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Stetson’s Black Law Student Association invites the community to celebrate black history Feb. 18

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson Law’s Black Law Student Association invites Tampa Bay residents to a celebration of culture and heritage at the Black History Festival in the Great Hall, Mann Lounge and Courtyard on the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S., between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 18.

“I believe that black history should be celebrated everyday,” said BLSA President Patice Holland. “This month in particular, the Black Law Student Association at Stetson wants to celebrate a rich black history and culture with the community.”

The festival includes:

  • 11:30 a.m.; Patice Holland introduces the program and leads the Negro National Anthem.
  • Noon; Soul food luncheon.
  • Noon; “Hip Hop and Censorship,” a presentation by Stetson Professor Darryl Wilson.
  • 1 p.m.; Black history and trivia presentation and student talent show.
  • 2 p.m.; Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church Choir and University of South Florida Choir.
  • 3 p.m.; Festival of dance.

A slide show of important moments in black history and exhibits from local artists will be on display throughout the festival.

Stetson’s BLSA chapter is officially named in honor of Judge Thomas E. Stringer, Sr., the first African American student to graduate from Stetson University College of Law.

Florida Attorney General invites seniors to consumer fraud program at Stetson Law in Gulfport Feb. 13

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist invites seniors to learn about the dangers of identity theft and consumer fraud at a free forum Feb. 13 on Stetson University College of Law’s Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S. between 9:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Crist will address the importance of protecting against scam artists in Stetson’s Great Hall. A shredding company will be on campus between 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. to provide free proper document disposal.

Exhibitors will provide information on how to avoid scam artists and fraud throughout the program. Lunch will be served.

Speakers and topics include:

  • Medicare/Medicaid Issues, Bentley Lipscomb, Florida state director, AARP
  • Identity Theft, Former prosecutor and Stetson Professor Nick Cox
  • Predatory Lending, Jane Lyon of the Fla. Dept. of Financial Services

“Elder consumers need to learn more about various scams and how to protect themselves from being victims of a scam,” said Rebecca Morgan, director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law. “Good advice to always remember is ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.'”

Stetson Law, a national leader in elder law, has partnered with AARP and the Attorney General’s Office to increase public awareness of consumer fraud against the elderly. The forum is part of Stetson’s ongoing elder consumer protection initiatives. A consumer fraud forum on campus last month drew close to 100 people from the community.

RSVP for this event by calling Stetson at 727-562-7800, ext. 7235.

Stetson Law trial team wins the Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition in Miami Jan. 19

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 16th time on Jan. 19 in Miami.

Stetson’s team of Arturo Rios, Angie Torrents, Senovia Lance and Ruel Smith defeated students from Florida State University in the final round of the state-wide competition.

Rios was named Best Advocate for the competition. Judge David Demers, Susan Demers, Creighton Shafer and Professor Roberta Flowers coached the winning team.

“This is a premier, annual statewide competition and Stetson has won more than half of the total competitions,” said Professor Lee Coppock, who directs the trial team program. “The trophy is deservedly coming home this year.”
Coppock, a Stetson grad, was part of the trial team that won the Chester Bedell trophy in 1996.

In November, a Stetson Law trial team won both first and second place at the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers 2005 Honorable E. Earle Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition and won first place at the 15th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition.

Stetson Law presents a lecture on the conflicts between energy production and marine mammal protection Jan. 23

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law presents “Marine Mammals and BP: Managing the Business Risks of Potential Impacts to Whales, Porpoises, Seals and Other Mammals,” on Jan. 23 between 12:00 p.m.-1 p.m. in the Eleazer Courtroom at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Dr. Bill Streever, environmental studies leader for BP Exploration (Alaska), will present via videoconference from Anchorage.

“Noise from off-shore oil and gas exploration can have adverse impacts on marine mammals, such as whales,” said Stetson Professor Royal C. Gardner. “This is an emerging issue that is relevant from Alaska to Angola, as the world demand for energy continues to increase. The program will examine this often overlooked aspect of energy production.”

Streever is the author of “Bringing Back the Wetlands” and “Saving Louisiana? The Battle for Coastal Wetlands.”

Gardner’s areas of teaching and research include environmental and international law. He was appointed Director of Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy in May 2005.

The public is invited to attend. The program is co-sponsored by Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy and the Environmental Law Society.

