ADVOCACY with a PURPOSE
2019 Center for Excellence in Advocacy
The Center for Excellence in Advocacy A Successful Half-Century Greetings, I hope you enjoy looking through the following pages to see the ever-expanding Advocacy Community at Stetson University College of Law. It is with great enthusiasm that I return to The Center for Excellence in Advocacy as the Interim Director this year. I joined the Stetson faculty in 1993 as one of two tenure-track professors hired to teach Trial Advocacy, something Professor unheard of at the time. I was honored to be appointed Bobbi K Flowers .the first Director of The Center for Excellence in Advocacy in 1999. We have a long and strong tradition of teaching and training the next advocates. It began over 50 years ago when Professor William Eleazer (the “Colonel”) began advocacy training as an irreplaceable part of education for lawyers. Stetson taught a full-semester course in trial advocacy in 1961, and was one of the first schools to hire tenure-track professors to teach Trial Advocacy. Stetson ranked No. 1 in Advocacy the first time that categiry was ranked by U.S. News & World Report (1995). We train Stetson Lawyers not just to win trophies but to win the important battles their clients will face when they leave Stetson. At Stetson, we help students find their own voice, so they can be the voice for others. We do this through student-centered education and hands-on experiences both in and out of the classroom. Whether through our Social Justice Advocacy Concentration, or an Environmental Moot Court Competition or in our Veteran’s Benefits Clinic, students leave Stetson knowing that they have learned the skills they need to make a difference–a difference for their clients, the legal community, and the world.
“Stetson students leave knowing that they have learned the skills they need to make a difference–a difference for their clients, the legal community, and the world.”
We believe a Stetson Lawyer is different. When a Stetson Lawyer speaks and writes, the legal community takes notice. We believe that is because we train them differently. We train them to work hard, live with integrity and never give up on a vital cause. A Stetson Lawyer makes a difference. Because they are - different. Bobbi K. Flowers Professor of Law Interim Director Center for Excellence in Advocacy
Advocacy Curriculum Joint J.D./LL.M. In Advocacy Degree Stetson believes Advocacy is a powerful tool for the future success of any student. That is why Stetson continues to offer a joint degree program allowing students to earn a J.D. degree and an LL.M. degree in advocacy in as little as three years. The joint degree allows for advanced focus on skill sets that make students more attractive to future employers. Recognizing the significance of both written and oral advocacy skills, Stetson requires students to create a portfolio consisting of writing samples as well as performance samples. Online LL.M. in Advocacy When making superior advocacy skills available to everyone is the driving force in The Center of Excellence for Advocacy, it is no wonder that Stetson developed, maintained, and continues to grow the online Advocacy LL.M. Our program offers master-level development while balancing the needs of the practicing attorney. Our LL.M. faculty is hand-selected by The Director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy. Nothing is left to chance. Only the most experienced advocates and trial attorneys serve our LL.M. students. Advocacy Resource Center Stetson continues to lead the way in advocacy education. Through the Advocacy Resource Center, Stetson has made online access to skills, lectures, and other advocacy-related topics accessible to all. Anyone can explore the best that Stetson has to offer in terms of training videos, helpful skills demonstrations, and lectures. Uniting the advocacy community around the world will always be central to our outreach at Stetson. Stetson has devoted and will continue to devote considerable resources to achieve this goal. Please visit the Advocacy Resource Center at www2.stetson.edu/advocacy-resource-center.
Advocacy with a Purpose Stetson College of Law has been the Nation’s premiere law school for Trial Advocacy for decades. With that distinction, many are tempted to see only the U.S. News #1 ranking, the hundreds of trophies that line the hallways, or the countless competition successes Stetson has enjoyed. The reality is, why Stetson commits so much to advocacy is far more important. The value can be seen in the lives of the people our students, our alumni, and our faculty are able to help. The weeks of practices, the hundreds of hours in preparation, and the competition itself only serve to prepare our students to seamlessly enter the workforce to fight for the rights of others. Stetson students benefit from a highly developed advocacy curriculum, nationally recognized advocacy teams, and hands-on experience gained in our clinical programs. The importance of this experience cannot be measured in wins and trophies. Instead, it is measured in the value of the work we do for others. Our students have assisted the wrongfully accused, veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and victims of nursing home abuse, as well as victims of human trafficking. Advocacy with a purpose requires that we look past the long hours, the weeks of practice, and self-sacrifice. Advocacy with a purpose reminds Stetson students that our why is found in the lives of the people we serve. The mission will always be more than trophies at Stetson.
