News Archives - Page 18 of 138

Professor Lake Highlights Proposed Title IX Changes

Professor Peter Lake speaks at a podium at the higher education conference — Stetson Law Professor Peter Lake

To help higher-education officials better understand the U.S. Department of Education’s extensive proposed changes to its Title IX policy, Stetson Law Professor Peter Lake gave an in-depth overview of what may be to come and how the industry may be affected.

At the top of his presentation, Lake, the Charles A. Dana Chair and Director of Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy, warned his audience things were about to get intense.

“I basically have a three-hour presentation that I’ve tried to figure out how to squeeze into an hour and a half,” he said.

Signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, Title IX protects against sex-based discrimination at institutions that receive direct federal funding – namely, educational institutions, including public colleges and universities. It deals with everything from LGBTQIA+ protections to procedural requirements for investigating sexual misconduct allegations.

Inviting stakeholder comments

Now at its half-century mark, the policy has continuously evolved alongside shifting cultural and political landscapes. The latest proposed changes, for which DOE seeks comment, are spelled out over 700 pages in a document Lake called “deliciously difficult to parse through,” but worthwhile given what he said appears to be an openness to feedback on the part of DOE.

“This document that you’ve got is really unique in a lot of ways, because it’s a conversation document,” Lake said. “It’s designed to be iterative. It’s designed to trigger comments at many points.”

Changing protections & processes

Many aspects of the draft regulations are similar to the current policy, but with adaptations that attempt to solve for complications that arise amid an increasingly intricate and often-contentious regulatory and political climate.

Key changes include:

Greater LGBTQIA+ protections
Stronger pregnant and parenting protections
A new, broader definition of harassment
More adaptability for recipient grievance process

Lake gave an overview of how some of these proposed changes may conflict with ongoing litigation pertaining to the intersection of free speech and LGBTQIA+ protections, the potential influence of recent developments like the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and potential conflicts with states that pass laws that are contrary to Title IX regulations.

“Title IX just took a big pivot, and it’s pivoting very clearly toward reproductive rights,” Lake said. “I do not need to belabor the fact that the Supreme Court struck a match this summer, and wherever you stand on the panoply of ways of viewing what happened this summer, be prepared for a department that intends to – at least for now – move toward reproductive rights protection in a way that we have not seen previously.”

Current events, including the pandemic, may shape the new rules when it comes to resolving challenges where mental health is a factor.

“Mental health intersects with Title IX enforcement in very prominent ways,” Lake said. “The emphasis on supportive services suggests to me that we need to be prepared, when this rule-making process concludes, for very strong interest in supportive services, particularly ones that are related to mental health. We’ll have to prepare the field now for the services that we’ll legally be required to provide that will be connected with a surge in mental health issues.”

The deadline to comment on the proposed Title IX changes is September 22, 2022. See all proposed changes here, and make comments here.

The Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy’s next webinar, “Higher Education and the Constitutionalist Court: The Supreme Court Expands Liberty and Promotes Democratic Decision-Making,” takes place August 17, 2022 from 1:00 – 2:30 P.M. and will feature William E. Thro, general counsel for the University of Kentucky. Get more details and register.

Youth Civic Engagement Program Introduces Teens to Advocacy

A group of young students holds up diplomas in Stetson Law's Great Hall. — Left to right: Antonio Graham, Jr., Lachelle Allen, Corisa Foster, Kai Rutledge, Ciena Cumberbatch, Catie Parish, Julian Fuller, Kuiper Elza, Eniyah Cineas, Shyann Givens, Zach Kelly, JoShonna Harris, Antwon Howard, Ava-Marie Rollins.

Over the course of a week in July, high school students from in and around St. Petersburg got an up-close look at how government works at all levels – and how to use their voices to advocate for change.

The eye-opening experience, conducted in partnership with the nonprofit organization Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, invited a diverse group of local youth to engage with Stetson Law faculty and staff, judges, lawyers, and other professionals. All shared insights on the justice system, how laws are made, and how to promote social justice at the ballot box and beyond.

It also involved thought experiments on how to create a society from the ground up, respectful debate about the role government should play in everyday life, lessons in post-high-school life, and self-care sessions.

IN PHOTOS: Stetson Law’s 2022 Youth Civic Engagement Program

YouthCivicEngagement2022Groupshotcourtroom

Now in its second year, the Youth Civic Engagement Program aims to enhance civics education for the participants – thereby equipping students with a working knowledge of their rights and the avenues by which they can advocate for their communities.

