Hurricane Dorian Update – Monday, Sept. 2

Stetson University College of Law’s Gulfport and Tampa campuses will remain closed through Wednesday, Sept. 4, based on guidance from the National Weather Service, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and our own safety officers. We will reopen on Thursday, Sept. 5, and all classes and activities will resume then.

We will continue to monitor the situation and make additional announcements as needed.

Hurricane Dorian Update – Friday, August 30

Stetson University College of Law’s Gulfport and Tampa campuses will be closing at 5 p.m. Friday, August 30, 2019. The campuses will remain closed through Tuesday, September 3, 2019, based on the track of Hurricane Dorian and its potential impact on the Tampa Bay area. 

Safety of students and staff remains our highest priority. Stetson University College of Law is not designated as a shelter for individuals or pets. As such, we have notified students living in on-campus dorms to be prepared to evacuate should power outages or other emergency conditions require it. Staff from our Student Affairs/International Programs will be working with students to ensure they have a plan.

In the case of a mandatory evacuation, students and staff have been advised not return to campus until they are notified. All students and staff have been encouraged to download the Ready Pinellas App and refer to Pinellas County Emergency Management, local media, and our own internal alert system for updates.

Additional information and updates will be posted online as they become available on the Stetson University College of Law website at www.stetson.edu/law, the official Stetson Law Facebook page (facebook.com/StetsonLaw) and the official Stetson Law Twitter feed (twitter.com/StetsonLaw or follow @stetsonlaw).

Ellen S. Podgor, J.D., Gary R. Trombley family white-collar crime research professor at Stetson University College of Law, has been selected to serve on the Innocence Project of Florida’s board of directors.

Based in Tallahassee, the nonprofit organization helps obtain freedom for innocent prisoners through investigating cases, obtaining DNA testing and advocating for their release.

Since 2003, the Innocence Project of Florida has assisted with the release of 20 people who served a total of more than 440 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.

“I’m honored to play a role in an organization doing such noble work,” said Podgor, whose area of expertise is criminal law and is a former deputy prosecutor and defense attorney.

The Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association (SLAA) presented four alumni with awards who have made a positive impact in the community and supported Stetson University College of Law during the 2019 Annual Florida Bar Convention at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida on June 27.

SLAA has been honoring alumni accomplishments and presenting them with awards for more than 25 years.

Outstanding Alumni Representative Award

Stetson Law alumnus Hugo de Beaubien is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Representative Award. He was recognized for his dedication and service to the SLAA, commitment to the Central Florida alumni chapter and encouraging other alumni to participate in the group’s activities. Beaubien also established the DSK Law Book Award, which is presented annually to the Stetson Law student who has the highest grade in contracts.

“I’m honored to receive the 2019 Outstanding Alumni Representative Award,” said Beaubien. “Stetson Law has produced a number of outstanding lawyers. I have always felt that alumni should support and give back to Stetson Law as they are able to do so for the great education that we all received.”

Beaubien is the founding partner of DSK Law in Orlando and has remained connected to Stetson Law throughout his law career and been involved with the college’s local alumni chapter. His efforts have been an integral part of the alumni group’s continuous growth.

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Pinellas County Sheriff and Stetson Law alumnus Bob Gualtieri has been honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The accolade recognizes alumni who have been outstanding in their chosen profession and brought honor to the individual and Stetson Law. The award also acknowledges the recipient’s dedication and service to humanity, which fosters Stetson Law’s ideals.

“I have been the Pinellas County Sheriff for the past eight years and during that time, I have worked to uphold the rule of law and protect individual rights while reducing crime in the county and ensuring effective public safety,” said Gualtieri. “Receiving the Distinguished Alumnus Award is a humbling honor, especially because of the many other Stetson Law graduates who have achieved so much during their law careers.”

Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award

Stetson Law alumnus Prineet Sharma has been recognized for his utmost dedication and support of Stetson Law and the SLAA with the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award.

Sharma is the founding partner of Sharma Eminent Domain Lawyers in Winter Garden. He is a member of the Veterans Law Institute’s advisory board, and along with his wife Shamila Sharma, who is also a Stetson Law alumna, has established the Sharma Family Veterans Endowed Scholarship.

“I’m very honored and humbled to receive the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award,” said Sharma. “Supporting veteran scholarships allows me to give back to those who have given so much for us to enjoy our country’s freedoms. If anyone deserves recognition, then it’s the brave men and women and their families who serve so honorably to protect us.”

Ben Willard Award

As a fourth-generation Floridian, Stetson Law alumna Pam Bondi was elected twice to serve as Florida’s Attorney General and currently chairs Ballard Partners’ corporate regulatory practice. The SLAA acknowledged her accomplishments with the Ben Willard Award. The recognition honors alumni who have expended extra efforts to prevail for the benefit of Florida’s citizens, and whose humanitarian achievements have brought distinction to themselves and Stetson Law.

