News Archives - Page 26 of 138

International Environmental Moot Court Competition marks 25th year

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition (IEMCC). The global, multi-part contest gives students around the world an opportunity to learn more about and advocate for environmental issues impacting the planet.

Planet earth with translucent water of the oceans, atmosphere, volumetric clouds, and detailed topography in outer space

Teams compete in national and regional rounds throughout the world, and the top teams are invited to participate in the International Finals. This year initial rounds were hosted in Brazil, Colombia, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. The Finals are traditionally held on Stetson Law’s campus in Gulfport, Fla., but were moved online in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 25thcompetition also is being held virtually March 25-27, 2021.

Eighteen teams from 11 jurisdictions (Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan, United States of America) are expected to compete. Students will prepare and present arguments on this year’s theme: Protection of Bats and International Trade Measures.

“While we had hoped to celebrate our 25th anniversary in person, we are thrilled that we can still bring together law students from all over the world to participate in our signature event,” said Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy. “We are inspired by their dedication and resiliency during these challenging times.”

Another traditional feature during the finals is a Foreman Biodiversity Lecture, part of a series of talks on environmental topics given by experts from around the world throughout the academic year. The lecture, which precedes the competition kickoff on March 25, features Dr. Rodrigo A. Medellín, “The Bat Man of Mexico.” His topic is “Bats and Emerging Infection Diseases: Myths, Realities, and Hope in Pandemic Times.” The lecture is at noon Eastern Daylight Time and is free and open to the public; register in advance here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5116322686497095947.

Below find the schedule for this week’s rounds. The final round and awards ceremony will be live and open to the public. Be sure to follow the IEMCC Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StetsonIEMCC) page for updates, links and details!

2021 Final Round Competition Schedule

(All times are Eastern Daylight Time)

Thursday, March 25

Check-in/orientation 11:00–11:45 a.m.
Foreman Biodiversity Lecture 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Preliminary Round 1 – Heat A 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Preliminary Round 1 – Heat B 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Preliminary Round 2 – Heat A 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Preliminary Round 2 – Heat B 7:30–9:00 p.m.

Friday, March 26

Preliminary Round 3 – Heat A 9:00–10:30 a.m.
Preliminary Round 3 – Heat B 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Preliminary Round 4 – Heat A 2:00–3:30 p.m.
Preliminary Round 4 – Heat B 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Networking Session for Teams 5:00–6:00 p.m.
Announcement of Teams Advancing to Quarterfinals 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 27

Quarterfinals 9:00–10:30 a.m.
Announcement of Teams Advancing to Semifinals 11:00 a.m.
Semifinals 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Announcement of Teams Advancing to Championship 1:30 p.m.
Championship Round 2:00–3:30 p.m. (open to the public and all teams)
Awards Ceremony 3:30 p.m. (open to the public and all teams; should be done by 4:30 or 5:00 at the latest)

Previous IEMCC Winners

Chart showing previous 24 IEMCC winners.

South African human rights lawyer to deliver May commencement address

GULFPORT, Fla. (March 23, 2021) – Prominent South African judge and human rights lawyer, Edwin Cameron, will deliver Stetson Law’s commencement address on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

In addition to speaking, Cameron will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Though the commencement ceremonies will be held in person on the campus, Cameron will appear via prerecorded video from Johannesburg, South Africa. Other featured speakers will include Stetson University President Dr. Christopher F. Roellke and Stetson University College of Law Dean Michèle Alexandre.

Stetson Law will celebrate four separate commencement ceremonies that day in the Plaza Mayor Courtyard on the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S. They will be held at 8 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:15 p.m. The graduates have been divided among four outdoor ceremonies throughout the day to allow for physical distancing and other safety protocols. Students are limited to two guests. The ceremonies will be webcast live so additional family and friends can participate. Other precautions include a face mask requirement for all attendees and wellness screenings prior to entering campus.

Other honored speakers have pre-recorded messages that will be available to view on the Graduation website that day.

