News Archives - Page 90 of 138

Stetson professors serve on panels, committees for the Association of American Law Schools

Stetson University College of Law professors participated in several topical panels and committees at the annual Association of American Law Schools meeting Jan. 4-8 in Washington, D.C.

The following professors served on panels at the meeting:

Associate Dean John Cooper moderated a panel on “The Globalization of the Legal Practice for the Section on International Legal Exchange;”
Professor Kirsten Davis presented “Feedback Mechanisms” at the AALS Day-Long Workshop on Academic Support; and
Professor Louis Virelli organized, moderated and spoke on the panel entitled “Hot Topic Program: Politics, Ethics, and the Supreme Court: The Present and Future of Supreme Court Recusal.”

Several Stetson Law faculty members are serving with diverse committees and special sections of the AALS:

Professor Michael Allen completed his service on the Executive Committee for the Section on Remedies;
Professor Linda Anderson has begun serving as chair of the Section on Part-time Division Programs;
Professor Cynthia Batt co-chairs the Membership, Outreach, and Training Committee and is a member of the Externship Committee for the Section on Clinical Education;
Professor Mark Bauer was elected treasurer of the Section on Aging and Law;
Associate Dean John Cooper completed his service as chair of the Section on International Legal Exchange and will serve on the Executive Committee for the upcoming year;
Professor Kirsten Davis was elected secretary of the Section on Women in Legal Education;
Professor Peter Fitzgerald was elected to the Executive Committee of the Section on Animal Law;
Associate Dean James Fox was elected to the Executive Committee of the Section on Legal History;
Professor Luz Nagle serves on the Committee on the Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers;
Professor Jason Palmer was elected to the Executive Committee and Professor Ellen Podgor was elected Secretary for the Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues;
Professor Susan Rozelle completed her service on the Executive Committee of the Section on Criminal Justice, continues to serve on the Work-Life Balance Committee of the Section on Women in Legal Education, and remains chair of the Teaching Materials Network for the AALS New Law Professors Section; and
Professor Louis Virelli was elected to the Executive Committee of the Section on Constitutional Law.

Stetson University selects Christopher Pietruszkiewicz as College of Law dean

Christopher Pietruszkiewicz has been named the new dean of Stetson University College of Law in Tampa Bay, Fla. Pietruszkiewicz joins Stetson from the LSU Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he serves as vice chancellor for business and financial affairs and as the J.Y. Sanders Professor of Law. Pietruszkiewicz will start at Stetson this summer.

Christopher Pietruszkiewicz has been named dean of Stetson University College of Law.

“I am delighted to join the College of Law with a fantastic faculty that is committed to creating an educational environment where students learn both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Pietruszkiewicz. “I look forward to working with a dedicated staff to advance Stetson’s educational mission and with a student body that will become lawyers and leaders, benefiting the profession and society. I am enthusiastic to work with President Wendy Libby, Provost Beth Paul, and Stetson’s vibrant alumni community to advance the College of Law’s national prominence in legal education.”

Pietruszkiewicz was selected following a national search led by a committee of faculty, administrators, students, alumni, overseers and trustees, chaired by Stetson Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Elizabeth “Beth” Paul and Professor of Law Michael Allen.

“Chris Pietruszkiewicz is recognized and respected nationally as a leader in legal education. I am confident that with his dynamic leadership, the Stetson University College of Law will continue to flourish as an excellent law school and earn distinction as an exemplar of 21st century legal education,” said Provost Paul.

Pietruszkiewicz has served in many national leadership positions in legal education. He has held several roles for the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation, and he currently serves on the board of trustees for the Law School Admission Council and the Southeastern Association of Law Schools, where he served as president from 2005 to 2006.

“We are excited to have Chris join our faculty as dean, and we are confident that he is the right person to lead Stetson University College of Law during this changing time in legal education,” said Professor Allen.

Stetson President Libby added, “We owe special thanks to the search committee and the members of the College of Law community for their roles in identifying and attracting a new dean of Chris’s caliber to Stetson.”

Pietruszkiewicz co-authored the book Corporate Reorganizations and is currently working on another book on tax issues. He has published numerous law review articles, and frequently presents on tax law and legal education issues.

At Louisiana State University, Pietruszkiewicz was responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, financial planning and personnel matters, in addition to serving on a variety of committees. Earlier in his career, he worked as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and as an attorney/adviser in the U.S. Department of Education.

He earned a Master of Laws in Taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center, a law degree from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Media Contact:

Frank Klim

Executive Director of Communications

Stetson University College of Law

727-562-7889

[email protected]

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine reports that Stetson Law is again among the top 25 law schools for Hispanics

The Dec. 19 issue of The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine listed Stetson University College of Law among the top 25 law schools for Hispanics in the nation for the third year in a row. Stetson Law ranks 14th among the 25 law schools across the country conferring the most degrees on Hispanics. Data for this report was compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics for 2010 graduates.