Advocacy in Practice What Alumni are Saying About Finding Their Purpose in Advocacy
Class of 2014
“Being a judge advocate in the Marine Corps, I get to work with attorneys from all over the country. Anytime Stetson comes up, the first comment is: ‘Were you on their trial team? They have a great advocacy program.’ It’s a moment of pride to say ‘yes’ and, at the same time, humbling to know I am part of a reputation that has been built over many years, on the backs of many talented advocates, who have achieved many amazing accomplishments.” Captain Charles D. Strauss, USMC
“I am the advocate I am today because of Stetson’s Advocacy training. I am fierce in a courtroom and relentless in the pursuit of Justice for my clients. I won’t stop fighting for my clients. Stetson taught me to never stop fighting for what is right.” Candice Rojas-Colucci, Esq., Colucci Law Group
Class of 2004
Class of 2014
“Stetson’s Advocacy program helped me gain a level of confidence in the courtroom that I didn’t know that I possessed. When I graduated, I felt very comfortable arguing before judges or trying cases on behalf of my clients. Unlike some law school courses, I have used all of the skills that I learned as a result of completing Stetson’s advocacy program. It has made all the difference in my career.” Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy, Esq., Jean-Pierre Coy, P.A.
Uniting the National Advocacy Community Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills Conference The Center for Excellence hosted the 14th annual Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills conference in May 2019. For more than a decade, Stetson’s commitment to the advocacy community has been demonstrated by its development and continued support of the Educating Advocates conference. EATS 2019 addressed continued concerns facing experiential learning communities, competition best practices, and continued commitments to diversity in advocacy. Stetson brings together the top names in advocacy for three days of collaboration, networking, and developing advocacy best practices. Key to the success of EATS is the national community of advocacy professors, practicing attorneys, and judges who all join together to help each other better the educational experiences of our students. Our goal is to create opportunity for those who would otherwise not be able to attend, identify the need for training in underrepresented areas, and find solutions to ensure we are truly training ALL advocates. Professor Julia Metts, Director of Trial Programs, is excited to lead the way for the Center in organizing the 2020 EATS conference. Please join us May 18 - 20, 2020.
Reimagining Advocacy Planning for the future requires growth and exploration. This is why The Center for Excellence in Advocacy has joined with Stetson’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication to create the first Reimagining Advocacy Conference. Dr. Kirsten Davis recognized the importance of creating a national conference that covers all areas of legal communication, written and oral. Being the best advocate requires competent skills in both arenas. This conference is designed to facilitate discussions and experiences to assist educators in legal writing, advocacy skills, and clinical courses to better serve their students. Blending rhetorical theory, written legal communication, and the “Stetson way” in advocacy skills are essential to training the complete advocate. Please join us November 8-9, 2019. For more information, visit stetson.edu/law/reimagining-advocacy.
National Training for Sign Language Interpreters
Summer Program in Oxford, England Stetson recently hosted its fifth annual summer program at St. Hugh’s College in Oxford, England. This intensive two-week program allows Stetson to bring together advocacy professors and students from across the country. During the two weeks, students are exposed to the fundamental tenets of rhetoric, trial tactics, and persuasive presentations from local experts, visiting professors, and attorneys. Keeping advocacy at its core, this two-week program enables students to learn by doing with the best that experiential learning has to offer.
The Stetson Law Center for Excellence in Elder Law, Absolute Quality Interpreting, and Hallenross and Associates, LLC, along with Professor Jason Palmer and Professor Julia Metts, hosted their second annual sign language interpreting “live mock trial experience” on Stetson’s Gulfport campus in March 2019. The two-day workshop is unlike any other in the country as it provides specialized hands-on sign language interpreter training in a live “mock trial” setting. Interpreters worked through every step of a trial, including interpreting opening and closing statements, direct and crossexaminations, interpreting for a witness who is deaf, and interpreting jury deliberation, which involved a juror who is deaf.