About Edwin Cameron

Edwin Cameron is a prominent South African judge and human rights lawyer who has fought for social justice issues, particularly for LGBTI equality and to destroy the stigma and unjust discrimination for those living with HIV/AIDs. His recent work addresses the “moral catastrophe” of mass incarceration that disproportionately affects Blacks and other minorities.

Cameron was first appointed to the bench by President Nelson Mandela in 1994. He was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal for eight years and of the High Court for six, before serving as a Justice of the Constitutional Court, South Africa’s highest court, from 2009 to 2019. He currently is Chancellor of Stellenbosch University and Inspecting Judge of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services.

Before serving on the bench, during his decades as a human rights lawyer he co-drafted the Charter of Rights on AIDS and HIV, co-founded the AIDS Consortium, founded the AIDS Law Project, and fought for the historic inclusion of sexual orientation in the South African Constitution. He wrote a prize-winning memoir, Witness to AIDS, about his own experience of surviving AIDS. His second book, Justice: A Personal Account, was published in 2014. Cameron was the first, and remains the only, senior official in Africa to state publicly that he is living with HIV/AIDS, for which Mandela once referred to him as “one of South Africa’s new heroes.”

He has received numerous honors for his legal and human rights work, including a special award by the Bar of England and Wales in 2002 for his “contribution to international jurisprudence and the protection of human rights.” He is an honorary fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies, London, and of Keble College, Oxford, as well as an honorary bencher of the Middle Temple, London. He holds honorary doctorates in law from King’s College London, the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Oxford University, the University of St. Andrews, Stellenbosch University, and Sussex.

Amendment 4 Fellows tackle voting rights, other issues through new program

Four Stetson Law students have spent the last year dedicating their time and talent to an essential new program in Pinellas County aimed at helping returning citizens rebuild their lives.

Stetson University College of Law and Community Law Program (CLP) received a $33,500 grant from the American Bar Endowment (ABE) in summer 2020 to create clinics to help returning citizens previously convicted of felonies get their voting rights restored.

In 2018, 65 percent of Floridians voted in favor of Amendment 4 to revise the Florida Constitution to restore voting rights to 1.4 million citizens previously convicted of felonies (commonly referred to as “returning citizens”). Months later, the Florida Legislature passed a subsequent bill requiring all financial obligations of returning citizens’ sentences be paid before they could vote. This meant only those returning citizens with enough money to pay financial obligations such as court fees, fines, and restitution in full would be eligible to vote. The requirement eliminated access to justice and civic engagement for hundreds of thousands of low-income and indigent citizens.

To combat the inequality, CLP, through the grant and with the help of students and faculty at Stetson University College of Law, started a series of Restoration of Voting Rights Remote Clinics serving Pinellas County, Fla. CLP staff recruited, trained and supported volunteer attorneys who hosted virtual clinics twice a month to review legal options with returning citizens interested in restoring their voting rights.

Stetson Law selected four student fellows to support CLP’s efforts through assisting with intake, research, and outreach. The law students also helped in recruiting, organizing and training other law student volunteers and community partners. This year’s fellows were Jasmine Mattear, Gabi D’Esposito, Steven Nicholas, and Alessandra M. Jensen.

Their efforts have now become known as the Amendment 4 Program and include ongoing legal services for issues including voting rights, driver’s license restoration, and sealing and/or expunction of criminal records. Stetson students have filmed a series of videos to education the public about the various services (see below). As part of the project, Stetson fellows worked with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to assist 485 returning citizens, 148 of whom were then registered to vote before October 2020.

Each of the students brings his or her unique perspective to the Fellow role. D’Esposito, a 2L from Long Island, saw firsthand how those who cannot afford legal representation can receive harsh and unfair sentences for crimes when a relative was imprisoned for five years. She aims to be a public defender after graduation but said the Amendment 4 Program has given her a chance to help people now.

“It’s been great having in individual impact,” she said.

For Nicholas, a 3L from Bradenton, the Amendment 4 Program is an “anger project.” Trained lawyers volunteering on cases spend full days just trying to determine exactly what people were charged with, and what they owe in fines and fees. If educated and experienced attorneys struggle to track down the information and navigate governmental red tape, how could the average returning citizen be expected to do so without qualified help? That’s why the program is so important.