“I’m beyond humbled and do not feel deserving of this great honor because so many Stetson Law graduates do so much for Florida and our country,” said Bondi. “I was a career prosecutor and became Attorney General to help people. My Stetson Law professors had a tremendous impact on my career goals and I learned the value of giving back and have tried to make a small impact on the world.”

Bondi tackled dozens of state and national initiatives, including filing comprehensive state litigation regarding the nation-wide opioid crisis as Florida’s Attorney General. She also played a leading role in achieving the National Mortgage Settlement, which is the largest consumer financial protection settlement in the United States’ history and ultimately resulted in $56 billion in relief nationally.

In an extraordinary victory for Florida, Bondi sued British Petroleum (BP) and other responsible parties in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill case and settled for more than $2 billion in economic relief for Florida alone.

During her tenure as Florida’s Attorney General, Bondi worked aggressively to shut down pill mills, combat opioid abuse, ban synthetic drugs, end human trafficking, test previously unprocessed sexual assault kits, develop a school safety app to prevent school shootings and recovered more than $1 billion in consumer protection, antitrust and false claims matters.

Stetson University College of Law third-year student Emilia L. Soliman was recently named a Ms. JD Fellow. She is the third Stetson Law student to receive this honor.

The Ms. JD Fellowship is a project in partnership with the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession that was established nine years ago to provide mentoring and professional development opportunities for future women attorneys.

“The Ms. JD Fellowship is a wonderful mentorship program that will allow me to express myself and join a community of professionals who will guide me through the issues that women face in the law profession,” said Soliman. “This fellowship also will provide me with the support that I will need to be successful in the workplace after law school and give me a chance to create an incredible network and village with amazing women in the legal field.”

Fellows will be writing a blog entry on the Ms. JD Fellowship website and work either on a group project with other fellows or an individual project at their law school.

Soliman may be writing a blog about her experience as a young mom in law school along with the difficulties and challenges a mother faces as a full-time law student. She is currently researching topics for either an individual or group project as part of her fellowship.

Soliman has aspired to become an attorney ever since she was a child. She observed her uncle at his law firm after school, which sparked her passion for making a global difference with a law career.

She received Bachelor of Arts degrees in international and global studies and political science and government from the University of South Florida and her Master’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies at Florida International University.

Soliman is pursuing a career in international and immigration law after she graduates from Stetson Law next year. While at Stetson Law, she has been a member of Phi Alpha Delta, the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Tampa Hispanic Bar Association and the Stetson Law student publication Journal of International Aging Law & Policy and treasurer of the International Law Society.

International law and immigration are important to Soliman because she is an immigrant who left Honduras with her family at a young age. She wants to give back and help other immigrants in similar situations.  

“I have a multifaceted perspective and deeper understanding on a variety of global issues,” said Soliman. “I want to affect social change through laws and advance human rights throughout the world.”

Stetson University College of Law’s “Professional Development Conference: Campus to Career” has won the 2019 American Bar Association’s E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award.

“We are honored to be recognized by the American Bar Association and presented with the E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award,” said Joann Grages Burnett, Esq., Campus to Career co-chair and associate director of career and professional development. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor and we are thrilled to be included among so many other wonderful programs.”

“At Stetson Law, we are committed to preparing students for professional success, no matter which path they choose and are delighted that the work of our planning committee is valued,” said Burnett. “We are proud of what we do and are excited about continuing to grow and expand “Campus and Career.”

The prestigious distinction is renowned in the law community.

“The E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award is a longstanding and well-regarded award,” said Kirsten K. Davis, Ph.D., Campus to Career faculty co-chair and interim assistant dean for student affairs. “Stetson Law has been a leader in legal professionalism education and receiving the award is great feedback that we are providing professional development opportunities that are meaningful to our partners at the bar and on the bench.”

The one-day conference, now in its third year, is planned and organized by a standing committee of staff, faculty and students. The team, which includes the Office of Career and Professional Development, plans and operates the conference annually, and works across campus disciplines to include ideas and expertise from everyone, including Stetson Law alumni and members of the law community at large.  

The conference is geared towards the professional development of first-year law students, but is open to all students and prepares participants for success by introducing and strengthening their knowledge and skills through programs focused on key professional development and professional identity competencies, which included resilience, time management, professionalism, decision-making, planning, civility, self-assessment, mentoring and wellness this past year.

Last February, the “Professional Development Conference: Campus to Career” was held at Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus and included keynote speakers who provided insight about their student-to-professional journey, breakout sessions that offered guidance on a variety of topics, including self-advocacy, teamwork, financial and time management and mentoring and a networking reception.

The $3,500 award, which was established in 1991, is named after E. Smythe Gambrell who was a former American Bar Association (ABA) and American Bar Foundation president during the 1950s.

The award is administered by the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Professionalism and supported by the E. Smythe Gambrell Fund for Professionalism. The award recognizes the nation’s exemplary, innovative and ongoing professionalism programs in law schools, bar associations, courts and other legal organizations that ensure integrity and dedication to the legal profession and public.