“We must change the world for the better. No matter what,” said Carl Lavender, chief equity officer at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, as the program started. “As aspiring young leaders…you’re able to go to trial and litigate on behalf of what is good for all of us as people.”

During virtual and in-person events, instructors sought to give participants a deeper understanding of their place in the world and how to challenge the status quo.

“One of the things that we want to do is to motivate you to learn more about why things are the way they are,” said Law Professor Judith Scully, who helped organize the program. “We want to also help you to understand that the words on the page that constitute the law may not always be the best possible way of protecting our rights.”

A broad range of backgrounds & interests

The students were selected to participate from an applicant pool of local youth ages 15-17. Program organizers sought diverse voices; participants ranged from an aspiring attorney to a talented visual artist. Among the issues they expressed interest in were criminal justice, civil rights, advocating for workers, LGBTQ+ issues, healthcare, and intellectual property.

Carmen Johnson, Executive Officer of Diversity, Collaboration, and Inclusion for Stetson University, said it’s the college’s role to examine the legal system and ways it can be used to foster a fairer society.

“Part of our work here at Stetson, and throughout higher education in general, is to analyze institutions that were created years ago and understand how many were not built with inclusion in mind,” Johnson said. “We want to find ways to benefit more and more people, and ensure that people of all backgrounds belong and can thrive throughout these important spaces.”

Over the course’s five days, faculty and community presenters introduced the students to topics ranging from social justice, advocacy, human rights, and civic responsibility to mindfulness, goal-setting, and planning for college.

Kuiper Elza, a student from St. Petersburg High School who participated in the program, said the emphasis on activism was a big draw for them.

“I found it really interesting to learn different tools for how to be an activist and advocate for yourself and communities – and different ways you can educate yourself, educate other people,” Elza said.

Field trip to a courthouse

On the final day, participants and instructors boarded a bus to the St. Petersburg Judicial Courthouse, a branch of Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, where civil trials and other proceedings take place for Pinellas and Pasco Counties. There, Judge Steve Berlin gave them an overview of the judiciary and day-to-day life in the courtroom.

They also heard from three Stetson Law alumni currently working in different areas of law: Keongela Randle, an assistant public defender in the Sixth Judicial Circuit; Forest Sutton, an assistant state attorney from the 12th Judicial Circuit, which comprises Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties; and Assita Toure, an attorney with the Rumberger Kirk law firm.

The alumni elaborated on their roles and shared insights on what law school was like before conducting a mock voir dire to show how attorneys vet potential jurors prior to a trial.

Challenging, but rewarding

The Saturday following the program, students and their families attended a brunch reception where they celebrated their success and reflected on the week’s events.

Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan praised them for taking time away from their summer break to be part of a challenging program.

“We are in unprecedented times in this country,” she said. “Think about how you can be part of advocating for change about the things that you are most passionate about. I know that it was not an easy week, and I appreciate that you were willing to take that week and be part of what I hope was just the beginning of your future as an advocate, as someone who’s passionate about making change in the world and finding your place in it.”

Law Professor Christine Cerniglia, who co-organized the program and led many of the sessions, commended the students for the openness she saw over the week.

“We heard a deep understanding of what needs to happen in our country. We tackled topics from abortion to the recent Supreme Court cases to systematic issues of racial justice,” Cerniglia said. “The voices were powerful; absolutely powerful.”

Spring ’22 Valedictorian Jessica Zelitt: A Passion for Health Policy

A young woman stands in graduation regalia with Mediterranean buildings and palm trees in the background. — Jessica Zelitt, Stetson Law’s Spring’ 22 valedictorian.

When it comes to the often-complex relationship between healthcare and the law, recent Stetson Law graduate Jessica Shoshana Zelitt is well-versed.

The Lakewood Ranch, Florida native, who was named Stetson Law’s Spring 2022 valedictorian, has been managing Type 1 Diabetes since she was eight years old. She now hopes the knowledge and expertise she gained at Stetson Law will eventually position her to take on a role where she can help shape public health policy.

Keeping a full calendar

Zelitt’s time at Stetson can best be described as active. She was part of Stetson Law Review, where she harnessed her passion for healthcare policy to research and write “Pay or Die: Evaluating the United States Insulin Pricing Crisis and Realistic Solutions to End It,” an article that appeared in Volume 50, Issue 3 of the publication.

In February of 2022, Zelitt was part of the Dispute Resolution Board team that swept the Florida Bar International Law section’s Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot event in Miami.

She participated in the Honors Program, a year-long legal research and writing endeavor available only to top students.

She was recognized for each of these activities at the college’s May 2022 Honors and Awards Ceremony.

