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Spring ’22 Graduation Highlights

Graduates in sunglasses smile as they leave an outdoor commencement ceremony — Graduates at the Spring 2022 enjoyed sunshine and camaraderie.

Under bright, sunny skies Saturday morning and afternoon, more than 250 Stetson Law students officially became Stetson Law alumni. Comprising three ceremonies, graduation took place in the Plaza Mayor.

The three ceremonies took place at 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. Each began with a ceremonial procession featuring bagpipes followed by marshals, graduating students, legacies, faculty, and the platform party.

Bagpipers leading a procession into a Stetson Law Spring 2022 commencement ceremony — A pair of bagpipers leads the commencement procession into the Plaza Mayor.

Once all were seated, Stetson University College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre welcomed the graduates and their loved ones, acknowledge active-duty military and veterans among those gathered, and spoke about the graduates’ exceptional resilience and grit, which she said prepares them for meaningful advocacy careers.

A side angle of Dean Michele Alexandre giving a commencement speech — Stetson Law Dean Michele Alexandre gave a moving speech to the graduating class.

“As I pondered the issues we face today in this increasingly complex world: climate change, global wars, and my conviction has reinforced that you are well prepared to join us in tackling these problems,” she said. “That is because you are the embodiment of the qualities that it takes to rise to this moment in our history. You, 2022 graduates, have had to adapt and transcend conditions and a national landscape for which there was no blueprint. You faced it all and excelled.”

Stetson University President Christopher Roellke in ceremonial regalia. — Stetson University President Christopher Roellke leads graduates out of a Spring 2022 commencement event.

In addition to the rigors of academic life at Stetson Law, the new graduates assembled there faced the unique challenge of attending the bulk of law school amid a global pandemic in a time of political upheaval – something not lost on those who spoke.

“You’ve made it to the end of a remarkable journey, and I commend you for your resilience, your tenacity and for all that you have accomplished during what I have been calling a ‘once-in-a-century set of challenges’ for higher education,” said Stetson University President Christopher Roellke, PhD. “You made it. You made it through lockdowns, online learning, virtual meetings, lost internet connections, masks, handwashing, and physical distancing. You endured and you made it.”

Students in graduation caps and gowns wait under a canopy. — Students wait as a Spring 2022 commencement ceremony begins.

A keynote from the Deputy Secretary of the V.A.

After President Roellke bestowed on him an honorary doctor of laws, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Donald Remy gave a lively commencement address that expressed the gravity of the work the grads will soon be doing as lawyers. But his speech was not without levity.

A speaker is seen on a large screen at graduation — Deputy VA Secretary Donald Remy gave the Spring 2022 commencement keynote.

He said his friend and former colleague, Stetson Law Professor Royal Gardner, offered him pointers for giving the address: keep it short, keep it simple, and avoid cliches like telling the students “to be courageous as you go out into the brave new world.” It was that last bit of advice, Remy joked, that he couldn’t completely follow.

“I’m going to come dangerously close to telling you all ‘to be courageous as you go out into the brave new world,’” Remy said. “Because that’s part of your responsibility as new lawyers. In accepting this call to become lawyers, to join this profession of law, you have an opportunity, but you also have a responsibility. And that responsibility is to right wrongs. It’s to look at challenges both large and small and make a difference. And most importantly, it’s to hold our great nation accountable to its promises.”

A large audience watches the Spring 2022 commencement ceremony — Family and friends gathered in the Plaza Mayor to watch the Spring 2022 graduation ceremony.

He told the graduates that as lawyers, they help ensure that the words in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence will never ring hollow – and they will defend the fundamental promises upon which the U.S. was founded.

A service dog sits in the grass at Spring 2022 graduation. — Friends and family looked on as the ceremony took place.

“After three years of law school, you know better than many that democracy isn’t destiny,” Remy said. “It doesn’t just survive on its own. It’s on you to preserve and protect it. You know better than anyone that progress doesn’t just happen. It’s on you to make it happen.”

Provost Noel Painter and Assistant Dean Darryl Wilson leaving the courtyard — Provost Noel Painter and Assistant Dean Darryl Wilson exit the Plaza Mayor after a Spring 2022 commencement ceremony.

Virtual words of encouragement from key leaders

In short, pre-recorded videos, some of the most prominent Stetson Law community leaders congratulated the graduating classes and encouraged them to advocate for a better world.

Stetson University Board of Trustees Chair Maureen Breakiron-Evans said the graduates join a community of Stetson Law alumni that has spanned a century and urged them to stay connected with the Stetson Law community with which they shared a law school journey in unprecedented times.

