News Archives - Page 76 of 138

Stetson Law offers LL.M. degrees in advocacy, elder law and international law

Stetson University College of Law, home to the top-ranked trial advocacy program in the country, is offering three LL.M. degrees to help lawyers distinguish their expertise in advocacy, elder law and international law.

Stetson Law will launch an online LL.M. in Advocacy starting in August 2013. Courses leading to the advanced degree will be offered part-time over two years through a distance-learning platform designed to meet the needs of busy legal practitioners who wish to learn the Stetson method of advocacy. Students enrolled in the program will complete courses online with some limited in-person participation.

» Watch a sample video from the Advocacy LL.M. program

Stetson will continue to offer its online LL.M. in Elder Law. The degree is designed to help attorneys distinguish themselves in the area of estate planning, trusts, retirement planning, guardianship and other legal areas affecting our aging population. Around 10,000 Americans are turning 65 every day, increasing the need for experts in the specialized field of elder law. Students study online and complete the degree in less than two years.

» Watch an interview with an Elder Law LL.M. graduate

Stetson offers a traditional LL.M. in International Law, an intensive one-year course that leads to an advanced legal degree with concentrations in either international public law or international private law. Foreign-trained attorneys in Stetson’s LL.M. in International Law program will also participate in a two-week orientation course and take special courses on the U.S. legal system.

» Watch interviews with International LL.M. students

Applicants for admission to Stetson’s LL.M. programs must have a law degree from a U.S. law school or a law school approved by the appropriate authority outside the U.S.

“We focus on preparing our students for the practice of law, providing them the skills, knowledge and confidence to be as comfortable before the bench as they are drafting a brief for a case or interviewing a client,” said Charles Rose III, director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy and Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy at Stetson. “Stetson gives students the skills they need to conduct the business of law in the real world.”

Stetson Assistant Professor of Law Ciara Torres-Spelliscy named in “50 Under 50” list by Lawyers of Color

Stetson University Assistant Professor of Law Ciara Torres-Spelliscy was named to the Lawyers of Color’s 50 Under 50 list of minority professors making an impact in legal education. The list is scheduled to be released in its special edition on law school diversity on May 2.

Torres-Spelliscy, who teaches election law, corporate governance and constitutional law at Stetson University College of Law, is a national expert on the role of money in politics. She has testified before federal, state and local legislative bodies on campaign finance reform, and she helped draft legislation and Supreme Court briefs on the issue. Torres-Spelliscy is a member of the board of directors of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, and was recognized for her expertise in campaign finance, elections and voter eligibility in TopWonks.org.

Torres-Spelliscy has published chapters in the books Women and the Law and Risk Management and Corporate Governance, as well as several scholarly articles in journals and law reviews across the country. She has forthcoming articles in the Montana Law Review and the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal.

A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Torres-Spelliscy has also published articles in the New York Times, New York Law Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Boston Review, Roll Call, Business Week, Forbes, The Atlantic, USA Today, Business Ethics Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, The Hill, Huffington Post, TheRoot.com, Judicature, Salon.com, CNN.com and the ABA Judges Journal. National news media frequently interview her on constitutional and election matters.

She has spoken in academic, NGO, and governmental settings around the nation including the National Convention of the Association of American Law Schools, Law and Society, and the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws Conference, as well as symposia at 16 different universities including Harvard.

Lawyers of Color, founded as On Being A Black Lawyer, produces publications for current and future lawyers of African American, South Asian American, Pacific Asian American, Hispanic and Native American descent.

George Edgecomb Bar Association recognizes Stetson Professor of Law Bruce Jacob with diversity award

Stetson University Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law Bruce Jacob ’59 received the Delano S. Stewart Diversity Award on April 29 in Tampa, Fla. Stetson Law graduate George Hunter ’99 presented Jacob the award during the George Edgecomb Bar Association 30th Annual Scholarship Banquet.

While serving as Stetson’s dean, Jacob greatly increased the number of minority full-time faculty members. In February, Jacob was named a Power 100 Advocate by On Being A Black Lawyer for his efforts to make the legal profession more racially diverse.

He has taught more than 20 different law courses since beginning his teaching career in 1965, and he continues to teach courses on constitutional law, administrative law, criminal law and criminal procedure at Stetson.

