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Interim Dean Radwan Receives FL Bar Professionalism Award

A headshot of Law Professor Theresa Pulley Radwan
Stetson Law Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan

With enthusiastic backing from Stetson Law faculty, Interim Dean Theresa J. Pulley Radwan has been given the Florida Bar Center for Professionalism’s 2023 Law Faculty/Administrator Professionalism Award.

The recognition follows Radwan’s 22 years of service at Stetson Law, where, in addition to being a top bankruptcy law expert, she has held several roles at the College of Law. Radwan has served as interim dean since summer of 2022, and has also held the roles of Associate Dean of Academics, Senior Associate Dean of Academics, Associate Dean for Administration and Business Affairs, and Transitional Business Administrator.

“In all these capacities she has acted with the highest level of integrity and professionalism,” states a nomination letter submitted on behalf of the Stetson Law faculty recommending Radwan for the award. “She exudes professionalism in everything she does, from how she writes an email, to how she introduces speakers, how she interacts with faculty, staff, and students, how she teaches classes, and how she performs her current role as interim dean of the law school.”

Starting in 1999, the award has been presented annually to a faculty member or administrator who “best supports or exemplifies the mission of the Standing Committee on Professionalism” through scholarship, teaching, and service to the profession. Past recipients of this award from Stetson Law include former Dean Bruce R. Jacob (2018), Professor Emeritus Robert Dean Bickel (2016), Law Professor Roberta K. Flowers (2005), and Law Professor Rebecca Morgan (2003). See all award recipients.

She will be presented with the award at the Florida Bar’s Annual Convention during the Judicial Luncheon.

Leading Stetson through unprecedented challenges

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Radwan took on the challenging role of leading the University’s team in overseeing the Pandemic response for all of Stetson’s campuses. She spent endless hours as the co-chair of the Safer Campus Task Force while also teaching classes and writing scholarly works. She received the “She Stepped Up Award: Recognizing Extraordinary Leadership During COVID-19,” presented by the American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network – Florida.

She was one of six women in all of higher education in Florida selected as a winner of this award for her leadership in making a difference in the lives of students as well as employees on their campuses. Well before she began serving as interim dean, students, faculty, and other members of the Stetson Law community lauded her for her communication and listening skills, sense of fairness, and scholarly work.

Advocating for campus diversity

As dean, she has been a key advocate for campus diversity; not only in being present for events, but also in promoting the importance of community. Her support for Stetson Law’s commitment to diversity is evident in everything from her encouraging faculty to participate in community MLK Day events to her scholarship of elder law issues in bankruptcy. Her behind-the-scenes efforts as a faculty member who served on the Appointments Screening Committee is a key reason behind the current diversity of Stetson Law’s faculty.

She served as a president of the Ferguson-White Inn of Court, as a member of the Florida Bar Association Standing Committee on Professionalism, and, in 2007-08, as the chair of the Professional Award Subcommittee.

The list of activities that she has done behind the scenes to advocate and reward professionalism in the legal practice is long.

Campus Vegetable Garden a Labor of Love for Students

A professor and several students pose for a selfie in front of a garden.
Law Professor Lance Long and members of the Food Law Society enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Obscured by trees along the north side of 15th Avenue South is a garden oasis where good things are growing.

A banyan-shaded green space yielding massive heads of organically grown cabbage and broccoli sprouts, it’s the result of a recently revived Stetson Food Law Society project.

“This year we have a beautiful garden, and I am probably one of the biggest consumers of the crops,” said Law Professor Lance Long, the Food Law Society’s faculty advisor.

Reviving an old tradition

Long said the garden is the latest – and most successful – iteration of a student-run gardening initiative dating back about a decade. Then, a series of container gardens in Crummer Courtyard was productive, but it didn’t create a verdant, sanctuary-like space like the current garden initiative does. More recently, the current site of the project – just west of the Banyan Courtyard – had fallen into disrepair.

Students kneel in front of two garden beds.
Volunteers tend to Stetson Law’s organic garden,

Fresh membership and a renewed sense of purpose inspired the Food Law Society to revive the project in the fall of 2021.

With help from the facilities department – which installed a hose and let the students use store their tools in a nearby shed – the students began making true progress on the garden in Spring 2022 as part of an environmental law class. Through planning, meticulous work, and a bit of trial-and-error, the space was thriving within six months.

Much of the labor is divided among Food Law Society President Iman Mamdouh, Vice President Jon Burton, and Treasurer Saad Chowdhury.

“The garden became our shared ‘toddler’ on campus,” joked Mamdouh. “Between the three of us, we rotate watering, covering the garden in tarps to prevent weeds, and shop for new seeds, seedlings, soil, manure, and labeling stakes.”

Two photographs show a garden space in disrepair.
Before students set out to revive the garden in 2021, the space had fallen into disrepair.

It became a community effort among Stetson Law’s eco-conscious students. Other Food Law Society members assisted in de-weeding and replanting each month. One even brought used coffee grounds from the café where she works to use in the fertilizer.

“With the effort we all put in, we share in the literal fruits of our labor but also in the failed attempts that educate us in the dos and do-nots of gardening,” Mamdouh said.

The January harvest yielded produce for all members of the Stetson Law Community to enjoy at no cost. As a shaded green space open to all, the garden is also a great place to de-stress from the rigors of law school.

