Stetson Lawyer-Spring 2022 by Stetson University College of Law

S T E T S O N

SPRING 2022

LAWYER A MAGAZINE FOR STETSON UNIVERSIT Y COLLEGE OF LAW ALUMNI & FRIENDS

A Place for Tomorrow’s

ADVOCATES

A Letter from the

DEAN

We have experienced tremendous growth and richness in the last three years. This, in the midst of a historic global pandemic and ever-shifting world! The triumphs that have occurred at our College of Law are not mine. They belong to each and every member of the Stetson Law community, including and especially you. Through innovative collaboration, transformative conversations, and steadfast dedication to our mission, we confronted our challenges head-on; we prevailed as a stronger, more successful, and more inclusive place. It has been an honor to lead this community, whose faculty, students, staff, and alumni never ceased to amaze me in their resilience, creativity, and ingenuity. As I embark on my next journey I am elated to say that, because of you, the campus is in an even better position than it was when I arrived. In the last year alone, we have seen impressive progress. Our reputation as a leader in advocacy and legal writing continues to garner national attention – something that will only expand with our new Advocacy Institute, a facility that promises students an unparalleled advocacy education experience that will position them as effective champions for those they represent as professional advocates. Our other advocacy boards, dispute resolution and moot court, continue to thrive and surpass the competition. We have improved our outcomes on multiple fronts, including bar passage, enrollment, career placement, and more. Through the continued generosity of alumnus Richard O. Jacobs and his wife, Joan – generosity fueled by a profound passion for Stetson Law’s mission and the promise of a better future for the next generation – the Dick and Joan Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment was established in 2021. The clinic builds on the Jacobses’ past investment in the Stetson Law community by expanding the scope of the previously established Dick and Joan Jacobs Public Interest Environmental Law Clinic and Institute of Environmental Justice to allow it to examine critical matters such as voting rights, gerrymandering, and fair representation. Thanks to their partnership, we will be able to leverage our strengths for greater impact in our community and beyond. Our ongoing efforts to foster an inclusive community where everyone is expected to lead with respect, compassion, and professionalism have earned us multiple accolades. For the second year in a row, Stetson Law was awarded the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest publication focused on diversity in higher education. We are committed to the university-wide work of meaningful inclusionary practices among students, faculty, and staff regardless of the national recognition, but the HEED Award offers encouragement for continuing to lead by example in this important area. Through speakers, conferences, and other events programming, we have invited members of the Stetson Law community, the Tampa Bay community, and beyond to partner with us in shaping our society and its everchanging relationship to everything from individual identity to current events. The curiosity, passion, and dedication I have witnessed within the Stetson Law community over the years have truly been an inspiration for me, and I know they always will.

Michèle Alexandre Dean and Professor of Law Counsel to the President for Strategic Initiatives & Operations Stetson University College of Law

S T E T S O N

SPRING 2022

LAWYER 12

COVER STORY

New Advocacy Institute

Get a sneak peek at Stetson Law’s new Advocacy Institute, which will open to students in Fall of 2023.

SECTIONS Letter from the Dean Briefs Feature Events Alumni Success Faculty Forum Class Notes Meet the Board Giving Back

2 4 12 16 20 22 26 30 31

STETSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW Alphonce J. Brown, Jr., Director of Development and Alumni Relations Patricia Toups, Associate Director of Development Michael Casey, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement Kate Bradshaw, Managing Editor Lisa Diliberto, Editor Tomeka Jackson, Contributing Editor Tom Daniel, Writer Sandy Cromp, Graphic Designer

Stetson Lawyer magazine is published for alumni and friends of Stetson University College of Law. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, has prepared lawyers and leaders since 1900. Today, Stetson Law leads the nation in blending legal doctrine with practical training, as evidenced by its top-ranked programs in advocacy and legal writing. Through our academically rigorous curriculum and commitment to social responsibility, Stetson lawyers are ethical advocates ready to succeed in the legal profession.

Stetson Lawyer

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MEET STETSON LAW’S NEWEST HIRES Grant Christensen

Tomer Stein

Assistant Professor of Law

Bruce R. Jacob Visiting Assistant Professor of Law

Grant Christensen is a nationally recognized expert on Federal Indian Law. He has published extensively on the topic, often exploring its intersection with corporate law, criminal law, and civil procedure. Christensen also served as a tribal appellate judge for the Standing Rock Sioux and Fort Peck and Assiniboine Sioux Tribes. His publications include Reading American Indian Law: Foundational Principles (Cambridge University Press 2020) (co-authored with Melissa Tatum) and Introduction to American Indian Studies: Policies, Histories, and Contemporary Issues (Kendall/ Hunt) (co-authored with Sebastian Braun and Birgit Hans).

Professor Tomer Stein focuses his teaching and scholarship on corporate law and governance, banking, capital markets, and contracts. Prior to teaching, he practiced corporate law at the New York office of Latham & Watkins, LLP and as a legal consultant to the capital markets arm of the Royal Bank of Canada. His practice focused on capital markets, general securities, and corporate governance matters. Stein’s experience includes advising corporate, private equity, and banking clients on a broad range of domestic public, private, and crossborder financing transactions.

MEET THE NEW STETSON LAW DIRECTORS At Stetson Law, preparing our students for a lifetime of successful, meaningful advocacy is at our mission’s core. This is why we have invested in areas like Trial Teams, which give students unparalleled practical experience, Academic Success & Bar Prep Services, which empowers them to excel on the Bar Exam, and the Veterans Law Institute, which invites them to use their skills in ways that can be transformative for their community. We welcome our newest directors, who are helping us carry our mission forward.

Katia Barone Assistant Director, Clinics & Externships

Lindsay Lamb Assistant Director, Career & Professional Development

Laura Tankel Deputy Director, Career & Professional Development

Morgan MacIsaacBykowski Staff Attorney, Veterans Advocacy Clinic

Maria Mitchell Assistant Director, Veterans Law Institute

Kelley Thompson Assistant Director of Academic Success & Bar Prep Services

Kate Donoghue Associate Director, Advocacy

Derek Savko Assistant Director of Academic Success & Bar Prep Services

Michael VanDerZee Director of Trial Teams

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BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE UPDATE EXTERNSHIP FUND HELPED A “DREAM COME TRUE”

or Stetson Law student Angela Xu, the legal profession is how she plans to work on behalf of vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems.

Xu, who is president of the Environmental Law Society at Stetson Law, hopes to work as a lawyer for an environmental nonprofit that fights to protect our oceans. In 2021, Xu was able to participate in a legal externship with the St. Petersburg office of the Ocean Conservancy, a national nonprofit that fights for better protection of marine environments. She found the opportunity with help from Professor Paul Boudreaux. Working as a legal extern in the fall of 2021, she assisted with legal research and writing, including comment letters on pending legislation that had potential impacts on marine ecosystems. Thanks to the Dick and Joan Jacobs Environmental Externship Fund, she has also interned with a local chapter of the Sierra Club since May of 2021, where she helped build community support for the nonprofit’s campaign to convince the Pinellas County Commission to adopt the goal of 100-percent clean energy – a measure the commission passed unanimously.

I followed the impactful work of both the Sierra Club and Ocean Conservancy for many years, and it is thanks to Stetson Law that I would have these incredible opportunities. –Angela Xu The externship fund made it possible for Xu to participate by covering expenses like meals and transportation to important meetings with stakeholders, meetings with fellow employees, and attendance at outreach events. “Because of the concentration of environmental organization offices in St. Petersburg (probably more than anywhere else in Florida), our students have a unique range of externships with federal, state, and local governments, as well as a number of private organizations,” said Professor Boudreaux. “2L Angela Xu holds experience in volunteering for environmental groups and was a perfect fit for an externship with the Ocean Conservancy, a private organization that advocates for the oceans and marine resources.” She said working for the Sierra Club and the Ocean Conservancy has been a “dream come true.” “I followed the impactful work of both the Sierra Club and Ocean Conservancy for many years, and it is thanks to Stetson Law that I would have these incredible opportunities,” Xu said.

STETSON LAW SCHOLARS TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AT USF

n spring of 2022, Foreman Biodiversity Fellow Katherine Pratt and 3L Lauren Beames ventured off campus for a different kind of classroom experience. As part of a fledgling program, the pair shared their knowledge and expertise with undergraduates studying environmental science at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The course, Environmental Regulation, is taught to upper-level undergraduates, and the primary focus was federal regulation for the new program’s inaugural run. As adjunct professors, Pratt and Beames shared the intricacies of such federal policies as the Clean Water Act, as well as states’ various approaches to implementing such laws. The program aims to give environmental law students the chance to earn credit through teaching such courses at USF St. Pete. Law students and, in many cases, fellows like Pratt work together to develop curriculum suited to their classes. “This is really a great immersion experience,” Pratt said. “There really is no better way to understand a concept than to teach it to someone else.”

Katherine Pratt and Lauren Beames

In addition to commanding a deeper knowledge of the areas in which these law students specialize, the courses give them practice at communicating effectively and confidently – something that’s useful to any lawyer. The conversations that have ensued in the classroom have been compelling. After all, while levels and areas of study may differ somewhat, everyone in the room shares a common passion: protecting the environment. “I’ve found that it’s really fun,” Pratt said. “The students are really engaged.”

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HIGHER EDUCATION LAW & POLICY NEWS 43RD NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LAW & HIGHER EDUCATION WELCOMES ATTENDEES IN-PERSON In talking about higher education’s economic, political, and cultural challenges, Lake referred to the current state of affairs as the “edupocalypse,” telling those gathered that this is a unique, transformative point in time for higher ed. It’s a time when educators’ role as “keepers of the flame of truth” is being challenged thanks to the media climate, he said, when litigation has arisen in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation policies, and higher education is being criticized for everything from diversity efforts to rising tuition costs. In the face of these challenges, Lake said he is optimistic that higher education leaders like those in the room will succeed in overcoming them. Professor Peter Lake

any Stetson Law alumni probably remember Professor Peter Lake as their torts teacher. Over the decades, his expertise in higher education law has put him at the helm of one of the most important conferences for professionals working at colleges and universities.

In March of 2022, the 43rd Annual National Conference on Law & Higher Education very much felt like a homecoming. The event took place at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. The weather was glorious, and attendees were reconnecting with one another after years of not being able to meet in person due to the pandemic. The event’s 2020 edition, in fact, was held just days before travel was shut down worldwide in efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Nearly 200 people, including students and speakers, attended. “To me this is a huge family reunion,” Lake, who is the Charles A. Dana Chair and Director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law & Policy at Stetson Law, said in his opening remarks. “I can’t tell you how thrilled my staff and I were to come back and host you.”

I believe in this industry and I believe that we will meet whatever challenges come ahead. I believe that the people in this room are the people that are going to be the change agents. -Professor Peter Lake Naturally, the pandemic and other current events that directly affect higher education were at the center of conversation at the March event, from campus safety and student mental health to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. 6

“I believe in this industry and I believe that we will meet whatever challenges come ahead,” he said. “I believe that the people in this room are the people that are going to be the change agents.” Attendees comprised a mix of industry professionals from a broad range of university departments, including public safety, Title IX, student affairs, university leadership, and, of course, legal professionals. Among keynote speakers were author Jules Coleman, whose talk was titled “The Uncertain Future of Higher Education is Here Now” and John Dunkle, senior advisor at the Jed Foundation, whose presentation was titled “College Student Mental Health: The Need for Bold Action to Unravel a ‘Gordian Knot’ for Higher Education.” As in previous years, the gathering aimed to bring together thought leaders to develop policies to ensure success for colleges and universities. Sometimes, conversations that have taken place at the event have led directly to federal legislation. The theme in 2022 was “The Great Strategic Reclamation of Higher Education.” “It is our mission to enhance higher education, to make our institutions stronger and most importantly, to make sure that we’re educating students in as powerful a way as possible,” said Stetson University Provost Noel Painter, whose remarks kicked off the event. “This conference and Peter’s leadership of this conference is exactly aligned with the mission of this institution.”