“The Workshop was designed to be a collaborative learning experience for both sign language interpreters and Stetson law students,” explained Professor Jason Palmer, one of the organizers of the workshop. “Providing this mock trial training in an actual courtroom to sign language interpreters, the only one of its kind, reinforces Stetson’s commitment to community outreach, as well as providing access to justice through unique educational opportunities.”
Advocacy as an Avenue to Serve Others Veterans Law Institute Honoring their service with ours by bringing together volunteer attorneys, volunteers from other fields, Stetson faculty, Stetson students, and other community organizations, Stetson’s Veterans Law Institute provides opportunities for Stetson law students to gain practical experience by serving veterans or to pursue a career in veterans law. Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic assists veterans in navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits system and applying for Discharge Upgrades from the Department of Defense. Each semester, Stetson law students dedicate approximately 3,000 hours of pro bono legal representation per veteran under the supervision of Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, a former Army JAG attorney.
Social Justice Advocacy Stetson University College of Law is committed to preparing students to use their legal education to serve the public interest and to advance social justice in the public and private sectors. It is our goal to create excellent advocates both inside and outside the courtroom. Students learn to deal directly with significant social justice issues in civil or criminal law by counseling them to complete specific coursework, by assigning faculty mentors to them who have experience and expertise in social justice advocacy, and by requiring pro bono service activities, experiential learning, and advanced research and writing on contemporary social justice initiatives and issues.
Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication Stetson’s Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication is a home for the study of the legal communication issues that face lawyers, judges, other professionals, and the public. It supports an active community of legal communication and writing scholars, and its faculty work to develop innovative and effective methods and programs for teaching legal communication theory, skills, and values to students. The institute’s training programs provide instruction to lawyers, judges, and other professionals to improve their legal communication skills.
Clinics and Externships Stetson Law offers students more than 350 clinic and externship opportunities annually. With approximately 28 clinic and externship courses at 60 hosting organizations, Stetson joins a handful of other law schools across the country who guarantee that every student can participate in a clinic or externship course during law school. Programs are designed to enhance classroom-based learning and give students opportunities to gain valuable, real-world experience while working closely with Stetson faculty. These experiences allow students to observe and participate in the application of substantive law, and find solutions to problems that confront attorneys on a daily basis. To learn more, visit stetson.edu/law/academics/clinical-education
Professor Cerniglia Director of Clinical and Experiential Education
Out of all of the things that I have learned from my externship – which are too numerous to list here – the most important thing that I will take with me into my career is confidence. This externship has given me the confidence that I need to enter the legal profession as a competent participant. Fall 2017, Homeless Advocacy Extern
Professors Working in Advocacy Kristen Adams*, Professor of Law and Director of Dispute Resolution
Julia Metts, Professor of Practice and Director of Trial Team
Linda Anderson*, Professor of Law
Rebecca Morgan*, Professor of Law; Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law; Interim Director, Center for Excellence in Elder Law; Interim Director, LLM In Elder Law; Interim Director, MJ in Aging, Law & Policy; Director, MJ in Health Care Compliance
Andrew Appleby**, Assistant Professor of Law Mark Bauer*, Professor of Law Dorothea Beane*, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Institute on Caribbean Law and Policy
Joe Morrissey*, Professor of Law
PIC
Advocacy Awards and Scholarships Through the generous donations of our alumni and friends, Stetson is able to fund a variety of awards and scholarships for students who participate in its extensive advocacy programs, including:
Brooke Bowman*, Professor of Law; Interim Law Library Director; Director, Moot Court Board
Jason Palmer*, Professor of Law and Leroy Highbaugh Sr. Research Chair
Catherine Cameron*, Professor of Law
Ann Piccard*, Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law
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The Florin Roebig Outstanding Advocate Award for Dispute Resolution, Moot Court, and Trial Team