Student members of Stetson's Hispanic Bar Association meet with faculty adviser Professor Luz Nagle in 2010.

Stetson Law’s Hispanic students have established a strong tradition of community and public service. Second-year Stetson Law student Stephanie Favilli helped non-English speakers understand their legal rights by translating legal information into Spanish for pro se litigants in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. Favilli served as a Spanish language translator for the Bay Area Volunteer Lawyers Program in the fall of 2010 through the student Hispanic Bar Association at Stetson.

Stetson Law alumnus David Fernandez, a past president of Stetson’s Hispanic Bar Association and Law and Order, became the first law student to receive the Clearwater Bar Foundation Excellence in Pro Bono Award in February 2010. Fernandez received the award for his work to provide Spanish speakers with access to legal documents through a translation project he started under the guidance of Stetson Law Professor Luz E. Nagle.

In 2008, Professor Nagle was named the first full professor of Hispanic descent at Stetson Law. Nagle’s distinguished legal career includes battling drug lords while serving as a district court judge in her native Colombia. Her commitment to improving conditions in Colombia and throughout the world continues through her research and work as a lecturer and expert in the areas of human rights violations and drug war-related foreign policy. Nagle was elected to the International Bar Association Legal Practice Division Council for a four-year term that started in January 2011.

Stetson Law recognized 59 students at fall graduate celebration

On Dec. 16, Stetson University College of Law recognized 59 students at a fall graduate celebration on the Gulfport, Fla., campus. Stetson Law honored 43 J.D. students in the full-time class and eight J.D. students in the part-time class. Four students were recognized with an LL.M. in elder law and four with an LL.M. in international law.

Campus predators and social media examined at Stetson University law and higher education conference

The fallout of the Penn State scandal, new disability law updates, and the impact of social media predators on college campuses are among the topics of Stetson University College of Law’s 33rd National Conference on Law and Higher Education. The conference in Orlando, Feb. 17-21, invites attendees to recommend reforms in higher education.

“The Penn State scandal reminds higher education officials not to be bystanders to danger. The law can make colleges and universities safer and more responsible,” said Stetson Law professor Peter Lake, conference chair and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy.

This year’s conference opens with its first “Boot Camp” on the fundamentals of higher education law and policy. The next day’s pre-conference workshop on Title IX features a keynote address by Russlyn Ali, author of the famous April 4, 2011, “Dear Colleague” letter. The main conference keynoter is professor Fred Bonner of Texas A&M University. Dr. Bonner will speak on his highly anticipated book, Diverse Millennial Students in College, and how faculty and student affairs professionals can communicate more effectively with millennial students. The conference wraps up with a workshop on Campus Care and Threat Assessment Teams, led by Virginia Tech’s Gene Deisinger.

This year’s honorary co-chair, Miriam McKendall, is a member of the International Advisory Board for the Center and a partner at the law firm of Holland & Knight in the firm’s education law, labor and employment law, and litigation groups.

Professor Lake will explain how higher education law can make colleges safer, as articulated in his newest book, Foundations of Higher Education Law & Policy: Basic Legal Rules, Concepts, and Principles for Student Affairs. “We should not be focused on deflecting responsibility and merely beating cases in court,” Lake said. “We should be focused on making college campuses safer and better learning environments.”

To learn more about this year’s conference, and to register, click here.

Media Contact: Education journalists will have the opportunity to interview leading experts on issues impacting higher education. Please contact Brandi Palmer in Stetson Law’s Communications Office to schedule an interview or for additional details: 727-562-7381 or [email protected].

Stetson University-NACDL launch innovative white collar defense program in March

Stetson University and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers are launching a new legal education program, the “White Collar Criminal Defense College,” on March 15-20, at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport.

WHO: Practitioners in the field of white collar criminal defense and those wishing to enter this field will gain key advocacy skills and learn substantive white collar crime law at the new program.

WHAT: The program will cover practical training in handling a white collar case, including client retention, investigating a white collar case, handling searches and grand jury subpoenas, and dealing with parallel proceedings. Interactive sessions with top white collar practitioners will allow the participants to learn trial skills such as opening statements, cross-examination, jury instructions, closing arguments, and sentencing – all in the context of a white collar matter. NACDL is an accredited CLE provider and will apply for up to 36.5 credits in all states with CLE requirements. Credits vary by jurisdiction; attendees will be notified of the final approved credits during the program.

WHERE: The program takes place at Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport.

Accommodations are available at the Tradewinds Island Grand Beach Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach.

For more information about the White Collar Criminal Defense College, contact NACDL Meetings Manager Tamara Kalacevic at (202) 872-8600 x641 or [email protected] or Stetson Law Professor Ellen S. Podgor at (727) 562-7348 or [email protected].

