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Stetson establishes Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law formally announced the creation of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy during its 26th Annual National Conference on Higher Education Law and Policy, Feb. 20-22. The new Center will build on the renowned programs established by its founding co-directors, Stetson Law professors Robert D. Bickel and Peter F. Lake.

The Center will prepare Stetson students for careers in higher education law and policy through concentrated courses, internships and other previously unavailable opportunities.

“The Center will offer graduate students a Juris Doctor program that includes classroom, research and practicum experiences focusing on higher education law,” Bickel said. “Through the Center, we will also be able to continue our nationally recognized work in interdisciplinary legal education by exposing students and working professionals to the intersection of law and policy, and the emerging field of comparative higher education law.”

Professors Bickel and Lake are pre-eminent figures in higher education law. They are the authors of The Rights and Responsibilities of the Modern University: Who Assumes the Risk of College Life? and have published numerous articles and papers about higher education law and policy.

The center’s first major event was the conference at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort on Clearwater Beach. The annual conference is the largest professional development project for higher education administrators and attorneys nationwide.

The sessions featured nationally recognized speakers and panels on issues affecting higher education policy, student athletes, the effect of recent Supreme Court decisions, developments in employment law, and crime deterrence.

The conference also marked the beginning of cooperation with England’s Oxford Center for Higher Education Policy Studies. Together, the institutions will work on furthering comparative higher education law and policy in both academic and student affairs. The foundation for this partnership began last summer at Stetson’s Comparative Higher Education Roundtable at New College, Oxford University. Through this relationship, several distinguished lecturers from the United States and the United Kingdom also will visit the Stetson campus this spring.

The Center will allow Stetson to offer regional, national and international conferences and programs in this vital area. Stetson also will partner with other universities and legal organizations to advance the issue of law and higher education within the United States and globally.

 

March 5- Stetson Law moot court teams excel in competitions

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s moot court teams excelled in two recent competitions, placing as a regional finalist in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition and winning top awards in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

“Stetson’s Moot Court Board had an outstandingly successful weekend,” said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, moot court team adviser. “The students who competed won awards for their writing abilities and oral advocacy skills. Good lawyers need both; great lawyers have both.”

Stetson’s ABA Moot Court Team, consisting of Brent Bigger, Erika Knowlan Russell and Dana Harris, placed as a regional finalist in the competition in Washington, D.C., and advanced to the national competition in April in Chicago. Stetson Law Professor James Underwood coached the team.

The team defeated Loyola-Chicago, Baylor, defending national champion Yale and Duke. Russell was recognized as the eighth best advocate.

The Jessup International Moot Court Team received the best memorial (best brief) and best oralist trophies and placed second in the Regional Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Atlanta. In its 45th year, the Jessup competition features more than 500 law schools from more than 80 countries.

Stetson’s team consisted of Katie Christian, Chris Donovan, Dawn Hewitt, Eric Koenig and Bryan Schiller. Koenig tied for the First Place Oralist award, and the team took the First Place Memorial (top brief) award. Stetson Law Professor Rick Graves coached the team.

Stetson went undefeated in the preliminary rounds against St. Thomas, Barry, Ole Miss and University of Miami. The team advanced to the semifinals and final round, where they narrowly lost to a team from the University of Georgia.

Stetson to present free People’s Law School sessions

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s People’s Law School will present two free programs in the coming weeks at its Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St., on timely legal issues.

  • March 31, 6 p.m., “How to do free legal research on the Internet,” Professor Sally Waters
  • April 14, 6 p.m., “Harassment and discrimination in the workplace,” Professor Michael Finch

The People’s Law School is a continuing series of free programs to provide information about legal issues of general interest. The series is not intended to offer legal advice to individuals or groups, or to substitute for legal counsel provided by a personal attorney.

RSVP to Stetson by calling (813) 228-6625.

How to do free legal research on the Internet
Professor Sally Waters will discus how to find free legal information such as cases, statutes, regulations and government information for the federal and state levels. She will cover the best legal Web sites and demonstrate how to use them.

Professor Waters has led the reference desk in Stetson’s Law Library for 23 years. She teaches advanced legal research and has made presentations to the National Association of Law Placement, Southeastern Association of Law Libraries, Central Florida Association of Law Libraries and the Tampa Bay Library Consortium about legal research and using the Internet. She is a frequent contributor to “Stumpers,” an e-mail list for hard-to-answer legal questions.