Jacob began his career in 1960 as an assistant state attorney general for the state of Florida. He represented the respondent in the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright in 1963. He founded the Legal Assistance for Inmates program in Atlanta and the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project. In 2006, the members of the American Inn of Court in Tampa named their inn the Bruce R. Jacob Criminal Appellate Inn of Court.

The bar association’s namesake, Judge George E. Edgecomb, became the first African-American judge in Hillsborough County in 1973. Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, recognized as one of the “100 Best and Brightest Women in Corporate America” by Ebony magazine, presented the keynote address at the banquet.

Stetson’s Bar Preparation Services, Academic Success programs help alumni and students succeed

Stetson Law’s bar passage rate climbed from 87.7 percent last February to 93.9 percent this February for first time test-takers, ranking second in the state.

Stetson’s Bar Preparation Services program is helping alumni to succeed on the bar examination.

Bar Preparation Services shares resources with Stetson’s Academic Success program, directed by Professor of Legal Skills Jeffrey Minneti. Academic Success helps students meet the academic challenges of law school.

Before Stetson students even set foot on campus as first-year students, they are required to read cases and materials in preparation for new student orientation, where they learn the basic components of legal analysis, Minneti explained. During students’ first semester, they may attend an Academic Success Workshop series, which offers instruction on the academic skills needed for success on exams. Students struggling with exams at Stetson Law in their first semester are required to partner with Academic Success faculty and staff to formulate an academic action plan designed to improve exam performance.

Professor Minneti infuses essential skills into the substantive courses he teaches. Students also receive individual attention. There are several courses Stetson students can take in their second year to help improve their academic and exam-taking skills.

“Academic skills work is about teaching students how to learn material, not just assigning them material,” said Minneti, who taught elementary and middle school children before completing his MBA and JD degrees. “Students learn the law, and also how to apply it.”

Students test their advocacy skills in Carlton Fields First-Year Appellate Advocacy Competition

Fourteen Stetson University College of Law students had an opportunity to test their oral-advocacy skills at the Carlton Fields First-Year Appellate Advocacy Competition last week on the Gulfport campus. The top two oralists from each Research and Writing II class had an opportunity to compete for cash prizes and interview for a position on Stetson’s award-winning Moot Court Board.

Students Sunai J. Edwards and Melaina Tryon won first place, Daniel K. Miles and Madison Elissa Maria Kebler won second place, and Ashley Petefish and Nicholas Castellano won third place in the competition on April 18.

Participating students argued before attorneys from the Carlton Fields law firm. Carlton Fields attorneys Lori Baggett, Erin Banks, Lauren Catoe, Matt Cogburn, Lannie Hough Jr. and Luis Prats volunteered to judge the competition. Carlton Fields has sponsored the annual competition for Stetson students for the past 16 years.

View photos from this event in Flickr>>

Stetson Law students write ethics newsletter, hone writing skills

Stetson University College of Law students recently honed their client development writing skills while becoming published authors in a unique class newsletter project for Stetson’s new Advanced Legal Writing: Successful Writing for Law Practice course.

(L-R): Professor Kirsten Davis, students Cayelan Loucks, Jennifer Tise, Ashley Rector, Meagan Blackshear, Christine O’Shea, Kelli Ragan, Laura Brenner, DeeAnn Petika, Justin Bennett, Jessica Ronay, Melissa Foss, Kacie Hohnadell, Vanessa Ungvichian, Cheryl Tevlin Mason, Meredith Peck. — (L-R): Professor Kirsten Davis, students Cayelan Loucks, Jennifer Tise, Ashley Rector, Meagan Blackshear, Christine O’Shea, Kelli Ragan, Laura Brenner, DeeAnn Petika, Justin Bennett, Jessica Ronay, Melissa Foss, Kacie Hohnadell, Vanessa Ungvichian, Cheryl Tevlin Mason and Meredith Peck.

The newsletter project gave Stetson Law students the opportunity to learn about writing to retain clients and develop a business while writing articles for the newsletter, Florida Ethics Update.

Stetson Professor of Law Kirsten Davis, Ph.D., director of Legal Research and Writing at Stetson, teaches the course and supervised the project.

“New lawyers are expected to be able to write for client development,” Davis explained. “Writing for the newsletter, the students learned how to provide clients with useful information and demonstrate their legal expertise. Students imagined themselves as attorneys working for clients who have concerns about legal ethics issues in their businesses or practices. Then, the students each wrote about a real-world recent development in Florida legal ethics. The experience helped the students to develop practical skills that will serve them as they develop clients.”

