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Stetson and Brigham Young present debate on gay adoption issues

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law and the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University will present a symposium on the future of lesbian and gay adoption, Oct. 28 at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.

The program is titled, “Lofton and the future of lesbian and gay adoption.” Last year, in Lofton v. Secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, an appellate court ruled that a prohibition on such adoptions does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.

“Some people see a rejection of gay and lesbian adoption as a violation of basic rights. Others view the issue as one of protecting traditional values. This tension of fundamental values makes the issue so important to discuss at this time,” said Stetson Professor Michael Allen, who is co-chair of the symposium.

The day-long program will review constitutional implications, psychological and sociological issues and the implications in other areas of the law.

The conference is $25 for general attendees and $125 for CLE participants. To register, please call Professor Michael Allen at Stetson, 727-562-7360, or email him at [email protected].

National legal leaders gather to dedicate Stetson Law’s elder-friendly courtroom

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Dick Thornburgh, two-time former U.S. attorney general and governor of Pennsylvania, Bill Novelli, CEO of the AARP, Lawrence Davidow, president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and other prominent leaders will gather to dedicate the nation’s first elder-friendly high-tech courtroom on Stetson University College of Law’s Gulfport campus Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the courtroom will immediately follow the dedication.

The barrier-free courtroom, dedicated in honor of Stetson Distinguished Professor Emeritus William R. Eleazer, is a joint effort of Stetson’s Centers for Excellence in Advocacy and Elder Law. The courtroom is designed as a national model to increase courtroom access to the elderly and disabled. It uses cutting-edge technology including flat-panel monitors, hearing amplification devices, and a multi-lingual software speech synthesizer that will read aloud words displayed on a computer screen, translate them into multiple languages, and even output words to refreshable Braille displays.

As U.S. attorney general, Thornburgh played a leading role in the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2002, he was recognized for his “commitment to the civil rights of people with disabilities” with the Wiley E. Branton Award of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

Prior to joining the AARP in January 2000, Novelli was president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and executive vice president of CARE, a private relief organization that helps impoverished people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Davidow is vice president of the New York State Bar Elder Law Section, a member of the board of directors of the National Elder Law Foundation and belongs to many elder law organizations.

For more information,  visit the courtroom online.

Editor’s Note: Interviews with Mr. Thornburgh, Mr. Novelli, and Mr. Davidow will be available prior to the dedication between 3:40 p.m. and 3:55 p.m. Please contact Brandi Palmer to schedule an interview time at (727) 562-7381 or (727) 430-1580.

Stephanie Vaughan appointed director of Stetson University Tampa Law Center

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Professor Stephanie Vaughan, acting director of legal research and writing at Stetson University College of Law, has been appointed director of the Tampa Law Center.

“This is an exciting new opportunity for me,” said Vaughan. “I look forward to working with the students in Stetson’s part-time program, the Second District Court of Appeal and the Tampa legal and business community.”

Vaughan’s new administrative role in Tampa adds to her work with Stetson’s award-winning moot court board. In March, Vaughan co-coached the Stetson team to win the world championship at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition in Vienna, Austria. Stetson became the first American law school since 1996 to win the competition. Teams from 150 law schools in 47 countries competed.

Vaughan received her law degree with honors from Stetson in 1991, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1988. After graduating from Stetson, Vaughan practiced law in the Tampa Bay area for almost five years, in the areas of local government law and employment discrimination litigation. Vaughan taught as an adjunct professor before joining the Stetson law faculty in 1996 as a full-time instructor of legal research and writing.

Stetson Law dean elected to board of legal writing society

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Darby Dickerson, dean and vice president of Stetson University College of Law, has been elected to the board of Scribes, the prestigious national society for legal writers.

Dean Dickerson is nationally recognized for her legal research and writing. Dickerson has written dozens of academic articles and penned the popular ALWD Citation Manual, which is used by more than 50 percent of first-year law students in the United States.

In June, Dickerson won the 2005 Burton Award for Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education. In August, she was named Tampa Bay Business Woman of the Year in the nonprofit category by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

In 2003, she was named managing editor of Legal Writing: The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute and was invited to serve on the panel of academic contributors for the eighth edition of Black’s Law Dictionary. She has worked with Scribes for many years, and from 1992 –1994 served as managing editor of the Scribes Journal of Legal Writing.

Scribes was established in 1953 to promote better writing across the legal community. The organization brings together lawyers, judges, academics, publishers and editors and advocates accessible, interesting and informative legal writing.

Stetson Law honored with ABA Law Student Division School of the Year Award

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law was honored with the American Bar Association Law Student Division School of the Year Award.

The award, the highest honor given by the ABA Law Student Division, is given to the law school with the highest percentage of student members. Stetson is one of the most active schools nationwide in the ABA LSD, with 68 percent of the student body belonging to the organization.