Stetson Law students author book with professor

Six students who participated in Dr. Timothy Kaye’s Jurisprudence Seminar last fall at Stetson University College of Law in Tampa Bay, Fla., have recently been published in a new book edited by Dr. Kaye, entitled Law, Justice, and Miscommunications: Essays in Applied Legal Philosophy.

It may seem like a lofty title for a book, but as Dr. Kaye pointed out, understanding the basis of the law, and applying that understanding, is essential.

Dr. Kaye said that he was so impressed by the quality of thinking and writing among the students in his seminar class that he decided to publish a half-dozen of their essays in a book where they might enjoy a wider audience. Kaye said that he hopes that academics might use the book as a teaching vehicle, legal practitioners might use it to understand the law in greater depth, and lawmakers might use the book to take a closer look at the impact of the laws they’ve written.

Students William Allen and Elaine Babiarz, and alumni Ashley Grafton, Kate Jaczkanin, Neil Lyons and Abigail Pressler all wrote chapters in the book, along with Dr. Kaye.

“Participating in Dr. Kaye’s jurisprudence courses, and being a part of the book was precisely the kind of challenging and rewarding intellectual endeavor I had hoped to experience during my time at Stetson,” said Allen, who wrote the book chapter entitled, “Debunking the Idea of Political Morality.”

For the students, being part of the book was just one part of a greater formative experience. Babiarz said that she was thrilled to have an opportunity to present her essay with fellow seminar student and co-author Pressler at the Creative Law Conference in Vancouver, Canada. Pressler also presented her paper at the ATINER conference in Athens, Greece.

Babiarz said that Dr. Kaye’s seminar on jurisprudence was an opportunity to focus on justice.

“I put justice in the context of a genetically altered seed and whether that was legal,” Babiarz said of her research.

Her paper, “Amber Waves of (Genetically Modified) Grain: Rectifying the Injustice of GM Seed Patents,” discussed the debate surrounding genetically modified food, viewed as both the solution to world hunger and as a cancer-causing biological weapon.

“If you want to understand the legal system, that’s what jurisprudence is about,” Dr. Kaye explained. “It’s a chance to look at cases more deeply.”

“It’s the because and the why of what we do,” said Babiarz, who graduates in May 2012 and plans to be a prosecutor.

In describing his own philosophy, Dr. Kaye connected it to his role at Stetson, “Expect a lot from your students and provide them with the means to succeed.”

Dr. Kaye teaches torts, product liability, constitutional interpretation and jurisprudence at Stetson Law. Previously, he served as associate dean at the University of Birmingham in the UK. Dr. Kaye has done media interviews on topics ranging from employee privacy to Big Tobacco to the Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill.

Students at Stetson Law manage stress with therapy dogs during exam time

Duncan shares some puppy love with Stetson Law students in the Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library.

Students at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla., have an opportunity to alleviate stress while preparing for exams this semester with the help of some very special therapy dogs. Registered therapy dogs and their handlers are available in the atrium of the Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library to work with law students for about an hour each day for seven days during the exam period through mid-December.

Hans, a registered therapy dog, visits students during the exam period.

“All of us in the library sympathize with the stress that law students face around exam time,” said Professor Rebecca Trammell, director of the law library at Stetson. “We hope that this project will provide a relaxing change of pace for our students.”

All of the dogs are different breeds and sizes, and registered with Therapy Dogs International, a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers.

“Trained therapy animals and handlers provide animal-assisted-activities or animal-assisted-therapy in a wide range of settings including hospitals, hospices , disaster sites, schools, shelters, and many other places,” said Professor Peter Fitzgerald, an expert in international and commercial law and animal law who has been involved with Golden Retriever rescue for close to 15 years.

Alumna Amanda Hanson visits with Hans during the dog therapy program at Stetson. — Alumna Amanda Hanson visits with Brando during the dog therapy program at Stetson.

“Both their training and work is different from that associated with a service animal, but the benefits – such as decreased blood pressure and stress levels and improved overall emotional well-being – have been demonstrated in numerous studies over many years,” said Professor Fitzgerald. “Making therapy dogs available to help manage stress during our students’ exams is just a logical extension of the role they serve elsewhere.”

Professor Fitzgerald brought his dog Duncan, Professor Ellen Podgor brought her dog Hans, and Stetson Law alumna Amanda Hanson brought her dog Brando to the library at Stetson Law in Gulfport to work with students. All are trained therapy dogs.

Brando, a four-year-old rescued German Shepherd dog, was the first therapy dog to accompany a witness into a deposition in the 6th circuit court. Hanson is coordinator for Pawsibilities Registered Therapy Dogs, a program she started while she was still in law school at Stetson that works with local law enforcement and the 6th judicial circuit to provide therapy dogs at no cost for minor victims of crime as they brave the court process.

