News Archives - Page 61 of 138

Stetson’s J.D./M.B.A. students place in Global Top 25

Students in Stetson University’s J.D./M.B.A. program recently placed among the Global Top 25 in the GLO-BUS global simulation competition. Stetson J.D./M.B.A. students participated in GLO-BUS as part of their capstone management course.

“Through the use of tools like the GLO-BUS simulation in our capstone course, students are able not only to integrate the functional expertise in business and law they have acquired during their tenure at Stetson University but also to experience the dynamic effect of their recommendations,” said Stetson Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in the Stetson School of Business Administration Yiorgos Bakamitsos, Ph.D.

Two teams of Stetson students made the GLO-BUS Global Top 25 list for the week of Jan. 19-25. Each week, the best-performing GLO-BUS companies are recognized in the Global Top 25. A total of 309 teams from 30 colleges and universities participated in the GLO-BUS simulation world-wide.

Stetson students Daniele Amico, Alex Simser and Jocelyn Skipper made the Global Top 25 list by achieving a 35.6 Return of Equity. Stetson students Christine Krohn and Andrew Pardun made the Global Top 25 list by achieving an overall score of 107.

“The J.D./M.B.A. program demonstrates that students are becoming prepared for both the practice of law and the business of the practice of law,” said Stetson Law Dean Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz.

Students who complete the J.D./M.B.A. program at Stetson receive both an M.B.A. degree from the Stetson University School of Business Administration and a J.D. degree from the College of Law. Both degrees can be completed within three years, including one summer.

For more information about dual and joint degrees offered at Stetson, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/offices/registrar/dual-degree-programs.php.

Faculty papers top the charts for clinical law education

Three faculty papers by Stetson Law professors were recently listed among the Social Science Research Network’s Top Ten download list for: Clinical Law Teaching & Practice eJournal.

Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, director of Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic, wrote the fifth-ranked paper, “Lightening the VA’s Rucksack: A Proposal for Higher Education Medical-Legal Partnerships to Assist the VA in Efficiently and Accurately Granting Veterans Disability Compensation.” Professor Simcox teaches in the areas of veterans benefits law, administrative law, and legal skills. She joined Stetson in July 2014 from William & Mary Law School, where she founded the nationally recognized Lewis B. Puller Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic.

Professor Cynthia Batt, director of clinical education and associate director or Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, co-authored and authored both the sixth and eighth most downloaded papers, “Incorporating Experiential Education Throughout the Curriculum” and “A Practice Continuum: Integrating Experiential Education into the Curriculum.” Professor Batt’s paper, “Delivering Effective Education in Externship Programs (From Building on Best Practices),” is also listed on the SSRN Top Ten download list. In addition to directing clinical education at Stetson, Professor Batt teaches Professional Responsibility; Business Ethics; Law, Ethics and Film; and Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation. Her scholarship explores experiential education and legal education reform.

The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) provides access to specialized research networks in each of the social sciences.

Students published in Bloomberg BNA

Stetson Law school students clerking in the Gassman Law Associates firm in Clearwater were recently published in Bloomberg BNA. Travis Arango and Dena Daniels co-authored an article with attorney Alan S. Gassman.

“We were recently given the opportunity to write an article about the Bifani case. This case was chosen because our office focuses primarily on estate law and this set of facts was somewhat new and exciting in this area,” said Arango.

“Mr. Gassman has provided opportunities for us to publish several articles for his firm’s publications as well as other journals,” Daniels explained. The students have also been published in Leimberg Information Services.

The article explores Florida rulings regarding the fraudulent transfer of homestead to avoid repaying debt.

“It is exciting to be considered published and I look forward to having other opportunities to collaborate with Dena and Mr. Gassman,” said Arango, who wants to start a career in federal law enforcement. “The clerkship has helped with my communication skills, the ability to work with a team to accomplish a goal, and my ability to handle multiple tasks at once.”