Stetson University Board of Trustees Chair Maureen Breakiron-Evans.

“You are graduating at a time of political polarization and fake news,” she said. “You’ve had to navigate through a global pandemic to complete your studies, and that’s been challenging for everyone. Your future lies before you as blank pages in a book in which you will write the story of your personal life’s journey.”

Mitchell Schlermer, current president of the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association, told the new alumni that this is a monumental moment for their careers and that he looks forward to having them join the ranks of Stetson Law alumni and lawyers.

“Enjoy the moment,” he said. “Enjoy bar study, as hard as it might be, because soon you’ll have a lifetime of law practice to look forward to.”

Tala El-Ghali, who served as Student Bar Association president in her 3L year, encouraged her fellow grads to use their hard-won advocacy skills to fight for a better world.

“Whether you make $40k or $400k, we as attorneys will carry substantial power and influence within our communities, and I encourage you all to make good-faith efforts to exercise this power in impactful ways both inside and outside of the legal profession,” she said.

Graduating Classes – By the Numbers

December 2021 Graduates

Total: 33

J.D.: 27

LL.M. in Advocacy: 1

LL.M. in Elder Law: 2

LL.M. in International Law: 1

M.Jur. in Healthcare Compliance: 2

May/August 2022 Intended Graduates

Total: 262

J.D.: 245

LL.M. in Advocacy: 2

LL.M. in Elder Law: 6

LL.M. in International Law: 3

M.Jur. in Aging Law & Policy: 4

M.Jur. in Healthcare Compliance: 2

Honors & Awards ceremony recognizes Spring 2022 grad achievements

Stetson University College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre addresses the audience from a podium in the Great Hall — Stetson University College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre speaks to the spring 2022 Honors & Awards recipients

For the first time since 2019, Stetson University College of Law held an in-person ceremony to recognize the graduates who excelled in their academic achievements.

Held in the Great Hall and streamed online on Friday, May 13, the eve of the spring commencement ceremony, the event heralded students who graduated with honors, earned certificates of concentration and joint degrees, participated in advocacy competitions, or worked on one of Stetson Law’s academic journals. Over 150 awards were bestowed. Honorees included December 2021 graduates in addition to the spring 2022 graduating class honorees.

“Graduates, being honored today is a defining moment in your legal careers,” said Stetson College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre. “At our Honors and Awards ceremony, we recognize your numerous achievements during law school above and beyond the already very high standards expected of you. Today, we recognize your contributions to this community, and to society at large.”

Alexandre urged the honorees to continue going above and beyond what is expected of them as legal professionals in serving their communities – and commended them for helping Stetson Law earn national recognition for trial advocacy, legal writing, and dispute resolution as well as logging thousands of pro bono hours while helping others.

“You have earned this time to celebrate your achievements in law school,” she said. “Your law school friends celebrate with you here today, and those at home are rewarded at seeing the years of support that brought you to this moment.”

In brief remarks to those gathered, Stetson University President Christopher Roellke, PhD, congratulated the students for persevering despite unprecedented challenges.

“I will give you more remarks tomorrow, but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you the entire Stetson University community is incredibly proud of you,” Roellke said. “This has not been easy over the last couple of years, and you have persevered. You were resilient, and you made it. Congratulations.”

Next, Dr. Noel Painter, Vice-President and Provost of Stetson University addressed the honorees, noting that the characteristics that helped them earn honors that evening reflect Stetson’s values as an institution.

“Today, you are recognized not only because you are aligned with what Stetson is, but because you have excelled at those things that Stetson values: hard work, the highest academic learning, and developing a caring, ethical community,” Painter said. “I am proud to be part of a community that celebrates those values, and exceptionally pleased to be here tonight to honor each of you who embody the characteristics that have made Stetson what she is today. Congratulations to each of you.”

Law Professor Judith Scully presented the first series of awards, starting with the William F. Blew Pro Bono Service Awards, named for an alumnus and Stetson Law Hall of Fame member.

“All of our students are required to perform 60 hours of pro bono in order to qualify for graduation,” Scully said. “These students, however, have gone far beyond the extra mile; and as a group they have selflessly given over 20,000 hours of their time to legal agencies and nonprofit organizations serving low-income communities, the elderly, war veterans and other vulnerable populations.”

Law Professor Stephanie Vaughan announced and issued the second half of the awards, starting with the Stetson Law Review awards. Vaughan is chair of Stetson Law’s Honors and Awards committee, which identifies students deserving of awards.

The event culminated with the announcement of three major awards: the Walter Mann Award, the Dean’s Excellence Award, and the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award.