“Someone can enjoy fresh produce from the garden, or destress with a garden cleanup event, or even sit among the plants under the banyan tree,” Chowdhury said. “Moreover, the garden demonstrates gratitude. Seeing where food comes from and the work needed is a humbling experience.”

Digging deeper: Cultivating conversations around food

There are, of course, much bigger-picture aspects to the undertaking.

For one, economic conditions and broader food policy in the U.S. can result in limited access to nutritionally dense foods in many communities – including, potentially, at Stetson Law.

A refrigerator featuring cabbage and other vegetables grown in the Stetson Law garden
Vegetables grown in the Stetson Law garden.

“We realized while many schools offer food, there is a deficiency of nutrients – especially for any students who were food insecure because of finances or otherwise,” Burton said.

The group also hopes the project will help individuals think more critically about what it means to “eat local,” given how the current federal-government definition of “local” may cause consumers to buy produce that’s not as sustainably farmed as they think.

“We also realized that in 2022 the transportation and display system of in-store foods when the [United States Department of Agriculture] considered ‘local’ to be within 400 miles or less of product origin introduced spoilage and some nutrient degradation compared to truly local foods,” Burton said. “We hope the garden does draw community education about the localization of foods and the importance of nutrition.”

Keeping it growing

As 3Ls, law school is drawing near its close for Mamdouh and Burton – but the garden will live on. As incoming president of the Food Law Society, Chowdhury will take the reins – and he’s got big plans.

He said he hopes to foster more food justice initiatives, from encouraging students to volunteer at local food banks to creating “an educational space where students can learn about Food Justice issues, such as food deserts, legislative hurdles, and the socio-economic determinants for nutrition in our community,” he said.

That will likely include informative signage in the garden itself as well as walking paths to help invite others to explore the connection between local food and global sustainability. “I’m relieved to graduate knowing we have set solid building blocks for the Stetson Community Garden to further flourish in the upcoming years, and I hope it becomes a Stetson landmark,” Mamdouh said.

Benjamin Barros Named New Dean of Stetson Law

Benjamin Barros, incoming Dean of Stetson University College of Law

Following a nationwide search led by an exceptional search committee and assisted by Issacson | Miller Executive Search, Stetson University has selected Benjamin Barros as the next dean of the Stetson University College of Law.

A proven leader

Dean Barros joins Stetson Law from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he has been Dean since 2015. During his time as Dean, Toledo Law saw significant improvement in enrollment, bar success, graduate employment, and fundraising.

Dean Barros has been a leader in the legal community, serving two terms as a member of the Association of American Law Schools Executive Committee and serving as Chair of the Supreme Court Task Force on the Ohio Bar Exam. He is a Property Law expert and has authored a popular Property textbook. He is a former Chair of the AALS Section on Property Law and a former President of the Association for Law, Property, and Society.

Practical experience & education

Before joining the legal academy, Dean Barros practiced as a litigator at two prominent firms in New York City.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Colgate University, a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Maryland, and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, as a member of Order of the Coif.

“I’m incredibly excited to join Stetson Law,” says Barros. “Stetson Law has earned a national reputation for excellence in advocacy, legal writing, and elder law, among other areas of excellence and I look forward to working with all members of the Stetson Law community to build on these existing strengths towards an exciting and bright future.”

Welcoming a new campus leader

Members of the search committee are enthusiastic to have a leader with deep decanal experience, a collaborative spirit, and a clear focus on student excellence join the college.

Search committee co-chairs Ellen Podgor (Stetson University’s Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor of Law) and Greg Coleman (Chair of the Board of Overseers, partner at Critton Luttier Coleman and Past President of The Florida Bar) extend their thanks to all who contributed to this extraordinary outcome.

The entire Stetson community is thrilled to welcome Dean Barros and is eager to see how his partnership with Stetson’s faculty, staff, and students will lead Stetson to even stronger successes in the future. 

Dean Barros starts his role as Stetson’s newest dean on July 1, 2023.

Stetson Law Emerges as Top U.S. Team at Vis Moot

A group of students and a professor stand in front of a Vienna cityscape.
Left to right: Jaclyn Foster, Phil Faires, Mary Roseth,, Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Matt Ceriale, Taylor Simonds, and Sam MacDougal.

Over days of intense competition, Stetson Law emerged as the only U.S. team to make it to one of the final rounds of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria.

The five-member team representing Stetson Law at the prestigious tournament – consisting of Phillip Faires, Jaclyn Foster, Sam McDougall, Mary Roseth, and Team Captain Taylor Simonds – competed against 378 teams from 89 countries. They were one of 49 teams from the U.S. to compete – and the only U.S. team to make it into the event’s top 16 teams before advancing to become one of the competition’s top eight teams. This was the first in-person Vis competition since 2019, when Stetson’s team also advanced to the top eight.

As a top-eight team, Stetson lost in a split decision to a team from Singapore. The incredible run – which put the Stetson team in the top two percent in the world – serves as a milestone for the five competitors and their coaches, alumni Jason Stearns and Matt Ceriale, as well as Professor Stephanie Vaughan.

“Hearing Stetson’s name called not only for one of the Top 64 teams out of 378 that would be advancing, but also as the (by unanimous vote!) winner of three head-to-head elimination rounds in a row is undoubtedly the highlight of my law school career,” said Simonds.

Prestigious event, extensive preparation

The team spent months preparing for the event, which featured a fictional case involving drone manufacturers in the politically unstable “nation” of Equitoriana. The experience helped them develop their advocacy skills and explore new areas of the law.

“The entire team worked so hard in devoting ourselves to this problem for upward of five months – improving our advocacy skills, researching international standards for niche areas of law, and trying to convince ourselves and others that a helicopter-sized drone might not legally be an aircraft – and seeing all that work pay off was incredibly validating,” Simonds said.

An advocacy milestone

As both a professor and a coach, Vaughan said it was incredible to watch the team members develop their skills through diligent practice – then to advance farther than any other school in the United States.

“To say that I am proud of this team would truly be an understatement,” Vaughan said. “Being a part of this team’s success at Vis has been incredibly rewarding. It was a true feat for Stetson Advocacy.”

To the team, it was an incredible honor to emerge as the top U.S. team after competing with the likes of Harvard Law and Columbia Law School.

“Overall, this was an experience none of us will ever forget, and it allowed us an unparalleled opportunity to grow our skills in communication, research, creative argument, teamwork, and international perspectives in a way I know we will all carry into our careers,” Simonds said.  

Stetson Law Review Symposium Explores Elon Musk & the Law

A room full of people during a Stetson Law Review Symposium presentation in Great Hall.
The 2023 Stetson Law Review Symposium

There was an air of excitement on campus as students, faculty, and other members of Stetson Law and the legal community gathered to discuss the timely topic of the 2023 Stetson Law Review Symposium: Elon Musk and the Law.

Throughout the day, esteemed legal scholars examined legal aspects of the famous and controversial billionaire’s many endeavors, from Space-X to Twitter. Speakers included experts from across the U.S. such as The University of Tennessee Rick Rose distinguished Professor Joan Heminway, Stetson Law Bruce R. Jacob Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Tomer Stein, and Florida Supreme Court Justice John Couriel, who gave the event’s thought-provoking keynote address.

One topic, countless perspectives

The symposium covered a range of topics and issues, all exploring an aspect of the eccentric entrepreneur’s multitude of business endeavors through a legal lens.

In the first discussion, for example, Duncan School of Law Vice President and Associate Dean Matt Lyon and Southern University Associate Professor of Law Kenya Smith talked about accountability, from the role of directors and regulators to First Amendment questions surrounding Musk’s purchase of Twitter. It was titled “The Untouchable Elon Musk.”

A woman speaks at a podium in Stetson Law's Great Hall.
University of Tennessee Rick Rose Distinguished Professor of Law Joan MacLeod Heminway

Other sessions covered issues like securities disclosure challenges, professional responsibility concerns, and corporate law and governance concerns related to the acquisition of Twitter, Inc.

Breakfast and networking sessions gave attendees the opportunity to connect with colleagues and reflect on the day’s discussions.

A Florida Supreme Court Justice speaks

During an engaging keynote address, Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel took a broader perspective. Using hypothetical legal challenges a Musk-like figure may face when making business decisions like building a new manufacturing facility, Couriel said there’s an untapped resource that can help lawyers win cases on behalf of such clients: a state’s constitution.

A Florida Supreme Court justice addresses a group of people in the Great Hall at Stetson Law.
Florida Supreme Court Justice John Couriel speaks during the 2023 Stetson Law Review Symposium.

“The lawyer who gets hired is the lawyer who comes up with the solution to the problem that the client hasn’t heard before,” Couriel said. “State constitutional law frequently supplies answers to your problems and lines of attack that the client has never heard. And for that reason alone, to the practitioners in the room, I say, pick up the sword. Develop these areas of the law. To the academics in the room, I say, write those things. Explore them. Because I think they speak to some of the most important challenges of our time.”

A collaborative effort, led by students

The day was a seamlessly run, thought-provoking affair thanks to the students on the Stetson Law Review staff who led it.

Though she worked tirelessly to organize and run the event, Stetson Law Review Editor-in-Chief Kathryn Alkire said she was grateful to everyone who had a hand in the event’s success.

A group of speakers at the Stetson Law Review 2023 Symposium
Left to right: Stetson Law Review Editor-in-Chief Kathryn Alkire, Southern University Law Center Associate Professor Kenya J.H. Smith, Gonzaga University School of Law Visiting Assistant Professor Angela Aneiros, LMU Duncan School of Law Vice President and Associate Dean Matt Lyon, Northern Illinois University Associate Professor of Law David Rosenfeld, SMU Dedman School of Law Assistant Professor Carla Reyes, University of Tennessee Rick Rose Distinguished Professor of Law Joan MacLeod Heminway, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law Assistant Professor Nicole Iannarone, and Stetson University Bruce R. Jacob Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Tomer Stein.

“The event was an enormous success thanks to the fabulous group of speakers, professors, faculty, staff, and students who joined forces and worked hard to create such an engaging program,” Alkire said. “It truly was a team collaboration.” She added that she and her fellow Stetson Law Review staff members are especially thankful for University of Tennessee College of Law Professor Joan Heminway, who curated the group of speakers and constructed the symposium topic, and Justice Couriel for graciously sharing his insights.

Support from the Stetson Law community

Alkire also expressed gratitude for Professor Stein, who, in addition to presenting at the symposium, served as the event’s faculty advisor, as well as the work of the event’s volunteer, student Symposium Planning Committee (Noah Anderson, Caitlin Carey, Cameron Kubly, and Sophia LaFrance) and Marketing Team (Marketing Editor Jacquelyn Christoph and her assistant Sam McDougall).

