Stetson University’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance by the U.S. Department of Justice, Capital Litigation Initiative to train lawyers litigating criminal cases. The grant facilitates training for lawyers in forensic science and expert testimony to help avoid wrongful convictions.
Previous webinar topics have included crime scence reconstruction, crime laboratory equipment and procedures, autopsy protocols, fire investigation, document examination, toxicology, and the development of standards through the Organization of Scientific Area Committees.
“These grants provide funding to address a significant need in the legal field for much-needed training,” said Professor Carol Henderson, director of the National Clearinghouse. “Since 2003, the Clearinghouse has received grant money totaling more than $14 million, providing training to thousands in the legal field, law enforcement and forensic science communities.”
Previous webinar training materials are available on the Clearinghouse website at www.ncstl.org.
Stetson University College of Law students won a national and regional advocacy competition over the weekend of Nov. 11-12.
(L-R): Cymoril White, Brooks Robinson and Alicia Winterkorn at the William & Mary Law School Negotiation Tournament.
Stetson’s Dispute Resolution team of Brooks Robinson and Alicia Winterkorn won the William & Mary Law School Negotiation Tournament in Virginia on Nov. 12. Stetson student Cymoril White also won the Best Advocate Award in the competition. This was the second year in a row that Stetson has won the national competition, advancing to the national rounds, as well as the best advocate award. Stetson Law alumnus Bill Greiner J.D. ’07 and professor James Sheehan J.D. ’77 co-coached the team.
Stetson students Maximillion Brown, Caroline Garrity, Olivia Mejido and Meghan Sullivan won the regional rounds of the American Bar Association Law Student Division Arbitration Regional Competition on Nov. 12. The team heads to the national competition in Chicago in January. Stetson Law professors Kelly Feeley and Roberta Flowers co-coached the team, and Stetson Professor of Law and Dispute Resolution Director Kristen Adams and Assistant Director for the Center for Excellence in Advocacy Erika McArdle J.D. ’12 traveled with the students. Stetson students Julia Alley, Mark Joseph, Jade Mattheys and Martin Musichi advanced to the semifinal rounds of the regional competition.
(L-R): Maximillion Brown, Caroline Garrity, Olivia Mejido and Meghan Sullivan at the ABA Law Student Division Arbitration Regional Competition.
“These competitions not only give our students the opportunity to demonstrate impressive advocacy skills, but also make them practice-ready by allowing them to hone skills they will use daily in their lives as attorneys,” said Professor Adams.
Stetson students were also finalists in the ABA Law School Division Regional Negotiation Competition hosted by St. John’s University School of Law in Jamaica, New York, on Nov. 5.
Since 1980, Stetson has won five world championships, 71 national championships, 81 regional championships, 46 state championships, 55 best brief awards, 152 best oralist/best advocate awards, and five professionalism awards.
(L-R): ABA LSD Regional Negotiation Competition finalists Christina Huckfeldt, Allison Belanger, Professor James Sheehan, Kira Ramirez, and Su-Woei Hao.
(L-R): Professor Ellen Podgor with Professor Lucian E. Dervan, incoming ABA Criminal Justice Section chair. Photo by Cheryl Segal.
Stetson University Professor of Law Ellen S. Podgor received the American Bar Association Raeder-Taslitz Award on Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C. Podgor is the Gary R. Trombley Family White Collar Crime research professor at Stetson.
“I’m incredibly honored to get this award because Andy Taslitz and Myrna Raeder were my friends, friends who I miss dearly,” said Professor Podgor. “Keeping their names and their legacy alive is important.”
The ABA Criminal Justice Section award recognizes a law professor who exemplifies ethical and professional conduct; demonstrates excellence in scholarship, teaching or community service; and has made a significant contribution to promoting public understanding of criminal justice, justice and fairness in the criminal justice system or best practices on the part of lawyers and judges.
Professor Podgor is a former deputy prosecutor and criminal defense attorney who teaches in the areas of white collar crime, criminal law and criminal procedure adjudication at Stetson University. In 2010, she received the Robert C. Heeney Award, the highest honor given by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
She has co-authored books including White Collar Crime in a Nutshell, Understanding International Criminal Law, Mastering Criminal Law, White Collar Crime Hornbook, and Mastering Criminal Procedure Vol. I and Vol. II. She authored more than 70 law review articles and essays on computer crime, international criminal law, lawyer’s ethics, criminal discovery, prosecutorial discretion, corporate criminality, and other white collar crime topics.
Professor Podgor annually works to facilitate the NACDL White Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson, which teaches practitioners and those new to white collar criminal defense key advocacy skills while learning substantive white collar crime law from masters in the field.
The Raeder-Taslitz Award is given in memory of Professors Myrna Raeder and Andrew Taslitz. Raeder was a past chair of the Criminal Justice Section, a revered professor at Southwestern Law School, and a passionate advocate for recognition of the special needs of women in the criminal justice system. Taslitz was chair-elect of the Criminal Justice Section, and an esteemed member of the Howard Law School faculty for 23 years before joining the Washington College of Law at American University in 2012.
