News Archives - Page 50 of 138

Stetson presents Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy

Stetson University College of Law presented Joshua Karton, who specializes in teaching how to apply the communication skills of theatre, film and television to the art of trial advocacy, with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy on May 24 on the Gulfport campus. The award recognizes people who have fundamentally changed the way in which the world approaches the teaching of advocacy. Karton pioneered teaching the communication arts to lawyers.

(L-R): Joshua Karton with Professor Charles Rose during the Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills Conference. — (L-R): Joshua Karton with Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Charles Rose during the Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills Conference.

(L-R): Professor Liz Lippy, retired Justice David A. Erickson the recipient of last year's Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching in Advocacy, and Professor Charles Rose. — (L-R): Professor Liz Lippy, retired Justice David A. Erickson the recipient of last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching in Advocacy, and Professor Charles Rose.

American University Washington College of Law Professor Elizabeth L. Lippy received Stetson’s Edward D. Ohlbaum Award, which honors an individual whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession and the rule of law.

Both awards were presented in conjunction with Stetson’s Educating Advocates Teaching Advocacy Skills Conference on May 23-26.

The annual Educating Advocates conference invites professors, lawyers and legal practitioners from across the country to spend two and one-half intensive days learning the Stetson method of advocacy, developing their teaching skills, and networking with renowned advocacy instructors.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Teaching Skills: Building the 21st Century Law School-One Student, One Skill, One Moment at a Time,” and included a special Teacher Advocacy Training Session. Stetson’s renowned trial advocacy program consistently ranks at the top among law schools around the country in the U.S. News & World Report.

Stetson offers webinar on balancing Title IX with academic freedom

Stetson University College of Law is offering a webinar for higher education professionals on balancing Title IX compliance with academic freedom on June 13 from 2-3 p.m. Webinar attendees will take away practical tips to create a safe and enriching learning environment through Title IX compliance and response systems while protecting and promoting academic freedom.

Professor Peter Lake frequently presents on higher education law and policy issues.

Stetson’s Charles A. Dana Chair and Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy Peter F. Lake will present on topics including:

evaluating Title IX policies and procedures with respect to First Amendment requirements;
making specific improvements on instructional design and delivery;
understanding the interrelation of OCR’s Title IX Guidance with the 2003 guidance on hate speech;
effective training initiatives for Title IX investigators and others on “hostile environment”;
and improving communication with faculty about new and emerging Title IX mandates.

Professor Lake is an internationally-recognized expert on higher education law and policy and the co-author of The Rights and Responsibilities of the Modern University: The Rise of the Facilitator University.

The webinar cost is $299. To register, visit https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventId=1844854.

For more information, call 727-562-7392 or email [email protected].

Stetson offers special sea turtle course for graduate students this summer

Stetson University College of Law has been awarded a grant by the Sea Turtle Grants Program to offer a special course on Sea Turtle Law and Policy this summer on its Gulfport, Florida, campus for law students and graduate students who are pursuing degrees in marine science, environmental science, or environmental policy.

Hawksbill Turtle. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

The one-credit, three-day course, “Topics in Biodiversity Law: Sea Turtles,” is being offered through Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy on Aug. 26–28.

The special course will educate law and other graduate students about threats to sea turtles and the local, state, national, and international legal and policy framework to protect them. A guided visit to Fort De Soto Park will be part of the course.

Scholarships funded by the Sea Turtle Grants Program are available to cover the cost of the course for five law students and five environmental graduate students.

Learn more about registering for the course and applying for scholarships by visiting the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy’s website: https://www.stetson.edu/law/biodiversity/.

The scholarships are funded by the grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org.

Eckerd students can earn direct admission to Stetson law school, scholarships

Starting in the fall, high-performing Eckerd College students, including students and graduates of Eckerd’s Program for Experienced Learners, can earn direct admission to Stetson law school.

Eckerd College's Fox Quad. — Eckerd College’s Fox Quad.

The partnership with Stetson University will also offer $15,000 or more in scholarship opportunities to accepted Eckerd College students based on qualifications and credentials.

Through the new program, eligible Eckerd College students who have completed coursework requirements for their bachelor’s degrees and have competitive grades and scores on the Law School Admissions Test may apply and be accepted to law school at Stetson University in their senior year.

Stetson Law school's Crummer Courtyard. — Stetson Law school’s Crummer Courtyard.