Support and advising from Stetson Law faculty members as well as staff from multiple departments helped make the symposium the success it was, Alkire added.

“This event’s success is attributable to an entire team of people who surrounded and uplifted Stetson Law Review with their support,” she said. “We are very fortunate to attend a school that so strongly supports its student-run programs.” The panelists who participated will have their forthcoming scholarship on Elon Musk and the Law featured in Stetson Law Review publications throughout the 2023–24 [KLA1] academic year.

FAWL Recognizes Stetson Chapter for Exceptional Work

Four women law students pose for a photo
Left to right: Avery Sherrer, Savannah Green, Madison Hanna, Lauren Johansen

Over the last year, there’s been a lot of activity within the Florida Association for Women Lawyers at Stetson (FAWLS), the college of law’s chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL). Organization leadership at the state level have taken notice.

Citing the chapter’s effective strategies for growing and engaging membership, encouraging members to become leaders, and involvement with the surrounding community, FAWL has recognized its Stetson Law chapter with the 2023 Outstanding Student Chapter Award.

The Outstanding Student Chapter Award aims to recognize a Student Chapter that has been particularly active both in its local community and in the state FAWL organization.

“Your Chapter has developed innovative ways to build its membership, including by providing programs and services which specifically encourage and assist members to become leaders in the profession and in the community,” said FAWL President Donna Eng, Esq. in a letter congratulating the group. “We recognize how much work chapter leadership has put into these efforts, and we thank you for the investment you have made in the organization.”

Sustained efforts to promote women in law

This award focused on FAWLS’ extensive events, membership, and pro bono activities from the past year, including the group’s annual Women’s Week programming.

Two female law students sit at a table promoting their organization at an event in the Great Hall
FAWLS President Savannah Green and Pro Bono Chair Lauren Johnson tabling at an event.

Other activities involve partnering with the Pinellas Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Southeastern Women in Financial Services, the Office of Diversity, Collaboration and Inclusion at Stetson, and multiple Stetson Law student organizations to hold events for our members. These collaborations have helped FAWLS’ actively promote gender equality and leadership roles in the legal profession through networking events, informative panels, professional development opportunities, and empowerment activities for students at Stetson.

“Coming in as FAWLS President, I had a focus on increasing membership and expanding our collaboration both on and off campus,” said FAWLS President Savannah Green. “I am so proud that FAWLS has successfully done both over the past year! I am very grateful to have an incredible executive board and passionate members who support one another and exemplify what it means to be strong women leaders.”

FAWLS’ executive board consists of: Green (president), Vice President/Treasurer Cara Zimmerman, Secretary Madison Hanna, Chapter Representative Avery Sherrer, and Pro Bono Chair: Lauren Johansen.

Recognition at the Florida Bar convention

As a recipient the award, the chapter will receive a $250 prize. The check, along with a certificate recognizing the achievement, will be presented at FAWL’s Awards & Installation Celebration in June during The Florida Bar’s annual convention.

Green, who was the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Milestone LawHER award, said she looks forward to attending and accepting the award on FAWLS’ behalf.

Learn more about FAWLS.

Students, Alumni Give Back During Wills for Warriors

A veteran sits at a desk in a legal office.
Wills for Warriors at Stetson Law

For the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic, Stetson Law invited elder veterans to campus for assistance creating simple wills and other important documents.

The free, confidential Wills for Warriors program is available to U.S. military veterans over 60 and their spouses. The event brought seven local attorneys and 13 student volunteers to Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law for a day of pro bono legal work.

In all, they helped 12 people – eight veterans and four spouses – in creating simple wills and advance directives.

Giving back through volunteering & mentorship

Alumna Jenna Jordan, who participated in the program over all three years as a student at Stetson Law, said taking part in Wills for Warriors as a 1L was her first experience in a real-life client-attorney setting. It’s a fond memory for her, she said, one that solidified her decision to go into elder law.

Participating as a volunteer practitioner this time, she let the students work through the process with the clients. “As an attorney participating in this event, I tried to take a back seat and let the students ask the clients the questions, and only fill in where needed to provide the legal advice,” she said. “I also took the time to explain to the students why I asked certain questions along the way. I wanted to make sure this was a learning experience for the students as much as it had been for me.”

Making a difference through hands-on experience

To Stetson Law student Victoria Benson, it was an incredible opportunity to help veterans from the local community – and a unique way to have an impact.

“It’s not every day students have the opportunity to put pen to paper and show the skills we’ve learned during law school, but Wills for Warriors allowed us to do just that while also giving back,” Benson said. “It was so rewarding to use our skills to benefit our local veterans who have given so much, and hearing the relief we granted them was extremely motivating.”

She added that she would encourage any law student to participate in the program.

The 12 other 2023 student volunteers were Lauren Armstrong, Brenton Avery, Mason Bo, Sophia Bond, Sierra Fackler, Brianna Faenza, Erin Hinsberg, Meagan Lynch, Lisa Mueller, Rachel Propper, Richard Shockley, and Natalie Taylor.

Serving those who have served

Now elder law attorneys, the Stetson Law alumni who returned to assist veterans during Wills for Warriors say they are all too familiar with what can happen when someone goes without critical documents – and the thought of a veteran not having access to legal services is particularly heartbreaking.

