News Archives - Page 63 of 138

Title IX critical topic at National Conference on Law and Higher Education

Title IX compliance is a critical topic at Stetson University’s National Conference on Law and Higher Education Feb. 12-16, 2015, in Orlando, Florida.

Colleges and universities scramble to formalize promising practices in Title IX compliance in the wake of campus rape and sexual assault scandals. Stetson’s definitive annual conference, now in its 36th year, will bring national leading experts in higher education to Orlando to discuss critical developments in higher education law and policy.

Conference participants will participate in rigorous boot camps, workshops, intensive sessions and collaboration with peers and experts.

“Every educator in America should be concerned with making college and university campuses safer learning environments, and protecting the campus community from sexual predators. Anyone who works in higher education can benefit from this year’s conference, focused on developing the tools to respond,” said conference chair and Professor of Law Peter F. Lake. Professor Lake is the Charles A. Dana Chair and director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy.

For more information, call 727-562-7793 or email [email protected].

To register, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/conferences/highered/home/index.php.

For more information about the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/academics/highered/home/.

Stetson Law assistant dean joins Leadership St. Pete

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership St. Pete named Stetson University College of Law Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Planning Laura Zuppo among 40 local executives participating in a six-month community leadership program.

The mission of Leadership St. Pete, one of the oldest leadership programs in the U.S., is to identify, recruit and develop leaders who represent the diversity of the community and who will assume future leadership roles in the Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations.

Zuppo joined Stetson University College of Law’s Admissions Office in 2001 and today oversees both admissions and financial planning, where she manages a team of seven. For more than 13 years, Zuppo has guided thousands of law school applicants through the process of applying and enrolling at Stetson University. She has two master’s degrees: an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School of Management and an M.S. from Drexel University, as well as a B.A. from Cedar Crest College.

Participants in Leadership St. Pete get an in-depth introduction to social, economic, business and political issues and help promote and enhance community leadership in the St. Petersburg area.
Leadership St. Pete’s class of 2015 includes executives from a range of both private companies and nonprofits.

To read more, visit the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Alumni serving the public interest

According to a September/October 2014 National Jurist article, a recent job satisfaction survey of 6,200 lawyers in four states has revealed that factors like personal satisfaction, autonomy and making a difference in people’s lives rank highly in lawyers’ happiness.

Editor Mike Stetz wrote in the article “What makes a lawyer happy?” that “Lawyers working in public service–such as those in legal aid, public defenders, prosecutors, government lawyers and in-house counsel for nonprofits–fared better than most.”

The referenced study, What Makes Lawyers Happy? Transcending the Anecdotes with Data from 6200 Lawyers, was conducted by Florida State University College of Law professor Lawrence S. Krieger and University of Missouri psychology professor Kennon Sheldon.

This semester, we sat down with several Stetson Law alumni working in public interest fields to ask each their definition of success. While the responses varied, one theme was consistent among each: making a difference in people’s lives. As varied as their day-to-day jobs may be, each of the graduates we spoke with serves the public interest in their professional careers.

We invite you to visit our Stetson Law YouTube channel to watch some of the short interviews conducted in our new series, Serving the Public Interest, launched this fall.

You will hear from recent alumni new to the profession as well as graduates who have dedicated decades of their lives to public service.

We hope you enjoy hearing from our passionate alumni as much as we enjoyed talking with each of them, and learning a bit about what inspires them to do what they do.

You are invited to continue watching as the series continues to grow with more interviews.

To submit an idea for an interview, please send a note to [email protected].

Thank you for watching.

Stetson Law Review honors Ellen Podgor

Professor Ellen S. Podgor, a nationally recognized legal expert in the area of white collar crime, was honored with the J. Ben Watkins Award at the Stetson Law Review banquet on Nov. 21 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida.

Professor Podgor is the Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor at Stetson University, the co-author of numerous books on white collar crime and criminal law, and has authored more than 70 law review articles and essays in the areas of computer crime, international criminal law, lawyer’s ethics, criminal discovery, prosecutorial discretion, corporate criminality and other white collar crime topics. The editor of the highly-ranked White Collar Crime Prof Blog, Professor Podgor chairs the advisory committee of the NACDL White-Collar Criminal Defense College at Stetson, serves on the board of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, and is the president of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS). She is chair of the AALS Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity issues, an honorary member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and a member of the American Law Institute.

Professor Ellen S. Podgor is this year's J. Ben Watkins Award recipient. — Professor Ellen S. Podgor is this year’s J. Ben Watkins Award recipient.

The J. Ben Watkins Award is presented annually in honor of the 1949 Stetson Law graduate who helped create the Stetson Law Review, a premier academic journal published three times per year.

“It is an honor to be chosen by the students for the Ben Watkins Award because as Ben said ‘you don’t have a great law school without a law review,’” said Professor Podgor.

The next Stetson Law Review symposium is scheduled for March 6, 2015, in Gulfport. The symposium topic, “Inequality, Opportunity, and the Law of the Workplace,” will explore growing economic inequality in the U.S., opportunities for upward mobility, and the proper role of labor and employment laws in ensuring adequate opportunities for mobility.

Student dives into Blue Ocean

The Blue Ocean Film Festival brought presenters from around the world to St. Petersburg. Photo by Alexandria Nicodemi. — The Blue Ocean Film Festival brought presenters including Fabien Cousteau from around the world to St. Petersburg. Photo by Allison Dhand.

When second-year Stetson University College of Law student Alexandria Nicodemi arrived at the inaugural Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit in St. Petersburg, she was not sure what to expect. She and other members of the Environmental Law Society had an opportunity to represent Stetson Law during the festival, which brought filmmakers, film-goers, scientists, scholars, and students from around the world to the Tampa Bay region in Florida.

Thanks to the festival coordinators, Nicodemi had an opportunity to attend the films and presentations Nov. 3-9 as a student reporter.

Stetson students were able to meet Sir Robert Charles Swan, the first man to walk to both Poles, whose outreach work and expeditions focused on global climate change include students from around the world. Swan founded 2041, an Antarctic preservation company, and authored (with Gil Reavill) Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth’s Last Wilderness.

“For those of you who do not believe in climate change, I think our next climate summit should be held on a piece of ice with a polar bear,” Swan said.

Nicodemi also heard from marine conservation biologist, oceanographer, author, University of York, England, research scholar and professor Callum Roberts, author of The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea. Professor Roberts’ research explores how marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, are being altered through a combination of stresses from climate change, pollution, overfishing and globalization.

“It’s incredible that such an event is held in our city,” said Nicodemi. “The Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit is a platform that drives the discussion and inspires change in the way we treat the waters that surround us. It’s great that Stetson can be a part of this change.”

The Blue Ocean Film Festival will return to St. Petersburg after a stop in Monaco, its other global headquarters.

Stetson advocates best at National Civil Trial Competition

Stetson University College of Law students were named best advocates at the 13th Annual National Civil Trial Competition in Los Angeles on Nov. 16. Loyola Law School won the competition.

(L-R): Daniel Miles, Lisa Ungerbuehler, Candice Roja, and Chad Florin. — (L-R): Daniel Miles, Lisa Ungerbuehler, Candice Rojas, and Chad Florin.

Stetson’s team of Chad Florin, Daniel Miles, Candice Rojas and Lisa Ungerbuehler placed second in the competition. Rojas was named Best Advocate in the Final Round and Miles was named Best Advocate in the Preliminary Round.

More than 50 law schools from around the country competed for a chance to win the national competition, and only 16 schools advanced to the finals.

Stetson University Trial Advocacy Coordinator and Associate Professor of Legal Skills Michele Joiner and Lee Coppock ’96 coached the Stetson team.

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.

Hundreds of Stetson Law alumni named in Super Lawyers Business Edition

More than 150 alumni of Stetson University College of Law were recently named in the Super Lawyers Business Edition.

Super Lawyers Business Edition, distributed annually in November to more than 55,000 executives and in-house counsel in the U.S. and London, serves as a resource for making legal hiring decisions.

The magazine features the top firms of all sizes specializing in: Business and Transactions; Construction, Real Estate and Environmental; Employment; Intellectual Property; and Litigation.

Stetson University College of Law alumni also top this year’s list of Florida Super Lawyers. Stetson Law is among the top 10 law schools in the state producing the highest number of Florida Super Lawyers.

This year, 298 Stetson Law alumni are named Florida Super Lawyers and 181 Stetson Law alumni are honored among the Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars.

Stetson, U.S. Attorney’s Office host Caribbean Law Clinic

On Nov. 13, Stetson University College of Law welcomed law students and faculty from the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and U.S. law schools to campus for the American and Caribbean Law Initiative’s Caribbean Law Clinic.

The American and Caribbean Law Initiative's Caribbean Law Clinic brought students and faculty from the U.S. and Caribbean to Stetson. — The American and Caribbean Law Initiative’s Caribbean Law Clinic brought students and faculty from the U.S. and Caribbean to Stetson.

Clinic participants collaborated on researching and presenting solutions to legal problems during a four-day program on Stetson’s Gulfport, Fla., campus.

The ACLI Caribbean Law Clinic met at Stetson Law in Guflport, Fla. — The ACLI Caribbean Law Clinic met at Stetson Law in Gulfport, Fla.

(L-R): Professor Darryl Wilson, Professor Dorothea Beane, Todd Grandy, Josie Thomas and Yvette Rhodes. — (L-R): Professor Darryl Wilson, Professor Dorothea Beane, Todd Grandy, Josie Thomas and Yvette Rhodes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

This year’s Caribbean Law Clinic was co-hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Stetson University College of Law. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office attended the program.

The clinic addressed legal problems in a collaborative, non-competitive approach, with students from U.S. and Caribbean law schools working together towards solutions.

“My experience at the ACLI has been really rewarding,” said Akeyra Saunders of the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas. “You get to practice your advocacy skills in front of judges and panelists, you get to receive positive feedback on the pros and cons of what not to do when you’re making your oral presentations. The comradery has been warming and welcoming. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

Professors Dorothea Beane and Darryl Wilson, co-directors of the Institute for Caribbean Law and Policy at Stetson, introduced the program, which wrapped up with a student/faculty outing on Nov. 15.

Professor Beane has mentored countless students and alumni focusing on human rights work in the Caribbean. She and Professor Wilson joined a faculty consortium to help draft the U.S. Virgin Islands constitution in 2008. Professor Beane also helped create Stetson’s study abroad program at The Hague and she and Professor Wilson work with Stetson’s winter break Cayman Islands program.

Next year’s Caribbean Law Clinic will take place at the Truman Bodden School of Law in the Cayman Islands.

Protecting Florida wetlands discussed at Stetson Law

The impacts of phosphate mining, oil and gas exploration on Florida’s wetlands were discussed at the second annual ELI-Stetson Wetlands Workshop on “Wetlands Enforcement: Mining, Mitigation, and More” sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute and Stetson University College of Law on Nov. 13.

Professor Royal Gardner addressed the crowd at the ELI-Stetson Wetlands workshop. — Professor Royal Gardner addressed the crowd at the ELI-Stetson Wetlands Workshop.

The workshop explored how enforcing wetland permits and mitigation can protect Florida wetlands from the impacts of mining.

Panelists included Diana Jagiella of the Mosaic Company; Caitlin Weber of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida; Eric Hamilton of the Florida Petroleum Council; David Urban of Ecosystems Investment Partners; Clark Hull of Clark Hull & Associates; and Professor of Law Royal Gardner, director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson Law.

Andrew R. Stewart of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Deborah Wegmann of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deleivered the Foreman Biodiversity Lectures.

The ELI fosters innovative, just, and practical law and policy solutions to enable leaders across borders and sectors to make environmental, economic, and social progress.

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.

Stetson volunteers improve veterans’ residence

Stetson University College of Law’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic volunteered to help improve a group residence for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on Nov. 11 in St. Petersburg.

Veterans Advocacy Clinic paralegal Shirley Wells volunteered Nov. 11 to help with landscaping a veterans' home. — Veterans Advocacy Clinic paralegal Shirley Wells volunteered Nov. 11 to help with landscaping a veterans’ home.