The accolade will make a difference during next year’s professional development conference.

“The award funds will directly support the “Professional Development Conference: Campus to Career” in 2020 and other professional development innovations,” said Burnett. “The committee is already in planning mode and this award will help ensure 2020 is the best year yet.”

The E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Awards will be presented during the American Bar Association’s 2019 Annual Meeting at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco, California on Friday, Aug. 9, 2019.

Joann Grages Burnett, Esq., associate director of career and professional development at Stetson University College of Law, is the recipient of the 2019 American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD) annually recognizes 40 ABA young lawyer members who exemplify a broad range of high achievement, innovation, vision, leadership and legal and community service with its On the Rise award.

The ABA YLD provides new lawyers with tools for success, skillset development resources and networking opportunities.

The accolade recognizes young lawyers who are shining brightly in their law careers.

“I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most committed, talented, diverse and innovative young lawyers from across the country while serving in the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division,” said Burnett, who is a Stetson Law alumna. “I’m deeply appreciative to my award nominator Shayda Le and honored to be included in this group of amazing lawyers and leaders.”

Award eligibility includes being an ABA member in good standing, a licensed attorney in the United States or one of its territories and at least 36 years old or younger during the nomination year.

At Stetson Law, Burnett specializes in employer readiness for students and alumni and oversees postgraduate judicial clerkship initiatives within the Office of Career and Professional Development. She serves as the co-chair for Stetson Law’s award-winning “Professional Development Conference: Campus to Career” and ABA’s YLD member resources director, where she leads the division’s professional development and wellness initiatives.

Prior to providing law students with career and professional development opportunities, Burnett was an assistant public defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida and handled misdemeanor, juvenile and felony cases.

For Burnett, the award is a prominent recognition.

“This award is very special to me,” said Burnett. “As someone who uses her law degree in a unique way at Stetson Law, it is incredibly rewarding to be recognized among so many wonderful young lawyers who I truly respect and admire.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and thankful that Stetson Law has supported my involvement with such enthusiasm,” said Burnett. “The Young Lawyers Division has afforded me with so many wonderful opportunities and this award is simply the icing on the cake.”

Award honorees will receive national recognition in ABA print publications and online and on social media and will be recognized at the YLD awards breakfast during the ABA’s 2019 Annual Meeting at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in San Francisco, California on Saturday, Aug. 10.

 Stetson University College of Law’s moot court team argued in the final round of the 2019 Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition before the justices of the Florida Supreme Court, and the justices awarded law student Chris Pate with the Best Oralist in the Final Round. This year’s competition was held during the 2019 Annual Florida Bar Convention at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida on June 28.

“Moot court competitions, like all advocacy competitions, give students an opportunity to practice and hone the skills they will need to practice law,” said Brooke J. Bowman, J.D., moot court board director and professor of law at Stetson Law. “Awards, such as these, show Stetson’s commitment to training practice-ready attorneys and demonstrate why Stetson has been number one in advocacy for so many years.” Professor Bowman coached this year’s Orseck team.

Third-year Stetson Law students and Moot Court Board members Chris Lawson and Pate had an opportunity to argue a fictitious case in front of attorneys, civil and county judges and Florida’s District Courts of Appeal judges during the competition.

The final round of the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition has been judged by Florida Supreme Court justices for a number of years. Stetson Law students have advanced to the final round 15 times since 2000 and Pate is the fourth moot court team member to win the award for the Best Oralist in the Final Round.

On June 13^th, the Stetson University community welcomed a piece of history to the Gulfport campus. Dean Kristen Adams of the College of Law and Dean Timothy Peter of the School of Music held a special dedication to celebrate the donation of a piano previously owned and played by Liberace himself. Marco A. Jimenez, son of Stetson Law professor Marco J. Jimenez, capped off the dedication by taking a seat at the piano and filling the Mann Lounge with melodies by Liszt and Chopin.

Donated by the parents of a current Stetson University student, the piano is over 100 years old and carries with it decades of musical history. Liberace came to know the piano in the 1930’s before his monumental rise to fame. After playing a small gig in a Milwaukee bar, he asked the owner if he could buy the old six-legged grand piano. The piano changed hands, and the rest is history.

The piano was delivered to the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, GA (now the James Brown Arena) at the special request of Liberace whenever he played there. Before his first Augusta performance, he had the piano shipped from a warehouse in Chicago where it had remained since his purchase. It is said that the first time Liberace played the old piano after so long he shed a tear at the familiarity and comfort of the instrument. Despite having access to the most pristine pianos of his time, Liberace insisted that this piano be delivered each time he played in Augusta. It was a treasure to him and it will remain a treasure to our community.

Stetson Law graduate Jonathan Glover wins second place in the 11th Annual American Bankruptcy Institute’s Law Student Writing Competition.

Glover’s article “The Bankruptcy Code’s Disservice to Those Who Served” is available on the American Bankruptcy Institute website. The article will also be published in the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal this summer.