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VETERANS LAW INSTITUTE NEWS NEW SCHOLARSHIP HONORS VETERAN FACULTY, SUPPORTS VETERAN STUDENTS

hether through pro-bono representation or educational opportunities, Stetson Law sees aiding those who have served in the U.S. Armed Services as a core component of the school’s identity. A new scholarship that will be available to veteran students not only helps cover the expenses of their legal education, it is named for two decorated veterans who served on the faculty of Stetson Law. Alumni Col. Christopher E. Dougherty USMCR (Ret.), J.D. ’85, created the Col. William R. Eleazer USMC and Brig. Gen. James P. King USMC Veterans Scholarship Endowment with their lifetimes of service in mind. The fund will be commonly referred to as the Eleazer/King Veterans Scholarship, and will be available to veterans enrolled in Stetson Law. Dougherty said Eleazer’s and King’s incredible sets of accomplishments in the military service and in the courtroom alike were a major source of inspiration for him. “For a variety of reasons, I know that Providence led me in 1982 – as a then Captain of U.S. Marines – to Stetson University College of Law under the Navy-Marine Corps Funded Legal Education Program,” Dougherty said. “While a Stetson student, I grew to know both General King and Colonel Eleazer. They both impressed me with their professionalism and their varied accomplishments and traits: Vietnam combat experience; success as USMC judge advocates; skill as trial attorneys; and their genuine and humble character.”

The endowment is an incredibly fitting tribute to two celebrated former Stetson Law faculty members who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. A decorated military officer who joined Stetson Law faculty in 1979, Eleazer initiated Stetson Law’s entry into state and national trial competitions and is largely credited with transforming the college into the national trial advocacy Col. William R. Eleazer USMC leader it is known as today. He served on the faculty for 25 years. A former New York State Assemblyman who became the Marine Corps’ highest-ranking JAG officer, Brig. Gen. James Preston King was a decorated veteran who began teaching at Stetson Law in 1980. He returned to New York to serve in multiple capacities as a lawyer and judge, though he always made time for educating future generations of lawyers. He passed away on June 11, 2010 in Albany, New York. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Dougherty graduated summa cum laude from Stetson Law in 1985. He earned his undergraduate degree from United States Naval Academy. He practiced law at the firm Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, PC. He now serves on Stetson Law’s Veterans Law Institute Board of Directors. “I hope this scholarship not only continues to honor these two superb gentlemen, but also enables men and women in the Armed Services to obtain the blessings of a Stetson education that I am very grateful to have received,” Dougherty said. “These are men who come along rarely in one’s lifetime. They both not only helped me at Stetson, they made a positive impact on my life.”

The scholarship is available to veteran 1L, 2L, and 3L students from any service branch enrolled in Stetson Law’s full-time or part-time J.D. program. Recipients must be currently serving or have been honorably discharged, and have demonstrable need for tuition assistance. Other factors that will be considered include exemplary military service record, outstanding and consistent scholastic aptitude, impeccable integrity, a keen sense of justice, sincere enthusiasm, unselfishness, and the highest sense of moral courage.

Through the dedicated advocacy offered via the Veterans Law Institute, Stetson Law is known as a top law school for veterans. Because of Dougherty’s generosity and service-mindedness, the Eleazer/King scholarship will help ensure Stetson Law will always be a place where veterans will be honored for their service and invited to pursue a legal education.

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CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN ELDER LAW NEWS Professor Roberta Flowers to Lead NAELA Board

tetson Law Professor Roberta K. Flowers has been appointed president of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), an association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to older adults and people with disabilities. Her term will begin in June of 2022.

“I am so excited to be on the leadership team of this inspiring organization,” said Flowers, who was Vice President of the board prior to becoming president. “We will continue to work with the elder and disability law attorneys to effectively, efficiently, and empathetically represent some of the most vulnerable of our citizens.” Flowers is director of Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law and teaches Ethics in Elder Law Practice. She, along with Professor Rebecca Morgan, created an award-winning video series that trains attorneys nationwide on the ethical dilemmas faced by elder law attorneys and designed the nation’s first “elder-friendly courtroom,” which serves as a model for courtrooms of the future.

thank for his current vocation. The former pharmacist wasn’t sure what area of law to practice in after graduation. A speaker during his practice management course mentioned elder law and directed him to Professor Morgan. The rest is history. Morgan served as his mentor and helped him land his first job. He now has a firm with five attorneys. Hitchcock said he was “astonished” to learn that Professor Morgan was not already a Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, adding that to him, she epitomizes an elder law attorney. “It was the obvious choice for me,” he said. Former V.A. Secretary Max Cleland once called Morgan “the godmother of Elder Law.” For more than 30 years, Morgan has been the driving force behind most of Stetson Law’s Elder Law programming, including the Center for Excellence in Elder Law, the LL.M. in Elder Law and Master of Jurisprudence in Health Care Compliance programs, and the National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts. “I am humbled and honored to receive such a significant recognition from the Elder Law Section,” Morgan said. “It has been my privilege to teach and work with so many fine attorneys in the field of elder law.”

Established in 1987, NAELA is a nonprofit association that assists lawyers, bar organizations, and others. Its mission is to educate, inspire, serve, and connect the community to attorneys with practices in elder and special needs law. For more information, visit NAELA.org.

Professor Rebecca Morgan Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award

rofessor Rebecca C. Morgan, who created the Center for Excellence in Elder Law at Stetson Law, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Bar Elder Law Section in the summer of 2021.

The award is not bestowed every year, but rather reserved for an attorney who has dedicated his or her life to the practice and exemplifies what elder law attorneys do. “There’s no more deserving person in the elder law world that I’m aware of,” said Steve Hitchcock, a past chair of the Elder Law Section. Hitchcock, a 2005 Stetson Law alumnus, said he has Morgan to 8

The 23rd Annual National Conference on Special Needs Trusts

Special Needs Trusts Conference Back in Person After going virtual in 2020, the National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts returned to the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in downtown St. Petersburg for its 23rd edition. The event brought nationally recognized thought leaders who specialize in creation, administration, monitoring, and planning of special needs trusts. Read more on the opposing page.

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SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST CONFERENCE 2021

Nothing about us, without us.

he 23rd Annual Special Needs Trust and Administration Conference was held at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club on October 13-15, 2021. Organizers welcomed over 300 participants, both in person and online. What makes this conference unique is that it includes practitioners from across the aging community. After two years of a pandemic, this dedicated community of lawyers, trust administrators, and caregivers were anxious to reconnect, socially distanced, of course. Among other topics, the attendees were eager to discuss how the pandemic affected the disabled community and to share tips on how they had made it through. The conference included four pre-conference intensives, including tax, veterans’ benefits, pooled trusts, and a Social Security Administration Mechanics Bootcamp. The annual conference included more than 30 breakout and plenary sessions over its two-day span. You might be wondering how Stetson Law has presented the biggest Special Needs Conference for 23 years and has never run out of new topics. It begins with an amazing planning committee, made up of lawyers and trust administrators from across the nation. Every year, this dedicated committee identifies the latest topics that impact people with disabilities and their advocates.

This year’s presentations included practical topics on the drafting and administration of special needs trusts. However, each year, organizers strive to add unique topics such as reproductive rights for people with disabilities, planning for a divorce with a child with special needs, and the importance of Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Among the more than 80 speakers were Stetson Law Professors Robyn Powell and Stacey-Rae Simcox, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Director Gene Coffey (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and Judge Mike Allen, United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Embracing the saying “Nothing about us, without us,” organizers welcomed to the stage several presenters from the disability community. Attendees heard directly from clients who had been helped by special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and people who cared to listen and serve them. Also included were researchers from the University of Delaware who had completed a two-year study on the unique financial and education needs of the disability community and their advocates. The planning for the 2022 conference is well underway, but if you have something you’d like to contribute to the event, please contact Professor Roberta Flowers at flowers@law.stetson.edu. Organizers of this event are always on the lookout for new and unique topics and speakers.

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ADVOCACY UPDATES FALL '21 – SPRING '22 Summer 2021 • For the first time ever, a Stetson Law team (Elizabeth Kellar, Lauren Beames, and Jessica Merker) won all four possible awards at the Robert Orseck Memorial Moot Court Competition, which is held in conjunction with The Florida Bar Conference. Besides being the champions, the team won the Best Brief Award, and Jessica Merker won both the Best Advocate, Preliminary Rounds and Best Advocate, Final Round Awards. • For the second time, Stetson Law won the 2021 ABA Competition award. (Stetson won the inaugural award in 2018.) This award recognizes our success in three dispute resolution competitions – arbitration, negotiation, and client counseling – and one ABA moot court competition – national appellate advocacy competition.

Fall 2021 October • For the third time in the last four years, a Stetson Law team (Elizabeth Kellar, Travis Grover, and Tyler Brown) won the 21st Annual Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition. In addition to being champions, the team won an honorable mention brief award and Elizabeth won an honorable mention advocate award, thereby earning recognitions in all three categories. • At the 15th Annual Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition, the Stetson Law team (Lauren Beames, Lucia Leoni, and Thomas Fuhrman) were quarterfinalists and won the Third-Best Brief Award. Thomas won the Best Oralist Award. • Soon thereafter, the Stetson Law team (Anya Pardy, Sara Spears, and Emily Witthoeft) won two awards at the 12th Annual Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition. The team were finalists and won the Third-Place Petitioner Brief Award. • Jessica Merker, a Dispute Resolution/Moot Court combo member, advanced to the semifinals in the UHLC National Mediator Competition for the Dispute Resolution Board. • A Stetson Law team (Katherine Castaner, James Cox, Cami DiGiacomo, and Bryan Lawlor) advanced to the semifinals of the National Civil Trial Competition, and Katherine was recognized as the best opener in a preliminary round. November • A Stetson Law team (Nancy Eriksen and Ben Laing) won the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition. Since the competition started in 2009, Stetson has won six times. In addition to being the Best Team, the team won the Second-Best 10

Petitioner Brief Award. • In Region V of the New York City Bar’s 72nd Annual National Moot Court Competition, the Stetson Law team (William Linton, Adam Poe, and Cameron Modine) were quarterfinalists. • Three Stetson Law teams advanced into the semifinals of the ABA Law Student Division Arbitration regional. And yes! That meant a Stetson-Stetson semifinal. The team of Halie Adrid, Jake Erdman, LeOndra Strowbridge, and Matthew Blydenburgh won the regional; the team of Amanda Mercado, Edward Caballero, Reice Reid, and Skyler Jackle were finalists; and the team of Jen Rex, J.R. Boyd, Kristen Worrell, and Selina Nadeau were semifinalists. • Advancing one round further than Stetson’s performance last year, this year’s Stetson Law team (Erik Banuchi, Tris Bolinder, and Hannah Klonowski) were finalists at the Appellate Lawyers Association’s 2021 National Moot Court Competition. • A Stetson Law team (Sam Newlon, Hunter Perez, Sierra Purden, and Karighan Walker-Alicea) advanced into the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions, an invitation-only national Trial Team competition. • A Stetson Law team (Sarelle Oxendine, Stevin Smith, Taylor Kinmon, and Kierstyn Jennings) were semifinalists at the Honorable E. Earle Zehmer Memorial 2021 Mock Trial Competition. In addition, two Stetson advocates were recognized as Best Advocates.

Spring 2022 January • Stetson Law was once again invited to participate in the Hunton Andrews Kurth Moot Court National Championship. The invitation is based on Stetson’s performances during the 2020-2021 year, as only the top 16 law schools are invited to participate. This Stetson Law team (Elizabeth Kellar, Jessica Merker, and Peter Farrell) was the sixth team to advance into the elimination rounds, and the fourth team to be semifinalists. Jessica was the fourth Stetson Law advocate to be recognized as a top oralist; she won the Third-Best Oralist Award. • For the Dispute Resolution Board, the arbitration team of Edward Caballero, Skyler Jackle, Amanda Mercado, and Reice Reid advanced to the semifinals in the national rounds of the ABA Law Student Division Arbitration Competition.

To see the latest Advocacy wins, visit law.stetson.edu/advocacy.

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DIVERSITY, COLLABORATION & INCLUSION UPDATE Community

6 WAYS STETSON LAW CHAMPIONED DIVERSITY IN 2021

n its steadfast dedication to justice, diversity, and inclusiveness, Stetson Law has yet again led the charge in promoting human dignity on campus and within the community as a whole. Here are some of the College of Law's latest DEI achievements. 1.

