News Archives - Page 43 of 138

Campus Update

Friday, Sept. 15, 11:31 a.m.: Power is now restored at both the Gulfport campus and the Tampa Law Center. It will take us a little while to get back up and running, cool the buildings, and bring up all IT systems (including VPN, file servers and WiFi). We will be opening campus at noon today for students, staff, and faculty. Except for our facilities staff and public safety staff, we expect to have minimal staff on campus so please be patient. The Tampa Law Center remains open. As a reminder, all classes and activities at the Gulfport campus and the Tampa campus remain cancelled through Sunday; we will do our best to have everything ready for the resumption of classes on Monday.

We will reopen our dorms at 2:00 p.m. today. We are aware that a few of our Stetson-owned houses are still without power — please check with Duke Energy about their expectation for the restoration of service. We did have one complication — a roof in F wing collapsed between F302 and F303 and our staff is cleaning up the debris to ensure safety. There are no structural issues that will impede the opening of campus at noon (dorms at 2:00 p.m.)

As you have read from my updates, our facilities staff and our public safety officers have been simply extraordinary in preparing for Hurricane Irma and ensuring the campus would be ready for your return. If you see them, please say thank you.

As a reminder, the events for next week if you are interested —

Tuesday 9/19 — Breakfast Without Irma. Everyone (students, faculty, staff) is welcome (Crummer Courtyard from 8:45 – 10:15 a.m.)
Tuesday 9/19 — Faculty and staff meeting (update on Irma and its impact on campus; academic calendar for the remainder of the semester; answer questions) (Great Hall at noon)
Wednesday 9/20 – Student meeting (update on Irma and its impact on campus; academic calendar for the remainder of the semester; answer questions (Great Hall at noon)
Tuesday 9/26 – Faculty meeting rescheduled

Thursday, Sept. 14: 6:03 p.m.: The Gulfport campus still does not have power. We have two alternatives that we fully expect will take place tomorrow. Duke Energy fixes power — they have promised by midnight Friday night. If that happens, all is good. Alternatively, we have generators on campus that we have been running intermittently to accomplish three priorities — making sure that our systems are ready for when Duke Energy restores power, keeping freezers and refrigeration for food services at acceptable levels, and keeping as much humidity out of our buildings as possible, especially the library because books don’t like humidity.

The issue is that generators run on fuel and getting a fuel delivery has been a struggle. We have been promised a fuel delivery tomorrow (Friday) — that will allow us to run our generators more frequently, particularly if we can expect commitments for further fuel deliveries. That doesn’t make “all is good” but it makes it “all is better.”

I am sure that you have many questions, so here is the plan for when everyone is back on campus on next week. Please stop by if you are interested —

Tuesday 9/19 — Breakfast Without Irma. Everyone (students, faculty, staff) is welcome
(Crummer Courtyard from 8:45 – 10:15 a.m.)

Tuesday 9/19 — Faculty and staff meeting (update on Irma and its impact on campus; academic calendar for the remainder of the semester; answer questions)
(Great Hall at noon)

Wednesday 9/20 – Student meeting (update on Irma and its impact on campus; academic calendar for the remainder of the semester; answer questions
(Great Hall at noon)

Tuesday 9/26 – Faculty meeting rescheduled

Next update by 3:00 p.m. Friday.

Thursday, Sept. 14: 11:24 p.m.: Power has been restored to the Tampa Law Center — it is open and operational. Today, the Tampa Law Center will be open from 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Beginning tomorrow, the Tampa Law Center will be open during its normal business hours — 6:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and seven days a week. There will be limited technical support and our Public Safety Officer will be there during operating hours. The Tampa Law Center also has internet and WiFi, although not the faculty/staff network. To use WiFi on our Tampa campus, please use the Stetson Guest Network.

There is still no power in Gulfport, and no internet or phones.

There are no classes or activities in Tampa or Gulfport through Sunday. Classes and activities will resume on Monday, September 18 on both the Gulfport campus and the Tampa campus.

Next update by 6:00 p.m. Thursday.