Harassment and discrimination in the workplace
Professor Michael Finch will provide an overview of law governing sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, including what is permitted and what is prohibited in the workplace and the process of raising complaints.

Professor Finch teaches civil rights law and is a practicing lawyer who has handled these types of cases. Finch is widely published and also teaches in the areas of civil procedure, conflict of laws, appellate practice, constitutional litigation, and law and behavioral science. His work has appeared in the Minnesota Law Review, the Wisconsin Law Review, the Ohio State Law Journal, and the Business Lawyer. His work has been cited by numerous federal and state courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2006, Aspen Publishing Company will publish An Illustrated Guide to Civil Procedure, a book Professor Finch is co-authoring with Professor Michael Allen.

Stetson to present free People’s Law School sessions(2)

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s People’s Law School will present three free programs in March and April at its Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St., on timely legal issues.

  • March 8, 6 p.m., “Basic business organizations: What consumers and business owners need to know,” Professor Joseph Morrissey
  • March 31, 6 p.m., “How to do free legal research on the Internet,” Professor Sally Waters
  • April 14, 6 p.m., “Harassment and discrimination in the workplace,” Professor Michael Finch

The People’s Law School is a continuing series of free programs to provide information about legal issues of general interest. The series is not intended to offer legal advice to individuals or groups, or to substitute for legal counsel provided by a personal attorney.

RSVP to Stetson by calling (813) 228-6625.

Basic business organizations: What consumers and business owners need to know
Professor Joseph Morrissey will discuss the basic types of businesses: sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. The discussion will focus on the fundamental concepts of limitation of personal liability and limiting tax exposure.

Professor Morrissey specializes in corporate, securities and international private law. He practiced corporate and securities law at Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago and later ran the firm’s office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, formerly a part of Soviet Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, Professor Morrissey was a founding member and director of the local American Chamber of Commerce, which focused on local law reform issues. Professor Morrissey also practiced corporate law with Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and managed a Russian asset portfolio for UniFund Inc. in Geneva, Switzerland.

How to do free legal research on the Internet
Professor Sally Waters will discus how to find free legal information such as cases, statutes, regulations and government information for the federal and state levels. She will cover the best legal Web sites and demonstrate how to use them.

Professor Waters has led the reference desk in Stetson’s Law Library for 23 years. She teaches advanced legal research and has made presentations to the National Association of Law Placement, Southeastern Association of Law Libraries, Central Florida Association of Law Libraries and the Tampa Bay Library Consortium about legal research and using the Internet. She is a frequent contributor to “Stumpers,” an e-mail list for hard-to-answer legal questions.

Harassment and discrimination in the workplace
Professor Michael Finch will provide an overview of law governing sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, including what is permitted and what is prohibited in the workplace and the process of raising complaints.

Professor Finch teaches civil rights law and is a practicing lawyer who has handled these types of cases. Finch is widely published and also teaches in the areas of civil procedure, conflict of laws, appellate practice, constitutional litigation, and law and behavioral science. His work has appeared in the Minnesota Law Review, the Wisconsin Law Review, the Ohio State Law Journal, and the Business Lawyer. His work has been cited by numerous federal and state courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2006, Aspen Publishing Company will publish An Illustrated Guide to Civil Procedure, a book Professor Finch is co-authoring with Professor Michael Allen.

Joy McCann Foundation establishes distinguished professorship for professionalism at Stetson Law

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The Joy McCann Foundation donated $500,000 to Stetson University College of Law to endow the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professorship. The honor celebrates the work of Stetson Law Distinguished Professorial Lecturer and Florida legal legend William Reece Smith Jr.

The distinguished professorship will be awarded to a full-time College of Law faculty member with a demonstrated commitment to both professionalism and the mentoring of students. The gift also provides financial support for special projects the distinguished professor chooses to pursue.

“We focus on making our community a better place to live; one way we do this is through our support of education,” said Joy McCann Daugherty, chair of the foundation. “The high quality of Stetson as an institution is reflected in its faculty. Professor Smith has been a stalwart force in the Tampa legal community for many years, and the McCann Foundation is proud to support Stetson by honoring Reece.”

