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Stetson Law seeks nominations for William Reece Smith Jr.Public Service Award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law is seeking nominations for the 2006 William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award. The award recognizes outstanding service to the community and to the law and will be presented at Stetson’s spring honors and awards ceremony on May 12 at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S. The deadline for nominations is March 17, 2006.

“This award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public service, in the community and the justice system,” said Stetson Law Vice President and Dean Darby Dickerson.

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

Reback is a founding member of Tampa Safe and Free, an organization devoted to educating the community about the USA Patriot Act and its impact on civil liberties. In 2004, Reback received a Human Rights Award from the Tampa-Hillsborough County Human Rights Council.

Walbolt directed her law firm’s pro bono program for many years and has a distinguished record of professional activity, including serving as past president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, former chair of the Florida Bar Antitrust Committee, former vice chair of the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association and former chair of the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases.

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. His relationship with Stetson Law began in the 1950s, and he has taught as a distinguished professorial lecturer since 1991.

Nominations should be sent to Dotti Bressi, Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport, FL 33707.

Florida Supreme Court honors Stetson’s Hispanic Student Bar Association on Feb. 16

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Hispanic Student Bar Association was honored for its outstanding pro bono work on Feb. 16 at the Supreme Court of Florida in Tallahassee.

Chief Justice Barbara J. Pariente and Florida Bar President Alan Bookman presented Stetson’s H.B.A. with the 2006 Chief Justice’s Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award.

“Hopefully this will be an inspiration to other law schools,” said Justice Pariente.

The students worked year-round at Gulfcoast Legal Services in St. Petersburg and Clearwater to provide translation services for low-income Spanish-speaking community members who need legal assistance. Vanessa De Rosa accepted the award for Stetson’s H.B.A.

“Through its continuing work with Gulfcoast Legal Services, Stetson’s H.B.A. is committed to helping overcome the language barrier that stands between the Hispanic community in need of pro bono help and the lawyers committed to helping them.” De Rosa said.

Stetson alumni Katherine Ezell and Joseph Summonte also received awards for pro bono work at the ceremony. Ezell, who graduated from Stetson in 1969, received the Chief Justice’s Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award for her work providing legal aid to children. Summonte, a 1997 graduate, received the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Service Award for his legal work on behalf of those affected by the 2004 hurricane season.
Stetson was the first law school in Florida and one of the first law schools in the country to require public service by students and faculty. As part of their graduation requirement, all Stetson students are required to complete at least 20 hours of pro bono.

This year’s awards were sponsored by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar.

To watch the video of the ceremony, please visit
http://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel/archives/06-02.htm#FEB10

Then click on the video link from the February 16, 2006 Pro Bono Service Award Ceremony.

Judge Thomas Stringer inspires high school students at Stetson Law

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Judge Thomas E. Stringer Sr. spoke to high school students from Middleton High School in Tampa and the Tampa Bay Academy of Hope at a conference at Stetson Law in Gulfport last week designed to get young people interested in the law and motivated to follow their dreams.

Judge Stringer is Stetson’s first African-American law graduate and a distinguished jurist who frequently serves as a role model for minority and low-income students.

On Feb. 3, Judge Stringer left his chambers at Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal to meet with approximately 50 high school students at Stetson’s Annual Youth Prelaw Conference. The official title of the annual conference bears Stringer’s name.

“I want to help inspire young minority students that there are tremendous opportunities awaiting them,” said Stringer.

Stetson’s Admissions Office, Black Law Student Association, Hispanic Bar Association and the ABA Student Division presented this year’s conference.

“The students were in awe of Judge Stringer’s achievements,” said Admissions Acting Director Laura Zuppo-Headley.

Professor Dorothea Beane, an African-American law professor who annually participates in the Judge Stringer conference, reminded the young high school students of the hardships others had to endure to gain equal access to education and encouraged them to pursue their dreams despite the odds.

Students also participated in a mock trial, had tours of campus and met individually with a diverse group of Stetson students who have won trial team competitions.

The Judge Stringer Annual Youth Prelaw Conference is made possible each year by a grant from the Law School Admission Council.

Stetson Law and Florida Holocaust Museum present “Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials” March 30

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law and the Florida Holocaust Museum will present “Legacy of the Nuremberg Trials: Genesis of Modern International Law & Questions of Professional Ethics” at 7 p.m. on March 30 at the museum, 55 Fifth St. S., St. Petersburg, Fla.

“The goal of the program is to start a public dialogue about the importance of Nuremberg, and to engage people in thinking about justice, law, the preservation of the legacy of the trials, and what this legacy means to the 21st century,” said Florida Holocaust Museum Director of Curatorial Affairs Noreen Brand.

An exhibit entitled “Pursuing Justice: Nuremberg’s Legacy” opened at the museum in December. The exhibit focuses on the two sets of trials that have become known as the Nuremberg Trials: the International Military Tribunal for the major Nazi war criminals and the twelve subsequent trials conducted under Control Council Number 10 at the U.S. Nuremberg Military Tribunal for those not tried at the IMT. The IMT set the pattern for the subsequent trials as well as hundreds of trials of war criminals tried in the decades since 1945.

This exhibit, featuring the papers and books of Judge Harold L. Sebring, a judge at the Nuremberg Tribunal and former Florida State Supreme Court Judge and Dean of Stetson University College of Law, will be open at 6 p.m. at the Florida Holocaust Museum. Judge Sebring’s collection is on loan from the Stetson Law library.

The seminar brings together a panel of legal scholars to discuss the significance of the trials. Stetson Professor Dorothea Beane will introduce the program. Beane is an expert on international criminal law and human rights issues.

The panel of speakers includes:

  • Jonathan Bush, expert on the law of war and law professor, Columbia University
  • John Q. Barrett, Nuremberg scholar and law professor, St. John’s University School of Law
  • Edward Kissi, leading genocide scholar and professor, Africana Studies, the University of South Florida
  • Michael J. Bazyler, The “1939” Club Law Scholar in Holocaust and Human Rights Studies and law professor, Whittier Law School
  • Gregory S. Gordon, trial attorney, Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Dept. of Justice, who served in the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda

To register for this seminar, please contact the Continuing Legal Education office at Stetson Law by March 29 at 813-228-0226 or [email protected]

Editor’s Note: Journalists are invited to attend this seminar free of tuition.

For more info on Professor Dorothea Beane, please visit here.
Visit the Florida Holocaust Museum at
http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/.

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.