Wednesday, Sept. 13: 5:15 p.m.: Stetson Law still has no power, no internet, and no phone service. We have been making significant progress on campus including the continuation of debris cleanup, removal of downed trees, verification that our chiller plants will be fully operational once power is restored, and testing of our IT infrastructure. The good news is all is good.

Still no timetable on the restoration of power — and we have been talking with Duke Energy continuously since Irma moved north.

Next update by 1:00 p.m. Thursday.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: 4:49 p.m.: We understand that Duke Energy, our service provider in St. Petersburg and Gulfport, continues to work on emergency services including police and fire departments, emergency operations centers, hospitals and nursing homes. At this point, they have not yet provided an estimated time for restoration of power, although we hear that they have committed to providing an estimated time for restoration in more detail later tonight.

As I mentioned in prior updates, we cannot resume classes and cannot open campus until power is restored. As a result, all classes and activities are cancelled through Sunday, Sept. 18 including weekend classes scheduled for this weekend. We are very confident that classes will resume on Monday, Sept. 18 and ask our faculty, staff and students to plan for a full resumption of operations on Monday.

We are currently working through the logistics for our academic schedule and expect to provide an update to our community as soon as possible. We certainly expect to provide an update to our community as soon as possible. We certainly expect to utilize the two hurricane days currently built into our academic calendar-Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

At this time, power and Internet has still not been restored to campus and, as a result, we cannot yet open our campus or our dorms. We will continue to have our emergency facilities staff and public safety officers on campus but ask that our faculty, staff, and students not return until we let you know. If you need to reach our Public Safety Office, the temporary emergency phone number is 727-420-3611.

We are planning a welcome back “Breakfast Without Irma” (and yes, there will be coffee) for all students, faculty and staff on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 8:45 a.m.-10:15 a.m. in the Crummer Courtyard-please stop by to share your Irma stories.

Next update at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Tuesday, Sept. 12: 12:04 p.m.: Both our Gulfport and Tampa campuses are without power and without Internet capabilities with no timetable about when power will be restored. We have learned that there are over 300 intersections in Pinellas County with traffic lights that are not operational and more than 200 deputies are helping with traffic control.

It is difficult to determine the number of power outages but we believe over 600,000 in Pinellas County and over 1.3 million that Duke Energy services (including Stetson). We know that their priority is hospitals and other emergency services. Our emergency team has been on campus all morning clearing debris and checking offices. All looks very good and we look like a campus again.

We cannot ask our faculty, staff, and students to return safely without power. We also understand that many in our Stetson community have evacuated to other parts of Florida and beyond. Providing our community with enough time to return safely is a priority.

Today by 5 p.m., we will make a decision about whether to resume classes on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Monday, Sept. 11: 3:22 p.m.: After walking the grounds of campus in Gulfport, our campus fared much better than expected from Hurricane Irma. The very good news is that we had a few trees down and there does not appear to be any structural damage or water intrusion. There is no power (or Internet) on campus in either Gulfport or Tampa and we do not yet have an estimate from Duke Energy when our power will be restored.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, our emergency personnel will be back on campus to clear debris and ensure the safety of our campuses. While we are in very good shape, please do not yet return to campus. We will remain closed through Wednesday and expect to make an assessment for the opening of campus and the resumption of classes as soon as possible.

If you live in the Rosa Apartments, there appears to be no damage and there is power (at least for now). Some of our houses have power and some do not. If you have evacuated the area, please check with Duke Energy before returning. Finally, our dorms remain closed until at least Thursday morning. Should circumstances change, we will let you know as soon as possible.

We will provide another update by 8 p.m. tonight.

Finally, we hope Hurricane Irma has not disrupted your lives dramatically but we know that for some it has been devastating. Stetson is a strong community and we will care for each other. As the hours and days pass, we will do all that we can to help.

With our best wishes to you and your families.

Sunday, Sept. 10: 11:45 a.m.: In light of the severe impact that Hurricane Irma will have on the Tampa Bay area and the difficulties of many that will be trying to return to our area, all classes and activities at the College of Law (Gulfport and Tampa) are cancelled at least through Wednesday, Sept. 13. After the storm passes, we will be back in touch with further updates.

Be safe — our thoughts and prayers are with you — and your families.