Bringing Carmen Johnson on as Executive Officer of Diversity, Collaboration & Inclusion

Colleges

2021

Top Colleges for Diversity

The Stetson Law alumna oversees the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for all of Stetson University’s colleges, including the College of Law. 2.

Supporting the LGBTQIA+ Community in Meaningful Ways The Stetson Law community kicked off Pride Month 2021 by raising the Progress Pride flag on campus for the first time. Earlier in 2021, Stetson’s Lambda Legal Society joined the National LGBTQIA+ Bar Association. In November, they announced a new scholarship to support LGBTQIA+ students.

Championing Accessibility

Stetson University Executive Officer of Diversity, Collaboration & Inclusion Carmen Johnson, J.D. '12

In 2021, the campus launched the Stetson Law School Disability Allied Law Student Association (DALSA) to support those interested in disability law advocacy and raise awareness of disability issues. 4.

Earning a 2021 HEED Award For the second year in a row, Stetson Law received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT into Diversity, the oldest and largest publication focusing on diversity in higher education.

Launching a Youth Civic Engagement Program In summer of 2021, Stetson Law held its inaugural civic engagement program for local teens. Launched in partnership with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, it trains underrepresented teens to advocate for themselves and others.

Lambda Legal Society members raise the Progress Pride flag on campus

St. Pete Consortium for Racial Justice In 2021, Stetson Law was one of four schools to participate in the inaugural St. Pete/Pinellas Higher Education for Race Equity (SPHERE) consortium, a year-long program that invites students to participate in racial healing initiatives.

Youth Civic Engagement Program

Stetson Lawyer

FEATURE STORY

A PLACE FOR TOMORROW'S ADVOCATES

1st Floor Trophy Room

B Y T O M D A N I E L A N D K AT E B R A D S H AW

ADVOCACY'S NEW HOME AT STETSON LAW

dvocacy education has always been at the core of Stetson University College of Law’s identity. Every year, a class graduates from Stetson Law ready to tirelessly advocate on behalf of their communities. Underscoring Stetson Law’s steadfast commitment to cultivating the nation’s best advocates is the new Advocacy Institute, which is slated to open to students in fall of 2023. Situated on Stetson Law’s historic Gulfport campus, the institute is both emblematic and functional. It will give Stetson Law students the opportunity to practice and go to class in a modern, state-ofthe-art setting without leaving the campus’ majestic grounds. The facility will make Stetson Law’s Advocacy program the most robust of its kind, which results in exceptional Advocacy programming. Perhaps most importantly, this inspired facility will serve as a collaborative, morale-building space that offers a one-of-a-kind educational experience for our students. “Our new Advocacy facility will continue Stetson Law’s pioneering tradition of providing students unparalleled opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive and compete in the global market,” said Michèle Alexandre, Dean and Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law. “I am thrilled to be a part of its inception, and I am incredibly thankful for those whose passion and generosity helped make the Advocacy Institute a reality.” Stetson Law believes in developing the complete advocate, and this facility represents our commitment to commanding a superior understanding of the law, the ability to persuasively represent evidence, and the humanity to know when to do the right thing. 12

“The new facility creates a collaborative and dynamic space for students to learn, practice, and perform advocacy skills that range from negotiations to jury trials,” said Professor Elizabeth Boals, Director of Stetson Law’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. “The new space includes small team workspaces and teaching courtrooms equipped with the latest technology to enhance the learning experience. Stetson Law has always been a leader in advocacy teaching and now we will have the facilities to support all of our innovative offerings.” The Advocacy Institute will offer Stetson Law students a quality space for practice and classes, equips students with comprehensive advocacy tools to meet the demands of this fast-changing world, and makes Stetson the law school with the most courtrooms on any campus. Every space will be outfitted with current technology to ensure connectivity and collaboration.

Our new Advocacy facility will continue Stetson Law’s pioneering tradition of providing students unparalleled opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive and compete in the global market. –Michèle Alexandre, Dean and Professor of Law “The Advocacy Institute collaboration areas, courtrooms, and classrooms will be integrated with the latest technology to invite students and faculty to wirelessly interact within the spaces,” said Stetson Law Director of Facilities Management Beau Howells. “Tables, whiteboards, and other media in these spaces can be utilized to share, collaborate, present, and showcase materials,

FE ATURE FE ATURE S TORY

1st Floor Courtroom

2nd Floor Collaboration Space

research, or notes within group settings. This technology will allow for a better learning experience using up-to-date tech they can expect to use in professional practice.” The art of advocacy is practiced in numerous ways and spans multiple disciplines. The Advocacy Institute will provide a space where students involved in Stetson Law's various centers and institutes can work together, share ideas, and hone their skills. It gets even better. As any Stetson Law alum knows, the campus is often abuzz with the excitement of national and international moot court competitions. Stetson Law looks forward to hosting students in these new spaces for annual events such as the National Pretrial Competition, International Environmental Moot Court Competition, and Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference. When the institute opens its doors to students at the start of the 2023 fall semester, it will comprise 16,000 square feet of beautifully renovated space that meets LEED Silver Standards, one outfitted with LED lighting and the latest controls for HVAC efficiency. Two new courtrooms and four new practice courtrooms will be added, as will plenty of office and collaboration space, a trophy and awards lobby showcasing the history of Stetson Law as well as its awardwinning pedigree, a new elevator, and a renovated lobby entrance. The campus bookstore will also be relocated there. “The new facilities are designed to be inviting and comfortable,” Boals said. “The space invites students in and supports their passion for advocacy. Everything, from the competition trophy cases to the plaques of past award winners, reminds current students why they

THE ADVOCACY INSTITUTE WILL:

2nd Floor Classroom

came to Stetson Law. The new facility celebrates the students and infuses them with pride and encourages them to push themselves to be exceptional advocates.” An exceptional legal education experience requires an array of elements – and the new center ensures that Stetson Law will truly be more than the sum of its parts. “Many factors can make a law school great: distinguished faculty, talented students, a robust curriculum, and state-of-the-art facilities,” said Alphonce Brown, Director of Development & Alumni Relations at Stetson Law. “Investing in the new Advocacy Institute ensures that Stetson Law remains at the forefront of advocacy education. It is a transformational space designed to help prepare the next generation of brilliant Stetson lawyers.”

BY THE NUMBERS: STETSON LAW’S NEW ADVOCACY INSTITUTE

16,000

• Leverage Stetson Law’s cutting-edge advocacy pedagogy;

Square feet of renovated space

• Galvanize generations of advocates; • Create a collaborative space that fosters engagement and coalition; and • Lead innovative training with four practice courtrooms, innovative technology, digital displays, and glass walls for spectators and community audiences.

New practice rooms

Large courtrooms

New lecture classroom

New offices

F EAT U R E

EVENTS, SKILLS COMPETITIONS, & PROGRAMS

he new Advocacy Institute is one more manifestation of the school’s prominent role in the legal community as an indisputable leader in advocacy. Furthering this is an expansive set of events, skills competitions, and programs that put Stetson Law at the forefront of shaping the lawyers of tomorrow. The facility will provide spaces that offer realistic courtroom environments for students competing in world-class events. “The addition of two large courtrooms and four small practice courtrooms, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology, means that Stetson Law will continue to be a destination for trial, appellate, and dispute resolution competitions,” Boals said. “No more will we need to configure classrooms to substitute as courtrooms. The experience for students will be realistic and powerful.”

The Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference (EATS), which Stetson Law has hosted for more than 17 years, is known in the advocacy community as a dynamic and collaborative experience.

The annual National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts for Elder Law Attorneys has brought national speakers to the Stetson Law community for more than two decades. Topics include veterans’ benefits, navigating the Social Security Administration, and pooled trusts.

In December, the Advocacy Writing Workshop and Competition reaches a national audience of professionals in the advocacy community and includes presentations from accomplished academics with vast publishing experience, group discussions, and individualized feedback on law review article drafts.

The addition of two large courtrooms and four small practice courtrooms, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology, means that Stetson Law will continue to be a destination for trial, appellate, and dispute resolution competitions. –Elizabeth Boals, Assistant Professor of Law and Director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy

For five years, the campus has hosted the Sign Language Interpreter Training Conference, an innovative workshop to train sign language interpreters and future lawyers alike in navigating a courtroom and legal proceedings when sign language is required.

FE ATURE

Major skills competitions include: The National Pretrial Competition is a unique competition that focuses on what attorneys do every day, including memoranda of law, examining witnesses, and presenting a complex motion argument. The International Environmental Moot Court Competition is a global competition that gives students from around the world an opportunity to learn more about and advocate for environmental issues impacting the planet. Starting in 2021, Stetson Law has hosted the Trial Masters Tournament, a competitive tournament in which new and veteran trial team members work together to prepare a case for various stages of trial, from motions and objectives to closing arguments.

Available Advocacy Programs at Stetson Law The J.D./LL.M. in Advocacy allows students to earn a J.D. degree and an LL.M. in Advocacy in as little as three years. Recognizing the demanding schedules of practicing attorneys, Stetson Law’s LL.M. in Advocacy program uses a part-time, distance-learning model, like our highly successful Online LL.M. in Elder Law program. Taught in Oxford, England on the beautiful grounds of St. Hugh’s College, Stetson Law’s Comparative Advocacy Course invites students to develop their own best inner advocate while gaining insights into the practical and ethical differences between advocacy in the U.S. and Great Britain.

Real Experience, Real Progress Recognizing a national decline in civics education programming in recent years, Stetson Law officials launched the Youth Civic Engagement Program in 2021. The weeklong summer experience was designed for local teenagers who are considered underrepresented because of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or school performance. Thanks to the vision of alumnus Richard O. “Dick” Jacobs and his wife, Joan, The Dick and Joan Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment will build on the expertise of Stetson Law’s Institute for Biodiversity and Policy, the Social Justice Advocacy Concentration, and its leadership in the Florida Law Schools’ Consortium for Racial Justice.

RANKED #3 IN 2023 FOR TRIAL ADVOCACY U.S. News & World Report Excellence in Competition With the new Advocacy Institute, there will be no stopping Stetson Law from expanding on the stellar record it has built over the last three decades of interscholastic competition.

6 83 100 53 61 179 6 1 2

World Championships National Championships Regional Championships State Championships Brief Awards Best Oralist/Advocate Awards Professionalism Awards Most Creative Solution Award National Competition Awards As of April 2022

Stetson Lawyer

EVENTS

GRADUATION 2021

BY TOM DANIEL

A NEW GROUP OF “JUSTICE WARRIORS” STEPS OUT INTO THE WORLD

raduations are always milestone events at any educational institution. For students graduating from Stetson Law, it is truly the end of the preamble to their careers as lawyers.

On Saturday, May 1, 2021, Stetson University College of Law celebrated commencement ceremonies recognizing graduates from the December 2020 and May/August 2021 Classes. Four separate events were held outdoors in the Plaza Mayor Courtyard of the Gulfport campus in order to keep attendance limited and follow CDC guidelines on physical distancing.

Dean Michèle Alexandre opened the ceremony, greeting the attendees and the soon-to-be graduates. She drew special attention to the classes’ commitment to serving the community. 16

“The December 2020 and May 2021 classes volunteered more than 25,000 hours of community service,” Alexandre said. “Many of our graduates took our pro bono requirement to the next level by continuing to serve their communities and society after they had far exceeded the required number of hours.” She closed her remarks by encouraging the new graduates to use their skills to advocate for justice. “You have shown resilience, that Stetson Law grit, and a special breed of dogged commitment,” she said. “I am so proud of who you are as humans, scholars, and legal minds … you now have the tools to be change agents; justice warriors who can transform the world.” Stetson University President Dr. Christopher Roellke followed, noting that the graduates not only had to endure the usual rigors of law school, but also the challenges of attending Stetson Law during a worldwide pandemic. “You made it through lockdowns, online learning, virtual meetings, bad audio, lost internet connections, canceled bar exams, masks, hand-washing, and physical distancing,” he said. South African judge and human rights lawyer, Edwin Cameron, delivered the commencement address via prerecorded video from

E VE NT S

You have shown resilience, that Stetson Law grit, and a special breed of dogged commitment. I am so proud of who you are as humans, scholars, and legal minds.

You made it through lockdowns, online learning, virtual meetings, bad audio, lost internet connections, canceled bar exams, masks, hand-washing, and physical distancing.