Read the complete article in BNA: http://www.bna.com/down-upon-bifani-n17179922576/

Read more articles co-authored by Arango and Daniels: http://gassmanlawassociates.com/thursday-report-3-6-2014-bp-5th-circuit-dec-much/ and http://gassmanlawassociates.com/thursday-report-10-9-14/.

Learn more about career opportunities for students by visiting Stetson’s Career Development Office.

Stetson hosts Inclusion Summit

On Feb. 6, Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, hosted a daylong event, “ Inclusion Summit: Developing Cultural Competence.” The summit was designed to help foster an energized workplace, retain top talent and develop best practices for making inclusion a reality.

Verna Myers was the keynote speaker at Stetson's Inclusion Summit. — Verna Myers was the keynote speaker at Stetson’s Inclusion Summit.

Vernā Myers, a nationally recognized expert on diversity and inclusion, provided the keynote.

The one-day summit featured Myers and opening speaker President and Publisher of Florida Trend Andrew Corty, PNC Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Marsha Jones and PNC Bank Relationship Banker Ashley Brundage, FordHarrison Regional Managing Partner Tracey Jaensch J.D. ’91 as well as other national and regional thought leaders.

Stetson Law Dean and Professor of Law Christopher Pietruszkiewicz introduced the program, spearheaded by Director for Career Development Cathy Martin.

Summit sessions invited participants to develop key cultural competency skills.

Watch a video with Inclusion Summit speakers:

Stetson hosts Study Abroad Fair

Stetson University College of Law hosted a Study Abroad Fair on the Gulfport campus on Feb. 4.

Students learned more about options to study abroad on Feb. 4 in Gulfport. Photo by Amadu Wiltshire.

Stetson offers summer study abroad programs in Argentina, China, England, Spain and The Netherlands. Stetson also offers an Autumn in London, fall intersession in the Cayman Islands, and spring break in Cuba.

Aaron Pitts, an LL.M. student at Stetson who is from Australia, said, “International education has truly broadened my horizons.”

The deadline for students to apply for summer programs in March 1. The applications deadline for the Autumn in London program is June 1.

Visit Stetson’s Study Abroad page to learn more.

Social Justice Luncheon: What is Equal Justice?

Stetson University College of Law’s Social Justice Luncheon Feb. 4 on the Gulfport campus asked “What is Equal Justice?”

Judge Michelle T. Morley J.D. ’86, circuit judge for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida, led a discussion for Stetson Law students about the meaning of equal justice within the modern judiciary.

(L-R): Professor Judith Scully, Judge Michelle T. Morley and Professor Robert Bickel. Photo by Brittany Brochard.

The William Reece Smith Jr. Fund and the Social Justice Advocacy Program co-sponsor Stetson Law’s Social Justice Luncheon Series. Lectures in the series are designed to encourage participants to think critically about the historical context of social justice issues while focusing on current social and economic justice challenges and the interdisciplinary thought and leadership skills necessary for meeting such challenges.

Professors Judith Scully and Robert Bickel co-direct Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy Certificate of Concentration program.

Students volunteer, plant tree at Boyd Hill

Stetson University College of Law’s Jewish Law Student Association took time to plant a tree and help clean up Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg on Feb. 4. The students spent four hours volunteering at the park. The event honored the Jewish holiday of Tu B’shevat, or the “New Year of the Trees.” Traditionally, the holiday celebrates ecological awareness and trees are planted in celebration.

Stetson's Jewish Law Society volunteered at Boyd Hill. — Stetson’s Jewish Law Society students Patrick Iyampillai, Danielle Breiter, Evan Sidman, Scott Hayden, Diana Lott, Mitchell Levine and Sarah Gottlieb volunteered at Boyd Hill. Photo by Scott Hayden.

“Student Evan Sidman did most of the planning for the event with the park rangers,” said Jewish Law Student Association president Scott Hayden. “We would like to go out and do it again.”