“I’ve learned how difficult the system makes it to work within its own rules,” he said.

Mattear, a 3L from Tallahassee, agreed that her biggest lesson from her year as a Fellow was the sheer amount of time and work involved in helping clients navigate the legal system. Not all court processes are straightforward, and they vary by jurisdiction. But something as seemingly simple as having a criminal record sealed or expunged can have a huge impact on a person – it could be the key to passing a background check and securing a job.

That keeps Mattear motivated, as does the hope of restoring voting rights for returning citizens.

“Voting is so important as an American citizen,” she said. “Everyone should have a say.”

The Amendment 4 clinic is open to qualifying Pinellas County residents; sessions are held online the first and third Thursday of every month from 5-7 p.m. For additional information, or to receive assistance through this project, contact call Community Law Program at (727)-582-7480 or email [email protected].

Fellow Talk Friday Series

Stetson Law to offer new civic education program for local underrepresented teens

GULFPORT, Fla. (March 5, 2021) – Stetson University College of Law, in partnership with Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, is excited to announce a new summer program aimed at training underrepresented teenagers to advocate for themselves and others.

The weeklong summer course is designed for Pinellas County teenagers, between the ages of 15-17, considered underrepresented because of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic status, or school performance.

Dean Michèle Alexandre — Michèle Alexandre

“Youth civic engagement training is crucial at this time. Offering a program like this is one of the most valuable contributions philanthropic organizations and educational institutions such as Healthy St. Pete and Stetson Law can provide to the community,” said Stetson Law Dean Michèle Alexandre. “Stetson Law has longstanding expertise in teaching students to think critically and advocate for vulnerable groups. We believe that these types of programs can create a positive ripple effect for the participants, their families, schools and communities.”

Stetson Law officials recognized that, during the last 20 years, civics education and social action programming have decreased nationally. Students have little, if any, opportunity at the high school level to access the knowledge and tools they need to be advocates.

“There is a latent power in youth that is often overlooked. Racism takes a tremendous toll on our society and youth now see that in pronounced ways,” said Randy Russell, Chief Executive Officer at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. “By pursuing deeper understanding of their personal identities and their role in a society, it becomes easier to envision how to become change makers striving for race equity in the community and beyond.”

The summer session will be five full days during Summer 2021 and will serve as a pilot program for what officials plan to be a four-year effort. The curriculum will include two civics classes, two civil rights classes, and various engagement opportunities with community leaders and advocates.

Interested students must complete a short application, and all applicants will be reviewed and selected by a committee. In addition to Dean Alexandre, Professors Judith Scully and Christine Cerniglia will lead the program. For more information about the program or how to apply, please email Carmen Johnson at [email protected].

About Stetson University College of Law

Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, has prepared lawyers and leaders since 1900. Today, Stetson leads the nation in blending legal doctrine with practical training, evidenced by its top-ranked programs in advocacy and legal writing. Through its academically rigorous curriculum and commitment to social responsibility, Stetson produces lawyers who are ethical advocates ready to succeed in the legal profession.

About Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg is a private foundation serving the residents of South Pinellas County. Its goal is to improve population health by advancing racial and health equity by working at the county level with countywide systems, such as the school district, health department, and transportation system. The Foundation also works with more than 100 nonprofits and has invested over $21 million in the community over the last three years.

Diversity Week 2021 packed with informative, thought-provoking programming

Stetson Law’s Student Bar Association will host Diversity Week 2021 from March 1-5 featuring daily programming aimed at driving contemplation and conversations about diversity at the college and beyond.

SBA Diversity Week is also supported by the campus-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Social Justice Advocacy concentration, and Stetson Law’s representatives of the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium on Racial Justice. All events are open to students, faculty and staff.

This year’s theme is “Representation & Racial Justice.” In addition to the virtual programs and inspired by the ABA’s 21-day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge, SBA invites the Stetson Law Community to join in a “Representation and Racial Justice Challenge.” Each event has corresponding selected readings, podcasts, and TED Talks to further participants’ understanding and knowledge on issues related to representation and racial justice. The readings are also intended to provide a framework for the discussion in the related virtual programs.