Stetson Law presents impact of DNA evidence on human rights Jan. 23

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science Technology and the Law and the Office of International Programs at Stetson University College of Law will present the Impact of DNA Evidence in Addressing Human Rights in the Philippines and Other Uses of DNA Worldwide on Jan. 23 at noon in Stetson’s Great Hall. The program is free and open to the public at Stetson’s Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Program speakers are:

  • Dr. Maria Corazon A. De Ungria, head of the DNA Analysis Laboratory in the Natural Sciences Research Institute at the University of the Philippines.
  • Chris Asplen, a member of Smith Alling Lane and former Executive Director of the U.S. Attorney General’s National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse, a program of the National Institute of Justice, was formed in 2003 to advance the use of science and technology in the law. The Clearinghouse provides a comprehensive online database of legal and scientific research and educates lawyers, judges and law enforcement personnel about new developments in forensic technology and forensic evidence handling in the courts.

De Ungria’s work was recognized by the National Academy of Science and Technology as one of the Outstanding Young Scientists in 2003. In 2004, World Bank selected the DNA Analysis Lab’s proposal ‘Incorporating DNA Evidence in The Resolution of Sexual Assault Cases in the Philippines’ in its program ‘Development Innovate Marketplace: Making Services Work for the Poor’ from more than 1800 proposals nationwide.

Asplen has appeared on CNN and 60 Minutes and has testified before numerous legislative bodies.

For more information on additional National Clearinghouse programs, please visit them on the Web at http://www.ncstl.org. For more information about the College of Law, please visit http://www.law.stetson.edu.

Stetson Law and The Florida Bar host media law seminar in Tampa

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. –

Stetson University College of Law and the Media and Communications Law Committee of The Florida Bar will sponsor a media law conference for journalists, public relations professionals and attorneys at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St. on Friday, March 3.

The conference, “Media Law: Privacy, Publicity & Privilege,” features more than 30 speakers from the media and legal professions. Speakers include:

  • Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead
  • New York Times Judith Miller counsel George Freeman
  • Barry Cohen of Cohen, Jayson & Foster, P.A.
  • 2nd District Court of Appeals Judge Chris W. Altenbernd
  • Tampa U.S. District Court Judge James D. Whittemore
  • Florida Family Association’s David Caton

Freeman will present a luncheon address on the Judith Miller case. Interactive plenary panels will focus on publicity and torts, especially the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in the “Perfect Storm” case and the false light invasion of privacy tort.

Question and answer sessions will cover:

# FCC indecency regulations of free speech
# Privacy versus access to photograph homicide cases
# Media’s First Amendment right to attend judicial proceedings versus right to fair trial
# Erosion of journalistic privilege to undisclosed sources
# Electronic access to court records
# Blogging and online journalism

Tuition discounts are available for members of the Florida Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists, Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law section of The Florida Bar and non-attorney journalists. To register or learn more about the conference, please call 813-228-0226.

Stetson Law invites seniors to shred documents and protect against identity theft on campus Jan. 19

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law invites Tampa Bay seniors to shred unwanted sensitive documents and protect themselves against identity theft during a Consumer Fraud Forum and Senior Expo, Jan. 19 between 1:30 p.m. –4:30 p.m. on the Gulfport campus at 1401 61st St. S.

A document shredding company will be on campus between 1 p.m.-4 p.m. to provide free document disposal. Seniors may bring either two bags or boxes of personal documents to shred.

A parking shuttle will transport guests from the campus parking lot to the event in the Great Hall. A light lunch and door prizes will be available at the expo. Educational videos that warn about scams will be shown.

Florida State Director of AARP Bentley Lipscomb will be the master of ceremony. Speakers from the U.S. Post Office, Federal Trade Commission in D.C. and Stetson will discuss mail fraud, identity theft complaints and how to avoid becoming a victim of consumer fraud.

RSVP to Stephanie Decker in Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program at 727-562-7800 ext. 7715 by Jan. 17.

The Elder Consumer Protection Program presents sessions around Florida about various frauds and scams.

Funding for the program was provided in part by the U.S. Administration on Aging. The presentations are part of Stetson’s work under a federal grant to educate the elderly on consumer fraud prevention. Stetson is a national leader in the field of elder law and has partnered with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, AARP and the legal community to increase public awareness of consumer fraud against senior citizens.

Graduation ceremony relocated to First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg due to rain

Contact Frank Klim
Executive Director of Communications
727-562-7889

Gulfport, Fla. – Court TV news anchor Jack Ford will be the commencement speaker at Stetson University College of Law graduation ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, 1900 Gandy Blvd.

  • Directions to First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg: From Gulfport, take Interstate 275 North to Exit 28 (Gandy Blvd./Pinellas Park). Turn right onto Gandy Blvd., and the church will be on your right. 
  • The pre-ceremony reception for Mr. Ford still will occur at 12:15 p.m. on the Gulfport campus. Those assisting with this event should arrive as originally scheduled. 
  • The ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m. Graduates should report to First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg by 1:15 p.m. Signs will be posted to guide you to the correct place. Unless otherwise directed, staff assisting with this event should report to First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg at the same time they were originally scheduled to report to Gulfport. 
  • The graduation reception will take place at the Gulfport campus in the Mann Lounge and Great Hall. The reception will begin about 30 minutes after the ceremony ends. 
  • The Internet Webcast has been cancelled.

