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Stetson Law trial team again wins the Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The Stetson University College of Law Trial Team won the Florida Bar Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition for the second year in a row on Jan. 18 in Miami.

This is the 17th time the team has won the competition. Student teams from eight Florida law schools competed.

Stetson’s team of Matthew Easterwood, Johanna Castellon, Anthony Wilson and Rachael Wood defeated students from the University of Florida in the final round of the state-wide competition.

Also competing were Andrew Hill, Ann Fiddler, Petra Risco-Adam and Tony Perez.

Stetson professor and trial team program director Professor Lee Coppock coached the winning team with former trial team member John Grant III.

“Stetson is honored to win another top spot in this premier annual competition,” said Professor Coppock. “We strive to train our students to be outstanding advocates and professionals.”

Stetson has won first place in more national-level trial competitions than any other law school in the nation and has consistently ranked as a top law school for trial advocacy by the U.S. News & World Report since it started rankings.

Ebony Scholars visit Stetson Law for annual college scholarship workshop

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – On Jan. 20, Stetson law professors and students invited local high school students from the Ebony Scholars club to the Gulfport campus to learn about preparing for the scholastic and financial rigors of a college education.

Stetson Professor Dorothea Beane partnered with Stetson’s Black Law Student Association to offer the weekend workshop. Seminar topics included “Funding Your College Education,” “Preparing for College and Beyond,” and “What Parents Need to Know About the Hidden Costs of College.”

The Ebony Scholar students and their families learned about computer-based research for scholarships in Stetson’s state-of-the-art law library.

“This program strengthens Stetson’s commitment to the community to support academic excellence,” said Professor Beane, who believes that mentoring can be key in shaping the futures of young people.

The Ebony Scholars program was started more than two decades ago by retired Pinellas educator Vyrle Davis to honor African-American students for their scholastic and community achievements and to challenge them to continue their education.

The Ebony Scholars program annually targets elementary school students who are recommended for awards. The students must maintain a 3.3 grade point average in middle school and a 3.0 average in high school to stay in the program. As 11th graders, they are invited to join the Ebony Scholars academic club, where they meet monthly to discuss career and college opportunities and social etiquette. They also complete an eight-week Toastmasters International youth leadership program to develop communication and leadership skills.

An annual luncheon in May honors graduating seniors and their parents. Various scholarship awards are available for the students.

Stetson promotes technology chief and development officer

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Daniel Orie has been promoted to chief technology officer and Karen Griffin has been promoted to director of development at Stetson University College of Law.

In the new position, Orie will continue to assist with the college’s new technology initiatives, including developing an intranet and distance education programs.

Orie was formerly executive director of information technology at the College of Law. Prior to joining the law school, he led information systems at Stetson University in DeLand.

Griffin will focus on planned giving, major gifts and corporate and foundation giving in her new role.

Griffin previously directed corporate and foundation relations at the law school. She was director of institutional and government grants at Stetson University in DeLand prior to joining Stetson law school.

Stetson hires new directors to oversee alumni and campus operations

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – William Weller has been selected as the new executive director of operations and Todd Marrs has been selected as the new director of alumni and annual giving at Stetson University College of Law.

Weller will oversee several non-academic support units on the Gulfport and Tampa campuses of the College of Law.

Weller was formerly executive vice-president of Crescent Communications Corp. in North Carolina and vice-president of corporate operations for Beasley Broadcast Group in Florida and North Carolina. He is a 2004 graduate of Stetson University College of Law.

Marrs will oversee the college’s annual fund campaign and will be responsible for alumni programming and involvement.

Prior to coming to Stetson, Marrs held positions in alumni relations and development at the University of Tampa.

Bones producer to visit Stetson’s Gulfport campus Feb. 5

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Kathy Reichs, a top forensic anthropologist, novelist and producer of the Bones television series, will discuss forensics and crime fiction Feb. 5 in a program sponsored by Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law.

“Forensic Anthropology: From Crime Scene to Crime Fiction” will be presented in Stetson’s Great Hall at noon. Another presentation, “Forensic Dentistry,” featuring forensic dentistry specialist Robert Dorion, will be offered as part of the same program. The two presentations are free. A light lunch will be served.

Developed by 20th Century Fox Television, Bones is seen Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on the Fox Network. Its story lines are inspired by stories written by best-selling author Reichs. The episodes feature a character named Dr. Temperance Brennan, who, like Reichs, is a forensic anthropologist.

Reichs has worked to identify individuals in mass graves in Guatemala; victims of 911 at Ground Zero; and war dead from World War II. She will sign books from her best-selling Temperance Brennan series, which includes Déjà Dead, Death du Jour, Deadly Decisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Monday Mourning, Cross Bones and Break No Bones.

Dorion has been the director of forensic dentistry at the Ministry of Public Security in Québec since 1973. He is a founding member and past president of the American Board of Forensic Odontology and has lectured at forensics conferences around the world.

The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law, a program of the National Institute of Justice, provides a comprehensive online database of legal and scientific research. It educates lawyers, judges and law enforcement personnel about new developments in forensic technology and forensic evidence handling in the courts.

To learn more, or to RSVP for the program, call 727-562-7316 or visit the web site at http://www.ncstl.org/.

Janet Reno to speak at Stetson University College of Law

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will serve as the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecturer at Stetson’s Annual Inns of Court Banquet on Jan. 25.

Reno was the 78th attorney general of the United States and the first woman to hold the post. She was the first woman appointed to be a state attorney for Florida. Reno helped win congressional approval of the 1994 crime bill, the biggest crime legislation in U.S. history.

“We are honored to have Ms. Reno join the Stetson community for this year’s Inns of Court event,” said Professor Roberta Flowers. “Her distinguished career as both an advocate and leader is an inspiration to both the legal community and to our students.”

The banquet and lecture, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Mirror Lake Lyceum in St. Petersburg, brings together invited dignitaries, federal, circuit and county judges, area attorneys, Inn members and Stetson students.

Reno will be making a special presentation at the Ninth International Wildlife Law Conference on Stetson’s Gulfport campus Jan. 26 and she will address a Stetson student leadership luncheon.

The Inns of Court is a tradition originally used to train barristers in London. It focuses on maintaining close mentoring relationships between lawyers-to-be and eminent scholars, lawyers and judges.

William Reece Smith Jr. has been a distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson Law since 1991 and has taught at the law school since 1954. He is the past president of the American, International and Florida bar associations. He has received numerous legal awards, including the ABA’s Gold Medal and the Florida Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor. Smith is of counsel and is chair emeritus of Carlton Fields P.A.

The William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture is made possible by a generous gift from Joy McCann Culverhouse.

New Inn of Court named for Stetson Professor and Dean Emeritus Bruce Jacob

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The Bruce R. Jacob Criminal Appellate Inn of Court was officially named on Oct. 18 for Stetson University College of Law Professor and Dean Emeritus Bruce Jacob.

Professor Bruce Jacob teaches and researches primarily in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, constitutional law and administrative law at Stetson. He was vice president of Stetson University and dean of Stetson College of Law from 1981 through 1994, and dean of Mercer University Law School from 1978 to 1981.

“This came as a complete surprise and it is an incredible honor. I am very grateful to the members of the Inn,” said Jacob.

Jacob began his career in 1960 as an assistant attorney general for the state of Florida and represented the respondent in the Supreme Court’s Gideon v. Wainwright decision in 1963, involving an indigent criminal defendant’s right to counsel. He later was appointed by the Supreme Court to represent the petitioner in Kaufman v. United States, decided in 1969. He was professor and director of clinical programs at the Ohio State University College of Law from 1971 to 1978, representing and training law students to represent indigent defendants in criminal trials and appeals. He established a program at the Emory University Law School in 1965-1969 and co-founded a program at Harvard Law School in 1969 and 1970 to provide legal assistance to indigent prison inmates.

The Inn announced that it is the first of its kind, being composed primarily of students from an evening law program and specializing in appellate law. Other members include judges, professors, attorneys and recent graduates.

The Inn’s first meeting was this year on Sept. 20 at the Tampa Law Center.
The American Inns of Court, composed of judges, lawyers, law professors and law students, meet regularly to discuss ethics, skills and professionalism. The American Inns of Court Foundation was formally organized in 1985.

