News Archives - Page 35 of 138

Stetson Law finishes among elite eight of all law schools on the planet in the Vis Moot in Vienna

(L-R): Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Jason Stearns, Kyle McCabe, Clare McQueen, Ryan Dwyer and Matthew Ceriale.

Stetson University College of Law’s Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team competed April 13-18 in Vienna, Austria, with 372 teams from 80 countries to finish in the elite top eight of law schools that competed from across the planet.

Law alumnus Jason Stearns J.D. ’08 and Professor Stephanie Vaughan coached and traveled with the team of students Matthew Ceriale, Ryan Dwyer, Kyle McCabe and Clare McQueen. Dwyer was recognized individually with an honorable mention oralist award.

“This is the furthest Stetson has advanced in the Vis Moot in more than six years, and it is the largest field of teams ever competing in Vienna,” said Professor Vaughan. “It is truly difficult to put into words what this group of students has done for Stetson. We are certainly back on the international map.”

The team also performed well in a pre-moot at the historic Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. The Peace Palace hosts the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and is known world-wide. Only 16 teams were invited to participate in The Hague and Stetson is the only team from the U.S. that was invited.

The field is narrowed to 64 teams after four preliminary rounds. Stetson advanced to the round of 64 and proceeded to beat teams from Lebanon in the round of 64, Uruguay in the round of 32, and Sweden in the round of 16. In the round of eight, Stetson’s team was ultimately defeated by Ottawa, which made it to the final round.

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson Law, visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy.

Team from Bangalore wins the International Environmental Moot Court Competition at Stetson Law

A team from Bangalore won the International Environmental Moot Court Competition. Photo by Sy-Woei Hao. — A team from Bangalore won the International Environmental Moot Court Competition (with Interim Dean Kristen Adams far right). Photo by Sy-Woei Hao.

A team from the National Law School of India University in Bangalore won the 23rd Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition on April 13 in Gulfport.

National Law School of India University law student Bhargov Chakraborty was named Best Oralist in the Final Round.

The National University of Singapore team was the runner-up in the competition. The University of Hawaii took home the Best Memorial. Students from both the Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico and Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad & Tobago received the Spirit of Stetson Award.

Teams from India, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, and Trinidad & Tobago competed in the quarterfinals of the competition.

View a gallery of images from this event:

Students attend Ms. JD Annual Conference

(L-R): Emilia Soliman, Sarah Cibula and Brielle Tucker.

By Brielle Tucker

On March 15, three Stetson students, Emilia Soliman, Sarah Cibula, and Brielle Tucker, attended the Ms. JD 11th Annual Conference on Women in the Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The theme was “Speak Up” in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s birthday, and the group celebrated by listening to women in the law speak about various timely issues.

The first workshop, “Finding your voice and using it,” presented by Gail J. Cummings of Gail J. Cummings Consulting, LLC, provided helpful tips and insights on how to be vocal and your own advocate when navigating your career.

“It was amazing to be able to network and connect with so many women attorneys with such leadership in the field,” said Emilia Soliman. “They gave great advice, especially for young soon-to-be attorneys. They taught me we can do it all.”

Stetson Law’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic secures disability benefits for area veteran exposed to radiation in the 1950s

Stetson University College of Law’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic recently helped secure long-denied benefits for an 80-year-old Tampa Bay area Navy veteran who was exposed to radiation during atomic bomb testing in the 1950s.The veteran is now eligible to receive disability benefits retroactive to April 2012, when he filed his claim.

Stetson Law student Brian Paul presented the case before the Board of Veterans Appeals at the St. Petersburg V.A. regional office at Bay Pines, Florida. Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic collected evidence that convinced the board to find the veteran’s cancer to be as likely as not caused by his exposure to ionizing radiation.

Several Veterans Advocacy Clinic students and staff attorney Ronald “Rocky” Roodhouse LL.M. ’17 researched the etiology of the cancer, documents about the atomic bomb tests, and the standard procedures for calculating radiation exposure that occurred decades ago. The Stetson Veterans Advocacy Clinic team discovered that the VA severely underestimated the veteran’s exposure to radiation and improperly disregarded medical opinions from distinguished oncologists.

The Veterans Advocacy Clinic, located on Stetson University’s Gulfport, Florida, campus, was dedicated as part of the Veterans Law Institute in 2012 to help the growing population of Tampa Bay area veterans obtain denied Veterans Administration disability benefits.

Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, director of the Veterans Law Institute and Veterans Advocacy Clinic, oversees Stetson Law students providing free legal assistance to veterans seeking denied disability benefits.