“As a practicing elder law attorney, I see what can happen when someone doesn’t have an estate plan or when it’s done incorrectly, and participating in events like this can really make a difference to veterans and to their families one estate plan at a time,” Jordan said.

Through lending a small amount of time and expertise, they can give aging and elder veterans peace of mind by assisting them as they review, plan, and complete their advance directive as well as estate legacy planning such as a health care surrogate designation, a living will designation, and a simple last will and testament.

“Warriors have given, served, and sacrificed so much, with many if not most having extremely modest but no less meaningful lives and legacies,” said alumnus Slade Dukes. Each of those lives and legacies are so deserving, and it is great that we can be part of a program that gives back, easing their concerns about understanding and completing necessary and appropriate advance directive and estate legacy planning documents.

Learn more about Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

Inns of Court: Steve Binder Reflects on Transformative Work on Homelessness

Steve Binder speaks to a large audience in Stetson Law's Great Hall.
Steve Binder, creator of the Homeless Court Program, spoke at the 2023 Inns of Court banquet.

Speaking to members of the Stetson Law community gathered in the Great Hall, Steve Binder reflected on the transformative potential of a career in law – especially in helping society’s most vulnerable. 

Known for developing the Homeless Court Program in San Diego, which dozens of other communities have since adopted, Binder was the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Distinguished Lecturer at the 2023 edition of Stetson Law’s Annual Inns of Court banquet.

“Many law students seek to use their skills to one day change the world – and Steve Binder, indeed, has,” said Stetson Law’s Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law Kristen Adams said as she introduced him to the audience. “He developed an alternative court system that considers the unique challenges of being unhoused in determining the outcome in each case.”

A lifelong passion for helping the unhoused

Born in Flint, Michigan, he was in junior high when he discovered the cause to which he would ultimately dedicate his career when a class visit to a homeless shelter brought him face to face with the economic and legal toll homelessness can have on those lacking a support system.

As a young lawyer in San Diego County in the late 1980s, Binder saw how unfair the criminal justice system was to homeless people with substance abuse, mental health challenges, and a lack of financial resources – and how focusing on punishment over rehabilitation can push vulnerable individuals further from society. Many were cited for sleeping in public, and were either given a fine they couldn’t pay or arrested with less than a fighting chance of beating the charges in court.

“When a homeless case did come to court, I heard tales of hardship and renewal,” Binder said.
Some came to court telling me they had recently found a place to live. Many asked, Where am I supposed to go? Homeless shelters are full.”

Some came to court carrying all of their worldly belongings. Some hadn’t showered. Others spouted FBI and CIA conspiracy theories. All, he said, struggled with problems the criminal justice system ignored.

“Invariably, a judge would take the plea and sentence them to an array of fines that they couldn’t afford, and terms and conditions that frustrated their continued participation in society,” Binder said. “More often than not, homeless defendants failed to appear in court – not because of a disregard of the court system, but due to their status and condition.”

Pervasive problem, creative solutions

The experience inspired him to create the Homeless Court Program, a local court system model that takes into consideration the needs and limitations associated with poverty and homelessness. Such entities now operate in dozens of jurisdictions throughout the U.S.

They build on partnerships between courts, homeless services organizations, and other entities and substitute participation in services and activities for fines and custody. To help offset the challenge of getting to the courthouse for multiple hearings, the programs try to resolve cases in one hearing.

Binder said there are four basic principles of a Homeless Court Program: Participation is voluntary, there’s a progressive disposition of cases, a non-traditional sentencing structure, and the assurance that no one goes into custody.

Individuals are invited – but not forced – to participate in programs and services to help them avoid further legal troubles, such as life skills courses, substance abuse treatment, literacy classes, or counseling.

“The homeless court reinforces this work and the work of participants with a sentencing structure that is not coercive or punitive in nature, but rather designed to assist participants with reintegration into the community,” Binder said. “It gives credit for time served for participation in program activities.”

Now in place at dozens of jurisdictions throughout the U.S., these programs have helped countless individuals experiencing homelessness find more positive life paths. And though it doesn’t address the underlying reasons homelessness is so widespread or eliminate its associated challenges, Binder said it’s important to not lose hope. “While the continued problems homelessness represents are discouraging and frustrating, it’s important to remember it’s the condition homelessness represents that’s undesirable, not the people.” “The criminal justice system will not solve homelessness. Treatment, service, community, and trust are needed if we are serious about addressing the myriad of problems homelessness represents.”

Honoring a public service titan

The event is one way Stetson Law continues to honor the legacy of the late, legendary Florida lawyer William Reece Smith Jr. Inducted into Stetson Law’s Hall of Fame in 2004, he served Stetson for decades as a distinguished professorial lecturer, Board of Overseers member, and university trustee.

“For those of you who did not have the pleasure of knowing Reece, he was a legal icon, a mentor, an advisor, a teacher, a champion of civil rights, and a consummate professional who upheld the highest of ethical standards,” said Stetson Law Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan at the start of the event.

The Inns of Court banquet was inspired by an English mentoring program for barristers dating back centuries. A reflection of the profound value the Stetson Law community places on mentorship, the program gives Stetson Law students an opportunity to connect with prominent lawyers on current topics concerning law and ethics.