Setting a goal early on

On top of it all, Zelitt was applying herself in the classroom in the hope that she would become valedictorian – an aspiration she developed after her first semester of classes went incredibly well. She said she is incredibly proud of becoming valedictorian but recognizes the challenging work of all her classmates.

“It’s truly an honor because I know how hard everyone in my class has worked over the course of their law school career,” Zelitt said. “I think it’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and struggle on my own part, but my peers have played a big role in encouraging me and inspiring me to accomplish what I’ve done.”

While steadfast motivation was clearly a key to her success, Zelitt cites remaining engaged through all her campus activities as a factor. Being involved with the law review and Dispute Resolution Board helped her view her studies through a more practical lens.

To Law Professor Stephanie Vaughan, who helped coach and mentor Zelitt ahead of the Vis Pre-Moot event, her success demonstrates how participation in extracurricular advocacy activities can help deepen a student’s understanding of the law.

“I am positive that there is a strong connection between involvement in activities like advocacy boards and law review to a student’s overall success in law school,” Vaughan said. “Jessica’s having achieved valedictorian status is certainly a case-in-point, and I am incredibly proud to have been a part of her experience at Stetson Law.”

Staying the course in unusual times

Prior to coming to Stetson Law, Zelitt first majored in physics at University of South Florida before changing her major to public health with a minor in political science. She then knew law school was in the cards and, wanting to remain in the Tampa Bay area, set her sights on Stetson Law.

Perhaps ironically for someone aspiring to work in the arena of healthcare policy, much of her experience at Stetson Law was shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented healthcare crisis that led to multiple semesters of virtual classes, masking, and other precautions.

“This really wasn’t a normal experience,” Zelitt said. “But I’m proud that I made it through and everybody else did too because it was truly unprecedented.”

Zelitt is set to start her career at Adams and Reese, LLP in Sarasota, where she plans to put her knowledge, experience, and passion to use as a practitioner.

The Guardian Quotes Law Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on Election Fraud Claims Lawsuit

Stetson Law Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy

In a July 2 article in The Guardian titled “Fox and Friends confront billion-dollar US lawsuits over election fraud claims,” Stetson Law Professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy was quoted on the likelihood that Dominion has a valid defamation case against media outlets accusing the electronic voting systems manufacturer of voter fraud.

Versions of the story also ran in Yahoo! News and other outlets.

Law Professor Louis Virelli III quoted in Rolling Stone

Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade, Rolling Stone published a piece titled “SCOTUS Justices ‘Prayed With’ Her – Then Cited Her Bosses to End Roe.”

The article quoted Stetson Law Professor Louis Virelli III, who commented on whether Supreme Court justices’ praying with a group that filed an amicus brief is problematic.

Versions of the story also ran on Yahoo! Entertainment and other outlets.

Eye-Opening Civil Rights Travel Experience Returns to Stetson Law

Eleven people stand on the side of the road near a bridge on a sunny day. — Students with Stetson Law’s 2022 Civil Rights & the Law Course pose for a group shot before following in the footsteps of activists who marched in Selma, Alabama.

A group of law students has just wrapped up a once-in-a-lifetime experience exploring the places, events, and people that shaped the Civil Rights Movement.

The two-week course took students to places like the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Along the way, students had the opportunity to converse with activists and others whose actions led to fundamental shifts toward fairer treatment of Black Americans. The course’s first week consisted of in-class and virtual discussions to help set the table for the immersive experience that took place the following week.

This is the first time the course has been offered since before Covid-19 concerns limited travel, and all student travel expenses were covered by scholarships.

The course explored the Civil Rights Movement through a legal lens: namely, how state and federal law have been used as a tool for racial and social injustice, efforts to justify these laws, the movement’s enduring inspiration of modern civil rights campaigns, and how it was an intellectual, strategic, and legal endeavor in addition to being a movement around morals and shared humanity.

LibraryGroupShotCivilRights

Stetson University Executive Director of Diversity, Collaboration and Inclusion Carmen Johnson and University of Alabama School of Law Professor Emeritus Martha Morgan co-taught the course, which is part of a university-wide curricular initiative and commitment to education about social justice and the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement. A similar undergraduate-level course was available to students at Stetson University’s DeLand campus this summer.

“It is an honor to have such an impactful course here at Stetson, where it is celebrated across our campuses as an inspiration for students to have an impact in their communities, no matter what career or passions they choose,” Johnson said. “This is a unique opportunity for students to not only study the grassroots and legal advocacy that occurred during Civil Rights Movement, but to also delve into some of the history that sparked the Movement and explore the strategies of current civil rights struggles.”

