Stetson University College of Law students were honored during the Florida Bar’s recent annual meeting on June 28 in Boca Raton, Fla. Stetson members of the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division-Law Student Division received the “Best Event Award.”
(L-R): Stetson students Angelika Zych, Anisha Patel, Jennifer Tindell and Frank Leung.
Stetson was selected from among all Florida law schools for their “Balancing Law and Life” professionalism event, featuring a panel discussion with several attorneys on how to balance life and the practice of law. The panelists explained their struggles to find a way to balance work and family and discussed success strategies.
Students Frank Leung, Anisha Patel, Jennifer Tindell and Angelika Zych accepted the award.
Stetson is listed third among the top 10 law schools across the country producing the most FloridaSuper Lawyers this year, with 278 Stetson law alumni selected for inclusion. Six Stetson alumni, Stephen A. Barnes, Troy J. Crotts, Mark A. Hanley, Steven H. Mezer, Luis Prats and Caroline Black Sikorske, are listed among the Top 50 Tampa Bay Florida Super Lawyers 2013. Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations.
Stetson is listed fourth among 116 law schools producing the most lawyers in Florida Trend’sLegal Elite, a special report that recognizes the top attorneys in the state as chosen by their peers. According to Florida Trend, 108 Stetson law alumni are listed in this year’s 10th anniversary edition. Two Stetson alumni, Mark A. Hanley and Rhea F. Law, are listed among Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame.
Stetson University College of Law is hosting part-time law school information sessions in July and August for prospective students who wish to learn more about the admissions process. Stetson enrolls new law students annually in the fall. Students interested in the full-time program are also invited to attend.
Those interested in attending should RSVP for one of the sessions:
Tuesday, July 30, at the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S.
Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Tampa Law Center, 1700 N. Tampa St.
All programs will start at 6:30 p.m. Registration begins at 6 p.m.
Stetson University College of Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Stetson Lawyers Association president Jenay Iurato JD/MBA ’00 presented five annual awards to alumni and friends on June 27 in Boca Raton, in conjunction with the Florida Bar’s annual meeting. View photos here>>
(L-R): Jenay Iurato, Vincent Citro, Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Joshua Magidson.
Clara and George Nenezian received the Distinguished Service Award for their significant, meritorious and continuing contributions to Stetson Law. The Nenezians started an endowed scholarship, the Nenezian-Jones Scholarship, in honor of their late son Richard Nenezian JD ’84. For more than a decade, the Nenezians have supported a popular annual event, the Nenezian-Jones Scholarship Softball Classic, bringing together Stetson law alumni and students and encouraging mentorship and character development.
Vincent A. Citro BBA ’98, JD/MBA ’00 received the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award for service to the Stetson Law and the legal profession. An assistant U.S. attorney, Citro has successfully convicted many criminals in the state. Citro has served as deputy chief of the Orlando Division of the U.S. Attorney’s office as well as national security cyber specialist and anti-terrorism advisory council coordinator.
Stetson awarded Deborah C. Brown JD ’87 the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for continuously supporting Stetson Law and its alumni association. Brown served for six years as the law school’s associate vice president for legal affairs and human resources and for seven years as an adjunct professor. She volunteered as lead facilitator of the Stetson Lawyers Association Tampa Chapter working group and was recognized with Stetson’s Outstanding Alumni Representative Award in 2003. Brown has served as chair of the Florida Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section, Continuing Legal Education Committee, and Labor and Employment Law Certification Committee.
(L-R): Jenay Iurato, Judge William Raymond Holley, Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz and Marc Levine.
Judge William Raymond Holley BA ’91, JD ’97 received the Outstanding Alumni Representative Award for dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Association. Judge Holley is a community leader in Jacksonville who previously served in private practice and as an assistant state attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Judge Holley also serves on the board of the Stetson University Alumni Association.
Joseph J. Reiter JD ’68 received the Ben C. Willard Award for humanitarian achievements bringing distinction to themselves and Stetson Law. Inducted into the Stetson Law Hall of Fame in 2007, Reiter rose from poverty to a stellar legal career as a trial attorney. He has served as president of the Florida Bar, chair of the Judicial Qualifications Committee, treasurer and board member of the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society, a lecturer on ethics and personal injury law, a member of the College of Law Board of Overseers, and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America. Reiter served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
(L-R): Jenay Iurato, Joseph J. Reiter and Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz.