The Walter Mann award was given to Jessica Lauren Merkel. This award’s namesake is perhaps best known for helping organize the College of Law Board of Overseers and serving as its first president.

The recipient of the Dean’s Excellence Award was Deja Monét Gordon, who was president of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and competed as part of the Trial Team.

Jennifer Lynn Rex was given the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award. This award is meant to honor the “best all-around student” who has shown passion for advocacy and community service. It was established by Bonnie Foreman in her late husband’s name. The couple were jointly inducted into the Stetson Law Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to the award, Rex’s name has been cast in bronze and will be secured to the plaque outside the Great Hall, and she was given a $5,000 check.

Mullins, Morrissey & Davis Earn Faculty Awards

The headshots of professors Anne Mullins, Joseph Morrissey, and Kirsten Davis — Professors Anne Mullins, Joseph Morrissey, and Kirsten Davis were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship, and research, respectively, in spring of 2022.

As the 2021-2022 academic year drew to a close, Stetson University College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre recognized Stetson Law faculty members whose work best reflects the law school’s mission. The series of awards honored them for their impact on student achievement and Stetson Law’s national reputation.

The Homer & Dolly Hand Award in Faculty Research: Professor Kirsten Davis

Stetson Law alumna Dolly Hand established this award to honor faculty who are dedicated teachers, have recent notable scholarship or creative work achievements in their areas of expertise, and who strive to make a difference within their communities.

Professor Kirsten Davis’ work has gone above and beyond those criteria.

In recent years, she has been exploring the role of lawyers as citizens with a special responsibility for justice, a role that every state’s ethics rules recognize. Through a lens guided by rhetorical theory, her scholarly, creative, and service work has explored lawyers’ professional identity as a rhetorical practice – in particular, the lawyer’s ability and obligation to speak as public citizens on matters of public concern, including social justice.

This work includes two scholarly articles, a book chapter, regular posts on LawProf Blog Network Appellate Advocacy Blog, and service that includes participating in the Florida Bar’s Special Committee to Review Professionalism in Florida.

The Dickerson-Brown Award in Faculty Scholarship: Professor Anne Mullins

Selected by the Dean with input from the Faculty Scholarship Committee, this award recognizes a faculty member who has published a book in the past two years, or multiple, highly regarded works of scholarship over a two-year period, thereby helping significantly enhance the College of Law’s academic reputation.

Professor Anne Mullins, who said she was “thrilled to receive the award,” said three projects were critical in helping her earn the recognition. She authored the new textbook Florida Legal Research, which multiple law schools throughout the state have adopted. As part of the Feminist Judgments Project, she reimagined U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s opinion in Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa in a way that reached “the same ultimate result but through the application of feminist theory and very different rhetorical techniques.” The third project, Unending Conversation, involves working with the Stetson Law Review Forum to “feature essays responding to extant legal writing scholarship.”

She said working with students on Unending Conversation has been incredibly rewarding.

“I had the opportunity to work with an exceptional team of Stetson Law Review staffers, led by Liz Kellar, alongside a group of nationally known legal writing scholars,” Mullins said. “Every member of the project was incredibly thoughtful, engaged, and hard-working. They really inspired me in my work on the project.”

The Excellence in Teaching Award: Professor Joseph Morrissey

This award is given to a full-time professor who has made outstanding contributions in teaching students both inside and outside the classroom – as well as by example. A professor who is part of Stetson Law’s business law concentration faculty, Professor Joseph Morrissey was named the 2021-2023 Leroy Highbaugh Research Chair in May of 2021. Under that designation, he is researching and writing a book on surrogacy. He said it’s an honor to yet again be recognized for his passion for teaching and mentoring students.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award,” said Morrissey. “For me, working with and mentoring students is the reason I came to academia. It’s truly a privilege to be a part of each student’s personal and professional development. Moreover it is absolutely energizing to work with our students, who are generally infectiously enthusiastic about the future.”

Prof. Virelli talks SCOTUS ethics on ACS panel

Clockwise from top left: University of Notre Dame Law Professor Veronica Martinez, Stetson Law Professor Louis Virelli III, and Kimberly Humphrey, senior legislative counsel at the Alliance for Justice

Hours before a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves through the public sphere, a panel of legal experts that included Stetson Law Professor and constitutional law expert Louis J. Virelli III talked ethics standards on the high court and why they’re hard to enforce.

