Student Features Archives - Page 6 of 26

Lambda presents: Is Coming Out Still a Thing?

By Karun Rivero, 2L

Chris Rudisill spoke at Stetson. Photo by Karun Rivero.

Chris Rudisill, Director of LGBT Services at Metro Wellness and Community Center in St. Petersburg, and members of the Stetson Lambda Legal Society spoke Oct. 7 on the Gulfport campus about the importance and challenges of coming out following the Obergefell decision earlier this year.

Students listened to the Lambda presentation, "Is Coming Out Still a Thing?" Photo by Karun RIvero. — Students listened to the Lambda presentation, “Is Coming Out Still a Thing?” Photo by Karun RIvero.

The presentation was held in conjunction with National Coming Out Day –an event held every year to acknowledge coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) or as an ally. This Sunday, Oct. 11, will mark the 27th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

“Added visibility helps break down barriers,” said Rudisill. “Who we are is the most important part of our lives and we must show it.”

Rudisill discussed why coming out is still extremely important to the LGBT community and pointed to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on marriage equality and the surge of media attention and education about the LGBT community from celebrities and activists such as Laverne Cox.

“No one can tell a young (LGBT) person anymore that they are the only ones,” Rudisill said.

He added that coming out itself can be easy or it can be difficult for some people, but for everyone there is the reality of living life after coming out.

This year’s Coming Out event is being held following a very difficult week for the LGBT community and allies. This week, the 20th murder of a transwoman of color was reported and two transgender youth reportedly committed suicide.

Support groups and events sponsored by Metro are aimed at helping individuals and their families. Metro provides wellness and community centers dedicated to providing information and services to members of the LGBT community as well as their families.

Stetson’s Lambda Legal Society provides a forum for exploring the legal issues faced by people identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and allies. One of the goals of Lambda Legal Society is to provide tools young attorneys need to work more effectively with the increasingly visible LGBT client. LGBT clients seek legal advice in all areas of legal practice, and young attorneys should become familiar with the resources available.

For more information on Metro and the services they provide, please visit http://www.metrotampabay.org.

For more information on Lamba Legal Society, please visit https://www.stetson.edu/law/students/home/student-organizations.php.

Keys to success: series outlines path to legal career, practice

A panel met Sept. 28 in the Great Hall. — (L-R) Joann Burnett (at podium), Ashley Roura, Fred Schaub, Tony Julian, Douglas Covington, Michael Hays and Howardene Garrett.

Stetson Law’s career development office launched a fall series to educate students about pursuing careers with the judiciary, State Attorney and Public Defender.

On Sept. 28, a panel presented on careers in criminal law. The panelists discussed their career paths, life in the courtroom, and provided advice for preparing for careers with the State Attorney and Public Defender.

This year’s criminal law panelists included Ashley Roura ’08, Fred Schaub ’84, Tony Julian, Douglas Covington, Michael Hays and Howardene Garrett.

More than 100 students gathered in the Great Hall on Stetson Law’s Gulfport campus on Sept. 21 to hear from a panel of judges, professors, and current judicial clerks. Students learned about how judicial clerkships are viewed from the bench and the most effective way to pursue a clerkship.

This year’s judicial clerkship panel included Judge Anthony E. Porcelli B.A. ’93, J.D. ’98 of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Judge Edward LaRose of the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, Stetson professors Marco Jimenez, Catherine Cameron, judicial clerks Lane Cryar J.D. ’14 and Aimee Canty J.D. ’14.

The judges gave students insight into the qualities and experiences they look for in judicial clerks – both during law school and post-graduate clerkships. The professors discussed their experiences as judicial clerks and the impact clerking had on their careers. Judicial clerks discussed how they obtained their current positions and the day-to-day life of a judicial clerk.

The events were presented by Stetson Law’s career development office to educate students about the variety of legal careers open to them and to provide practical advice from practitioners.

For more information about upcoming events, contact career development at 727-562-7815 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Sea Level Rise? Students, faculty join conference discussion

Stetson students, faculty, staff and graduates participated in the conference “Sea Level Rise: What’s Our Next Move?” on Oct. 2-3 at St. Petersburg College.

