News Archives - Page 54 of 138

FEC Chair Discusses Campaign Financing with Students

Ann Ravel, chair of the Federal Election Commission (pictured center) with student organization leaders (l-r): Allison Dhand, Elizabeth Britzke, Jessica Maugeri, and Kristina Hartman.

The 2016 presidential campaign is expected by many political insiders to generate a record $10 billion in spending. Congress created the Federal Election Commission after “Watergate” to regulate campaign financing.

On Nov, 3, Ann Ravel, chair of the FEC, spoke to law students at Stetson University College of Law about campaign financing and the rise of super PACs.

Ravel said that Americans are losing faith in their ability to create change by using the election process. “A major concern for our representative democracy is that the youth is not voting, contributing or involved in politics,” said Ravel.

The chair of the bipartisan FEC commission blames the struggle in part on the balance in power between the wealthy and the middle class, citing a major decline in what she calls “smaller pocket donors.”

Ravel said that her major concern in the election process is that few people are being heard and only a select portion of society is making new policy. “Ultimately we will end up with a permanent class of outsiders who are not involved in government and that is problematic for the country.”

Ravel was nominated to the FEC by President Obama on June 21, 2013. She has served as an elected governor on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California, member of the Judicial Council of the State of California, and chair of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. In 2007, the State Bar of California named her “Public Attorney of the Year” for her contributions to public service. Ravel received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Stetson hosts “Lawyers Without Rights” international history exhibit on impact of Nazi regime on Jewish lawyers

Stetson University College of Law is hosting the international historical exhibit “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich” on the third floor of Stetson’s Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library on the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S. The traveling exhibit has been shown in close to 100 cities in Germany, the U.S. and around the world.

Professor Ann Piccard addressed a crowd of more than 30. Photo by SeanCarlo Lopez.

Stetson Law Professor Ann M. Piccard, secretary of the Leadership Board for the Florida Holocaust Museum, discussed the exhibit on Nov. 5 on the third floor of Stetson’s law library in Gulfport. More than 30 people attended.

Professor Piccard teaches international poverty law; a seminar on law, literature, and film; and research and writing. Professor Piccard joined Stetson’s faculty in August 1999. She completed an LL.M. degree, with distinction, from the University of London, concentrating in the area of international human rights law.

The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular hours through Nov. 19.

Stetson’s Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Visitor parking is available adjacent to the library and in Stetson Law’s main parking lot located at 61st St. S. and 22nd Ave. S. in Gulfport.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to bring this incredible exhibit to Stetson,” said Stetson Jewish Law Student Association President Patrick Iyampillai. “We hope that members of the public will have a chance to visit the exhibit as it stops in Tampa Bay during its travel around the world.”

Stetson Law students tour the exhibit, "Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich." — (L-R): Stetson Law students (background) Andi Kasimati, Patrick Iyampillai and (foreground) Samantha Grizzle tour the exhibit, “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich.”

The exhibit was researched and produced by the German Federal Bar based in Berlin, Germany.

It features a series of canvas panels printed with photographs and text chronicling how Jewish lawyers and judges lost their jobs and rights as German citizens during the Nazi dictatorship. Some of the lawyers featured in the exhibit left the country after the Nazis came to power, and others were incarcerated or killed.

The Jewish Law Student Association at Stetson Law brought the exhibit to Stetson, sponsored by the American Bar Association and German Federal Bar.

27 Years: From wrongful incarceration to exoneration

Norris Henderson spent 27 years behind bars at one of the country’s most violent prisons in the country, the notorious Louisiana State Prison at Angola, which sits on the site of a former slave plantation.

Norris Henderson, exonerated after more than 27 years in Angola prison, spoke with Stetson Law students Oct. 28. Photo by Karun Rivero. — Norris Henderson, exonerated after more than 27 years in prison, spoke with Stetson Law students Oct. 28. Photo by Karun Rivero.

In 1977, Henderson was wrongly accused and convicted of second-degree murder. After his case was appealed, Henderson was released in 2003. He has since dedicated his life to helping others.

