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Stetson Law promotes two long-time employees

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law has promoted Louise Petren to director of faculty support services and Shannon Mullins to coordinator of faculty support services.

Petren, a native of New York, has been with Stetson for 22 years. Born in Queens, NY, her first job was working on Wall Street. Petren moved to Florida in 1972 and began working at Stetson Law in 1984.

“As the new director, I will strive to uphold our reputation for providing excellent service to both the faculty and students,” Petren said.

Mullins, a native of St. Petersburg, joined the college in 1997. She is pursuing a B.A. in human development at Eckerd College and will graduate in May 2007. A full-time student at Eckerd College and full-time employee at Stetson Law school, Mullins’ excellent grades made Eckerd’s Dean’s List in fall 2005.

“I am excited about my new position as coordinator of the faculty support services, and look forward to many more rewarding years with Stetson,” said Mullins.

Connie Evans, who retires this month after supervising the department since 1987, said “I am confident that Louise and Shannon will make a strong team, and together with the assistance of a fine staff, they will carry on the legacy of professionalism in this office for many years.”

Evans, a native of Tampa Bay, has been with the college for 24 years.

The City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar honors Stetson Law Professor J.J. Brown with highest award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar presented James J. Brown, Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law, with its most prestigious award, the Ralph A. Marsicano Award, on May 12.

“It is a singular honor that as a law professor my past services to this Bar section have been considered worthy enough to cause my name to be added to those city and county honorees who are known as Florida’s finest attorneys,” said Brown.

The section presents the award to a lawyer who has made significant contributions to the development of local government law in Florida.

“It was a distinct honor to present this award on behalf of the section,” said Chip Rice, former chair of the section committee and a past Marsicano Award recipient. “Professor Brown, who has contributed to the local government practice and section at many levels, was selected from a group of superb local government lawyers by a committee composed primarily of distinguished past award-winners.”

Marsicano, the award’s namesake, was Tampa City Attorney for 28 years, general counsel for the Florida League of Cities for 30 years, and one of the principal authors of the local government provisions of the Florida Constitution.

Professor Brown was honored during the section annual meeting in Bonita Springs, Fla.

A former recipient of the section’s Paul S. Buchman Award, which recognizes outstanding legal contribution to the field at the municipal level, Professor Brown served 12 years on the section’s governing body, the Executive Council, as coordinator and overseer of the Local Government Law Symposium, published annually by the Stetson Law Review. Brown helped develop Symposium’s style and reputation as a nationally recognized and cited publication.

Professor Brown has been teaching law for 36 years, most of those years at Stetson Law in Gulfport, Fla.

The City, County and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar serves as an organization and resource for lawyers who represent local government interests or practice in this field on behalf of private interests.

William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award winners honored May 12

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – This year’s winners of the William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award were honored during a ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on May 12 in the Great Hall at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport. The award honored outstanding contributions to public service, the justice system and the community.

This year’s awards were presented to Louie N. Adcock, Jr. and Murray B. Silverstein.

    • Adcock has been president, chair or director of more than 15 community service organizations during the nearly five decades that he has been a lawyer. He presently works as trustee with the All Children’s Hospital Foundation and is on the board of the All Children’s Health System and Bay Area Legal Services. He has contributed to the legal community as St. Petersburg Bar president 1977-1978; Executive Committee, Board of Governors 1983-1985; convention chairman, The Florida Bar Annual Meeting 1984; candidate for president of The Florida Bar; chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, 1992-1993 and president of The Florida Bar Foundation 1990-1991.

 

  • Silverstein is currently president of the Community Law Program, Inc., an organization providing pro bono legal services, and is on the executive committee of the All Children’s Hospital Development Council. He has published numerous articles in the local press about the indigent health care tax and consumer information for healthcare, and has prosecuted consumer fraud cases. Silverstein has served on the editorial board of the Florida Bar Journal, and is a member of several sections of The Florida Bar, including the Pro Bono Service Awards Committee, Board of Governors and Business Law Section. He has been a member of The Florida Bar’s Public Member Screening Committee, Board of Bar Examiners Screening Committee and Special Commission on Lawyer Regulation.

 
Last year, the honor was awarded to Tampa criminal defense attorney Rochelle Reback and Carlton Fields attorney Sylvia Walbolt.

Stetson established the William Reece Smith Jr. Award in 1990. William Reece Smith Jr., the award’s namesake and its first recipient, is the past president of the American, International and Florida Bar associations.

Stetson Law graduates 180 students May 13

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – More than 180 students are expected to walk at Stetson Law’s commencement on Saturday, May 13 at 9 a.m. in the courtyard at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Judge Mary S. Scriven will be the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremonies. Scriven, a magistrate judge for the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, has practiced corporate litigation and has lectured in the areas of commercial law and trial advocacy. She chairs the board of The Spring of Tampa Bay, a shelter facility for battered women and their children, and serves on the boards of various community and professional organizations.

Among Stetson’s new group of graduates, seven will receive a Master of Laws degree in international law and 17 will receive a dual degree in law and business administration.