U.S. Representative David Jolly led the effort to improve the Martin Lott Residence with assistance from volunteers from Stetson University, the U.S. Coast Guard, MacDill Air Force Base, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg’s Veteran Service Organization, and the Boy Scouts. The Abilities Foundation, Associated Builders and Contractors Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, Home Depot, L.R.E. Ground Services, Merit Professional Coatings and Smith Fence all volunteered to make improvements to the property as well.

Stetson's volunteers show of their landscaping work. — Stetson’s volunteers show off their landscaping work.

Stetson’s volunteer team of Veterans Advocacy Clinic director and professor Stacey-Rae Simcox and husband Mark Matthews, Veterans Law Institute paralegal Shirley Wells, and Stetson Law student Barbara Wood spent a half-day at the veterans residence landscaping the backyard recreational area. Other volunteers tackled painting, fencing, and adding a basketball hoop and outdoor furniture.

“Too often, veterans are welcomed back with open arms when they get off the plane and are shuffled back into society without another thought,” said Professor Simcox, who joined Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic this summer as its new director. “For those veterans who are struggling to reintegrate into society or to heal from wounds that are not always visible, a handshake and a pat on the back are not enough. We cannot all be doctors or counselors who can help these veterans through the healing process, but we can all be part of a support system that encourages that recovery, even in small ways that just say thank you.”

(L-R): Shirley Wells, Barbara Wood and Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox.

The veterans returned home to a much improved property thanks to the help of the volunteers.

To learn more about Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute and Veterans Advocacy Center, please visit www.stetson.edu/law/veterans.

Stetson sweeps Region V of NYC Bar National Moot Court Competition

Stetson University College of Law students Alyssa Cory, Ryan Hedstrom and Ashley Panaggio swept the regional round of the New York City Bar’s 65th Annual National Moot Court Competition on Nov. 8 in Gainesville, Fla. Stetson’s team not only won the regional, but the team also won the best brief award and Panaggio won the best oralist award.

Moot Court winners from left to right: Ryan Hedstrom, Ashley Panaggio and Alyssa Cory.

The winning Stetson team will also advance to the National Finals of the New York City Bar National Moot Court Competition.

A second Stetson team of Madison Kebler, Paige Lacy and Jeremy Rill advanced to the quarterfinals of the competition.

“Our students have once again shown their extraordinary skills in oral and written advocacy,” said moot court adviser and professor Brooke Bowman. “We look forward to the opportunity to compete in the National Finals in New York City in February.”

More than 150 law schools from around the country compete annually in 15 regional rounds of the competition for a chance to advance to the National Finals. The New York City Bar Association and American College of Trial Lawyers have sponsored the competition, one of the most prestigious in the nation, for 65 years. Stetson won the National Finals of the competition last year.

Associate Dean and Professor of Law Michael Allen coached the Stetson teams.

Visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy for more information about Stetson University’s Center for Excellence in Trial Advocacy.

Congressman David Jolly speaks with veterans at Stetson

Stetson University College of Law hosted a town hall on veterans’ health care issues with Congressman David Jolly on Nov. 10.

Congressman Jolly answered questions from veterans in the audience on questions ranging from the responsiveness of health care to accessing records.

“We’re going to be investigating real solutions,” said Congressman Jolly.

Congressman Jolly represents Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which covers most of Pinellas County. He has spoken at college campuses across the state on issues impacting veterans and he is a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute director and associate dean Michael Allen introduced Congressman Jolly. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Brandon Robinson led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Stetson University College of Law launched a Veterans Law Institute in 2012 to increase legal services for eligible military members, veterans, and their immediate families who are eligible for free legal assistance and to help develop policy in the area of veterans law.

Congressman David Jolly spoke with veterans on Nov. 10. — Congressman David Jolly spoke with veterans at Stetson.

Last month, Stetson University College of Law and the University of South Florida partnered to help Florida veterans through supportive clinical services, collaborative student training and joint research. The partnership is believed to be the first of its kind pairing students and faculty from a law school and an academic health center to help serve veterans.

To learn more about Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute and Veterans Advocacy Clinic, visit www.stetson.edu/law/veterans.