(L-R): Stetson Law student Hayley Brew, International Wildlife Law Journal founder Dr. Wil Burns, student Alex Stewart, Professor Lance Long, Professor Paul Boudreaux, Biodiversity Fellow Erin Okuno, alumna Elise Pautler, alumnus Carson Zimmer, adjunct professor and attorney Jacki Lopez. — (L-R): Stetson Law student Hayley Brew, Dr. Wil Burns, student Alex Stewart, Professor Lance Long, Professor Paul Boudreaux, Foreman Biodiversity Fellow Erin Okuno, graduates Elise Pautler and Carson Zimmer, and adjunct professor and attorney Jacki Lopez.

Professors Paul Boudreaux and Lance Long, Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy founder Dr. Wil Burns, and student Alex Stewart were invited to be debaters at the conference, attended by more than 200 people from throughout the region.

“There were some great practical suggestions coming from the conference,” said Professor Long. “For example, governments should start publicizing anticipated sea-level rise levels. Maps like the hurricane evacuation zones should be made readily available. Laws should be made requiring disclosure of the effect of anticipated sea-level rise in connection with real estate transactions. Our schools should start addressing sea-level rise and the potential effect it could have on our coastal lifestyle. The overall consensus was that proactive planning would be preferable to inefficient post disaster relief.”

Foreman Biodiversity Fellow Erin Okuno moderated and students Hayley Brew, Rachael Curran, Lauren Eliopoulos and Lydia Greiner acted as scribes during the second day of the conference. Okuno and Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy director Royal Gardner were part of the conference working group.

“I think the greatest takeaway was that, although we don’t want to cause panic or unreasonable concern about sea-level rise, the various levels of government, business, non-governmental entities, and citizens generally need to immediately start educating the public about sea-level rise, and creating preliminary plans for preparing to meet the inevitable sea-level rise in our near future,” said Professor Long.

Environmental ethics expert presents at Stetson

Stetson University College of Law hosted EPA senior enforcement attorney Mike Walker as part of the Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture series on Sept. 29. A crowd of students, faculty, staff and members of the community gathered to hear Walker speak in the Great Hall.

Walker discussed how diversity is the key to stability in ecology.

Trained as a biologist-botanist after the renowned Aldo Leopold, Walker has been called one of the most influential figures in the development of environmental ethics.

Walker, who works at the U.S. EPA headquarters, handles major civil and criminal environmental law enforcement matters throughout the U.S.

Leopold was a conservationist who is considered the father of wildlife management and of the U.S. wilderness system.

The event was co-sponsored by Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy and Environmental Law Society.

A crowd gathered in the Great Hall to hear Mike Walker talk on Sept. 29. Photo by SeanCarlo Lopez.

(L-R): Bonnie Foreman, Mike Walker and Professor Royal Gardner. Photo by Brandi Palmer.

Kicking off the fall: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks headlines event with Stetson Entertainment and Sports Law Society

Pictured (L to R): David Lisko (SBLA President), Yo Murphy (Performance Compound), Samantha Grizzle (Stetson EASL Event Coordinator), Marissa Marchena (Stetson EASL Treasurer), Alexandra Murdocca (Stetson EASL President), Mike Dillon (Reynolds Sports Management), and Justin Moore (SBLA CEO). — (L to R): David Lisko, Yo Murphy, students Samantha Grizzle, Marissa Marchena, Alexandra Murdocca, with Mike Dillon of Reynolds Sports Management, and Justin Moore CEO of SBLA.

By Tyler Rutledge, Second-year student, EASL Communications Chair

The Stetson Entertainment and Sports Law Society kicked off a full year of events with a successful panel discussion on “Agents and Athletes: The Business of Turning Pro.” The event was sponsored by Stetson EASL, the Sports Business and Leadership Association, Shutts & Bowen LLP, and University of Florida EASL and graciously hosted by the Performance Compound in Tampa on Friday, Sept. 18.

Headlined by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks, the event’s focus was to expose the crowd of more than 70 students and guests to elite professionals in their respective fields and inform them about different avenues of success. Brooks, a 2014 inductee into the Professional Football Hall of Fame and current president of the Tampa Bay Storm, spoke about his experiences on a variety of topics. His first-hand accounts of hiring his agent, choosing his friends, his transition from the football field into the front office and more had all in attendance captivated.

