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Passion for Justice Lands Stetson Law Alumna White House Role

Stetson Alumna Hannah Ibanez stands with the US Capitol in the background — Stetson Law Alumna Hannah Ibanez, J.D. ’16

Even in her earliest memories, Hannah Raissa Ibañez, J.D. ’16, was always passionate about standing up for others.

It is what drove her to pursue legal education, work in the Pinellas County Public Defender’s Office, advocate for the homeless in Los Angeles and, recently, join the White House’s Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board thanks to a presidential nomination.

“I remember always being really fired up,” she said. “I could always sense when there was a power dynamic that was unfair. I think I always felt like a fighter, and I’ve always identified as a defender.”

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Hannah Ibañez moved to Miami with her family as a young child and attended Simmons University in Boston, where, as an undergraduate, she majored in philosophy and political science with a minor in women’s and gender studies.

“There was just something about knowing how to run a courtroom and operating in that space that called to me.”

“The sharp edge of litigation”

Upon graduating, she said, law school was calling. As she toured campuses, including Harvard, Duke, and Brooklyn Law School, it was Stetson Law that really stood out to her.

Why?

She saw the Trial Team in action, and the confidence the fledgling lawyers exuded as they argued their cases to the real-world courtroom experience it gave students, what she witnessed thoroughly impressed her.

“I was absolutely sold,” she said. “There was just something about knowing how to run a courtroom and operating in that space that called to me.”

An experiential learner, she said she knew she wanted to be at the “sharp end of litigation.”

“It felt more real; it felt like an education that would stick with me and mold me,” she added.

The experience remains valuable to her to this day, whether it is instinctively standing the instant the judge walks into the courtroom or understanding the subtle cues that can influence the outcome of a day in court.

Active from the outset

Once she enrolled in Stetson Law’s J.D. program with a Social Justice Advocacy Concentration, faculty members who interacted with her recognized her passion and her drive from her early days on campus forward.

“Ms. Ibañez was in Stetson’s Honors Program, a program that allows top students to engage in individualized scholarship that will be helpful to them in later years,” said Professor Ellen Podgor. “From her initial classroom comments in criminal law to this later class it was clear she would excel in social justice advocacy.”

She held leadership positions in the National Organization for Women, in which she helped to organize a performance of The Vagina Monologues and was also active in the Lambda Legal Society. She completed two directed research projects as a student in the Social Justice Advocacy Concentration. One, which was centered on homelessness, included an innovative combination of a survey instrument and traditional scholarship that culminated in a thoughtful multi-media presentation. The other focused on motions and other materials attorneys could use to represent transgender clients in criminal cases. Through her participation in the Homeless Advocacy Externship, she demonstrated a deep commitment to advocacy on behalf of persons experiencing homelessness.

“Hannah brought such joy and power to all of her work and was a valuable mentor to her peers – something we witnessed more than once,” said Professor Ann Piccard.

Advocating for the underserved

She brought that joy and power to the pro bono clinic she enrolled in with the Pinellas County Public Defender’s Office, where she was offered a job upon graduation. The work was as heartbreaking as it was rewarding.

“It was absolutely amazing and horrifying at the same time,” she said. “There’s never a dull day.”

While working in the public defender’s office, she noticed how students participating in its clinic wanted to stay on after it ended, so she established an additional pro bono program that allows them to do so.

Clients the office took on were often homeless, mentally ill, or some combination thereof, which really hit home for Ibañez the need to focus on the root causes that can lead to a lifetime of legal challenges for so many. The lack of stable, affordable housing is a key factor, she said, which is why her current role as senior staff attorney on the Tenant Defense Project for Inner City Law Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing legal services to the city’s most vulnerable residents at no charge. Here, she defends low-income tenants and families, people with disabilities, veterans facing homelessness, people living with HIV/AIDS, immigrants, and others.

An “unbelievable” opportunity

The organization does plenty of policy work as well, which is how she got connected to the U.S. Access Board; a colleague had forwarded her information to a member of U.S. Congress who was tasked with providing recommendations to fill federal vacancies. After an 18-month process involving interviews and other steps, she was on the shortlist – and elated to be there.

“I find it unbelievable,” she said.

The board aims to ensure all federal facilities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as buildings, vehicles, and telecommunications equipment. Currently, they meet several times a year for three-day sessions.

Ibañez said she hopes her story conveys to students aspiring to fight on behalf of the most vulnerable among us that they can find a pathway to effectively doing so at Stetson Law, where the community will welcome their passion for making a difference through advocacy.

“There’s a place for you at Stetson,” she said.

43rd National Conference on Law & Higher Ed Welcomes Attendees In-Person

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

Many Stetson Law alumni probably remember Professor Peter Lake as their torts teacher. Over the decades, though, his expertise in higher education law has put him at the helm of one of the most important conferences for professionals working at colleges and universities.

In March of 2022, the 43^rd Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education very much felt like a homecoming. The event took place at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. The weather was glorious, and attendees were reconnecting with one another after years of not being able to meet in person due to the pandemic. The event’s 2020 edition, in fact, was held just days before travel was shut down worldwide in efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19. Nearly 200 people, including students and speakers, attended.