Professors’ new book unveils the anatomy of legal writing

A groundbreaking new book by Stetson professors Catherine J. Cameron and Lance N. Long explores The Science Behind the Art of Legal Writing.

The newly released book uses empirical research to show what good legal writing is and why it works. Carolina Academic Press published the book as a resource for law students and legal professionals. A review of the book was published in the Law Library Journal.

“Neither of us knew of a book that explained why our legal writing students should write the way we teach them to write,” said Professor Cameron. “This is the first legal writing text that takes a scientific approach to that question. We hope this book will give law students and practitioners a better understanding of the reasons behind legal writing conventions so that they can make better informed decisions about their writing.”

Professor Cameron teaches and researches in the areas of legal writing and media law. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a master’s degree in mass communications, and a law degree from the University of Florida. Professor Cameron worked for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a non-profit organization that specializes in media law issues in Washington, D.C., where she filed amicus briefs in high-profile cases affecting the media, including two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. News media frequently quote her expertise on First Amendment issues.

Professor Long ‘s scholarship focuses on empirical analyses of language patterns in appellate briefs and opinions. He recently received national media attention for his most recent co-authored article, “When Justices (Subconsciously) Attack: The Theory of Argumentative Threat and the Supreme Court,” which analyzes differences between the language used by Supreme Court justices in majority and dissenting opinions. Professor Long earned his law degree from Brigham Young University.

Stetson consistently ranks among the top legal writing programs in the country and is home to the Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication. The institute’s training programs provide instruction to lawyers, judges, and other professionals to improve their legal communication skills.

Stetson hosted a Legal Writing Academy on Jan. 30 at the Tampa Law Center on Persuasive Legal Writing: What Every Lawyer Should Know.

Stetson presents Bob Dillinger with public service award

Stetson University College of Law presented this year’s prestigious William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award to Bob Dillinger JD ’76, who has served for 18 years as Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. This year’s award was presented at the annual Inns of Court Banquet and William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in St. Petersburg on Jan. 28.

Bob Dillinger received this year's William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award . — Bob Dillinger received this year’s William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award .

As an assistant public defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Dillinger served on the Capital Crimes Defense team and was instrumental in publishing Florida’s first comprehensive death penalty training manual for defense attorneys. He first ran for the Public Defender’s Office in 1996 and has been continuously reelected to the position ever since.

Stetson established the William Reece Smith Jr. Award in 1990 to honor outstanding contributions to public service, the justice system and the community. The late legendary Florida lawyer William Reece Smith Jr., past president of the International, American, and Florida Bar Associations, was the award’s first recipient and its namesake. Smith served for decades as a distinguished professorial lecturer at Stetson and was a member of the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame, Board of Overseers, and Stetson University Board of Trustees.

Jonathan Rapping, founder and president of Gideon’s Promise, presented the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture at the event. Gideon’s Promise is a nationally recognized organization that works to inspire and train legal professionals to provide high-quality defense representation to those unable to afford an attorney.

Students take a walk in the wetlands during winter break course

Students in Professor Royal Gardner’s winter break course took a walk through a cypress swamp and camped in the Western Everglades earlier this month. Stetson offered the intersessional course, “Topics in Biodiversity Law: The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands,” Jan. 5-9.

Stetson Law students walked through wetlands, camped in the Western Everglades as part of winter break course on biodiversity law. — Stetson Law students walked through wetlands in Big Cypress National Preserve as part of a winter break course on biodiversity law. Photo by 3L Joshua Moses.

Students in the course learned about the international efforts to protect wetlands, including the swamps, bogs, marshes and other aquatic ecosystems that provide habitat to endangered species and multiple benefits to people.

“Very few law school classes can actually take you outside of the classroom to get your feet dirty in a place existing largely due to the laws working to protect it,” said student Joshua Moses.

Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy and an expert in wetlands policy, taught the class.