“Stetson’s law students are at the heart of the Clinic’s mission to serve our nation’s disabled veterans by providing them top notch legal help to receive the benefits they have earned,” said Professor Simcox.

Veterans who need free legal help with VA disability benefits appeals should reach out to the Veterans Advocacy Clinic at Stetson by calling 727-562-7324 or visiting www.stetson.edu/law/veterans.

Professor Luz Nagle visits Colombia, works with social justice initiatives

Professor Luz Nagle, third from the left, with Wilson Herrera and members of the Junta.

Professor of Law Luz Nagle spent Spring Break in Colombia working on social justice initiatives.

Professor Nagle met with a family of shoemakers in Rionegro, Colombia.

Professor Nagle met with the community-based social justice organization Junta de Accion Comunal San José, in a village in the municipality of Guarne, Colombia. She talked with Junta leaders about ways to limit over-development and environmental damage impacting the community.

“We will be coordinating grassroots support and legal responses for the well-being of the rural people living here who just want a safe and secure environment in which to live and care for their families and properties,” said Professor Nagle.

The Junta was instrumental in building an aquaduct system to provide safe and plentiful potable water to the local communities.

While in Colombia, Professor Nagle also met with a family of shoemakers in Rionegro that is trying to expand their business and develop a strong social entrepreneurship focus, training local artesans to continue making shoes, and using the proceeds of shoe sales to make custom-fitted shoes for disabled people who otherwise cannot afford shoes. The business, which has been in the same location for 50 years, needs to move into a larger work space to hire and train more staff.

At Stetson Law, Professor Nagle teaches courses on international law and international and transborder criminal law, human trafficking, international business transactions, terrorism and global security.

Stetson Law ranked best school for Trial Advocacy in the U.S. for the 21st time

Stetson's Gulfport campus. — Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

For the 21st time, Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, is ranked the no. 1 school for Trial Advocacy in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report. Stetson is ranked no. 3 for Legal Writing, and is consistently among the top six programs for legal writing.

“For 25 years, Stetson has distinguished itself among the top programs in the country for Trial Advocacy. We are also extremely proud to be consistently recognized among the top programs for Legal Writing. We are honored to appear for the first time in the top third of law schools for Dispute Resolution. Skills in these areas are critical to the successful practice of law, and we are dedicated to preparing our students to be the best lawyers they can be,” said Stetson Interim Dean and Professor of Law Kristen David Adams, who directs the Dispute Resolution Board at Stetson.

“Stetson advocates speak on behalf of clients whenever and wherever they are called to do so,” said Charles H. Rose III, Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy and director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy at Stetson. “Stetson transforms students into advocates who are powerful, compassionate, and persuasive – committed to excellence in word and deed. That is the hallmark of a Stetson education.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be ranked number one in Trial Advocacy for the 21st time,” said Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “This consistency highlights Stetson’s commitment to a rigorous education where faculty are deeply invested in the educational pursuits of our students. Such recognition exemplifies our commitment to students who learn to provide outstanding legal representation while working with innovative faculty who prepare them for significant careers beyond these walls.”

Stetson Law is ranked among the top third of law schools for Dispute Resolution by U.S. News. In 2018, for the first time in its 17-year history, Stetson’s Dispute Resolution Board achieved a perfect four-for-four record of advancing to nationals in all four dispute resolution competitions sponsored by the ABA.

More information about Stetson’s nationally top distinguished specialty programs is available online at www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy and www.stetson.edu/law/academics/lrw.

For more information on the U.S. News 2020 “Best Grad Schools” visit www.usnews.com/grad.

Students travel to Oregon to meet with environmental law leaders

(L-R) Professor Lance Long, Adam Duh, Maria White, Kate Welch, Jake Black, Taylor Koufos, Jennifer Winn, Rachel Curran, and Jackie Lopez.

By Jennifer Winn

On March 2-3, Stetson Law students traveled with Professor Lance Long to the University of Oregon for the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.

“It was a great experience and we got to meet some of the most influential people in the environmental law sector,” said student Jennifer Winn.

At Stetson Law, Winn is vice president of the Student Bar Association, a fellow in International Programs, and member of the Environmental Law Society.

Stetson Law wins regional American Association of Justice trial competition, advances to nationals

(L-R): (Back row) Forest Sutton, Megan McGinn, JJ Meyer, Sam Powers, (front row) Dana Baker, Ariana Seiler, Kelli Motes, Mary Katherine Bleckley, and alumna Kaitlyn Dugas.

Stetson University College of Law won the regional American Association of Justice trial competition in West Palm Beach, Florida, on March 1.