The professorship requires the honoree to be a leader at Stetson and in the professor’s field of study. The recipient must also be a role model in their community for the profession.

“This distinguished professorship will enable our faculty to develop innovative programs to enhance the teaching of professionalism at the College of Law,” said Stetson Dean Darby Dickerson. “We are privileged to have the name William Reece Smith Jr. permanently linked with such an academically significant program.”

William Reece Smith Jr.’s relationship with the law school dates back to 1954, when he taught as an adjunct professor. He has served as distinguished professorial lecturer since 1991. He has served as the president of the International Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Bar Foundation, American Bar Endowment, National Conference of Bar Presidents, the Florida Bar and Hillsborough County Bar Association. Professor Smith has diligently worked to improve access to legal services to the poor for more than 40 years. He founded Florida Legal Services and served as its first president. The courtroom in Stetson’s Tampa Law Center is named in his honor.

About the Joy McCann Foundation
The Joy McCann Foundation is a private family foundation committed to community enrichment and the development of mentors in the health, science and legal professions. Chaired by Joy McCann Daugherty and Dr. Robert Daugherty, the foundation has made grants totaling nearly $10 million over the past five years to non-profit organizations and educational institutions in Florida.

The foundation has as one of its goals a priority in funding mentoring to develop future leaders in the health, science and legal professions. Programs and awards established by the foundation are intended to identify and honor mentors who serve as role models, encouraging others through their actions, professional work and attitude to become leaders at academic institutions and within professional disciplines.

National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson announces new staff members

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law has recently added five staff members to aid with its expanding research and outreach efforts.

The Clearinghouse added Gregory Hill, deputy director; Diana Botluk, director of research; Susan Zucker, director of technology and distance education; Catherine Guthrie, law and science fellow; and Lea Gregg, administrative assistant.

“I am thrilled to have these exceptionally qualified, motivated individuals join our existing staff of other talented professionals,” said Carol Henderson, Clearinghouse director. “We look forward to providing even more services to the legal, scientific and law enforcement communities.”

The Clearinghouse was formed in 2003 to educate lawyers, judges and law enforcement personnel about new technology, methods of evaluating scientific evidence and whether such evidence is admissible in court. It is a program of the National Institute of Justice.

About the staff members:

Gregory Hill
Gregory Hill is an associate member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He is working with the National Forensic Science and Technology Center to develop a DNA Mock Trial for President George W. Bush’s DNA Initiative. Hill previously worked as Tampa police officer, a private attorney and an assistant public defender for two judicial circuits.

Hill was a recipient of the Arthur A. Schomberg Graduate Fellowship and Gilbert D. Moore Fellowship to study law at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, where he earned his law degree.

Diana Botluk – Director of Research
Diana Botluk is the author of the “The Legal List: Research on the Internet,” a book published annually by West Group. She was named one of the top eight online legal researchers in T.R. Halvorson’s 1999 book, “Law of the Super Searchers: The Online Secrets of Top Legal Researchers.” Botluk taught legal research at both the University of Maryland and Catholic University of America, where she served as a reference librarian in the Judge Kathryn J. Dufour Law Library for 17 years. She is also a regular contributor to the Web journal LLRX.com and frequently teaches Internet resources seminars. Botluk earned her law degree from Catholic.

Susan Zucker – Director of Technology and Distance Education
Dr. Susan Zucker has 10 years’ experience directing educational programs. Her areas of expertise includes instructional technology integration; Web course development and online applications; curriculum design and delivery; and faculty and staff development. She teaches Web-based distance delivery graduate courses for the University of South Florida’s College of Education. She has served as director of instructional services at USF, assistant professor of medical education in USF’s College of Medicine, and assistant director of the Holland & Knight Education Institute of Holland & Knight LLP. She has edited training material for the Center for Disease Control, published articles, and made numerous presentations to national audiences. She earned a doctorate in instructional technology with a cognate in medical informatics from USF. She also earned a master’s degree in education from USF.

Catherine Guthrie – Law and Science Fellow
Catherine Guthrie is a cum laude graduate from Stetson University College of Law, where she earned six Book Awards and served as a research assistant. Upon graduation, she received the Florida Bar Labor and Employment Law Section Dean W. Gary Vause Award and the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award.

