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.
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 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.
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.
(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.
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.
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.
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 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/
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 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.”
Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law is offering a complimentary two-day training for defense attorneys and prosecutors who try capital cases.
“Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training” is being offered June 12-13 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, with a grant awarded to the Bureau of Justice Assistance by the U.S. Department of Justice, Capital Litigation Initiative.
The training focuses on issues related to forensic science that defense attorneys and prosecutors encounter including:
Forensic Science 101
Forensic Report Wording and Statistics
Digital Forensic Technologies
Challenging Evidence-Methodologies and Development of Optimal Strategies
Forensic Science Research
Forensics after the NAS Report
Discovery Material
Expert Witness
Preparing for Trial
Travel and lodging and transportation to and from the airport as well as an on-site per diem for attendees is covered by a grant, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training.
For the third year in a row, Stetson’s chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers has been honored as Student Chapter of the Year by FAWL.
(L-R): Kaitlyn Konecny (Stetson FAWL 2017-2018 president, 2016-2017 vice president); Chloe Wells ’17 (Stetson FAWL 2016-2017 president); Casey Burns (Stetson FAWL secretary); Julia Alley (Stetson FAWL treasurer); Natalie Yello ’17 Ms. JD Fellow. FAWLS partnered with Ms. JD and Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Law Student Division- Stetson Chapter for Women’s Week.
This year, FAWL spearheaded Stetson’s first Women’s Week which featured several programs focused on promoting and celebrating women on and off campus.
Stetson’s FAWL student president Chloe Wells also received the National Association of Women Lawyers award at Stetson law school’s Honors and Awards program on May12. She was named Student Organization Leader of the Year this year during the Student Organization Awards.
“This group continues to impress me with their collaboration, creative programming, and commitment to FAWL’s mission of promoting gender equality,” said Office of Career Development Associate Director Joann Grages Burnett, FAWL adviser at Stetson. “I am thrilled that they are once again recognized for their contributions to Stetson and the legal profession.”
Stetson’s chapter will receive its award during the summer FAWL Annual Gala at the Florida Bar’s annual convention on June 22 in Boca Raton.
Established in 2014, the award is presented annually to the FAWL student chapter that has most effectively created new programs, events, or services and/or expanded on traditional programs, events or services that further FAWL’s mission; provided programs, events or services that encourage and assist members to become leaders in the law school and in the community; sought and gained exposure and recognition in both the law school community and the community as a whole; promoted diversity in law school and/or in the community; successfully recruited new members; and consistently participated in the state FAWL organization by paying dues in a timely manner, having an active chapter representative, attending meetings and functions, encouraging volunteers for committees and offices, working well with other local chapters, and assisting with FAWL projects.
