CEPS CENTER FOR ETHICS & PUBLIC SERVICE Volume 13
HBCP
Center Students Assist West Grove Community in Blocking Trolley-Bus Garage By Nejla Calvo and Catherine Millas Kaiman
Center for Ethics and Public Service student interns and fellows in both its Civil Rights and Poverty and Environmental Justice Projects assisted residents in preventing a trolley-bus garage from opening in a West Grove residential neighborhood. In 2012, the City of Coral Gables, City of Miami, and a private developer, Astor Trolley LLC, struck a land-swap deal over several pieces of property. The City of Coral Gables would use a City of Miami parcel to construct and maintain its trolley garage, while the Coral Gables’ original trolley garage located near Merrick Park would be developed into a luxury condominium. The formerly Jim Crow segregated West Grove and East Gables communities are presently predominantly low-income African-American and Bahamian-American neighborhoods. Once residents realized the construction on Douglas Road was for the Coral Gables trolleys––which would not even provide service to these communities––outrage erupted. Residents created a steering committee to inform the community about the trolley garage and organize public protests. The Center assisted in the creation of a pro bono litigation team comprised of Phillip Friedin, Esq., Lowell J. Kuvin, Esq., Ralf Brookes, Esq., and Joel S. Perwin, Esq., who represented residents most closely affected by the trolley garage. The pro bono attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of these individual residents and a local church. The lawsuit argued that unconstitutional notice was provided to residents and that the trolley garage’s proposed industrial use violated local zoning codes. Center students worked with the pro bono litigation team in conducting legal research and fact investigation. Center students also presented educational workshops regarding administrative Title VI complaints and responsibilities for municipalities under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. As a result of one of these workshops, a West Grove resident filed multiple Title VI administrative complaints with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), prompting an investigation by the federal government. This investigation lead to the FTA’s conclusions that the City of Miami, City of Coral Gables, and MiamiDade County violated the Civil Rights Act in their siting of the trolley garage and the lack of trolley service provided to that community.
DEVOTED TO THE VALUES OF
ETHICAL JUDGMENT,
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
AND PUBLIC SERVICE IN LAW AND SOCIETY
Shortly after the West Grove residents’ filed their lawsuit against the City of Miami and Astor Trolley LLC, the City of Coral Gables filed a lawsuit against the developer for breach of contract. The City of Coral Gables argued that the use of the trolley facility did not comply with zoning ordinances, thereby largely agreeing with the West Grove residents’ legal position. The West Grove residents lost their case at the trial court level and appealed. Despite the loss at the trial level, during the summer of 2014, all parties, including the City of Coral Gables, City of Miami, Astor Trolley Continued on Page 2 1
HBCP
HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH PROGRAM
Federal Transit Administration Title VI Civil Rights Complaints By Brittany Ford
In 2013, a private developer for the City of Coral Gables Trolley-Bus Maintenance Facility finished the construction that began in December 2012. The Trolley Garage is located on Douglas Road in the West Grove, which is part of the City of Miami. Despite its completion, West Grove residents continued to vehemently object to the proposed industrial use within their mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. The Historic Black Church Program (HBCP) Civil Rights Project fellows and interns actively participated in the efforts of the community and its representatives to block use of the transit maintenance facility. Last year, HBCP students prepared and led seminars informing community members about their Civil Rights under the Title VI of the 1969 Civil Rights Act. As a result of this training, a member of the West Grove community, Clarice Cooper, filed a Title VI Civil Rights complaint with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
in April 2013. Ms. Cooper’s complaint sparked a federal investigation into the actions of the Miami-Dade County Transit Authority, the City of Miami, and the City of Coral Gables regarding the transit maintenance facility. In October 2013, the FTA found all three entities, Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, and the City of Coral Gables in violation of Department of Transportation's Federal Title VI regulations because they failed to perform a required equity analysis and conduct community outreach during the planning stages of the project. The FTA further found that both the City of Coral Gables and the City of Miami were unaware of any Title VI requirements and, therefore, have no process for ensuring compliance with Title VI regulations. The FTA then ordered all three entities to undertake immediate action to come into compliance with its Title VI regulations. The voluntary compliance efforts of the responsible entities are still ongoing.