In addition to writing articles for the newsletter, upper-level law students in Stetson’s Advanced Legal Writing course also wrote multiple drafts of law practice documents including complaints, answers, motions, briefs, contracts and business documents.

To learn more about Stetson’s program, visit legal research and writing.

Stetson Law students organized bicycle rally with Gulfport mayor

Stetson University College of Law students in professor Lance Long’s environmental advocacy class organized a bicycle rally with Gulfport Mayor Sam Henderson and a two-mile challenge to raise awareness about alternative transportation.

Bicycle rally participants prepare for the ride on Stetson's Gulfport campus. — Bicycle rally participants prepare for the ride on Stetson’s Gulfport campus on May 3.

On May 3 at 6 p.m., the students joined the mayor and community members to ride as a group from the Gulfport campus, 1401 61st St. S., to the Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd. S.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for Stetson students and the Gulfport community to get excited about bicycle commuting,” said third-year Stetson Law student Elise Pautler. “It is fun, and in a smaller city like Gulfport, it is completely feasible.”

“The class teaches students that environmental advocacy, or any type of advocacy for that matter, is not limited to using legal avenues for addressing problems,” said Long, whose students have recently planted an organic vegetable garden on Stetson’s Gulfport campus. “Sometimes, collaboration is better than litigation.”

For more information email [email protected].

New agreement with Stetson University College of Law shortens path to law degree for qualified USF undergraduates

Aspiring attorneys can reduce the time they spend earning a law degree through a new “3+3” program announced today by the University of South Florida and Stetson University College of Law.

(Seated L-R): Stetson University President Wendy Libby signs the new 3 + 3 agreement with University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft. Photo by Aimee Blodgett for the University of South Florida.

Students seeking a JD degree typically complete a four-year undergraduate program followed by three years of law school. The new 3+3 accelerated path allows qualified students to earn both their bachelor’s and JD degrees within six years. Students spend three years at USF and three years at Stetson Law. Students’ first year in the full-time JD program at Stetson also serves as their final year of study at USF. Interested students must enroll in USF’s Honors College and meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

“Through our agreement with the USF Honors College, students can graduate with an undergraduate degree and a law degree in six years, save a year of tuition, and attend the top ranked advocacy program in the country — a program that blends foundational law with the legal skills necessary to succeed in today’s marketplace,” said Stetson Law Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. “Together, Stetson and USF will help to create not only the next generation of lawyers but also the next generation of leaders.”

The 3+3 program also provides partial scholarship support for students once they start at Stetson. Once admitted into the 3+3 program, students will be paired with a student, graduate, and/or faculty member mentor from the College of Law.

“The partnership between the University of South Florida and Stetson University College of Law is a great opportunity for highly-motivated and focused students to achieve their goals. Our brightest students are eager to take on the challenges of advanced degrees, and we are confident the excellent undergraduate education they received at USF will prepare them for the rigors of Stetson’s exceptional program. These talented students will move more quickly through their education – incurring less debt – and be on their way to reaching their goals,” said USF System President Judy Genshaft.

The agreement between the two institutions was officially signed today during a ceremony attended by Genshaft, Stetson University President Wendy Libby, as well as several other top administrators from each institution.

Media Contacts:

Adam Freeman (USF)

(813) 974-9047

[email protected]

Brandi Palmer (Stetson)

(727) 562-7381

[email protected]

Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, has prepared lawyers and leaders since 1900. Today, Stetson leads the nation in blending legal doctrine with practical training, evidenced by its top-ranked programs in advocacy and legal writing. Through its academically rigorous curriculum and commitment to social responsibility, Stetson prepares lawyers as ethical advocates ready to succeed in the legal profession.

The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university dedicated to student success. USF ranks 50th in the nation for federal expenditures in research and total expenditures in research among all U.S. universities, public or private, according to the National Science Foundation. Serving more than 47,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.

93.9% of Stetson grads pass Florida bar exam in February

Among first-time takers of the Florida bar exam in February, 93.9 percent of Stetson University College of Law graduates passed. Stetson Law placed second among Florida law schools on the exam, according to the Supreme Court of Florida’s recently released exam scores and statistics.

Only Florida State University had a higher first-time bar passage rate with a total of 96 percent of graduates passing the exam. Among the 819 first-time test takers, 80.2 percent of all candidates passed the exam.