Judge and former Hispanic Woman of the Year speaks at Stetson’s graduation Dec. 16

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The Honorable Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, speaks at Stetson’s commencement Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. in the college’s courtyard in Gulfport.

Judge Covington was named Tampa’s Hispanic Woman of the Year in 2003. She has served on the federal bench since 2004 as a U.S. district judge. Judge Covington has taught throughout Latin America on trial advocacy practices and procedures and has lectured on asset forfeiture, money laundering and complex prosecutions to prosecutors and law enforcement personnel nationwide.

“Judge Covington is an outstanding role model and we are very privileged to have her join us as this year’s graduation speaker,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.

During the graduation ceremony, 111 students are expected to walk, including one student with a Master of Laws degree in international law. Eighteen students will graduate from the part-time law program. Nine students will receive a dual J.D. and MBA degree.

Among the graduating class:

  • Marina Braginskaya, a student intern for U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, D.C.
  • Jane Geddes, a former Ladies Professional Golf Association golfer and 1987 LPGA champion.
  • Brian Redar, the only student member of the American Bar Association Board of Governors.
  • Jason Whittemore, son, and Erin Whittemore, niece of Judge James Whittemore, who presided over the controversial Terri Schiavo case.

Stetson student arbitration team becomes new national champion at ABA competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s team of Megan Lattz, Shannon McMahon, Sarah Olsen and Stuart Weissman won the American Bar Association Law Student Division National Arbitration Competition in Austin, Texas Nov. 18.

The Stetson student team beat a team from Texas Tech University School of Law and last year’s national champs from the University of Texas School of Law.

A second team of Stetson students performed well during the preliminary rounds of competition.

“This win was such an incredible accomplishment for our teams,” said Professor Kelly Feeley, who helped prepare the teams with Professor Roberta Flowers, director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. “Each team member performed with such grace, talent and professionalism that we could not have been any prouder. The new national champions represent this year’s top professional and ethical student advocates.”

During competition, the student arbitration teams prepare and present opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations and summations. Stetson’s arbitration teams include members of the Client Skills Board, Trial Team and Moot Court.

For more information about the competition, please visit the ABA web site at
http://www.abanet.org/lsd/competitions/arbitration/home.html.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead receives Stetson’s J. Ben Watkins Award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The Stetson Law Review presented Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead with the J. Ben Watkins Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession on Nov. 17.

Justice Anstead was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Lawton Chiles on Aug. 29, 1994. During his tenure, Justice Anstead initiated a number of changes to internal court procedures to improve the quality and efficiency of the judicial process. He also spear-headed a comprehensive statewide program to improve professionalism among judges, lawyers and law schools in the state. This initiative led to the creation of the Supreme Court of Florida’s Commission on Professionalism and the permanent Center for Professionalism at the Florida Bar. Justice Anstead advanced to the highest judicial office in state government on July 1, 2002, when he became Florida’s 50th chief justice, serving in that capacity through June 2004.

The Stetson Law Review presents the J. Ben Watkins Award to someone who has contributed significantly to the legal community. Inducted into Stetson’s Hall of Fame in September 2006, Watkins has actively practiced law since graduating from Stetson University College of Law in 1949. He served on the law school’s board of overseers for more than two decades and was instrumental in forming the Stetson Law Review.

Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles wins International Environmental Moot Court Competition at Stetson Law

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – A team of students from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles are the winners of the 11th annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition at Stetson University College of Law. The final rounds of competition were held Nov. 8-11.

More than 60 teams competed worldwide in regional competitions for a chance to come to the international finals at Stetson. Teams gathered at Stetson Law from Australia, Brazil, India, the Philippines and the United States. This year’s winners from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, CA defeated a team from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.

“I was very impressed with the students’ advocacy skills and knowledge of international law,” said Professor Royal C. Gardner, who heads the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson Law.

The final round of competition at Stetson was judged by Dr. Wil Burns, editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Wildlife and Policy, Birgit Van Hout, executive director of Community Tampa Bay, and William Thomas, chair of the ABA International Environmental Law Committee.