The winning Stetson Law team of Dana Baker, Mary Katherine Bleckley, JJ Meyer and Ariana Seiler are advancing to the national AAJ competition in Philadelphia on April 11-14.

A second team of Stetson students, Megan McGinn, Kelli Motes, Sam Powers, and Forest Sutton, advanced to the semi-finals.

Stetson Professor of Practice and Director of Trial Teams Julia Metts and alumnus Stanton Fears J.D. ’15 co-coached and alumna Kaitlyn Dugas J.D./M.B.A. ’17 traveled with the teams.

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson Law, visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy.

Stetson’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law is offering a webinar on Cognitive Bias Essentials in March

Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law is offering a webinar on Cognitive Bias Essentials: The Use and Abuse of Expert Evidence, on March 26 from 12-2 p.m. EST.

The webinar, presented by renowned cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Itiel Dror, will cover The Use and Abuse of Expert Evidence: How to Expose and Mitigate Bias in Experts.

The webinar is part of a complimentary Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training series supported by a grant awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

To register, visit Stetson’s Office of Professional Education at http://bit.ly/StetsonWebinarCognitiveBias.

CLE credits are available.

Stetson Law wins Vis Pre-Moot second year in a row, heads to international competition in Austria

(L-R): Omar Amin, Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Alex Busvek, Matt Ceriale, Ryan Dwyer, Professor Erika McArdle, Clare McQueen, and Kyle McCabe.

Stetson University College of Law’s Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration team won the Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot for the second year in a row in Miami on Feb. 23. The pre-moot prepares students for the international Vis competition in Vienna, Austria, on April 12-18.

The Stetson Law team of Omar Amin, Alexander Busvek, Matt Ceriale, Ryan Dwyer, Kyle McCabe, and Clare McQueen won first place overall, Ceriale was awarded best overall oralist, and Busvek was named third best oralist in the competition.

At the pre-moot, Stetson’s team competed in four rounds against other Florida law schools. After four back-to-back arguments, Stetson was declared the overall winner.

Adjunct Professor Jason Stearns and Professor Stephanie Vaughan co-coached the team along with Professor Joseph Morrissey.

“Other coaches and arbitrators have complimented us time and again on our preparedness and professionalism at this competition,” said team coach and professor Stephanie Vaughan. “The students are exceptional ambassadors for Stetson.”

This year, Stetson’s Vis team has been invited to travel to the Hague, Netherlands, on the way to Vienna to compete and present arguments in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, located in the Peace Palace.

Stetson team wins regional Client Counseling Competition in Chicago

The Stetson University College of Law team of Grace Kobitter and Alex Spadaro won the regional Client Counseling Competition on Feb. 9 at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago.

The team advances to the national Client Counseling Competition at Baylor Law in March.

“This is the second year in a row that Stetson advanced to the national Client Counseling Competition,” said Professor Erika McArdle, associate director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. “We are thrilled that our students will again have an opportunity to hone their advocacy skills in this competition at the national level.”

(L-R): Alex Spadaro, Jenna Jordan, team coach Emily VanOosting, Grace Dinger and Grace Kobitter.

A second Stetson team of Grace Dinger and Jenna Jordan were finalists in the competition. Stetson was the only law school with two teams advancing to the semi-final and final rounds of the regional competition.

Emily Van Oosting J.D. ’12 coached and traveled with the team.

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson Law, visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy.

Stetson Law team advances to National Trial Competition

(L-R): Sara Papantonio, John Kimbrough and Madeline Pendley.

The Stetson University College of Law team of John Kimbrough, Sara Papantonio and Madeline Pendley won the regional rounds of the National Trial Competition in Tallahassee, Florida, on Feb. 3, and heads to the national finals in San Antonio, Texas, on March 27-31. Stetson Law has won the National Trial Competition five times.

Professors Erika McArdle J.D. ’12 and Julia Metts J.D. ’04, who directs the Trial Teams at Stetson, co-coached the team.

(L-R): Professor Erika McArdle, Madeline Pendley, John Kimbrough, Sara Papantonio and Professor Julia Metts.

The National Trial Competition draws student teams from more than 140 law schools, involving more than 1,000 students every year. The competition is coordinating 15 regional rounds this year across the U.S. The top two winners from each region will advance to the national finals in Texas.

The NTC is co-sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and Texas Young Lawyers Association and is designed to expose law students to the nature of trial practice and to serve as a supplement to their education.

Since 1980, Stetson Law teams have won five world, 74 national, 85 regional and 48 state championships and numerous awards for advocacy.

To learn more about the advocacy program at Stetson Law, visit stetson.edu/law/advocacy.