“I believe that the people in this room are the people that are going to be the change agents.”
Stetson Law Professor Peter Lake

“To me this is a huge family reunion,” Lake, who is the Charles A. Dana Chair and Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy at Stetson Law, said in his opening remarks. “I can’t tell you how thrilled my staff and I are to come back and host you.”

Preparing for the “edupocalypse”

Naturally, the pandemic and other current events that directly affect higher education were at the center of conversation at the event, which ran from March 2-March 7, from campus safety and student mental health to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

In talking about the higher education’s economic, political, and cultural challenges, Lake referred to the current state of affairs as the “edupocalypse,” telling those gathered that this is a unique, transformative point in time for higher ed. It’s a time when educators’ role as “keepers of the flame of truth” is being challenged thanks to the media climate, he said, when litigation has arisen in the wake of Covid-19 mitigation policies, and higher education is being criticized for everything from diversity efforts to rising tuition costs. In the face of these challenges, Lake said he is optimistic that higher education leaders like those in the room will succeed in overcoming them.

Law Professors Peter Lake and Kristen Adams were among the amused audience members during a Saturday Keynote at the 43rd Annual Law & Higher Ed Conference.

“I believe in this industry and I believe that we will meet whatever challenges come ahead,” he said. “I believe that the people in this room are the people that are going to be the change agents.”

A gathering of thought leaders

Attendees comprised a mix of industry professionals from a broad range of university departments, including public safety, Title IX, student affairs, university leadership, and, of course, legal professionals. Among keynote speakers were author Jules Coleman, whose talk was titled “The Uncertain Future of Higher Education is Here Now” (Coleman was also the 2022 William Reece Smith Distinguished Lecturer at Stetson Law’s Annual Inns of Court Event in February) and John Dunkle, senior advisor at the Jed Foundation, whose presentation was titled “College Student Mental Health: The Need for Bold Action to Unravel a ‘Gordian Knot’ for Higher Education.”

As in previous years, the gathering aimed to bring together thought leaders with the aim of developing policies to ensure success for colleges and universities. Sometimes, conversations that have taken place at the event have led directly to federal law reform. The theme in 2022 was “The Great Strategic Reclamation of Higher Education.”

“It is our mission to enhance higher education, to make our institutions stronger and most importantly, to make sure that we’re educating students in as powerful a way as possible,” said Stetson University Provost Noel Painter, whose remarks kicked off the event. “This conference and Peter’s leadership of this conference is exactly aligned with the mission of this institution.”

Learn more about the Annual Conference on Law & Higher Education.

BLSA Trial Team Advances to Quarterfinals in Regional Competition

Members of Stetson’s Black Law Students Association, from left to right: Andrea Waters, Alyssa Fleming, Tala El-Ghali and Logan Jackson

Late February brought yet another successful competition to Stetson Law’s talented roster of student advocates.

The Stetson Black Law Students Association Trial Team made it all the way to the quarterfinals at the Constance Baker Motley Trial Team Competition. The competition took place at the Southern Regional Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA) Convention in Atlanta, GA, from February 24-27, 2022.

The team consisted of four Stetson BLSA members: Logan Jackson (2L), Andrea Waters (2L), Alyssa Flemming (3L), and Tala El-Ghali (3L). The BLSA team was put together by BLSA President Deja Gordon and coached by Stetson BLSA alumni Willengy Ramos (’14) and Forest Sutton (’20).

“Being President of Stetson’s BLSA at the first in-person SRBLSA convention in two years was monumental,” Gordon said.

Gordon added that it was an honor to assemble the team of advocates, who worked diligently ahead of the event.

“These students worked for weeks to prepare for this competition with the full support of the advocacy center,” she said. “They represented Stetson well with all of the professionalism and competence that we hold ourselves to as Stetson advocates. Watching the organizing and advocating we did to have this team compete pay off was rewarding. We will definitely continue advocating for this team as BLSA students.”

Stetson BALSA’s visibility and involvement went beyond going far in this important competition.

At the conclusion of the competition and accompanying convention, Gordon was able to nominate two BLSA students to the Southern Regional BLSA Board: Logan Jackson as secretary and Blake Radford as treasurer.

Judge Timothy Walmsley Gives Moving Talk on Diversity

Judge Timothy Walmsley sits in a chair in front of a large bookcase — Judge Timothy Walmsley

In a reflective keynote address he delivered as part of the Stetson Law Student Bar Association’s Diversity Week events, Judge Timothy Walmsley spoke about diversity’s transformative role in the criminal justice system – and what it means to be a neighbor in 2022.

Walmsley serves as a Superior Court Judge in Chatham County, Georgia, where, in the Savannah community, he “is regarded as a thoughtful and caring leader and friend,” said Stetson Law Professor Elizabeth Berenguer, who introduced him to the virtual audience.

Stetson Law Professor Elizabeth Berenguer

Beyond his community, he is best known for presiding over the murder trial of the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery in 2020. In keeping with this year’s Diversity Week theme, “This is U.S.,” Walmsley spoke about diversity within the legal profession and how social justice informs his reasoning in cases like that of Arbery’s killers.

In preparing to speak Wednesday, he said he reviewed numbers featured in a 2020 American Bar Association model diversity study that examined legal entities’ diversity initiatives, hiring practices, attrition, promotions, and more. While the statistics showed notable growth in the diversity within the Bar’s makeup over time, the diversity tends to bottleneck as one looks further up the chain of command at legal practices.

“Why that is occurring is a difficult question to answer,” Walmsley said.

“Conversations that need to continue”

Though he did not speak directly on his verdict in the Arbery case, he reflected on what it was like to preside over a high-profile case involving racial justice during a global pandemic. The case was outside his district, but he was appointed to it when all the judges in Glenn County, where the crime took place, had to recuse. One of the defendants, Gregory McMichael, was chief investigator with the District Attorney’s Office there, and was well known among the judges.

“It was a high-profile case at a time when there had been a number of other high-profile cases that had been in the American conscience.”
Judge Timothy Walmsley

The case moved slowly, he said, because of Covid-19-related restrictions as well as the fact that he took it on while maintaining a full schedule in his own courtroom. He called for the courtroom to be open to the media. There were days when protesters demonstrated outside the courthouse and days when the likes of Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton sat in on the proceedings.

Ultimately, he said he thinks it contributed to a bigger conversation about American justice.

“We learned a lot out of the Arbery case,” Walmsley said. “It was a high-profile case at a time when there had been a number of other high-profile cases that had been in the American conscience: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, even the Rittenhouse case. All of those cases…along with the Arbery case, I think have opened up very positive discussions about the justice system, about how it operates, who’s operating it, and I think those are conversations that need to continue.”

What it means to be a neighbor

At the sentencing hearing for the defendants, Walmsley made headlines for remarking that the case “should force us to consider expanding our definition of what a neighbor may be and how we treat them.” His comments were based on comments of another Southern judge, and that he knew that during the hearing, his time to speak would be limited.

“I spent a great deal of time thinking through the sentence, and more importantly…because of the nature of the case itself, I really wanted to make sure that the public and the litigants understood my sentence. Judges don’t really have many opportunities to really speak their mind on certain subjects,” he said. “I stand by those comments.”

On the broader subject of fairness in the criminal justice system, Walmsley said there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

“A topic that we need to address policing and profiling. There’s been a great deal of discussion on policing in particular, and I think that discussion needs to continue,” he said. “We need to understand that there are real issues in policing, but there are also individuals out there that are working hard within the police departments to do things right.”

“You may feel like you’re not getting traction, but you are.”
Judge Timothy Walmsley

As a judge, he added, his ability to issue sentences he views as fair is limited by factors such as the Drug War, mandatory minimums, and the jury selection process.

“We are challenged with a lot of problems when it comes to misdemeanors and petty crimes and how the accumulation of misdemeanor arrests and enforcement ultimately leads into my court, which is the Superior Court, where we deal with felonies,” he said.

Imparting optimism about the future

During the question-and answer session that followed, the judge was asked about what can appear to be slow progress when it comes to diversity and inclusion within the legal system. Walmsley assured his audience that the answer is never to give up.

“Nothing happens in the legal profession quickly,” he said. “You may feel like you’re not getting traction, but you are.”

Dean Michèle Alexandre

The broad-ranging conversation took place during a week full of discussions about bias, discrimination, and other barriers to diversity in the legal system and society. Now more than ever, organizers say, transcending differences is critical.

“In order to do business, in order to do anything in our society, we need to at the very least attempt to understand one another,” said Stetson College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre, whose remarks kicked off the event. “The pursuit of knowledge, including our timely conversation today, is key not only for individual growth, but as professionals. It is essential for our ability to serve each other.”

Attorney Keith Fountain on How Ranchers can Help Florida’s Environment

Keith Fountain, a premier expert in Florida conservation easements.

With urban sprawl covering so much of Florida’s landscape, it can be easy to forget that farming and ranching were once the state’s biggest industries. Yet even with widespread building on open land, there’s still quite a lot of undeveloped land dedicated to farming, ranching and timber in the Sunshine State.

Attorney Keith Fountain, who spoke as part of Stetson Law’s Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series on March 1, has been helping protect what remains of these lands through transactions called conservation easements for nearly 30 years.

Professor Royal Gardner stands in front of a screen featuring a herd of cows — Professor Royal Gardner

Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson Law’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, said Fountain is “the expert” in conservation easements in Florida. Fountain also helped facilitate discussions that ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and led preservation and restoration efforts at the site.

Preserving land through easements

So far, Fountain has worked on 4,300 transactions related to such deals, totaling over $800 million.

That may be a lot of money, but the land’s actual value can be substantially greater, he said, given how they can be the key to ensuring Florida’s most important watersheds and other open lands remain as contiguous and intact as possible.