Lea Gregg – Administrative Assistant
Lea Gregg most recently worked with Citizens Electric Corporation researching government grants. She has provided administrative support services for the University of Tampa in several departments, working collaboratively in special projects including the Better World Campaign and United Nations Foundation “Nations United, United Nations” Town Hall meetings. She also worked with California Assemblyman George Runner.

Career fair to showcase Florida’s business schools’ best

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – At the statewide career fair on March 11, national and regional companies and corporations have an opportunity to meeting top graduate business students from 11 universities and colleges, including students enrolled in Stetson University’s J.D./M.B.A. dual-degree program.

The Florida M.B.A. and Graduate Business Consortium is sponsoring the 5th Annual Statewide Career Fair and is inviting local, regional and national companies and organizations to participate. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Stetson students attending are pursing both an M.B.A. degree from Stetson’s School of Business Administration and a J.D. degree from Stetson’s College of Law. Graduates of this program can use their J.D. degree to provide legal context for their managerial activities and the M.B.A. degree to sharpen their administrative and managerial decision-making skills. Stetson’s dual-degree program is the largest of its kind in the nation.

Each participating school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, which ensures that graduates possess the most up-to-date knowledge and skills available. The career fair will bring together a diverse population of students, including 23 percent minorities and 17 percent international students. There also will be students with a variety of professional backgrounds.

“Each year, hundreds of graduate students from around the state attend the career fair, giving companies the opportunity to recruit some of the state’s best and brightest students,” said Cathy Fitch, Stetson’s director of career services. “It’s a worthwhile venture and a real win-win for all those involved.”

Companies and organizations that have participated in previous career fairs include AT&T, Central Intelligence Agency, Coca-Cola, Eli Lilly & Company, Raymond James Financial Services, Office Depot, Walt Disney World and many more.

The fee for businesses that register between Feb. 11 and March 10 is $350. The fee allows two company representatives to participate in the fair. Additional representatives may attend for $30 each. Interested companies may register online by accessing the Web site at www.flmbaconsortium.org

For more information, please contact Cathy Fitch at (727) 562-7815.

Stetson Law team wins regional leg of National Trial Competition

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – A Stetson University College of Law trial team won the Southeast Regional Competition of the National Trial Competition Feb. 11-13 in Jacksonville. With the win, Stetson advances to the national finals in San Antonio, Texas, at the end of March as the top-ranked team from the region.

The winning team consisted of Gabrielle Osborne and Dante Weston and witness members Kate Alexander and Mike Kest. Stetson Professor Pamela Bell coached the team.

“The team exhibited exemplary conduct both inside and outside the courtroom,” Bell said. “With each trial in the competition, the team improved and adapted. In the finals, the team rose to the occasion and carried on the Stetson tradition of excellence. I am very proud of them.”

Sixteen teams from Florida and Georgia competed in the event. Stetson defeated Georgia State University in the finals.

Stetson Law presents international dialogue on restoring Iraqi marshlands

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law recently conducted a conference with an Iraqi environmentalist on the efforts to restore Iraqi marshlands destroyed by the Saddam Hussein-led government. The conference is available on Stetson’s Web site at
http://gpiis03.law.stetson.edu/media/on-demand/alwash.asx. The conference also celebrated World Wetlands Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

Azzam Alwash, director of the Eden Again Project, spoke from Iraq to a group at Stetson’s Gulfport campus. The Eden Again Project is working to restore the Mesopotamian marshlands, which lie in southern Iraq largely between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The World Wildlife Fund lists the marshlands in the Global 200, which ranks the Earth’s most biologically outstanding habitats.

“This is an environmental tragedy on par with the deforestation of the Amazon,” said Royal C. Gardner, Stetson vice dean and vice chair of the United States National Ramsar Committee and the American Bar Association’s Committee on Water Quality and Wetlands. “We hope this presentation informs people about the environmental and humanitarian atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein and the efforts to reverse them.”

The discussion was an effort to bring more attention this environmental tragedy.

“It was great to be able to hear live from someone in Iraq about the marshland’s current situation,” Gardner said. “I hope this presentation has better informed the community about the plight about the Marsh Arabs and the efforts to restore the Mesopotamian marshlands.”

In the early 1990s, the Iraqi government embarked on a large-scale drainage project, largely in retaliation for the Shia uprising in southern Iraq. The result was the desiccation of the marshlands and the destruction of the culture of the Marsh Arabs. The UN Environment Programme has described the draining as a “major and thoughtless environmental disaster.”