Historic Charles Avenue Project By Matthew Fowler
Charles Avenue, a short three-block long street running from Main Highway to Douglas Road in Coconut Grove, contains the largest, most undiluted concentration of historic structures in the City of Miami. In recognition of these significant historical assets, Charles Avenue received City of Miami designation as a “Historic Corridor.” At the request of the City of Miami, in December 2012, the Historic Black Church Program (HBCP) Civil Rights Project, in partnership with the Coconut Grove Collaborative, Inc., formed a community focus group to develop strategies to promote, preserve, and protect Charles Avenue. Efforts began by conducting a survey to gauge Charles Avenue residents interest in historic preservation. Based on the positive response, during Spring and Fall 2013, HBCP students held monthly meetings with residents and facilitated 2
discussion to develop goals and objectives for enhancing this historic street. Discussion focused on legal issues such as historic resource designation and historic preservation ordinance code enforcement, design issues such as streetlights, signage, and historic marker selection, and cultural issues such as an oral history video project and a heritage festival. After significant resident input, during Spring 2014, HBCP students met monthly with the Collaborative and pro bono design and planning professionals to develop concrete strategies and proposals to present to the City of Miami. They have focused on developing revised draft Neighborhood Conservation District regulations specifically tailored to Charles Avenue and designing a new and improved street plan incorporating historic features. n
HBCP students’ involvement did not end with the original training sessions. The fellows and interns also researched legal issues and prepared legal memoranda at the request of Ralf Brookes, the pro bono attorney representing Ms. Cooper. Ms. Cooper also filed two additional FTA complaints for related issues. This experience allowed students to improve their legal research and writing skills, develop an in-depth understanding of administrative law, and advance their ethical and public interest values. n
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Center Students Assist West Grove Community in Blocking Trolley-Bus Garage LLC, and the West Grove plaintiffs stayed their litigation to enter into settlement negotiations. A settlement agreement was signed at the end of the summer of 2014, in which no trolleys would be permitted at the site. Additionally, the West Grove residents secured a restrictive covenant on the property for 5 years that would prohibit any use relating to automobiles, cars, motorcycles, or other vehicles, among other restrictions not currently provided for in the local zoning code. The settlement and restrictive covenant was a tremendous achievement for the West Grove community and involved a joint effort between the pro bono litigation team’s generous assistance, the Center’s students, and the dedicated community members who fought against the trolley garage. The community, with the assistance of public-private partnerships with local investors, is seeking to purchase the trolley facility from Astor Trolley LLC, and hopes to transform it into a facility that will benefit the West Grove community. n
HBCP Historic Black Church Program Oral History Documentary Film Project 2014 This year’s film, “Old Smokey: A Community History,” premiered in August to a rapt audience of over 300 people. The screening, along with refreshments and an awards ceremony was held at Elizabeth Virrick Park in Coconut Grove. The film was the culmination of a year’s collaboration of law students, Ransom Everglades High School students, community leaders, and volunteers, in an effort to document the history of Old Smokey, the former City of Miami trash incinerator that operated from 1926 to 1970. This year’s film explores the environmental justice movement in the West Grove and chronicles the experiences of living, working, and attending school and church just yards away from Old Smokey. The film premiere is an opportunity to celebrate our on-going partnerships with the Coconut Grove Ministerial Alliance (CGMA), Ransom Everglades School, the University of Miami School of Communication, the University of Miami Otto G. Richter Library Specials Collections, and the G.W. Carver Alumni Association. The Oral History Documentary Film Project is part of the Center’s ongoing and long-standing effort to highlight and help empower the underserved West Grove community. To view the film visit www.law.miami.edu/ceps/oralhistoryfilm. n
(Left to Right) Jimmie Ingraham, Cindy McKenzie, Pastor Clayton Hodge
(Left to Right) Panelist Jimmie Ingraham, Dr. Joyce M. Price, Theodore W. Johnson, and Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz
Panelists Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz and Delores Patterson Baine Photos by Jenny Abreu
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HBCP
HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH PROGRAM
Continued from Page 3
Historic Black Church Program Oral History Documentary Film Project 2014
(Left to Right) Ransom Everglades Assistant Dean of Students Erin Housiaux, and students Carter Shoer, Wesley T. Villano, and Adrian Grant-Alfieri
Old Smokey Steering Committee members at this year’s Goombay Festival, Linda Williams and Chris Alger