David Lisko, SBLA president and co-founder, was vital in securing Brooks for the event.

Lisko stated, “I am an NFL agent as well as a lawyer at Holland & Knight, and one of my clients is a friend of Derrick Brooks, who informed him about the Sports Business & Leadership Association and asked him if he would be willing to speak at one of our networking and educational events. I believe that when he found out about the charitable goals of our organization and that he would be speaking to students and young professionals, he was inspired to join the panel.”

Panelists Mike Dillon, Derrick Brooks, and Yo Murphy take a question from a Stetson Law student.

The panel also included guests Mike Dillon and Yo Murphy. Dillon is the executive vice president of Reynolds Sports Management, an agency representing some of Major League Baseball’s top stars. Dillon spoke about his professional evolution from high school teacher to his current position today negotiating contracts and providing marketing services for top athletes. Murphy, who is director of sports performance at the Performance Compound, spoke about his professional football career in both the National Football League and Canadian Football League, which included a Super Bowl appearance with the St. Louis Rams in 2001. Murphy, now working as a trainer for professional baseball and football players, also spoke about the importance of proper training throughout both the season and off-season for professional athletes.

To learn more about Stetson EASL and upcoming events, like the EASL page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StetsonEASL or e-mail [email protected].

Stetson EASL’s next event is open to Stetson students, faculty and staff will take place Monday, Oct. 12, at 12 p.m. in Stetson’s Great Hall and will feature a luncheon with David Cohen, general counsel of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

RSVP for this event on the EASL HatterSync page at https://orgsync.com/115131/chapter.

Domestic violence in America? Student wins first place in national essay contest

Samantha Sobel. — Samantha Sobel won a national essay contest.

Student Samantha R. Sobel won first place in the Yanez & Associates Law Scholarship Essay Contest and Scholarship Program for her paper, “Should parents convicted of domestic violence have their parental rights terminated?”

The essay focused on domestic violence in America with the goal of increasing awareness of the growing issue. Sobel is a student in Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy Concentration Program.

Yanez & Associates’ national essay contest and scholarship program offered a $2,000 prize to the first place winner and a $1,000 prize to the second place winner. Participants were invited to write 2,500-3,500 words on a topic.

“This was a topic very close to my heart because it combined two areas of law that I have dedicated my law school career to: juvenile dependency and family law,” said Sobel. “I worked very closely with survivors of domestic violence when I was interning with Bay Area Legal Services, as well as volunteering with Community Action Stops Abuse in St. Petersburg, Florida. I have also worked with the Florida Department of Children and Families: Children’s Legal Services, dealing directly with the issue of terminating parental rights and cases involving domestic violence.”

Those experiences prompted Sobel to write her juvenile law seminar paper on the failure to protect laws and childhood exposure to domestic violence.

“I attribute winning first place to my passion and experiences in these areas of law,” said Sobel. “It is truly validating and provides me additional incentive to continue my work in the areas of juvenile dependency and family law after my fast-approaching law school graduation.”

Tampa Bay Lightning exec, former GM presents on team building

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s executive director of community hockey development Jay Feaster spoke with Stetson Law students on Sept. 16. Feaster, who was general manager of the Lightning when they won the Stanley Cup, talked with Stetson Law students about team-building as a pillar of leadership.

The Tampa Bay Lightning's former general manager spoke at Stetson. — (L-R): Genesis Matuté Smith, Erin Brennan, Mitchell Levine, Alexandria Nicodemi, Jay Feaster, Courtney Olivier, Katherine Vinez, and Danielle Breiter. Photo by Kevin James.

Feaster has a law degree from Georgetown University. His presentation was part of the Leadership Certificate program at Stetson.

What’s going on in Syria? U.S. Central Command attorney talks with students

On Sept. 14, students in Professor Luz Nagle’s international law class had an opportunity to talk with U.S. Central Command international law attorney Robin L. Johnson.

Robin L. Johnson, International Law Attorney U.S. Central Command, spoke with student in Professor Luz Nagle's international law class. — Robin L. Johnson, International Law Attorney U.S. Central Command, spoke with students in Professor Luz Nagle’s international law class.

Johnson’s lecture was followed by a Q&A with students about critical international law topics including Syria.