Experiential learning with purpose

The course took students to celebrated places where Civil Rights activists risked their lives to protest social injustice, infamous sites of racially motivated violence, somber monuments to acts of brutality endorsed by Southern policymakers in the Civil Rights era, and museums offering an immersive look at the movement.

In Montgomery, students engaged in an intimate dialogue with civil rights leader, Dr. Bernard Lafayette, who was one of the key organizers of the Nashville Student Sit-In Movement, the Freedom Rides, and the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama in coalition with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, and others. In Memphis, students explored the National Civil Rights Museum, which was established in the Lorraine Motel, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. In Selma, Alabama, they walked the bridge where Civil Rights leaders like Rep. John Lewis were assaulted by police as they marched – and pondered the meaning of “Good Trouble” before a mural of Lewis in his Atlanta home district. In Montgomery, Alabama, students stood among the dramatic and somber memorials for enslavement, lynchings, and mass incarceration of Black Americans at both The Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

While often emotionally challenging, students said the experience strengthened their resolve to advocate for greater social justice.

“I have a renewed call to action, to make an impact,” said student La’Tonya Lynn. “If I am resilient and persevere, I too can be victorious, even when faced with adversity.”

Asked what future law students should consider when taking the course, student Neil Dalson said the experience can be pivotal for any law student, regardless of their background or chosen area of expertise.

“It has been one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences,” Dalson said. “Regardless of why you chose law school, or what area you specialize in, this course will become central to how you approach law.”

Campus and university officials say it is important that this immersive experience is available to Stetson Law students – especially considering the college’s emphasis on advocacy.

“As an institution dedicated to advocacy education, it is critical that we offer experiences that show students why societies need passionate advocates like them,” said Stetson Law Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan. “This course gives them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about and reflect upon the profound, systemic injustices that spurred the Civil Rights Movement and the brave activists who sacrificed so much for progress – many of whom continue to do so today.”

Compelling Classroom Conversations

To help set the scene for students ahead of their trip, the course’s first week consisted of powerful perspective from Civil Rights leaders and historians.

Melissa Fay Greene, author of Praying for Sheetrock and The Temple Bombing, spoke about intersectionality and coalition building among different civil rights struggles, including the Black and Jewish communities during segregation in Atlanta.

University of South Florida Professor of Southern History Ray Arsenault, an expert on the Civil Rights Movement, spoke of the importance of civil disobedience in the push to change society.

“It’s the moral and physical courage of these individuals that disrupted and confounded the racists expectations of whites. They didn’t act the way that Black people were ‘supposed’ to act…because this movement culture gave them a new sense of identity, a new sense of themselves, empowering them, really, to challenge and bring down a legal and social system dedicated to racial discrimination and white supremacy.”

Dr. Alexander Brown, who participated in the Birmingham Crusade and Children’s Marches and was in Selma on the bridge on Bloody Sunday, told compelling stories about his experiences growing up in Birmingham, Alabama during segregation and the dawn of the Civil Rights movement there.

Brown, who knew two of the girls who died in the racially motivated bombing of the 16^th Street Church, cautioned the students not to let their grief and anger over past events – however unjust and upsetting – consume them.

“You are about to go on a tour that’s going to really open your eyes,” he said. “Understand that negative feelings about that now are really unproductive. What we need now is a recognition of what has happened and your resolve to work toward that not happening again.”

American Law Institute Names Professor Podgor A Life Member

Law Professor Ellen Podgor smiles in front of the library. — Law Professor Ellen Podgor, an expert in white collar crime

For her 25 years of service to its mission of clarifying, simplifying, and modernizing common law, the American Law Institute has given prestigious Life Member status to Stetson Law Professor Ellen Podgor.

Podgor, a nationally recognized criminal law scholar whose award-winning work focuses on white collar crime, was nominated to ALI and elected to the group in 1997. While several other Stetson Law faculty members are members, she is the only current faculty member to have a Life Membership.

Exclusive group, invaluable work

Currently on the eve of its centennial, the institute has been dedicated to the mission of making the law clearer, more consistent, and reflective of modern society since its founding in 1923. Its work entails drafting, discussing, refining, and publishing “Restatements of the Law, Model Codes, and Principles of Law that are enormously influential in the courts and legislatures, as well as in legal scholarship and education,” according to the organization’s website.

The ALI consists of law professors, lawyers, and judges who have earned significant achievements in their field and have shown interest in making the legal system better serve the people. Prospective members are nominated by current members, and the recommendation must be backed by at least two other members.