It’s important to protect critical watersheds in areas like those that make up the Florida Wildlife Corridor – for wildlife conservation as well as protecting the water resources Floridians rely on.

“Many of those lands contain very important environmental attributes,” Fountain said.

A small piece of the puzzle

While conservation lands managed by federal, state, and local authorities cover nearly 11 million acres in Florida, easements are a lot less common. Of Florida’s 34.7 million acres, just 915,000 of them are protected via conservation easements, which are set up through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and other methods.

Much of this land is concentrated in Central Florida, where cattle ranchlands still cover the landscape, and the Panhandle, an area where timber is a historically important industry.

Fountain gave a detailed overview of the types of easements available, how their terms can be enforced through courts, some of their limitations, and their place within the context of broader land conservation programs such as Florida Forever and Amendment 1, a land-buying measure on Florida’s ballot in 2014 approved by 75 percent of Florida voters. Funds like those offered through the two latter programs have been subject to the will of lawmakers potentially at odds with their cost to taxpayers or the limits they may place on certain industries.

Conservation easements, on the other hand, aren’t as directly affected by politics. Instead, they’re an agreement between a property owner and the organization that is procuring the easement, which is typically an environmental nonprofit or a government agency.

While every conservation easement is different, they all aim to protect land by barring future development on a property while, in many cases, letting the landowners continue to use the land for their business as long as it does little or no harm to the ecology there. Plus, they can offer generous tax incentives for preserving the land.

“There’s a lot of income tax benefit here available to people,” Fountain said. “Sometimes these are large pieces of property.”

Those properties may be the key to protecting Florida’s natural resources for future generations, Fountain said. That is, if residential development, mining and other demands of an ever-growing population don’t get there first.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to do this stuff at scale in Florida,” said Fountain. “We’re running out of time.”

Learn more about the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy.

Highlights from the Annual Inns of Court Event with Jules Coleman

Dean Michèle Alexandre, Dr. Jules Coleman, and Professor Kristen Adams

The Annual Inns of Court event looked a little different in 2022 than most years, but the spirited hybrid event offered the Stetson Law community compelling conversation, fresh insights, and a few laughs along the way.

The yearly event invites students, faculty, and local Inns of Court chapter members to dine, network, and hear remarks from an esteemed speaker. The evening’s lecture component is named for William Reece Smith, Jr., who was a distinguished professor of law at Stetson.

Introducing the event’s namesake

Event organizer and Professor Kristen Adams, whose full title is William Reece Smith, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law, opened the event, which was headlined by esteemed law and philosophy scholar, Dr. Jules Coleman, who was her professor at Yale Law School.

She opened the event with a video highlighting Smith’s career, and referred to him as “a legal icon, mentor, advisor, teacher, a champion of civil rights and a consummate professional, who upheld the highest of standards.”

“He was also passionate about educating young lawyers,” Adams added of the former Stetson Law adjunct professor, who was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

Dean Michèle Alexandre then introduced Coleman, with an overview of his storied career, from his extensive work in academia to his current activities as a thought-leader in education.

No stranger to Stetson Law

Before diving into his keynote, Coleman said he’s been to campus before – and joked that he might have enjoyed his being in the room more than others present.

“It is not the first time I have been here…But every time I have spoken is a great pleasure to me,” Coleman said. “I can’t swear whether it is a pleasure for anybody else. I hope to make it interesting and enjoyable and that the hour goes reasonably quickly.”

During his 90-minute discussion, which included a question-and-answer session, Coleman spoke off the cuff and his remarks were full of humorous asides – and wisdom for the students and young lawyers in the room.

“I always enjoy being here, and, this time is no exception,” Coleman said. “I think you are all very fortunate to have a wonderful faculty guiding you. And I hope all of you, as you seek a career in law, appreciate that it is a noble profession and that its nobility depends, in part, of your capacity to always be responsive and ensure that it meets its promises to those who are under its authority.”

Comparing law & philosophy

An accomplished scholar in both philosophy and the law, Coleman spent much of his lecture, titled “What Can Be Learned From Thoroughbred Horses and Trolley Cars,” exploring the differences between philosophy and the law, and how theoretical underpinnings of the former can inform practice of the latter.

The two have one key thing in common, though, he said.

“I realized that one of the problems of both law and philosophy was that it was in a language that ordinary people typically have less access to and less comfort with, and that it involved concepts that were not easily accessible to them,” Coleman said. “But that didn’t mean that the problems that ordinary people faced and that ordinary communities faced were not problems that showed up time and time again, both in moral philosophy and moral theory and in legal practice.”

The first portion of his lecture – concerning the thoroughbreds – explored a complex scenario that occurred during the 2019 Kentucky Derby, when the winning horse was disqualified – to the benefit of the runner up – after injuring a horse that was well behind in the running. The case raised questions applicable in the courtroom.

“There is a general question about whether anybody in a case like this has standing or whether you have to be the wronged party to have standing,” Coleman said. “That is, of course, a central question in the law.”