Learn more about Brando and Amanda’s first visit to the Stetson therapy dog program here.

New international programs bring students together from around the world

Daniela Estrada is an exchange student from Mexico.

Daniela Estrada is wrapping up her studies at Stetson University College of Law this week as part of an exchange program with the Autonomous University of Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico. Estrada is the first student to participate in the exchange program between Mexico and Stetson Law.

» VIDEO INTERVIEW: Daniela Estrada (1 min:6 sec)

Stetson Law student Joe Mascherin is studying in Granada, Spain, as part of a student exchange program between Stetson and the Universidad de Granada. Mascherin recently competed on Granada’s team at the Foreign Direct Investment Moot Competition at King’s College in London.

Stetson student Joe Mascherin, foreground, with the moot court team.

Maria Sanchez is pursuing a JD/Grado degree from Stetson Law and the Universidad de Granada. She traveled from the Universidad de Granada to Stetson Law in Gulfport as part of a new degree program.

» VIDEO INTERVIEW: Maria Sanchez (1 min:9 sec)

The J.D./Grado en Derecho dual-degree program, offered by Stetson Law, in Gulfport, Fla., and the Universidad de Granada, in Granada, Spain, is open to first-year Stetson students in good academic standing who are bilingual in Spanish and English or who have excellent written and oral Spanish skills and are willing to immerse themselves in a different legal culture.

Maria Sanchez is completing a JD/Grado degree.

Each year, both Stetson Law and the Universidad de Granada will select up to two students to study for two years at Stetson Law and two years at the Universidad de Granada. Upon successful completion of four years of study, these students will receive the J.D. degree from Stetson and the Grado en Derecho from Granada.

Visit International Programs at Stetson to learn more about these programs.

Stetson environmental law headlines around the world

Jamaica − Third-year law Stetson Law student Marcela Bonells is presenting her paper in Spanish this week at the V Pan-American Regional Meeting in Jamaica. Bonells completed an externship with Ramsar this summer in Switzerland.

Stetson Law Interim Dean Royal Gardner, past chair of the U.S. Ramsar Committee and author of the book, Lawyers, Swamps and Money: U.S. Wetland Law, Policy, and Politics, is moderating the Ramsar session in Jamaica.

Romania – International Environmental Law and Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy students at Stetson did case studies that they presented to Ramsar, and Dean Gardner and Stetson Law students helped draft a resolution to be considered at the next Ramsar meeting in Romania in July.

Interim Dean Royal Gardner meets with students working on the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy at Stetson.

India – The India regional rounds of Stetson Law’s International Environmental Moot Court Competition were conducted this past weekend. The National Law University, Jodhpur, won the North India regional round and the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, won the South India regional round of competition. This is the 16th year Stetson has held this competition. Countries participating in the IEMCC this year include Africa, Australia, China, India, Ireland, Korea, Latin America, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, United States, Ukraine and Vietnam.

Competitions around the world will determine which four teams of law students will compete at the International Finals hosted at Stetson Law in Tampa Bay, Fla., at the end of March. The students practice their skills presenting legal arguments involving a realistic nuclear plant accident with the potential to impact multiple countries.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice honored with J. Ben Watkins Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady was honored with the J. Ben Watkins Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession on Nov. 18 during the annual Stetson Law Review banquet. The award honors individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishment in the legal community.

Justice Canady, of Lakeland, is serving as Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court through June 2012. He was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court in 2008. Prior to joining the Florida Supreme Court, Justice Canady was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal. He was General Counsel to Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and served in Congress in the Florida House of Representatives and U.S. House of Representatives. He was a member of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution. Before serving in Congress, Justice Canady practiced law with Holland and Knight and with Lane Trohn.

The award is presented in honor of J. Ben Watkins, who helped found the Stetson Law Review and is an honorary member of the Stetson Law Board of Overseers. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include outstanding members of the judiciary and bar leadership.

Stetson wins regional round of NYC Bar National Moot Court Competition

Stetson University College of Law won the regional round of the New York City Bar’s 62nd Annual National Moot Court Competition in Atlanta on Nov. 19.

Students Ryan Leuthauser, Scott Stevenson, and Julia Richmond won the regional of the New York City Bar's 62nd Annual National Moot Court Competition

Stetson also won the best brief award in the competition. The team of Ryan Leuthauser, Julia Richmond, and Scott Stevenson will advance to the national rounds in January in New York.

“We could not be more proud of these students, who will be the first team to represent Stetson in the national round of this competition,” said Professor Brooke Bowman, moot court board advisor.

Stetson Law professors Michael Allen and Louis Virelli coached the team. The competition is hosted by the New York City Bar Committee on Young Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers.