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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.

January 16- Stetson University Tampa Law Center and Campus opens

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Gulfport, Fla. – The Stetson University 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.

A small ceremony took place to mark the occasion for the 40 excited students attending the first class. Approximately 130 students will have classes in Tampa during the spring semester.

“This is a milestone in the history of our law school,” said Dean Darby Dickerson. “It is only through the hard work and cooperation of the city of Tampa that we are able to achieve this significant goal.”

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.

“The Tampa campus will create unprecedented opportunities for our students and faculty,” said Jan Majewski, associate dean of the Tampa campus.

A formal dedication of the campus is set for 10 a.m., Feb. 21, 2004.

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 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].

January 16- Elder consumer fraud topic of law enforcement training co-sponsored by Stetson Law

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Consumer fraud and exploitation of senior citizens is a building concern. To help law enforcement and related personnel learn how to detect, investigate and prepare for a successful prosecution in these areas, experts will present “Elder Abuse and Exploitation: America’s Growing Crimes” Thursday, Jan. 22.

The day-long seminar is co-sponsored by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Office of the Florida Attorney General and Stetson University College of Law.

“We’ve been training senior citizens on how to avoid becoming the victims of financial scams and exploitation, now we want to train the professionals who can help seniors if they do become a victim,” said Nick Cox, professor and head of Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program.

“Law enforcement wants to help and we want to provide them the tools,” he said.

Professor Cox will speak along with state and federal prosecutors, representatives from the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department and the Attorney General’s office.

Session topics will cover investigation of consumer fraud cases, preparation for prosecution, current trends/scams and issues affecting elderly citizens such as cyber crime and identity theft.

The seminar is part of a continuing effort of Stetson Law to team with local organizations to fight consumer fraud.

“Consumer fraud is an issue that can strike anyone and we at Stetson want to help,” said Dean Darby Dickerson. “We want to educate not only our students, but community around us as well.”

The forum is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 22, at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center, 4211 N. Lois Ave., Tampa, FL 33614. The seminar is free to law enforcement, prosecutors and adult protective services personnel. Those interested in attending should call the Operations Center at (813) 878-7300 to reserve space.

January 8- Nation’s educators to review half century of landmark Brown v. Board of Education Stetson’s 25th Annual National Conference on Law and Higher Education set for Feb. 14-17

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

Gulfport, Fla. – The silver anniversary of the National Conference on Law and Higher Education will highlight the golden anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, widely considered one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in the history of American education law.

The conference, offered by Stetson University College of Law, will bring experts from around the nation to the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach Feb. 14-17.

Administrators from more than 300 colleges and universities, attorneys and others in higher education will discuss practical solutions and approaches to legal and policy challenges facing higher education.

Events begin Saturday, Feb. 14, with special pre-conference sessions: a symposium on the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board and a workshop on “The Law, Ethics and Student Honesty.” There will also be a special post-conference seminar on balancing university interests and employee rights.

Conference sessions will focus on timely, unresolved legal issues directly affecting the higher education community in 2004. Session topics will include student life, administrative legal issues and using new technology. Attendees will gain legal information and solutions that will serve as a valuable reference for the coming year.

“The attorney and the administrator must, in 2004, approach their responsibilities with an interdisciplinary perspective, which is informed by emerging law and new science,” said Robert Bickel, conference chair and Stetson University College of Law professor. “The National Conference was planned with this in mind.”

For more details about the conference or for information regarding registration, contact Stetson’s Continuing Legal Education office at (727) 562-7830 or visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/CLE/.

December 23- Crist donates to Stetson for Elder Fraud

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law’s Elder Law Center received $300,000 from Attorney General Charlie Crist Friday, Dec. 19, the final installment of $700,000 to support Stetson’s statewide program to educate elderly residents to avoid consumer fraud.

“This award is a significant complement to our Center for Excellence in Elder Law. It will allow us to increase our efforts to help protect our elderly residents and the community around us,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.

Stetson received $700,000 of a $950,000 settlement reached in November 2002 between the Attorney General’s Office and a Delaware-based firm that faced allegations of deception. The announcement was made by then-Attorney General Bob Butterworth.

“Fraud concerning the elderly continues to be a serious and growing problem in Florida,” said Professor Rebecca Morgan, director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

A national leader in the field of elder law, Morgan has spearheaded unique partnerships with the Attorney General’s Office, AARP and the legal community to increase public awareness of consumer fraud against senior citizens.

“The most effective way to fight consumer fraud is through education, and this support from the Attorney General puts us well on our way to having a more educated community,” she said.

Stetson University College of Law selects three finalists in dean search

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

Gulfport, Fla. – The search for the next dean of the Stetson University College of Law has been narrowed to three candidates.