Trial Lawyer Guy Burns Reflects on Five Decades of Life in Law

Lawyer Guy Burns speaks at a podium in Stetson Law's Great Hall.
Trial lawyer Guy Burns, Stetson Law’s 2023 Distinguished Nichols Lecturer.

If there’s anything that can keep one’s legal career on a meaningful, decades-long trajectory, said trial lawyer Guy Burns, it’s the ability to set concrete goals – but only if you leave a little room for serendipity.

Burns was speaking as the 2023 Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Lecture on his chosen topic, “Where Will You Be in 50 Years?” Often referred to as the Nichols Lecture, the series is named for Perry Nichols, a 1937 Stetson Law alumnus who is considered a trial-law pioneer. Burns, who was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1973 and subsequently built a successful career that has spanned decades, reflected on his years as a prominent trial attorney – but not without a little humility.

“Really, perhaps the reason I’ve been asked to be here is that I’ve been around a long time,” Burns, who is now partner at Tampa-based firm Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, said. “And it pains me to say that, but this is my 50th year practicing law.”

Knowing he’d be speaking to a room full of law students in Stetson Law’s Great Hall that afternoon, he decided his topic would cover the attributes and practices that helped him grow as a lawyer.

A big factor, he said, was regularly stopping to look down the road.

“I have always during my career thought a bit about what’s next,” he said. “And I think regularly about what’s next year, and what’s in five years.”

The importance of setting goals

Hired out fresh out of law school, Burns said he had a rather lucrative starting salary – for the time.

“They offered me $12,000 a year,” he said, as the audience chuckled. “And that was big money.”

He then set a goal to make $30,000 by age 30. As a civil trial lawyer who got his start defending clients in complex commercial matters, he achieved that. He said law students are uniquely equipped to accomplish whatever they set their minds to.

“Your legal education here is a great foundation for whatever you decide to do,” Burns said. “You’re a group of people that sets goals. You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t set goals already, and you wouldn’t be here if you if you weren’t willing to have some delayed gratification.”

Yet one should also be open to the opportunities that come along with life’s twists and turns.

“With any plan you make, leave room for serendipity, fate, and unexpected things to come into play,” he said.

Following one’s conscience

Though he started out defending companies against accusations of fraud and other legal matters, Burns said he ultimately realized he wanted to use his skills and talents to help those being defrauded and otherwise taken advantage of by large companies with seemingly infinite means. So he set the goal of moving into representing plaintiffs.

“It was a conscious decision to move in that direction,” Burns said. “If you want to spread your wings and you’ve been the best widget lawyer in the world and you think you might want to get into something else, make a plan.”

Now, he primarily represents litigants in cases involving consumer fraud, financial malpractice, and securities, among other matters. Over the years, he has helped clients win record-setting awards as well as settlements totaling well into nine figures.

Burns is also a cofounder of Crypto Lawyers, which helps clients recover lost investments in cryptocurrency and has amassed a long history of representing clients pro bono in cases involving discrimination over race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Telling your story

Fielding questions from students in the audience, Burns turned from the philosophical to the practical at times. Asked what made him excel at persuading jurors to favor his clients, he said the most effective tool he has is storytelling. “Number one is develop a theme,” Burns said. “I’d lay out a theme… and I would try to work that consistently into the case. If it’s a theme I think I can sell, I want to ride that as far as I can.”

Experts Talk Disaster Resilience & Recovery at Stetson Law

A woman speaks in front of a podium in Stetson Law's Great Hall.
Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works, speaks at the 2023 Disaster Resilience Symposium.

Over a two-day workshop on the Stetson Law campus, legal professionals, local and state officials, nonprofit organizations, and thought leaders gathered to explore strategies to more effectively meet the needs of individuals and communities as they prepare for, experience, and recover from disasters.

Led by nonprofit Equal Justice Works and cohosted by the American Bar Association and American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Disaster Legal Services, “Building Community Resilience Through Advocacy and Systemic Change” was the immersive event’s theme.

There was a long list of recent disasters from which they drew insights – Hurricane Ian, the global Covid-19 pandemic, the earthquake in Turkey, and even the onslaught of climate change. They shared their own experiences with these disasters and how they can inform strategies for building a stronger approach to disaster resiliency and recovery, especially for society’s most vulnerable.

An unexpected octopus’s climate connection

The first keynote speaker was Robert R.M. Verchick, Gauthier-St.Martin Chair in Environmental Law and Professor at Loyola University New Orleans and Senior Fellow at the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy.

He began his speech with a story of an octopus that went viral on social media in 2016 after a combination of factors – including a Super Moon, the King Tide, and storm surge, resulted in an octopus splashing into the parking garage of a Miami condominium tower.

It inspired him to coauthor a Miami Herald column titled “The Octopus in the Parking Garage.” Later, he wrote a full-length book of the same name.

To Verchick, the octopus incident is a less intimidating way to talk about climate change.

“This was a story that wasn’t so scary, and that was good. Because I want to make sure that people face the scary and important parts of climate change without freezing up,” Verchick said. “Because when we freeze up, nothing happens.”

Humanity is facing a “no-analog future,” he said, one in which a fossil fuel-reliant power grid will repeatedly fail due to extreme weather, the economy will lose trillions over time, and communities of color will bear the brunt of it all. With no precedent, there’s no telling how it will all unfold.

 “We don’t know how fast the changes are going to be, we do know that they’re going to happen,” he said.