Professor Gardner is presently chair of the Ramsar Convention’s scientific advisory body. He has participated in Ramsar meetings across the globe: in Canada, Korea, Mexico, Oman, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Uganda and the United States. The Ramsar Convention is an environmental treaty with 168 countries that promotes the conservation of wetlands worldwide.

Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy serves as an interdisciplinary focal point for education, research and service activities related to global, regional and local biodiversity issues. The institute coordinates courses, seminars and internships on a variety of topics, including wetland law and policy, environmental law, natural resources and international environmental law.

Stetson wins national moot court, arbitration championships

Stetson won the Andrews Kurth National Moot Court Championship and the ABA Law Student National Arbitration Competition this weekend.

The invitation-only Andrews Kurth National Moot Court Competition determines the 16 “best of the best” moot court programs in the United States. Stetson’s team of Nick Sellars, Melaina Tryon and Giovanni Giarratana won the final round on Jan. 24 at the University of Houston Law Center, and Tryon also won Best Oralist. Professor Brooke Bowman and Erin Okuno ’13 co-coached the team.

L-R: Melaina Tryon (Best Oralist), Nick Sellars, and Giovanni Giarratana.

Stetson and the University of Missouri both won championships at the ABA Law Student National Arbitration Competition on Jan. 24 in Chicago. The 40-team competition was designed to produce two sets of champions. Stetson students Lauren Eliopoulos, Alexandria Lewis, Andrew Tuttle and Jennifer Wilson won over a second Stetson team of Chelsea Johnson, Ashley Petefish, Kristy Rowsey and Scott Tolliver in the finals. Professors Kelly Feeley and Roberta Flowers co-coached Stetson’s teams.

Also this weekend, Stetson student Phylicia Pearson was named best advocate at the Florida Bar Trial Lawyer Section’s Chester Bedell Mock Trial Competition in West Palm Beach. Stetson’s team of Pearson, Stephanie Baker, Kyle Ross and Harold Velez placed second in the competition. This year, 11 law schools sent 22 teams of students. Stetson has won the competition 21 times in its 32-year history. Professor Michele Joiner co-coached the team with Sara Mieczkowski ’10 and Shaun Cummings ’14.

Stetson law school’s advocacy record includes five world titles, 67 national championships, and 111 best advocate/oralist awards.

“One of the most important skills in a lawyer’s toolkit is effective advocacy,” said Dean and Professor of Law Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz. “Stetson’s dedication to producing effective advocates is unmatched. This weekend, our students proved that they are exceptionally well-prepared for the courtroom.”

Stetson’s trial advocacy ranking has been best in the nation 16 times according to U.S. News & World Report. To learn more about advocacy at Stetson, visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy.

L-R: Scott Tolliver, Alexandria Lewis, Lauren Eliopoulos, Ashley Petefish, Chelsea Johnson, Kristy Rowsey, Jennifer Wilson and Andrew Tuttle.

Stetson announces 2015 Educating Advocates conference

Stetson University College of Law’s 2015 Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills conference is scheduled for May 18-21, 2015, at the 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport, Florida, campus. The annual conference draws law professors, lawyers and legal practitioners from across the U.S. to learn the Stetson method of advocacy, developing teaching skills, new techniques and networking with some of the most recognized names in advocacy teaching.

The conference itinerary includes an optional full-day Teacher Advocacy Training session on May 21 focused specifically on designing individual, short-term and long-term advocacy training calendars for law firms and government agencies.

“Everyone will leave well-equipped to empower their students to become better advocates,” said Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Charles Rose, who also directs of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

The Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy and the inaugural Edward D. Ohlbaum Professionalism Award will be presented at the conference. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to recognize those who have fundamentally changed the way in which the world approaches the teaching of advocacy. The Edward D. Ohlbaum Award 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.

Nominations for both the Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy and the Edward D. Ohlbaum Professionalism Award should be directed to Professor of Law Charles Rose, [email protected] or 727-562-7310.

To register for EATS, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/conferences/eats/.