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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

Joann Grages Burnett.
Joann Grages Burnett.

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.

Tammy Briant presented at AAUP.
Tammy Briant presented at AAUP.

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.
    (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.
    (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.
    (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.
    (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.
    (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.
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.
(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.

Stetson Law graduates are top Florida Super Lawyers

 

Stetson law school's Gulfport campus.
Stetson law school’s Gulfport campus.

Stetson University College of Law graduates are among the best lawyers in the state according to the 2017 Florida Super Lawyers.

Stetson Law is ranked no. 3 among the law schools with the most alumni selected to 2017 Florida Super Lawyers.

There is a total of more than 500 Stetson Law alumni Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars this year and more than 900 Stetson Law alumni selected by Super Lawyers across the country.

Stetson Law alumnus Christian D. Searcy is listed among the Top 10 2017 Florida Super Lawyers.

Stetson Law alumnae Barbara A. Hart, Emma Hemness, Cynthia A. Mikos, Lynn Welter Sherman, Caroline Black Sikorske and Katherine Earle Yanes are among the Top 50 Women 2017 Florida Super Lawyers.

Stetson Law alumni Robert Freedman, Mark Hanley, Barbara Hart, Emma Hemness, Luis Martinez-Monfort, Luis Prats, Caroline Black Sikorske and Katherine Earle Yanes are named to the Top 50 Tampa Bay 2017 Florida Super Lawyers.

Stetson Law alumni Jeptha Barbour, Stephen Busey, Mark Hanley, Barbara Hart, Emma Hemness, Christian Searcy, Caroline Black Sikorske, J. Ellsworth Summers Jr., and Katherine Earle Yanes are listed among the Top 100 2017 Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers magazine rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement through independent research, peer nominations and evaluations.

Read more here: http://www.superlawyers.com/florida/toplists.

International Programs assistant dean selected as AIEA presidential fellow

JR Swanegan.
JR Swanegan.

Stetson Law’s Assistant Dean of International Programs JR Swanegan has been selected by a committee of peers as an Association of International Education Administrators Presidential Fellow for the 2017-18 academic year.

The AIEA is a membership organization formed in November 1982, composed of institutional leaders engaged in advancing the international dimensions of higher education.

As an AIEA presidential fellow, Swanegan will be matched with a mentor to provide advice and consultation. He will spend several days during the upcoming fall and spring semesters visiting his mentor’s campus to learn about the policies, politics and procedures of the campus, meeting administrators and faculty, and immersing himself in the day-to-day activities of the institution.

Fellows learn how an experienced senior international officer and their institution address international education challenges and solve problems; participate in a campus site visit at a knowledgeable mentor’s institution; learn how national and international issues impact individual campuses; and become a member of a national network of fellows who serve as career resources.

“I am humbled and excited to spend the next year learning from one of the preeminent leaders in international education,” said Swanegan. “I intend to incorporate practices at Stetson to improve and expand our already outstanding programs.”

Stetson Veterans Law Institute director tapped for federal judgeship

Professor of Law Michael Allen.
Professor of Law Michael Allen.

Stetson University College of Law Veterans Law Institute director and Professor of Law Michael P. Allen has been selected by President Trump for a federal judgeship on the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims based in Washington, D.C. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Professor Allen is a renowned expert on the law of veterans’ benefits, and has testified before Congress and written widely on veterans’ benefits issues. Congress created the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in 1988 to hear appeals from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Before the court was created, veterans who were denied benefits did not have access to judicial review. Today, the court hears an average of between 4,000-5,000 appeals every year. The original seven-member court has expanded to nine. 

“I can’t imagine a greater honor than to be able to serve those who gave so much to protect our freedoms,” Professor Allen said. “It is incredibly humbling to be able to live out the exhortation of President Lincoln to care for those who have borne the battle.”

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. Professor Allen also directed Stetson’s internship programs at the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. He coached 15 student moot court teams during his time at Stetson. Along with Stetson alumnus Jason Stearns J.D. ’08, Professor Allen coached the Stetson student teams which won the National Veterans Moot Court Competition at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for four of the past eight years.

“Professor Allen has been a leader and a tremendous colleague at Stetson. For over 15 years, he has helped to transform Stetson as a law professor, associate dean, and mentor to so many students,” said Dean and Professor of Law Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. “He launched our Veterans Law Institute, has been a leading advocate for veterans, and I am certain that his work on behalf of veterans will have a profound influence as he joins the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Our entire Stetson family thanks him for his great work and we wish him success in this new role – a role in which he is destined to make great things happen.”

Several Stetson alumni, including Javier Centonzio J.D. ’12, LL.M. ’14, Veterans Law Judge and Board of Veterans’ Appeals member Angel S. Caracciolo J.D. ’03, Brian Redar J.D. ’06, and Daniel Smith J.D. ’08, have served as judicial law clerks with the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The court, based in Washington D.C., travels to law schools across the U.S. to educate people about the role of the court and the expanding area of veterans law. Former Stetson Professor of Law Robert N. Davis is presently serving as chief judge of the court.

