Video interview with Professor Jules Coleman. (2min:13sec)
On Feb. 24, Professor Jules Coleman from Yale Law School presented Stetson University College of Law’s Culverhouse Chair Lecture and spoke to students about perceptions in understanding the law. Coleman said that he tried to illuminate the perspectives of examining law. He also told students that as lawyers they have great responsibilities because they will be members of one of the most powerful institutions in the world.
Professor Coleman is the Culverhouse Chair, a visiting faculty member at Stetson Law and the Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld Professor of Jurisprudence and Professor of Philosophy at Yale Law School.
Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist will be a Distinguished Professorial Lecturer at Stetson University College of Law, starting this semester.
Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Click image for high-resolution version.
“It’s always exciting and stimulating to have the opportunity to interact with young people in our state, particularly the caliber of students at Stetson University College of Law,” Crist said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be invited to do so and I’m very humbled by the invitation.”
Crist will serve as a guest lecturer in various classes, interact with students, and deliver presentations on the Stetson Law campus and at law school events. Crist plans to present Stetson Law’s Nichols Foundation Prominent Speakers Lecture Series in the spring. Established in 1995, the Nichols Series enriches academic life at Stetson by presenting prominent speakers from business, government and the law.
“Stetson University believes in public service and practical learning, and we are thrilled that Governor Crist will be sharing his unique insights into Florida law and policy with our students,” said President Wendy Libby. Crist, who recently joined the Morgan & Morgan law firm, said he is motivated to share his experiences in public service and what it means to serve the people of Florida to try to make their lives better. He said he plans to focus his teaching at Stetson on government and the law.
“It’s all about giving back and trying to help others and improving your community,” Crist said. “Graduates go on and do great work, pro bono and otherwise, throughout the state of Florida and the country from Stetson, the oldest law school in the state.”
“As former governor, attorney general, education commissioner and state senator, Charlie Crist has a wealth of personal knowledge to share with our students,” said Vice President and Dean Darby Dickerson. “Our students will have an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the inner workings of government and the law from a tenured public servant.”
The governor of Florida from January 2007 to January 2011, Crist’s tenure in public service includes serving as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner and Attorney General. Crist moved to St. Petersburg, Fla., with his family as a child and attended the local school system through high school. He received his undergraduate degree from Florida State University and his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law.
His father, St. Petersburg-based physician Dr. Charles J. Crist, served on the College of Law Board of Overseers from 1979 through 1997.
Stetson University College of Law is accepting nominations for its prestigious 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.
New members are inducted into Stetson Law’s Hall of Fame each year in the fall. The 2010 inductees were Kay Eddy, the Firestone Family, philanthropists Edward and Bonnie Foreman, Professor Ruthann Robson ’79, Seminole Tribe of Florida general counsel Jim Shore BA ’76 and JD ’80, top-ranked Tampa attorney Gary Trombley ’73, and Judge Dan Warren ’52.
For biographies and videos about past winners, please see the Hall of Fame website.
To submit a nomination, please use the 2011 Hall of Fame Nomination Form (PDF) and send by April 29 to Leslie Weaver 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]. See Nominations for more information.
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Manager of Media Relations
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Stetson University College of Law has named Ellen S. Podgor the inaugural Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor.
Professor Ellen S. Podgor. Click for high-resolution image.
A former prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, Professor Podgor has written more than 50 articles and co-authored many books, including White Collar Crime in a Nutshell, Understanding International Criminal Law andMastering Criminal Law. She is also editor of the White Collar Crime Prof Blog, which boasts a readership of two million and counting.
Podgor is a member of the American Law Institute and serves on the board of directors of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools. Podgor is a former member of the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and past chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Association of American Law Schools. She is an honorary member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
Podgor has served as Stetson’s Culverhouse Chair, LeRoy Highbaugh Sr. Research Chair, and inaugural Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Electronic Education. Before joining Stetson’s faculty in 2005, she was a tenured professor at Georgia State.
In September 2010, Podgor testified before Congress on the issue of overcriminalization. Also in 2010, Podgor received the Robert C. Heeney Award, the highest honor given by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Stetson Law alumnus Gary R. Trombley ’73, who established the professorship, is an award-winning white-collar defense and criminal defense attorney at Trombley & Hanes P.A. in Tampa, a member of the College of Law’s Board of Overseers, and inductee in Stetson Law’s Hall of Fame. Trombley received the Attorney General’s “Outstanding Performance in Trial Practice Award” while serving as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Florida. He has served as a member The Florida Bar’s Board of Governors.