“It is important for our students to hear from such attorneys who have actually practiced in the areas in which we teach, especially with regard to international law, which can seem more abstract to the students than writing up commercial contacts, for instance,” said Professor Nagle.

Johnson retired from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps following 20 years of active duty service. During her tenure, she served with the Office of General Counsel in the Department of Defense, U.S. Special Operations Command, and in the headquarters of the Department of the Army Office of the Judge Advocate General. She also served on exchange with the British Army Department of Legal Services, and with the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula. Johnson was the first female judge advocate to deploy in a combat operation, Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama in 1989.

Professor Nagle remarked on Johnson’s long, distinguished and fascinating career: “She was able to combine her desire to serve our country with her passion for international law,” said Professor Nagle. “She traveled the world working with U.S. and allied forces to accomplish military goals while adhering to international law frameworks in the context of peacekeeping; national, regional and international security; and preserving the rule of law.”

Stetson community remembers 9/11

Just after dawn on the morning of Sept. 11, members of the Stetson University College of Law community planted 2,977 American flags on Stetson’s law campus in memory of each of the 9/11 victims.

The Stetson Law community commemorated 9/11.

The event was co-sponsored by the Stetson Democrats, Stetson Republicans, and Stetson Student Veterans organizations.

The director of Stetson’s Veteran’s Advocacy Clinic, Associate Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, was part of the flag planting ceremony and said, “It is important for the Stetson community to come together to remember this day. Not only because 9/11 changed America and brought us together to help one another but also because many of our student veterans served in combat as a direct result of the events that day.”

After planting the flags, students, professors and administrators observed a moment of silence, reflecting on the events of that day 14 years ago.

Stetson Law planted flags to remember 9/11.

Florida’s wild places: photojournalist Carlton Ward Jr. delivers Stetson’s biodiversity lecture

Carlton Ward Jr. delivered the Sept. 3 biodiversity lecture. Photo by SeanCarlo Lopez.

“What I really want to share with the students here today is that Florida is still a wild place, and we have a chance to keep it that way,” Carlton Ward Jr. told an audience gathered to hear him speak on Thursday afternoon on Stetson’s Gulfport campus.

Ward addressed students, faculty, staff and members of the community at Stetson Law’s first Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture of the fall semester.

Ward is an environmental photojournalist from Clearwater, Florida, who uses his photography to promote conservation of natural environments and cultural legacies.

Ward’s book, “Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition,” documents Ward’s 1,000-mile journey in 2012 from the Everglades National Park in Florida to the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia in 100 days. The journey continued in 2015 with a 70-day, 1,000-mile trek from the Everglades headwaters near Orlando to Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola, bringing new attention to a statewide vision to keep Florida wild.

Stetson’s biodiversity lecture series brings leading experts to campus to speak on a range of environmental topics. The lecture series is co-sponsored by Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy.

The next lecture in the biodiversity lecture series is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sept. 29 in the Great Hall on the Gulfport campus with Mike Walker, a senior enforcement attorney at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Five days in Cuba: Students, faculty describe the experience

On March 15, more than a dozen students and two professors loaded onto an airplane in Tampa, Florida, for what was to become Stetson Law’s first study abroad program in Cuba. The trip was preceded by a course taught by Professor of Law Candace Zierdt that examined current perspectives on the Cuban Legal System and Society. Stetson’s class took place at perhaps no more pivotal time in Cuba’s history, as attitudes towards long-held sanctions began to relax. For the first time in decades, a field trip from the U.S. to Cuba had become a reality.

Students from Stetson Law took a trip to Cuba during spring break.

Professor Zierdt described how taking her class to Cuba became an incredibly moving and transformative experience, different for each of the students traveling with her on the trip.

“I don’t think you can do a class like this without understanding the culture,” said Professor Zierdt.

During a walking tour of Old Havana, Professor Zierdt described how many of the topics her students reviewed in class became real.

“All the things we saw there were things we had studied,” she said.

The class explored the roles of lawyers in Cuba, as well as the history of business, education, healthcare, human rights, even sports.

“Attorneys in Cuba in a socialist society see their role very differently than in the U.S.,” said Professor Zierdt. “They see themselves as representing the good of the country. Part of their role is to support socialist government while still trying to help their clients.”