Chrissy Cerniglia**, Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Clinical and Experiential Education
Ellen Podgor*, Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor
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Michael P. Allen Award for Excellence and Professionalism
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Ralph Harris Ferrell Competition Award
Lee Coppock, Visiting Professor of Law
Theresa Radwan*, Professor of Law
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Judge John M. Scheb Excellence in Appellate Advocacy Award The Stephanie A. Vaughan Excellence in Advocacy Award
Kirsten Davis*, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Advancement of Legal Communication
Judith Scully*, Professor of Law
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Professor Roberta Flowers Ethics and Advocacy Award
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Professor Kelly Feeley Founder’s Award
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Cacciatore Scholarship in Advocacy for the Protection of the Rights of Individuals
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Professor Lee Coppock Trial Team Scholarship
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Joseph J. Reiter Scholarship for Excellence in Advocacy
Kelly Feeley*, Professor of Law Roberta Flowers*, Interim Director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy and Professor of Law Roy Gardner*, Professor of Law and Director, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy Peter Lake*, Professor of Law and Charles A. Dana Chair and Director, Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy Lance Long*, Professor of Law and Coordinator of Legal Research and Writing
Jim Sheehan, Distinguished Practitioner in Residence Stacey-Rae Simcox*, Associate Professor of Law, Director, Veterans Law Institute, and Director, Veterans Advocacy Clinic Stephanie Vaughan*, Professor of Law Lou Virelli*, Professor of Law Darryl Wilson*, Associate Dean for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives, Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund Professor of Law and Co-Director, Institute on Caribbean Law and Policy
* tenured
** tenured track
2018–2019 Competition Accomplishments • 8th in the World 2019 Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Vienna, Austria • Champions 2019 Florida Bar International Law Section Richard DeWitt Memorial Vis Pre-Moot Miami, Florida UHLC National Mediator Competition (Formerly Abrams) Hosted by: University of Houston Law Center Houston, Texas William & Mary Negotiation Tournament Hosted by: William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia Chester Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition Tampa, FL AAJ National Student Trial Advocacy Competition (ATLA/ STAC) (Regionals) West Palm, FL 18th Annual Leroy R. Hassell Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition Virginia Beach, VA
• Co-Champions National Trial Competition (Regionals) Florida State University School of Law Tallahassee, FL ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition Boston, MA • Finalist National Civil Trial Competition Loyola Law School Los Angeles, CA National Trial Competition San Antonio, TX South Texas Mock Trial Challenge South Texas College of Law, Houston Show Me Challenge – National Voir Dire Competition University of Missouri, Kansas City ABA Regional Mediation Competition New York, New York
Advocacy Curriculum Courtrooms Stetson has no fewer than seven on-campus courtrooms serving our advocacy needs. There are four ceremonial courtrooms. The number of courtrooms alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Each ceremonial courtroom is equipped with the latest technology and equipment. This provides our students the unique opportunity to combine the essential communication skills needed to advocate, with the ever-growing field of technology inundating jurors today. Because our mission is no secret, our alumni feel as strongly as we do about the future of advocacy at Stetson. That is why we are pleased to announce the addition of yet another full-size ceremonial courtroom, Jeff and Patricia Smith Courtroom. Jeff Smith J.D. ‘73, knew Stetson Advocacy was critical to his success as a trial lawyer. “It was my moral obligation to give back,” Smith Patricia and Jeff Smith J.D. stated. That devotion prompted Jeff and Patricia to continue the legacy of excellence at Stetson by paying it forward to generations of students to come. With the continued support, attention and resources we devote to the development, study and practice of advocacy, there is no doubt, the sky is the limit for advocacy at Stetson!
1401 61st Street South Gulfport, Florida 33707
Important Dates October 10-13, 2019 National Pretrial Competition November 8-9, 2019 The Reimagining Advocacy Conference February 2020 National Trial Competition, Regional Competition April 15-18, 2020 International Client Counseling Competition
April 2-4, 2020 24th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition Finals May 2020 Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills (E.A.T.S.) July-August 2020 Advocacy Abroad in Oxford, England
Campus Photo