News Archives - Page 64 of 138

Robert Levy talks on recent Supreme Court opinions

Robert Levy Ph.D., chair of the Cato Institute’s board of directors, spoke to Stetson Law students on Oct. 28 about recent Supreme Court opinions and his new book, co-authored with William Mellor, The Dirty Dozen: How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom.

A constitutional scholar and former CEO, Levy has written several articles on investments, law, and public policy for publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and National Review. He speaks on public policy for media outlets including ABC’s Nightline, CNN’s Crossfire, Fox’s The O’Reilly Factor, MSNBC’s Hardball, and NBC’s Today Show.

Robert Levy spoke with students. Photo by Alex Nicodemi, 2L.

Levy’s visit was sponsored by the Stetson Law student chapter of the Federalist Society.

Stetson Law’s free open house for prospective students is Nov. 8

Stetson University College of Law’s annual open house and information day for prospective students is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, this year on Stetson’s Gulfport campus. Complimentary lunch will be provided at the free event, starting at 9:30 a.m.

WHAT: Prospective students will have an opportunity to meet Stetson Law students and faculty, attend a simulated law class and faculty-led seminars, tour campus, and learn more about admissions and financial aid.

WHEN: Registration begins at 9 a.m. The program takes place between 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

WHERE: Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport.

For more information, please email [email protected] or call 727-562-7802. RSVP preferred by Nov. 5.

Students visit once hidden spring in Tampa

Law students at Stetson University recently had the unique opportunity to visit one of Tampa’s natural springs steps away from the Tampa Law Center. On Oct. 21, students in Professor Royal Gardner’s wetland seminar met with Thomas Ries of the Ecosphere Restoration Institute for a tour of the flowing natural spring only blocks from downtown Tampa’s urban skyline. Stetson alumnus Andrew Zodrow ’95 of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission spoke about permitting issues.

Thomas Ries talks with Stetson Law students at the Ulele Spring in Tampa. Photo by 3L Robert Laur.

Over the past year, the city has worked to restore the Ulele Spring, once hidden underground, and the Water Works Park behind Stetson University’s Tampa Law Center.

Professor Gardner’s law students learned how the exposed Ulele Spring can provide a refuge for manatee and fish along the Hillsborough River. Gardner directs the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson and received the 2006 National Wetlands Award for Education and Outreach from the Environmental Law Institute.

Ries is the 2013 recipient of E.L.I.’s National Wetlands Award for Conservation and Restoration.

To learn more about the Institute and Stetson’s J.D. Certificate of Concentration in Environmental Law, visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/international/biodiversity/.

Students in Professor Royal Gardner’s wetland seminar met with Thomas Ries, alumnus Andrew Zodrow, and staff and judges of the Second District Court of Appeal for a tour of Ulele Spring. Photo by Matt Procopio.

Ulele Spring in Tampa. Photo by Robert Laur. — Ulele Spring in Tampa. Photo by 3L Robert Laur.

Amendment 2 debated at Stetson

Approximately 400 people crowded into the Great Hall at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport on Thursday afternoon to hear a debate between former Florida Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Bell and attorney John Morgan on the topic of Amendment 2.

Justice Bell and Morgan debated the need for Amendment 2 to legalize medical marijuana during the free public lunchtime event.

Stetson Law’s debate was designed to educate voters on both sides of the argument for and against the Florida Right to Medical Marijuana Initiative, or Amendment 2, on the Nov. 4 ballot in the state of Florida.

Bell has questioned whether the amendment is necessary. Morgan is a proponent of the amendment.

Stetson University President Wendy Libby attended the event, moderated by Professor Mark Bauer and sponsored by Stetson’s student chapter of the American Constitution Society and the Stetson Republicans.

“With the election less than two weeks away and polls tightening, Stetson’s debate on the proposed Amendment 2 legalizing medical marijuana plays an important role to ensure law students and the local community make an informed decision,” said Professor Bauer.

Stetson dedicates “Brownacre” to professor James J. Brown

Family, friends, students, alumni and colleagues gathered at noon on Oct. 21to honor the life and work of longtime Stetson University Professor of Law Emeritus James (J.J.) Brown, who died in May of this year.

Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund Professor Emeritus James J. Brown — Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Professor Emeritus James J. Brown

Stetson Law dedicated one of Professor Brown’s favorite locations in Stetson’s Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library on the Gulfport campus as “Brownacre.”

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman ’87, a former student and friend of Professor Brown, as well as Professor Brown’s daughter Amy Kluth offered remarks at the dedication of “Brownacre,” a tribute to the longtime property law professor Brown who often referenced the generic “Whiteacre” and “Blackacre” in property cases.

Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz, Professors of Law Emeritus William Eleazer and Michael Swygert (in absentia), and professors and former students Brooke Bowman’02 and Stephanie Vaughan ’91 all spoke in tribute to their friend, mentor and colleague, described as a tough professor who challenged his students and lifted them up.

Professor Brown retired from Stetson in 2010. He was the first Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Professor at Stetson University, where he taught property, real estate law, land use planning and local government for more than three decades. He began teaching law in 1970, following five years of practice in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Stetson University College of Law Professor James J. Brown Merit Retention Scholarship Fund is named for the professor.

(L-R): Professor of Law Emeritus William Eleazer, Amy Kluth, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Professor Brooke Bowman.

Panel addresses careers of state attorney, public defender

A panel of six lawyers discussed their varied careers as state attorneys and public defenders during a noontime lecture for students at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla.

Panelists (L-R): Ashley Roura, Irene Maslanik, Howardene Garrett, Douglas Covington, Fred Schaub and Craig Schaeffer.

Douglas Covington ’83 of the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit, Howardene Garrett of the Office of the Public Defender for the 10th Judicial Circuit, Irene Maslanik ’10 of the Office of the Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Ashley Roura ’08 of the Forensic Behavioral Health Intervention Unit of the Office of the Public Defender for the 13th Judicial Circuit, Craig Schaeffer of the Office of the State Attorney for 12th Judicial Circuit, and Fred Schaub ’84 of the Office of the State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit presented on the panel about working in public service.

Panel participants explained that the rewards of the profession range from helping clients, homeless veterans and victims every day to the thrill of being in a courtroom.

Garrett said that knowing someone’s life has changed because of her work gives her a sense of accomplishment in a 40-year career as a public defender. She received the Craig Barnard Award from the Florida Public Defender’s Association for outstanding lifetime service to indigent defense.

Maslanik, who is Garrett’s daughter, followed in her footsteps working as a public defender in the juvenile crossover division, representing foster children in dependency and delinquency matters. In a job with few public accolades, Maslanik said that she celebrates the tiny victories, like clients who trust you enough to call you when they are in trouble.

Stetson’s Office of Career Development hosted the event, moderated by Joann Grages Burnett ’08.

Texas Tech wins Stetson’s Seventh Annual National Pretrial Competition

Texas Tech University School of Law won Stetson University College of Law’s Seventh Annual National Pretrial Competition on Oct. 19 in Gulfport, Fla.

The Texas Tech team with the competition judges. Back row: Julie Walbroel, the Honorable Caroline Tesche, and Stetson Law Associate Dean Michael Allen. Front row: John Roddy Pace, Katherine Handy (Best Advocate, Final Round), Delaney Crocker, and Caleb Miller.

“All of the advocates were poised and professional throughout the competition—a competition that combines both the presentation of a classic legal argument and the presentation of evidence,” said Stetson moot court adviser and professor Brooke Bowman. “Stetson’s competition gives teams from around the country an opportunity to hone their real-world skills as professional advocates.”

Texas Tech also won the Best Memorandum of Law Award for the Plaintiff and Charleston School of Law won the Best Memorandum of Law Award for the Defendant.

Katherine Handy from Texas Tech won the Best Advocate Award in the Final Round, and John Roddy Pace, also from Texas Tech, won the Best Advocate Award in the Semifinal Round.

A team from Chicago-Kent College of Law placed second and Regent University School of Law and Mississippi College School of Law were semifinalists.

Stetson University College of Law has ranked number one in trial advocacy 16 times since U.S. News & World Report began rankings in 1995.

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson, visit www.stetson.edu/law/advocacy.

Kevin Hughes directing development and alumni activities at Stetson Law

Fundraising professional Kevin M. Hughes has joined Stetson University College of Law in Tampa Bay, Fla., as assistant dean leading development and alumni relations.

Dean Hughes joined Stetson University from the Institutional Advancement office at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He previously worked in development at the Ohio Health Foundation in Columbus, Ohio.

“I’m thrilled to be at Stetson and am excited by the opportunities that exist to further engage our alumni and increase philanthropic support for the College of Law,” said Dean Hughes.

At Denison University, Dean Hughes created a formidable portfolio of gift prospects and improved engagement among alumni, family and friends. At the Ohio Health Foundation, Hughes was responsible for all development activities at two hospital care sites.

Dean Hughes is a member of the Major Gifts Conference, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and Independent College Advancement Associates.

Stetson University’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations provides opportunities for alumni, parents, and friends of the law school.

For more information about engaging with alumni and supporting Stetson, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at [email protected] or 727-562-7818.

Dr. Kevin Quashie presents Social Justice Lecture

Dr. Kevin Quashie, a cultural studies and theory professor at Smith College, presented the Social Justice Lecture “Quiet, Justice, Love” on Oct. 15 on the Gulfport campus of Stetson University College of Law.