How do I participate in the Challenge?
Complete the curated materials listed by event, by Friday, March 5. There is no “test” or turning in of an assignment, but rather this is a personal challenge intended to expose you to new ideas and perspectives. The below selections were made by the student organizations representatives for Diversity Week and support the organization’s associated event or program.

Schedule at a Glance

(Please see Campus Docket or Engage for participation links.)

Monday March 1

12 p.m.: Color of the Law: Conversation on the History of Residential Segregation Hosted by the Black Law Student Association and the Social Justice Advocacy Concentration Challenge Video: The Segregation Myth: Richard Rothstein Debunks an American Lie | NowThis

6:00 p.m: How to be a Better Ally
Hosted by the Jewish Law Student Association and Stetson Law Democrats
Challenge Article: 9 phrases that allies can use instead of getting defensive

Tuesday, March 2

11:45 a.m.: Discussion with Nathan Bruemmer
Hosted by Lambda Legal Society

5:30 p.m.: Behind the Mask: An Inside Look at Health Inequity
Hosted by the Health Law Advocates and Black Law Student Association
Challenge Article: Racial Health Care Disparities already existed in America— the coronavirus just exacerbated them

Wednesday, March 3

12:30 p.m.: Poetry in the Law: A Disability Perspective Hosted by the Stetson Law School Disability Allied Law Students Association
Challenge: Read: Poetry in the Law – A Disability Perspctive.docx

6:00 p.m.: The Intersection of Systemic Racism & Black Women’s Health
Hosted by Florida Association of Women Lawyers at Stetson and American Civil Liberties Union
Challenge TED Talk: The trauma of systematic racism is killing Black women,” T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison, TED2017

Thursday, March 4

6:00 p.m.: HBA’s First Gen Survival Guide
Hosted by the Hispanic Bar Association
Challenge Article: “Addressing Barriers Confronting First-Generation College Students From Hispanic Families,” UCLA Department of Psychology

Stetson Law honors Desmond Meade with public service award

Desmond Meade, bottom row, received the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Public Service Award during the annual Inns of Court ceremony held virtually on Feb. 22, 2021. Pictured, top row from left, keynote speaker Justice Edwin Cameron and Dean Michèle Alexandre.

Desmond Meade received the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Public Service Award during the annual Inns of Court event held virtually on Feb. 22, 2021.

The prestigious Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Public Service Award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding contributions to public service, the justice system, and the community.

During his acceptance speech, Meade shared how in 2005 he was a convicted felon, homeless, and addicted to drugs. He was tired of struggling and contemplated taking his own life. Instead, he found the strength to seek help and began rebuilding his life. By 2014, he had earned a law degree from Florida International University College of Law.

Meade became the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) and chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy. He led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative that restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century.

The overarching philosophy that drives Meade’s work and life is to always strive to find something within himself to give back for the betterment of others. People who appear to have nothing in life but who are joyful are so because they share what they have with others, he said.

“If we empower the weakest in our community, we empower the community as a whole,” Meade said during his acceptance speech.

And in that, Meade truly embodies the spirit of his award’s namesake – William Reece Smith, Jr., a legendary Florida lawyer who dedicated more than 60 years working to increase the legal services available to people who could not afford them.

“I honor you for your work in every way,” Justice Edwin Cameron told Meade during the event, adding that he found every part of Meade’s presence at the ceremony – from his survival, return to citizenship, and work accomplished – deeply moving.

Cameron was the keynote speaker who delivered The William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished lecture in Ethics. A South African judge and human rights lawyer, his speech addressed the “moral catastrophe” of mass incarceration, calling it a “deadly epidemic” that leads to reduced life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and higher rates of severe illness in the affected population, which is disproportionately composed of Blacks and other minorities.

