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Dean Darby Dickerson Receives Multiple Honors

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Stetson University College of Law Dean Darby Dickerson.
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

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Manager of Media Relations
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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

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
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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.

 

Stephanie A. Vaughan Promoted to Full Professor

During Stetson University College of Law’s fall Honors and Awards ceremony, Stephanie A. Vaughan was promoted to a full professor and was recognized for her numerous contributions during a robing presentation. Professor Vaughan has served at Stetson Law for the past 14 years. Professor Stephanie Vaughan
Stephanie Vaughan
Vaughan with Group 
Professors - Fall 2009 Honors and Awards 

 

Social Justice Roundtable

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Alan Crotzer Speaks at Social Justice Roundtable
Alan Crotzer joins Professors Judith Scully and Roberta Flowers at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg for a Social Justice Roundtable Monday night. Click for high-resolution image.

On Monday evening, Dec. 14, Stetson’s Innocence Project co-coordinators Professor Roberta Flowers and Professor Judith Scully joined Alan Crotzer, a St. Petersburg man exonerated of crimes through the help of the Innocence Project of Florida, for a Social Justice Roundtable about Justice Delayed, But Not Denied. Part-time law student Alizza Punzalan-Hall introduced and moderated the program at  The Studio@620  in downtown  St. Petersburg.

“The Social Justice Roundtables offer Stetson Law faculty and students a  unique and very important opportunity to be actively engaged in a community-wide interdisciplinary dialogue on social justice topics which involve the relationship between law, the role of community organizations, and direct social action  initiatives in the greater St. Petersburg area,” said Professor Robert Bickel, who teaches a Civil Rights Seminar at Stetson.

A crowd gathers at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg to hear panelists
A crowd gathers at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg to hear panelists discuss "Justice Delayed But Not Denied." Click for high-resolution image.

This fall, under the guidance of professors Flowers and Scully, several Stetson University College of Law students began volunteering with attorneys in collaboration with the Innocence Project of Florida.

The Social Justice Roundtable series at The Studio@620 is co-sponsored by  Eckerd College; Stetson University College of Law; and the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Learn more about The Studio@620 by visiting http://www.studio620.org/620/. Learn more about the Innocence Project of Florida by visiting http://floridainnocence.org/index.php.

Stetson Law Student Advocates Win Six Fall Competitions

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Student advocates at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla., won six competitions this semester, including an international moot court competition.

“This fall, our students have won major competitions in every field of advocacy,” said Professor Charles H. Rose III, the director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy.  

Two Stetson teams recently won dual regional championships at the ABA Law Student Division Regional Arbitration Competition held at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 22.

Stetson teams also came home as champions from the eighth annual National Civil Trial Competition in California and the inaugural Navy JAG Corps National Moot Court Competition in Florida on Nov. 14.

Earlier this semester, Stetson won the John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition in Information Technology and Privacy Law, the Inaugural Veterans Law Appellate Advocacy Competition, and both first and second place in the E. Earl Zehmer Workers’ Compensation Moot Court Competition.

“These students are the living embodiment of Stetson’s commitment to creating ethical, competent and professional advocates,” said Professor Rose.  “They represent our continuing commitment to excellence in all phases of teaching the law, skill and art of persuasion.”

Stetson students also won best advocate awards in the first, second, third and semi-final rounds of the 19th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 7.  

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

Stetson Law Student Wins Civil Liberties Prize

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Students Win Civil Liberties Prize
(L-R): Students Katherine Lambrose, award-winning writer Stephen Farkas and Christa Queen-Sutherland. Click for high-resolution image.

Stetson Law student Stephen Farkas won the inaugural Civil Liberties Prize for his paper, Bringing Marriage Equality to the United States from Abroad: An Analysis of How Judicial Decisions from Canada Have Helped Achieve Marriage for Some, and Given Hope to Others. The award was presented by The Lambda Legal Society  at Stetson  University College of Law and the American Civil Liberties Union Pinellas County Chapter on Dec. 3.

“It is wonderful to see the scholarship of Stetson students being recognized in the greater community, and especially important to know that their papers may assist in moving the discussion forward to achieve important  civil liberties for all,” said Professor Ellen Podgor, who advises Lambda.

Farkas won $500 and the opportunity to  submit his paper for publication in The Torch, the statewide ACLU magazine.

The runners-up for the prize are Stetson Law students  Katherine  Lambrose  for her  paper Civil Unions:  The Persistence of ‘Separate But Equal’ Doctrine in Gay Politics, and Christa Queen-Sutherland for her paper Genital Mutilation in our own Backyard: The Legal and Medical Ramifications for being Born an Intersexual in a Dualistic (Heterosexual) Society.

Paper topics included gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender legal issues, and preference was given to a focus on civil liberties involving public authorities. Professors Linda Anderson, Bruce Carolan,  Ann Piccard and Judith A.M. Scully selected the finalists in this school-wide competition.