Friday, Sept. 8: 12:08 p.m.: Based on the track of Hurricane Irma, the likely impact of the storm on the Tampa Bay area on Sunday and Monday, and the mandatory and voluntary evacuations in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, all classes and activities at the College of Law (Gulfport and Tampa) are cancelled on Monday. We will continue to monitor the storm and its impact on our campuses and will update you as the weekend progresses about when we will expect to resume classes and open our campuses. As a reminder, the cancellation of classes on Monday also means you are not expected to attend local off-campus externships and clinics.

As you prepare for the storm, please know that there are a number of shelter locations published by Pinellas County including two shelters in Gulfport, Boca Ciega High School and Gulfport Elementary School, as well as a number in St. Petersburg including shelters that welcome pets. The Stetson University College of Law is not designated as a shelter for individuals or pets.

Pinellas County Public Shelter List: http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/shelters.htm

If you have not done so, I encourage you to download the Ready Pinellas App and register for text messages from the College of Law through My Stetson.

We will be communicating with you by text message, email, and the Stetson College of Law home page. Should you have any additional questions, please contact our Office of Public Safety at 727-343-1262 or [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus when we are safely able to do so.
Our thoughts are with you — and your families.

Wednesday, Sept. 6: 3:43 p.m.: After consulting with state and local officials, all classes and activities at the College of Law (Gulfport and Tampa) are cancelled on Thursday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 10 including the weekend classes. The current College of Law policy includes local off-campus externships and clinics in a cancellation of classes. As a result, students are not expected to attend their externships or clinics. Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally in terms of communicating with supervisors and professors so that assignments are completed and hours fulfilled.

We will provide an update about classes on Monday when we have a better indication of the path of Hurricane Irma and will do our best to provide as much notice as possible.

The Gulfport and Tampa campuses will be closed beginning on Thursday at noon and will remain closed through Sunday.

Importantly, safety remains our highest priority. In the event that conditions create individual difficulties for our non-emergency staff on Thursday, staff should please work with their supervisors and our Office of Human Resources. Because of anticipated power outages and emergency procedures, dorm students should be prepared to evacuate — our Student Affairs/International Programs staff will be reaching out to students soon.

As you prepare for the storm, please know that there are a number of shelter locations published by Pinellas County including two shelters in Gulfport, Boca Ciega High School and Gulfport Elementary School as well as a number in St. Petersburg including shelters that welcome pets. The Stetson University College of Law is not designated as a shelter for individuals or pets.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/shelters.htm

If you have not done so, I encourage you to download the Ready Pinellas App and register for text messages from the College of Law through My Stetson.

We will be communicating with you by text message, email, and the Stetson College of Law home page. Should you have any additional questions, please contact our Office of Public Safety at 727-343-1262 or [email protected].

Wednesday, Sept. 6: 11:57 a.m.: We continue to monitor Hurricane Irma, along with state and local officials. There have been a number of developments since yesterday. The hurricane cone provides a likely path of the storm and the path or cone is more narrow or predictable the closer to the eye of the storm. Because of the eye of the storm will likely move onshore on Sunday, the current cone with potential impact to Florida is remains large.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at1+shtml/145752.shtml?gm_track

While the cone encompasses all of Florida, many of the spaghetti models that predict the actual storm track have shifted further east — this is good for the Tampa Bay area.

http://www.wtsp.com/weather/spaghetti-tracks-east

There will be further updates by the National Hurricane Center and the Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center this afternoon. With that information, we will make a decision about classes and campus closure for Thursday and Friday no later than 5:30 p.m. today.

Importantly, safety remains our highest priority. In the event that weather conditions create individual difficulties for students, please work with your professor and Dean Rozelle. At this time, our class attendance policies continue to apply. In the event that the weather conditions create individual difficulties for employees, please work with your supervisor and our Office of Human Resources.

As you prepare for the storm, please know that there are a number of shelter locations published by Pinellas County including two shelters in Gulfport, Boca Ciega High School and Gulfport Elementary School as well as a number in St. Petersburg including shelters that welcome pets. The Stetson University College of Law is not designated as a shelter for individuals or pets.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/shelters.htm

If you have not done so, I encourage you to download the Ready Pinellas App.