Law & the “trolley problem”

The lecture also explored the trolley problem, its multiple variations, and their applications within the law, such as whether a party should be held liable for actions they take when their life is being threatened. The famous philosophical thought experiment explores ethics via a hypothetical – but utterly unrealistic – scenario, which Coleman joked was a sign that those who study philosophy might want to get out more.

“It just shows how outdated philosophers are, that they talk about trolleys rather than trains,” he said. “Maybe that was the last time anybody rode public transportation who is a philosopher.”

The point of exploring the law through lenses like these, he said, is to understand that legal practice is invariably tied to the real-life situations that are governed by laws, and that the law shouldn’t be studied in a vacuum.

“The law is not isolated…not like Kafka’s picture of it,” Coleman said. “In many ways it is, of course. It is incredibly bureaucratic and mysterious. That is done on purpose so you guys can make money, right? But it is not really. It is designed to help us find ways of living with one another.”

Learn more about Jules Coleman and his visit to Stetson Law.

Stetson Alumni Make Up Half the Board of Florida Bar Chapter for Black Lawyers

By Suzi Morales

Stetson alumni Hershley Oge, Kamilah Perry and Valeria Obi.

Michael T. Davis, Class of 2008, may be a law firm partner now, but he vividly remembers a scene from his early law school days at Stetson. Walking to class one day, he was greeted by alumna Kamilah Perry, Class of 2002. She stopped him and asked, “Are you coming to Virgil Hawkins?”

Though Davis didn’t know what — or who — Virgil Hawkins was, Perry prevailed upon him to attend a meeting of the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association (“VHFCNBA”), which provides professional development and community service opportunities for Black law students and lawyers.

Stetson Law alum Michael Davis, J.D. ’08

“I fell in love with the organization,” Davis recalls more than a decade later.

For the 2021-22 term, four of the eight VHFCNBA board members, including Davis and Perry, are Stetson Law alumni. It’s an impressive showing in a statewide organization with members throughout the Florida bar, and the board members say their presence reflects Stetson’s emphasis on community involvement.

Currently, Davis serves as president and Perry is general counsel. Valeria Obi, Class of 2013, is president-elect and Hershley Ogé, also Class of 2013, serves as secretary. Obi, who works as corporate counsel for WilsonHCG, will take office as president in July.

Organization Founded to Connect Black Lawyers, Serve the Community

VHFCNBA was founded in the 1950s, at a time when Black lawyers were not welcomed in other local bar associations and faced challenges with admission to law schools, including Stetson’s. The organization was later named for Virgil Hawkins, who was refused admission to the University of Florida Law School because of his race and pursued the matter to the United States Supreme Court. Although the Court ordered the law school to admit Hawkins, it continued to refuse admission to Hawkins and other Black students based upon the supposed “great public mischief” that would result. The Florida Bar also refused Hawkins admission, which was finally granted in 1977, when he was nearly 70 years old.

Throughout its history, the VHFCNBA has embraced dual purposes of serving disadvantaged individuals and providing opportunities for Black lawyers. For example, Ogé, who is currently staff counsel at GEICO, says that a recent VHFCNBA seminar featured workshops on everything from taking expert depositions to the high number of Black youths in the juvenile justice system.

Davis speaks enthusiastically about VHFCNBA’s mission of giving back to the community and providing access to justice. He praises the organization’s fellowship program, which provided a thousand pro bono clinic hours in the past fiscal year.

“Our forerunners who formed the organization in the 50s, that’s what they were concerned about and that’s what we continue to be concerned about,” Davis said. “How do we make sure that everyone has the ability to go to court and have legal representation by getting competent counsel?”

Stetson Law Encouraged Community Involvement

It’s no surprise that Stetson Law is so well-represented in the leadership of bar and community service organizations like the VHFCNBA.

“Stetson has this aura about it that always wanted to pull you in to get you involved,” Ogé said. “Every single area of law, they had an organization for you to join and learn more about.”

As students, the current VHFCNBA board members were active members of the Stetson Law community. Ogé says she met Obi through the Stetson Law Chapter of the Black Law Students Association (“BLSA”), which frequently worked with local VHFCNBA affiliates. Davis also credits his longstanding affiliation with VHFCNBA to the presence of an affiliate chapter on Stetson’s campus.

While she was in law school, Perry, the executive director and general counsel of the Florida State Attorney’s Office, served as a tutor, on moot court, and as President of BLSA. She agrees that Stetson Law students have many opportunities to be involved in the community, which can be particularly important to minority students. She first became involved in VHFCNBA because her father, former Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry, brought her to meetings, and today she is working with the organization to continue connecting older and younger generations of lawyers.

Davis, now a partner with Kuehne Davis Law, served as president of the Student Bar Association when he was in law school. He continues to serve the Stetson Law community today as a member of the Stetson University Board of Trustees.

“It’s always about paying it forward,” he said. “You can support the institution that supported you.”