 

Double Victory for Advocates

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Double Victory for Stetson Champions
Stetson champions L-R (front row): Olivene Harris, Megan Fossen, Nichole Hanscom, Jessica Crown; (back row): Patrick Griffin, Kelly Terwilliger, Anne Dryden and Nicole Rothstein. Click for high-resolution image.

Two teams of student competitors from Stetson University College of Law wrapped up the fall semester as winners, returning as champions from the ABA Law Student Division Regional Arbitration Competition held at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C.

In the final round of the regional competition on Nov. 22, the Stetson Law team of Jessica Crown, Anne Dryden, Megan Fossen and Nicole Rothstein defeated the University of Texas School of Law team. Not to be outdone by their peers, the Stetson Law team of Patrick Griffin, Nichole Hanscom, Olivene Harris and Kelly Terwilliger defeated the Seton Hall University School of Law team. Both Stetson Law teams will now advance to the ABA LSD National Arbitration Competition, which begins on Jan. 22 at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, Calif.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the competition was the judges constantly telling our teams how professional, ethical and prepared they were,” said Professor Kelly Feeley, who coached Stetson’s winning arbitration teams along with Professor Roberta Flowers.

Ten teams competed from American University Washington College of Law, Charleston School of Law, Emory University School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Seton Hall University School of Law, Stetson Law, University of Texas at Austin School of Law, and William and Mary Law School.

Stetson Law’s arbitration teams combine students from all three competition teams, including representatives from the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, Trial Team and Moot Court Board. Students from Stetson Law won six advocacy competitions this semester, including two national competitions the previous week.

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

Super Lawyers Rankings

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Stetson University College of Law placed 69th out of 180 law schools in the Super Lawyers magazine’s first-ever rankings of the nation’s ABA-approved law schools.

The rankings are based on the number of law school graduates who were selected for the 2009 Super Lawyers list.Super Lawyers polls practicing attorneys and conducts research to determine the top lawyers in each state. This is the first ranking system that focuses on the success of law school graduates.

To learn more about the Super Lawyers law school rankings, visit http://www.superlawyers.com/toplists/lawschools/united-states/2010/.

CIA’s John Rizzo Talks

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John Rizzo
John Rizzo talks with Stetson Law students on Nov. 23.

On Nov. 23, John Rizzo, acting general counsel of the CIA, spoke to Stetson University College of Law Professor Luz Nagle’s seminar students. An article by L.A. Times writer Greg Miller in the June 29 called Rizzo “The most influential career lawyer in CIA history.”

Rizzo, who joined the CIA in 1976 and  will retire this December, spoke about his 32-year career in the Office of Legal Counsel at the CIA and his  role in shaping national security law and foreign policy, particularly  in the  period since the  September 11  terrorist attacks.

Judge McEwen Honored

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Judge Catherine Peek McEwen
Judge Catherine Peek McEwen '82 addressed the Stetson Law Review banquet on Nov. 20. Judge McEwen is this year's J. Ben Watkins Award recipient. Click for high-resolution image.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Catherine Peek McEwen was honored with the J. Ben Watkins Award at the Stetson Law Review Banquet on Nov. 20 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Judge McEwen’s distinguished legal career includes being named the first female judge to serve in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s Tampa Division. A 1982 Stetson Law graduate, Judge McEwen is frequently an advocate for people who cannot afford legal representation. She  helped create a video for the Bankruptcy  Pro Bono Pro Se Assistance Project with a grant from The Florida Bar Foundation. Working with the project, the bankruptcy court,  Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association and Bay Area Legal Services volunteered time  to assist people in bankruptcy matters.

The Watkins Award is presented annually in honor of J. Ben Watkins, a 1949 graduate of Stetson Law who still actively practices law and was instrumental in founding the Stetson Law Review. The Stetson Law Review is a premier academic journal published three times per year. Each issue is presented in a symposium format addressing contemporary legal topics.

Saving the Health System

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Dr. Timothy Kaye discusses some differences between healthcare in the UK and in the U.S.
Dr. Timothy Kaye discusses some differences between healthcare in the UK and in the U.S. Click for high-resolution image.

On Nov. 18, Stetson University College of Law professor Dr. Timothy Kaye joined a panel of experts at the Studio@620 in downtown St. Petersburg for the first social justice roundtable of the season.

The panel, including Kaye, Eckerd College professor Tony Brunello and Aging Awareness Initiatives founder Elaine Gould, addressed America’s health care system and reform options.

Members of the public were encouraged to participate in the program on “Can This Health System Be Saved?: Law, Culture, Politics and Reform.” The panel addressed differences between health care and law in America and around the world, the political history of health care, and health care for seniors.

University of South Florida professor Ray Arsenault moderated the program, co-sponsored by Eckerd College, Stetson University College of Law, and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.