He examined the issue from both South Africa’s history with apartheid and America’s history with slavery. Both democracies face threats to the rule of law, and the deep scars of racial injustice still reverberate. While the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, South Africa is not far behind at the 12^th highest rate. Both countries have responded to rising crime rates with misguided efforts for law and order, including the “war on drugs” rallying cry, to impose long and harsh sentences.

Using the blunt instrument of law and punishment to address what, in many cases, are public health issues, is what Cameron meant by “misguided efforts.” He said that prison reform is a hopeless concept without also making a profound commitment to social reform.

“Why do we turn our gaze from the horrors of prisons?”

Cameron gave four reasons:

Hannibal Lecter syndrome – The notion that some people are truly dangerous and should be imprisoned.
Genuine fear of crime and damage to what is precious to us – For example, South Africa has one of the highest violent crime rates, and citizens are truly afraid.
Genuinely perplexed about crime – There is no consensus on the main motivators behind it, therefor making the root causes difficult to definitively identify and address.
If society’s institutions of governance fail to address crime in some fashion, citizens will resort to retribution themselves – In South Africa, he said, vigilante/mob justice murders are an issue.

We must be careful of social conundrums we don’t fully understand, Cameron said, but mass incarceration is not the answer. Prison abolition demands better, more practical answers to bigger issues such as livable wages, clean water, affordable housing, mental illness, and health care, he said.

About Inns of Court

The Inns of Court is a tradition used to train barristers in London that focuses on maintaining close mentoring relationships between lawyers-to-be and eminent scholars, lawyers, and judges. Local dignitaries, federal, circuit and county judges, Tampa Bay lawyers, area Inns of Court members and Stetson students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the virtual event.

Stetson Law proud to maintain Military Friendly® School designation

GULFPORT, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation with an additional Bronze ranking.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic-based scoring assessment. Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans, are measured.

“Stetson Law honors all of those who have served in our nation’s military and is proud to have more than 30 U.S. military veteran alumni from all branches of the service,” said Dean Michèle Alexandre. “Our school aims to be a place where veterans feel welcome and comfortable pursing their educational goals, while also employing our skills and knowledge to help the veterans in our community with their legal needs.”

Stetson Law participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program to help offset the cost of attending law school to an unlimited number of veterans or eligible dependents. Each veteran or eligible dependent receives up to $5,000 per academic year from Stetson Law, over and above any Post-9/11 GI Bill® for Private Schools benefits.

Since its dedication in 2012, Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, under the leadership of military veteran and attorney Stacey-Rae Simcox, has helped to increase legal services to military members, veterans and their families through its Veterans Advocacy Clinic and pro bono service initiatives. The clinic provides assistance to Tampa Bay area veterans who need legal help appealing decisions denying Veterans Administration disability benefits.

The College has also partnered, since 2017, with the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center, Bay Area Legal Services, and Gulfcoast Legal Services to form a medical-legal partnership (MLP). The MLP provides pro bono legal representation and consultation to veterans who receive care at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and may not otherwise be able to afford legal representation on civil law issues.

Stetson is located near MacDill Air Force Base, the headquarters of U.S. Central Command and one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest command stations, and the Tampa Bay region of Florida has one of the largest concentrations of veterans in the U.S. To learn more about resources for student veterans and members of the military at Stetson University College of Law, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/admissions/veterans/index.php.

South African judge and human rights lawyer to speak at Stetson Law

President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to be honored with award

Edwin Cameron and Desmond Meade will be featured in the annual Inns of Court event. — Edwin Cameron (left) and Desmond Meade will speak at the annual Inns of Court event.

For Immediate Release

GULFPORT, Fla. – Stetson University College of Law will host prominent South African judge and human rights lawyer, Edwin Cameron, for The William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Ethics as part of the annual Inns of Court event, which will be held virtually on Monday, Feb. 22.

Also during the event, Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), will receive the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Public Service Award.

“We are thrilled to welcome two outstanding leaders in human rights to the Stetson Law community. We look forward to hearing more from them on the issues surrounding mass incarceration and the specific social justice challenges impacting South Africa and the United States,” said Dean Michèle Alexandre. “It promises to be a wonderful and illuminating afternoon.”