“This new direct admission agreement between Stetson University’s College of Law and Eckerd will offer wonderful opportunities for Eckerd College graduates. We look forward to a growing and flourishing relationship with Stetson Law,” said Suzan Harrison, Eckerd College’s Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

“This new partnership makes it possible for Eckerd College students who are passionate about advocacy to seamlessly transition into law school,” said Dean and Professor of Law Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.

“Student advocates can make a natural transition from Eckerd to Stetson law school,” said Dean Pietruszkiewicz. “Eckerd’s academic strengths in the natural sciences dovetail into Stetson’s international leadership in environmental law.”

A private, coeducational college of liberal arts and sciences related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Eckerd College has a diverse student body with 1,800 students from 48 states and 40 countries and is one of only 40 schools listed in Loren Pope’s Colleges That Change Lives. In 2003, Eckerd became one of the youngest colleges to receive a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

Home to the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, Stetson regularly hosts the finals of the International Environmental Moot Court Competition and the International Wildlife Law Conference that unites student advocates from around the world and features speakers from across the planet, as well as the Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series that brings key environmental advocates to the law school campus.

Stetson law school is ranked No. 1 in Trial Advocacy and No. 3 in Legal Writing in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Stetson offers certificates of concentration for J.D. students in the areas of advocacy, elder law, environmental law, international law and social justice advocacy.

Read more about the new program in the Tampa Bay Times.

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Media Contacts:

Brandi Palmer

Stetson Communications Office

(727) 562-7381

Robbyn M. Hopewell

Eckerd Media Relations

(727) 864-7978

Have you ever been inside a crime lab? Stetson and University of Tennessee offer free webinar training May 25

Have you ever been inside a crime laboratory? You now have the opportunity, thanks to a partnership between Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law and the Law Enforcement Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service.

“Crime Lab Essentials,” the second free webinar in the Capital Litigation Initiative: Crime Scene to Courtroom Forensics Training series funded by the US Department of Justice, will take you inside the state-of-the-art Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory.

The webinar developed for prosecutors and defense attorneys working on capital cases will be available from 12- 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25.

Visit https://stetsonuniversitycollegeo.regfox.com/crime-scene-webinar-2-bja to register.

The “Crime Lab Essentials” webinar features a tour of the crime lab conducted by forensic scientists that covers five forensic disciplines: latent prints, firearms, forensic biology (DNA), drug identification and toxicology. After describing a mock crime, forensic scientists from the crime laboratory will demonstrate a behind-the-scenes, step-by-step look at laboratory analysis and report writing.

Webinar panelists include Director of Stetson’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law, Professor Carol Henderson; Director of the Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory Ann Talbot; and attorney Christine Funk.

The “Crime Lab Essentials” webinar training will also discuss quality assurance, laboratory errors, chain of custody and evidence security.

The webinar is part of an eight-part series that educates lawyers about using forensic science in death penalty cases, from evaluating the crime scene to defending or prosecuting death penalty cases in court.

Attendees who complete the series will be eligible for free CLE credits.

For more information, contact Stetson’s Office of Professional Education at 727-562-7898 or email [email protected].

Best for career opportunities: Stetson’s LL.M.

The International Jurist magazine article, “The Best LL.M. programs,” by Sherry Karabin, lists Stetson’s LL.M. program among the top nine law school programs in the country for career opportunities. The article focused on international students coming to the U.S. for an LL.M. degree.

Last year's LL.M. in International Law graduates gather for a photo during commencement in May. — Last year’s LL.M. in International Law graduates gather with international programs staff for a photo during commencement in May.

Stetson University’s law school in Gulfport, Florida, is also listed among the best places for foreign attorneys from South America, offering a location with fellow students and a large community from the region.

JR Swanegan, Stetson’s director of international programs, described career development seminars and workshops that focus on networking and interviewing skills, and a career development team on the law school campus that helps students with “honing their resumes and cover letters in ways that attract international and U.S. employers.”

Stetson is home to the LL.M. in International Law, as well as LL.M. programs in elder law and advocacy that offer classes online.

Stetson’s May graduating class includes 12 LL.M. in Advocacy, four LL.M. in Elder Law and 10 LL.M. in International Law students.

To learn more about the LL.M. programs offered at Stetson University, visit https://www.stetson.edu/llm.