Dispute Resolution Board Sweeps Moot Event in Miami

Left to right: Student coach Joseph Kim, Pedro Jimenez Lopez, Taylor Simonds, Jessica Zelitt, Sierra DeMartino.

For the fifth year in a row, Stetson Law’s Dispute Resolution Board won the Florida Bar International Law Section’s Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot in Miami over the weekend of Feb. 18.

The team did so well, you could even call it a sweep. They took first place overall and team member Taylor Simonds won the award for Best Oralist. In the 17 years the Florida Bar International Law Section has sponsored this competition, Stetson Law has won the competition 13 times; the school has won Best Oralist eight times.

The team, from left to right: Jessica Zelitt, Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Taylor Simonds, Sierra DeMartino, Professor Joe Morrissey, Pedro Jimenez Lopez, Ben Lazarus, Student Coach Joseph Kim and Mario Makram

Though the event had “Florida” in its name, it’s really an international event, with teams from Hong Kong, Brazil, India, Germany, China, Canada competing with teams from throughout the United States.

The team consisted of student coach Joseph Kim and team members Pedro Jimenez Lopez, Sierra DeMartino, Mario Makram, Ben Lazarus, Jessica Zelitt, and Taylor Simonds. All team members were competing for Stetson Law for the first time, which makes their victory all the more remarkable.

Stephanie Vaughan is Stetson's new associate dean for student engagement. — Professor Stephanie Vaughan

Coach Matt Ceriale, along with Professors Stephanie Vaughan, and Joe Morrissey, spent many hours coaching and mentoring these students, offering feedback, guiding them through the memorandum-writing process, and preparing them for the competition.

“Given the countless hours these students dedicated to learning and practicing, it’s no wonder they were so successful,” Vaughan said. “I’m very excited for and proud of them and look forward to even more victories in the future.”

The event will help get the team ready for the 29th annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and the 19th Vis East Moot, which are both major competitions in which Stetson Law students will face off against hundreds of teams from around the globe. While they normally take place in Vienna and Hong Kong respectively, the teams will be competing virtually.

“These competitions are enormous events on the world stage,” said Professor Kristen Adams, director of the Dispute Resolution Board. “We look forward to cheering the team on for ‘the big show’ in a few short weeks.”

Distinguished attorney David W. Rivkin speaks on the role of lawyering skills in pro bono cases

Attorney David A. Rifkin speaks virtually to a Stetson Law class on human trafficking law. — Attorney David Rivkin addresses Professor Nagle’s human trafficking law course

Large law firms value critical practice skills when it comes to the significant pro bono legal assistance programs that aim to help find justice and restitution for victims of horrific crimes.

On Tuesday, February 15, Attorney David W. Rivkin spoke to students in Professor Luz Nagle‘s skills-based Human Trafficking class about the importance of what they’re learning. Such skills include interpreting and understanding domestic and international law, knowing the scope of the problem of human trafficking and the elements that constitute human trafficking crimes, assessing trafficking cases, and learning about the process of adjudication. Mr. Rivkin, a litigation partner in Debevoise and Plimpton’s New York and London offices, spoke on the need for law students to train to be advocates for those who cannot afford legal counsel and that such training is a highly desirable asset to carry into the job market following graduation.

Luz E. Nagle — Stetson Law Professor Luz Nagle

“The students enjoyed the chance to meet a distinguished practitioner with vast international legal experience,” Nagle said of the experience. “Mr. Rivkin’s remarks about the value law firms place on pro bono service gave us all a needed lift, and helped the students appreciate that the practical and analytical skills they are learning in this class will help them greatly in the future.”

Mr. Rivkin is widely recognized as one of the top international dispute resolution practitioners in the United States and globally. He is also a distinguished and passionate human rights advocate and was a principal author of the United Nations UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

In addition to a decades-long distinguished career with Debevoise, Mr. Rivkin is a Past President of the International Bar Association and has held several leadership roles in the IBA and other learned law societies. He has served in an advisory capacity on arbitration and economic policy in the United States and abroad. Mr. Rivkin received his B.A. magna cum laude and his J.D. from Yale University.

Professor Nagle has been teaching about human trafficking to Stetson law students since the early 2000s and has been recognized as one of the first law professors to teach a course on human trafficking in the United States. Her curriculum has been used by Johns Hopkins University as a model for undergraduate and law school courses nationwide.

Florida Law Schools’ Consortium on Racial Justice to Address Myths About Critical Race Theory

The 11 law schools that make up the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium on Racial Justice will hold the consortium’s first event of the year on February 16 to discuss an often-misunderstood topic, critical race theory. This is the second statewide forum since its formation in 2020.

The consortium, which includes all of Florida’s law schools, aims to combat systemic racism through fostering anti-racism in legal education. In 2020, Stetson Law Dean Michèle Alexandre collaborated with the other Florida Law Deans to launch the Consortium’s foundation. Today, the consortium is institutionalized in each Florida law school and is led in collaboration with Professor Judy Scully and Attorney Joann Grages Burnett.