About Cameron

Cameron retired in August 2019 after 25 years’ service as a judge, the last 11 in South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court. Before that, he served in the Supreme Court of Appeal for eight years, and the High Court for six.

A human rights lawyer before his decades on the bench, Cameron fought for LGBTI equality, including the historic inclusion of sexual orientation in the South African Constitution. As someone living with HIV, he was a fierce critic of President Thabo Mbeki’s AIDS denialist policies. He was also the first senior official in Africa to state publicly that he is living with HIV/AIDS, for which Nelson Mandela once referred to him as “one of South Africa’s new heroes.”

Cameron received numerous honors for his legal and human rights work, including a special award by the Bar of England and Wales in 2002 for his “contribution to international jurisprudence and the protection of human rights.” He has written two prize-winning memoirs, Witness to AIDS (2005) and Justice: A Personal Account (2014).

He currently serves as Chancellor of Stellenbosch University and was appointed Judicial Inspector of Correctional Services.

About Meade

Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, and a graduate of Florida International University College of Law.

He led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative that restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century.

In 2019, Meade was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and was named Floridian and Central Floridian of the Year.

About Inns of Court and William Reece Smith Jr.

The Inns of Court is a tradition used to train barristers in London that focuses on maintaining close mentoring relationships between lawyers-to-be and eminent scholars, lawyers and judges. Local dignitaries, federal, circuit and county judges, Tampa Bay lawyers, area Inns of Court members and Stetson students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the virtual event.

Highlights of the event include The William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Ethics, a series that was created from an endowment to bring renowned lecturers in litigation ethics to Stetson and to pay tribute to William Reece Smith Jr., as well as the Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Public Service Award to recognize individuals who have provided outstanding contributions to public service, the justice system, and the community.

Smith was a legendary Florida lawyer who dedicated more than 60 years to the legal profession, working to increase the legal services available to people who could not afford them. He was a member of the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame, joined the Stetson Law faculty in 1954, and was named a distinguished professorial lecturer in 1991.

NOTE: Members of the media interested in attending the event should contact the Communications Office via the information below.

Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers recognizes revered alumni

On Feb. 13, 2021, the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers unanimously passed resolutions to honor the service of Sammy Cacciatore, Rhea Law, Bernie McCabe and Bonnie Forman – all esteemed alumni with a legacy of helping elevate their alma mater and the legal field. The resolutions recognize their years of selfless devotion to both the College and the advancement of legal education.

Sammy Cacciatore

Sammy Cacciatore is a Double Hatter, earning a bachelor’s degree from Stetson University and his Juris Doctor in 1966. He began his career as an Assistant Public Defender and in 1967 joined the Law Office of James Nance, which would later be known as Nance & Cacciatore, where he continues to practice personal injury litigation.

In Jones v. Hoffman, Cacciatore pioneered efforts to establish comparative negligence as the standard in Florida. This ultimately resulted in the change to this standard throughout the country, transforming the way injured people are compensated.

He gives generously of his time and resources to many professional and nonprofit organizations, including: the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; Brevard County Bar Association; Vassar B. Carlton American Inn of Court; Florida Supreme Court’s Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases; Florida Justice Association; Florida Bar Board of Governors; Coastal Conservation Association; Several Judicial Nominating Commissions, Florida State Courts; Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church; Coastal Conservation Association; and the Back Country Fly Fishing Association.

Despite his many interests and obligations, Cacciatore has always maintained time for his alma mater, being appointed to the Board of Trustees of Stetson University in 2000 and serving as a member of the Board of Overseers since 1995.

Rhea Law

Law is a 1979 Stetson Law alumna who practiced in the areas of higher education, economic development, government, and land use law. During her career, she served as chief executive officer and chair of the board of Fowler White Boggs, PA and as chair of the Florida Offices of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC.