The finalists are: John T. Berry, Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan; Darby Dickerson, Interim Dean of the Stetson College of Law and Leroy Pernell, Dean of Northern Illinois University College of Law.

“A number of highly qualified candidates from across the country have applied for this position and the selection process has been very difficult,” said John Cooper, co-chair of the Dean Search Committee.

The committee has been working since its appointment in July 2003 to identify individuals to recommend to President H. Douglas Lee to serve as Dean of Stetson University College of Law and University Vice President. The 12-member committee is comprised of representatives from the faculty, alumni, staff, Board of Overseers and the Student Bar Association.

The three finalists will be brought to campus for interviews in January or February 2004. Events will be planned for faculty, administrators, staff and students to meet with the candidates. Ultimately the recommendations of the faculty and the Dean Search Committee will be forwarded to President Lee for the final selection. President Lee has indicated his desire to have the final selection made so that the new dean will assume his/her position by July 1, 2004.

About the Finalists:

John T. Berry is a 1976 graduate of Stetson University College of Law. He is the Executive Director of the State Bar of Michigan. Berry has served as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting consumer fraud action in Florida. He has also served in leadership positions in both the Florida Bar and the Arizona State Bar. He also serves as the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Professionalism. In 2000, he was appointed to serve on the Florida Supreme Court Professionalism Commission. He was the 2001 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Michael Franck Award, the association’s highest award in the field of legal ethics and professionalism. Berry has published prolifically on legal professionalism and has been associated with and taught at a number of law schools.

Dean Darby Dickerson has been Interim Dean of the Stetson University College of Law since May 2003. She graduated from the Vanderbilt Law School in 1988 where she served as Senior Managing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and as a member of the Moot Court Board. After serving as a law clerk for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, she entered private practice for six years in Dallas, Texas. In 1995, she was named the Outstanding Director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and also the Outstanding Young Lawyer in Dallas. Dean Dickerson joined the Stetson faculty in 1995. She served as Associate Dean of the Stetson College of Law from 2000-2002 and as Vice Dean of the College of Law from 2002-2003. She has published extensively in the areas of litigation ethics and legal writing and citation.

Dean Leroy Pernell has served as the Dean of Northern Illinois University College of Law since 1997. Dean Pernell graduated from the Ohio State Law School in 1974. Prior to teaching law, Dean Pernell practiced with the Columbus Legal Aid and Defender Society. He served as a Professor at the law school at Ohio State from 1975 and as Vice Provost of the Office of Minority Affairs at the Ohio State University from 1994, until being appointed the Dean at the University of Northern Illinois. In 1988, he served as a visiting scholar at Columbia University School of Law. He has written law review articles in the areas of criminal procedure, juvenile justice, personal injury and sports law.

ABA President Dennis Archer speaks at Stetson University College of Law’s fall commencement Graduating class establishes scholarship fund

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Dennis Archer, the first person of color elected president of the American Bar Association, spoke to graduates at Stetson University College of Law’s fall commencement Dec. 20, in the College’s outdoor courtyard.

Archer was presented with an honorary doctorate for his distinguished accomplishments in the law and his commitment to community service. He is chairman of the 200-person, Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright PLLC and served as mayor of Detroit from 1994 to 2001. Governing magazine named Archer Public Official of the Year in 2000.

Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson said the College was honored to have such a renowned leader and legal scholar speak at commencement.

“Mr. Archer is an inspiration for our students to succeed personally and professionally,” she said.

The members of the graduating class presented a $20,500 check to establish a scholarship fund to aid future graduates as they prepare for the bar exam. Stetson matched the gift 2:1 to increase the fund to $30,750.

During the ceremony, 99 students received their degrees, including five who received the LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree in International Law and Business. Seventeen students also earned a joint juris doctor and master’s degree in business administration from Stetson College of Law and the Stetson University School of Business Administration.

December 9- Security for seniors topic of free Stetson Law and Florida AARP forum Dec. 10

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

Gulfport, Fla. – Experts from around the state will advise senior citizens on personal and financial security at a consumer forum at Stetson University College of Law Wednesday, Dec. 10. The forum begins at 1 p.m. in Stetson’s Great Hall and is a joint-effort with the AARP of Florida.

Discussion topics will include warnings on how to avoid scams and con-artists, protection against identity theft, home repair fraud and financial exploitation.

Representatives from the following organizations will speak: the Attorney General’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Finance Services, the State Attorney’s Office, the Gulf Coast Legal Services and the Pinellas County Consumer Protection Agency and Stetson University College of Law.

The AARP is putting on a series of forums throughout the state to inform communities on consumer issues.

The forum is part of an effort by Stetson’s Consumer Protection Education Program to educate seniors on how to spot fraud and how to avoid becoming a target for criminals.