Verchick said while it’s impossible to stop at least some of the impacts of decades of CO2 emissions, taking action now can at least reduce future impacts. It’s not a pass-fail exam, he said, but a matter of reducing harm; curbing fuel emissions and building resilient infrastructure can earn us a B or C – and both are better than an F.

Disaster Response & Recovery at the local level

With Hurricane Ian and other major events in recent memory, a panel of local leaders held an in-depth discussion on the roles local emergency management agencies and community partners play as a disaster looms and after it passes.

Speakers discussed disaster response mechanisms and the importance of collaboration among private and public organizations – and how critical it is to be nimble.

The panel consisted of Joe Barrios of Pinellas County’s Emergency Management department, Michelle Luckett, CEO of the BeReady Alliance, Bay Area Legal Services staff attorney John Lawless, Florida Division of Emergency Management general counsel Stephanie Stachowicz-Twomey, and Jason Susalla, Grant Project Manager for the Disaster Relief Team at Bay Area Legal Services.

It is often on local agencies to accurately assess the extent of damage, Barrios said, so state and federal authorities can offer the correct amount of support.

To correctly assess a community’s need, the panel agreed, it’s important to make survivors feel as comfortable as possible. This could mean helping them navigate a Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance application – which, Luckett noted, is written at the 13th grade level – or, simply, listening.

“It takes a survivor at least five times to tell their story before they can start moving ahead,” Luckett said.

Putting it all together with Equal Justice Works’ Verna Williams

The conference culminated with remarks from Verna Williams, CEO of Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit that connects aspiring public interest lawyers to opportunities in the field.

Disaster recovery – especially for people and families unable to afford legal representation but don’t qualify for legal aid – is extremely complex and requires collaboration across organizations and sectors.

“They require us to act creatively and collaboratively to do what we couldn’t possibly do alone,” she said of disasters. “If the recent past is any indication, working across borders, organizations, and even disciplines will be essential to weather the storms that keep on coming.”

Williams’ background includes teaching and practicing law, researching civil and women’s rights, and serving as the dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She noted that the World Justice Project ranks the U.S. 114th out of 140 nations in terms of accessibility and affordability of civil legal justice. Of the richest countries in the world, she added, the U.S. ranked 32nd out of 43. It is, she said, an “abysmal and untenable state of affairs” that makes disaster recovery significantly more challenging – from FEMA claims to insurance issues.

“These are all complex and difficult matters to navigate alone,” Williams said. “With disasters becoming more severe and causing greater destruction, there is overwhelming need for lawyers who can help individuals and families navigate these challenges and take the necessary steps toward some degree of normalcy.”

Mobilizing public assistance lawyers to help achieve this is the core of her organization’s work, she said, and a major motivation for launching the conference. Investing in long-term resilience involves cross-sector planning and partnership-building among agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and other groups, Williams added.

“Doing so means impacted communities will have the necessary resources to recover more quickly and effectively,” she said.

Alumna, USF Pres. Rhea Law Headlines 2023 Higher Ed Law Conference

USF President and Stetson Law alumna Rhea Law speaks at a podium
University of South Florida President Rhea Law, a Stetson Law alumna

The state of higher education may be in flux, but industry leaders say there will always be a constant: the vital role colleges and universities play in their communities.

That was a key takeaway from the 44th Annual National Conference on Higher Education, which took place March 1-6 at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. This year’s theme was “Rewriting the Ground Rules of Higher Education Law and Policy for the 21st Century.” Leaders from nearly every aspect of campus life – Title IX officials, mental health experts, public safety officers, general counsel, and more – spoke passionately about how they are adapting as a shifting higher education landscape changes how they serve students and other critical constituencies.

Though the focus was often on subjects like political polarization, student health and wellness challenges that were exacerbated by Covid-19, and a looming enrollment cliff, the conference atmosphere was one of camaraderie and optimism as higher education workers reflected on their work and why they do it. “This year’s empowering interdisciplinary event, featuring exceptional access to leading subject matter experts, gave participants many tools to return to campus to meet the challenges that lie ahead for higher education,” said Conference Chair Peter Lake, Charles A. Dana Chair, Professor of Law, and Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson Law.

A sunny keynote from USF President Rhea Law

Higher education may be in turmoil, but this year’s keynote speaker, University of South Florida President Rhea Law, a Stetson Law alumna, focused on the strategies, mindsets, and actions that have helped USF face the most pressing challenges.

One big component: cutting through the noise by telling the right story about how the institution’s value extends well beyond the four-year degrees it issues.

“We give students background and thought processes so that they can solve the problems of the future, and we give them that connection to us so that they continue to be educated and skilled on things that they need,” Law said.

Then, there’s a college or university’s role as a community cornerstone for constituencies of all ages. Law spoke about USF’s Lifelong Affinity Model, which engages groups of every age. This includes everything from summer programming for k-12 students, pre-college programs, professional education, and courses for older adults who want to keep learning and stay connected.

Also critical: creating a sense of belonging for everyone on campus – and supporting students who are experiencing mental health challenges.

“There are so many students now who are wrestling with mental health,” Law said. “They clearly can’t be successful when they go out about the business of life if they don’t have support for them; if they don’t have the mental health and a wellness component. So we’ve been prioritizing our work around that.”