Rethinking the penal code

Since joining ALI, Podgor has been a member of six of the organization’s consultative projects, and has been an active member of the Model Penal Code Sentencing Project. The effort aims to examine the sentencing guidelines of the ALI’s existing Model Penal Code “in light of the many changes in sentencing philosophy and practice that have taken place” since the code was developed more than half a century ago.

Several years ago, she was also co-author, along with Rutgers Law Professor Roger Clark, of the Motion to Oppose the Death Penalty. Although the membership did not vote to oppose the death penalty, they did, two years later, remove the death penalty provisions from the Model Penal Code.

“Law reform work can often feel tedious as one works line-by-line through proposed statutory language,” Podgor said. “It is enormously rewarding, however, to look back over the past 25 years of being a part of the ALI’s important work and see all that has been accomplished to advance our legal process. But it is also important to recognize that there is so much more work yet to be done.”

Stetson Law’s ALI legacy

A popular professor who has authored numerous books and articles on white collar crime and other aspects of criminal law, has been quoted on major cases in national media outlets, and launched Stetson’s Law’s Business Law Review Symposium, Podgor was named the college’s Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor in 2011. She is editor of the highly regarded White Collar Crime Law Prof Blog.

Those who have worked with her over the years say her ALI Life Member status is fitting.

“Achieving Life Member status is a well-deserved recognition Professor Podgor has received for her dedication to law reform and justice,” said Stetson Law Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan, who is also an ALI member. “She elevates everything in which she is involved, and we are incredibly fortunate that she is a member of the Stetson Law community.”

The other Stetson Law faculty members belonging to the ALI are professors Kristen Adams, Rebecca Morgan, Luz Nagle, and Candace Zierdt, as well as Liz Moody, emeritus professor, who is also a Life Member.

Students Help on Amici Brief in SCOTUS Clean Water Case

Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency could determine the extent of Clean Water Act protections across the U.S.

With help from faculty, Stetson Law students contributed significantly to an amici brief filed by Professor Royal Gardner, director of the college’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy filed on behalf of twelve scientific organizations in a case that could prove critical in the fate of the Clean Water Act.

What the case is about

The case, Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, may change which waters are defined under the Clean Water Act. Expected to be the first the U.S. Supreme Court hears when its new term starts in October, it is the culmination of a lawsuit stemming from an Idaho couple’s attempt to construct a home on a wetland that the EPA considered to be “water of the United States” (WOTUS). For over a decade, litigation ensued, with environmental groups advocating for maintaining the current standard.

If decided in favor of the petitioners, the ruling could undo protections for millions of acres of wetlands directly connected to lakes, rivers, and other ecosystems.

Behind the brief

Amici curiae (“friends of the court”) briefs have been filed both for and against the Sacketts. Stetson Law faculty and students researched and wrote the brief on behalf of 12 scientific organizations that support stronger protections for waters of the United States (WOTUS).

These scientific organizations are the American Fisheries Society, American Institute of Biological Sciences, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, Ecological Society of America, Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society, International Association for Great Lakes Research, North American Lake Management Society, Phycological Society of America, Society for Ecological Restoration, Society for Freshwater Science, and Society of Wetland Scientists.

Stetson's biodiversity institute director Royal Gardner visited the Okavango Delta, Botswana in May. — Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson Law’s Institute for Biodiversity Law & Policy.

The brief asserts that science needs to inform the approach to determining whether wetlands should be protected, and the science shows that wetlands, even when one cannot see them connected to other waterways from the surface, support the integrity of other bodies of water.

“If Petitioners’ proposed ‘continuous surface-water connection’ to a traditional navigable water were required for wetlands, more than 50% percent of wetlands in some watersheds would no longer be protected by the Clean Water Act. Were such a standard applied to streams, ephemeral and intermittent streams would not be jurisdictional waters, and thus more than 90% percent of stream length in some watersheds would no longer be protected by the Clean Water Act,” the brief summary reads.

A valuable experience

To the Stetson Law students who participated, it was a chance to use their budding advocacy skills in an area they are passionate about.

“Though work on the brief was challenging, each of us who participated understood the importance of our efforts and the high stakes riding on the case,” said student William McCann, who assisted with the document’s citations.

Recent Stetson Law graduate Lauren Beames said she knew it would be an exciting, collaborative experience. Between sessions studying for the Florida bar exam, she saw Professor Gardner, who gave her a printed copy of the brief after it had officially been accepted.

“Seeing the time I spent sifting through copious amounts of scientific research and legal authority constructed into strong, sound legal arguments in an amicus brief that will go before the United States Supreme Court is an experience, I am extremely proud to have been a part of,” Beames said.

