News Archives - Page 62 of 138

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/.

Aaron Watson JD ’09: Living the Dream

By Brandi Palmer

On Saturday, Jan. 17, 30-year-old Pensacola attorney Aaron Watson JD ’09 will be honored for Living the Dream.

The special honor is for individuals exemplifying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream. Eight of Pensacola’s rain-makers will accept the honor, named for the incomparable Martin Luther King Jr., Aaron among them.

“This award inspires me to continue to push forward,” said Aaron. “I know that the eyes of the younger generation of lawyers are watching. If I can inspire them to dream big dreams, it makes my hard work worthwhile.”

Aaron, who recently made partner at his firm, Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor, P.A., said that his dream has always been to become a lawyer, and to move back home to help the people who helped him.

“The fact that my hometown selected me for this prestigious award, lets me know that I made the right decision,” said Aaron.

Aaron is today a top advocate who gives back by mentoring students at Pine Forest High School, where he himself went to school. He talks with students about possibilities.

Aaron grew up in a modest home with five children. His father Larry Watson was a dedicated pastor who started off as a sharecropper and is today the senior pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Pensacola. Aaron is the second person in his family to earn a college degree.

Aaron said, “Remember this, every one of us has a spaceship. Our spaceships are fueled by our dreams. As long as you can dream, you can go travel as high as you want to go. One thing is for sure, nobody is going to stand in the way of a spaceship. If you want to be a lawyer, be a lawyer. You can do it.”

When Aaron Watson first tried out for Stetson’s legendary Trial Team in 2008, he did not make the cut. He had yet to find his voice as an advocate. An internship and working with two first-class mentors, Willie Gary and Fred Levin, helped Aaron to hone his individual voice. The next time he tried out for Stetson’s Trial Team, Aaron made it on the first pass. He went on to win regional, then national competitions with the team.

After graduating from Stetson with his law degree in 2009, Aaron immediately started making a name for himself in Pensacola.

His first high-profile case with the Levin Papantonio law firm was the case of Victor Steen, a young African-American teenager killed by a policeman. The case resulted in one of the largest civil rights settlements to date against the city of Pensacola. Aaron subsequently won a 12.6 million dollar verdict for his client last year, making it his second million dollar verdict in two years.

“I am still dreaming,” Aaron said. “I still have goals. I am only 30 years old. My definition of success is setting a goal, accomplishing it, and showing others how you did it.”

Stetson named Military Friendly School

Stetson University College of Law has been named a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media for 2015. The Military Friendly® Schools designation, now in its sixth year, is awarded to 16 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to help military students to succeed in the classroom and after graduation.

Stetson University, with campuses in DeLand, Celebration and Tampa Bay, has been recognized as a “Military Friendly School” for the past three years in G.I. Jobs. Military Times named Stetson’s School of Business Administration a “Best for Vets: Business Schools” in its annual 2014 rankings.

“The staff at Stetson helped me make the transition from military to student and then later to attorney,” said Trista Miller JD ’11, assistant director of clinical education and Veteran’s Law Institute Pro Bono Initiative supervisor. “The faculty, staff, and students were supportive and the academic rigor provided challenge and purpose.”

Participating in the G.I. Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program helps active military and veteran students offset the cost of attending Stetson.

“Veterans have shown a commitment to serving others,” said Javier Centonzio JD ’12, LL.M. Elder Law ’14. “Like most veterans, when I left the military I was looking for a way to continue helping others. Scholarships and the G.I. Bill helped me attend Stetson, where I was able to develop the skills necessary to become a veterans advocate and an elder law attorney.”

Stetson dedicated its Veterans Law Institute in 2012, providing services to current and prospective students who are active or retired service members as well as free legal help to veterans with VA disability benefit appeals through its Veterans Advocacy Clinic.

Through its Veterans Pro Bono Initiative, Stetson helps provide legal services to the growing population of military members, veterans and their families in the Tampa Bay area.

Recently, Stetson University College of Law and the University of South Florida joined forces to help Florida veterans through supportive clinical services, collaborative student training and joint research.

For more information about the methodology used in making the Military Friendly® Schools list, visit
http://militaryfriendly.com/methodology.

For more information about resources for student veterans and members of the military at Stetson University College of Law, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/admissions/veterans/index.php.

To learn more about veterans services at Stetson University, visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/veterans-services/.

Lunch, evening sessions introduce part-time law school at Stetson

Stetson University College of Law will host information sessions in January and February about the admissions process for part-time law school applicants. Prospective students may attend lunchtime or evening sessions.

Prospective law students interested in attending should RSVP for either one of the lunchtime sessions on Jan. 28 in Tampa or for the evening session on Feb. 11 in Gulfport:

Stetson is offering four 20-minute lunchtime sessions: Wednesday, Jan. 28, between 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.
Students can register for a 20-minute session at either 11:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1 p.m.

Stetson is also offering an evening session: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.

Prospective students interested in the full-time program are also welcome to attend.

RSVP https://www.stetson.edu/law/admissions/jd/open-house.php or e-mail [email protected].

Free wills for veterans program at Stetson Law

Stetson University College of Law is again partnering with the Community Law Program and the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation in February to prepare free simple wills and advance health care directives for veterans and their spouses.

