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February 16- Stetson Law to dedicate new Tampa Law Center and Campus Feb. 21

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law will dedicate its new Tampa Law Center and Campus at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. Dignitaries, members of the judiciary and local public officials are expected to attend.

“This is a significant milestone in the history of our law school and the city of Tampa,” said Dean Darby Dickerson. “The Tampa campus will create invaluable opportunities for our students and will be a great resource to the Tampa Bay legal community.”

Stetson University President H. Douglas Lee thanked the city of Tampa for its assistance with the project and for what it means to potential law students.

“Stetson is committing its financial and professional resources to enhance legal education and services for the people of Tampa, our state and for the nation.” Lee said. “We praise the city and people of Tampa for your vision. Stetson is proud to be your partner.”

Included in the festivities will be a special dedication of the W. Gary Vause Atrium at 1:15 p.m. The atrium commemorates the work of late Stetson Dean W. Gary Vause who spearheaded the design and construction of the Tampa campus.

The Tampa Law Center and Campus opened for classes Jan. 15. Located at 1700 N. Tampa St., just off Interstate 275, it is the first law school in Tampa. Approximately 130 students will have classes in Tampa during the spring semester.

The Stetson Law Center and Campus will be a major hub for legal activity in downtown Tampa and will house evening law classes, the Tampa branch of the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and continuing legal education programs. This unique combination makes the William Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom only the third location in the country and the first in Florida where a law school and sitting court will share space.

“The Second District is very excited to finally have the opportunity to work with Stetson in creating Florida’s first teaching courtroom,” said Chief Judge Second District Court of Appeal Chris W. Altenbernd.

The three-story, 73,500-square-foot building reflects the same Spanish-Mediterranean architecture of Stetson’s Gulfport campus, including a tower that overlooks downtown Tampa.

“The Tampa Law Center and Campus is more than just a law classroom,” said Jan Majewski, Tampa campus associate dean. “This will become the epicenter for the Tampa Bay legal community to meet, learn and work.”

The first and second floors house classrooms, a state-of-the-art courtroom, a law library and other law school space. The third floor contains chambers and offices for the Florida Second District Court of Appeal. The general contractor is Angle & Schmid and the architectural firm is FleischmanGarcia.

For information on attending classes at the Stetson University College of Law’s Tampa Law Center and Campus, contact the Admissions Office at (727) 562-7802 or [email protected].

February 13- Darby Dickerson selected Dean of Stetson University College of Law

Contact Mary Anne Rogers, Frank Klim

(386) 822-7215, (727) 562-7889

DeLand, Fla. – Darby Dickerson has been named the new Vice President and Dean of the Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport/St. Petersburg. Dean Dickerson has served as Interim Dean of the College of Law since May 2003, after then-Dean Gary Vause announced his retirement.

“We considered some of the best legal education professionals in the country, and Dean Dickerson is clearly the best choice to continue leading the Stetson University College of Law,” said Stetson University President H. Douglas Lee. “She has earned the respect and confidence of the faculty and administration at the Law School and Stetson’s main campus in DeLand, as well as with the Board of Trustees and the Law Board of Overseers.”

“I am honored and thrilled to be selected Dean,” Dickerson said. “The Stetson University College of Law is an extraordinary educational institution, and I look forward to leading the school to even greater heights. The College of Law has outstanding students, faculty and staff, and I know that we will be a great team in propelling the school forward.”

A 12-member Dean Search Committee, comprised of representatives from the faculty, alumni, staff, Law Board of Overseers and the Student Bar Association, was formed in July 2003. Three finalists were selected in January and brought to campus to meet and present their vision of the future of Stetson Law to faculty, staff and students. The Search Committee made its recommendations to President Lee in early February with strong support for Darby Dickerson to be named Vice President and Dean of the Stetson University College of Law. President Lee concurred and gained approval of the Stetson University Board of Trustees.

About Dean Darby Dickerson:

Darby Dickerson joined the Stetson faculty in August 1995. She became associate dean in January 2000, received tenure in August 2000 and her full professorship in August 2001. She has served as the director of legal research and writing since spring 1996. She was promoted to vice dean in August 2002 where she served until being named Interim Dean in May 2003. Dean Dickerson received her B.A. and M.A. from The College of William and Mary, and earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where she served as senior managing editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and as a member of the Moot Court Board.

