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Stetson University College of Law welcomes new library director

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Rebecca S. Trammell has joined Stetson University College of Law as its new law library director. She replaces Dr. Madison Mosley who passed away last year.

Trammell joins Stetson from the University of Kentucky College of Law where she served as law library director and assistant professor of law. During her four years at Kentucky, Trammell taught legal research, advanced legal research and law librarianship. She was a member of the University of Kentucky Libraries Executive Committee and chaired the Law Faculty Library Committee.

Professor Trammell also served as associate dean for information services and associate professor of law at Barry University School of Law, where she taught legal research, advanced legal research, gender and the law and American legal history. Prior to Barry, Trammell was associate law library director at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and a member of the law library faculty at Northern Illinois University.

Trammell received her masters in library science from Dominican University in 1979 and her J.D. from the University of Denver in 1983. She chairs the American Association of Law Libraries Standing Committee on Law Library Service to Institutionalized Persons and is active in the Southeastern Association of American Law Libraries. She researches in the areas of Internet legal research, classroom technology and prison and jail law libraries.

Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy editor speaks at Stetson Law March 2

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Dr. William C.G. Burns, editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, will discuss “The International Whaling Commission and Climate Change: Leviathan or Laggard?” at 12:15 p.m. and again at 5 p.m. on March 2 in Classroom A at the Stetson University College of Law Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Stetson University College of Law will begin hosting the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy during the fall semester 2006.

“Stetson students will have an opportunity to earn academic credit by working as student editors on this peer-reviewed journal,” said Stetson Law Professor Royal Gardner.

Gardner directs Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, which serves as an interdisciplinary focal point for education, research, and service activities related to global, regional, and local biodiversity issues.
The Institute is an environmental law resource that sponsors guest lecturers, conferences, and competitions, as well as promoting biodiversity-related academic programs and service opportunities.

To learn more about the Institute and upcoming programs, please visit Stetson on the Web at http://www.law.stetson.edu/international/biodiversity/

To learn more about the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, visit http://www.jiwlp.com/

Florida Supreme Court honors Stetson’s Hispanic Student Bar Association on Feb. 16(2)

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Hispanic Student Bar Association will be honored for its outstanding pro bono work on Feb. 16 at the Supreme Court of Florida at 500 S. Duval St. in Tallahassee.

Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Pariente and Florida Bar President Alan Bookman will present Stetson’s H.B.A. with the 2006 Chief Justice’s Voluntary Bar Commendation Award during a special ceremony which begins at 3:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the Supreme Court building.

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 Florida Supreme Court ceremony honors recipients of the 2006 Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award, Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award, Distinguished Judicial Service Award, Voluntary Bar Award, Law Firm Commendation and Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on the Florida Channel and on the Web at http://wfsu.org/gavel2gavel/.

Stetson students Angie Torrents and Vanessa De Rosa, who will be seated in the second row at the ceremony with members of the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee, will accept the award for Stetson’s H.B.A. The Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee selected this year’s recipients.

The awards are sponsored by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar.

For more information about Stetson’s outstanding pro bono program, please visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/tmpl/about/internal-1.aspx?id=9713  .

Stetson’s Tax Moot Court Team wins national competition Feb. 11

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Tax Moot Court Team won the National Tax Moot Court Competition Feb. 11 at the Tradewinds Sandpiper Hotel on St. Pete Beach.

Stetson students beat a team from Louisiana State University, last year’s champions, in the final round of competitions. Fifteen teams from around the country competed. Judges from the United States Tax Court judged the final round.

“The students worked hard to prepare for this victory,” said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, the Moot Court Team adviser and director of the Tampa Law Center. “They deserve this national win.”

Stetson’s Moot Court team of Kathryn Everlove-Stone, Daniel Gomez and Andrea Vafides remained undefeated through three days of competition. This is the first time these students have competed together as the Tax Moot Court Team.

Professor Jennifer Murphy coached the winning team, assisted by Adjunct Professor Craig Behrenfeld. This is Professor Murphy’s first competition as coach.

The competition is sponsored by the Tax Section of the Florida Bar. The mission of the Tax Section of The Florida Bar is to serve and support its members and others by providing education, leadership and networking opportunities and promoting professionalism.

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.