–Michèle Alexandre, Dean and Professor of Law

–Dr. Christopher Roellke, Stetson University President

Johannesburg. He shared his very personal journey with the law and discrimination in South Africa, as he dedicated his career to social justice issues, particularly for LGBTQIA+ equality and destroying the stigma and unjust discrimination for those living with HIV/AIDS. “As you enter the legal world today as bright, willing, and engaged young lawyers, my message to you is double,” Judge Cameron said. “First, use the law for good. And second, and more importantly, never lose faith in the capacity of the law to do justice. Use the law to defend, to vindicate, and to fight for the good.” Judge Cameron concluded with these inspiring words: “You can help ensure a beneficial role for the law, one that means the law is not used to secure narrow privilege and domination, but rather that the law offers dignity and humanity and opportunity for everyone. That is a life project and a life’s work that is a richly worthwhile undertaking.” The conferring of degrees followed Judge Cameron and concluded the ceremony.

Use the law to defend, to vindicate, and to fight for the good. –Edwin Cameron, South African judge and human rights lawyer

EV EN T S

STETSON LAW INDUCTS TWO NEW HALL OF FAME MEMBERS

tetson University College of Law inducted Paul Marshall May and Thomas Bullitt McCoun III into its prestigious Hall of Fame on December 8, 2021. For the past 17 years, Stetson Law has honored distinguished luminaries in the legal and academic arenas at its annual Hall of Fame event. Traditionally a black-tie affair held in Stetson’s Great Hall, this year’s event was virtual and shared live on YouTube because of the pandemic.

Paul Marshall May, J.D. ’80

Thomas B. McCoun III, J.D. ’74

An enduring love of his alma mater led Paul Marshall May to spearhead efforts to take the Stetson Law Alumni Association from a practically nonfunctioning group to a robust organization. Dean Emeritus Bruce Jacob called him the “father” of today’s Stetson Law Alumni Association and attributed its long-term success to May’s work and commitment. He was president of the Alumni Association from 1986 to 1988 and created the Half Century Club for members who hit the 50-year mark.

While he began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in the 6th Circuit of Florida, Thomas Bullitt McCoun III spent years in private practice as a trial lawyer working on both criminal and civil matters. Here, his daredevil personality and “no challenge is too tough” attitude made him a perfect fit for the work. He developed a reputation for excellence in advocacy and, as a result, was appointed to represent death row inmates awaiting execution. McCoun cared deeply about the underdog, believing that everyone has the right to proper representation and a fair trial.

May practiced commercial litigation, including banking, real estate, and construction in South Florida with the firm of May, Meacham and Davell. He was an active member of the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar and was a driving force behind The Florida Bar’s Law Week in 1982. He was a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the American Bar Association, and Alpha Phi Sigma, a national criminal justice honor society. A devoted husband and father to his wife and four children, May was an active member of First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale. A gifted organist, he tirelessly contributed his musical talents not only to his congregation, but other churches throughout the state. May also served his community as the Bethany Christian School attorney and as a member of its Board of Directors, as well as volunteering with the American Cancer Society, Community Service Council, and Family First. May passed away on April 2, 1999, following a battle with cancer. Stetson Law created the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award – designed to be bestowed on alumni who showed continuous support to Stetson Law through contributions of time and gifts in his honor.

McCoun would go on to accept a position as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in February of 1994. He presided over high-profile and ordinary cases alike and was known for his humility, humanity, and humor. His sense of duty and service extended beyond the courtroom. He strongly believed in the importance of giving back and did so through service as an adjunct professor and mentoring Stetson students in the Federal Judicial Externship. He also taught Sunday school for both youth and adults at First Presbyterian Church of St. Petersburg. He was a dedicated member who participated in the building of homes for Habitat for Humanity, several mission trips with church youth, and preparing meatloaf dinners for hundreds of homeless individuals at the local nonprofit Pinellas Hope. McCoun finished three full terms on the bench and was still on active recall status to serve as needed when he died on August 27, 2019, after living 13 years with cancer. A special resolution written by his judicial colleagues noted, “much too soon, a tightly knit family lost a loving husband, father, brother and grandfather, and the citizens of the Middle District of Florida lost an eminently fair and able magistrate judge who served his community for 25 years with unwavering dedication to the fair administration of justice.”

E VE NT S

7 HONORED WITH SLAA AWARDS IN 2021 n June 10, 2021, the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association (SLAA) recognized seven individuals who have made a positive impact in the community and supported Stetson University College of Law.

he and his wife, Patricia, have been exceptionally generous in their giving to the College of Law. The couple have pledged more than one million dollars in support of the Advocacy Institute and established the Jeffery A. and Patricia F. Smith Scholarship Endowment.

Ben Willard Award

Outstanding Alumni Representative Award

This award recognizes alumni who strive for the benefit of Floridians and who have brought distinction to themselves and to Stetson Law. The award’s 2021 recipient, Hon. Pamela “Pam” A.M. Campbell, J.D. ’89, practiced law in St. Petersburg for 17 years prior to her appointment to the bench. She was appointed to serve as a Circuit Court Judge in 2006 by Gov. Jeb Bush. She has served in the Felony Criminal Division, Family Division, and Civil Division, and most recently began in the Probate Division in St. Petersburg, and has presided over more than 40 criminal jury trials and 90 civil jury trials. She is an active member of First United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg, former chair of Operation PAR, and former vice chair of the Florida Board of Medicine.

Clinton “Clint” Paris, J.D./M.B.A. ’00, received this award, which recognizes dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association through involvement in local alumni activities, for his lead role in establishing and securing donations to fund the Professor Dorothea Beane Scholarship, and for his work planning the inaugural Black Law Student Alumni Reunion. He is a past president of SLAA.

Distinguished Alumnus Award The Distinguished Alumnus Award recognizes alumni for excellence in their chosen profession, as well as for service to humanity. This year’s recipient, Donald “Don” Smith, J.D. ’78, is a partner with the Law Firm of Smith, Tozian, Daniel and Davis, P.A. In addition to his illustrious career as a litigator, he has served as a board member of the Boys & Girls Club for most of his professional career. Recently, in partnership with the local club and the Pinellas Community Foundation, he established The Don Smith Scholarship in Honor of Brian Smith at the College of Law. Endowed at the $50,000 level, it will be awarded to either a club member, volunteer, or employee who plans to attend Stetson Law.

Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award Jeffery A. Smith, J.D. ’73, received this year’s Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for showing continued support for Stetson Law through the contribution of both time and gifts. In addition to Mr. Smith’s legal career as a State Attorney and his private criminal law practice,

Distinguished Service Award Dr. Paul Levine and Mrs. Susan Levine received this year’s Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to nonalumni of the College of Law in recognition of their contributions to Stetson Law. Dr. and Mrs. Levine established the Marc L. Levine Award in 2009 and have funded it annually since then. The award honors their son Marc’s accomplishments while at Stetson Law as well as those of graduating J.D. students who, like their son, demonstrated significant growth as a person and professional during their time on campus.

President’s Award The President’s Award is presented to the outgoing president of the SLAA in recognition of their term of service. Kevin Iurato, J.D. ’00, was a dedicated leader during a tumultuous year. He handed the reins to incoming SLAA President Mitchell Schermer, J.D. ’15.

Stetson Lawyer

ALUMNI SUCCESS His dedication to his legal studies while at Stetson Law became the stuff of legend. The St. Petersburg Times even wrote about his unique method of studying law by taping class lectures on a small reel-to-reel, then listening to the tape for up to seven hours a day before recording his own notes on additional tapes. His legal colleagues say that experience left him with an uncanny ability to hear what’s said in negotiations – as well as what’s not said. A few days before graduating from Stetson Law, he slipped on wet pavement and broke his ankle – and attended the ceremony with help from a wheelchair. With his family by his side, he became the first Seminole to earn a law degree. After passing the bar, he worked as deputy counsel for the then3,000-member Seminole Tribe of Florida in 1981. A year later, he became general counsel for the tribe, now 4,200 strong, a role he has held ever since.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: JIM SHORE

ith dedication to serving his community and an unflappable work ethic, Jim Shore’s path to becoming general counsel for the Seminole Tribe of Florida is as uncommon as it is inspirational. In 2022, Stetson University College of Law launched a new scholarship named in Shore’s honor. The Jim Shore Scholarship for the Seminole Tribe of Florida Endowment will encourage and support members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to pursue a legal education at Stetson Law. It will be available to 1L, 2L, or 3L students in the full-time or part-time J.D. program who are members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Recipients must be in good academic standing and financial need will be a key consideration. “The continued success of the Seminole Tribe of Florida depends on the education of future generations of its members,” Shore said. “We hope Stetson University College of Law becomes an important partner in attracting, educating, and preparing Seminole students to become attorneys. Thank you for your efforts on our behalf.” Jim Shore was born in 1945 in an area just northwest of Lake Okeechobee, where his family raised cattle and lived in chickees with thatched roofs and no indoor plumbing. Despite the challenge of being born blind in one eye, he graduated from Okeechobee High School in 1963 and worked in construction, as a mechanic, and even as a cowboy. In 1970, an auto accident sent shards of glass into his eyes, resulting in complete blindness. Without the ability to see, he needed to start over with a new career direction; Shore would joke that he couldn’t make a living riding a horse. He turned to education, first earning his B.A. in history from Stetson University’s DeLand campus in 1976. After hearing his classmates talk about going on to study law at the University’s Gulfport law school campus, he applied and was accepted. 20

He helped form the Seminole Police Department and effectively negotiated a series of water use challenges between the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the state, and the federal government. His work has greatly improved the health and welfare of the Seminole people by helping to diversify tribe enterprises, including negotiations between the tribe and the state to secure the 2007 gaming agreement that allowed for Las Vegas-style gaming at the tribe’s six Florida casinos. He also shepherded the tribe’s monumental acquisition of the Hard Rock hotel, restaurant, and casino chain.

The continued success of the Seminole Tribe of Florida depends on the education of future generations of its members. We hope Stetson University College of Law becomes an important partner in attracting, educating and preparing Seminole students to become attorneys. -Jim Shore, B.A. ’76, J.D. ’80 In 2020, he won the American Bar Association’s Energy, Environment and Resources Government Attorney of the Year award for his legal work and achievements in the areas of the environment, energy, and natural resources. He continues to focus on Everglades restoration and Lake Okeechobee management within the Brighton Reservation, which now encompasses the area where he grew up, and the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. In a video introducing Shore, attorney Michelle Diffenderfer, president of Florida-based firm Lewis, Longman & Walker, who has worked with Shore for years, lauded him for his “incredible listening skills and a penchant for knowing just what to do at the right time.” He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Florida State University in 2005 and was inducted into Stetson Law’s Hall of Fame in 2010.

ALUMNI SUCCE SS

PASSION FOR JUSTICE LANDS ALUMNA KEY ROLE B Y K AT E B R A D S H AW

anna Raissa Ibañez, J.D. ’16, has always been passionate about standing up for others. It is what compelled her to study law, advocate for the underserved, and, recently, join the White House’s Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. “I remember always being really fired up,” she said. “I could always sense when there was a power dynamic that was unfair.” Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, she moved to Miami with her family as a child. Upon graduating from Simmons University in Boston, she said, law school called. She toured Harvard, Duke, and others, but it was Stetson Law that stood out after she saw the Trial Team in action. “There was just something about knowing how to run a courtroom and operating in that space that called to me,” she said.

she would excel in social justice advocacy,” said Professor Ellen Podgor. She held leadership positions in the National Organization for Women and was active in the Lambda Legal Society. Through her participation in the Homeless Advocacy Externship, she demonstrated a deep commitment to advocacy on behalf of the homeless. She brought her passion to the Pinellas County Public Defender’s Office, first through pro bono as a student, then as an attorney on staff. She is now a senior staff attorney on the Tenant Defense Project for Inner City Law Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing free legal services to the city’s most vulnerable. A colleague connected her to the compliance board through a member of the U.S. Congress. After an 18-month vetting process, she was appointed. The board aims to ensure all federal facilities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Faculty members who interacted with her recognized her passion from her early days on campus.

Ibañez hopes her story shows students aspiring to fight on behalf of the vulnerable that there is a pathway to effectively doing so at Stetson Law, where the community will welcome their passion for making a difference through advocacy.

