanced Directives Clinic at Project Homeless Connect.

Henson said the clinic originally began as an initiative to help seniors complete advanced directives like living wills and designation of health care surrogacy. Stetson Law graduate Casey Stoutamire and local elder law attorney Lee Carr launched the initial Elder Law Clinic in 2008 in churches and community centers across Tampa Bay. Student Shanda Moyers began working on the idea of a Homeless Court. Then this past fall, seeing a need for the same services for the homeless, Kores and Henson worked to integrate the Advanced Directives Clinic into the new project.

“I realized that advanced directives are for everyone, not just seniors,” said Henson. “For the clients we worked with at the clinic, we were able to ensure that their wishes regarding end-of-life decisions would be expressed to health care providers.”

Stetson’s American Bar Association Law Student Division, Christian Legal Society and Public Service Fellows pooled resources to host the Advanced Directives Clinic for the homeless at the January opening of the Homeless Court. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the next court date will be Feb. 27 at the Salvation Army Red Shield Lodge in St. Petersburg.

For more information about Pinellas Project Homeless Connect, please visit http://www.pinellasconnect.org/ and for more information about ASAP Homeless Services, please visit http://www.asaphomeless.org/.

International Cooperation: Protecting Wetlands

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Manager of Media Relations
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Ramsar Secretary General Anada Tiega signed a memorandum of cooperation with Dean Darby Dickerson Feb. 18. Click for high-resolution image.

On Feb. 18, Stetson University College of Law became the first law school in the world to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the Ramsar Secretariat, assisting the international group that works to protect wetlands.

Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson signed a historic agreement with Ramsar Secretary General Anada Tiega on Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus at 1401 61st St. S.

Later in the day, Stetson Law professor Royal Gardner and law students attended a celebration with a Ramsar delegation at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Fla. Two recent Stetson Law graduates worked with the National Audubon Society on the application for the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary to be designated as a Wetland of International Importance, which was awarded in October 2009 by Ramsar. Wilderness artist Clyde Butcher and a National Audubon Society representative attended the invitation-only celebration in Naples.

An Audubon representative takes the Stetson Law students and Ramsar delegation on a tour of the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples on Feb. 18. Click for high-resolution image.

“We are very proud that our students played an important role in the Ramsar designation of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, one of Florida’s great natural resources,” said Gardner, who directs Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy. “Stetson’s agreement with the Ramsar Secretariat ensures that we can continue to collaborate on projects to protect wetlands throughout the world.”

Stetson has actively participated in Ramsar activities and was the first law school to become a member of the U.S. National Ramsar Committee, an organization that supports wetland conservation efforts. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has named more than 1,800 wetlands of international importance worldwide, including 29 sites in the U.S. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is the largest remaining stand of virgin bald cypress in North America.

Inaugural Carey & Leisure Torts Book Award

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Students Receive Torts Book Award — (L-R): Haley Meher, Patrick McArdle, Katherine C. Neal JD ’04, Thomas Carey, Christian Leger, Chelsea Harrison, Ming Lin. Click for high-resolution image.

First-year Stetson University College of Law students Chelsea C. Harrison, Christian M. Leger, Ming J. Lin, Patrick S. McArdle and Haley R. Meher received the inaugural Carey & Leisure Torts Book Award on Feb. 5 in St. Petersburg.

The award was created this academic year by the Clearwater law firm of Carey & Leisure, which specializes in plaintiff’s personal injury work. The five student winners, who all started law school at Stetson in fall 2009, were selected for the award based on their outstanding final exam grades in torts, a first-semester law course.

The students also attended a dinner hosted by partners in the law firm. The Carey & Leisure law firm, now in its 25th year, has been a leader in jury verdicts, legislative efforts and charitable endeavors, particularly in the fight against drunk driving, setting the jury verdict record multiple times in Pinellas County. Partner Thomas W. Carey has served as an instructor at Stetson, and partners Jodi Leisure JD/MBA ’99 and Katherine C. Neal JD ’04 serve on the Stetson Lawyers Association Advisory Council. Five of the firm’s six attorneys are Stetson Law graduates.

Stetson Educates Advocates

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Stetson University College of Law is offering a three-day conference for lawyers and educators on “Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills” May 26-28 in Gulfport, Fla. Stetson Law is home to the top-ranked advocacy program in the nation.

“This program is an experiential learning opportunity designed to increase the knowledge, skills and effectiveness of anyone teaching advocacy,” said Professor Charles H. Rose III, director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

A national faculty of experts from renowned programs will discuss skills education, innovations in advocacy teaching, and communication arts.

Participants will attend break-out sessions to learn more about designing courses with skills components, assessing and critiquing student performance, and writing materials for courses, presentations and publications.

The interactive conference program will engage participants in both learning and applying the Stetson method of teaching advocacy and the art of communication. Conference attendees will have access to Stetson’s online Advocacy Resource Center, publications and other materials.

To register or learn more about the conference, visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/conferences/advocacyskills or call 727-562-7312. The deadline for early registration is April 9.

To learn more about the Advocacy Resource Center, visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/ARC.

Justice Thomas Visits Stetson Law

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas addresses students at Stetson Law on Feb. 2. Click for high-resolution image.

On Feb. 2., U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas visited to talk with a crowd of students gathered in the Great Hall at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla.

Justice Thomas talked about the importance of the law and of the courts and then engaged in a lively topical discussion with students.

“It’s a humbling job,” Justice Thomas said of his role on the Supreme Court.

“Do not give up,” he urged the law students gathered to hear him talk on Tuesday morning. He said of his own experience as a law student, “One day, years later, everything clicked.”

(L-R): Justice Clarence Thomas with President Wendy Libby and Dean Darby Dickerson. Click for high-resolution image.

Born in the tiny impoverished town of Pin Point, Ga., Justice Thomas grew up in Savannah, Ga., and ultimately graduated with a law degree from Yale.

From 1981-1982, Justice Thomas served as Assistant Secretary of Education for the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Dept. of Education and from 1982-1990, was chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

He served on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals before being nominated to fill a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“You have to be honest, conscientious and thorough,” Justice Thomas said of being a good lawyer.

	Watch Video – 1 min: 59 sec

In 2007, My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir, was published about Justice Thomas. The book spans Thomas’s life from early childhood through the present, focusing on his upbringing, struggles against racism, intellectual evolution, self-reliance and conviction, and ultimate confirmation to the Supreme Court. Justice Thomas succeeds Thurgood Marshall as only the second African-American to serve on the high court. His book was number one on the New York Times non-fiction best-seller list.

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Chief Justices Share Wisdom, Elder Law Attorney Honored

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
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State Supreme Court Justices Holder, Hunstein and Quince at Stetson Law's Inns of Court. Click for high-resolution image.

Three female state Supreme Court justices shared their wisdom with Stetson University College of Law students preparing to enter the field of law at the annual Inns of Court Banquet and Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture on Jan. 25 in St. Petersburg. Elder law attorney Edwin M. Boyer JD ’77 was presented with this year’s Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award.

Chief Justice Janice Holder of the Tennessee Supreme Court, Chief Justice Carol Hunstein JD ’76 of the Supreme Court of Georgia, and Chief Justice Peggy Quince of the Florida Supreme Court addressed a crowd of students and faculty at Stetson’s banquet and lecture. Justice Quince received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Stetson in 1999.

Wm. Reece Smith Jr. with Edwin M. Boyer. Click for high-resolution image.

Each of the justices offered students in the audience career advice. “Don’t let anyone define who you are or what you can or cannot do,” said Justice Holder.Justice Hunstein advised, “Be proud of who you are and what you do. Keep true to yourself.” Each of the justices spoke of the need to provide additional financial support to the judicial branch of the government to help keep pace with the country’s current economic condition.

Boyer, this year’s Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award winner, serves on the Florida Department of Children and Families Secretary’s Advisory Council on Adult Protective Services and is a fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Boyer helps educate guardians and caregivers who work with seniors, speaks frequently to community organizations about aging issues, and works to promote public policy protecting our state and nation’s vulnerable aging population.

L-R: Justice Holder, Justice Hunstein, Edwin Boyer, Wm. Reece Smith Jr. and Justice Quince. Click for high-resolution image.

Stetson established the prestigious public service award in 1990 for Wm. Reece Smith Jr., past president of the International, American and Florida Bar Associations and the subject of a new book, A Consummate Lawyer, by Stetson Professor of Law Emeritus Michael I. Swygert. Smith’s relationship with Stetson began in the 1950s, and he has been a distinguished professorial lecturer at the law school since 1991, becoming a member of the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Annual Inns of Court is an adopted Stetson tradition that brings together prominent lawyers, experienced teachers and law students to exchange ideas, experiences and education. The original Inns of Court has its roots in England.

Wm. Reece Smith Jr.: A Consummate Lawyer

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Professor William Reece Smith Jr. is a distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson University College of Law. Click for high-resolution image.

A Consummate Lawyer, a new biography by Stetson University College of Law Professor Emeritus Michael Swygert, chronicles the life of legendary Florida lawyer William Reece Smith Jr. from childhood to present-day, describing the character traits and talents needed to be a respected lawyer and community leader along the way.

The book details how Smith, now in his 60th year in the legal profession, continues to be a consummate lawyer, embodying the legal profession’s highest virtues and traditions of service. As former president of numerous organizations including Florida Legal Services Inc., the Hillsborough Bar, Florida Bar, American Bar and International Bar Associations, Smith has worked tirelessly to increase the legal services available to people who cannot afford them.

“By his conspicuous example, he has taught our profession that the practice of law is more than the billable hour, more than a means to wealth –it is a means of gaining great satisfaction is using the privilege we have to practice law to help those in need have access to the legal system,” said Sylvia Hardaway Walbolt, a colleague and attorney at Carlton Fields in Tampa, Fla.