(L-R): Jason Turner J.D. ’04, Paul Sabaj LL.M. ’10, Keith Appleby J.D./M.B.A. ’04, Prineet Sharma J.D. ’98, Dean Christopher Pietrsuzkiewicz, Nicole Andrejko, Amy Rigdon B.A. ’05/J.D. ’08, Aaron Watson J.D. ’09, Marc Levine J.D. ’06, Mike Connelly B.A. ’93/J.D. ’96, and Vincent Citro B.B.A. ’98, J.D./M.B.A. ’00. Photo courtesy Assistant Dean Kevin Hughes.
Stetson University College of Law alumni Jason Turner J.D. ’04, Paul Sabaj LL.M ’10, Keith Appleby J.D./M.B.A. ’04, Prineet Sharma J.D. ’98, Nicole Andrejko, Amy Rigdon B.A. ’05/J.D. ’08, Aaron Watson J.D. ’09, Marc Levine J.D. ’06, Mike Connelly B.A. ’93/J.D. ’96, and Vince Citro B.B.A. ’98, J.D./M.B.A. ’00 joined Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz on Nov. 8 in Washington, D.C., at a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
(L-R): Back row Ashaley Boatwright, Marc Wolfson, Mark Pack, Robert Kilmartin, Kyle Short, Kevin Basso, Michelle Liedtke, Felicia Becker, Haviland Kebler, Matt Ceriale, Mike Eaton, Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. (L-R): Front row Gulfport Police Chief Rob Vincent, VETsports mascot and Officer Chris Priest. Photo by Brielle Tucker.
Stetson University College of Law students and Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz met with VETsports and Gulfport police officers on the Gulfport campus on Oct. 14 to show their support for the Nov. 11 Heroes Weekend in Gulfport.
The City of Gulfport and VETsports are coordinating the community event, featuring a parade and volleyball tournament. Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, home to the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, is a presenter. The Veterans Advocacy Clinic provides Tampa Bay area veterans with legal representation in appealing decisions denying Veterans Administration disability benefits.
“Nov. 11 is a chance for students to interact with the veterans community, and the community of Gulfport, by doing something outside of the day-to-day schedule of a law student,” said Stetson Law student Matthew Ceriale. “A day on the beach with a parade and good company is about as good as it gets.”
The event kicks off with a parade in downtown Gulfport at 11 a.m., followed by a “Champions Walk of Fame” at 11:30 p.m. and 12 p.m. volleyball tournament on Gulfport Beach.
Professor Luz Nagle specializes in international law and international criminal law at Stetson University.
The Hispanic Bar Association honored Stetson Law Professor Luz Nagle on Nov. 2 with the E. J. Salcines “Spirit of Tampa” Award.
Professor Nagle is the first tenured Hispanic law professor at Stetson University. An expert in international law, international criminal law, national security law and human trafficking, she has been a lecturer and visiting professor, training students, lawyers and professors around the world. Professor Nagle’s career prior to teaching included serving as a judge in Colombia confronting drug lords and pursuing software pirates as a member of Microsoft Corporation’s Latin America Copyright Enforcement Practice.
As a professor of law at Stetson University, Nagle has met with visitors from across the globe as part of the State Department’s Distinguished Foreign Visitors Program. Active in several bar associations, Professor Nagle has served on the International Bar Association task forces on terrorism, corruption, criminal justice reform, and combatting human trafficking.
The E.J. Salcines Spirit of Tampa Award honors Judge Salcines and celebrates those members of the community who mentor, guide and pave the way for young Hispanics in the Tampa Bay area.
Judge Emiliano Jose Salcines served as a prosecutor and in private practice before he was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal in 1998. He has been an active participant in the Tampa legal community. The Hispanic Bar Association recognized him for his years of service, and established the Salcines Spirit of Tampa Award as a tribute to his involvement in Tampa over the last 40 years.
Stetson University College of Law is hosting the Florida edition of the Blockchain Workshops on Oct. 30-31 at Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., in Gulfport, Florida. Blockchain technology helps secure a variety of transactions over the internet.
The workshops for attorneys, software developers, bankers and cyber security specialists, explore the potential uses of blockchain technologies, and the economic, commercial, legal policy and social policy questions related to blockchain technologies.
The Blockchain Workshops, organized by the Coalition of Automated Legal Applications, are a series of public conferences that travel all over the world to lead cutting-edge discussions around blockchains and their legal implications.
The Blockchain Workshops are organized by COALA, a research and development initiative composed of academic institutions, lawyers, computer scientists and entrepreneurs, who are thinking collectively about the challenges and opportunities of emerging blockchain technologies and how they will affect the way we live in modern society.
(Front row left to right): Jordan Koziol and Kathryn Bonti. (Back row left to right): Tyler Troyer, Logan Manderscheid, Anne Boyle, and Joseph Kemmerling. Photo courtesy Professor Brooke Bowman.