The American Constitution Society discussion focused heavily on recusals in light of calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ recusal on cases involving his wife, activist Ginni Thomas, and her involvement in the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6^th, 2021. The conversation was called “Supreme but not Immune: Creating a Binding Code of Ethics for Supreme Court Justices.” ACS president and former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Russ Feingold called the controversy over Justice Thomas “the proverbial elephant in the room.”

“This is an egregious ethical lapse given the Thomases’ close connection as spouses and the existential threat to democracy that its offenders represent,” Feingold said.

The lack of a clear solution

The panel explored how to impose greater accountability to prevent ethical lapses among U.S. Supreme Court justices and why Congress has been limited in its ability to do so. There is, for example, a code of conduct for United States judges, but it doesn’t apply to Supreme Court justices.

“Supreme Court justices are not replaceable,” Virelli, a faculty advisor on Stetson Law’s student ACS chapter, said. “So when a Supreme Court justice is recused or recuses themselves, it changes the number and makeup of the court, and therefore you have a different institution.”

Congress can technically pass a law enforcing ethical standards, but as Virelli pointed out, there have been 18 proposed laws introduced that would have done this – and none have passed. Virelli said that every case the court hears has enough of its own nuances that a policy governing recusals and other ethical issues would be weak and unsatisfactory.

“My view is, the best way to do this is to focus on the due process clause and the equivalent of public shaming, where instead of saying a justice did or did not follow a legal standard, the justice is just wrong and being unethical,” he said.

Panelist Veronica Root Martinez, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, who researches professional and organizational ethics, countered that public shaming won’t work in the current polarized media environment because of social media.

“I don’t think you can be a Supreme Court justice right now without choosing to ignore a lot of the commentary about you,” Martinez said.

The congressional route

Martinez said she supports congressional action, given how the state intervenes in many other instances of professional misconduct – and how Congress already determines the number of Supreme Court justices, what constitutes a quorum, and other factors. An enforceable ethics code might help improve public trust in the court, which is heavily damaged, she said.

“It is eroding the legitimacy of the court for people to continue to think the court is increasingly partisan,” Martinez said. “And whether that is or is not true, the lack of an ethics standard is contributing to the belief of the public that the court is just a partisan show that isn’t actually putting out objective and legitimate decisions. And that is bad for the rule of law, and that is bad for the country.”

If Congress can’t enforce ethical standards and the Supreme Court won’t do it on its own, the solution may need to be a creative one.

“I think the blame is in justices who are willing to be fast and loose with their ethical obligations. And I don’t know that we can fix that in a traditional legal way,” Virelli said.

While debate remained over how to create accountability, the panelists agreed that something needs to be done.

“We know that these issues have been percolating for some time,” said moderator Kimberly Humphrey, senior legislative counsel for the Alliance for Justice. “I do believe that it has gotten to a point where it can’t be ignored.”

See the panel discussion in its entirety.

Father & Son Duo Earn J.D.s, Pass Bar Together

Father-and-son duo Rick and Key Morrow both received their J.D.s in December 2021 and subsequently passed the February 2022 Florida Bar exam.

Rick Morrow was at the gym, trying to distract himself from the pending Florida Bar exam results that were supposed to drop in several hours, when his son, Key, called. The results came down earlier than expected; Key had passed.

Rick rushed to see if he passed. After weeks of fretting over the February exam, Rick learned he had also passed. It was an unusual feeling, the culmination of years of study and lessons gained along an unconventional path for the father and son.

“Surreal, I would say,” Rick said. “It was an eight-year journey.”

Key and Rick Morrow received their J.D.s from Stetson Law in December 2021 through the college’s part-time program. They took most of their classes together, carpooled to class prior to the pandemic, studied together, and took the bar together.

“I think we benefitted from each other’s presence there,” Key said.

How they got here

The father and son duo’s journey was far from conventional.

Rick had been an entrepreneur who invested in apartment buildings, laundromats, and eventually an auto dealership, but had never earned a college degree.

As a freshman in high school, Key suffered from cancer – and missed a lot of school as a result. The illness coincided with financial stresses that he was working overtime to overcome. The ordeal affected his morale, and he eventually dropped out.

“High school kind of fizzled out after my junior year,” he said.

Over the course of Key’s illness, he and his father had grown close – “more like best friends than father and son,” as Rick put it. Key became a certified nursing assistant, but it didn’t take long for higher education to call. So the two took on postsecondary education side-by-side, first earning associate’s degrees from St. Petersburg College, bachelor’s degrees from University of South Florida St. Petersburg (Key majored in psychology; Rick majored in political science), and, J.D.s from Stetson Law.