“Stetson’s chapter of the ABA plans numerous activities throughout the year, ranging from volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity to Diversity Day,” said former ABA fifth circuit governor and recent graduate Ashley Gay.

Andrew Chiang, a Stetson graduate and vice-chair of the ABA Law Student Division and former ABA campus representative, was one of four national officers in charge of the division.

“Stetson’s achievement as a winner of the 2004-2005 ABA School of the Year Award has a lot to do with our students, our administration and their support,” Chiang said.

Stetson students have been elected as national officers to the ABA Law Student Division and hold various leadership positions within the organization. In addition to advocating the interests of Stetson students, the ABA Stetson Chapter is dedicated to diversity, public interest and professional programming on campus and in the community.

The ABA is the largest voluntary professional membership association in the world, with more than 400,000 members. The association provides accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs for lawyers and judges and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

Rutgers Law professor to deliver distinguished lecture at Stetson Law

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Rutgers law professor Jay M. Feinman will deliver the Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Lecture at 12 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Stetson University College of Law.

Feinman will discuss his recent book, “Un-Making Law: The Conservative Campaign to Roll Back the Common Law,” at noon in the Great Hall on the Gulfport campus.

“Professor Feinman continues the tradition of excellence as this year’s prominent speaker,” said Darby Dickerson, Stetson Law dean.

Feinman has served as associate dean and acting dean of the Rutgers School of Law where he teaches contracts, torts and insurance law. Feinman is a member of the American Law Institute, and he has chaired the Association of American Law Schools, sections on contracts and teaching methods. He has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching, including the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2005 and the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. In addition, Feinman has published five books and more than 50 scholarly articles.

The Nichols Foundation Prominent Speakers Series was established in 1995 to enrich academic life at Stetson Law. Previous lectures have included prominent business leaders, government officials, legal scholars and practitioners.

Dean Dickerson chosen as a Tampa Bay Nonprofit Business Woman of The Year

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

Tampa Bay, Fla. – Darby Dickerson, dean and vice president of Stetson University College of Law was named “Business Woman of the Year” in the Nonprofit/Social Services category by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Dean Dickerson was one of forty female Tampa Bay leaders honored at the 2005 Business Woman of the Year awards ceremony on Friday, Aug. 19.

Dr. Pallavi Patel won the top award for her work through her and her husband’s Foundation for Global Understanding. Her organization has supplied HIV/AIDS testing for thousands of college students in her native India.

Under Darby Dickerson’s leadership, Stetson has earned a No. 1 ranking in trial advocacy and a No. 3 ranking in legal writing by U.S. News & World Report in its recent rankings of the nation’s best graduate schools. In March, Stetson became the first American law school since 1996 to win the world championship at the Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot competition. In addition, the College recently completed an extraordinarily successful fund-raising campaign.

Darby Dickerson’s reputation is unmatched in her profession. She authored the ALWD Citation Manual, which is used by more than 50 percent of first-year law students in the United States. She has received a wide range of professional, institutional and community recognitions. She has written dozens of academic articles and frequently speaks to national audiences. Dickerson also serves many local and national boards.

For more information about the awards presentations, please visit the Tampa Bay Business Journal

The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson Law presents national conference for criminal justice professionals

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

Tampa Bay, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law and the National Institute of Justice will present a national conference to discuss emerging legal and scientific issues and trends in the use of scientific evidence in the courtroom.

The conference, designed for law enforcement professionals, legal experts, forensic scientists, academics and expert witnesses, will take place Sept.12 through Sept.14 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“This is an exciting national forum for judges, scientists, legal and law enforcement professionals to discuss cutting-edge issues facing their professions today,” said Carol Henderson, Clearinghouse director.

The first day of the National Conference on Science, Technology and the Law will cover the investigation, prosecution and defense of cyber-crime crime cases and the impact of news coverage on high-profile cases. Day two will cover abuse investigation, ensuring forensic reliability, information sharing and privacy concerns. The final day of the conference will look at legal issues, police investigation tools and the impact of new technologies on the criminal justice system. More than 40 speakers will present.

Planned speakers include:

  • Vahid Majidi, former science advisor to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft
  • Donna Bucella, director, Terrorist Screening Center at the FBI
  • Michael Bromwich, independent investigator for the Houston Police Dept.
  • Ken Melson, first assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Virginia, and former president, American Academy of Forensic Sciences
  • U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Jenkins, Middle District of Florida
  • Paul Giannelli, law professor, Case Western Reserve University

The Clearinghouse encourages scientific, technological and legal communities to share resources
in the interest of justice. Under Henderson’s direction, 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 conference is co-sponsored by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Bar Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National District Attorneys Association.

To register, visit the National Conference on Science, Technology and the Law online at https://www.ilj.org/ncstl.

Editor’s Note: This program is free for journalists. Please register in advance.

Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program presents a national symposium on combating crimes against seniors

Contact Brandi Palmer
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Elder Consumer Protection Program will present a national symposium for law enforcement, Adult Protective Service workers, assistant state attorneys and assistant attorney generals on combating crimes against the elderly, “Catching the Wolf at Grandma’s Door,” on the Gulfport campus Sept. 15-16. This symposium will present these professionals with ways to better protect the elderly community. M. Jane Brady, Attorney General of Delaware, will introduce the conference.

“This information from this conference will provide law enforcement, APS workers, assistant state attorneys and assistant attorney generals with more information on scams targeting the elderly, which will help them in fighting these scams,” said Rebecca Morgan, program director and director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

Seating is limited to law enforcement, APS workers, assistant state attorneys and assistant attorney generals. Registration is free by e-mail at [email protected], or online at http://elder.law.stetson.edu/professional/symposium.php.
The deadline for registration is Sept. 1.

As part of the Elder Consumer Protection Program, Stetson offers to elder consumers a Web site and a successful seminar series that provides tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of consumer fraud. Funding for this program was provided in part by the Administration on Aging. Stetson, a national leader in the field of elder law, has partnered with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, AARP and the legal community to increase public awareness of consumer fraud against elders.

Editor’s note: Media are welcome to attend this seminar.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law presents the “CSI Effect” at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting in Chicago

Contact Diane Gustafsn
Clearinghouse Coordinator
727-562-7316

Tampa Bay, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law will review the “CSI Effect” and forensic technology at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Clearinghouse Director Professor Carol Henderson will present the program, along with Director of Outreach Anjali Swienton. Professor Henderson is a recognized authority in scientific evidence and criminal law and ethics. She has presented more than 150 lectures and workshops to forensic scientists, attorneys, judges and law enforcement on scientific evidence, courtroom testimony, and professional responsibility.

“The Clearinghouse has made tremendous strides in its efforts to encourage the scientific, technological and legal communities to share resources in the interest of justice,” said Carol Henderson, Clearinghouse director.

Under Henderson’s direction, 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.

For more information on additional National Clearinghouse programs, please call (727) 562-7316 or visit them on the Web at http://www.ncstl.org.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law presents a workshop in Charlotte, N.C.

Contact Diane Gustafson
Clearinghouse Coordinator
727-562-7316

Tampa Bay, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law will review digital evidence courtroom testimony at the American Academy of Applied Forensics at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C. on Monday, Aug. 1.

Clearinghouse Director of Outreach Anjali Swienton will present the program, along with additional practitioners in the field. Swienton is President and CEO of SciLawForensics, Ltd. which provides legal support and specialized training and education tools to the criminal justice, forensic science and law enforcement communities. She regularly makes professional presentations and is a member of a number of forensic science and legal organizations. Prior to her legal career, she worked as a forensic DNA analyst and provided expert testimony in courts across the country.

The Clearinghouse encourages scientific, technological and legal communities to share resources in the interest of justice.

“We look forward to providing even more services to the legal, scientific and law enforcement communities,” said Carol Henderson, Clearinghouse director.

Under Henderson’s direction, 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.

For more information on additional National Clearinghouse programs, please call 727-562-7316 or visit them on the Web at www.ncstl.org.

Stetson Law builds country’s first high-tech, elder-friendly courtroom

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law is completing construction on the nation’s first elder-friendly, high-tech courtroom on its Gulfport campus. The completed courtroom will be dedicated Sept. 16, 2005, in honor of Professor Emeritus William R. Eleazer, who spent his career training ethical advocates.

The barrier-free courtroom, a joint effort of Stetson’s Centers for Excellence in Advocacy and Elder Law, is designed as a national model to increase courtroom access to the elderly and disabled. It uses cutting-edge technology including flat-panel monitors to display evidence, hearing amplification devices to make speech more audible, and a multi-lingual software speech synthesizer that will read aloud words displayed on a computer screen, translate them into multiple languages, and even output words to refreshable Braille displays if needed.

The teaching courtroom features a double jury box with one-way glass, which will allow students to monitor mock juries and focus groups. A flat-panel touch screen outside the courtroom will explain the roles of court personnel in the proceedings.

The courtroom will be used first by Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program, which offers free public seminars to raise awareness of consumer scams as well as programs to train law enforcement, protective services workers, and assistant state attorneys on investigating and prosecuting consumer frauds against elders.

“This courtroom combines the technology of the 21st-century with the recognition that it is still people who make our system function. Our courtrooms must be accessible to all citizens,” said Roberta Flowers, Director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy and Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law.

“With some thought and a few modifications, access can be provided to everyone,” said Rebecca Morgan, Director of the Center for Excellence in Elder Law. “As the number of elders continues to grow, the access provided by the barrier-free courtroom will become increasingly important.”

For more information, visit the courtroom online.