Stetson among nation’s most diverse law schools, according to preLaw

Stetson law school ranks No. 20 among the nation’s most diverse law schools, according to the spring 2016 issue of preLaw.

(L-R): Students and Darnesha Carter practice for a moot court competition. — (L-R): Stetson law school students Evan Dix and May Valedictorian Darnesha Carter practice for a moot court competition.

The article, “The most diverse law schools,” by Rebecca Larsen, examines the definition of diversity and what makes a diverse law school. A study referenced in the article by Texas A&M University School of Law’s director of program development Jack Manhire lists Stetson among the top 20 law schools by the country’s diversity. Manhire looked at how well student bodies represent the target population of law school applicants, using data from the American Bar Association and U.S. Census Bureau for his study.

Stetson law is home to diverse student organizations, interscholastic activities and competitions. Among the 2015 entering J.D. class at Stetson are 27.7 percent minority and 54.6 percent female students. Students range in age from 20-57 and represent 25 states and 83 colleges and universities. More than half of all new J.D. students in the class receive scholarships.

Culverhouse legacy of giving benefits Stetson law school students

When Joy McCann Culverhouse died on April 26 in Tampa, she left a legacy that will benefit Stetson University College of Law students for years to come.

(L-R): The late Joy McCann Culverhouse with Wm. Reece Smith Jr. at the dedication of the Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Courtroom at the Tampa Law Center in 2004.

A gift from Culverhouse through the Joy McCann Foundation funds the annual Inns of Court Banquet and William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture for students. The Inns of Court program, which has its roots in the English mentoring program for barristers, presents students at Stetson law school with an opportunity to interact with prominent lawyers on current topics in the law and ethics.

“While the entire Stetson community mourns the passing of Mrs. Culverhouse, we also celebrate the permanent legacy that her philanthropic generosity has provided for past, present and future generations of Stetson students,” said Assistant Dean for Alumni & Development Kevin Hughes. “Gifts from Mrs. Culverhouse and the Joy McCann Foundation have had a demonstrable impact in enhancing the quality of a Stetson law education.”

Giving from the Joy McCann Foundation has supported a variety of key initiatives at Stetson law school. A gift from the Foundation in 2004 established the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professorship Endowment, currently held by Professor Judith Scully, co-director of Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy Certificate of Concentration program. The Foundation has also provided support of the Stetson Law General Scholarship Fund and programs for the Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

Students from the Philippines win International Environmental Moot Court Competition at Stetson Law

The winning International Environmental Moot Court Team is from the University of San Carlos in the Philippines.

A team of students from the University of San Carlos, Cebu, in the Philippines, won the 20th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition on April 16 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida. For two decades, students from across the globe have honed their skills as environmental advocates in the annual competition. The runner-up was the University of the Philippines College of Law.

This year, students presented arguments on whether an ambassador should be prosecuted for illegal ivory smuggling and whether the confiscated ivory should be returned to the country of origin as cultural property.

Regional competitions were held in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Teams of students from Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Ireland, Kenya, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United States participated in the international finals this year at Stetson law school.

Students from the University of Nairobi won the Spirit of Stetson Award. The team from the University of San Carlos also won Best Memorial, with National Law University, Jodhpur, India winning the second-best memorial. Mark Lawrence Badayos of the University of San Carlos was named Best Oralist in the final round.

Final round judges were Wil Burns, founder and editor-in-chief emeritus of the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, Elizabeth Gitari of Kenyan non-governmental organization WildlifeDirect, and Marceil Yeater, the former chief, legal affairs and trade policy, Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

This year’s final round of the competition was held in conjunction with the International Wildlife Law Conference at Stetson law school. Attendees from around the world addressed topics including hunting, fishing, and other impacts on wildlife, as well as connections and collaborations across multilateral environmental agreements.

View the photos from the event here:

Stetson alumni to lead nation’s top elder law associations

Stetson University College of Law LL.M. in Elder Law alumna Catherine Seal was sworn in as the new president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys during the annual NAELA conference, April 7-9 in Denver, Colorado.

Seal LL.M.’08 will become president of NAELA on June 1. NAELA is a professional association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to an aging population. Seal, who received the first LL.M. in Elder Law awarded by Stetson University, is the past-president of the Colorado Chapter of NAELA and is one of only a handful of attorneys in Colorado designated as a certified elder law attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation.