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. In the past 10 years, the number of law school clinics across the U.S. helping veterans has expanded, exposing law students to the complex area of veterans law while helping veterans with legal issues.

“Professor Allen has been a tremendous force behind the growth of the Veterans Law Institute at Stetson and is responsible for Stetson’s emergence onto the national stage in the area of veterans law,” said Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, director of the Veterans Advocacy Clinic at Stetson. “Professor Allen has tirelessly educated veterans, communities, lawyers, judges, and even Capitol Hill on the issues that are important to our veterans. It is wonderful to know that he can continue to teach and mentor students while being a member of the court through clerkships and internships.”

Read more in the Washington Times: http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/7/donald-trump-nominates-new-slate-federal-judges/

 

Alumni named Florida Bar Leadership Academy fellows

Stetson law school's Crummer Courtyard.
Stetson law school’s Crummer Courtyard.

Stetson University College of Law alumni Wendy Fisher J.D. ’14, Giselle Girones J.D. ’16, Barbara Goiran J.D. ’93, Kimberly Hamill J.D./M.B.A. ’13, Melissa Madsen J.D. ’08 and Jennifer Salter J.D. ’10 have been named Florida Bar Leadership Academy fellows. The program aims to broaden diversity among leadership in the legal profession. The first Leadership Academy was started in 2013 and has graduated 211 participants to date, many who have obtained leadership positions in their communities and within the Bar.

Florida Bar President William J. Schifino, Jr., introduced the class, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and serve a variety of clients and communities. Women make up 74 percent of the class.

USF Sarasota-Manatee, Stetson launch admissions agreement

USF-Sarasota. Photo courtesy USF.
USF Sarasota-Manatee. Photo courtesy USF.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is unveiling a Direct Admission Program (DAP) this fall that offers qualified USFSM graduates direct entry into Stetson University College of Law.

Under an agreement between the institutions, USFSM students will be assured entry into Stetson after meeting certain prerequisites. Admitted students will also receive a scholarship throughout their studies at Stetson.

“We are thrilled to partner with Stetson College of Law on this opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Terry Osborn, interim regional chancellor for USFSM. “Providing pathways for our students to attend law school locally provides expanded access to potentially high-paying and rewarding careers for students throughout our region.”

 “At Stetson, we continue to create innovative ways to create partnerships and assist outstanding students as they prepare for their futures. This new agreement between Stetson and USFSM is a big step in creating a pathway for exceptional students to streamline their legal education,” said Stetson Law Dean Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz.

“USFSM graduates can seamlessly transition to Stetson Law, taking one step closer to successful academic and legal careers,” he said. “Stetson’s nationally top-ranked programs in trial advocacy, moot court, dispute resolution, and legal writing prepare our students with the skills they need to distinguish themselves as graduates. We look forward to working closely with USFSM students to help prepare them to become lawyers and leaders in our communities.”

The agreement, approved late last year, applies to any academic major at USF Sarasota-Manatee. To be accepted into the program, undergraduate students must complete at least 90 semester hours of coursework with at least 30 semester hours completed at USFSM.

Applicants must complete all requirements for a bachelor’s degree and achieve a minimum 3.3 grade point average in courses at USFSM. They must also earn a score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) of no less than the 50th percentile of the most recent class to matriculate into the College of Law.

Applications will be accepted Oct. 1 through May 1 in the academic year before the student intends to enter Stetson. For more information, contact the Stetson Law Office of Admissions and Student Financial Planning at [email protected].

“This is a great opportunity for USFSM graduates and we look forward to seeing students passionate about a career in the legal profession take advantage of this pathway,” Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Andrew Telatovich.

“With the scholarship component, we are also happy to see that it will help our students save money during law school,” he said. “We look forward to a great partnership and relationship with Stetson Law in the future.”

Dr. Jane Rose, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, said the college is well-suited to prepare students for post-graduate studies at Stetson.

“I am pleased that our College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences offers four majors that are nationally recognized as top choices for students planning to go to law school: English, History, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, and Criminology,” she said.

“Since these degrees are designed to enable students to pursue a minor in another field, they are great preparation for the LSAT exam, which requires breadth of knowledge in the liberal arts and social sciences,” Dr. Rose said. “We offer 12 minors for students to pursue, along with one of these majors. Students choosing to pursue a pre-law plan at USFSM will also have access to a staff mentor who is a licensed attorney with a Juris Doctorate degree.”

Media Contacts:

Contact: Charlie Terenzio

(941) 359-4319

[email protected]

Brandi Palmer

(727) 562-7381

[email protected]