Finally, thank you for registering and updating your emergency contact information on the My Stetson page — our test yesterday was very successful. Should you have any additional questions, please contact our Office of Public Safety at 727-343-1262 or [email protected]. We plan to post another update this afternoon.

Tuesday, Sept. 5: 11:28 a.m.: At present, we are actively monitoring Hurricane Irma, a very strong Category 5 hurricane, and will continue to do so, recognizing that movements of hurricanes are very difficult to predict. In the next day or so, we will have a better idea of the path of the storm. At that time, we will be in a position to make a decision about class cancellation and law school closure. We expect to make a decision as soon as possible to provide our students, faculty, and staff with the necessary time to make individual decisions about preparation for the storm and/or evacuation. At present, it appears that any effect in the Tampa Bay area would principally take place this weekend — we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as appropriate. Any changes to the College of Law schedule will be noted on the school’s website in addition to email and text communications.

You can find current information about Irma’s predicted path at the National Hurricane Center and we urge you to monitor developments over the next few days. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?cone.

Now would be an excellent time to ensure that you are prepared. You can find information about hurricane preparedness at this link on the College of Law’s website: https://www.stetson.edu/law/communications/preparedness/home/index.php and also on the Pinellas County Emergency Management website — http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/.

In the event that there are significant issues with a storm, communication becomes increasingly important. Text messages will serve as a primary source of information and can be more reliable method of communication. The College of Law created an emergency text system. Please register now. Registration information is below from our Public Safety Office —

As the storm develops we will communicate with you in a variety of ways, the most important method being the Stetson Hatter Alert Emergency Notification System. This Emergency Notification System is used to keep individuals informed during emergency situations as it pertains to Stetson University and the various campuses. When a situation requires immediate attention, recipients will receive a phone call, a text message, and an email. If you have not registered to receive emergency notifications from Stetson, we strongly urge you to do so now.

In addition to the Emergency Notification System, the following means of communication may also be used:

Onsite Indoor-Outdoor Emergency Notification Speakers
Website via our Campus Docket announcements, which is available to the Stetson community and general public
Messages on class cancellation hot line (727-562-7816)

To register or update your enrollment in the Stetson Hatter Alert Emergency Notification System, a link can be found in myStetson within the Personal tab. You will be prompted to enter your contact information.

Here, you can provide a phone number and a number to receive texts (they can be the same). Please ensure that, when enrolling in SMS/Text alerts, a cell phone number is used. Your Stetson email will automatically be linked to this system (please note that registration or updates take one hour to sync with the Emergency Notification System).

We expect to run a test of the Emergency Text System at 4 p.m. today (Tuesday, Sept. 5) — you should receive a text message if you are registered.

If you have any questions or do not receive a text message and you have registered, please contact our Office of Public Safety at [email protected] or 727-343-1262 .

We will provide further updates as necessary.

Stetson hosts half-day CLE seminar for attorneys on the appeals process

Stetson University College of Law is hosting a half-day appellate practice CLE seminar for attorneys on Nov. 3 at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for in-person registration, with the program beginning at 9:05 a.m. and concluding at 12 p.m.

Attorney Keith Upson will provide attorneys with a roadmap for navigating the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure and Appellate Procedure during the seminar on “Florida Criminal Counsel’s Continuing Obligations After Sentencing.”

An application has been submitted to the Florida Bar for 3.5 CLE hours.

To register, and for more information on registration fees and the agenda, please visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/conferences/.

Senate confirms Stetson Veterans Law Institute director for federal judgeship

The U.S. Senate confirmed Stetson University College of Law Veterans Law Institute director and Professor of Law Michael P. Allen as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims based in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 3.

Professor Allen is a renowned expert on the law of veterans’ benefits, and has testified before Congress and written widely on veterans’ benefits issues.

“I have to acknowledge the thousands of students I’ve taught at Stetson University College of Law,” Allen told the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs during the hearing on his nomination on July 19 in Washington, D.C. “I can assure you that they’ve given me far more than I ever taught them.”