On Oct. 28, Henderson shared his incredible story with students in Stetson University College of Law’s Innocence Initiative.

Henderson was introduced by Professor Judith Scully, the Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law and co-director of Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy program. “There are good people in this world and then there are extraordinary people. Our speaker today is extraordinary.”

In one breath, Henderson summed up his experience in Angola, “Bad experience, good results.” While incarcerated, he was the prison librarian for two decades, learning the law while helping fellow inmates with similar legal challenges. He also earned a degree in computer technology while behind bars.

Henderson shared his first-hand experience of racism and brutality in the criminal justice system. He urged the law students to never give up and never lose hope. He encouraged them to work within their communities and to fight against any type of injustice.

Today, Henderson continues his role as an advocate for criminal justice reform. He has created a number of non-profit organizations to provide a variety of services, including programs to help families of incarcerated individuals. He has been honored nationally for his community and civic service.

Dudley, Schaub newest members of Stetson Hall of Fame

Stetson University College of Law inducted two extraordinary alumni into its Hall of Fame on Oct. 24. Hall of Fame inductees are selected for having a profound and positive impact on Stetson Law and the legal profession. This year’s inductees include:

Fred Dudley JD ’68 is a board certified construction lawyer with almost five decades of experience in construction and real estate law. This acclaimed lawyer served 16 years in the Florida Legislature, retiring from the Florida Senate in 1998, where he served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and vice-chair of the Appropriations Committee. Dudley has received numerous awards for his countless contributions to his community, to his profession and to Stetson University College of Law. He served on the Stetson Board of Overseers for six years and is the recipient of Stetson’s Ben C. Willard Award for humanitarian achievements of distinction.

View a video about Dudley.

Fred Schaub ’84 is the felony division director at the State Attorney’s Office in Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit. He has prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases from misdemeanors to murder cases, complex racketeering cases and corrupt public officials. The governor of Florida appointed him as a special assistant state attorney to handle a grand jury case addressing claims of mistreatment of Florida prisoners.

Schaub played a key role in establishing Stetson Law’s national ranking in trial advocacy when he took over the law school’s prosecution clinic and trial advocacy program. Under his leadership, Stetson became the first law school to win all five national trial competitions. He continues to serve Stetson as an adjunct professor and with the Pinellas County prosecution clinic.

View a video about Schaub.

Stetson University, University of Tennessee launch new online course: Locating, Evaluating and Selecting Expert Witnesses

A new online continuing legal education course offered by Stetson University and the University of Tennessee trains lawyers, law enforcement professionals, and forensic science specialists on locating, evaluating and selecting expert witnesses.

Stetson University College of Law’s National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law has partnered with the Law Enforcement Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service to launch the new online CLE course: Locating, Evaluating and Selecting Expert Witnesses.

“This training is crucial to anyone working with expert witnesses,” said Professor Carol Henderson, course leader and founding director of the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law.

Professor Henderson is an international authority on forensic science and the law and is past president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and present co-chair of the Life & Physical Sciences Division of the American Bar Association’s Science & Technology Law Section.

The course, designed to include video and multimedia elements, will focus on factors that influence the selection of an expert, the importance of investigating an expert’s credentials, making informed decisions on expert credibility, legal standards of scientific evidence admissibility, and attorneys’ ethics in dealing with experts.

The course also includes training on the use of the Clearinghouse database at NCSTL.org, visited by more than one million visitors from 170 countries for scientific evidence research. The course has been approved for 3.5 general CLE credits and .5 CLE ethics credits, 3.5 Peace Officer Standards and Training credits (P.O.S.T.) and one American Board of Criminalistics reaccreditation credit.

For more information, contact Stetson’s Office of Professional Education at 727-562-7898.

Student drive collects more than a thousand books for area youth

The first Stetson Law Review book drive, the week of Oct. 19 in Gulfport, collected more than one thousand books to donate to local children and teens.