The first USF graduate to ascend to the university’s presidency, Law’s community involvement is incredibly far-reaching. She served on the Stetson Law Board of Overseers, led a law firm, and served on a seemingly countless array of boards of important nonprofits and companies.

See Law’s full bio.

What gets them up in the morning

At an interactive Friday afternoon panel, moderator David Rowe, President of the higher-education consulting firm Windermere Group, LLC asked the panelists what keeps them up at night.

The question launched the panel, consisting of four higher ed leaders, into a frank discussion of how the Covid-19 pandemic, a polarized political climate, and public perception of higher education.

“I think right now we’re at a crisis point at how higher education is perceived,” said Frederick Lawrence, who is secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa Society.

That perception is in stark contrast to reality, the panelists agreed, given the role colleges and universities play in their communities.

“That image of the isolated ivory tower is very outdated,” said panelist Jonathan R. Alger, President of James Madison University. “During Covid, where did people go in the Shenandoah Valley when they needed Covid testing? They came to our campus. Where did people go when they needed vaccines? They came to our campus.”

Rowe closed with a question that paralleled his first question to the panel: what gets them out of bed in the morning. They all agreed: it’s the students.

“It’s just a rush,” Law, who participated in the panel following her keynote address, said. “It’s all about the students. And it’s all about the research that our faculty does.”

Alger agreed.

“We talk about it all the time on our leadership team – if you’re having a bad day, go out and spend some time with the students,” he said. “And I would say particularly, our students that come from a less privileged background who are so grateful for the opportunity to be in a university setting.”

Working to further the mission of higher education is also a key motivator.

“I believe in higher education as a public good. I think, as a sector, getting to wake up and live and breathe in a place of constant lifelong learning is a real gift for all of us,” said Jacob Rooksby, Dean of Gonzaga University School of Law. “These are great jobs to have, but we’re all working together for the students and in service to the mission.”

Learn more about the National Conference on Higher Education Law and Policy.

Sign Language Workshop Equips Interpreters with Courtroom Skills

A sign language interpreter practices signing in a courtroom setting
Interpreters were able to experience signing in a courtroom setting.

For the sixth year in a row, Stetson Law was the site of an innovative, intensive workshop for sign language interpreters to learn how to conduct their work in a courtroom setting.

The three-day Sign Language Interpreter Legal Training Workshop featured faculty and staff from Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy and the Center for Excellence in Elder Law as well as students from Stetson Law’s mock trial teams. They collaborated with professionals from Tampa-based Absolute Quality Interpreting Services as well as Columbus, Ohio-based Hallenross and Associates – two American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services – and all of the attendees came away from the workshop with important new insights about their work in court and other legal settings.

The training was a unique opportunity for interpreters to hone their skills in a realistic, unscripted setting – and for students to experience what it is like to work on a case involving deaf or hard of hearing clients, jurors, and other trial participants, said Stetson Law Professor Jason Palmer, who helped facilitate the workshop.

“Stetson is very proud of its role as a sponsor of the Sign Language Interpreter Legal Training Workshop,” he said. “Each year, the workshop has grown in size and scope, with many interpreters returning to continue their training on legal interpreting in the courtroom. Our students also greatly benefit from the opportunity to conduct a trial with interpreters, a skill that is not readily available prior to actual practice.”

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, there are about 11 million Americans in the U.S. who have a hearing disability – but there are less than 20,000 interpreters certified by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

Understanding the challenges of interpreting in court

Interpreters – many with decades of experience – and students alike got to see firsthand the potential issues that may arise when sign language interpretation is required in a court hearing. Participants learned how to sign legal and law-enforcement terms and how to avoid potential ambiguities. They also got to observe how a courtroom layout can affect the line of vision between an interpreter and a deaf or hard of hearing party or witness – and how to prevent visual obstruction.  

“One of the significant values that our workshop provides to interpreters is the chance to learn legal terminology and courtroom dynamics in a risk-free environment,” Palmer said. “As sign language is not a word-for-word interpretation, having lawyers and interpreters talk about the objectives each have in the courtroom allows all the participants to realize the ways in which testimony can be accurately interpreted and communicated.”

One example: When a deaf or hard of hearing person on the witness stand signed in response to a question, then corrected himself with a different sign (“no,” then “yes”), some interpreters asked whether they should sign the intended answer, or sign both the incorrect and the self-corrected response.

The answer? The latter.

This way the record reflects potential uncertainty on the part of the witness.

Inviting community connections

It was also an opportunity for members of the legal community to participate in a meaningful learning experience.

Volunteers included judges who presided over the mock trials. One judge recently moved to the area from Washington State, where she had worked as a Spanish language courtroom interpreter, and then was a prosecutor and subsequently became a judge. She served on the Washington State Supreme Court Interpreter Commission, which she chaired in her final year there. Her insights into courtroom interpreting were particularly valuable to both the interpreters and the students, given her background and training.

Leaders from the ASL interpretation community said attendees once again came away from the experience with a deep understanding of their unique role in helping ensure our legal system truly ensures justice for all.

“Even though it’s been six years since the inaugural workshop, the amount of curiosity, learning and collaboration among all parties involved never ceases to amaze me,” said David Scott, co-owner of Absolute Quality Interpreting Services. “We are so thrilled that we can help empower these dedicated professionals to be the absolute best they can be when it comes to serving hearing-impaired individuals in even the most complex of circumstances.”