Stetson University College of Law students Jordan Koziol, Logan Manderscheid and Tyler Troyerwon the 11th Annual Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22. The team argued in front of two federal circuit court judges and a state supreme court justice.
A total of 30 teams from around the country travelled to Atlanta to compete in the 11th Annual Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition. Stetson sent two teams to the competition. A second Stetson team of Kathryn Bonti, Anne Boyle and Joseph Kemmerling were quarterfinalists in the competition.
Stetson Moot Court Director Professor Brooke Bowman and Jason Lambert B.B.A. ’02, J.D. ’12 co-coached the teams.
The students argued two issues: whether a police officer’s use of a taser gun in dart mode was excessive force, and whether a police officer may search and seize a cell phone, without a warrant, under the Fourth Amendment.
Former “Hoarders” host Matt Paxton addresses Stetson University College of Law’s 19th Special Needs Trusts-The National Conference in October.
Paxton, who co-founded the Legacy Navigator to help survivors handle estate cleanout, presents a complimentary lecture on the science of hoarding at the Sunshine Senior Center, 330 Fifth St. N., St. Petersburg, at 12 p.m. on Oct. 18.
Paxton also presents to conference attendees at 10:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, 501 Fifth Ave. NE in St. Petersburg.
Paxton will offer suggestions for trustees on how to handle insurance, liability issues, and where to get help for beneficiaries who hoard.
This year’s national conference begins with a pre-conference tax intensive, pooled trusts intensive, and veterans benefits intensive on Oct. 18 followed by the two-day national conference, Oct. 19-20.
The national conference kicks off with an introduction to ethics for first-time special needs planning attorneys on Oct. 19. Morning presentations will be followed by afternoon breakout sessions on both Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.
Stetson is a national leader in the growing field of elder law, offering both a certificate of concentration in elder law and an online LL.M. in elder law through the Center for Excellence in Elder Law.
Stetson University College of Law will begin offering a study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa, starting in the summer of 2018.
The Cape Town, South Africa program is meant to educate, inform, and create a better understanding of the world of international human rights in the context of South Africa’s evolution from apartheid to democracy.
The program, July 5-Aug. 3, 2018, is open to law students, lawyers, and business professionals interested in studying abroad in South Africa. Law students and lawyers should have an active interest in international human rights law. Law students from foreign law schools are also eligible and invited to enroll in the program.
Applicants with disabilities or other special needs should contact the Office of International Programs at Stetson in advance to discuss arrangements.
(L-R): Taylor Greenberg and Ashleigh Thornton attended the Ms. JD Leadership Academy Class at Harvard. Photo courtesy Ashleigh Thornton.
Students Taylor Greenberg and Ashleigh Thornton were recently accepted for the Ms. JD Leadership Academy Class of 2017. Applicants were chosen from a pool of law school candidates around the country based on their demonstrated commitment to elevating the standing of women in the legal profession. A total of 45 law students were selected for the Leadership Academy.
Greenberg and Thornton attended an intensive one-day National Women’s Law Students Organization Leadership Academy workshop at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Sept. 23. Attorneys, thought leaders, and professional development professionals presented at the workshop on the experiences of women in leadership roles and developing the professional skills to become and support women in leadership positions.
“This was a unique opportunity to network with accomplished women law students from around the country,” said Greenberg. “I am proud to be a part of a group of women advancing ourselves in the field of law and working together to combat injustices women face. This conference gave me the courage and inspiration to keep fighting for equality not just for women in the legal field, but for women everywhere.”
“Ms. JD is an organization that proudly supports the professional growth and development of women, and I am so grateful to have been a part of the Academy’s inaugural class,” said Thornton. “Being surrounded by such a diverse group of leaders was a truly empowering experience. We had the opportunity to both learn from and network with a powerhouse of women — women who are inspiring change and making their mark in the legal community.”
The Ms. JD Leadership Academy served to create a national network of women’s law association leaders empowered to lead their law student organizations, leveraging ideas and inspiration from their new connections with other law student leaders. The Leadership Academy class provided participants with tools to develop the professional skills to help them succeed and serve in leadership positions beyond law school.
Greenberg is founding president of the Child Advocates of Stetson Law and a Guardian ad Litem, as well as a legal extern at the L. David Shear Children’s Law Center of Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. Thornton is a member of the Trial Team, treasurer of the Student Bar Association, vice-president of the Child Advocates of Stetson Law, and a national member of the Black Law Students Association.
Stetson University College of Law’s bar passage rates for graduates who took the July 2017 Florida Bar Examination for the first time is 76.8 percent, exceeding the 71.3 percent statewide pass rate for the majority of Florida law schools.
“At Stetson, our commitment for every student is a strong foundation upon which to prepare for and pass the bar. We will continue to work hard to ensure our students engage in a rigorous curriculum, comprehensive academic support, and specific bar-related programming to help our students be successful in law school and the practice of law,” said Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.