“The work of the FLSCRJ is important because we are focused on the moral responsibility of the legal profession to breathe life into the phrase that is inscribed on the entrance to the United States Supreme Court building – ‘equal justice under law,’” Scully said.

The February 16 forum, titled “Critical Race Theory: Myths and Misrepresentations,” will explore critical race theory as well as correct misconceptions about this historic legal approach. Recently, the term has been usurped and misrepresented in a manner that stokes fear and division. The mischaracterization of CRT has even led to legislation at the state and local level, including in Florida, “banning” it from being taught in public schools – despite the fact that its use has not traditionally extended to K-12 education.

Emory University Law Professor Darren Hutchinson

Consortium leadership hopes to shed light on critical race theory and inspire everyone to learn more about the correct application of this transformative school of thought.

“As educators, we prioritize creating space for deep learning and critical evaluation of assumptions. Part of justice work is to correct misinformation, especially when such misinformation causes harm,” said Alexandre, who will be a panelist at the forum. “I am elated that the Florida Consortium can contribute to this important work and encourage everyone to engage with the esteemed panelists who will take part in the discussion.”

Panelists for the discussion include Dean Michèle Alexandre, Emory University Law Professor Darren Hutchinson, and Amy Donofrio, an educator and Executive Director of the EVAC Movement, a Jacksonville-based organization that aims to transform the lives of youth often considered “at-risk.” The talk will be moderated by Ray Benson and Cassidy Mauth, the FLSCRJ fellows at Florida A&M University College of Law, the institution that is serving as the event’s host.

“Our mission is to serve as a beacon of hope and catalyst for change by providing access to excellent educational training, and this panel offers such an opportunity,” said Deidré Keller, Dean and Professor of Law at Florida A&M University (FAMU) College of Law. “We’re proud to host this forum and elated to have two of our talented law students moderate the discussion.”

Participants say conversations like this are vital, given how a distorted version of CRT is now capitalized to influence voters ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

“The recent attacks on Critical Race Theory are part of an organized countermovement to racial justice,” Hutchinson said. “Anti-CRT legislation and restrictions on political activism and voting are designed to impede the attainment of a more just society.”

Educating the public on what critical race theory is – and is not – can help foster more productive conversations about systemic racism and how it affects our legal system, including how we educate lawyers.

Dean Michèle Alexandre

“It is our duty as legal educators and sculptors of the legal profession to ensure that this next generation of lawyers takes this responsibility seriously,” Scully said. “We view this mission not just as a law school effort but as a community-wide effort. And, since the anti-CRT movement has been so vocal in Florida’s legislature, it is a timely topic for all 11 Florida law schools to examine thoroughly.”

The Florida Law Schools Consortium on Racial Justice first convened in the summer of 2020.

The 11 Florida law school deans are:

John Czarnetzky, Chief Executive Officer & Dean, Ave Maria School of Law
Leticia M. Diaz, Dean & Professor, Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
Deidre A. Keller, Dean, Florida A&M University College of Law
Antony Page, Dean & FIU Foundation Professor, Florida International University College of Law
Erin O’Hara O’Connor, Dean & McKenzie Professor, Florida State U. College of Law
Dean Jose Roberto Juarez, Jr. Dean & Professor, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law
Tamara F. Lawson, Dean & Professor, St. Thomas University School of Law
Michèle Alexandre, Dean & Professor, Stetson University College of Law
Laura Ann Rosenbury, Dean & Levin, Mabie & Levin Professor, University of Florida Levin College of Law
Nell Jessup Newton, Interim Dean & Visiting Professor, University of Miami School of Law
James McGrath, President & Dean, WMU – Cooley Law School Tampa Bay Campus

The discussion takes place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Sign up for this virtual event.

Racial Justice Student Fellows Explore the “New Normal” of Post-2020 Life

The virtual panel that participated in SPHERE’s New Normal discussion

Just like the pandemic, the struggle for racial justice hasn’t ended – but it’s evolved in ways nobody expected. Information – and misinformation, much of it harmful and divisive – spreads rapidly as many communities are struggling.

A panel of Racial Justice Student Fellows from Pinellas County higher-learning institutions including Stetson Law examined how to promote racial healing and a greater sense of unity in a virtual talk called “Truth Talk: Creating a New Normal.” The event was part of an ongoing series of conversations organized by St. Pete/Pinellas Higher Education for Race Equity (SPHERE), a consortium formed in 2020.

Panelists sought to uncover new ways to foster a culture on campus that acknowledges the struggles and inequities that have challenged Black students well before Covid-19 and the 2020 uprisings.

“We think this conversation is important,” said DeWayne Anderson, assistant program director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs at University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus. “We think racial healing is important.”

The Ripple Effects of 2020

Stetson Law student and SPHERE fellow Blake Radford moderated the panel. He kicked it off by asking the panelists to reflect on the year 2020, and whether racial injustice intensified.

“I do think that it was kind of revealed and it grew to a fever pitch,” said Stetson Law student Megan Holmes, the other SPHERE fellow from Stetson Law. “Everyone had to pay attention because there was nothing else to do. Because they were at home and their attention was available.”