Student Cal Raubolt, who worked on the brief’s citations, said what struck him was how so many people came together to make it come about – something that is not always apparent when one reads a Supreme Court decision and its pertinent documents.

“In reality, there are dozens of hands that put in so much hard work for it to ever get to that point,” he said. “It is beautiful to be able to say that my hands were a part of that hard work, however small a part it was.”

Second-year law student Tyler Vansant, who assisted in research for the brief, said the experience gave him an even closer glimpse of the intricacies of environmental policy.

“Working on this brief was an invaluable way to learn more about the very complex science of wetlands (and WOTUS in general) and gave me a much deeper understanding of the challenges that the EPA and other agencies face in creating rules and policy in this area,” he said.

Brooke M. Cleary, who helped proofread the document, said the project was a critical exercise in legal writing that showcased Stetson Law’s culture of collaboration.

“This unique experience enhanced my writing competencies and furthered my passion for environmental law, specifically waters of the United States,” Cleary said. “I’m so thankful Professor Gardner provided this opportunity to assist with his presentation to the Supreme Court.”

The students were part of a legal team that included Katherine Pratt, Stetson’s Foreman Biodiversity Fellow, Prof. Erin Okuno of the University of Miami, Prof. Steph Tai of the University of Wisconsin, and Kathleen Gardner of Shearman & Sterling LLP, a global law firm that supports the Biodiversity Institute on a pro bono basis.

The brief is not the first Stetson Law project to play a role in a SCOTUS clean water case. In 2018, the college filed an amici curiae in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund et al. The following year, the Court cited the brief in its decision in favor of stronger protection of water resources.

Legal Scholar with Stetson Ties Writes About Justice in Wartime Ukraine

A Ukrainian flag flies in front of a courthouse in Berdyansk, Ukraine. — The courthouse in the author’s hometown of Berdyansk, Ukraine. The facility is currently closed, as the city is under Russian occupation.

Dmitriy Kamensky first came to Stetson Law as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar in 2015 interested in studying white collar crime. The Ukraine native ultimately published an article in the Stetson Law Review in 2016 and another in the Mississippi College Law Journal.

He returned to campus as a visiting professor in 2017 and 2019 and taught an introductory course in comparative criminal law that examined the similarities and differences between criminal law in the U.S. and European countries, namely Ukraine and Germany.

Currently in an undisclosed location, Kamensky has seen the extensive toll of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine close up. He recently wrote about the impact it’s having on day-to-day functioning of the justice system in Ukraine for the latest edition of Los Angeles Lawyer.

His article, titled “Ukraine’s Court System Operating Despite Bombardment,” looks at the resilience Ukraine’s justice system has shown amid the violence: “the country’s judicial system,” Kamensky writes in the article’s opening paragraph, “is still functioning, albeit in emergency mode.”

The courts’ ability to do so varies by region.

In communities experiencing heavier violence, appellate and local courts have completely ceased to function.

At the time of his writing, he notes, about one fifth of the country’s appellate and local courts are not currently functioning, and dozens of Ukraine’s 777 courthouses have been badly damaged, if not destroyed. Kamensky even shared a photo of extensive damage to his own office that resulted from shelling.

Judges and courthouse staff in these areas have been relocated to other areas and carry out their work remotely.

One major challenge, Kamensky writes, is the handling of incarcerated individuals and those in custody awaiting legal proceedings – but many of the tools that helped keep the justice system moving during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic are proving useful in these circumstances.

Ukraine native Dmitriy Kamensky was a Fulbright vising scholar at Stetson Law in 2015 before returning to teach in 2017.

“Such challenges in the temporarily controlled jurisdictions are met with the use of digital tools, e.g., court video- and audio-conference systems, electronic document filing, and e-signing within the new nationwide E-Court system (a web-based platform for the convenience of case parties and court members),” Kamensky writes.

Even as they operate under duress, he notes, judges are donating half their salaries to Ukraine’s defense efforts, and those working within the country’s justice system remain committed to carrying out their important work.

“Even in the face of hostilities, stress, and mounting pressures, the national courts are going beyond their limits to deliver justice to those who deserve it – ordinary Ukrainian citizens on the ground in this conflict,” he writes.

Kamensky’s work was accompanied by a piece written by Ukrainian Supreme Court Justice Mykola Mazur on the current state of the country’s Supreme Court operations.

The original article appears in the June 2022 edition of Los Angeles Lawyer, a publication by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Read the full article here.