Before joining Stetson’s faculty, she clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and worked as an associate at Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, a firm in Dallas. In 1995, she was selected as the Outstanding Young Lawyer in Dallas. Dean Dickerson teaches research and writing and federal pretrial practice. She writes in the areas of legal writing and citation, and litigation ethics, and is the author of the ALWD Citation Manual, which has been adopted by professors at approximately 100 law schools.

In 1997, Dean Dickerson received Stetson University’s Teaching Excellence Award; in 1998 and again in 2000, she received the University’s Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship. In addition to her work at Stetson, she is President-Elect of the Ferguson-White Inn of Court in Tampa and a director of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross.

February 11- War crimes investigator to speak Thursday at Stetson Law

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Dr. Helena Ranta is internationally known for her human rights work and investigative work with the United Nations, including testimony at the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic at the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague.

Dr. Ranta will speak at noon Thursday in Stetson University College of Law’s Classroom A as part of a series from the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson. Her speech, “Forensic Investigations of Human Rights Violations in Kosovo,” is free and open to the public.

A forensic odontologist in the Department of Forensic Medicine at University of Helsinki, Dr. Ranta is also Coordinator of Disaster Victim Identification and International Missions with the Finnish government. Dr. Ranta and her work have been the subject of several BBC documentaries.

Dr. Ranta has published over 60 articles on molecular biology, forensic medicine, forensic odontology and international humanitarian law among other topics. She graduated with a Doctor of Dental Science in 1972 and a Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Helsinki. She is a board member of the Finnish League for Human Rights and a member of the Advisory Board for International Human Rights Affairs to the Finnish government.

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

February 11- Stetson Law Moot Court Tax Team wins top awards in national competition

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Tax Moot Court Team of Nicole Deese and Alyssa Honickman won Best Brief for their written work and Deese won Best Individual Oralist in the National Tax Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the Tax Section of the Florida Bar.

The Stetson team advanced to the finals where they argued before three Washington, D.C., Tax Court judges. The team finished second after the judges awarded a split-decision victory to a team from Barry University. Featuring 16 teams from around the country, the competition took place at St. Pete Beach, Feb. 5-7.

“This is truly remarkable as they were rewarded for both their written and oral advocacy skills,” said Stephanie Vaughan, Stetson Law professor and Moot Court Team adviser. “We are very proud of our competitors and could not have achieved this without the generous support of our coaches and the Stetson community.”

Professor Janice Lawrence and Joe Rugg, adjunct professor and partner at Akerman Senterfitt in Tampa, coached the team. Under Professors Lawrence and Rugg’s guidance, Stetson’s Tax Moot Court Teams have either won this competition or placed in the top three the last four years.

February 10- Stetson Law Trial Team finishes first, second in Southeast Regionals of the National Trial Competition

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law trial teams finished first and second in the Southeast Regionals of the National Trial Competition, sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Feb. 6-8 in Tallahassee.

Both teams went undefeated on their way to advancing to the national competition next month in Austin, Texas. The top two teams from each region advance to the national stage.

The first-place team consisted of: Javan Grant, Richard Barbara and team witnesses Chris Hersem and Karla Campos. The second-place team consisted of: Rena Upshaw-Frazier, Julia Metts and team witnesses Jason Turner and Cindy Demestre. Both teams were unanimously chosen the winner of their final rounds.

“All team members were professional, poised and exemplary,” said Pamela Bell, Stetson Law Professor and Trial Team adviser. “They did Stetson proud.”

This victory continued a string of recent success. Stetson trial teams won The Florida Bar Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition last month and finished first and second in the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers’ Honorable E. Earle Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition in November.

February 6- Stetson Law dedicates the William Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom in Tampa Law Center and Campus

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law recently dedicated the William Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom at the new Tampa Law Center and Campus. The state-of-the-art courtroom will serve as a classroom and training area for Stetson students and will house oral arguments for the Florida Second District Court of Appeal Tampa Branch.

This unique combination makes the William Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom only the third location in the country and the first in Florida where a law school and sitting court will share space.

“Reece Smith has served as an outstanding role model for our students and for attorneys across the country,” Dean Darby Dickerson said. “The William Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom is a fitting honor for an attorney who has given so much to our legal system.”

William Reece Smith Jr. 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.

Smith has received numerous awards for enhancing legal services to the poor, as well as the ABA’s Gold Medal and the Florida Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor. He is Of Counsel and chair emeritus of Carlton Fields P.A., where he has practiced law since 1953.

February 6- Equal Rights Amendment activist to speak at Stetson Law Feb. 17

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

Gulfport, Fla. – The Florida Association of Women Lawyers at Stetson University College of Law (FAWLS) will welcome Sandy Oestreich, founder and president of Florida’s Equal Rights Alliance Inc. and ERA Chair of League of Women Voters Florida, to speak on the proposed Equal Rights Amendment.