“From her initial classroom comments in criminal law on, it was clear

“There’s a place for you at Stetson,” she said.

ALUMNA RHEA LAW NAMED PRESIDENT OF USF Following decades of passionate community involvement, Stetson Law alumna Rhea Law, J.D. ’79, was named president of the University of South Florida in March of 2022. USF’s Board of Governors unanimously voted to confirm Law, who is also a USF alumna. For Law, it is the culmination of dedicated work in the areas of higher education, economic development, and government throughout the Tampa Bay region, including Stetson, where Law was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Stetson University in 2019 and served two terms as a member of the Board of Overseers beginning in 2007. She began her legal career began with Fowler White Boggs, PA, where she worked her way up to becoming the first female president and CEO of a large Florida law firm in 2001. She also shepherded the

merger between Fowler and Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC. Her professional and nonprofit involvement spans dozens of organizations, including: the American Bar Association; Enterprise Florida, Inc.; Leadership Council on Legal Diversity; Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; Leadership Tampa; Tampa Bay Metro; and Tampa Bay Partnership. Law was named one of the top five women business leaders in Florida by the Commonwealth Institute in June 2008, one of Florida's most influential people by Florida Trend magazine and Businesswoman of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal in 2004. Law was instrumental in the law school's Cornerstone fundraising campaign.

BOOK AWARD SPONSORS 2021-2022 Stetson University College of Law would like to recognize and thank the following law firms for sponsoring a Book Award during the 20212022 school year. These awards are much appreciated by the students, and by the law school, as they demonstrate these firms’ belief in our future and in the lawyers of tomorrow. Banker Lopez Gassler, P.A. – Trial Advocacy Boss Law – Real Property Bush Ross, P.A. – Bankruptcy Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig, LLC – Insurance Cole, Scott, & Kissane P.A. – Trial Advocacy Diaco Law – Trial Advocacy

DSK Law Group (de Beaubien Simmons Knight Mantzaris Neal) – Contracts Groelle & Salmon, P.A. – Civil Procedure Killgore Pearlman Semanie & Squires P.A. – Professional Responsibility Latham, Luna, Edeen & Beaudine, LLP – Trial Advocacy Maney | Gordon | Zeller, P.A. – Evidence Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP – Real Property Tannenbaum Lemole & Kleinberg – Professional Responsibility Tracy Gunn Appellate Practice, P.A. – Appellate Practice and 21 Advocacy (Civil)

FAC U LT Y FO RU M

Stetson Lawyer

FACULTY FORUM

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER 2021–JANUARY 2022 ANDREW APPLEBY, Associate Professor of Law, presented his paper, Now You Can’t Leave: State and Local Exit Taxes, at the National Tax Association (NTA) Annual Conference, where he was also a discussant on the Optimal Tax and Transfer Design panel. Professor Appleby co-authored Does the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Wayfair Apply Retroactively? 102 TAX NOTES STATE 715. Professor Appleby was also quoted several times in TAX NOTES, BLOOMBERG LAW, and LAW360 discussing important tax issues, and he was featured multiple times on the TaxProf Blog. He also coached Stetson Law’s team in the ABA Tax Challenge Competition.

ROY BALLESTE, Assistant Professor of Law, presented on cybersecurity policy and standards at the Annual Strategic Space Law Course sponsored by the Center for Research in Air and Space Law at McGill University. The course was designed for military lawyers, public policy practitioners/scholars, commercial lawyers, and relevant stakeholders. Professor Balleste co-authored Cybersecurity Policy and Standards for Offworld Operations, 42 NATO LEGAL GAZETTE 129 (December 2021). Professor Balleste continued his editorial work on the MILAMOS Project, now in its final stages. The project will offer the first Manual on 22

International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS). It is expected to be published in December of 2022. Professor Balleste’s latest article, The Law of Space Cyber Operations: Gripping Mysteries, Entangled Frontiers, and Security Challenges, will be published in volume 13 of the CASE WESTERN RESERVE’S JOURNAL OF LAW, TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET.

ELIZABETH BERENGUER, Associate Professor of Law, and Lance N. Long, Professor of Law and Coordinator of Legal Research and Writing, co-chaired a conference on Looking Forward: Strategies for Assessment that Ensure Equity, Measure Learning, and Prepare Students for the Demands of Practice and participated on the Responsive Panel following the Keynote Address. This event was part of the One-Day Workshop Series sponsored by the Legal Writing Institute. The Keynote and Responsive Panel were sponsored by Stetson University College of Law. Professor Berenguer also spoke on a panel at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting addressing Contemporary Scholarly Methods. The panel was co-sponsored by the LWRR, who also elected Professor Berenguer to its Executive Committee. Professor Berenguer was previously a member of their Awards Committee. Professor

Berenguer served as the co-chair of LWI LIVES, a publication of the Legal Writing Institute and is responsible for the August 2021 and February 2022 editions. She also serves as the Chair of Operations for the JOURNAL OF LAW AND POLITICAL ECONOMY. Professor Berenguer recently received a contract to publish a book titled CRITICAL RHETORIC, LAW AND POWER to be co-authored with Lucille Jewel and Teri McMurtry-Chubb. Further, Professor Berenguer was nominated to the Governing Board of Sirico Scholars in Fall 2021. Professor Berenguer also argued before the Georgia Supreme Court in January 2022 in the case of McInerney v. McInerney.

ELIZABETH I. BOALS, Assistant Professor of Law, hosted the 14th Annual National Pretrial Competition (NPTC) in early October 2021. Professor Boals hosted 20 schools and coordinated 135 mock judges for the six rounds of the competition. After NPTC, Professor Boals was interviewed for the podcast Unscripted Direct hosted by UCLA regarding the unique format of NPTC and the results of the competition. Professor Boals also served on the planning committee for the Second Annual All-Star Bracket Mock Trial Competition and hosted the East Regional Rounds of that competition in late October 2021. The Regional Rounds included 16 schools

and required 120 mock judges to evaluate four rounds of the competition. Professor Boals created and hosted an online Advocacy Writing Workshop in December 2021 in conjunction with offering the second annual Stetson Law Advocacy Writing Competition. This writing workshop was developed as part of Professor Boals’ service as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee of the National Association of Legal Advocacy Educators (NALAE). Professor Boals completed her work on two case files, State v. Peyton and Addison v. Peyton, and the accompanying Teacher’s Guides in December 2021. The case files and Teacher’s Guides will be published by Aspen and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) in Spring 2022. Professor Boals also finished her first draft of the eighth edition of CASES AND PROBLEMS IN CRIMINAL LAW with co-authors Myron Moskovitz and J. Amy Dillard. The casebook will be published by Carolina Academic Press in Fall 2022.

PAUL BOUDREAUX, Professor of Law, completed six years as editor of the JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE LAW AND POLICY but remains an associate editor, overseeing work of Stetson Law students in preparing articles for publication. He also served as associate editor of the American Bar Association’s JOURNAL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY

FACULT Y FORUM

DEVELOPMENT. He was elected as the chair of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Environmental Law for 2022-23. Professor Boudreaux is nearing completion of his online opensource book on land use law.

BROOKE J. BOWMAN, J.D. ’02, Professor of Law; Director of Finances, Advocacy Boards; Director, Moot Court Board: Professor Bowman oversaw an incredibly successful fall moot court season, with all six teams advancing into the elimination rounds. Stetson Law won two national championships – the 21st Annual Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition (and Stetson Law received an honorable mention brief award and an honorable mention advocate award) and the National Veterans Law Moot Court Competition (the team also received the second-best petitioner brief award). In two other competitions, the Stetson Law teams were finalists – the 12th Annual Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition (Stetson also received the third-place petitioner brief award) and the Appellate Lawyers Association’s 2021 National Moot Court Competition. Professor Bowman co-coached five of the six competing teams during the semester. Professor Bowman also co-hosted an ABA Law Student Division Arbitrational regional along with Kristen David Adams, Wm. Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Dispute Resolution Board. Professor Bowman and Professor Adams presented at both the Board of Overseers and Board of Trustees meetings on Stetson’s recent ABA

Competition Award win. Further, Professor Bowman hosted Region V of the NYC Bar Association National Moot Court Competition. She also hosted the Phelps Dunbar First-Year Appellate Advocacy Competition, at which numerous students from each section of R&W participated.

KIRSTEN K. DAVIS, Professor of Law; Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication, and Director of Online Legal Education Strategies, has been appointed to serve as the inaugural Judy Genshaft Honors College Visiting Professor of Law at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. In that capacity, she is teaching a Spring Honors Seminar at USF titled “Tweet, Text, Take to the Streets: Dissent and the First Amendment.” Dr. Davis recently published a “Provisional Definition of ‘Legal Writing Scholarship’” in Volume 2(1) of THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON LAW SCHOOL’S PROCEEDINGS: ONLINE JOURNAL OF LEGAL WRITING CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS. At the Association of American Law Schools' (AALS) Annual Meeting, Dr. Davis presented to a national audience of law faculty on the topic “Using Rhetorical Methods to Study the Law and Legal Communication.” Dr. Davis continues to contribute to the Law Professor Network’s Appellate Advocacy Blog through her regular column, “The Rhaw Bar,” which explores topics related to rhetoric and law. Find her most recent post, “[Sic] It, Fix It, or Ignore It? The Rhetorical Implications of Spotlighting Another Writer’s Error,” at lawprofessors.typepad.com

Dr. Davis continues to rank in the top 10% of all authors on the Social Science Research Network as measured by all-time downloads.

ROBERTA K. FLOWERS, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Excellence in Elder Law recently gave the following presentations: Avoiding Ethical Snowstorms when Representing Clients who are Acting as Fiduciaries, to the Evansville Elder Law Association, Evansville, Indiana, November 2021; NEALA’s Past, Present and Future, to the Florida Academy of Elder Law Attorneys UnProgram, Orlando, Florida, December 2021; and also to the Massachusetts Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Professor Flowers additionally presented Avoiding Ethical Snowstorms when Representing Clients with Diminished Capacity to the NJ Elder Bar Association via Zoom in December 2021.

JAMES W. FOX, JR., Professor of Law, recently published the following articles: Fellow Citizens, 12 CONLAWNOW 171 (2021) (part of the symposium “Black Citizenship from Reconstruction to Black Lives Matter”), The Constitution of Black Abolitionism: Reframing the Second Founding, 23 U. PA. J. CONST. L. 267 (2021), and Black Progressivism and the Progressive Court, 130 YALE L. J. FORUM 398–420 (2021). ROYAL C. GARDNER, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, presented on the key takeaways for decisionmakers from the Global Wetland Outlook at an October climate change webinar organized by the

members of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament. In January, he served as a final round judge for the virtual Southeast Asian Rounds of the 26th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, hosted by the University of the Philippines. Professor Gardner and Lance N. Long, Professor of Law and Coordinator of Legal Research and Writing, spoke at a Facebook Live event for Our Children’s Trust, where a rule-making petition on renewable energy goals was submitted to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Professor Gardner will continue to serve on the Policy and Science Committee of Friends of the Everglades in 2022.

ALICIA JACKSON, Assistant Professor of Law and Director for Academic Success and Bar Preparation Services, was reappointed as a board member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Academic Support. The Section promotes the communication of ideas, interests, and activities among members and makes recommendations on matters of interest in the teaching and improvement of academic support. Professor Jackson also co-authored Scholarship Fitness: Balance, Accountability & Opportunity in the Fall 2021 edition of LEARNING CURVE, a publication of the AALS. Professor Jackson was invited to submit the piece based on her presentation at the Association of Academic Support Educators’ (AASE) National Conference. Professor Jackson’s law review article The Pink Ghetto Pipeline: Challenges and Opportunities for Women 23

FAC U LT Y FO RU M

in Legal Education was cited in an article published in the ABA JOURNAL.