Environmental Justice Project During the 2013-2014 academic year, the Environmental Justice Project (EJP) enjoyed its first year as a full-fledged Center project complete with enrolled law student interns and fellows. The EJP is an interdisciplinary project, which seeks to address various environmental injustices through out the South Florida community. It brings together students and professionals in the environmental sciences, public health, public policy, and legal fields. Since the EJP’s inception in the fall of 2012, the focus of the project has been surrounding the former City of Miami trash incinerator, “Old Smokey.” Old Smokey operated from 1926-1970, spewing ash, smoke, and stench through out the segregated Jim Crow communities of the West Grove and East Gables. Despite decades of the residents’ complaining to local officials, Old Smokey was not shut down until a 1970 court order, prompted by a City of Coral Gables lawsuit on behalf of their affected residents. In early 2013, the EJP discovered a 2011 environmental report finding contamination at the site of Old Smokey, presently occupied by the City of Miami Fire Rescue Training Center. The EJP disseminated the report’s findings to local community partners including non-profits and faithbased organizations in the West Grove. With mounting community pressure to determine the extent of contamination in the West Grove, further environmental assessments at the Fire Training Center were completed. After contamination was again confirmed at the Old Smokey site, the City and County completed a one-mile area wide soil assessment report. This report led to the finding of widespread soil contamination at City of Miami parks in the fall of 2013. It was later discovered that seven City parks and several County parks were also contaminated with ash and solid waste as a result of dumping incinerator waste. The EJP continues to work closely with the Old Smokey Steering Committee, a group of interested community stakeholders from Coconut Grove and the greater Miami area. The Steering Committee’s mission is to ensure comprehensive environmental testing, best practices remediation plans, the creation of a disease registry, and the right to know about contamination. The EJP continues to conduct fact investigation, perform research and community education workshops in relation to Old Smokey. Additionally, the EJP in collaboration with the Center’s Oral History Documentary Film Project, premiered its fifth film, Old Smokey: A Community History. The film featured interviews and narratives from West Grove residents who suffered through Old Smokey’s existence and still are dealing with its aftermath. It is available at www.law.miami.edu/ceps.
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PREP PREP’s 2013 – 2014 Ethics Training The Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program, a 2012 recipient of the American Bar Association’s Smythe E. Gambrell Award, was established in 1996 as an in-house program within the Center for Ethics and Public Service at Miami Law. PREP’s programming originated as an outgrowth of a collaborative effort with the nonprofit legal community to provide training on ethics issues arising in the context of assisting underserved communities. Today, PREP has expanded to present ethics training to lawyers working throughout the legal profession in venues ranging from small gatherings at nonprofit offices to large bar association meetings and national webinars.
Bar Associations & Law Firms (Left to Right) Broward UM Alumni Association: PREP Fellows Paulina Valanty, Julien Apollon, and Sean Holas
§ Bankruptcy Bar Association (Dade & Broward) § Broward UM Alumni Association § Caribbean Bar Association § Coral Gables Bar Association § Cuban American Bar Association (CBA) § Dade County Bar Association § Florida Association of Women Lawyers § Gwen Cherry Bar Association
(Left to Right) PREP students Jackson Siegel, Paulina Valanty; Judge Abby Cynamon; Gwen Cherry President, Nexcy De La Rosa Monroe, Esq; PREP Student Paige Rivkind; Gwen Cherry members, Loreal Arscott and Kadisha Phelps
Nonprofit Legal Service Providers & Public Sector § Americans for Immigrant Justice (formerly Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center) § Catholic Charities § Dade Legal Aid Society § Legal Services of Greater Miami § Legal Services Housing Umbrella Group § Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office § Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
§ South Miami Kendall Bar Association § State Farm’s In-house Law Firms National Webinar § West Palm Beach UM Alumni Association § White & Case
(Left to Right) Rachel McCreary (CBA member), Danielle Singer (PREP Fellow), Alison Smith (President), Annika Ashton (President-Elect), Sharaine Sibblies (Treasurer), Michelle Bell (secretary), Nicholas Johnson (CBA Board Member), Jan L. Jacobowitz, (PREP Director), Alexandra Friz (PREP Intern) and Christina Margolles (PREP Intern)
(Left to Right) Elisa J. D’Amico (FAWL Committee Chair); PREP Students, Jacqueline Frisch, Jennifer Felipe, Jerome Jackson; PREP Director, Jan L. Jacobowitz
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PREP
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY & ETHICS PROGRAM