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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and Americans eat more than 50 million pounds of chocolate to celebrate. But according to the U.S. Department of State, more than 100,000 children are enslaved working in the cocoa industry. On Feb. 8, a group of students, faculty and experts gathered at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport to discuss the issue of child labor in the international cocoa industry.
Stetson Law Professor Luz Nagle moderates a discussion between students and panelists about child labor in the chocolate industry.
Stetson Law student Amber Knight, an intern at the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, introduced the program, which included a screening of the documentary film, “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” by U. Roberto “Robin” Romano and award-winning Danish journalist Miki Mistrati.
International human rights expert Professor Luz Nagle moderated a panel that discussed the importance of consumer awareness, corporate responsibility and tougher labor laws to combat child slavery and exploitation. The panel included consumer advocate Carol Botbyl, Stetson Law Professor Clark Furlow, Distinguished Professorial Lecturer Justice Andrew G.T. Moore II, Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking representative Giselle Rodriguez, and nationally renowned labor lawyer Peter Robb.
Filmmaker Robin Romano joined the program via Skype. “Cocoa is to the Ivory Coast as the Ivory Coast is to cocoa,” Romano said following the screening of his film. He later shared that the Ivory Coast is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a human rights treaty advocating for children’s rights.
Rodriguez said she was saddened to know that children are forced to labor in the cocoa industry without access to adequate food, medical care, or even school.
Justice Moore said that he found not knowing even more disturbing.
In 2001, there was a force to implement legislation to give some teeth to the movement to stop child labor, Nagle said. Now a decade later, the issue remains. “Who will hold corporations accountable for enforcing the rights of the child?” Professor Nagle asked the panel.
The panel concluded with many questions. “Could we make it good business not to buy cocoa beans from companies using child labor?” Robb asked.
On one point, Professor Nagle was certain. “We all need to be involved,” she said.
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Campus violence, challenges to academic freedom, free speech issues and the rise of virtual campuses will be reviewed at the conference.
Professor Amy Gadja, who teaches both law and journalism at Tulane University, will present the keynote address on “The Rise of a Litigation and Risk Management Culture on Campus.”
Professor Laura Rothstein, former dean of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, will be honored with this year’s William A. Kaplin Award for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy Scholarship. The Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson established this award to recognize scholars who have published works on education law that embrace the intersection of law and policy.
Professor Rothstein has written 14 books and dozens of book chapters, articles and other works on disability discrimination. She has also chaired the AALS Special Committee on Disability Issues from 1988-1990 and has served as co-chair of the AALS Section on Disability Law, chair of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education Diversity Committee, a member of the LSAC Minority Affairs Committee, and a member of the AALS Membership Committee. She currently serves on the Law School Admissions Council Pipeline Outreach Planning Committee. In addition to her work in disability law, Rothstein has worked to promote racial diversity within legal education and the legal profession, writing and lecturing frequently on those topics.
Ann H. Franke is this year’s Facilitator Award recipient. Franke is a national consultant for colleges and universities on issues ranging from academic freedom to student affairs. Stetson created the award to honor educators who embody the principles articulated by Stetson Law professors Robert Bickel and Peter Lake in their book, The Rights and Responsibilities of the Modern University.
Franke founded her firm, Wise Results, LLC, in 2005, after holding senior management positions with United Educators Insurance and the American Association of University Professors. Franke is a nationally-sought speaker who has been published in Trusteeship, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Change magazine, Minerva, and The Review of Litigation. She is a fellow of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a trustee of AAUP’s Academic Freedom Fund, and a member of the editorial advisory board for the “Educator’s Guide to Controlling Sexual Harassment.”
Stetson University College of Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution board won the Liberty University National Negotiation Competition this past weekend in Lynchburg, Va.
The Stetson student team of James Garner and Skip Tylman negotiated a complicated Securities and Exchange Commission issue to win the competition. Twelve teams competed in the preliminary rounds, with only four teams advancing to the final round on Jan. 29.
“We couldn’t be prouder of how hard both Jimmy and Skip worked and how professional they were during the competition,” said Professor Kelly Feeley, who directs Stetson’s ADR board. “The ADR skills that the students are learning as part of these teams will be invaluable to their success in the practice of law.”
“Student competitions provide a great resource for students to further perfect skills and build self-confidence,” said Visiting Professor Christine Cerniglia, who coached the winning team.
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Helaine M. Barnett presented the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture. Click image for high-resolution version.
