News Archives - Page 96 of 138

Panel Talk: Chocolate Industry Child Labor

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.

Panel Investigates Child Labor in the Chocolate 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.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

32nd Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education Brings National Leaders to Orlando

Stetson University College of Law’s 32nd Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education brings national academic leaders and scholars to Orlando Feb. 5-8.

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.”

To register to attend all or a portion of this conference, bring a completed registration form along with payment to the registration desk at the event at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando.
Visit www.law.stetson.edu/conferences, e-mail [email protected], or call 727-562-7312 to learn more.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

ADR Board Wins National Competition

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.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Inns of Court

Helaine Barnett — 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.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Stetson Law Closes Campuses as Precaution to Severe Weather

URGENT: ADVISORY

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]

New Assistant Dean for Administration

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.

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]

International Environmental Moot Court Competition

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.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

A Comparative View of Legal Systems

Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, is teaching a course at Stetson University College of Law on Advanced Comparative Legal Torts. On Jan. 12, Canada’s Chief Justice presented “Canada and the United States: A Comparative View of our Constitutional Traditions and Legal Professions” in the Mann Lounge on Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus.

You can download an audio cast of Justice McLachlin’s presentation here.

Chief Justice McLachlin chairs the Canadian Judicial Council, the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada and the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute. She has authored many publications and is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees. She was named commander of the French Legion of Honor in 2007 and was presented with the International Jurists Award in 2008. Chief Justice McLachlin is a Distinguished International Fellow at Stetson Law along with Jamaican Senator A.J. Nicholson.

Contact Frank Klim
Executive Director of Communications
727-562-7889
[email protected]

Students Participate in Professionalism Day

Students at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla., volunteered more than 800 hours of community service on Jan. 10 as they participated in more than 100 community events throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Habitat Build — First-year student Amar Agha joins other Stetson Law students to help build a Habitat for Humanity house in Clearwater, Fla., during Professionalism Day on Jan. 10, 2011. Click image for high-resolution version.

First-year Stetson Law student A.J. Josey was busy volunteering at the Enoch Davis Center in St. Petersburg on Monday interviewing community members facing the difficult decision of declaring bankruptcy. “It brings you back to reality. It puts things in perspective,” Josey said.

The day-long program, called Practicing Professionalism Day: Commitment, Competency and Character, is designed to help Stetson law students become responsible members of the legal profession. The program was created by professor Roberta K. Flowers and Stetson dean of student life Michael Farley.

Student Kim Hamill wore a hardhat Monday morning as she helped her team with a construction project for Habitat for Humanity in Clearwater. “I think it’s great to get out here and do something good for the community,” said Hamill.

“I picked this opportunity because it’s hands-on,” said student Amar Agha, another volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity project. “It’s also a good bonding experience with all the other 1Ls before we jump back into the swing of things.”

Spring classes began for Stetson Law students the following day.

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Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Journalist and Freedom Rider Honored at Commencement


	Fall 2010 Commencement Slideshow – More Photos

Journalist and civil rights advocate John Seigenthaler Sr. addressed Stetson University College of Law’s commencement ceremony on Dec. 18. Freedom Rider Ernest “Rip” Patton Jr. was also honored at the ceremony, which took place at the Pasadena Community Church.

Ninety-one J.D. students, including 22 students from the part-time program and five students from the J.D./M.B.A. program, were presented as degree candidates at Stetson Law’s commencement. Seven students received an LL.M. in elder law, and one student received an LL.M. in international law.

Seigenthaler is an award-winning journalist who also played a pivotal role in Robert Kennedy’s Justice Department. He was the founding editorial director of USA Today and long-time editor of the The Tennessean. His civil rights work led to his service as chief negotiator with the governor of Alabama during the Freedom Rides. He founded the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. He reminded the memebers of the graduating class at Stetson Law to take their roles as advocates of justice seriously.

Ernest “Rip” Patton Jr., one of the original Freedom Riders, participated in the May 24, 1961 Greyhound Freedom Ride to Jackson, Miss., where he was arrested and sent to the Parchman Farm. He was expelled from Tennessee State University for participating in the Freedom Rides, later presented with a diploma. Patton works with Stetson Law and University of South Florida students enrolled in an annual constitutional and civil rights travel course.

Stetson University president Wendy Libby, Ph. D., presented the honorary doctor of laws at commencement to both John Seigenthaler Sr. and to Ernest “Rip” Patton Jr.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

NOTICE: Graduation Location, Time Changed

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]

Stetson University College of Law is moving graduation ceremonies from the Gulfport campus to the Pasadena Community Church, 227 70th St. S., St. Petersburg, due to inclement weather. The commencement ceremony will begin Saturday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m., instead of the originally scheduled graduation time of 1 p.m.

Each graduate has been provided with 10 guests tickets; graduates may freely trade extra tickets. We expect to be able to accommodate all guests. The doors open to ticketed guests at 1:00 p.m. and to non-ticketed guests at 1:45 p.m.

Directions to Pasadena Community Church: From Stetson Law in Gulfport, turn right on Gulfport Blvd. S. (22nd Ave. S.). Turn right onto Pasadena Ave. S. (first major intersection). Turn left at Park Circle S. and you will see the church.
»» VIEW MAP
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. to allow time for graduates and visitors to report to the new location.
Graduating students should report to Hamilton Auditorium no later than 12:30 p.m.
Faculty should report to the Gathering Room no later than 1 p.m.
Graduates who have not picked up their regalia and tickets should contact the Office of Conferences and Events at (727) 562-7898.
The graduation reception will take place at the church immediately following the ceremony.
The Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library will be open for visitors on the Gulfport campus from 8:30 a.m. –5 p.m.
The Bookstore will be open on the Gulfport campus from 12 –4 p.m.
We still hope to offer a webcast of the ceremony, but are working on logistical issues. Please check the College of Law’s homepage, www.law.stetson.edu for updates.
Any additional updates about the ceremony will be posted on the College of Law’s homepage and communicated to students, faculty, and staff via e-mail.

»» More information about Graduation Events

Elder Consumer Law Day Series

What: Elder Consumer Law Day series for seniors.
Where: Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st St. S. in Gulfport.

When:

Jan. 25, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Shield Yourself from Financial Exploitation: Tax Season, Investment Opportunities, Consumer Scams and Frauds

March 22, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Protect Yourself from Financial Abuse: Family Issues, Preplanning, Legal Document Basics

May 17, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Batten Down Against Disaster Frauds and Scams: Price Gouging, Home Repair, Insurance Concerns and Charity Fraud

Members of the public are invited to attend these free events, focused on informing, educating and empowering senior and elder individuals.

Free consumer services will be provided, including secure on-site document shredding, do-not-call/opt-out registration and free credit report registration. While legal issues will be discussed, no legal advice, legal representation or legal education credit will be provided.

Registration is required and limited, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Continental breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided to registered attendees. To register, or for more information, call Slade V. Dukes at 727-562-7888 or e-mail [email protected] .

To learn more about Stetson’s Elder Consumer Protection Program and Financial Scam & Fraud Elder Awareness Project, visit http://www.law.stetson.edu/elderconsumers.

Contact Brandi Palmer
Manager of Media Relations
727-562-7381
[email protected]