Moot Team Achieves a “Double-Double” at Orseck

A group of students and Florida Supreme Court Justices line up for a photo. — Left to right: Justice Ricky Polston, Justice Alan Lawson, Chief Justice Charles T. Canady, Tyler Brown, Hannah Klonowski, Justice John D. Couriel, Justice Jamie R. Grosshans, Justice Carlos G. Muñiz, and Justice Jorge Labargo.

For the second year in a row, a Stetson Law team won the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition at The Florida Bar annual conference in Orlando.

Team members Tyler Brown, Thomas Fuhrman, and Hannah Klonowski brought home the win from this prestigious competition—but the triumph doesn’t end with that back-to-back win. Klonowski won the Best Oralist, Preliminary Rounds award and the Best Oralist, Final Round award, repeating fellow student Jessica Merkel’s wins during the 2021 event. Professor Brooke Bowman, Director of the Moot Court Board, coached the students.

The overall competition win and the pair of Best Oralist awards make for a “double-double” at an important event that took place in-person for the first time in three years.

Hosted by the Florida Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, the competition happens each year as part of The Florida Bar conference. The proximity to so many legal professionals means that actual sitting judges from the circuit courts and the district courts of appeal join with attorneys to judge the preliminary rounds. Teams that advance to the final round get to argue in front of the justices of the Florida Supreme Court—something very few attorneys even have the honor of doing.

It’s an opportunity for students to make connections while sharpening their craft with help from some of Florida’s top lawyers.

Stetson Law’s track record at Orseck has been stellar. Here’s a look at the wins and other successes the college has had in the last 28 years:

Seven championship wins;
Nineteen appearances in the final round;
Six Best Advocate, Final Round awards;
Five Best Advocate, Preliminary Rounds awards;
Nine Best Brief awards;
Two double advocate awards;
Two times winning three awards—Best Team; Best Brief; and the Best Oralist, Final Round; and
One time winning all four awards—Best Team; Best Brief; Best Oralist, Preliminary Rounds; and Best Oralist, Final Round.

Learn more about Stetson Law’s Moot Court Board.

Stetson Law’s Lambda Chapter Hoists Flags for Pride 2022

The Progress Pride and Trans Pride flags will fly over the Stetson Law campus — The Progress Pride and Trans Pride flags will fly over Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus through June 30.

Ahead of a busy weekend full of Pride festivities in St. Petersburg, Stetson’s chapter of Lambda Legal Society, a student organization for LGBTQ+ students, raised two Progress Pride flags and two Trans Pride flags on a poles in the Sebring Horseshoe Courtyard. The event took place Friday afternoon with members of campus leadership and staff gathered to celebrate with students.

It’s the second year the flag has flown on Stetson Law’s grounds. Lambda Legal Society officials say the flag signifies the LGBTQ+ community’s enduring legacy in the community and beyond.

“Raising the Pride flag for the final days of Pride Month is a personal reminder that our community will keep rising even when the glitter and beads are swept up,” said Lei-Lani Rogers, president of Lambda. “The Pride we infuse in our actions and our identities is more than just a month. It’s who we are, and I’m always overjoyed when we can share that with others.”

Lambda Legal’s campus activities throughout the year have also included extensive participation in Diversity Week events earlier in the year, tabling on campus, distributing pronoun pins to help normalize the use of preferred pronouns, and participating in local Pride events. On Sunday, June 26, Lambda Legal members will have an outreach booth at St. Pete Pride’s street party event in the city’s Grand Central District.

Just like these efforts, flying Pride flags in such a prominent place on campus signifies the College of Law’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly through advocacy.

“We are here as passionate advocates of justice for all in support of Lambda Legal Society,” said Stetson Law Interim Dean Theresa Pulley Radwan. “We celebrate the LGBTQ community today and every day.”

The flag also sends a signal that to members of the LGBTQ community who might be considering a career in law that there is a place for them at Stetson Law.

“Raising the flag is on campus is a message to any aspiring law student that our community is alive and thriving in the legal sphere,” Rogers said. “Even more important, our foundation, our school, is standing with us.”

The Progress Pride flag will be on display through June 30.

Learn more about Lambda Legal Society.

Stetson Law Alums Honored at ’22 Florida Bar Convention

Six people pose and hold their awards in front of a Stetson Law backdrop. — The 2022 Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association award winners pose with Dean Michèle Alexandre at the June 23 awards reception in Orlando.

Amid the buzz of the Florida Bar Association’s annual convention in Orlando, the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association (SLAA) honored five Stetson Law community members with prestigious awards recognizing their selfless service. Given out during a reception Thursday, June 23, the awards highlighted the diverse ways these alumni and friends have helped Stetson Law flourish as an institution.