 

Ford co-hosts Court TV’s daily program Trial Heat. Ford began his television news career in 1984 as the legal commentator for WCBS-TV in New York. Before television journalism, Ford graduated from law school, and spent three years as a prosecutor in New Jersey before entering into private practice. He was an adjunct professor of law at the Fordham Law School and reporter at Court TV.

More than 100 students are expected to walk at Stetson Law’s commencement in December. This year, Stetson Law’s first group of 14 part-time students will graduate.

Three students will receive a Master of Laws degree in international law and business and 16 students will graduate with a combined degree in law and business administration.

Here are a few of the unique stories of this graduating class:

  • Patricia Calhoun balanced family responsibilities, a full time job as a nurse and law school. Calhoun recently won the best overall advocate in the prestigious 15th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition this month. 
  • Bill Wildhack, an editor of the Stetson Law Review, has served as Presbyterian pastor, hospital chaplain and active duty and reserve Navy chaplain. He interned in 2004 at the U.S. Dept. of Justice in Washington, D.C., in the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division and in 2005 at the Florida Supreme Court. 
  • Joann Palchak, a former Oracle engineer, is one of handful of students to present a paper before legal scholars at the American Society of International Law conference. Her research on genocide has gained international acclaim. 
  • Tom Yaegers, JD/MBA student and teaching fellow, helped win this year’s international moot court competition in Vienna, Austria. Teams from 150 law schools in 47 countries competed at the international championship.

Editor’s note: Court TV news anchor Jack Ford is available for media interviews at 1 p.m., prior to graduation. Please call Frank Klim to schedule an interview at 727-562-7889.

Stetson Law trial team wins statewide November competition

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – A student trial team at Stetson University College of Law won both first and second place at the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers 2005 Honorable E. Earle Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition Nov. 13 in West Palm Beach.

Law schools from across the state of Florida competed.

“We faced Florida State and Florida Coastal in the semi-finals. When both Stetson teams won their respective rounds, we faced each other in the finals,” said Professor Lee Coppock, director of the trial team program at Stetson.

The student team of Senovia Lance, Art Rios, Brandon Held, Rosa Brown and Dennis McCarthy defeated the other Stetson team of Andrew Hill, Laurie Sharpe, Bethany Allen, Eric Ochotorena and Melanie Andre in the final round of AFTL competition.

Stetson Law has earned more first place wins in the AFTL competition history than all other Florida law schools combined.

Stetson Law students win national trial competition championship

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – A team of students from Stetson University College of Law won the
15th Annual Cathy Bennett National Criminal Trial Competition on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the annual meeting of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Santa Fe, N.M.

The Stetson Law student team of Patricia Calhoun, Samuel Denny, Reneka Redmond, and Ruel Smith beat a student team from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law in the final round of the three-day competition to become national champions.

Teams argued a hypothetical death penalty case. This is the first year a capital litigation problem was used in the competition.

The first place team was awarded $3,000 in scholarship money.

Patricia Calhoun was named the Cathy E. Bennett Best Overall Advocate in the competition. Calhoun and Stetson Law will be added to the NACDL trophy board in Washington. Professor Lee Coppock directs the trial team program. Professor Charles Rose coached the winning team.

“Stetson swept the competition, scoring 5-0 and never losing a round,” said Coppock.
“We have been invited to attend again next year.”

“This is the premier criminal trial competition in the country,” said Rose.

Student teams from around the country were invited to participate in this exclusive event based on reputation and ability. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers co-sponsored this year’s competition with the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

Students from Lakewood High School and Stetson Law debate terrorism and weapons of mass destruction Nov. 10

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Students from Lakewood High School and Stetson University College of Law will debate terrorism and weapons of mass destruction at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the Great Hall at 1401 61st St. S. at Stetson Law in Gulfport. The debate, “Building a Safer World: Defining the U.S.-U.N. Relationship for the 21st Century,” is open to the public and invites commentary from the community during an open microphone session.

Last year’s event attracted more than 100 people. Stetson Professor Luz Nagle, who teaches courses in international law and national security, will host the debate. Joy Petit, ABC Action News public affairs director, will moderate. Professor Donna Oglesby, Diplomat-in-Residence at Eckerd College, is the keynote speaker. Lakewood High School students Ron Overing and Chris Estoch and Stetson Law students Gyula Szilagyi and Genevieve Whitaker will argue the debate. Overing and Estoch competed against ten other LHS students to earn a spot on this debate panel. Assistant Director of International Programs Patricia Gómez will introduce the program.