“My participation as an intern in the Professional Responsibility and Ethics Program (“PREP”) could only be described as fulfilling. PREP not only fulfilled my experience as a law student at the University of Miami School of Law academically, PREP also fulfilled it socially and professionally. Being in PREP provided me with much more than just a wealth of substantive knowledge on legal ethics; it was enriching on a personal level. Because of PREP, I finished my law school career significantly more confident in myself as a young professional. Like other programs, the curriculum offered me the opportunity to vastly improve my legal writing and research skills, but PREP took my writing and research ability much further in that it sharpened the practicality of these skills and provided a channel by which to test them. The presentations that we created made us take what we learned in the classroom and apply it in a tangible way. The fact that we were able to go out in the community and teach attorneys was both really rewarding and also a very practical and refreshing manner to apply the crucial skills I developed in law school. The preparation necessary for our presentations also fostered leadership and creativity. When I first joined PREP, I did not consider 6
myself to be a very strong public speaker, nor did I consider myself to be very creative. PREP really changed these perceptions for me. Presenting to my fellow interns in the preparatory stages and presenting our final projects to the attorneys not only made me feel comfortable in speaking to large audiences, but it actually allowed me to enjoy the opportunities. PREP also fostered a creative side to me that I did not know could exist in law school. The collaborative atmosphere that PREP offers improved my ability to work in groups and pushed me to bounce ideas off my peers. The independence that we were given in designing the presentations also spawned a newfound creativity as we had the freedom to tailor our presentations to what we liked and wanted. As a recent graduate, the only regret I have taken away is that I did not join PREP sooner; it enriched my legal and personal skills unlike any other program or job I had because of the unique assignments and the independence that we were given in crafting the presentations. Though law school may sometimes have you question your knowledge and abilities, PREP really contributed to the professional self-assurance that I developed throughout my three years at the law school.” —Christina Margolles
PREP Participates in the ADL Summer Associate Research Program Once again, PREP students participated in the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) 2014 Summer Associate Research Program (SARP). SARP is a national program in which the ADL provides compelling civil rights and constitutional issues for which ADL needs research assistance. The students from various law firm summer law clerk programs and law schools select the issues that most interest them. Last summer, Alexis Alvarez, a PREP intern, and Gina Rhodes, a PREP fellow, volunteered to research and co-author a memorandum of law on the effect of “personhood amendments” on individuals’ reproductive rights and imperative constitutional safeguards. Jennifer Felipe, a PREP fellow, grappled with the legal and policy considerations involved in the debate of whether to extend First Amendment protections to the results of U.S. based search engines, like Google or Bing. SARP’s June 11th kick-off breakfast introduced students to the ADL’s past century of civil rights work and emphasized that the students’ contribution to SARP is far from theoretical. Each year the ADL’s national legal team uses the research compiled by these students to move one step closer to the league’s ultimate goal of living in a “world without hate.” The students’ executive summary memorandums are published in a SARP publication that is widely distributed at the ADL Miami Jurisprudence Luncheon in December and to ADL offices nationwide. n
PREP PREP Receives Thanks from Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos Martinez are working to keep up with these fastpaced technological innovations and smooth the inconsistences that arise from social media’s infiltration into law. PREP students were gratified to receive thanks from Public Defender Carlos Martinez who sent a letter after the presentation, which stated, “ I would like to express my gratitude for the training presentation you made to the attorneys of the office. I also want to thank law students, Alexandra Friz, Christina Margolles and Alexis Alvarez for their contribution to the training. The time and expertise you shared will contribute significantly to our effectiveness. The presentation was very favorably received and greatly appreciated.” n
(Left to Right) Alexis Alvarez, Alexandra Friz, Christina Margolles, Samuel Bookhardt
Once again this year, the Professional Responsibility & Ethics Program (“PREP”) presented a CLE ethics training to the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office. The training was uniquely tailored to address growing legal ethical issues that arise as a result of social media’s heavy infiltration into the criminal law sector. Led by Program Director Jan L. Jacobowitz, students Alexis Alvarez, Alexandra Friz, and Christina Margolles discussed various ethical implications that public defenders and other criminal attorneys face due to technological advances that have proliferated the legal profession. Many of the issues were discussed in the context of using evidence in Facebook and Twitter, jury selection, and attorney blogging. The training included an overview of trending issues concerning a criminal attorney’s duty to maintain professional competence, guard client confidentiality, and adequately supervise non-attorney staff. The training also addressed the unique constitutional restrictions that attorneys face as officers of the court— a rising concern among attorneys given the popularity of blogging or “blawging.”