LANCE N. LONG, Professor of Law and Coordinator of Legal Research and Writing, along with Royal C. Gardner, Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, was a panelist at a virtual media event held on January 5, 2022, for filing a petition for rule-making with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on behalf of the environmental advocacy organization Our Children’s Trust. The petition seeks to set rules to effectively transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy in the coming decades. REBECCA C. MORGAN, J.D. ’80, Professor of Law, Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law and Director, M.J. in Healthcare Compliance, completed three book updates and finished a co-authored law review article, Empowering the Wicked: How Some Agents Use a Power of Attorney to Commit the Crime of Financial Exploitation, which has been accepted for publication by the ILLINOIS ELDER LAW JOURNAL. Along with her co-author, Robert Fleming, she completed updates to the BNA PORTFOLIO, Planning for Disability. Professor Morgan also moderated two webinars for the ABA Senior Lawyers Division International Law Committee, presented a webinar to the National Judicial College on Elder Law, gave two presentations to the Elder Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association, and two presentations to the Missouri Chapter of NAELA. 24

LUZ ESTELLA NAGLE, Professor of Law, released several publications during Fall 2021, including: Human Rights Violations Perpetrated by State Agents in Military Occupations: Analysis of the Incursion of International Human Rights Law to the Normative Territory of the Armed Conflicts, co-authored with Sidney Cesar Silva Guerra and Ádria Saviano Fabricio da Silva, 19 REV. OPINIÃO JURÍDICA No. 32 (2021), and three book chapters on criminal compliance in Australia, Canada, and the United States, co-authored with Renato Machado de Souza, published in Nicolás Rodríguez-García et al. (Eds.), TRATADO ANGLOIBEROAMERICANO SOBRE COMPLIANCE PENAL (Valencia: tirant lo blanch, Spain 2021). She presented a lecture online, Human Trafficking: It’s Not Just about Children and Young Women, It Includes Senior Citizens, to the ABA Senior Lawyers Division in December. Professor Nagle served on the ABA Latin America and Caribbean Law Initiative Council, on the ABA Rule of Law Initiative committee, as a Trustee for the International Bar Association (IBA) Human Rights Institute Trust, and as Latin American Regional Forum Liaison Officer of the IBA’s Access to Justice and Legal Aid initiative. She is currently working with TransNexus Financial Strategies and the IBA Human Rights Institute Trust to assist in the evacuation of women judges and their staff from Afghanistan. Professor Nagle provided legal counsel pro bono to the Junta Acción Comunal San José, Guarne, Colombia in its efforts to control development

and environmental destruction by commercial property owners. She drafted correspondence pro bono for the NGO Cacao for Change, addressed to the Prime Minister of Norway urging his government to divest the government’s pension fund from its investments in 8800 multinational corporations that are engaged in using child labor and forced child labor. In December, Professor Nagle served on the select Fulbright Scholarship application committee for Fulbright Spain, reviewing several dozen applicant proposals and qualifications for final selection for Fulbright awards for 2022-2023.

ELLEN S. PODGOR, Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor and Professor of Law, published WHITE COLLAR CRIME IN A NUTSHELL - 6th Ed. (West Academic Publishing 2022), co-authored with Professors Miriam H. Baer & Gregory M. Gilchrist. Professor Podgor also spoke at Stetson’s Advocacy Writing Workshop on How to Format a Law Review Article. She also presented to High Court Justices of India as part of their National Judicial Academy Workshop, speaking on Territoriality and Jurisdictional Issues in Cyber Crimes. Additionally, Professor Podgor participated on a virtual panel at the University of South Florida (USF) as an invitee of FAWLS. Professor Podgor continued to be listed in the top 10% of Authors on SSRN of all-time downloads. She also continued her service as a member of the Board of Directors of the Innocence Project of Florida and the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law.

ROBYN POWELL, Visiting Professor of Law, provided critical insights on national issues ranging from the battle over Britney Spears’ conservatorship to the U.S. Supreme Court’s potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. Powell, who joined Stetson Law in 2020 as a Bruce R. Young Visiting Assistant Professor, specializes in disability law and reproductive justice. As a disabled woman who has personally experienced the intersection of these two issues, Powell offered unique perspectives to multiple media outlets throughout the year, including Salon, the Tampa Bay Times, KRIS Corpus Christi and The Intercept. Powell has been similarly prolific in her scholarly work. Her most recent scholarship includes Achieving Justice for Disabled Parents and Their Children: An Abolitionist Approach, Yale Journal of Law & Feminism (Forthcoming 2022); From Carrie Buck to Britney Spears: Strategies for Disrupting the Ongoing Reproductive Oppression of Disabled People, 107 Va. L. Rev. Online 246; Applying the Health Justice Framework to Address Health and Health Care Inequities Experienced by People with Disabilities During and After COVID-19, 96 Washington Law Review 93 (2021), Becoming a Disabled Parent: Eliminating Access Barriers to Health Care Before, During, and After Pregnancy, 96 Tulane Law Review (Forthcoming 20212022 with Erin E. Andrews and Kara Ayers); Confronting Eugenics Means Finally Confronting its Ableist Roots, 27 William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice 607 (2021); Barriers and Facilitators to Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act by the Child Welfare System:

FACULT Y FORUM

Insights from Interviews with Disabled Parents, Child Welfare Workers, and Attorneys, 32 Stanford Law & Policy Review 119; Professor Powell also presented The Americans with Disabilities Act and Termination of Parental Rights Cases for the American Constitution Society Progressive Scholarship Workshop at Yale Law School. She was a panelist on Parents with Disabilities, Bias, and Discrimination at Harvard Law School's Project on Disability, Parents with Disabilities: Rights, Remedies, and the Road Ahead.

THERESA J. RADWAN, Transitional Business Administrator and Professor of Law, published When the Sum of the Parts are More than the Whole: How Fully Secured Creditors can be Preferred in Bankruptcy, STETSON LAW REVIEW ONLINE FORUM, (Fall 2021). Professor Radwan’s article When is a Debt “Obtained By” Fraud? Reconsideration of the Fraud Nondischargeability Exception Under Section 523(a) (2) of the Bankruptcy Code will be published in the WEST VIRGINIA LAW REVIEW Spring, 2022 edition.

JUDITH A.M. SCULLY, Professor of Law, created 17 community service internships (nonlegal pro bono) with a wide variety of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations through her work with The Alliance, a joint partnership between Stetson Law School and Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. The internships allow students to work closely with Executive Directors, Board of Directors, and Policy Directors while learning about grant writing, community organizing and data analysis. The internship

project is the cornerstone of Stetson Law’s recently launched Community Associates Program, which is one of three projects that Professor Scully oversees as the faculty liaison to The Alliance. Professor Scully also created the curriculum for, and taught three courses (Advocacy, Activism, & Social Change, Part 1 and 2; and 4th Amendment, Policing and You) in Stetson Law’s inaugural Civics Program for high school students in the Tampa Bay region. She also supervised students from numerous Florida law schools serving as Summer Racial Justice Fellows with the Florida Law School’s Consortium on Racial Justice, on which Professor Scully serves as a Co-Director. Professor Scully is the Stetson Law School representative on the St. Petersburg Higher Education Consortium for Racial Justice, a joint project of Stetson Law School, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, and the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. Her work there included a four-day training of the American Association of Universities and Colleges that focused on Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Centers. Additionally, Professor Scully spoke at the AALS Clinical Law Conference on a panel discussing Stetson’s Compassionate Release course that allowed 10 Stetson Law students to assist the Federal Public Defender’s Office in representing individuals seeking release from prison under federal compassionate release laws. Professor Scully continues to maintain updates for the law school’s Social Justice Advocacy Resource Manual.

CIARA TORRES-SPELLISCY, Professor of Law, published The Political Branding of Us and Them: The Branding of Asian Immigrants in the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms and Supreme Court Opinions 1876-1924, 96(4) NYU L. REV. 1214 (Oct. 2021). Professor Torres-Spelliscy spoke remotely at the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) 2021, discussing money in politics, campaign finance law, the Supreme Court and dark money on December 8, 2021. She also authored the following blogs: “21 Things We Learned about Money in Politics in 2021,” Brennan Center Blog; “Lawyers Risk Their Law Licenses Helping Smarmy Politicians,” Washington Monthly; “A Little-Noticed Supreme Court Ruling Could Help Build A Dam Against Foreign Money In American Elections,” Talking Points Memo. Professor Torres-Spelliscy was noticed by the press on numerous occasions, including, “Here’s how the Supreme Court is ‘keeping foreign money’ out of US politics — even after Citizens United: law professor,” Alter Net, Oct. 20, 2021, “2022 Races will put Election Integrity to the Test,” Roll Call, Nov. 10, 2021, “GOP election objectors rake in corporate cash,” The Hill, Dec. 14, 2021, “Consultant’s memo to FPL exec’s email alias reveals strategies for secretive political spending,” Orlando Sentinel, Dec. 17, 2021.

LOUIS J. VIRELLI, III, Professor of Law, was tapped for membership on the Council on Federal Agency Adjudication, a group of leading administrative law scholars tasked with providing the Administrative Conference of the United States

(ACUS) with academic research and expertise. The Council provides a forum for the heads of agency adjudication programs to exchange information about procedural innovations, best management practices, and more. His latest scholarship includes: There May Be a Problem, But It’s Not Summary Judgment, 38 Yale J. Reg.: Notice & Comment Blog (2021) and Supreme Court Recusal and the Appearance of Politics, 98 Denver L. Rev. Online Forum (2021). Virelli has also been prolific when it comes to sharing his expertise with the press; he has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and numerous other outlets on everything from questions about U.S. Supreme Court Justices’ potential conflicts of interest to lawsuits over federal vaccination guidelines.

DARRYL C. WILSON, Associate Dean for Faculty and Strategic Initiatives; Attorneys Title Fund Professor of Law; and Director, Institute for Caribbean Law & Policy, recruited new students at the annual Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) Midwest event in Chicago. He also acted as a judge for the National Pre-Trial Competition hosted by Stetson Law and the All-Star Bracket Mock Trial Competition. Dean Wilson continues in his role as a contributor and co-editor for columns in the American Bar Association (ABA) Real Property and Probate bi-monthly magazine, as a Special Magistrate for the Code Enforcement Board of the City of St. Petersburg, and as the Treasurer for the American Caribbean Law Initiative.

C L A S S N OT E S

Stetson Lawyer

CLASS NOTES

STETSON LAW ALUMNI UPDATES Robert H. Nutter, J.D. ’70, retired in January after practicing law for 51 years. He says it “has been a great ride” and thanks Stetson Law for giving him a start to an enjoyable career. He retired in January 2022 at age 81. Leslie Reicin Stein, J.D. ’76,

received the Corporate Counsel Lifetime Achievement Award from Tampa Bay Business and the American Corporate Counsel Association. She was formerly VP GC at Verizon Information Technologies and Special Data Processing and Special Counsel at Publix Supermarkets and Costco Wholesale Corporation. Although now in private practice, she serves as counsel to the legal department of two corporations.

Judge Susan G. Sexton, J.D. ’77,

and executive producer Theresa McKeown collaborated on a new podcast named The Judge and the Journalist. The first season is devoted to the Trial of Joe Exotic. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, and Anchor.

Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, J.D. ’78

was named Senate President for the Florida Legislature’s 2022-2024 Legislative Term. She was elected to the Florida Senate in 2016.

Russell Schropp, J.D. ’78, who

practices environmental, land use, and zoning law at Fort Myers firm, Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., was recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in the September 2021 issue of Naples Illustrated.

Mike Boryla, J.D., ’81, announced the release of his second audiobook, Mark of the Beast. Mike is a former Pro Bowl quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay

Buccaneers. He spent his first semester at his beloved Stetson Law walking to class on crutches and wearing a full-length leg cast after knee surgery stemming from his time with the Bucs.

Luis Prats, B.A. ’78, J.D. ’81, is a

co-editor and chapter author of the Construction Trial Deskbook, which was recently released by the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law. Prats is a board-certified construction lawyer with more than 35 years of experience representing public and private owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals on all types of construction matters. He has tried, arbitrated, or mediated hundreds of construction disputes and regularly counsels owners and contractors during all phases of construction. Prats is a shareholder at Carlton Fields.

Marcia S. Cohen, J.D. ’84, has

been appointed to the Board of Directors of the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs, an annual three-plus-day event offering over 30 panel discussions on international topics held every February at USF St. Petersburg.

G. Donald Thomson, J.D. ’84, who

practices real estate law at Fort Myers firm Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., was recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in the September 2021 issue of Naples Illustrated.

Harold E. Patricoff Jr., B.A. ’82, J.D. ’85, joined Duane Morris

LLP, where he represents clients in disputes across multinational borders. He is widely known for his experience in domestic and international fuel sales, supply and distribution, and the power generation industry.

Wendy S. Loquasto, J.D. ’88, of Fox & Loquasto, LLC, in Tallahassee was appointed as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Rules Advisory Committee for 20212022. Her term as chair caps off her six years of service on the WCRAC.

Janice “Jan” McLean, J.D. ’90, has joined GrayRobinson’s Land Use Team as counsel in Tampa, where she will counsel clients on the planning, management, maintenance, and regulation of the state’s ground, surface, and coastal waters, including related environmental and land use issues. Camille J. Iurillo, J.D. ’91, has merged her St. Petersburg-based firm, Iurillo Law Group, with the firm Englander Fischer. This partnership significantly expands Englander Fischer’s practice areas in commercial bankruptcy and creditor’s rights, providing more arrows in its business-litigation quiver. Andrew J. Mayts, Jr., J.D. ’91,

was named Chair of the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.

Richard Schwamm, J.D. ’91, was part of a team whose work led to the awarding of Volusia County’s largest-ever settlement in a wrongful death case, $6.46 million, to the family of a woman whose death was believed to be a result of medical malpractice. Robert P. Kelly, J.D. ’92, was

named managing attorney for the Tampa legal office of Liberty Mutual. Bob has been with Liberty Mutual for 28 years and is married to Kasey Shimberg Kelly, J.D. 1995, and they have three children (Jordan, 22; Lauren, 20; and Ryan, 17).

LET US KNOW WHAT’S NEW IN YOUR LIFE. Email us at alumni@law.stetson.edu

Robert J. Sniffen, J.D. ’93, has

been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of North Florida (“CFNF”), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in North Florida through the promotion and support of charitable giving. The CFNF serves an 11-county area, including Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.

Amanda Ross, J.D. ’99, who

practices admiralty and maritime law at Fort Myers firm Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., was recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in the September 2021 issue of Naples Illustrated.

David C. Murray, J.D./M.B.A. ’01, has formed a new law

firm, Murray + Murray. David focuses his practice on insurance claims litigation, representing homeowners, businesses, condominiums and hotels in first-party insurance disputes, and bad faith claims. He was appointed to the Florida Justice Association’s property insurance board for the ’21-’22 term.

Thomas Oates, J.D. ’03, of Law

Offices of Oates & Oates, P.A., Pompano Beach, was recently elected vice chair of Florida’s 17th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.

Bronwyn Stanford, J.D. ’03, was

hired as the new Director of the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department following a national search.

Johnlee Curtis, J.D. ’04, recently

celebrated the two-year anniversary of founding Aviation Transaction Advisors, P.A. in Miami, Florida. The boutique firm represents small, medium

CL ASS NOTE S

and large aviation industry businesses in a wide variety of commercial transactions.

T. Hardee Bass III, J.D. ’04, became a shareholder at the firm Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley. Since 2008, Mr. Bass has worked in the firm’s Tobacco Unit handling multi-plaintiff litigation cases against the tobacco industry, medical device manufacturers, and drug companies. He achieved numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients in venues across Florida. He is Florida Bar Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. Prior to joining Searcy Denney, Mr. Bass served as a felony prosecutor in the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. Eric Page, J.D. ’04, a partner

in Shutts & Bowen LLP’s Tampa office and a Stetson Law alumnus, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, one of the country’s most prestigious fine arts and fine crafts shows. Eric, who is active in the Hillsborough County Bar Association and in the community at large, will join the completely volunteer-run board of directors and festival committee to organize the annual event. As part of his three-year term, he will work year-round with his fellow board members to support the organization, attend monthly meetings and participate in a board-level committee.

Erin Malone, J.D. ’06, of the law firm Phelps, made The Best Lawyers in America list for the first time in the publication’s 2022 edition. She was recognized for her work in managementrelated employment law. The Hon. Noelle Sharp, J.D. ’06,

was appointed as an Assistant Chief Immigration Judge and began supervisory immigration court duties and hearing cases in October 2021.

The Hon. Michael C. BaggéHernández, J.D. ’07, was

recognized as being an outstanding jurist by 12 voluntary bar associations at The Florida Jurist: Recognizing Hispanic Excellence event in September 2021.

Phillip J. Harris, J.D. ’07, has joined national employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. as a principal in its Tampa office. Phillip focuses his practice on a wide variety of labor and employment matters. He has first-chair trial experience and has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ashley S. Hodson, J.D. ’07, a

Tyler J. Derr, J.D. ’10, has joined the firm Carlton Fields as senior counsel in Tampa, where he represents construction companies in complex commercial litigation. He counsels builders and developers in matters involving construction defect claims, liens, and contract disputes in residential and commercial properties, including single-family homes, condominiums and hotels. Kennedy Legler, B.A. ’08, J.D. ’11,

was promoted to Felony Division Chief of the Office of State Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit.

partner in Shutts & Bowen LLP’s Sarasota office, was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to Florida’s 12th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), covering DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. JNC members are responsible for evaluating candidates and drafting a list of nominees when vacancies open on the benches of Florida’s judicial system.

Marjorie E. Jaski, J.D. ’12, has been

Melody Lynch, J.D./M.B.A. ’07, commenced a two-year term as President of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Board of Directors.

Senior Counsel in May of 2021. She is resident in the firm’s St. Petersburg office and is a member of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Business Transactions Groups. Knaust assists her clients in a wide variety of business, real estate, and health care disputes. Many of her clients are business owners, commercial landlords, and business shareholders.

Traci McKee, J.D. ’07, was promoted to partner at Faegre Drinker, effective Jan 1., 2022. Sandra Urban, J.D. ’08, is currently an Assistant U.S. Attorney serving the Northern District of Oklahoma assigned to violent crime in Indian Country in response to the Supreme Court decision announced in McGirt v. Oklahoma.

Anthony A. Velardi, J.D. ’09,

established AV Law PLLC serving clients in real estate, business, estate planning, probate, and trust matters in Key Largo and Islamorada.

included in Marquis Who’s Who for her tireless work in public health advocacy, including developing funding and programs to improve the quality of pharmaceutical care for older adults and raising awareness of medication errors and their costs to life.

Margaret R. Knaust, J.D./M.B.A. ’12, joined Trenam Law as

Jessica A. Wilson, B.A. ’09, J.D. ’12, joined the firm Capehart

Scatchard as an associate in its Mount Laurel, NJ office. She has also begun her second three-year term as a Trustee of the Mercer County Bar Association. Upon law school graduation, she worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Peter E. Warshaw, J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer County.

Kimberly A. Hamil, J.D./M.B.A. ’13, became board certified in Marital & Family Law. Erik Johanson, J.D. ’13, formed

Erik Johanson PLLC in Tampa. Erik Johanson PLLC is dedicated to providing exceptional client service and high-quality legal representation in the areas of insolvency, restructuring, and litigation. Prior to opening his own practice, Erik served as a Judicial Law Clerk to United States District Judge and Stetson alumna Hon. Elizabeth Kovachevich. Erik serves on the Board of Directors of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, and is Vice Chair of the Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee.

Kayla Richmond, J.D. /M.B.A. ’13, who practices family law at Fort Myers firm Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., was recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in the September 2021 issue of Naples Illustrated. Erin Tilton, J.D. ’13, joined Stearns Weaver Miller’s Tallahassee office as an associate part of the firm’s statewide expansion of its land development, zoning & environmental practice. Anisha Patel, J.D. ’14, was

elected to lead the Florida Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Tyler G. Puttick, J.D. ’14, joined Dean Mead in the firm’s Vero Beach office, where he handles multiple aspects of estate planning, from preparing revocable and irrevocable trusts and wills to advising and implementing wealth preservation tactics that minimize wealth transfer taxes for high-net-worth families. Eric M. Schorr, LL.M. ’14, was

named as the Managing Partner of Sessions, Fishman & Nathan, LLC. Based in New Orleans, 27

C L A S S N OT E S

Louisiana, the firm represents clients statewide with regard to trusts, estate planning, special needs planning, probate, and incapacity, and provides services throughout the Southeast U.S. in the areas of bankruptcy, real estate, and commercial litigation.

Jeremy C. Smith, J.D. ’14, joined

the Tampa office of Carlton Fields as an associate attorney in the firm’s substantial Health Care Practice, whose scope of services includes compliance, administrative, regulatory, transactions, and litigation. The firm recently earned a national ranking for health care law in U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” 2021. law firm Freeborn & Peters as an associate in the firm’s Tampa office. Fears is a member of the firm’s litigation practice group, insurance/ reinsurance industry team, and emergency industries team.

Greg DeMeuse, J.D. ’17, has joined Jones Foster’s Real Estate practice group. The firm is headquartered in West Palm Beach, and Greg will be based in its nearby Palm Beach office. Greg focuses his real estate practice on commercial and residential transactions, including purchase/ sale transactions, refinances, and construction loans, as well as commercial leasing.

J. Tyler Payne, J.D./M.B.A. ’15,

Felicia Kitzmiller, J.D. ’18,

Stanton A. Fears, J.D. ’15, joined

was elected Mayor of the City of Treasure Island in March 2021 and will serve a three-year term.

William “Bill” Mitchell, Sr., J.D. ’16, was named partner at the

firm Conroy Simberg in October 2021. He leads the first party property division in Tampa and practices statewide.

Julie Redcay, J.D. ’15/LL.M. ’16, joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as the Director of Federal Grants. In this role, Julie works with more than 100 BBBS agencies and oversees all federal audit, grant and

compliance activities, including grant administration, budgeting, program management, reporting, and submission processes for the national nonprofit organization. Prior to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, she led the Grants Department at Hillsborough Community College (HCC). While at HCC, she directed several successful federal agency audits, and was responsible for the oversight and management of a more than $20 million federal, state, and private grants portfolio.

joined Stearns Weaver Miller’s Tallahassee office as an associate part of the firm’s statewide expansion of its land development, zoning, and environmental practice.

Zoila Lahera, J.D. ’18, was featured on various local news networks for her advocacy on behalf of Cuban people related to the protests that were occurring in mid-2021. She recently sat down with U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) on behalf of a local advocacy group. She was also interviewed by Bay News 9.

Ryan J. Loker, J.D. ’18, was recently appointed to serve on both the South Dakota Bar Association Administrative Law Committee, as well as the South Dakota Bar Association In-House Counsel Committee.

Alexis B. Campisi, J.D. ’19, joined Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP’s insurance litigation practice group in June 2021. Kai Su, J.D. ’19, has joined Carlton

Fields as an associate in Tampa. She is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice.

Judith B. Thomas, J.D. ’19, joined The Law Office of Paulette Hamilton, in Orlando. Jade L. Turner, J.D. ’19, has joined the Tampa office of Freeborn & Peters as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group and the Insurance/Reinsurance Industry Team.

Aizaz Chaudhary, J.D. ’20, joined Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman, P.A.’s litigation department.

Jeff Klein, J.D. ’20, joined the Pinellas County Attorney’s Office as a litigation Assistant County Attorney. Colton McCorkle, J.D. ’20, has

joined the Ragsdale Liggett litigation team as an associate in the firm’s Jacksonville office. He brings capabilities in the areas of trucking and transportation, construction, insurance defense, premises, and product liability.

Jeremy Ong, J.D. ’20, joined

Marcadis Singer’s creditor’s rights practice group.

Max Potter, J.D. ’20, joined

Jacksonville’s Smith Hulsey & Busey as the firm’s newest associate attorney. He will practice in the firm’s tax and trust & estates departments.

James L. Doyle, J.D. ’21, joined

the firm Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman as an associate in the real estate section.

Alina Evans, J.D. ’21, joined the firm Banker Lopez Gassler, where she will focus on first party property, PIP, insurance fraud, and personal injury cases. Steven Gendreau, J.D. ’21, has joined the firm Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., as an associate in the Tort & Insurance Litigation Department. He will handle insurance defense claims involving premises liability, automobile, and personal injury matters. He was a member of Henderson Franklin’s 2020 Summer Associate Program. He received his B.A. from the University of South Florida and his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. While in law school, Gendreau served as class representative for the Student Bar Association.