Student Meagan Salisbury described how visiting Cuba differed from her expectations. “Culture isn’t black and white,” she said. A third-year student at Stetson focused on election law, Salisbury is a political consultant focused on human rights.

“I thought we would meet people less friendly towards Americans,” Salisbury said. “People were far less critical than I expected, and very excited about the chances of the blockade being lifted.”

In Cuba, Salisbury researched the prison system, a system which is free of violence and drugs according to a local law professor. Salisbury was skeptical. Having spent time everywhere from Kenya to Spain to Tanzania, Salisbury is a veteran world traveler who has met people all over the globe.

Stetson Law students learned about the culture, government, and legal system during a spring break immersion in Cuba.

“Seeing how other people live gives you more of an open mind,” said Salisbury.

Part-time law student Roger Klaffka is a 25-year veteran of the Air Force who has traveled around the world. He saw visiting Cuba as an opportunity to travel to a historically inaccessible country.

“There was an undercurrent of excitement among people for things to change,” said Klaffka. “It was the best educational travel experience I had,” said Klaffka.

Student Tommy Mingledorff described visiting Cuba as following in his families’ footsteps.

“My parents visited on mission trips to Cuba,” Mingledorff explained. His grandmother won a beauty contest and traveled to Cuba as a young woman.

“Seeing people who don’t have the privileges we have: you can go to another country and meet someone who would trade anything to come to the U.S., even to be the poorest person in the U.S.,” said Mingledorff.

Historic connections between Florida and Cuba go back hundreds of years and Florida and Cuba are inextricably linked, Professor Zierdt explained.

“Opportunities for businesses and lawyers from Florida are phenomenal,” she said. “Cuba has just started to allow entrepreneurs to open their own businesses.”

A total of 20 Stetson Law students will be selected to participate in the next Spring Break study abroad program in Cuba. The class will be held in the spring semester once per week, culminating in the eight-day, seven-night trip to Havana, Cuba, from March 5-12, 2016. One additional class meeting will be held after returning from Cuba, and a reflection paper will be required to earn credit for this course.

“My students have said this was one of the biggest highlights of their educational career,” said Zierdt.

The upcoming Spring Break 2016 course will be taught on Stetson’s Gulfport campus by Professor of Law Kristen Adams. The application deadline is Oct. 15. Please see the program website for the online application.

Welcome back: BLSA backyard summer barbeque tradition kicks off the fall

Professor Darryl C. Wilson, the adviser for the Black Law Students Association at Stetson, hosted a weekend backyard barbeque on Sunday, Aug. 23, at his home to welcome new and returning BLSA students. The annual event, approaching its 15th year, punctuated the end of summer as the rigor of fall classes began for students at Stetson University College of Law.

The Black Law Students Association at Stetson gathered at the home of adviser Professor Darryl C. Wilson for a summer welcome back barbeque. Photo by Starcee Brown.

The BLSA barbeque also featured a book bank of text book rentals and study guides for students as well as an opportunity for mentoring and exchanging stories and information.

The Stetson BLSA maintains a proud tradition of service and assistance that spans more than 20 years at Stetson University College of Law. Stetson’s BLSA is a student organization committed to supporting African-Americans and the broader community throughout law school and within the legal profession.

Editor’s Note: Group photo caption: (Front Row): Brynson Brown, Kou Sua, Ashleigh Brooks, Teiharhah Howell, Jazzmine Jenkins, Charis Campbell, Annette Collins. (Middle Row): Melissa Caines, Chantay Perry, Nathan Howell, Ja’keria McCowan, Cindy Innocent, Alexis Turner Garris, Justin Scott, Tamara Williams, Taofikat Ninalowo, Bridgette Lester, Professor Judith Scully, Diriki Geuka. (Back Row): Jounice Nealy-Brown, Lindsey Askew, Starcee Brown, Adriana Foreman, Chizom Okebugwu, Kishantavia Carson, Professor Dorthea Bean, Alexander Howell, Professor Darryl Wilson, Dara Wilson, Carmen Johnson.

BLSA students enjoyed a barbeque at Professor Darryl C. Wilson's home to kick off the semester. — BLSA students Christie Alisca and Edna Pierre enjoyed a barbeque at Professor Darryl C. Wilson’s home to kick off the semester. Photo by Starcee Brown.