Allen has served in a variety of roles at Stetson since 2001, receiving numerous awards for excellence in scholarship and teaching as a professor for 16 years and as an associate dean for four years, overseeing both academic affairs and faculty and strategic initiatives.

Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, founded in 2012, serves to increase legal services available to the growing population of military members, veterans and their families in the Tampa Bay, Florida, region by bringing together volunteers, faculty, students and other community organizations. Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic, as part of the Institute, provides representation to Tampa Bay area veterans appealing decisions denying Veterans Administration disability benefits.

Stetson Law alumnus James M. Byrne J.D. ’95 was confirmed as Department of Veterans Affairs general counsel on Aug. 3.

Carmen Johnson is new Pinellas Florida Association for Women Lawyers president

Carmen Johnson Assistant Director for Admissions and Diversity Initiatives. — Carmen Johnson is Assistant Director for Admissions and Diversity Initiatives.

Stetson Law Assistant Director for Admissions and Diversity Initiatives Carmen Johnson was installed as the new president of the Pinellas chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers on July 20 in Clearwater. She served previously as president-elect and secretary and for a two-year term as director of Continuing Legal Education with PFAWL.

She is a member of the Florida Bar’s Education Law Committee as well as the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and previously served as secretary of the Fred G. Minnis, Sr. Bar Association. She is passionate about higher education administration and education law and policy.

At Stetson, Johnson works with admission compliance policies, recruiting, and diversity initiatives.

She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami and her law degree from Stetson University College of Law. After graduating from Stetson, Johnson worked in complex civil litigation in Tallahassee, Florida, and later served as a staff attorney with the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida where she practiced criminal and post-conviction law.

Visiting Professor Carla Reyes joins Harvard center focused on using digital technologies for social good

Stetson University Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Carla Reyes has recently been named a faculty associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

The Center addresses issues at the intersection of technology and society with a focus on the design and use of digital technologies for the social good.

In December, Professor Reyes spoke in Mexico and in Africa on using cutting-edge technologies like Bitcoin to promote economic, social and cultural rights and to reshape the law. She presented at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum in Mexico on Dec. 8 and at the Kenya Blockchain Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, Dec. 15-16.

At Stetson, Professor Reyes is teaching Business Entities in the fall, and Secured Transactions and Non-Litigation Drafting: Technology Transactions Skills in the spring.

“The skills course will use a bitcoin company hypothetical and introduce students to the issues presented and skills required of attorneys working with technology start-ups,” Professor Reyes explained.

She presented her article, “Conceptualizing Cryptolaw,” forthcoming in the Nebraska Law Review, at Arizona State University’s Governance of Emerging Technology Conference in May, and presented on blockchain technology and business organization law at the University of Utah’s National Business Law Scholars Conference in June. Professor Reyes travels to Bermuda at the end of this month for a joint COALA-MIT blockchain conference.

Professor Luz Nagle speaks around the world in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica

Professor Luz Nagle presented in Canada. — Professor Luz Nagle (left) presented in Canada.

Professor of Law Luz Nagle spoke at universities around the world on topics ranging from transborder crime and corruption to creating inclusive institutions and societies.

In Canada, Nagle spoke on “Transborder Crime, Corruption, and the Collusion of Latin America’s Elites,” at a conference on Transnational Criminal Law in the Americas hosted by the University of Windsor Law School in Ontario, Canada. She joined scholars who traveled from countries including Argentina, Canada, Chile, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK, the U.S. and the West Indies to join the conference May 4-5 sponsored by the Transnational Law and Justice Network.

“The conference was situated in the border city of Windsor, Ontario, the most highly trafficked land border in North America,” said Professor Nagle. “The University of Windsor was an ideal space for such a conversation.”

On May 23, Nagle gave two presentations in Brazil at the University of Sao Judas Faculty of Law to lawyers and students. She presented in the morning at the Butantan campus on “Embracing Diversity to Create Institutions that Improve Inclusiveness in Societies,” in a session with Catholic University of Pernambuco Professor Carolina Valença. Dean Fernando Aguilar summarized the presentation and directed questions. Professor Nagle’s presentation was translated into both Spanish and Portuguese.