This is a local effort of the national “The People Speak” campaign to facilitate discussion on international issues. The People Speak was created in 2003 by the United Nations Foundation and a nonpartisan group of concerned organizations to provide forums for Americans to participate in policy discussions. Last year’s series included more than 2,000 events across the country. The People Speak sponsored more than 4,000 grassroots events and hosted 24 signature events with ABC News featuring diverse foreign policy experts in 2004.

For more information about The People Speak, visit:
http://www.thepeoplespeak.org.

Stetson University College of Law inducts 10 members into Hall of Fame

Contact Frank Klim
Executive Director of Communications
727-562-7889

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law inducted 10 new alumni, faculty and friends into its Hall of Fame recently. The Hall of Fame now includes 28 members.

“All of these individuals have reached the pinnacle of their professions and have affected a profound positive influence on Stetson University College of Law,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.

This year’s inductees include:

William R. Eleazer
Professor William R. Eleazer served 25 years on the faculty of Stetson Law. During his tenure, he built Stetson’s nationally recognized, number one ranked trial advocacy program. The William R. Eleazer courtroom, the nation’s first elder friendly courtroom, was dedicated in his honor on Sept. 16.

E. Harris Drew
Justice Drew, class of 1923, served two decades as a member of the Florida Supreme Court, including two terms as chief justice. He was president of the Florida Bar and Stetson Lawyers Association and winner of Stetson’s Ben C. Willard Award. Justice Drew served on the college’s board of overseers and spearheaded construction projects at the law school.

Ruth Fleet Thurman
Over three decades of students at Stetson Law have worked with and learned from Professor Ruth Fleet Thurman. Thurman, class of 1963, holds the distinction of the being the first female tenured professor at Stetson University College of Law and she was the only woman in her spring 1963 graduating class. Thurman was also the first female assistant state attorney in Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit.

William J. Clapp
In the early 1950s, William J. Clapp played a pivotal role in convincing Stetson University trustees and President Ollie Edmunds that St. Petersburg/Gulfport would be an ideal place to relocate the College of Law. Clapp helped organize a community fundraising campaign in the area to help make the move financially possible for Stetson.

Gardner W. Beckett Jr.
Gardner Beckett, class of 1957, was a celebrated civil rights attorney. During his legal career, he donated countless hours of legal representation through the American Civil Liberties Union and was recognized with the Nelson Poynter Award, Florida’s highest award in civil liberties. He won three cases for the ACLU before the U.S. Supreme Court. Beckett served on the Stetson Law board of overseers and as an adjunct professor of law. In 1967, Beckett became president of the board of directors for the Stetson University Law Center Foundation, later known as the Dana Law Center Foundation. He was a member of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and the Pinellas County Committee of 100.

Murray Sams Jr.
During his career, Murray Sams Jr., class of 1949, was one of our nation’s finest trial lawyers. He was a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a board member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, president of the International Society of Barristers and the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education, and a member of numerous other legal organizations.
Over the years, Sams was a generous donor to Stetson, sharing his time, energy and talents to help launch numerous education programs. He served as a member of the College of Law Board of Overseers and the Charles A. Dana Law Foundation.

Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt
Mary Stewart Howarth-Hewitt, class of 1908, was the first woman in Florida to attend law school and earn a law degree. She was admitted by the Florida Supreme Court to practice on June 20, 1908. She supported Stetson throughout her life and taught constitutional law at the school on a part-time basis.

James T. Russell
James T. Russell, class of 1954, was elected to the Florida Legislature in 1958 and served for six years. He also served as a judge for several municipalities and as Gulfport City Attorney. In 1965, Russell became an assistant state attorney. In 1969, the governor appointed him state attorney for the 6th Judicial Circuit, a position he held until January 1993. In the 1970s, Russell helped create a new prosecution clinic at the College of Law.

Robert E. Jagger
Robert E. Jagger, class of 1958, spent more than three decades as Public Defender for Pinellas-Pasco county. In 1963, Jagger, together with Stetson professor Paul Barnard and 6th Judicial Circuit Senior Judge John Bird, organized the state’s first clinical legal education program at Stetson University College of Law.

Walter Mann
For more than 25 years, Walter Mann was a moving force in the development and progress of Stetson University College of Law. He gave generously of time and resources. He was an organizer of the College of Law Board of Overseers and served as its first president from February 1961 until February 1967. He was later elected treasurer of the board and served from 1969 until his death in August 1981.