Dr. Quashie’s lecture explored how the idea of quiet can impact characterizations of African-American culture, often linked with the idea of resistance and the yearning for justice.

Dr. Quashie is the author of several books, most recently, The Sovereignty of Quiet: Beyond Resistance in Black Culture.

Stetson’s Social Justice Lecture Series, grounded in Stetson’s values, serves as a platform for discussion around personal and social responsibility, and as a catalyst for participants to effect change throughout the world.

The free event was open to the public.

NOAA Fisheries biologist speaks at Stetson

Dr. John Carlson, a research fishery biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Panama City, Fla., presented the Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture on Oct. 8 at Stetson Law in Gulfport. Dr. Carlson discussed challenges in implementing regulations to help the endangered smalltooth sawfish species recover.

Dr. Carlson has been a leader with the Smalltooth Sawfish Recovery Team since 2006. He is also the scientific chair of the Shark Memorandum of Understanding under the Convention on Migratory Species as well as the regional vice chair of the IUCN-Shark Specialist Group.

Stetson’s Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series brings leading experts to campus to speak on a range of environmental topics. The lecture series is co-sponsored by Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy and is free and open to the public.

Visit the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson to learn more.

Christie Letarte: Serving the public interest through education and the law

by Alexandria Nicodemi, 2L

Spring 2013 alumna Christie Letarte is a staff attorney for the Florida Senate Committee on Education. Her career combines her passion for education and the law.

https://soundcloud.com/stetsonlaw/christie-letarte-education-and-the-law

“I knew in some capacity that I wanted to be in public interest,” said Christie. “My undergraduate school [College of the Holy Cross] had a mission statement that was about being men and women for others and that stuck with me. I took it to heart. I wanted to do something that would allow me to give back.”

Christie’s interest in attending law school began when Stetson Law professor Peter Lake spoke at the University of Connecticut where Christie was completing a graduate degree in higher education and student affairs. She said Professor Lake inspired her to focus on an educational law career with a public interest concentration.

While at Stetson Law, Christie was involved with the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy. She took professor Robert Bickel’s Civil Rights Movement course and interned with the General Counsel at the University of South Florida. After taking the bar, Christie said Stetson’s Career Development office informed her of an opening with the Florida Senate Committee on Education.

Christie explained that her job is dynamic, characterized by the legislative session calendar. During the 60-day session, bills are drafted, reviewed and eventually passed into law.

“The office is never static,” said Christie.

The committee encourages public involvement in the state education system, providing information and facts on current issues in order for senators to make informed decisions. The education bills Christie works with range from administering classroom supply assistance programs to the renaming of collegiate institutions. The beginning of the year is marked by monthly committee meetings in anticipation of the upcoming legislative session, when bills are created and Christie’s focus shifts to the technical issues behind each bill.

“When bills first come through our office, we analyze them for some technical, and possibly constitutional issues and what the financial impact may be,” Christie said.

In the summer, Christie said that her office follows up on the implementation of the bills that became law.

“There is always something new to learn, something new to look up and no matter what, I am always doing meaningful work with great people,” said Christie. “If I’m able to do that, that’s the jackpot right there.”

Students learn about the legacy of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

A group of approximately 150 law students learned about the legacy of the 1964 Civil Rights Act during a presentation on Oct. 1 at Stetson University College of Law’s Gulfport campus.

Students listen to Professor Emanuel's presentation on civil rights on Oct. 1 in Gulfport. — Students listen to Professor Emanuel’s presentation on civil rights on Oct. 1 in Gulfport. Photo by Jenna Kelly.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Anne Emanuel, Professor Emerita of Georgia State University College of Law and author of Elbert Parr Tuttle: Chief Jurist of the Civil Rights Revolution, presented on “Judicial Leadership & The Struggle To Enforce Civil Rights.”

Professor Emanuel discussed her experiences clerking for 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Elbert Parr Tuttle when he implemented cutting-edge civil rights legislation during the 1970s.

“The 5th Circuit heard virtually every case that made the Brown v. Board mandate for equality a reality in the Deep South,” said student Scott Tolliver. Tolliver is the president of the American Constitution Society at Stetson Law. He helped coordinate the presentation with Professor Robert Bickel, who teaches courses on constitutional law and the civil rights movement at Stetson.

Professor Emanuel challenged the Stetson Law students in the audience to recognize their roles as leaders who have the power to improve peoples’ lives by ensuring individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, access to justice, democracy and the rule of law.

Stetson’s Jewish Law Student Association, Education Law Association, Black Law Students Association, Student Wellness Society, Equal Justice Works, and the Social Justice Advocacy Concentration sponsored the presentation along with the American Constitution Society.