CL ASS NOTE S

WEDDINGS

BIRTHS

In September 2021, Stetson University College of Law alumni finally were able to come together to celebrate the marriage of Nicole Sherwood and John Striano at Willow Creek Country Club in Sandy, Utah. Nicole and John met during law school and currently live in the Cayman Islands. Currently, Nicole is an attorney focusing on international trade and John is a tax attorney specializing in asset management.

Mitchell Schermer, J.D. ’15, and Mary Schermer, J.D. ’16, welcomed their first child, Madeline Anne “Maddie” Schermer, into the world.

Left to Right: Megan Jarrett - J.D. ’16, Nicole Striano (Sherwood) - J.D. ’16, John Striano - J.D. ’16, Kaitlyn Macomber - J.D. ’16, Tom Stanton - J.D. ’16

Henry A. Davis, J.D. ’69, passed away September 15, 2021.

Alonzo V. Smith, J.D. ’87, passed away September 20, 2021.

Kenneth H. Vail, J.D. ’69, passed away June 9, 2021.

Pamela A. Brodsky, J.D. ’88, passed away August 13, 2021.

Berrien H. Becks, Jr., J.D. ’70, passed away June 3, 2021.

Eugene Waldron, J.D. ’88, passed away November 25, 2021.

Wendell R. Tucker, J.D. ’70, passed away January 6, 2022.

David F. Cannon, J.D. ’91, passed away September 25, 2021.

The Honorable Theodore H. Brousseau, Jr., B.A. ’68, J.D. ’71, passed away July 16, 2021.

James R. Evans, B.A. ’91, J.D. ’94, passed away September 3, 2021.

Lee Muschott, J.D. ’74, passed away September 20, 2021.

Bonnie J. Glover, J.D. ’94, passed away September 11, 2021.

Nestor Castillo, Jr., J.D. ’75, passed away June 13, 2021.

Andrenee Anderson, J.D. ’96, passed away August 11, 2021.

Wesley R. Harvin, J.D. ’76, passed away January 24, 2022.

David Thorpe, J.D. ’96, passed away February 7, 2022.

Peter R. Mayer, J.D. ’79, passed away November 16, 2021.

Angela Stathopoulos, J.D. ’97, passed away June 7, 2021.

Alice K. Nelson, J.D. ’76, passed away May 16, 2021.

Neil D. Overholtz, J.D. ’99, passed away February 9, 2022.

Frank Aloia, J.D. ’66, passed away August 10, 2021.

Gerald S.”Scott” Anderson, J.D. ’83, passed away January 6, 2022.

Susan H. Sharp, J.D. ’03, passed away July 4, 2021.

Corrine A. McClure, J.D. ’66, passed away June 26, 2021.

James M. Hussey, J.D. ’80, passed away August 23, 2021.

Christopher F. Sapp, J.D. ’66, passed away January 23, 2022.

Karen J. Mawhinney, J.D. ’82, passed away August 1, 2021.

James B. Chaplin, B.A. ’65, J.D. ’68, passed away May 27, 2021.

Susan P. Filson, B.A. ’81, J.D. ’84, passed away September 12, 2021.

R. Clark Robinson, J.D. ’68, passed away July 27, 2021.

Pam C. Roberts, J.D. ’85, passed away March 19, 2022.

Michael E. Watkins, B.A. ’65, J.D. ’68, passed away October 26, 2021.

Donald R. Jarrell, J.D. ’86, passed away February 16, 2022.

IN MEMORIAM Idmon Anderson, Jr., J.D. ’46, passed away April 19, 2021. Daniel J. J. LeFevre, J.D. ’53, passed away July 9, 2021. Oliver L. Green, J.D. ’58, passed away August 25, 2021. Mallory L. Johnson, J.D. ’60, passed away April 5, 2021. S. Strome Maxwell, J.D. ’60, passed away July 16, 2021. Robert Holman, J.D. ’61, passed away November 13, 2021. Michael B. Piper, J.D. ’61, passed away January 3, 2022. William R. Korp, J.D. ’62, passed away June 25, 2021. Marvin S. Littky ’63 passed away March 17, 2022. Jay M. Thorpe, J.D. ’64, passed away January 21, 2022.

Cimos A. Angelis, J.D. ’87, passed away October 16, 2021.

LET US KNOW WHAT’S NEW IN YOUR LIFE. Email us at alumni@law.stetson.edu

Theresa Jean-Pierre Coy, J.D. ’04, passed away April 11, 2022. Satyen Dinesh Gandhi, J.D. ’05, passed away November 11, 2021. Leigh M. Lambert, J.D. ’07, passed away April 17, 2021. Michael O. Robertson, J.D. ’14, passed away February 2, 2022. Dr. Kevin E. Hansen, LL.M., ’15, passed away March 6, 2022. Lindsey Johnson, J.D. ’19, (maiden name Askew) passed away December 14, 2021.

S T ET S O N BOA R D O F OVE RSE E RS

MEET THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS T

he purpose of the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers is to counsel, advise, and assist the dean of the College of Law and the president of the University in developing the program of legal education and of financial and other resources. The current active members of the board are:

Lori Y. Baggett Tampa, Florida PODS Enterprises, LLC B.A., University of South Alabama J.D., Stetson University ’02 Hon. Tangela Hopkins Barrie Decatur, Georgia Superior Court of DeKalb County B.A., Albany State University J.D., Stetson University ’97 Gregory W. Coleman Chair of the Board, Executive Committee West Palm Beach, Florida Critton Luttier and Coleman, LLP B.B.A., Stetson University ’85 J.D., Stetson University ’89 Michael P. Connelly Malvern, Pennsylvania B.A., Stetson University ’93 J.D., Stetson University ’96 M.B.A., The Wharton School of Business Robert E. Doyle Jr. Naples, Florida Doyle Conflict Resolution, Inc. B.A., George Washington University J.D., Stetson University ’75 Grace E. Dunlap Tampa, Florida Bryant Miller Olive, P.A. B.A., George Mason University J.D., Stetson University ’86 Wil H. Florin Palm Harbor, Florida Florin | Roebig B.A., Ball State University J.D., Stetson University ’80 Leo J. Govoni Clearwater, Florida Boston Asset Management, Inc. B.A., Framingham State College

Tracy Raffles Gunn Executive Committee Tampa, Florida Gunn Appellate Practice, P.A. B.A., University of South Florida J.D., Stetson University ’93 Mark E. Haranzo New York, New York Holland & Knight B.A., University of South Florida J.D., Stetson University ’85 Thomas S. Harmon Tampa, Florida Harmon Parker, P.A. B.A., Auburn University J.D., Stetson University ’95 Richard A. Harrison Executive Committee Tampa, Florida Richard A. Harrison, P.A. A.A., Miami-Dade Community College B.A., Stetson University ’83 J.D., Stetson University ’86 Benjamin H. Hill, IV Tampa, Florida Hill Ward Henderson B.A., Vanderbilt University J.D., Stetson University ’97 Jenay E. Iurato Executive Committee Tampa, Florida Iurato Law Firm, P.L. B.S., B.A., Pepperdine University J.D., Stetson University ’00 Jay Landers Tallahassee, Florida B.A., Stetson University ’64 J.D., Stetson University ’70 Charles S. Liberis, Jr. Pensacola, Florida Liberis Law Firm, P.A. B.S., Stetson University J.D., Stetson University ’67

Joshua Magidson Clearwater, Florida Shareholder, Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen, P.A. B.A., Boston University; University of Maryland M.A., University of Connecticut J.D., Stetson University ’80 Michael E. Marder Orlando, Florida Greenspoon Marder Law B.A., University of South Florida J.D., Stetson University ’77 Simone Marstiller Tallahassee, Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration B.B.A., Stetson University ’88 J.D., Stetson University ’96 Timothy P. McFadden Vice Chair of the Board, Executive Committee Chair, Governance Committee St. Petersburg, Florida B.S., United States Military Academy at West Point J.D., Stetson University ’90 Steven D. Overly Executive Committee Chair, Development Committee Amelia Island, Florida Rogers Towers B.A., Gettysburg College M.P.A., Pennsylvania State University J.D., Stetson University ’82 LL.M., Georgetown University Law Center Hon. Peggy A. Quince Tampa, Florida Retired Justice, Supreme Court of Florida B.S., Howard University J.D., Catholic University of America LL.D., (Hon.) Stetson University ’99 Robert G. Riegel Jr. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Rogers Towers B.A., Stetson University ’78 J.D., Stetson University ’81

Amy R. Rigdon Washington, D.C. Latham & Watkins, LLP B.A., Stetson University ’05 J.D., Stetson University ’08 Arturo R. Rios St. Petersburg, Florida Arturo Rios, P.A. B.A., Eckerd College J.D., Stetson University ’06 LL.M., Temple University Jeffery A. Smith Inverness, Florida Retired Ass’t State Attorney 5th Circuit B.S.B.A., University of Florida J.D., Stetson University ’73 Scott Stevenson New York, New York Aon Special Opportunities Group B.S., Wharton School of Business B.A., University of Pennsylvania J.D., Stetson University ’12 Jason L. Turner Secretary of the Board, Executive Committee Chair, Development Committee Chair, Finance Committee Nashville, Tennessee Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC B.B.A., Belmont University J.D., Stetson University ’04 Aaron Watson Pensacola, Florida The Watson Law Firm, PLLC B.A., Florida State University J.D., Stetson University ’09 Roger W. Yoerges Alexandria, Virginia Capital Talent Agency, LLC B.A., University of Florida J.D., Stetson University ’85

PH I L ANTH ROPY

When I was very young, my mother drilled into me the importance of saying thank you, of writing that thank you note. I think that this is David’s and my thank you note to Stetson. My mother would be proud. –Mrs. Joan LoBianco Walker, J.D. ’71

A THANK YOU NOTE

Judge David Seth Walker and Joan LoBianco Walker

udge David Walker can recall riding his bicycle around what is now the Stetson Law campus at around the age of 13 or 14. His family had moved to St. Petersburg a couple of years prior. Judge Walker was always close to Stetson Law, having attended Boca Ciega High School, less than a mile from campus. He then went on to Wake Forest University.

Judge Walker served as an active judge for 32 years and then as a senior judge for an additional 13 years. Mrs. Walker’s practice focused on Family Law. She retired approximately four years ago. That said, in talking to the Walkers it seems they are most proud of their three children, Stacy, Jason and Alexandra. While at Stetson Law, Mrs. Walker was a member of the Law Review. Consequently, she is keenly aware of the amount of time it occupies for those involved, especially the Editor in Chief. The Judge David Seth Walker and Joan LoBianco Walker Law Review Award Endowment will encourage and support the Law Review Student who is selected to serve as Editor in Chief.

Joan LoBianco Walker, born and raised in St. Petersburg, also attended Boca Ciega, but the two were not really acquainted. She was two years behind Judge Walker.

“It occurred to David and me that if the Editor in Chief had some financial assistance, the temptation to go to work so they could feed themselves, or whatever, would be eliminated and enable him or her to spend more time with the Law Review and, thereby, enhance Stetson’s reputation,” Mrs. Walker said.

“We saw each other in the hall, but it was a large high school,” she said.

The Walkers both expressed tremendous thanks for the role Stetson Law played in their lives.

It wasn’t until he returned home on Easter break of his freshman year that they actually took notice of one another. They began dating that summer. They were married in August 1962, the month before Judge Walker entered Stetson Law. Ultimately, Mrs. Walker followed suit, graduating from Stetson Law in January 1971 and starting her own practice immediately thereafter. That was a momentous month for the Walker household. At the beginning of January, Mr. Walker had been sworn in as a judge. Having been appointed to the bench at age 30, he was the youngest judge in Florida.

“I'm very, very filled with gratitude for what Stetson gave to me. I had a wonderful career and am enjoying retirement now because of Stetson,” Judge Walker said. When asked why they chose to give to Stetson, Mrs. Walker answered, “When I was very young, my mother drilled into me the importance of saying thank you, of writing that thank you note. I think that this is David’s and my thank you note to Stetson. My mother would be proud.”

I’m very, very filled with gratitude for what Stetson gave to me. I had a wonderful career and am enjoying retirement now because of Stetson. –Judge David Walker, J.D. ’65

Development & Alumni Relations 1401 61st Street South Gulfport, FL 33707

Stetson Lawyer-Spring 2022

Articles inside

Meet the Board

Class Notes

Faculty Forum

Giving Back

Alumni Success

Events