In attendance were numerous MiamiDade Public Defenders as well as many other Miami-based private criminal practitioners. The attendees not only provided a lively discussion, but also invigorating insight as to how theoretical issues play out in the real-world practice of law. “It was really interesting to compare how the criminal attorneys’ arguments to protect attorneys’ rights to freedom of speech closely mirrored the arguments that were presented in the cases that we read in the course of our research,” remarked Christina Margolles. Alexandra Friz noted, “The attorneys at the presentations gave us examples of how juror misconduct handled in practice does now always follow the utopian model demonstrated in the arising cases.” Alexis Alvarez added, “By sharing their own stories, these attorneys allowed us to take a peek into real-life ethical confrontations they have faced, and we may one day face, in the legal field.” The most revealing aspect of the training was how inconsistent and unsettled the law is in the realm of social media and how both attorneys and courts
“One invaluable aspect of being a member of PREP is the incredible networking opportunity that the program provides for students. PREP members have a unique opportunity to teach ethics to lawyers. However, an even greater, and often overlooked networking opportunity that PREP provides is the opportunity to network with fellow students. In PREP, I have worked closely with other PREP members in a collaborative environment in which we strive to succeed as a team. This opportunity has allowed me to learn from and grow with my academic colleagues who will no doubt become my legal community connections in the future.” —Alexis Alvarez 7
PREP
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY & ETHICS PROGRAM
Students Expand Legal Ethics Presentations in South Florida with Visits to JAMS and the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office Miami Law’s Professional Responsibility & Ethics Program (PREP) provides a forum for students to interact with attorneys regarding the ethical challenges that confront today’s legal profession. Each year PREP adds a few new venues to its presentation roster. This year, under the guidance of PREP Director, Jan Jacobowitz, the JAMS Resolution Center (JAMS) and the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office provided new opportunities for PREP students.
training at JAMS provided the opportunity to evaluate the ethics rules from a mediator’s perspective. It was interesting to compare the types of situations mediators confront to the issues which generally arise for attorneys or judges.” PREP students Jacqueline Frisch, Christina Margolles, and Gina Rhodes presented the ethics training at the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office. The students facilitated a lively conversation and debate among the attorneys about the cuttingedge use of social media as evidence, use of social media during jury selection, lawyers’ use of personal blogs.
PREP students Mike Kranzler, Gina Rhodes, and Paige Riv(Left to Right) PREP students Paige Rivkind, Mike Kranzler, and kind presented at JAMS and Gina Rhodes focused on ethical implications that may arise during “Discussing legal issues in the mediation disputes, such as whether an attorney must advise context of social media was interesting because it really highher client of alternative dispute options, effective strategies for lighted the generation gap that sometimes exists in the use of selection of a mediator, and for maintaining confidentiality estechnology in the practice of law. Some attorneys seem to pecially if mediation efforts fail. have a really sophisticated understanding of cyberspace and social media, while others still interpret social media platforms “This was a great opportunity to hear from established, successsuch as Facebook and Twitter strictly as entertainment. This diful mediators and learn where theory and practice intersect, chotomy fueled an interesting debate on whether social media while also providing education to them about emerging ethical use should be incorporated into legal ethics obligations and concerns in their field,” said Kranzler. “Alternative dispute resoto what extent,” Margolles said. Frisch added, “The issues dislution has become extremely prevalent in the legal field within cussed were thought-provoking, the attorneys in attendance the past twenty years so it was insightful to have a discussion rewere inquisitive, and the overall experience was enlightening. garding ethical issues that can arise outside of the courtroom.” Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!” The County AtRhodes said. torney’s Office seemed to agree as County Attorney, Jim Allen, emailed his thanks after the program and stated, “Thank you all Rivkind added, “In my other PREP presentations, I have anavery much for your presentation! As I told you, I look forward to lyzed ethical dilemmas confronting judges and attorneys. The making this an annual event.” n
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Research
Community
Events
CEPS 12th Annual William M. Hoeveler Ethics & Public Service Award
(Left to Right) Judge Laurel M. Isicoff, PREP students Candice Manyak, Sara Solano, and Mike Kranzler, Judge Robert Mark, and Judge A. Jay Cristol, award recipient (Left to Right) Anthony Alfieri, Judge A. Jay Cristol, award recipient, and Jan Jacobowitz
The annual William M. Hoeveler Ethics & Public Service Award honors an individual for ethics, leadership, and public service in the legal profession. The Hoeveler Award was created in 2002 in honor of the Honorable William M. Hoeveler, senior U.S. District Court judge, as a lifetime achievement award for a lawyer of outstanding ethics and public service. This year’s well-deserved recipient was Judge A. Jay Cristol, JD ’59. Judge A. Jay Cristol served as a Special Assistant Attorney General of Florida from 1959 to 1965 and as a trustee in bankruptcy from 1977 to 1985. He was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Florida on April 17, 1985, and served as the district’s Chief Bankruptcy Judge from 1993 until 1999. He also served his country as a Captain in the Naval Reserve, with 38 years of service in the diverse roles of both a carrier pilot and a lawyer. He is the past president of the University of Miami Law Alumni Association, has served on the Board of Trustees, and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. The Eleanor R. Cristol and Judge A. Jay Cristol Bankruptcy Pro Bono Assistance Clinic at Miami Law is named in honor of Judge Cristol and his late wife.