Because St. Petersburg was home for them – they are originally from New Hampshire, but moved there when Key was young enough to have taken some of his first steps on St. Pete Beach – they were set on Stetson Law.

“We didn’t apply anywhere else,” Rick said. The two enrolled in Stetson Law’s part-time program because the full-time program was full. They sold the auto dealership they ran together to they could focus on their studies. Both spent countless hours in the library.

Persevering through a pandemic

The two got involved with student organizations and held leadership positions within the Student Bar Association’s part-time-students’ division. When COVID-19 hit, they had to take their studies online.

“We lost our library,” Key said. “We started doing a lot of Zoom meetings.”

Much of their preparation for the Florida Bar exam was also virtual, the Morrows said. Yet they prevailed, as did many of their classmates, despite the challenging circumstances.

Key and Rick were part of the group of Stetson Law bar takers that had a notably high passage rate of 77.8 percent – the second-highest in the state for the February 2022 round. Many were classmates-turned-friends.

“Most of us were cohorts, and we killed it,” Rick said.

In the short time since the results came down, both secured full-time employment at Florida firms: Rick was hired at Orlando-based firm Killgore, Pearlman, Semanie & Squires PA, where he’ll be doing transactional work. Key will be handling cases involving labor, employment, and general liability at Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.

International Environmental Moot Court Competition (IEMCC) 2022: A Recap

Attendees and organizers of the 26th annual IEMCC gather for a large group photo — The 26th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition took place Apr. 7-9, 2022.

For the first time since 2019, the International Environmental Moot Court Competition brought teams from around the world to Stetson Law to compete in the international finals. The event’s 26^th edition brought 12 teams from 11 countries and five continents together for a spirited event April 7-9.

Teams argued a fictional case involving armed conflict, protected wetlands, and vulnerable sea turtle nesting areas.

Current events inspired the premise, and current events affected the event itself. A team from Ukraine had to cancel plans to attend as a result of Russia’s invasion of the country; they sent a moving video message to those in attendance. Teams from Bangladesh and India were unable to attend due to COVID-19-related visa issues. A team from Nairobi, Kenya was able to attend – but only because their visas got approved just a day before their scheduled departure.

“Despite travel-related challenges, the event went smoothly. I was impressed and inspired by the students’ advocacy skills, as well as their resilience and good cheer,” said Professor Royal Gardner, the competition’s founder and main organizer. “It was such a joy to host the teams in person after being virtual for two years.”

From bumpy travels to brilliant triumphs

Micah Cheyenne Ecarma of the University of the Philippines College of Law said her team had students from every level, which, due to time constraints, meant they could only practice once a week. Despite this, they made it to the final round.

“In the end, we saw our efforts bear fruit and witness each other’s improvements. Instead of dreading our preparations, we started looking forward to them,” Ecarma, who won Best Oralist for the preliminary rounds, said.

Micah Cheyenne Ecarma of the University of the Philippines College of Law holds two award plaques next to Professor Royal Gardner. — Micah Cheyenne Ecarma of the University of the Philippines College of Law, whose team was an IEMCC finalist, and Professor Royal Gardner. Ecarma also one Best Oralist for the preliminary rounds.

The trip from Manila to Gulfport wasn’t easy. A connecting flight was delayed, and the team even got separated. They arrived safely, albeit more than a half-day later than planned. Ecarma said ultimately, competing in person – especially on such a beautiful campus as Stetson Law’s – made the trip worth it.

“We were blown away when we first set foot in the halls of Stetson. Being in such a lovely campus really inspired us and kept us calm and focused during our rounds,” Ecarma said. “We also really loved competing in the rooms themselves, as they really gave us the full experience of doing oral arguments in a courtroom in front of a panel of judges.”

Rising to the occasion

Participants commended the event’s organizers for a well-executed event.

“The organizers rose to the occasion given the challenges that we are facing to facilitate travel, accommodation, and paperwork. They kept us well fed, coordinated volunteers and judges, and gave comfortable space to work on campus to 12 teams from five continents,” said Verónica Cáceres Chamorro, who served as a championship round judge for the event.

Cáceres Chamorro, who is the secretary general of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, said she was impressed with the competitor’s command of her organization’s policies and their intensive research skills.

“I was delighted to see how knowledgeable the students participating in the Moot Court were of the entire IAC text, resolutions, and the research they did outside legal documents…addressing sea turtle threats – not only lighting, but climate change, dangers in the marine habitat with a marina and boat strikes, damage to nests from people walking on the beach, to the socioeconomic aspects,” she said.

IEMCC 2022: Results and recognition

The final round was between two teams from the Philippines: University of the Philippines College of Law and University of Cebu School of Law, Philippines. The latter was ultimately the winner. A University of Cebu School of Law competitor, Golda Marie Lim, won Best Oralist in the final round.

Three women sign a map of the world using Sharpie markers. — Team members from Kenya and Korea sign a world map that will be presented to the Ukrainian team, who were the 2022 recipients of the Spirit of Stetson Award.

Semifinalists were Singapore Management University and Law Society of Ireland.

Best Memorial went to University of Nairobi, Kenya.

Though they could not be present to compete, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla, Ukraine was given the Spirit of Stetson Award.

See the full 26th IEMCC results.

Stetson Law Grad Craig Zyburo Gets Top FL Bar Exam Score

Craig Zyburo, right, with his wife, Viviana

A Stetson Law graduate is among the top-scoring test-takers who took the Florida Bar exam in February 2022. Craig Zyburo, who graduated with his J.D. in December 2021, did so well on the test, he has been invited to speak at the Second District Court of Appeals swearing-in ceremony on May 2 – an honor reserved only for the highest-achieving test-takers.

In all, 443 February 2022 exam-takers were admitted to the Florida Bar. While he worked hard to prepare for the exam, Zyburo said he did not go into it with the expectation that his score would ultimately be among the highest statewide.

“I just wanted to pass!” he said. “I had no idea what I would score or if I would even pass on my first try.”

With a 77.8 percent pass rate, Stetson Law ranked second in the state for February 2022 Florida Bar exam passage, and was about a percentage point away from the top spot. It is the first time since 2014 Stetson Law has had a top statewide pass rate.

Diligent study and preparation were key to Zyburo’s success, he said. He employed multiple prep methods, including several resources offered through Stetson Law’s Academic Success & Bar Preparation Services office.

“I definitely put in a ton of work and a lot of hours for bar prep,” Zyburo said. “I usually studied eight hours a day, six days a week for about nine weeks.”

Born in New York City and raised in Naples, Florida, Zyburo holds a B.A. in Psychology, Cum Laude, from Boston College.

Prior to attending Stetson Law’s part-time J.D. program, he spent a decade teaching special education at local public schools. He lives in Dunedin with his wife, Viviana, and their two children.

Now that he has been admitted to the Florida Bar, Zyburo said he will be practicing insurance defense with the firm Andrews Biernacki Davis, where he previously held a summer clerk position. That clerkship, along with an externship with The World Triathlon Corporation (the company that produces IRONMAN events), “really gave me some solid legal experience,” he said.

He graduated from Stetson Law December 9, 2021, the same day his wife graduated from nursing school.

Scholar Catherine Smith on Brown vs. Board & Children’s Rights

Professor Catherin Smith speaks at Stetson Law in April, 2022

The landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision handed down in Brown vs. Board of Education is a lauded as pivotal moment for civil rights.

Originally filed by the Brown family and a dozen other Black families against a Topeka, Kansas school district, it contested the constitutionality of forcing Black students to bus to segregated schools and challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine put forth by Plessy v. Ferguson decades earlier.

Earlier this month, University of Denver Sturm College of Law Professor Catherine Smith visited the Stetson Law Campus to assert that the case’s legacy may go beyond its groundbreaking impact on civil rights and education law in the U.S.

“I’m asking you to think of it as a landmark children’s rights case,” she told the audience gathered in the Great Hall and watching virtually over Zoom.

How “separate but equal” reinforced inequality

In Brown, she said, the plaintiffs contended that Black children being required to attend segregated schools in Kansa, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and DC could never be considered equal to schools barring non-white students. The psychological impact of school segregation on Black children, the court recognized, “affected Black children’s hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever be undone.” Segregation permanently locked children in racial castes, she said, thereby reinforcing racial inequalities.

“So, this lost children’s equality jurisprudence serves as a constitutional check on caste creation by ensuring young people’s advancement on individual merit and preventing state practices that lock classes of children and the groups to which they belong into an underclass, or into a caste – into some sort of group hierarchy,” Smith said.

An unexplored legal realm

Despite what she sees as an obvious avenue for exploring and developing a children’s rights-centered approach that could be applied cases involving juveniles, courts currently apply precedents and tests that stem from adult cases. Smith believes looking at Brown through a children’s rights lens could change that.

“It’s time for us to recognize this nascent children’s equality law and build on it,” she said. “It’s wide-open, I promise you. You will look and not be able to find a doctrine that talks about it in this way that I’ve been able to see.”