In the evening, she gave the same presentation to an auditorium of more than 300 people on the University’s Mooca campus.

Professor Nagle also spoke in Costa Rica on illegal organ trafficking and exploitation, discussing the ongoing case of a Costa Rican doctor and medical clinic engaged in international organ trafficking with an Israeli organ broker. Her presentation was the subject of a feature in La Nación.

She was also invited to join a distinguished group of experts and academics at Washington University Law School in St. Louis to discuss integrating international criminal court jurisprudence more firmly in U.S. law school curriculums.

This summer, Professor Nagle will publish her book on the nexus of public and private corruption in human trafficking, and issues involving the conduct of human trafficking NGOs.

The new book, “Understanding Human Trafficking, Corruption and the Optics of Misconduct in the Public, Private and NGO Sectors: Processes for Solutions,” published by Carolina Academic Press, comes out at the end of the summer.

Career development leader appointed to ABA Young Lawyers Division senior leadership team

Stetson University College of Law Associate Director of Career Development Joann Grages Burnett was recently appointed to the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division senior leadership team.

Burnett is the professional development coordinator of the ABA Young Lawyers Division for the 2017-18 term.

At Stetson, Burnett specializes in employer engagement and readiness for students and alumni and oversees postgraduate judicial clerkship initiatives. Prior to joining career development at Stetson, Burnett practiced law as an assistant public defender for the 6th Judicial Circuit where she handled misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony cases.

She is a member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, the Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, and a member of the Stetson University College of Law Alumni Association.

Student affairs leader presents on “Exploration of past protest to inform current advocacy”

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs/Deputy Title IX Coordinator and adjunct professor Tammy Briant presented on “Exploration of past protest to inform current advocacy” at the American Association of University Professors national conference meeting in Washington, D.C.

Briant, who teaches Stetson’s course on Law and the Civil Rights Movement, said that she looked at the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement that might be applied to current campus advocacy for her presentation.

She co-presented with University of Iowa Professor David McCartney who discussed a website created to highlight Iowa and the University of Iowa’s participation in the Civil Rights Movement.

The conference included presentations about the First Amendment on campus, the right to protest, academic freedom, and supporting students from diverse backgrounds.

Stetson presents awards to alumni and friends at Florida Bar Convention

Stetson University College of Law presented awards to alumni and friends during the annual Florida Bar Convention June 21-24 in Boca Raton, Florida.

(L-R): Dr. Jay Wolfson with Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.

Dr. Jay Wolfson J.D. ’93 received this year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his professional achievements which have brought honor to himself and to the College of Law. Dr. Wolfson is the associate vice president for Health Law, Policy and Safety and the senior associate dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. He is also a national health policy consultant to several news organizations. A founding board member of HealthNewsFlorida.com, Dr. Wolfson maintains a private health law practice where he won the largest Medicare fraud and abuse settlement involving a single physician in history.

(L-R): Jonathan Gilbert with Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.

Jonathan Gilbert J.D. ’08 received this year’s Outstanding Alumni Representative Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association though local chapter involvement. Gilbert is actively involved with Stetson Law’s Central Florida Alumni Chapter leadership committee, where he has helped grow the chapter, inviting other Stetson alumni to participate and hosting an alumni event at his law firm Colling, Gilbert, Wright & Carter in Orlando.

(L-R): Frank Klim with Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.

Frank Klim received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his many contributions supporting the mission of Stetson University College of Law. Klim created Stetson Law’s communications office, serving as executive director for more than 15 years before retiring from Stetson this year to launch an integrated marketing firm serving higher education and business. At Stetson, Klim oversaw all external communications and was instrumental in building Stetson’s reputation in the legal community and securing recognition for Stetson students, professors and alumni. He spent the first decade of his career as an award-winning journalist. Klim later created his own full-service marketing communications firm before being recruited to direct marketing for a large Florida-based firm.

(L-R): Cynthia Henderson with Dean Christopher Pietruszkiwicz.