(Left to Right) Judge Laurel M. Isicoff, Anthony Alfieri, Judge A. Jay Cristol, Judge William M. Hoeveler, Judge Robert Mark and Jan Jacobowitz (On the Left) Judges William M. Hoeveler and A. Jay Cristol (Below) Judge A. Jay Cristol
Judge Cristol has served on the Bankruptcy Committee of the Eleventh Circuit and on the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules. He has taught U.S. bankruptcy law to foreign judges in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Thailand. He also has taught judges from Russia, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Africa, under various programs for the State Department, USAID, the American Bankruptcy Institute and the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. He has published numerous articles on law, aviation, history and other subjects, and has written a critically acclaimed book, The Liberty Incident. n 9
CEPS Spring Reception The Center held its annual spring reception to honor the achievements of the 2013-2014 graduating fellows and interns in the Historic Black Church, Professional Responsibility & Ethics, and Summer Public Interest Fellowship Programs. Also honored during the evening with the 2014 Friends of the Center Award were Ralf Brookes, Phillip Freidin, Lowell J. Kuvin, and Joel S. Perwin, the four pro bono attorneys who worked diligently on the Coral Gables Trolley Station case involving West Grove homeowners who opposed the City of Miami’s decision to place a Coral
Gables Trolley garage in the West Grove. The case raised important public health, land use, and environmental justice concerns for the West Grove, a predominantly African American and Bahamian American, low-income neighborhood. For their perseverance and tireless involvement, these four attorneys were awarded with the 2014 Friends of the Center Award. This award was established in 2001 to honor either individuals or groups who have provided long-standing and on-going support, assistance, and collaboration with CEPS programs and students. n
Anthony Alfieri and award recipient Rolf Brookes
Anthony Alfieri and award recipient Phillip Freidin
(Left to Right) PREP Fellows Cristina Margolles; Alexandra Friz; Candice Manyak; Andrew Williams; Nicole Marcus; Sean Holas; Paulina Valanty; Jan Jacobowitz, PREP Director and Lecturer; and PREP Fellow Danielle Singer.
(Left to Right) CEPS Adjunct Professor and 2013 Friends of the Center honoree Laverne Pinkney; HBCP Fellows Matthew Fowler; Abraham Rubert-Schewel; Christina Sava; Amir Whitaker; Lauren Lee Pettiette; Christine Tudor; Pamela Adewoyin; Melissa Coates; and Anthony Alfieri, CEPS Founder and Director.
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Events
CEPS
Lawyers in Leadership Award The Lawyers in Leadership Award Series honors leading members of the bar and bench. The program invites prominent community leaders for an informal luncheon discussion with law students about their personal and professional lives. The series provides a unique learning opportunity for students in all fields of study, offering an “up close and personal look” at the choices and decisions that have helped to establish these community leaders in their profession.
Lowell J. Kuvin, award recipient
Joel S. Perwin, award recipient
The Center had the great honor of continuing this seminar series with Patricia A. Redmond as the nineteenth recipient of the award. Her legal career has illustrated a commitment to our guiding values—ethics and public service. Patricia A. Redmond, Esquire, is a shareholder in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring department of the Miami, Florida office of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. She has practiced in the insolvency field in Miami for more than 30 years and has appeared in many reorganizations and out-of-court workouts in all industries. Ms. Redmond has represented developers, financial institutions, owners both public and private, and distressed asset purchasers.