H. Todd Whatley LL.M.’09 will become president of NELF in June. Whatley has led the Elder Law Practice of H. Todd Whatley since 1999, which serves elders throughout the state of Arkansas. Whatley is one of only three certified elder law attorneys in Arkansas.

Whatley’s term as president of NELF will be followed by another Stetson alumnus, Amos Goodall LL.M ’09, who will become president-elect in June. Goodall has served on the NAELA board of directors, is a certified elder law attorney, a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and a member of the Special Needs Alliance.

Stetson’s LL.M. in Elder Law program, directed by Professor of Law Roberta Flowers, offers attorneys online curriculum to advance their legal education in the growing field of elder law.

“Catherine, Todd and Amos will lead NAELA and NELF with distinction,” said Professor Flowers. “We are very proud that our alumni continue to distinguish themselves nationally as leaders in the area of elder law. But most importantly we know that they serve their clients effectively and compassionately using the skills and training they received in our LL.M. program.”

Professor Flowers co-directs Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law with Professor Rebecca Morgan, a recent recipient of the NELF Award for Excellence in Elder Law.

The Center for Excellence in Elder Law was established at Stetson to meet the increasing need for legal education and research in the field of law and aging. To learn more about Stetson’s LL.M. in Elder Law program, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/elder/llm/.

For more information about the Center for Excellence in Elder Law, contact [email protected] or call 727-562-7393.

First-place team: Stetson wins Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Moot Court Competition

Stetson University College of Law students won the 31st Annual Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Moot Court Competition on April 2 at Brooklyn Law School in New York.

(L-R): Brittany Cover, Jeremy Rill and Kristina Hartman.

The Stetson team of Brittany Cover, Kristina Hartman and Jeremy Rill won rounds against teams from the University of Florida, Wayne State, Michigan State, Louisiana State, Georgetown and the University of Tennessee.

Stetson’s team also won the award for the Best Brief, and Rill was named Best Oralist in the final round. Thirty-six teams participated in the competition.

The competition provides law students from across the nation the opportunity to write and argue evidentiary issues at the intersections of technology, constitutional law and the Federal Rules of Evidence.

“Once again our students have proved that they have developed the practical skills they will need to be attorneys,” said Professor of Legal Skills and Associate Director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy Brooke Bowman, moot court advisor at Stetson. “We are proud of our students and Stetson’s continued dedication to preparing our students to be top-notch advocates.”

Professors Bowman and Roberta Flowers coached the team.

Washington Post reporter Robert Barnes speaks on “The Politicalization of the Supreme Court”

Washington Post reporter and editor Robert Barnes delivered the Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Lecture at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, on April 1. He spoke to an audience of more than 100 law students, professors and staff at Stetson on the topic of “The Politicalization of the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Barnes has reported for the Post since 1987, covering beats ranging from national politics to the Supreme Court.

Robert Barnes spoke at Stetson on April 1. Photo by SeanCarlo Lopez.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Director of the Veterans Law Institute Michael P. Allen introduced Barnes.

Barnes’ talk focused on the impact of the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and Washington politics regarding the recent nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The addition of a new justice creates an entirely new body,” said Barnes. “The same can be said of the loss.”

Barnes discussed the makeup of the Court after the death of Justice Scalia and the possibility of dramatic impacts to the Court in the cases that it accepts and hears as well as shifts in the Court’s style and jurisprudence.

Barnes has been a Washington Post reporter and editor since 1987. He has covered political reporting since 2005 and the Supreme Court since November 2006. Barnes joined the Post to cover politics and has served in a variety of roles including national political editor, deputy national editor in charge of domestic coverage including the Supreme Court, and metropolitan editor.

“It’s good to be back in my home state, especially Pinellas County where I met my wife at the Clearwater Sun,” said Barnes.

A native of Pensacola, Florida, before joining the Washington Post, Barnes worked for the now-defunct Clearwater Sun, the Associated Press and the St. Petersburg Times (now renamed the Tampa Bay Times). Barnes gave up plans for law school for a life in newspapers after discovering journalism at the University of Florida.

The Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Series was established in 1995 to enrich academic life at Stetson. The series’ namesake is Perry Nichols, among the nation’s most successful trial lawyers and past president of both the American Trial Lawyers Association and International Trial Lawyers Association. Previous lecturers include prominent business leaders, government officials, legal scholars and practitioners.