Fostering “constructive and healthy discourse” about law

In her remarks ahead of Smith’s lecture, Stetson Law Dean Michèle Alexandre said such discussions are critical.

“National and global events continue to highlight the importance of constructive and healthy discourse about our legal systems, including those that impact our children and other vulnerable populations,” she said. “As legal scholars tasked with training new generations of lawyers and advocates, we are honored to have such a distinguished scholar join us today as part of our charge to facilitate such discourse.”

See a video of Smith’s lecture in its entirety.

Professor Theresa Radwan Named Interim Dean

Stetson Law Professor Theresa Pulley Radwan has been chosen to lead the campus as its interim dean of the College of Law. Her term will begin June 24, 2022 and she will serve in that capacity until the position of dean is filled.

Specializing in business law, Professor Radwan joined the Stetson Law faculty in 2001. During her time at Stetson, she has served as Associate Dean for Academics, Senior Associate Dean for Academics, Associate Dean for Administration and Business Affairs, and Transitional Business Administrator.

Her recent work as co-chair of the university-wide Safer Campus task force led the ACE Women’s Network to recognize her with the “She Stepped Up Award,” which is reserved for women who played a pivotal role in leading an institution throughout the pandemic. Radwan has routinely been recognized by the university for her teaching and scholarship, including the College of Law award for Excellence in Teaching (2004), and twice received the Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship (2007 and 2017).

Radwan attended the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary, where she served as an articles editor of the Bill of Rights Journal and a research editor of the Moot Court Board. Prior to joining Stetson, Professor Radwan practiced in the areas of bankruptcy and commercial law in Cleveland, taught as an adjunct faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, and served as a full-time faculty member at the University of Cincinnati.

To university leadership, Radwan was an obvious choice for the role.

“For quite some time, I have been aware of Terri Radwan’s strong contributions to the College of Law as an excellent educator, dedicated student mentor, exceptional scholar, and advocate for legal education,” said Dr. Noel Painter, executive vice president and provost at Stetson University. “I am confident that, through Interim Dean Radwan’s leadership and with the support of talented staff and faculty, the College of Law will continue to advance a strong record of student enrollment, reputational advancement, curricular innovation, and university initiatives including our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Professor Radwan will serve in the role of interim dean while the University seeks a permanent dean to fill the role after Dean Michèle Alexandre’s departure. Radwan and Alexandre have worked together closely over the last three years and are well-positioned to have productive engagements between now and June 24 to facilitate a smooth decanal transition.

Stetson Law Fla. Bar Exam Pass Rates Among Top in State

Students takes the test or exam in class.

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners’ February 2022 Bar Examination results are in – and Stetson Law’s passage rate is one of the best in the state.

Of the 27 Stetson Law first-time bar takers who sat for the exam, 21 passed, meaning Stetson’s pass rate for first time-takers is 77.8 percent. The statewide average is 61.6 percent. Stetson Law’s passage rate was the second-highest in the state for the February 2022 bar results, following Florida State University College of Law by about a percentage point.

This was the first in-person bar exam since February 2020, and it included Part A, the Florida-prepared portion of the examination, and Part B, the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE).

Stetson Law Dean Michèle Alexandre congratulated the bar takers and thanked the greater Stetson Law community for fostering student success.

“We know the duress that all bar takers are under, given the pandemic and other external stressors, and affirm every Stetson graduate who sat for the February 2022 bar exam,” Alexandre said. “We thank the entire Stetson Law community for continuing to support our graduates in a collaborative, student-centered fashion.”

The encouraging results are a reflection of Stetson Law’s dedication to equipping students with critical skills they need for success in their profession, which starts with passing the bar.

“Our commitment, as an institution, is to be certain that every Stetson Law student has a strong foundation upon which to prepare for and pass the bar, with a rigorous curriculum, comprehensive academic support, and specific bar-related programming that empower them to be successful in law school and in the practice of law,” Alexandre said.

Feb 2022 FL Bar Exam Press Release Download

Diversity Week Tabling Inspires Connection

Two students sit at a table featuring promotional materials for the Calvin A. Kuenzel Student Bar Association, a bowl of oranges, and a plate of cookies. — Andrea Waters (left) and Edson Abadia (right) at a Diversity Week 2022 tabling event.

As Ketanji Brown Jackson’s recent confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court demonstrates, diversity can be transformative when the legal community embraces it. Events like the tabling that took place during Diversity Week at Stetson Law celebrated diversity through connection and conversation.

Three young women stand in front of a presentation slide that reads "Minority Experiences in the Law" — Law students Deja Gordon, Kelley Truong, and Melany Hernandez participate in Diversity Week 2022 events.

An annual event hosted on campus by the Student Bar Association’s Diversity Committee, Diversity Week features a different theme each year, depending on the campus climate and current legal issues being discussed in the public sphere, organizers say. This year, that theme was “This is U.S.”

“Our committee chose this theme because of the recent use of the American flag to promote partisanship and political messages,” said Edson Abadia, Jr., Co-Chair of the Stetson Law Student Bar Association’s Diversity Committee. “No matter your background, the American Flag is a symbol of strength, unity, and justice.”

Diversity Week focused on topics such as what it means to be a citizen of the United States, different civil rights movements in the U.S., and minority experiences in law school. It featured panel discussions and other related events – including a virtual keynote from Georgia Judge Timothy Walmsley, who is best known for presiding over the murder case against the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery in 2020.

The tabling that took place over the course of the week offered members of the Stetson Law community the chance to engage with one another on a variety of topics in a non-classroom setting, Crummer Courtyard. They created space for students to interact with faculty, staff, and classmates in a manner less formal than they typically do over the course of the semester – all while learning about opportunities they might not have known about.

A law student sits at a table with a bowl of oranges and a plate of cookies. A tablecloth reads "Stetson University Calvin A. Kuenzel Student Bar Association." — Law student Diana Estrada during a Diversity Week 2022 tabling event.

“The tabling event created an opportunity for less formal conversations with students that allowed me to learn more about their priorities and interests and to share some information about how the Social Justice Advocacy concentration might help them to achieve their goals,” said Professor Kristen Adams, who is director of Stetson Law’s Dispute Resolution program.

Laura Tankel, Deputy Director of the Office of Career and Professional Development at Stetson Law, said her team enjoyed being able to meet new students and boost the department’s visibility on campus.

“Being visible to the students allowed us to share our department’s goals and programs,” Tankel said.

She added that the tabling helped introduce students to the resources her team provides, set up coaching appointments, and promote upcoming job fairs and other events.

Students who strolled through Crummer Courtyard during tabling events found a more relaxed, open setting in which to discuss the common factor that brings everyone to campus: interest in law.

“People seemed more introspective about how the law services us all and likewise how it is failing many of us,” said Lei-Lani Rogers, a board member of the Lambda Legal Society. “The ability to convey these realizations in eloquence, absent of academic demand, was empowering.”

Stetson Law Student Paper Honored at GRAMMY Week Event

Stetson Law student Michael Harrigan wrote a winning paper about blockchain’s potential impact on copyright law.

As the Recording Academy showcased recording-industry standouts over GRAMMY Week, a first-year Stetson Law student saw some recognition of his own.

Michael F. Harrigan, ’24, was one of two runners-up for a paper he submitted to the American Bar Association’s Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest, a competition held in the lead-up to the week’s events and sponsored by The Recording Academy. Over the weekend, Harrigan flew to Las Vegas to attend the Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) event during which he was recognized.

As part of the GRAMMY Week festivities, an event was held Saturday night honoring the contest’s winners. What makes Harrigan’s win particularly notable is that winning essays are typically written by 2Ls, 3Ls, or LL.M. students. As a first-year student, he said he did not set his expectations for winning very high.

As it turns out, he identified a compelling topic around which he crafted a well-researched and written paper.

The topic? The impact that NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and related technology may have on copyright law. Harrigan’s paper is titled “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: How Blockchain Technology Can Shift the DMCA’s Burden of Notification Away From Copyright Owners.”

“When I began looking for a topic, it became clear that there was a growing buzz around artists experimenting with NFTs, cryptocurrency, and similar technology,” Harrigan said.
“The common theme among these artists was that they were all looking to gain more control over the rights and royalties associated with their work. So, this inspired me to write about just one way the current law could adapt to these emerging technologies.”

Open to J.D. and LL.M. candidates in the U.S., the contest was judged by a national panel of music lawyers. The timely subject matter combines multiple interests for Harrigan, who is co-founder and vice president of the Stetson Blockchain & Law Society.

“I have always been passionate about Music and Entertainment,” he said. “Over the past year, I have slowly realized the implications modern technology is going to have on artists and their rights. I think a lot of law students and lawyers alike will be surprised how emerging technologies, like blockchain and NFTs, will have an impact on their area of practice in the future.”

Now in its 24^th year, the competition invites students to identify a pressing challenge within the realm of entertainment law and outline a solution in a 3,000-word essay. Prizes ranged from scholarships ($10,000 for the grand prize winner; $2,500 for the runners up), event invitations and mentorship opportunities.