Smith has engaged in both trial and appellate practice throughout his notable career, arguing cases at every level of the state and federal systems, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He has been city attorney of Tampa, chair and trustee of numerous colleges and universities, interim president of the University of South Florida, and board member of countless religious, charitable, civic and professional organizations throughout a lifetime of service to the community and to the legal profession. Smith remains a dedicated advocate and educator today, serving as a distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, where he has taught courses for decades. His service to Stetson Law began in the 1950s.

To learn more about or to order A Consummate Lawyer, please visit Carolina Academic Press.

Dean Darby Dickerson Receives Multiple Honors

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Manager of Media Relations
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Stetson University College of Law Dean Darby Dickerson. Click for high-resolution image.

On Jan. 13, Chief Judge Manuel Menendez, Jr. of Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit presented Dean Darby Dickerson of Stetson University College of Law with the prestigious 2009 Chief Judge’s Award. Dean Dickerson received the award for her outstanding efforts and commitment to the court and in recognition of Stetson Law’s contribution to the legal community.

“I was extremely honored to receive this award,” said Dean Dickerson. “We are proud to partner with the court on a variety of projects that serve the legal profession and improve our community.”

In addition, at the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Law Schools in New Orleans, Dean Dickerson was elected by her peers to serve on the Executive Committees of both the Deans Section and the Section on Part-time Division Programs. The Deans Section includes law deans of ABA-approved law schools from across the country. The Section on Part-time Division Programs, of which Dean Dickerson was a founding member, focuses on issues unique to law schools with both full-time and part-time J.D. programs.

Stetson Law added a part-time J.D. program in 2002. This program, in which students take classes at the law school’s Tampa and Gulfport campuses in the evening, is now ranked 16th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Bankruptcy Seminar, March 4-6

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
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Stetson University College of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute are partnering for the first time to present the 34th Annual Judge Alexander L. Paskay Seminar on Bankruptcy Law and Practice March 4-6, in Tampa, Fla.

Register now to attend the continuing legal education seminar, offering plenary sessions and workshops on cutting-edge topics in bankruptcy law led by a national faculty of practitioners and a dozen U.S. bankruptcy judges.

“In the past 33 years, I conducted my bankruptcy seminar primarily geared towards practitioners in my court and the bankruptcy courts in the state of Florida,” said seminar chair and namesake Judge Alexander Paskay. “The partnership with the American Bankruptcy Institute substantially enhances the scope and quality of this already preeminent bankruptcy conference,” said Judge Paskay, a founding member of the board of directors of the ABI.

The ABI, which sponsors programs with top law schools, has become the most prominent educational institute devoted entirely to the practice of bankruptcy in the nation, with more than 12,000 members.

“The American Bankruptcy Institute is honored to be a part of the rich tradition of the Judge Paskay seminar,” said Samuel J. Gerdano, executive director of the ABI. “Partnering with Stetson University College of Law assures that we can deliver an excellent program on the timeliest developments in consumer and business bankruptcy.”

Accommodations for seminar attendees are available at the Hyatt Regency, a first-rate conference hotel in Tampa. The seminar includes optional events for networking and business development, including a golf outing and/or a New York Yankees-Tampa Bay Rays spring training game, and a break-out Nuts & Bolts Program on fundamentals for new professionals in the field.

To register, visit Stetson University College of Law’s Conferences and Events page online and click Register Online.

For more information, contact the American Bankruptcy Institute at 703-739-0800 or Stetson University College of Law’s Office of Conferences & Events at 727-562-7312.

Students Accumulate 7 Advocacy Wins

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This fall, student advocates at Stetson University College of Law won seven major advocacy competitions.

“These students represent our continuing commitment to excellence in all phases of teaching the law, skill and art of persuasion,”said Professor Charles H. Rose III, who directs Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

Two Stetson teams returned home as champions of the ABA Law Student Division Regional Arbitration Competition at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 22.

Two Stetson teams also won coast-to-coast victories on the same day. One team won the eighth annual National Civil Trial Competition in California, while the other was named best team at the Navy JAG Corps National Moot Court Competition in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov.14.

Earlier in the semester, Stetson faced challengers from around the globe to win the John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition in Information Technology and Privacy Law, in Chicago. Stetson’s Moot Court team also won the inaugural Veterans Law Appellate Advocacy Competition in Washington, D.C., and took both first and second place in the E. Earl Zehmer Workers’ Compensation Moot Court Competition in Orlando, Fla.

“These students are the living embodiment of Stetson’s commitment to creating ethical, competent and professional advocates,” said Professor Rose.

Stetson students also swept best advocate awards in the first, second, third and semifinal rounds of the 19th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition.

For more information about Stetson Law’s award-winning, top-ranked advocacy program, visit the Advocacy Center at http://www.law.stetson.edu/advocacy.