Her professional and nonprofit organizations are many and varied, including: the American Bar Association; American Bar Foundation; Enterprise Florida, Inc.; Leadership Council on Legal Diversity; Tampa Bay Technology Forum; Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; Leadership Tampa; Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research; Tampa Bay Defense Alliance; Tampa Bay Partnership; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida Multicultural Advisory Council; Health Professions Conferencing Corporation; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute National Board of Advisors; MacDill Air Force Base Support Council; Tampa Bay Metro; Tampa Bay Partnership; Tampa Electric; Peoples Gas Board of Directors; Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation; The Florida Council of 100; United States Law Firm Group; University of South Florida Board of Trustees; and University of South Florida Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation.

Law was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Stetson University in 2019 and has served two terms as a member of the Board of Overseers, beginning in 2007 and then again beginning in 2013.

Bernie McCabe

McCabe was a Double Hatter, earning his bachelor’s in 1969 and Juris Doctor in 1972. He began his career as the Assistant State Attorney in the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Florida and went on to serve as the Division Director, Executive Assistant State Attorney, and Chief Assistant State Attorney before being elected as State Attorney for Pinellas and Pasco counties in 1992. He was continually reelected to the position and worked until his passing in 2020.

McCabe dedicated his life and career to many professional and nonprofit organizations aimed at protecting the rights of others, including: the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association; National District Attorneys Association; Pinellas County Juvenile Welfare Board; Pinellas County Substance Abuse Advisory Board; Suncoast Family YMCA; Pasco and Pinellas Public Safety Coordinating Councils; Florida Violent Crime and Drug Control Council; Pinellas County Health and Human Services Coordinating Council; Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association; and Pinellas Police Standards Council.

He also was a steadfast presence at Stetson Law, being appointed to the Board of Overseers in 1994, supervising the Stetson Prosecution Clinic for 28 years, teaching young law students as an Adjunct Professor, serving as judge for various mock trial competitions at the law school, and hiring and mentoring many Stetson Law alumni.

Bonnie Forman

Foreman is a 1967 graduate of Stetson University who shared her love of learning by teaching elementary school in Pinellas County, Fla., for 34 years. Her late husband, Edward D. Foreman, was a 1967 graduate of Stetson University and a 1971 graduate of Stetson University College of Law. She established the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award in 2005 in his memory. The award is given each spring to the “best all-around student” who has demonstrated a passion for the legal profession and commitment to community service.

Foreman also established the Edward D. Foreman Scholarship and the Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series at Stetson Law. The lecture series features world renowned experts in the areas of environmental law and environmental science.

She has given generously of her time and resources and been associated with many nonprofit organizations, including: the SPCA Tampa Bay; Pace Center for Girls; Pinellas Education Foundation; and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Foreman was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of Stetson University and to the Board of Overseers of Stetson University College of Law in 2007.

Stetson Law brings home the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition trophy for the 25th time

Jan. 22, 2021 – The Stetson University College of Law Trial Team won the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition for the 25^th time in 38 years!

Team members Alicia Roddenberg, Samantha Simmons, Lauren Cleveland, and Tyler Hillier kept the winning streak alive after participating in the three-day competition, which was held virtually this year. Roddenberg was named Best Advocate.

“Our folks were fantastic,” exclaimed David A. Demers, JD ’72 and one of the team’s three coaches. “It is no exaggeration that as individuals and as a group, they are among the most special people we have had the opportunity to coach.”

Susan Demers and Donald Anderson III, JD ’98, also coached the teams. A second Stetson team of Magner Tiuso, Hillary Hazeltine, Bryan Lawlor, and Jasmine Mattear made it to the quarter final round of the competition.

The Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar annually conducts the prestigious Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition for mock trial teams from Florida’s accredited law schools. Each school is invited to send two teams to the competition, which is held over three days and culminates with the final round presided over by a distinguished Federal or State Court judge.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to @stetsonlaw on winning the first ever virtual Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition! @TheFlaBar pic.twitter.com/DUFzTmiYkU
— TrialLawSection (@triallawsection) January 22, 2021

Stetson’s program in trial advocacy is nationally ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report (2021) and has a history of excellence in the Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition. A Stetson team won the inaugural competition in 1983. You can view a complete list of the competition winners throughout its 38-year history on the Trial Lawyers Section website. Learn more about Stetson Law’s advocacy program on our website.