The bar passage rate at Stetson has increased over the past decade. Stetson’s bar preparation program is staffed by a full-time professor and two staff members who provide individual and group counseling and help students build personalized study plans.

Stetson Law accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame

Stetson University College of Law is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their professions and have affected a profound, positive influence on the law school.

The annual event is held each October. The 2012 inductees were law professor Suzanne R. Armstrong, Denis M. deVlaming ’72, John A. Guyton Jr. ’59, former Stetson University College of Law Dean Thomas F. Lambert Jr., Mada Fraser McLendon ’32, and U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore ’77.

For biographies and videos about past winners, please see Stetson’s Hall of Fame website.

To submit a nomination, please use the Hall of Fame Nomination form 2013 (PDF) and send by April 26 to Patricia Toups in the College Relations Office at Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport, FL 33707. E-mails are also accepted at [email protected].

Former Pentagon official presented Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Lecture at Stetson Law

Homeland security expert and former Pentagon official Michael James Barton presented “@WhiteHouseDrone is Now Following You: A Constitutional Discussion on Modern Warfare” as this year’s Nichols Foundation Prominent Speaker Lecture on April 11 at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla.

More than 100 members of the Stetson community attended Barton’s topical discussion.

Barton spoke about the use of drones in times of war and the policies surrounding their use.

“In wartime, we need to be focused on these policy arguments,” said Barton.

Barton is director of energy and natural resources at ARTIS Research, former deputy director of the Middle East Policy Office for the Secretary of Defense, and former member of the Homeland Security Council staff at the White House.

The Nichols Foundation Prominent Speakers Series was established at Stetson in 1995. The series’ namesake is Perry Nichols, among the nation’s most successful trial lawyers and past president of both the American Trial Lawyers Association and the International Trial Lawyers Association.

Florida’s first female attorney general, Pam Bondi, presented Stetson Law commencement on May 18

Florida’s first female attorney general, Pam Bondi, presented the commencement speech at Stetson University College of Law at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. Commencement took place in the courtyard on Stetson’s Gulfport campus. See more of the commencement experience.

Attorney General Pam Bondi gives commencement speech — Pam Bondi, Florida’s first female attorney general, gave commencement address.

Bondi received her law degree from Stetson University in 1990 and a bachelor’s in criminal justice from the University of Florida in 1987. Watch the commencement video.

“As Florida’s first female attorney general, I’m here to tell you that you can do anything you want to do, and don’t let anyone stand in your way,” said Bondi.

A Tampa native and fourth generation Floridian, Bondi worked as a prosecutor in the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office for 18 years before being elected in November 2010 to serve as Florida’s 37th attorney general.

Bondi is a member of the State Board of Administration and the Florida Cabinet, is vice chair of the southern region of the National Association of Attorneys General, and serves on Florida’s Special Olympics board of directors. She was recognized by the Tampa Bay Review as a “Lawyer of Distinction” and received the “Women of Excellence in Government” award.

A total of 353 students walked at Stetson Law’s commencement, including 51 part-time JD students, 11 LL.M. in elder law students, 17 LL.M. in international law students, 25 JD/MBA students and one JD/MPH student. Student Kimberly Clark, a part-time student who came to Stetson Law to pursue a second career, died shortly before graduation but was presented her degree on Saturday. Students participated in a memorial tribute to Clark during commencement, remembering her with pebbles tossed into the courtyard fountain that rose in hundreds of ripples signifying the impact of her life.

“You never know what’s around the corner,” Bondi told the graduates. “It’s only important that you take it.”

This year’s graduating class included:

Jamie Combee and Erik Johanson, both co-editors of Stetson’s new Journal of Advocacy and the Law and members of the Moot Court Board. Combee is also a member of Stetson’s Trial Team.
Caitlein Jammo, president of the American Constitution Society, editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Aging, Law & Policy, Stetson Law Review editor and Moot Court Board member.
Frank Leung, representative to the Florida Bar YLD–Law Student Division board of governors, deputy chief student ambassador, national law student liaison to the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law, editor of the Journal of International Aging Law & Policy, and Alternative Dispute Resolution board member.
Nicole Martingano, a member of Stetson’s Alternative Dispute Resolution board and future prosecutor who turned a near-fatal car accident into determination to help victims.
Erin Okuno, a Biodiversity Fellow, president of the Environmental Law Society, Stetson Law Review editor-in-chief, Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy editor, and member of Stetson’s Moot Court Board.