From that grew conversations about inequities in everyday life, and questions about whether society is truly inclusive. Panelist Na’Keidra Perez, a SPHERE fellow who left the corporate world to attend St. Petersburg College, said it can go as far as one’s identity in professional settings.

“I still can’t go by Na’Keidra at work,” she said, adding that she’s had to go by “Nikki” in corporate settings. “Let alone share my pronouns, I can’t even share my name.”

Healing Through Difficult Conversations

Part of racial healing, she said, is to have open conversations about why the dominant culture isn’t inclusive despite the diversity that constitutes it – and be open to putting in the hard work to change it, regardless of your racial identity.

“Learn how to become an imperfect ally. You may not look like me, but you have a problem that I can help with,” she said. “To me, racial healing is a painful process at which we are [to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.] continually moving toward the promised land.”

SPHERE is a collaborative undertaking comprising Eckerd College, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg College, Stetson University College of Law, and USF St. Petersburg. The consortium originated in 2020 as a means of confronting inequalities that exist in Pinellas County. These higher-education institutions serve more than 40,000 students, collectively.

Each year, the consortium selects two fellows from each campus to participate in frequent conversations activities that give them an active role in shaping policies that support systemic change and racial healing. The 2021-2022 Racial Justice Student Fellows were the inaugural students to participate in the program.

Learn more about the St. Pete/Pinellas Higher Education for Racial Equality consortium student fellowship program. If you are interested in becoming a SPHERE racial justice fellow in the 2022-23 academic year, please contact Professor Judith Scully.

Inaugural Business Law Symposium to Focus on White Collar Crime

From a lawyer who famously represents top rappers to a high-profile fraud case involving Silicon Valley, Stetson Law’s inaugural Business Law Review Symposium will be a day of compelling discussion. Taking place virtually Feb. 25, this year’s event is called “White Collar Crime: A Look into the Past, Present, and Future.”

The event will be a vibrant mix of academics and practitioners, providing a rare opportunity for practicing lawyers, scholars, and students to examine all aspects of law relating to white collar crime, from ethical questions to real-world examples.

“We are excited about the upcoming inaugural symposium of Stetson University College of Law’s Business Law Journal on an important topic in the news, white collar crime,” said Law Professor Ellen Podgor, Stetson’s Gary R. Trombley White Collar Crime Research Professor. “The Symposium provides a mix of presentations on topics for academics, students, and practitioners, in this key area of the law.”

Ellen S. Podgor close-up image — Law Professor Ellen Podgor

Why White Collar Crime?

The term “white collar crime” is said to have been coined by sociologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines it as “characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust” rather than violence or the threat of physical harm. It’s typically financially motivated – so while a victim might not suffer physical injury or death, they can experience financial ruin by no fault of their own.

“From insider trading to outright fraud, white collar crime costs investors and the markets billions of dollars, yet it is too seldom effectively prosecuted,” said Stetson Law Professor Joe Morrissey, the Business Law Review‘s faculty advisor.

He said one topic that’ll be up for discussion is a recent high-profile example of white collar crime: Elizabeth Holmes and the company she founded on false promises, Theranos. Although Theranos was dissolved in 2018, the Silicon Valley-based startup was once valued at $10 billion.

A Day of Fascinating Discussion

Morrissey will moderate a morning academic panel called “Investigation & Insider Trading.” A second academic panel, “Prosecution & Punishment for Corporate Officers,” will be moderated by visiting Professor Karen Woody.

The afternoon has two practitioner panels that will explore two key aspects of the white collar practice. The first will be a panel on discovery issues that considers recent congressional legislation, the Due Process Protection Act, and issues criminal defense lawyers face with white collar cases.

Unlike street crime, white collar crime investigations are typically document-driven and evidence is largely found in computers or corporate materials. Sifting through and organizing voluminous records can make discovery particularly challenging.

The second panel will examine ethical issues associated with white collar practice. The panel will offer their perspectives on some of the unique ethical landmines presented when representing a client in a corporate setting.

Attorney Marissa Goldberg close-up — Lawyer Marissa Goldberg

High-Profile Defense Attorneys to Speak

The day ends with a spirited conversation with practitioners Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, who will discuss the pre-trial issues that arise in handling a white collar case.

Findling is a high-profile Atlanta-based lawyer known for representing the likes of rappers Gucci Mane and Cardi B. A past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, his practice, Findling Law Firm, P.C. focuses on state and federal criminal defense.

A partner at Findling Law, Goldberg has successfully represented clients in a range of high-profile and political cases, including a recent case involving Atlanta City Hall.

Organizers say they hope the event will raise interest in the legal dynamics of white-collar crime among the Stetson Law community.

“We hope that the information presented by our distinguished authors and panelists will provide opportunities for growth and inspiration,” said student Omar M. Hussein, editor of Stetson’s Business Law Journal.

See full schedule, speaker bios and more at the Stetson Business Law Review Symposium page.

Register here.