Stetson University College of Law honored John R. Blue with its 2011 Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award at its annual Inns of Court Banquet in St. Petersburg on Jan. 25. Helaine M. Barnett, who has led numerous legal service programs for the poor, presented the William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture at the event. Barnett said the nation’s economic condition is placing greater numbers of Americans at the poverty level without adequate access to justice.
“More and more Americans go to court unrepresented,” said Barnett. “Although some individuals may choose to go to court without counsel, most pro se litigants have no choice.”
Now an attorney at Carlton Fields, Blue is a 1963 Stetson Law alumnus who has served the legal profession for decades as an attorney, a mediator and a judge. As Chief Judge of the Second District Court of Appeal, Blue authored more than 500 appellate opinions. Blue served on The Florida Bar Board of Governors, chaired the Local Bar Liaison Committee, and served as president of the Manatee County Bar Association. In 1983, Blue directed the Division of Florida Community Colleges, overseeing 28 community colleges. He also coordinated a program for the 1983 legislative session on higher education. He served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956.
Watch Video – 53 sec
Helaine M. Barnett speaks at Inns of Court Banquet.
Barnett is the former president of the non-profit Legal Services Corporation created by Congress. She worked for decades providing legal services in New York, created the Legal Aid Society’s Homeless Family Rights Project, and oversaw the creation of a citywide health law unit. She mobilized the 9/11 Disaster Assistance Initiative and co-chairs New York’s Task Force to Expand Access to Civil Legal Services. Barnett is the only legal services lawyer to have held positions in the American Bar Association House of Delegates and ABA Board of Governors and Executive Committee. She was elected to the American Law Institute in 1984 and is past chair of the ABA Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and a member of the ABA Commission on Governance.
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Manager of Media Relations
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Stetson University College of Law’s main Gulfport campus at 1401 61st St. S. and Tampa Law Center at 1700 N. Tampa St. will be closed on Jan. 25 after __ p.m. as a precaution to inclement weather.
Both campuses will not reopen until at least __.
Those who have business with the Second District Court of Appeal should contact the court directly at 813-272-3430.
Additional information and updates will be posted online on the Stetson University College of Law Web site at www.law.stetson.edu .
Emergency contacts:
Contact: Frank Klim
Office: (727) 562-7889
Cell: (727) 510-1393
Or
Contact: Brandi Palmer
Office: (727) 562-7381
Cell: (727) 430-1580
Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381 [email protected]
Claire Grove has joined Stetson University College of Law as assistant dean for administration. Grove will work on institutional research, policy and long-term planning initiatives at the college.
Claire Grove is Stetson Law's new assistant dean for administration. Click for high-resolution image.
At Indiana University-Indianapolis, Grove served as assistant dean for graduate studies from 2007-2010 and as director of the LL.M. program from 2004-2007. Previously, she clerked in the Indiana Court of Appeals and was legal counsel to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Grove has a law degree from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University-Bloomington. She has a graduate certificate in non-profit management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Administration in Indianapolis.
Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381 [email protected]
Hugh Wooding Law School of Trinidad and Tobago and American University Washington College of Law students qualified this Saturday to compete in Stetson University College of Law’s 15th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition in March.
Hugh Wooding Law School team with Stetson Law Professor Royal Gardner (center). Click for high-resolution image.
Hugh Wooding Law School won the regional competition and American University Washington College of Law was runner-up and won the best memorial award at the North America-Atlantic Region International Environmental Moot Court Competition held Jan. 21-22 at Stetson Law in Gulfport. Tecla Duncan, student from Hugh Wooding Law School, was named best oralist in the final round.
The winning teams will both advance to compete in the prestigious international finals hosted by Stetson Law at the University of Maryland School of Law March 17-20. Students from Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, India, Ireland, Latin America, North America and Southeast Asia will compete in the finals.
American University Washington College of Law team with Professor Royal Gardner. Click for high-resolution image.
Eight teams from law schools across the country and two teams from the Caribbean competed in the regional competition this past weekend at Stetson Law. The students argued a moot case on the topic of oil pollution and the marine environment.
Stetson Law offers an advanced LL.M. degree in international law and is home to the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy. The institute is a nexus of education, research, and service activities related to global, regional and local biodiversity issues. Stetson Law is also home to the Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy.
Hugh Wooding Law School student best oralist Tecla Duncan with Stetson Law Professor Royal Gardner. Click for high-resolution image.
Stetson’s international programs include a semester exchange and dual degree programs with the University of Granada, Spain; a semester exchange program with the University of Toulouse in Toulouse, France; an international law concentration; an international student exchange; as well as study abroad opportunities in Argentina, China, Netherlands/Switzerland, Spain, London and the Cayman Islands.
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Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381 [email protected]