The Feb. 17, 2015, program is designed to assist veterans or their spouses who have limited assets and low incomes and who are age 60 or older. Volunteer attorneys from the Community Law Program will assist Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law and Veterans Law Institute with this project.

Walk-in appointments are not available. Individual appointments must be scheduled in advance by calling 727-562-7393 by Jan. 23.

Individuals owning real estate outside the state of Florida will not be eligible to participate.

Stetson among nation’s best law schools for pro bono

Stetson University College of Law has been ranked seventh in the nation among the 2014 Super Lawyers Top 10 Law Schools for Pro Bono Graduation Requirements.

Stetson Law students donated 31,719 pro bono service hours to more than 400 organizations in the 2013-2014 academic year. Stetson is one of the first law schools in the U.S. to require pro bono service of its students.

“Stetson Law led the way in promoting the pro bono requirement in law schools,” said Dean and Professor of Law Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. “Today, we remain dedicated to instilling a passion for public service in our students and graduates.”

All J.D. students at Stetson are required to complete a minimum of 60 hours of pro bono service and the law school offers a public service scholarship.

Stetson students serve the community in a variety of pro-bono roles, as court-appointed advocates for children in the dependency system, as Spanish-speaking translators assisting with immigration cases, as researchers investigating consumer finance abuse and workplace/school religious discrimination or harassment, and as advocates working in a variety of community law programs. Stetson also offers a Pro Bono Service Initiative to help veterans find free legal representation through its Veterans Law Institute.

To learn more about Stetson Law alumni serving in public interest roles, watch a series of video features on “Alumni serving the public interest.”

Fall degree candidates recognized

Students celebrated December graduation in the Great Hall on Stetson's Gulfport campus. — Students celebrated December graduation in the Great Hall on Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

Stetson University College of Law students celebrated their completion of law school on Dec. 18 on the Gulfport campus. A total of 77 degree candidates, including 35 full-time and 30 part-time J.D. students, attended the celebration. The full-time J.D. class included a J.D./M.B.A. and a J.D./Grado student.

Two LL.M. in Advocacy, eight LL.M. in Elder Law and two LL.M. in International Law students also were recognized.

Stetson offers certificates of concentration in advocacy, environmental law, international law, and social justice advocacy. Stetson students can also work on the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy, Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law, and the Stetson Law Review.

Stetson’s advocacy program has been ranked the best in the nation 16 times by U.S. News & World Report. Stetson’s legal writing program consistently places among the top six in the U.S.

» View Photo Gallery – Fall Graduate Celebration

Photos from the Fall Graduate Celebration on Dec. 18 can be viewed in the photo gallery linked above. To download image(s), click “Select Photos” and then click “Download”.

Stetson’s student life director honored

Stetson University College of Law Director for Student Life Tammy Briant has been selected as an Outstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services by the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, NASPA.

Tammy Briant directs student life at Stetson Law.

Briant, JD ’06, will be honored with her award on March 24 during the annual NASPA conference in New Orleans. The honor is presented by the Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services Knowledge Community in NASPA, the premier organization for student affairs professionals.

Briant is a member of the Student Support and Emergency Team, strategic planning and master planning committees at Stetson University. She recently coordinated Stetson’s “It’s On Us” campaign in November to raise awareness about guarding against sexual assault on college campuses. Briant is also an adjunct professor at Stetson, teaching an experiential learning course on constitutional law and the civil rights movement. She speaks on transformative learning, leadership, and the connection of civil rights movement history with social justice issues.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award, which to me, recognizes the diligent work of my entire team to create an innovative, dynamic, and supportive living/learning community focused on developing our students to be future leaders of the legal profession,” said Briant.

Active in the Tampa Bay area community, Briant serves on the board of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and volunteers with Bay Area Legal Service’s Family Forms Clinic, Wills for Heroes, and Crossroads for Kids, where she has served as an attorney ad litem for a teenager in foster care.

Stetson’s Legal Writing Academy for lawyers is January 30

Stetson University College of Law’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication is offering its inaugural Legal Writing Academy on Jan. 30, 2015, at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St. The 2015 Academy will offer presentations and workshops on Persuasive Legal Writing: What Every Lawyer Should Know.

The Academy is an advanced legal writing training program for lawyers that will be taught by Stetson Law faculty experts in the area of legal communication. The program includes interactive training on how to use applied storytelling techniques for writing legal facts, a session on using editing techniques to improve written advocacy, and a session addressing current advances in the science of persuasion that are applicable to legal writing. Attendees will also participate in breakout sessions with faculty for hands-on persuasive writing experience.

“The academic study of persuasive legal writing is translating into new and better writing techniques for lawyers in practice,” said Dr. Kirsten Davis, director of the Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication. “The Academy has been developed for lawyers who want to become better advocates for their clients and to write persuasive documents more effectively and efficiently.”

The Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication is a home for the study of legal communication, particularly legal writing, and provides training programs for lawyers, judges, students and other professionals to improve their legal communication skills. Stetson’s legal writing program for its law students is ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

The Academy begins with breakfast at 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 30, and training begins at 9 a.m. The program concludes at 3:45 p.m.

For more information, call 727-562-7312 or email [email protected]. An application for CLE credits has been made to the Florida Bar.

To see more information about the Academy and its faculty and to register, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/lrw/legal-writing-academy.php.

To learn more about Stetson’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/lrw/.