Leda Franklin considers the best books to take home for herself and friends. Photo by Marissa Marchena.

“Law Review decided to participate in a book drive this year because we wanted to encourage the love of reading in our local community,” said second-year student Nicole Zaworska. “As future lawyers, reading is central to our profession. So we thought, what better way to encourage reading than a book giveaway?”

Daughter Kyla and mother Yalonda Tensett collect books at the Gulfport Public Library. Photo by Marissa Marchena.

Zaworska added that the book drive exceeded all expectations.

“Throughout the week, we received hundreds of donations from students on campus,” said Zaworska. “A final count of all the books revealed that we collected over a thousand books.”

Stetson students presented the books during a special event at the Gulfport Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The Stetson Law Review students collected hundreds of books for children and teens. Photo by Marissa Marchena. — The Stetson Law Review students collected more than one thousand books for children and teens. Photo by Marissa Marchena.

The Stetson Law Review members collected books. Photo by Marissa Marchena. — The Stetson Law Review members distributed books at the Gulfport Public Library on Saturday. Photo by Marissa Marchena.

Racial disparity? Panel presents on race and the law

(L-R): Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law Judith Scully, Jamie Klapholz, Laila Abdelaziz and Thania Clevenger. Photo by SeanCarlo Lopez.

On Oct. 14, a panel at Stetson Law presented on racial disparity and the law.

In April, a Tampa Bay Times story that received public outrage and national attention revealed that Tampa, Florida, police were disproportionately issuing tickets to people riding bicycles in poor, black neighborhoods.

On Thursday evening on Stetson’s Gulfport campus, members of the CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) organization, Legislative and Government Affairs Director Laila Abdelaziz, Civil Rights Director Thania Clevenger and attorney Jamie Klapholz discussed how laws are applied to people of differing races in the U.S.

Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law Judith Scully moderated the discussion.

The panel at Stetson was sponsored by the Stetson Law Dream Defenders, The Pillars, the Black Law Students Association, the Social Justice Advocacy program and the Wm. Reece Smith Jr. chair.

Stetson celebrates Pride scholarships

On the evening of Oct. 23, the Stetson Law community gathered on the Gulfport campus to celebrate the Pride scholarship recipients at a reception in the Mann Lounge.

(L-R): Michele Hintson JD '02 with Professor Jason Palmer at the Pride Scholarship celebration. — (L-R): Michele Hintson JD ’02 with Professor Jason Palmer at the Pride Scholarship celebration.

Faculty at Stetson joined the Pride Scholarship committee to support law students who participate in extracurricular activities and services related to LGBTQIA issues.

In conjunction with the Pride scholarship reception, the Florida Association of LGBT Lawyers & Allies and LGBT Bar Association of Tampa Bay, Inc. presented the OUT of the Closet and IN Your Office conference on Oct. 23-24 on Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

The conference, now in its fourth year, focused on the law related to LGBT issues including presentations on marriage equality; HIV/AIDS, disability and social security; transgender considerations, domestic violence, exploitation and sex trafficking; family formation and dissolution in same-sex marriages. It featured renowned presenters on a variety of topics for LGBT lawyers and lawyers serving LGBT clients.

Professor Ellen Podgor with Thomas Adams JD '14 at the Pride Scholarship reception. — Professor Ellen Podgor with Thomas Adams JD ’14 at the Pride Scholarship reception.

To learn more about scholarship programs at Stetson Law, visit Admissions.

To learn more about giving to Stetson, call 727-562-7818 or e-mail [email protected].

Aspiring advocates: Stetson’s PAD Opening Statement Competition names new champions

(L-R): Third place winner Ethan Dunn, first place winner Ayodale Tan, and second place winner Eric Ross. Photo by Alexis Petrosino.

Stetson University College of Law’s Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Opening Statement Competition named new winners on Oct. 23 in Gulfport.

The winners were announced Friday evening in the Eleazer Courtroom. First place was awarded to Ayodale Tan, second place to Eric Ross, and third place to Ethan Dunn.