Oestreich’s speech, scheduled for noon Tuesday, Feb. 17 in Stetson’s Great Hall, is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.

“The Equal Rights Amendment is basic to giving all women an even playing field and affects everyone, not just women as a group,” said Julia Baginski, FAWLS president. “A lot of people don’t know that the Constitution lacks a gender equality component. We are excited that Ms. Oestreich will be here to explain the ERA, why it is needed and what purpose it will serve.”

The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923. It has been ratified by 35 of the necessary 38 states. If three more states vote yes, the ERA could become the 28th Amendment. Florida is one of the 15 states yet to ratify the amendment.

Those interested in attending should RSVP by Tuesday, Feb. 10, to [email protected].

February 4- Minority Pre-Law Conference scheduled at Stetson University College of Law

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

Gulfport, Fla. – More than 100 high school and college students are expected to attend the annual Minority Pre-Law Conference at Stetson University College of Law Friday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Stetson has teamed with local high schools for the conference to mark National Minority Law Student Recruitment Month. College freshmen and sophomores are also encouraged to attend.

“Stetson University College of Law is working hard to increase the number of people from underrepresented minority groups in its student body,” said Assistant Dean of Admissions Pamela Coleman. “We want to send a strong message that they are encouraged to attend law school.”

During the conference, Stetson deans, professors and students will tell visitors about the admissions process and experience of entering law school. There will be a mock trial led by Stetson’s nationally ranked trial team. Members of Stetson’s Black Law Students Association, Hispanic Bar Association and Stetson Ambassadors will assist with the conference.

Conference attendees will also visit the St. Petersburg Bar Association’s traveling exhibit, “A Legacy of Courage, Vision & Hope,” celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the legal profession on display in Stetson’s Law Library.

National Minority Law Recruitment Month is funded with a grant from the Law School Admission Council to raise awareness of minority recruiting issues facing law schools.

Reservations are required. Those interested in attending should call Stetson’s Admissions Office at (727) 562-7802 or e-mail [email protected]. For more information about the program please visit the College of Law’s Web site at www.law.stetson.edu

January 27- Stetson Law trial team wins Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition

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

Gulfport, Fla. – The Stetson University College of Law Trial Team won The Florida Bar Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition Jan. 15 in Miami. It is the 15th time Stetson has won this competition.

The team defeated students from Barry University in the final round of the state-wide competition. Stetson’s team consisted of Scott Slater, Joel Elsea, Gabrielle Osborne and Jason Turner.

Slater was named Best Advocate for the competition. Stetson trial team alums Thea Dalkalitsis and Dina Kenny coached the team.

“We are very proud of the team succeeding in such a prestigious competition,” said Dean Darby Dickerson. “Their victory confirms Stetson’s place at the top of institutions for advocacy training.”

A second Stetson team finished the competition undefeated, but did not advance to the semi-finals because of tie-breakers.

“I’m very proud of our team for bringing the Chester Bedell Trophy back to us,” said Pamela Bell, Stetson’s trial advocacy fellow and Trial Team adviser. “Stetson can be proud of the excellent job the team did, but more importantly we can be proud of the professionalism and integrity all team members showed in this competition and in all others.”

This victory continued other recent success, Stetson Law trial teams finished first and second in the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers’ Honorable E. Earle Zehmer Memorial Mock Trial Competition in November.

January 26- Stetson Law students to process simulated murder scene tomorrow

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

WHO: Stetson Law students will work with the Forensic Science Unit of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and professor Carol Henderson, director of the National Clearinghouse on Science, Technology and the Law at Stetson, to investigate a simulated homicide.

WHAT: Henderson will lead students through the investigation Tuesday at a Stetson warehouse using the actual tools from the Forensic Science Unit. The scenario for the crime scene is that a burglar broke in and killed someone who confronted him. Students will process the scene, analyzing blood splatter patterns, tool marks and taking fingerprints to “solve” the faux crime.

WHEN: 1:30 p.m. –3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27

WHERE: Stetson University College of Law Warehouse, 745 43rd St. S., St. Petersburg, FL, 33711.

WHY: This will provide law students with a unique first-hand learning experience. The clearinghouse was formed to train the next generation of scientific investigators and help current legal professionals keep up with advancements in crime-solving techniques.

NOTE: The “homicide” will provide excellent visuals with great photo opportunities, including someone playing the dead body.