Cynthia Henderson B.B.A. ’82, J.D. ’85 received the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award in recognition of her continued support of Stetson University College of Law through her contributions of time and gifts. Henderson practiced land use and environmental law before serving as secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and then as secretary of the Department of Management Services in Florida. She currently works as a lawyer and lobbyist in Tallahassee and supports the College of Law though her generous contributions of time and gifts.

(L-R): Chris Searcy with Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.

Chris Searcy J.D. ’73 received the Ben Willard Award in recognition of his humanitarian achievements that have brought distinction to himself and Stetson University College of Law. Searcy is the president and CEO of one of the nation’s most respected personal injury law practices, Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley. He has devoted his more than 40-year career to representing and litigating on behalf of the victims and families of catastrophic injury and wrongful death. At the age of 29, Searcy became the youngest U.S. lawyer to achieve a verdict of one million dollars for a single personal injury case. He has been awarded the Florida Justice Association’s Perry Nichols Award for outstanding service to the cause of justice and the Southern Trial Lawyers Association “War Horse Award” for outstanding skill as a trial advocate. Searcy serves as an emeritus member of the Board of Overseers.

More than 100 Stetson Law alumni listed among Florida Trend Legal Elite

May 2017 commencement at Stetson University College of Law.

More than 100 Stetson University College of Law alumni have been selected for the Florida Trend Legal Elite and Up & Comers this year. Stetson Law is again among the top five Legal Elite law schools this year, according to Florida Trend.

Among the 118 Stetson Law alumni named to the Florida Trend Legal Elite and Up & Comers, three graduates of Stetson Law, Stephen D. Busey, Mark A. Hanley and Rhea F. Law, have been selected as distinguished members of the Legal Elite Hall of Fame. Five Stetson Law graduates, Pamela K. Akin, Stephanie Grosman, Nancy S. Meyer, Cynthia S. Oster, and Alexis C. Upton were named among outstanding attorneys working in the government sector.

Now in its 14th year, Florida Trend Legal Elite annually announces attorneys recognized by their peers for exemplifying a standard of excellence.

All in-state members of the Florida Bar were invited to participate in voting for attorneys whom they hold in the highest regard or would recommend to others.

This year’s Florida Trend Legal Elite and Up & Comers represent fewer than 1.5 percent of the active Florida Bar members who practice in Florida.

Stetson wins 2017 Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition

(L-R): Students Ali Preston, Christina Huckfeldt and Kris Galloway with Florida Supreme Court justices. Photo courtesy Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division.

Stetson University College of Law’s moot court team won the 2017 Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition on June 22 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Stetson Law students Kris Galloway, Christina Huckfeldt and Ali Preston argued before the justices of the Florida Supreme Court during the final round of the competition, held in conjunction with the annual Florida Bar Conference.

Galloway also won the Best Oralist Award in the final round.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our students to polish their advocacy skills before attorneys and members of the judiciary,” said Stetson Professor of Legal Skills and Moot Court Director Brooke Bowman.

Moot Court alumna and Biodiversity Fellow Erin Okuno J.D. ’13 co-coached the winning team with Professor Bowman.

Stetson teams have advanced to the final round of the Orseck competition 14 times in the past 18 years.

A+ for Best Law School Experience: Stetson’s LL.M. in International Law

The latest issue of the International Jurist magazine gives Stetson University College of Law’s LL.M. in International Law program a grade A+ for Best Law School Experience in the Best LL.M. Programs issue.

Only a dozen schools received an A+ around the country. LL.M. programs that made the grade focused on more than just academics.

The International Jurist magazine looked at eight factors in grading schools for the law school experience. Four factors focused on student participation in activities like clinics and experiential training opportunities, law journals, extracurricular offerings and excursions. Another factor considered whether an office or dedicated staff was assigned to assist LL.M. students. Three factors focused on transitioning and whether schools help students adjust to the U.S., provide mentors and opportunities to meet U.S. students.

As writer Katie Thisdell explains, “for many students, assimilating to a new culture will be the biggest and most immediate challenge.”

Stetson’s LL.M. in International Law program was launched in 1998. In 2016, Stetson’s LL.M. in International Law program was also recognized by International Jurist magazine as one of the best LL.M. programs for career opportunities.

For more information, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/international/llm/index.php.