Stetson University College of Law Receives Major Gift from Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc.

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law has received a gift of $250,000 from Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc. (The Fund). The gift establishes the Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Professorship, which will support the research and teaching of a full-time Stetson Law professor in the area of real estate law. Professor James J. Brown is the first recipient of this honor. The endowment is one of five – totaling $1 million – that The Fund, the nation’s first Bar-related title insurance underwriter, is establishing at Florida-based law schools.

“Stetson is proud to partner with The Fund to further a legal topic so important to Florida attorneys and to honor Professor Brown and his work,” said Stetson Dean Darby Dickerson.

“As Florida’s first law school, Stetson has a long history of educating real estate attorneys. With this gift, we are carrying out The Fund’s mission to preserve and facilitate the practice of real estate law,” said Charles J. Kovaleski, president of The Fund. “Real estate drives Florida’s economy. This endowment represents reinvestment in the legal foundation on which that critical piece of Florida’s economy stands.”

Professor Brown, a law professor of 35 years, is a 26-year member of the Florida Bar and its Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. He has been an active legal scholar, author, lecturer, teacher and consultant on property, real estate, land use planning, environment, local government and alternative dispute resolution. He was the editor of the original two-volume treatise, Florida Environmental and Land Use Law for more than 10 years. He has served in many legal organizations, including the Florida Governor’s Advisory Committee on Secret Land Trusts.

This gift is the latest in The Fund’s commitment to enhancing the practice of real estate law. For four decades, The Fund has provided preeminent law schools with annual funds to promote real property education. Beyond the more than $16,000 in curriculum grants that The Fund has provided to Stetson over the past 19 years, The Fund conducts an annual law student awards competition that is open to law students across the state.

In addition to The Fund’s expansive continuing education program for real estate attorneys, the company conducts a title examination workshop for students at law schools across Florida. The workshop provides students with the methods to help them accurately examine titles in an orderly and effective manner. It also helps them easily identify problems to look for when issuing title insurance as a real estate attorney.

About Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc. (The Fund)
Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, Inc., Florida’s leading title insurance underwriter and title information provider, is in business to preserve and facilitate the real estate practices of its members and their protection of the public. As the nation’s first Bar-related ® title insurance underwriter, The Fund has been providing extensive support for the real estate practices of Florida attorneys since 1948.

The Fund is an industry leader in service, being the first to offer a title information Quality & Service Guarantee. The Fund offers quality, competitive and innovative products, services and education, including Florida’s most comprehensive, on-line title information system and DoubleTime ®, a revolutionary real estate closing software package. For more information, visit http://www.thefund.com.

About Stetson University College of Law
Stetson University College of Law is Florida’s first law school. It has educated lawyers for more than a century and offers continuing legal education programs for regional, national and international audiences. Stetson is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top law schools in the United States for advocacy training and is the headquarters for the National Conference of Law Reviews. For more information visit
http://www.law.stetson.edu.

Forensic medical expert to speak at Stetson Law

Contact Aaron Reincheld
Communications Specialist
727-562-7381

Gulfport, Fla. – The National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson University College of Law is sponsoring a lecture and presentation by forensic expert Dr. Cyril H. Wecht at noon Feb. 11, in the Great Hall of Stetson’s Gulfport campus. The presentation, “Forensic medicine odyssey: From the Kennedy assassination to the Scott Peterson case,” is free and open to the public.

Dr. Wecht’s books include “Cause of Death,” “Grave Secrets,” “Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?” and “Mortal Evidence.” He has also authored more than 475 professional publications. He has appeared as a guest on numerous national television and radio shows discussing various medicolegal and forensic scientific subjects, including medical malpractice; alcohol and drug abuse; and prominent legal cases assassinations.

Certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology, Dr. Wecht is a fellow of the College of American Pathologists, American Society of Clinical Pathologists and National Association of Medical Examiners. He is a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine and Public Health; an adjunct professor at Duquesne University Schools of Law, Pharmacy and Health Sciences; a distinguished professor at Carlow College; and chairman of the advisory board of the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University School of Law.

He has served as president of the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and as chairman of the boards of trustees of the American Board of Legal Medicine and the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation.

For more information, contact the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at (727) 562-7316.