The first in-person SLAA awards ceremony since the Covid-19 pandemic began, it was a chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues from the Stetson Law community.

“After a multi-year hiatus, it is refreshing to gather together as a community here at the Bar Convention,” said Stetson Law Dean Michèle Alexandre. “I am overjoyed to see so many familiar faces in the crowd tonight – many of whom I have not seen in-person for quite some time.”

After the dean updated attendees on recent developments at the College of Law, including the construction of the new Advocacy Institute, SLAA president Mitch Schermer took to the podium, where he handed out five awards to individuals who, through their deeds and actions, personify what it means to be a Stetson Lawyer.

Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association President Mitchell Schermer stands at a podium during the 2022SLAA awards ceremony. — Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association President Mitchell Schermer announces the 2022 SLAA award winners.

The awards were: Outstanding Alumni Representative, Distinguished Service, Distinguished Alumnus, the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award, and the Ben C. Willard Award.

Outstanding Alumni Representative Award: Danielle Wever-Rogers ’13

Dean Michele Alexandre and Danielle Wever-Rogers pose with a plaque awarded to Wever-Rogers. — Alumna Danielle Wever-Rogers was honored with SLAA’s 2022 Outstanding Alumni Representative Award.

Every year, this award is given to someone whose involvement with SLAA through local activities goes above and beyond. Wever-Rogers, a 2013 Stetson Law Graduate, is a member of the College’s SLAA Advisory Council and worked closely with the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) to help plan and raise money for their Spring Gala. She is an assistant city attorney with the City of St. Petersburg and is also an adjunct professor at Stetson Law.

Distinguished Service Award: The Honorable Thomas Ramsberger

Dean Michele Alexandre and The Hon. Thomas Ramsberger pose with a plaque honoring Ramsberger's service. — The Hon. Thomas Ramsberger was given SLAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022.

This award is reserved for non-alumni whose contributions to Stetson Law have been significant, meritorious, and continuing. As a beloved adjunct professor with over 20 years of dedicated service to the college of law, The Hon. Thomas Ramsberger has impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of alumni.

Distinguished Alumnus: Christopher Dougherty ’85

Recognizing alumni who have brought honor to themselves and the College of Law through outstanding service in their chosen profession, this award was given to Dougherty for his extensive legal career and military service. Dougherty is Chairman Emeritus at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, where he practiced for more than 31 years. He also served 26 years of active and reserve service as a Marine colonel, having served as a General Courts-Martial certified Military Judge. Currently, he serves as a member of the Veterans Law Institute Advisory Board and has endowed the Colonel William R. Eleazer USMC and Brigadier General James P. King USMC Veterans Scholarship to help veterans who attend Stetson Law.

The Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award: Jason Turner ’04

Dean Michele Alexandre and alumnus Jason Turner pose with Turner's award plaque. — Stetson Law alumnus Jason Turner accepts the Paul M. May Meritorious Award at the 2022 SLAA awards.

Named for 2021 Stetson Law Hall of Fame Inductee Paul Marshall May, known for his extraordinary efforts to evolve SLAA into the robust group it is today, this award recognizes alumni who have offered sustained support of Stetson Law through contribution of both time and gifts. Honoree Jason Turner is a Partner with Keller, Turner, Andrews & Ghanem in Nashville, Tennessee, where he practices entertainment and sports law. He is a member of the Stetson Law Board of Overseers, serving as Secretary of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee. He has been extremely generous in his financial support of Stetson Law, where he endowed the LeRoy Y. Hooks Elder Law Scholarship and provided a significant matching gift to support the 2022 spring giving campaign.

The Ben C. Willard Award: Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy ’04 (posthumous)

Dean Michele Alexandre poses with alumnus Travis Coy before handing him a plaque. — Stetson Law alumnus Travis Coy accepted the Ben C. Willard Award on behalf of his late wife, Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy.

Stetson Law alum Ben C. Willard graduated in 1914 ahead of his dedicated career in service to his state and nation. This year, the award posthumously honors an alumna whose passion for and commitment to the Stetson Law community had an immeasurable impact – especially for the Black female students she inspired.

Jean-Pierre Coy was a powerful, prominent force within the Tampa Bay area’s legal community, but she was never too busy to return to campus to help students either as an adjunct professor or as a mentor.

“Theresa was an amazing person: A wife, mother, lawyer, professor, friend, community leader, and staunch advocate for justice,” Schermer said. “We lost a titan far too early.” Her husband, Travis Coy, also a Stetson Law alum, accepted the award on her behalf.