Stetson University College of Law 2003 graduate Monica D. Barnes has been named one of the 2013 “40 Lawyers under 40” by the National Bar Association and IMPACT. Barnes will be recognized among the Nation’s Best Advocates during the association’s 88th annual convention on July 27, in Miami.
Assistant City Attorney Monica Barnes.
Barnes is an assistant city attorney for the City of Miami Gardens, Fla. She was recognized in 2008 by the Miami Herald as one of the “10 Rising Voices in the South Florida Black Community.”
This honor recognizes young African-American lawyers age 40 and younger who have achieved professional and philanthropic prominence and distinction. Honorees include solo practitioners, government lawyers, judges, academicians, corporate counsels, elected officials and other lawyers chosen for their achievement, innovation, vision, leadership and community involvement.
The National Bar Association, founded in 1925, is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and judges. It represents approximately 44,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students and has more than 80 affiliate chapters throughout the U.S. and around the world.
IMPACT is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage and build a network of young professionals of color to foster civic engagement, increase knowledge of the political and legislative processes, and enhance economic empowerment opportunities.
Third-year law student Kevin Crews recently won the 2013 Florida Law Student Essay Contest. Crews won a cash award and complimentary registration at the Seventh Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference, and his essay on the topic of maintaining confidentiality with technology was published in the June Florida Bar Journal.
Stetson Law student Kevin Crews.
Crews’ essay outlined how Florida lawyers can develop best practices to protect client confidentiality when working with e-documents. He outlined potential risks to client confidentiality that might be encountered over the Internet and offered some solutions. He explained how using public Wi-Fi and email, for example, might put client confidentiality at risk.
“Technology has the potential for destroying confidentiality, particularly if lawyers do not know the risks. Lawyers must use technology smartly; being moderately ‘tech-savvy’ is a de facto job requirement for today’s lawyers,” wrote Crews. “The best way to use technology properly is to understand it, which will allow lawyers to create thoughtful — and effective — policies and operating procedures to manage electronic files and messages.”
Crews said that he learned of the essay contest and became interested in the topic in Stetson adjunct professor Jim Martin’s class on Law Practice Management. He said clerking at the Spinks Law Firm in Tampa sparked his interest in the topic of technology use in everyday legal practice.
Editor’s Update: Crews also won the Florida Law Student Essay contest again in 2014.
Stetson University College of Law’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy was presented to Loyola Law School professor Susan G. Poehls this year.
Professor Susan Poehls, winner of Stetson’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy.
Poehls is the director of trial advocacy programs and the William C. Hobbs Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola Law School, where she developed the highly ranked Byrne Trial Advocacy Team, Loyola’s National Civil Trial Competition, and oversees the Hobbs District Attorney Clinic. She is also a National Institute of Trial Advocacy faculty member and Nita Tournament of Champions board member.
The award was presented during Stetson’s annual three-day conference, Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills, May 22-24, in Gulfport, Fla. Conference participants developed their teaching skills, learning the Stetson method of advocacy and networking with renowned advocacy scholars from across the country.
“At Stetson, we believe in the concept of the complete advocate, and are committed to teaching each advocate how to find their own unique voice as an advocate for others,” said Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Charles Rose. “Professor Poehls is a shining example of selfless service in the best traditions of Stetson and the profession. We are happy to welcome her into our Stetson family as a recipient of this award.”
Rose is the director of the Center for Excellence in Trial Advocacy at Stetson University.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Stetson’s trial advocacy program first in the nation 15 times since the ranking began in 1995.
Stetson’s advocacy center promotes the development of advocacy skills through teaching, scholarship and research, offering an Advocacy Resource Center and a new online LL.M. in Advocacy for legal practitioners who wish to distinguish themselves as advocates.
Stetson University College of Law professor Rebecca Morgan and her husband Jay were presented with the keys to the City of St. Petersburg during an evening fundraising program at the Sunshine Center in St. Petersburg on May 18.
Professor Rebecca Morgan and Jay Morgan received the keys to the City of St. Petersburg for decades of service to the Sunshine Center.
The Morgans were recognized for volunteering substantial time and making significant contributions to the Sunshine Center over the past 30 years.
Professor Morgan directs Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law and the LL.M. in Elder Law program. She developed the nation’s first elder-friendly courtroom on Stetson’s Gulfport campus in 2005. Jay Morgan retired from 35 years of service with the City of St. Petersburg-Office on Aging last year. He developed a therapeutic recreation program while serving with the City of St. Petersburg.
The Sunshine Center, part of the City of St. Petersburg-Office on Aging, organizes programs for seniors including meals and entertainment. The Friends of the Sunshine Center Inc. sponsored the event, which included a fundraiser for the Sunset Avenue Café, to help provide low-cost meals to older adults with fixed incomes.
Stetson University College of Law faculty Mark Bauer, Timothy S. Kaye and Ellen S. Podgor were honored on May 17 on the Gulfport campus with awards for outstanding teaching and scholarship.
Professor Bauer was presented the Branton Excellence in Teaching Award, given annually to a full-time professor who has made outstanding teaching contributions inside and outside the classroom, and by example.
Professor Kaye received the Dickerson-Brown Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship, presented to a faculty member who has produced outstanding works of scholarship and has contributed significantly to the enhancement of the academic reputation of the College of Law.
Professor Podgor received the Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship, established by Stetson Law alumna Dolly Hand and her husband, Homer, to applaud faculty members who are not only dedicated teachers, but who also have notable achievements in scholarship or creative work in their areas of expertise and who have made a difference in their local or larger communities. Podgor is the Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor at Stetson.
Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz presented the professors with their awards during Stetson’s Honors and Awards program as part of the college’s May commencement activities.
Professor Mark Bauer with Law Dean Christopher PietruszkiewiczProfessor Timothy Kaye with Law Dean Christopher PietruszkiewiczProfessor Ellen Podgor with Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz
Helping veterans, military members and their families achieve and maintain stable housing is the goal of a community workshop organized by Stetson University’s Veterans Law Institute, the Community Law Program and Neighborhood Home Solutions in June in St. Petersburg.
WHAT: Veterans, active and reserve service members and their families are invited to learn more about their rights as homeowners and tenants and the Service Members Civil Relief Act at a free legal workshop.
WHO: Workshop participants may meet individually with attorneys and housing counselors. Associate Dean Theresa Radwan will provide opening remarks. Volunteer attorneys with the Community Law Program and Stetson Law adjunct professor and Veterans Law Clinic director John Tuthill will be on hand to answer questions. Stetson Law students, including a member of Stetson’s Student Veterans Organization, will assist in the pre-interview process.
Associate Dean and Professor of Law Michael Allen, who directs Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute, explained, “Outreach efforts such as this one are a central part of the Institute’s missions to serve those who, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, have ‘borne the battle.'”
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12, 3-7 p.m.
WHERE: The First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, 1900 Gandy Blvd.
Professor Flowers is nationally recognized as an expert in the field of ethics in elder law and elder abuse. Flowers teaches courses on ethics in an elder law practice in Stetson’s online LL.M. in Elder Law, an advanced legal degree program.
NAELA president-elect Bradley Frigon and NAELA vice-president Shirley Whitenack also teach courses in Stetson’s prestigious LL.M. in Elder Law program.
Several Stetson Law alumni have distinguished themselves serving on the NAELA board. Stetson Law’s Borchard Distinguished Professorial Lecturer Ed Boyer JD ’78 just finished his term as NAELA’s immediate past-president. Catherine Seal LL.M. ’08 was elected to the position of treasurer, and Julie Fiedler LL.M. ’12 and Amos Goodall LL.M. ’09 are currently serving terms on the board.
“NAELA is the preeminent organization for attorneys in elder and special needs law,” said Stetson Law Professor Rebecca Morgan. “It is an honor for Professor Flowers and our faculty and alumni to serve on their board.”
The Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers awarded Stetson University College of Law first-year student Phylicia Pearson a scholarship during their May 8 luncheon at the University Club of Tampa. Pearson was one of five students selected from the Tampa Bay area for the scholarship.
Student Phylicia Pearson received the HAWL scholarship on May 8. Photo by Laura Zuppo.
She explained that she is passionate about social justice and encouraging other women to achieve their goals.
“My commitment to social justice is the reason that I want to be a lawyer,” Pearson explained. “Social justice teaches that every person should be valued, nurtured and informed. Women in this country fought for years to be appreciated as valued members of society with voting rights and property rights. Even today, women are earning 77 percent of what their male counterparts are garnering. Therefore, women’s rights are intertwined with the concept of informing and nurturing people. To battle these ongoing issues, society must be informed of the oppression women are still facing and women must be empowered to stand up for themselves.”
Visit HAWL for more information about the scholarship program.