(Left to Right) Anthony Alfieri; Patricia Redmond, award recipient; and Jan Jacobowitz
Debtor/Creditor Rights since 1995. She presently serves as President of the American Bankruptcy Institute, an organization of over 12,000 insolvency professionals worldwide. Ms. Redmond has also been recognized as a Band I attorney by Chambers since 2010. She has been listed as a top lawyer in the South Florida Legal Guide and in the Florida Trend Legal Elite. Ms. Redmond graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1979 and is presently admitted to practice before the Bars of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the state of Florida. Ms. Redmond lectures frequently to lawyers and industry groups. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law where she received the Outstanding Professor Award in 2011 and is director of the Bankruptcy Clinic. n
Ms. Redmond is a fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America under Bankruptcy icia
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CENTER AWARDS E. SMYTHE GAMBRELL PROFESSIONALISM AWARD American Bar Association 2012 INNOVATIVE SERVICE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AWARD ORAL HISTORY PROJECT University of Miami School of Law 2012
Fall 2013 & Spring 2014 CEPS ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR Professor Anthony V. Alfieri PROGRAM DIRECTOR Lecturer Jan L. Jacobowitz PROGRAM MANAGER Cynthia S. McKenzie ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
INNOVATIVE SERVICE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AWARD HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH PROGRAM University of Miami School of Law 2009 INNOVATIVE SERVICE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AWARD COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN PROGRAM University of Miami School of Law 2007 WILLIAM PINCUS AWARD Association of American Law Schools 2007
Ebonie L. Carter
HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH PROGRAM Founder, Professor Anthony V. Alfieri VISITING SR. FELLOW Professor Laverne O. Pinkney VISITING FELLOWS Dr. Donald Cramp, Jr. D. Porpoise Evans, Esq. POST-GRADUATE FELLOWS Catherine Millas Kaiman, J.D., M.P.H. LAW FELLOWS Matthew Fowler John Hart Ely Fellow
FATHER ROBERT DRINAN AWARD Association of American Law Schools 2007
Zachary Lipshultz, M.P.S. David P. Catsman Fellow
GARY BELLOW SCHOLAR AWARD Association of American Law Schools 2004-2005
Lauren Lee Pettiette John B. Alfieri Fellow
OMICRON DELTA KAPPA AWARD National Leadership Honor Society 2002 ARETE AWARD Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics & Public Trust 2001 SEVENTH ANNUAL PROFESSIONALISM AWARD The Florida Bar 2000 FACULTY PROFESSIONALISM AWARD Florida Supreme Court 1999 E. SMYTHE GAMBRELL PROFESSIONALISM AWARD American Bar Association 1998
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Ariel Mitchell David P. Catsman Fellow
IMPROVING ACCESS TO JUSTICE The Center for Ethics & Public Service is an interdisciplinary program devoted to the values of ethical judgment, professional responsibility, and public service in law and society. The Center’s programs provide assistance and resources to low-income communities of color through antipoverty and civil rights seminars, capacitybuilding workshops, and communitybased research, as well as legal ethics education and professional training to the Law School, University, and business, civic, and legal communities. Programs include the Professional Responsibility & Ethics Program, the Environmental Justice Project, the Social Enterprise Project, the Civil Rights and Poverty Project, the Oral History Documentary Film Project, and the Historic Black Church Program. “In important ways, the Center’s education, training, and outreach programs serve as a laboratory for communitybased research and service learning.” Professor Anthony Alfieri Founder & Director
Alexander Vail Richman Greer Fellow Amir Whitaker Greenberg Traurig Foundation Fellow
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY & ETHICS PROGRAM Director, Jan L. Jacobowitz LAW FELLOWS Adam Fischer Bankruptcy Bar Association Fellow Candice Manyak Bankruptcy Bar Association Fellow Christina Flatau William M. Hoeveler Fellow
CONTACT US
CEPS
CENTER FOR ETHICS & PUBLIC SERVICE
University of Miami School of Law 1311 Miller Drive Suite G287
Sean Holas Akerman Fellow
Coral Gables, Florida 33146-8087
Christina Margolles Hunton & Williams Fellow
Ph: 305.284.3934
Ross Militello Peter Palermo Fellow Danielle Singer Robert A. Ades Fellow Andrew Williams Steven E. Chaykin Fellow
Fax: 305.284.1588 www.law.miami.edu/ceps ceps@law.miami.edu