Some of the outstanding students graduating this year include:

  • Tammy Briant, Public Service Fellow and Student Bar Association president who coordinated campus efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina with donations and contributed significant hours to community volunteer activities.
  • Kathryn Christian, award-winning moot court team member and student advocate who helped her team win the silver medal at an international moot competition in Vienna last month where teams from 50 countries around the world competed.
  • Michael Kest, accomplished environmentalist, scuba instructor and underwater photographer, who recently led a group of divers in a reef cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • James McTyier, part-time student who balanced evening courses at law school and a full-time legal internship at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Bradenton.
  • Andrea Medina, top international student from Colombia who received a scholarship to attend Stetson Law in the U.S.
  • Zack Zuroweste, student ambassador, teaching fellow and advocacy board leader who will receive a dual degree.

 

Stetson Law professor named inaugural associate dean of faculty development and distance education

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Professor Ellen S. Podgor has been named the inaugural associate dean of faculty development and distance education at Stetson University College of Law, beginning June 1.

“I am excited about working at Stetson,” said Professor Podgor. “The faculty is dynamic, caring, and student-oriented. Bringing new forms of distance learning to Stetson will contribute to the breadth of the college’s offerings.”

Dean Podgor comes to Stetson from Georgia State University College of Law. A former deputy prosecutor and defense attorney, Podgor teaches in the areas of white collar crime, federal criminal law, criminal law and international criminal law.

Last year, she adapted her online international criminal law course for law students from Loyola University in New Orleans who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

She co-authors a popular blog analyzing white-collar crime on the Web at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/. Additionally, Dean Podgor is the co-author of books on white collar crime, criminal law and international criminal law, and has authored numerous law review articles and opinion editorials.

A member of the American Law Institute, Dean Podgor is also on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is an honorary member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.

Stetson Law warns seniors about scams May 11

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. –

WHO: Stetson Law
WHAT: Elder Consumer Fraud Forum
WHERE: Stetson’s Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.
WHEN: Thursday, May 11, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Stetson Law hosts a forum to educate seniors about frauds and scams on May 11 between
10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at 1401 61st St. S. in Gulfport. Speakers include:

  • Jack Shreve, Office of the Florida Attorney General
  • E. Bentley Lipscomb, state director of AARP

Topics will include how the elder consumer can protect themselves against:

  • Medicare Part D Scams
  • Insurance and Investment Fraud
  • Identity Theft
  • Door-to-door, Telephone and Mail Solicitations
  • Fraudulent Businesses

Light refreshments will be provided. Exhibitors include the Agency on Aging, Pinellas County Consumer Protection, Seniors v. Crime, Florida Dept. of Financial Services and AARP.
For more information or to RSVP, please call 727-562-7800 ext. 7715.

Webcast of panel on Hurricane Katrina’s impact on justice system

Contact Frank Klim
Executive Director of Communications
727-562-7818

Gulfport, Fla. – A webcast is now available of Stetson’s panel on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the justice system.

Two viewing options are available: Streaming video or Direct download

Stetson Law Professor Dorothea Beane hosted the April 7 event at the Tampa Law Center. “Katrina was an eye-opener for the legal community. Clients displaced, legal records destroyed and prisoners evacuated in the storm disappeared.” Professor Beane said. “What can this disaster teach us and how might Florida prepare for a disaster of this caliber?”

Speakers included:

  • Eddie Jordan District Attorney for Orleans Parish and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • Phyllis E. Mann, a law professor and defense attorney from Louisiana who has presented papers on Katrina’s impact on the criminal justice system
  • Bobby Marzine Harges, professor of law at Loyola, and former civil and construction litigator
  • Ron Austin, criminal defense and personal injury attorney

The American Bar Association-Law Student Division and Stetson’s Black Law Student Association co-sponsored this event.

Stetson Law student team wins silver in world wide moot competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – A Stetson Law student team placed second world wide at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition in Vienna on April 13.

Last year in March, Stetson Law became the first American law school since 1996 to win the Vis Moot competition.

“This is only the second time in the history of the moot that a school has ever placed teams in the grand finals back-to-back,” said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, director of the moot court program. “It is quite an achievement.”

A team from Queen Mary University in London took first place in this year’s competition.
More than 1800 spectators watched the final round of competitions.

The Stetson Law moot team of Marina Braginskaya, Kathryn Christian, Jared Dolan, Hugh Higgins, Garett Raines and Adam Williams competed with 157 teams from 50 countries around the globe to win the silver medal. Christian and Williams were both recognized with an honorable mention for best oralist and Stetson took third place for the best respondent’s memorandum.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Professor Joe Morrissey, who coached the team with Professor Vaughan and student coach Ryan Jones. “Not only has our team beaten more than 150 teams from universities around the world. This is also the first time that Stetson has won a brief award in the global Vis competition.”

The moot team wrapped up months of competitions at the Vis moot in Vienna. The team took first place in the Leuven Vis pre-moot competition on April 5 at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, beating teams from New Zealand, South Africa and Europe. Ten universities competed.