New Compassionate Release Practicum addresses urgent need in justice system

In the fall of 2020, Stetson Law created a Compassionate Release Practicum to work with attorneys at the Middle District of Florida’s Federal Public Defender Office to meet the high volume of cases in need of compassionate release petitions.

Spearheaded by criminal law Professors Ellen S. Podgor and Judith Scully, the new practicum gave students the opportunity to help prepare compassionate release appeals for those who are currently incarcerated.

COVID-19 hit prisons extremely hard, leaving many without relief.  The initial compassionate release provisions of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 offered little assistance for those serving time in prison. The First Step Act changed the compassionate release process, expanding criteria and allowing easier access to courts.

“Meeting a need in society while also learning important legal skills, allows Stetson Law students a rare opportunity during these difficult times,” Podgor said.

Officials in the federal defender’s office, including Adeel Bashir, Laura Daines, and Stetson graduates Adam Labonte and Juliann Welch, agreed the passage of in the First Step Act constitutes historic criminal justice reform. Having the opportunity to partner with Stetson Law and forge meaningful relationships with future professionals while fulfilling the Act’s purpose in helping redress past inequities in the justice system has been a wonderful experience for all involved.

“Having sat in the same seats as these students, it’s especially rewarding to help them pursue their interest in criminal justice and witness firsthand the work of public defense,” Welch added.

Interested students completed an application, and 10 were selected to participate in the inaugural practicum. They worked on five compassionate release petitions during the fall semester. For spring 2021, through a one-credit Compassionate Release Appellate Practicum, six students are again working with the federal defenders’ office in presenting on appeal the “extraordinary and compelling” reasons why relief should have been granted by the court. The class instruction and work are done virtually, allowing the law students to have real life exposure to social justice advocacy.

Professor Judith Scully. — Judith Scully

“The opportunity to represent a client in a compassionate release case is transformational for the student,” said Scully. “And for the client, it can literally be the difference between dying in prison or living as a free person in the community.”

The students who have participated in the program agree they have gained much from the experience.

“In less than four months, I went from not knowing what the First Step Act was, to drafting compassionate release motions for actual federal inmates incarcerated in Florida,” said Stetson Law student Tyler Spayd. “The practicum really helped sharpen my research, writing, and advocacy skills. More importantly it gave me a real chance to help effect change in the life of another person. For that the practicum stands out in my mind as the best experience I’ve had thus far in law school.”

Dean Michèle Alexandre joins law deans in public statement on 2020 election and events at the Capitol

Stetson Law campus image of buildings and flags in entrance.

157 Law Deans Publish Rare Joint Statement on the 2020 Election and Events at the Capitol

January 12, 2021

Today, 157 Law School Deans from schools across the country published a statement addressing the 2020 election and the events that took place in the United States Capitol last week. The statement marks a rare occasion. It is unusual for such a diverse group of law deans to come together to speak as one on an issue that falls outside the ambit of legal education.

“The violent attack on the Capitol was an assault on our democracy and the rule of law,” reads the statement. “The effort to disrupt the certification of a free and fair election was a betrayal of the core values that undergird our Constitution. Lives were lost, the seat of our democracy was desecrated, and our country was shamed.”

The joint statement goes on to reflect upon the roles that lawyers played in recent events and affirm the deans’ commitment to working together to repair the damage to democratic institutions and rebuild faith in the rule of law.

“Many lawyers and judges worked honestly and in good faith, often in the face of considerable political pressure, to ensure the 2020 election was free and fair. However, we recognize with dismay and sorrow that some lawyers challenged the outcome of the election with claims that they did not support with facts or evidence. This betrayed the values of our profession.”

The deans conclude with a call to action. “As legal educators and lawyers ourselves, we must redouble our efforts to restore faith in the rule of law and the ideals of the legal profession. We have enormous faith in the law’s enduring values and in our students, who will soon lead this profession. We call upon all members of the legal profession to join us in the vital work ahead.”

To read the full statement and see the list of signatories, please click here.

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