ADDITIONAL: Noted forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden will speak at noon Thursday in Stetson’s Great Hall. His speech, “The Complete History of Murder and Science in One Hour,” is free and open to the public.

January 26- Inaugural William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Ethics and Annual Inns of Court Banquet set for Thursday Lawrence Fox to speak on client confidentiality in the wake of Enron, Ar

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law will infuse a new tradition with those long-established at its annual Inns of Court Banquet this year by featuring the Inaugural William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Ethics.

Lawrence J. Fox, an internationally recognized trial lawyer, will deliver the inaugural lecture titled “Can Client Confidentiality Survive Enron, Arthur Andersen and the ABA?” The series was created from an endowment to bring distinguished lecturers in litigation ethics to Stetson and to pay tribute to William Reece Smith Jr., distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson Law.

“We look forward to hearing Mr. Fox’s insights. Mr. Fox is an ideal person to begin a lecture series honoring Reece Smith, who has served as an outstanding role model for out students and for attorneys across the country,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.

The banquet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Gulfport Casino. Invited dignitaries, federal, circuit and county judges, Tampa Bay lawyers, area Inns of Court members and Stetson students will attend. The next day, Fox will speak to classes at Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

The Inns of Court is a tradition used to train barristers in London, and has been embraced for more than seven centuries. It focuses on maintaining close mentoring relationships between lawyers-to-be and eminent scholars, lawyers and judges.
Biographies
Lawrence J. Fox
Mr. Fox is a trial lawyer and partner at the Philadelphia firm of Drinker, Biddle & Realth LLP, specializing in corporate and securities litigation and the counseling of lawyers and law firms.

He is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Bar Foundation and a member of the American Law Institute, where he served as an adviser to the Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers. Fox is the author of many articles for regional and national publications, covering a variety of subjects with an emphasis on ethical issues.

William Reece Smith Jr.
William Reece Smith Jr. has been a distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson Law since 1991. He is the past president of the American, International and Florida bar associations. He has received numerous legal awards, including the ABA’s Gold Medal and the Florida Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor. Smith is of counsel and is chair emeritus of Carlton Fields P.A., where he has practiced law since 1953.

January 20- Stetson University College of Law forms the nation’s first clearinghouse on science and technology Program director served as a consultant to CSI Miami

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

Gulfport, Fla. – To help legal professionals keep up with cutting-edge crime-solving techniques and to train the next generation of scientific investigators, Stetson University College of Law recently formed the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law.

The clearinghouse will educate lawyers, judges and law enforcement personnel about new technology, methods of evaluating evidence and whether such evidence is admissible in court. In addition to helping those already in the field, the clearinghouse will expose students to unique first-hand learning opportunities.

“This innovative program will be an important resource for judges, lawyers and legal professionals,” Dean Darby Dickerson said. “Stetson is proud to bring this valuable service to the legal community. We are grateful to Congressman Young for helping us obtain the federal funding to make this program possible.”

The National Institute of Justice, the research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, funded the clearinghouse for 2003. Congressman C.W. Bill Young, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, was instrumental in obtaining the funding for the project.

Hit television show “CSI” has popularized techniques real-life investigators use everyday. Stetson professor and Clearinghouse Director Carol Henderson served as a technical consultant to “CSI Miami,” and she knows real legal legwork is not exactly like it is on television. However, the shows have generated greater interest in forensic research.

“Scientists, lawyers and judges are overwhelmed by the amount of information required to keep pace with new developments in science and technology,” Henderson said. “We are here to help point legal professionals in the right direction so that justice can be served.”

The clearinghouse was created in August and Henderson began teaching at Stetson with the start of spring semester classes. On Jan. 27, Henderson will lead students on an investigation of a set-up crime scene. With the aid of local law enforcement and forensic experts, students will use real techniques to “solve” the faux crime.

“There are few institutions where students are able to receive these advanced skills,” Henderson said. “Stetson is really leading the way in bringing all these resources together.”

The clearinghouse will also bring nationally recognized experts to Stetson’s campus for a series of free presentations. Later this spring the students will depose a medical examiner and cross examine a forensic dentist.

Student researchers at Stetson College of Law and Nova Southeastern University have joined Henderson and her team to create a comprehensive bibliography of court decisions, scholarly publications and other materials in the fields of law and science.

The information gathered will be made available online and in a searchable CD-ROM to be distributed early this year. The CD is being developed through a cooperative agreement between the National Institute of Justice and the National Forensic Science and Technology Center in Largo, Fla.