The competition is open to first-year law students at Stetson who have not yet taken evidence or advocacy courses.

Why should biological diversity matter? The Bat Man of Mexico has some ideas

Dr. Rodrigo A. Medellín, a senior professor of ecology at the National University of Mexico known as the “Bat Man of Mexico,” spoke Thursday afternoon, Oct. 22, on Stetson’s Gulfport campus. His presentation on “How to Do Conservation Science, Implement It, and Not Die Trying” was part of Stetson’s public Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture series. Dr. Medellín is the past president of the Society for the Conservation of Biology.

Dr. Rodrigo Medellín spoke at Stetson Law on Oct. 22.

“There are a few messages that I hope that students are going to get,” Dr. Medellín said. “Number one is that biological diversity is an absolute need for everyone’s lives right now. Number two: they have a stake in it and they have something to do about it. They can easily get engaged in improving the situation where biodiversity loss is happening. And three: use the messages of the lecture for everyday life: thinking outside of the box, getting out of your comfort zone, getting engaged with politicians. I think with those messages, the lecture is going to be well rounded so that people know what to do and that they can actually have fun in the process.”

Stetson’s Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture series brings distinguished speakers to campus to discuss a wide range of environmental issues. The Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson regularly hosts international speakers and conferences and coordinates courses, seminars and internships on topics including wetland law and policy, environmental law, natural resources and international environmental law.

For more information, visit www.stetson.edu/law/international/biodiversity.

Stetson’s Special Needs Trust Conference draws hundreds of practitioners

Stetson University College of Law’s 17th Special Needs Trusts-The National Conference drew hundreds of attendees to the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club on Oct. 14-16.

Stetson's Special Needs Trusts Conference brought hundreds to the Vinoy. — Stetson’s Special Needs Trusts Conference brought hundreds to the Vinoy.

“The information from speakers, colleagues, and materials that I get at this conference are an absolute necessity for me to learn and stay up to date for my special needs counseling and trust practice,” said Neal A. Winston of the Winston Law Group, LLC, in Massachusetts. “Just one day back from the conference, an out-of-state personal injury attorney called me about a trust necessary for internet crowdfunding involving a tragic injury. I pulled up the outline from this year’s materials and confidently started the work.”

The conference provided current information and practice tips for attorneys and other professionals engaged in special needs planning.

“This area of law is quite complex and this conference provides an intensive educational experience for those working with individuals who have special needs,” said Stetson Professor of Law Rebecca C. Morgan.

Professor Rebecca Morgan, director of the Center for Excellence in Elder Law, spoke at the national conference. — Professor Rebecca Morgan, co-director of the Center for Excellence in Elder Law, spoke at the national conference.

Nationally recognized speakers presented on basic and advanced topics for professionals working in the field of special needs planning. Conference presenters spoke on topical issues including the Affordable Health Care Act, estate and gift taxes, IRAs and qualified pension plans.

Stetson is a national leader in elder law, offering both a certificate of concentration in elder law and an online LL.M. in elder law.

For more information, visit Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law.

Does good management matter? Leadership luncheon explores the role of management in leadership

Bryan Rotella of the Rotella Legal Group spoke at Stetson's Leadership Development Luncheon. — Bryan Rotella of the Rotella Legal Group spoke at Stetson’s Leadership Development Luncheon.

Stetson’s Student Leadership Development Committee sponsored an Oct. 14 luncheon for students featuring Bryan Rotella speaking on management as a pillar of leadership.

Rotella is the founder and managing shareholder of the Rotella Legal Group where he serves as general counsel to several companies in the healthcare industry and leads a team of two attorneys, two law clerks, and a legal assistant. The firm provides an alternative to traditional in house corporate counsel.

Rotella started his career clerking for the Masry & Vititoe law firm best known from the film “Erin Brokovich.” He spent close to a decade in litigation.

Students received a Leadership Certificate for participating in the program. The Leadership Luncheon series brings distinguished speakers to Stetson’s Gulfport campus.