The Stetson Vis team also won first place in the Florida State Vis Pre-Moot in March. These Vis accomplishments mark another successful year internationally for the moot court board. Stetson took home an award for the best memorial at the Regional Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in February.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Stetson Law hosts fair housing and rebuilding communities seminars April 21-22 in Tampa

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. –
WHO: Stetson Law
WHAT: Two free seminars about fair housing and compliance issues
WHERE:Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.
WHEN: Friday, April 21, 8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Fair Housing Seminar, and
Saturday, April 22, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Rebuilding Communities: Accessibility Requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sec. 504

Stetson Law hosts two interdisciplinary seminars April 21-22, co-sponsored by the Bay Area Apartment Association, Bay Area Legal Services, Inc., Boley Centers, the City of Clearwater, the City of Largo, the City of St. Petersburg, the City of Tampa, Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc., Hillsborough County, the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights.

  • Friday’s free Fair Housing Seminar will cover the Fair Housing Act and compliance training for the Fair Housing Act.

Kim Kendrick, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, will introduce the program.

  • Saturday’s Rebuilding Communities training workshop will address dwelling units, a legal overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 and common errors and omissions.

There is a fee for lunch at both programs. To register, call 813-228-0226.

Stetson promotes administrators

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
(727)562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Laura Zuppo-Headley has been promoted to director of admissions and Michael Farley has been promoted to director of student life at Stetson University College of Law.

Zuppo-Headley, a native of Philadelphia, began working at Stetson Law in April 2001 as assistant director of admissions. Before joining Stetson, she was assistant director of admissions at Keller Graduate School.

“In the new position, I look forward to continuing to build Stetson’s commitment to diversity, not only by including more ethnic and racial diversity in our prospective student pool, but also by reaching more applicants from other states,” said Zuppo-Headley.

Zuppo-Headley holds a master’s in business administration from Keller Graduate School of management and a bachelor’s in sociology from Cedar Crest College, where she graduated magna cum laude. She serves on the Law School Admissions Council Advisory Board for Admit-M software and is a member of the National Association of Female Executives as well as the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals. Each year in her spare time, Zuppo-Headley organizes a team to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual Walk for the Cure.

Michael Farley joined the law school as associate director of student life in 2005. Prior to coming to Stetson, he was assistant dean of student services at the University of Florida, director of alumni services at Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity headquarters and coordinator of student affairs at the University of South Florida.

“This position will first and foremost allow me to interact with Stetson students in a significant way,” said Farley. “As director, I will be able to meet the new students at day one at orientation and be part of their lives during their three years of education here at Stetson. We’ll do this by encouraging their co-curricular involvement in leadership programming, student organizations and pro bono service activities.”

Farley received his master’s degree in higher education administration from Indiana University in 1994 and his bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Florida, where he was named the 1992 “Outstanding Male Graduate.” He has been a state and national leader in the Association of Fraternity Advisors, the National Association of Campus Activities and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

Stetson hosts ABA National Client Counseling Competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law hosted the 2005-2006 ABA Law Student Division National Client Counseling Competition on March 17 and 18 in Gulfport.

“The national competition marked the culmination of months of hard work for the competitors,” said Professor Kelly Feeley, who serves as the ABA Law Student Client Counseling Competition subcommittee chair.

In February, 12 regional competitions were held throughout the country with 140 teams competing. The winner from each of the regionals advanced to the national competition held at Stetson. Each team competed in three preliminary rounds, with the top six teams advancing to the semi-finals.

The three semi-final rounds were a head-to-head competition with the top three teams advancing to the final round on March 18. South Texas School of Law won the competition, with Pace University coming in second, and William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas coming in third. South Texas will now compete at the International Client Counseling Competition in Wales in April.

“This is such an honor for Stetson to host this competition and this year was no exception. The talent was tremendous,” said Feeley. “The competition was a complete success because of help from the local legal community, faculty, staff and our own Stetson students.”

Stetson will host this national competition every three years. Client Counseling will be back in Gulfport in 2009.

Stetson Law again ranked first in trial advocacy by U.S. News & World Report

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – U.S. News & World Report has again ranked Stetson University College of Law first for trial advocacy. Stetson has consistently ranked among the top law schools for trial advocacy since these rankings began in 1995. In addition, Stetson was ranked fourth in legal writing this year. U.S. News ranks law school specialties based on nominations by legal educators at peer institutions.

Last year, Stetson was tied for first in advocacy by the 2006 U.S. News & World Report national rankings.

“Stetson is again proud to be recognized as a national leader in training skilled lawyers,” said Vice President and Dean Darby Dickerson, who also directed the legal writing program until 2004. “Being ranked highly in both advocacy and legal writing reflects our mission to prepare students for the profession.”

Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy strengthens the school’s commitment to advocacy training, hosting a national tournament for the American Mock Trial Association which brings more than 400 undergraduate student trial teams together from around the nation.

“The Advocacy Center provides students with hands-on experiences that teach them to represent their clients in and out of the courtroom,” said Professor and Center Director Roberta Flowers. “Stetson is proud of its legacy of teaching students not only to think like lawyers but also to act like lawyers.”

Stetson offers full and part-time programs leading to the J.D., J.D./M.B.A., and LL.M. degrees and is the headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews.