Lawyer
volume 54 | Spring 2015
Advancing
Advocacy » Stetson teams dominate national championships » U.S. News ranks Stetson #1 in advocacy for the 17th time in 20 years » New LLM in Advocacy opportunities for students and alumni
From the Dean Dear alumni and friends, Within the pages of this issue of the Stetson Lawyer Magazine, I invite you to read why the College of Law has so many reasons to celebrate the achievements of our students, alumni and faculty. Stetson continues to lead the nation in blending legal doctrine with practical training, and our students are well prepared for the practice upon graduation. Thanks to our strong partnerships with many legal organizations throughout the Tampa Bay community, we can provide every student an opportunity to participate in a clinic or internship before they graduate. These experiential opportunities include our in-house Veterans Advocacy Clinic, led by Professor Stacey-Rae Simcox, a former Army major and nationally recognized leader in veteran legal clinics. I am proud to tell you that this fall, Stetson became the first law school in the country to partner with a medical school to serve veteran clients. Students from Stetson and USF Health are working together to serve Tampa Bay veterans, providing a holistic approach in helping their clients maneuver through an often-complex process to access the benefits they deserve. I am also excited to announce a fantastic new jointdegree program that will further distinguish Stetson and its graduates. In January, Stetson University College of Law launched a new joint J.D./LL.M. in Advocacy degree program, allowing qualified students the
opportunity to earn both degrees from Stetson in as little as three years. You will also read how our student advocates are serving their communities locally and around the world. Student Todd Hoover has created a program to help at-risk students learn to read, Kathryn Hamilton created the project “Justice Grows” at juvenile residential centers, and Ethan Arthur is working to end the ivory trade of African elephants. I also invite you read about our most recent Hall of Fame inductees — Josh Magidson, Rich McKay and Marsha Rydberg — whose civic and professional leadership have brought significant distinction to Stetson University College of Law. Finally, I want to recognize all of the achievements, great and small, shared by many of our alumni in our Class Notes section, as well as the many alumni and friends who have financially supported the College of Law and are listed in our donor report. It is through your continued excellence and generosity that we can excel as an institution, and we appreciate all you do for Stetson. Warmest regards,
Chris
TABLE OF
Lawyer
Contents volume 54 | Spring 2015
Features Advocating to change the world
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Inclusion Summit
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Beyond buildings
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Law of the game
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Building your reputation, online and off
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2014 Hall of Fame
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Departments Year in Review
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Alumni News
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Faculty Forum
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Donor Report
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Stetson University College of Law
Wendy B. Libby, Stetson University President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, Dean Michael P. Allen, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Theresa Pulley Radwan, Associate Dean for Administration and Business Affairs Susan D. Rozelle, Associate Dean for Faculty Laura Zuppo, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Student Financial Planning John Keyser, Assistant Dean for Administration and Decision Support Kevin Hughes, Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Engagement
Editorial Staff
Davina Y. Gould BA ’97, Director of Publications and Online Communications Frank Klim, Executive Director of Communications Patricia Toups BBA ’09, Assistant Director of Development Contributors/Photographers: Brian Vandervliet, Laura Cheek, Brandi Palmer, Tomeka Jackson, Joseph Gamble, Sushil Cheema, Brittany Brochard, Sean Booth The 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 leads the nation in blending legal doctrine with practical training, 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.
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2014 National Voir Dire Tournament Champions
Review
National Champions Stetson wins championships for ADR, trial and moot court In the past year, Stetson’s advocacy board added five national championships to its record. Most recently, Stetson won the American Association of Justice National Student Trial Advocacy Competition. Brooke Batton Charlan, Stanton Fears, Phylicia Pearson and Kyle Ross were on the team coached by Professor Michele Joiner and Shaun Cummings ’14. More than 200 teams competed in regional competitions for a chance at the championship. Stetson won the Andrews Kurth National Moot Court Championship and the ABA Law Student National Arbitration Competition this January. The invitation-only Kurth event determines the 16 “best of the best” moot court programs in the United States. Nick Sellars, Melaina Tryon and Giovanni Giarratana won the competition at the University of Houston Law Center, and Tryon also won best oralist. Professor Brooke
2015 Kurth National Champions 2
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Bowman ’02 and Erin Okuno ’13 coached the team. Stetson also won the ABA Law Student National Arbitration Competition in Chicago. Lauren Eliopoulos, Alexandria Lewis, Andrew Tuttle and Jennifer Wilson won over a second Stetson team in the finals. Professors Kelly Feeley and Roberta Flowers coached the teams. In April 2014, Stetson’s trial team of Ashley Goodman, Khalil Madani and Victoria San Pedro won the National Voir Dire Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The team won the competition’s awards for professionalism, best advocate (Goodman) and best chair (San Pedro). Joseph Murray ’08, Professor Charles Rose and Erika Wilson ’12 coached the team. Stetson’s Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot team of Jeremy Bailie, Paul Crochet, Alisa French, Carmen Herrera Valverde, Yesica Liposky, Raquel Sanchez Lopez and
2014 Merhige Champions
Davis Watson III received honorable mention awards for both claimant’s and respondent’s memoranda in Hong Kong. Stetson and Harvard were the only American teams to receive accolades for both written submissions. Crochet also earned an honorable mention award for individual best oralist. In 2014, Stetson also won the Robert Merhige Jr. National Environmental Negotiation Competition at the University of Richmond in Virginia. Rachel Ellis and Charlyne Topiol beat 19 teams from across the country.
2015 AAJ National Champions
2015 National Arbitration Champions and Finalists
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Review Stetson, USF announce first-of-its-kind partnership for veterans Stetson Law and USF Health have joined forces to help Florida veterans through supportive clinical services, collaborative student training and joint research. The collaboration will help veterans negotiate an often complex system to secure disability benefits. This partnership is believed to be the first of its kind pairing a law school and an academic health center to help serve veterans. “Our goal is to serve Florida’s veteran population by helping them secure the benefits they have rightfully earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs while providing an integrated, interdisciplinary learning opportunity for our students as
they gain practical, legal experience in working with clients and professionals in other disciplines,” said Dean Pietruszkiewicz. Stetson’s Veterans Advocacy Clinic faculty and students coordinate medical and related clinical case reviews and analyses with USF Health faculty and students where appropriate. This collaboration is especially important in strengthening and refining diagnoses for certain physical and behavioral health issues, and facilitating efficient and effective processing of benefit applications and appeals. The program improves veterans access to VA disability benefits by teaming Stetson Law and USF Health students to provide more
accurate information for complicated VA medical claims. Students share with each other the practical knowledge associated with legal and clinical standards and processes required for disability benefit eligibility. Legal and health care advocacy are coming together to improve access to quality benefits. “The multidisciplinary collaboration will give our students the opportunity to learn from one another while serving Florida’s veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much in service to our country,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.
Stetson ranks among best for military-friendly services, pro bono Stetson Law has been named a Military Friendly® School by Victory Media for 2015. The Military Friendly Schools designation is awarded to 16 percent of U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to help military students to succeed in the classroom and after graduation. “The staff at Stetson helped me make the transition from military to student and then later to attorney,” said Trista Miller ’11, assistant director of clinical education and Veteran’s Law Institute Pro Bono Initiative supervisor. “The faculty, staff, and students were supportive, and the academic rigor provided challenge and purpose.” Participating in the G.I. Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program helps active military and veteran students offset the cost of attending Stetson. “Veterans have shown a commitment to serving others,” said Javier Centonzio JD ’12, LL.M. ’14. “Like most veterans, when I left the military I was looking for a way to continue helping others.
Scholarships and the G.I. Bill helped me attend Stetson, where I was able to develop the skills necessary to become a veterans advocate and elder law attorney.” Stetson dedicated its Veterans Law Institute in 2012, providing services to students who are service members or veterans, as well as free legal help to veterans through its Veterans Advocacy Clinic and Veterans Pro Bono Initiative. Alumni interested in providing pro bono service may visit stetson.edu/veteransprobono to learn about available cases. Super Lawyers ranked Stetson Law seventh in the nation among the 2014 best law schools for pro bono graduation requirements. Stetson law students donated 31,719 pro bono service hours to more than 400 organizations in the 2013-2014 academic year. Stetson was one of the first law schools in the U.S. to require pro bono service. “Stetson led the way in promoting the pro bono requirement in law schools,” said Dean Pietruszkiewicz.
“Today, we remain dedicated to instilling a passion for public service in our students and graduates.” All J.D. students at Stetson are required to complete a minimum of 60 hours of pro bono service.
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Review
Stetson residential campuses now smoke and tobacco free It’s official. As of August 1, 2014, Stetson University’s residential campuses in DeLand and Gulfport became smoke and tobacco free. “This is an exciting time for Stetson University,” said President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D. “With Stetson’s institutional values that focus on the development of the whole person, it is imperative that our campuses provide a safe and healthy environment for our students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors.”
The new policy is a result of several years of research, focus groups and a university task force that determined that smoking was inconsistent with the values of the university. All forms of tobacco use are prohibited, including e-cigarettes and a variety of smokeless products, in Stetson buildings, structures, grounds, parking lots and in university and personal vehicles while
on Stetson grounds. With the declaration, Stetson has offered a variety of resources to help members of our community quit smoking. For more information on Stetson’s Smoke and Tobacco Free initiative, visit stetson.edu/breathe-free.
New programs offered in British Isles In 2014, Stetson added two student exchange programs, a summer abroad program and an annual advocacy workshop to its international activities in the British Isles. Stetson has signed student exchange agreements with the University of Leicester, England, and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. Stetson 2L students may now spend a semester at either university and receive transfer credit. Stetson is also launching a summer program in Oxford at St. Hugh’s College. This intensive, two-week experience will allow students to earn three credits in comparative advocacy from elite British and American faculty in one of the world’s great centers for higher education. Stetson offered its first advocacy training program in Ireland to a sell-out crowd last summer, and has set the dates for its 2015 workshop for July 16–17. The two-day
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Stetson’s first advocacy workshop in Ireland sold out last summer, with 60 law students, professors and barristers attending the two-day event.
program for students, professors and legal practitioners taught the Stetson method of trial advocacy at the University College of Dublin Sutherland School of Law. “This new program reinforces Stetson’s commitment to teaching advocacy in a global marketplace.” said Dean Pietruszkiewicz. Stetson continues to offer a full 13-week semester program in London each fall, and all students
are offered a legal internship placement while in the program. Past students have interned with the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, law firms, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups while in the British capital. For more information about Stetson’s law study abroad programs in the United Kingdom and Ireland, visit stetson.edu/unitedkingdom.
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Review
Joint JD/LLM Degree
Stetson offers new joint J.D./LL.M. in Advocacy degree Stetson now offers a new joint degree program through which students can earn both a J.D. degree and an LL.M. degree in advocacy in as little as three years. Students in the new program will save a semester of full-time study by applying up to 12 hours of prescribed J.D. courses towards the LL.M. degree, allowing them to complete the LL.M. degree by taking an additional 12 hours of LL.M. coursework. “This innovative new program allows Stetson to build on our strength as America’s top-ranked law school for advocacy,” said Dean Pietruszkiewicz. “It provides students with the opportunity to
earn a second degree within a shorter time and with less expense than the traditional path for obtaining these two degrees.” Students may take all 12 credits in one semester, or they may opt to complete the program on a parttime basis, provided they complete the LL.M. portion of the program within two years after receiving their Stetson J.D. degree. “This joint degree highlights the value of Stetson’s J.D. program by connecting it to an intensive LL.M. curriculum, making these graduates even more attractive to legal employers,” said Professor of Excellence in Trial Advocacy Charles H. Rose III, who also serves
Alumni: While Stetson Law alumni are not eligible to participate in the new joint-degree program, Stetson is offering a reduced tuition rate for the 24-credit LL.M. in Advocacy program to alumni who enroll by January 2017.
as director for Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy. The vast majority of the LL.M. courses are taken online, though some may be made available on the Gulfport campus. LL.M. in Advocacy courses will not be offered during the summer, to enable recent J.D. graduates to study full-time for the bar exam.
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Stetson, U.S. Attorney’s Office host Caribbean Law Clinic On Nov. 13, Stetson welcomed law students and faculty from the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and U.S. law schools for the American and Caribbean Law Initiative’s Caribbean Law Clinic. Participants collaborated on researching and presenting solutions to legal problems during a fourday program on Stetson’s Gulfport campus. The clinic addressed legal problems in a collaborative, noncompetitive approach, with students from U.S. and Caribbean law schools working together towards solutions. “My experience at the ACLI has been really rewarding,” said Akeyra
Saunders of the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas. “You get to practice your advocacy skills in front of judges and panelists, you get to receive positive feedback on the pros and cons of what not to do when you’re making your oral presentations. The camaraderie has been warming and welcoming. It’s been a wonderful experience.” This year’s clinic was co-hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Stetson’s Institute
for Caribbean Law and Policy, directed by Professors Dorothea Beane and Darryl Wilson. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office attended the program.
Judge Morley ’86 leads social justice event
Babe Ruth’s visit remembered Imagine being the daughter of one of the most famous baseball players of all time — Babe Ruth. In 1932, Julia Ruth Stevens was a teenager when her parents stayed at St. Petersburg’s prestigious Rolyat Hotel, where the “Sultan of Swat” signed his contract with the New York Yankees and stayed during spring training. In March 2014, 97-year-old Stevens returned to the Rolyat/Stetson campus for the first time in decades to visit the exact location and desk where her father signed the legendary contract (see inset). She was in Florida to celebrate the City of St. Petersburg’s official Babe Ruth Day. 6
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Judge Michelle Morley ’86 of Florida’s 5th Judicial Circuit presented on the meaning of equal justice within the modern judiciary at Stetson’s Social Justice Luncheon Series. The William Reece Smith Jr. Fund and Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy Concentration Program co-sponsored the series to encourage students to think critically about the historical context of social justice issues while focusing on current social and economic justice challenges. Morley also recently spoke to students in Stetson’s Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Movement History, Family Law and U.S. Legal Systems courses. Pictured from left: Professor Judith Scully, Judge Michelle Morley ’86 and Professor Bob Bickel.
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U.S. News: Stetson #1 in advocacy, #2 in legal writing In March, U.S. News & World Report ranked Stetson University College of Law first in trial advocacy for the 17th time. Stetson ranked second in the nation for legal writing, advancing from sixth last year. “Advocacy is a significant strength at the College of Law,” said President Wendy Libby. “When Stetson Law students graduate, they are prepared to walk into a courtroom with the advocacy and communication skills they need to succeed in representing
their clients professionally and persuasively.” Stetson has been recognized as the top law school in the nation for trial advocacy 17 times since 1995 and has ranked in the top six legal writing programs since the inception of the legal writing rankings. “Advocacy education at Stetson enjoys a reputation for excellence across the country,” said Charles H. Rose III, professor of excellence in trial advocacy at Stetson. “The Stetson method of advocacy is sought by scholars at other law
Law Student Division chapters recognized Both of Stetson’s bar association chapters have won awards this year. Stetson’s chapter of the Florida Bar’s Law Student Division was named the best in the state during the Bar’s 2014 annual meeting in Orlando. “Our fantastic student leaders — Jennifer Tindell, Anisha Patel, Ciara Willis and Jeffrey Berglund — do an incredible job of representing Stetson within the Florida Bar and on campus,” said Assistant Director of Career Development Joann Grages Burnett ’08. “It is wonderful that they were once again recognized for these contributions.” In February, Stetson was presented with a bronze key for the greatest raw membership and a bronze key for the most improved membership during the American Bar Association Law Student Division regional meeting on Feb. 7 on the Gulfport campus. Law students from Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico were invited to attend the meeting hosted by Stetson. Stetson student Brandy Pikus, the ABA Law Student Division 5th Circuit Governor, introduced the meeting program.
schools and legal practitioners around the world.” “Legal writing is the centerpiece of Stetson’s broader emphasis on legal communication,” said Kirsten K. Davis, Ph.D., Stetson’s director of the Institute for the Advancement of Legal Communication. “Stetson’s legal research and writing curriculum teaches students to communicate ethically and effectively in today’s evolving legal workplace.” Stetson also ranked 29th in the nation for part-time juris doctor programs and 105th overall.
2014
Meet the entering class
In fall 2014, 246 new students started the Juris Doctor program. Here are the statistics for the incoming class:
Anisha Patel (left) accepts Stetson’s best chapter award from the Florida Bar’s Law Student Division president Danielle Kaye.
“Receiving two bronze keys was very rewarding for the Stetson ABA chapter. They are a symbol of our leadership team’s passion and dedication, who spent countless hours informing students and creating excitement about the many benefits of the ABA. I’m proud that we were able to carry on Stetson’s superior legacy in the ABA,” said Pikus.
• 210 full-time J.D. students • 36 part-time J.D. students • 26% minority students • 43.5% female • 27 states represented • 92 colleges/universities
represented in four countries
• 50th percentile LSAT: 155 • 50th percentile UGPA: 3.25 The total student body:
• 667 full-time J.D. students • 198 part-time J.D. students • 11 LL.M. in International Law
students (8 foreign countries)
• 35 LL.M. in Elder Law students • 20 LL.M. in Advocacy students
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Advocating to change the by Brandi Palmer
Todd Hoover: Fighting illiteracy in our backyard When he is not busy commuting from his home in Palm Harbor to law school or working full-time at his job of 16 years at Nebraska Printing Company, Todd Hoover is a literacy advocate for at-risk youth. The 45-year-old third-year student balances raising a family with a fulltime job, part-time law school and his work with a nonprofit literacy program. Hoover recently created the nonprofit First 25, Inc. to help boost literacy among underprivileged youth in Pinellas County. “The time for ineffective measures and impotent bureaucracies is over,” Hoover said. “We will teach these kids to read, child by child, until we have fixed the problem.” First 25 promotes what Hoover calls racial literary equality. Through First 25, Hoover helped grow a community literacy program in an atrisk area of Largo, which led to a pilot program at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg. Hoover is also the author of children’s and young adult fiction books. Todd Hoover, right, launched First 25 to improve community literacy in the Largo area. 8
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Kathryn Hamilton: Growing opportunities for juvenile inmates An idea with roots in Marleen O’Connor’s Food Law and Policy seminar and James Fox’s poverty law course, “Justice Grows” is Kathryn Hamilton’s means of providing hope and health for children in Florida’s juvenile justice system. What started as a research assignment has blossomed into an active program that brings edible gardens to local juvenile residential centers. Hamilton, a student in Stetson’s Social Justice Advocacy Concentration program, launched the first garden at the Charles Britt Academy, a juvenile facility in St. Petersburg. “In 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott asked juvenile justice centers to
improve vocational and educational programs for our youth, and gardens and greenhouses were recommended as low-cost solutions,” Hamilton said. “Youth working on edible garden projects in juvenile residential centers can learn gardening skills and have opportunities to do a service to the community. They also have access to healthy food.” For the Charles Britt Academy garden, Hamilton worked weekly with nine young men with prior experience in gardening and landscaping Hamilton named the project “Justice Grows” because it helps instill leadership and responsibility in young people while addressing issues like hunger, poor health and lack of access to healthy foods. “I underestimated how much the garden would mean to the youth, who have little time outside each week,” said Hamilton. “They are eager to prove that they will grow beyond
world Kathryn Hamilton’s Justice Grows project brought edible gardening to the Charles Britt Academy, a juvenile residential center in St. Petersburg. their past mistakes and do something important for themselves, their families and their community. “Hunger, poverty and crime are related to our eroding food system,” Hamilton continued. “Many of the families who are not able to find or afford healthy food are often the same families with children entering the juvenile justice system.” Edible gardens in juvenile residential centers can also provide opportunities for victim restitution and community service, Hamilton explained. The food grown can be donated to food banks, and young people can plant gardens in their own neighborhoods. There are already successful edible garden programs in place across the state, said Hamilton. Hamilton is seeking volunteers willing to work with the project. Hamilton’s work has been
featured on WMNF Tampa and WSRQ Sarasota.
Ethan Arthur: Challenging legal ivory trade in China When part-time student Ethan Arthur began researching an independent study project on ways to end the ivory market and slaughter of African elephants, he had no idea that the project would take him to Arlington, Va. As part of his project in Professor Lance Long’s Environmental Advocacy course at Stetson, Arthur was asked to collaborate with a government agency on finding a solution to an environmental crisis. Arthur spent last spring break presenting his solution to address African elephant slaughter and ivory
trade at a meeting of the Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking, a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He presented his proposal to the Council during the public comments portion of the 2014 meeting. “The U.S. is considering more stringent regulation of its own ivory trade, and many people took advantage of the public comment portion of the Council meeting to voice their opinions,” said Arthur. Approximately 96 African elephants are killed by poachers every day for their tusks, resulting in the slaughter of approximately 35,000 elephants per year. Researchers predict the African elephant will face extinction in a decade if the slaughter continues at the current rate. “While most people at the Council meeting seemed to agree that stemming the demand for illicit ivory is vital, there is still some disagreement about the best way to accomplish this goal,” said Arthur. Stopping the legal trade within China could curb the demand for ivory that elephant poachers are working to supply, Arthur explained. He described a way to classify animals under cultural property law to persuade China to stop its legal ivory market. Details of Arthur’s proposal on how to stop elephant poaching in Africa were published in the Spring 2014 issue of Stetson’s Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy.
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Inclusion Summit
Developing Cultural Competence On February 6, Stetson hosted a premier one-day event on best practices in inclusion and cultural competence for individuals and organizations. Hundreds of local legal and business leaders attended the event, which had the support of presenting sponsor PNC Bank and many other legal and community organizations.
believed that. It wasn’t until after I had my son, who is now five, that it really hit home that I can’t do everything I want. I felt like I couldn’t manage my career, my husband (I’m now divorced), and my son. I felt like I just couldn’t manage all of those things and also develop a book of business in the way that I wanted to be successful at a law firm. I wanted to have a milliondollar book of business. I didn’t want to just be an Of Counsel. And I just couldn’t do it all. When I left the firm, it was like Here are excerpts from a my Jerry Maguire moment. I wrote panel discussion on “The Firm this one-page piece of paper on what Journey,” which featured firms need to do for women. In going comments from five Stetson Law through that process, I realized it’s not a woman issue, it’s a family issue. alumni on inclusive practices in Today, I’m realizing it’s not even a famthe legal sector: ily issue. It’s a personal issue of having to decide for yourself how you’re going Kathryn Christian, senior counsel to balance these things. Some of the at Duke Energy, on “doing it all”: I things on the list were, “You need to grew up in the 80s. As a woman, I was provide childcare for the days that I told I can do anything I want, and I have to be here until midnight working on a brief. I need childcare when my kid is sick.” That was the hardest thing to do. When I’ve got a hearing or a deposition and I can’t stay at home with my kid, what am I supposed to do? There are all these really practical problems that go along with Tracey Jaensch ’91 this that businesses don’t recognize and support, and we just 10 Stetson Lawyer
need help. It wasn’t a women’s issue. I feel like the men that have young children that are married to women who are working 50, 60 hours a week, they have a hard time balancing these things, too. How do you solve these problems without investment and help from our society, from our businesses, from our employers, and from our families? Luis Santos, senior associate at Ford Harrison, on law firm diversity programs: I remember having an interview with [a large firm], and I asked, “What are your diversity efforts? What are you guys doing?” One of the partners responded, “We don’t really pay attention to that — we have a department that handles that. I see those emails and I just hit delete.” That automatically told me that’s not the firm I want to work at. I think for employers, if you’re trying to recruit diverse employees, I think it’s important for any employer, for any firm, to be aware of what your diversity efforts are and to be a part of it. It shouldn’t only be a marketing strategy. Because you are going to get someone like me who’s going to ask a question, and you don’t want your response to be, “I don’t know.” I think it says a lot about that firm in Florida, and seven years later, every time I think of that firm, that’s what I remember. You’re going to lose clients, and you’re going to lose potential talent. Lavern Wilson, partner, Ford Harrison, on supporting and retaining competent attorneys of any back-
Kathryn Christian ’06, Luis Santos ’10, Lavern Wilson ’06 and Hon. Julie O’Kane ’91
ground: I believe that with diversity, regardless of whether or not people want to believe it, it starts with the numbers. I think that’s a baseline. You also have to look at not only who are you recruiting, but the bigger question is, are you retaining? We’ve done a great job as a firm over time in terms of retaining the talent. Because anyone can recruit diverse attorneys. In a corporate law firm, everyone knows when you practice for five or six years, the goal is to become a partner. And in order to become a partner, you have to have a book of business, no matter where you practice. So there has to be a mechanism to help your diverse attorneys and all your attorneys in terms of how to develop business and to become a partner and to get the recognition that they deserve. When I started practicing, my focus was not on being a Jamaican or a female lawyer. I just wanted to be a good lawyer, because at a baseline it starts with competence. Regardless of what your background is, if you’re not competent, you’re not gonna get the work. You’re not going to get the good cases. Hon. Julie O’Kane, 9th Judicial Circuit of Florida judge, on diversity in the courtroom: It’s difficult enough when you speak English to understand legal concepts if you’re a lay person, and judges, I think, do have a responsibility to make sure everyone understands their rulings and what the
proceedings are. But when you add in the factor that you have litigants who don’t speak English, it’s that much more important for us to make sure that you’re included and you feel part of these proceedings. I think our circuit has done a great job in trying to make sure that we have enough translators for everyone. Two weeks ago, I tried a Spanish-speaking defendant trial. We had two interpreters in the court rooms at all times, translating for the accused person because translators get tired, and they really can only effectively translate for about an hour before they have to switch to someone else. So, the court system obviously has responsibilities to the community with regard to language issues. As judges, we’re also charged with the responsibility to stop or call on the carpet anyone who is acting in a discriminatory way in the courtroom. And as most of you can appreciate, a lot of that is very subtle. And so, judges are required to attend diversity training as part of our continuing education credits. Tracey Jaensch, moderator and regional managing partner of Ford Harrison, on challenging assumptions: We are not perfect. At Ford & Harrison, we’re not here to tell you that everything we ever tried has worked. Just recently, we interviewed a young lady from Stetson. ... And she is Russian. She’s in the top of her
class like Luis was, and Lavern. She was very impressive. We asked her all of the appropriate questions, and we ultimately ended up offering her a job. I saw her a couple days after we offered her a job and she said, “Oh, my gosh. I’m so thrilled to be clerking with your firm and, you know, everyone was just so open. I love all your diversity programs.” She says, “But, now that the interview’s over, you know, I have a nine-year-old. So, I’m a single parent.” And I went, “What? How are you able?” This woman works full time, she’s top in her class and the first thing I thought to myself was, “Good thing you didn’t raise that in this interview.” We talked about it. You can be the best person in the world, and your assumption is going to be that she’s not going to be able to do our clerking program, that she will not have the time. Well, she’s doing it. She’s doing it right now. Wilson on work/life balance for single professionals: There’s the assumption that work/life balance only matters if you have children or a husband. I remember when we first started talking about these diversity issues and work/life balance at the firm, I think the assumption was, “Lavern is always available. Email Lavern. Call Lavern. She’s always going to be available because she doesn’t have any children to go home to, to take care of or pick up at school, or a husband to cook for.” In general, people think that if
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you don’t have to leave for the soccer game, nothing you do is important. For me, getting my hair done is important to me, and that is what I do for work/life balance. And so, I think we have to get away from that notion, not just that it matters to women, but also men. Because there are men with caregiver duties as well, and so it should apply to all employees regardless of what their responsibilities at home are. The idea of work/ life balance is that you’re balancing work and your life so that you’re not just working all the time. Because you have a better worker if they have outside activities through which they can relieve stress, then they can come back and focus on work.
Jaensch on expectations for female leaders: Even as a female leader, the assumption is always that I’m going to be the most empathetic. I’m going to be the most aware of issues for everyone. Even I am bringing biases based on just family, as a woman who’s trying to balance those things. If nothing else, probably I’m most proud of the fact that we have an environment where Lavern or Luis or anybody could give me feedback that I can listen to and use. Because I don’t know — I’m not the purveyor of all things inclusion and diversity. I need people to tell me, how do you want me to treat you? What kinds of things are you thinking about? Because I only see it how I see it.
Christian on women’s action groups and employer support: At the outset, it seems like a great idea. But sometimes I got the feeling that it’s based on an assumption, “Let’s let these women get together and solve their problem, then they can come back to us and make some suggestions about how we can help them.” The idea, I think, is let’s give these women some opportunities that they might not otherwise have, but it can become a restrictive dialogue where you get the email for the diversity group. It’s like, “Well, I’m not a woman,” click (delete email). I’m guilty of the same thing. I’ll think, “That’s not my issue. That’s not my problem.” But I think it really does take a more holistic view to realize it is our problem. It’s everyone’s problem. If someone’s struggling, it’s everyone’s problem. That is one assumption. It’s just a really simple thing, but Duke Energy gives us 40 hours of time that we can take off for any reason, whether it’s a sick parent, a sick child, a sick spouse. It’s hugely helpful. You don’t have to take sick time. You don’t have to take disability leave. It’s just a very small thing but it’s like, “Here, let me help you balance a little bit.”
Santos on being the point person on diversity: I think it’s a mistake for only diverse individuals to take the issue, [for diversity] to be an issue that is something for the Hispanics or the
Florida Trend publisher Andrew Corty
blacks or the women, you know? This has nothing to do with me, therefore I don’t care, or I’m not going to participate, or it should only apply to this particular group. I think it’s an issue — or just part of life, really — where we all have to be involved, everyone in the firm or whatever the practice may be, has to be a part of it for it to be genuine or for it to have any effect. The other thing I want to mention is, there is some resentment sometimes from the diverse person in the sense that just because I’m Hispanic doesn’t mean I want to deal with every Hispanic issue. Maybe they heard something in the news or some immigration issue, and assume, “Oh, Luis must be an expert. He’s Hispanic, he must know about immigration.” I’m a U.S. citizen, I’ve lived here most of my life. You know, it doesn’t mean because you’re “diverse” that you’re in tune with every single diversity issue.
PNC Bank’s Chief Diversity Officer Marsha Jones and Ashley Brundage
Corporate diversity panel: Maureen Greene James of PWC, Brian Gray of Wyndham Vacation Ownership, and Cal Jackson of Tech Data
“Diversity is about counting. Inclusion is about cultivating.” —Vernā Myers
Excerpts from Myers’ “Habits of Culturally Effective People” Sometimes we walk away from interactions and communications because we’re so concerned about not saying the right thing, that we are powerless to really do something in the favor of inclusion. When we’re talking about diversity, we’re talking about all types and all dimensions of identities and experiences. It can be veterans, age or disability. It can also just be about experience — being a firstgeneration person. It can be about language, accent, geography and region. There are so many ways in which we bring ourselves in this composite of a lot of different identities and experiences. People sometimes miss that diversity is about the “both/and.” It’s the commonalities and the differences — they don’t cancel each other out. It’s really nice to mine some of those commonalities, and it’s also really important to think about what the differences are. For the first class of women at Harvard Law School in 1953 ... when they arrived on campus, there were no restrooms for the women. ... They agreed to put one toilet in the janitor’s closet, and that’s where those brilliant first women were forced to go when they arrived at Harvard Law School. I would say that in 1953, Harvard had gender diversity. I would not say it had gender inclusion.
Diversity is about counting, but inclusion is about cultivating. Cultivating requires a whole other level of engagement. It’s like the scene of a middle school mixer. The period where the boys are still short and the girls are often taller. It’s awkward. There are some lovely boys dancing in the middle of the floor, and there are a lot of girls on the outside, like “I hope I get asked.” When I’m in institutions who have invited me to help them shift their culture, I see this. I see that there are a group of people, many of whom were the originators, founders — or folks who look like the founders — around a very dominant identity that has been given a lot of value. And those are the individuals who are in the position of allocating opportunity. They’re in the middle of the floor, and there are a few people from the new group with them, but many of those who are new to being in the organization are hanging out on the walls. They are not involved in the most interesting assignments. They are not part of the client base that is bringing in the most money. They are not on the pitch teams. They are not the go-to folk. The go-to folk look a lot like the go-to folk have always been looking like in that institution. So this idea that I started to
articulate, is that diversity is being invited to the party, but inclusion is being asked to dance. It is a very different level of engagement. It is a different sensibility. It is a different qualitative experience, inclusion is. And so, when we move into inclusion, where we are now going is this idea of understanding cultural competence, especially for the organization. Cultural competence is an institution’s ability to actually take the difference that they’ve invited in and have that difference serve its overarching vision and mission. It sees diversity as an asset. The shift is enormous. What it means is that you are actually engaging the difference and wanting it to make a difference in your institution. So many of my clients want difference, but they don’t want to do anything differently, because they’re great at what they do, and they’ve been great for a really long time. But you don’t know how long you’re going to be great. The statistics are shifting and changing. Are you going to approach business the way you did 40 or 50 years ago? Or are you willing to allow the power of difference to change who you are as an organization? That’s the issue of cultural competence as an organization and also as individuals.
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A new brick courtyard surrounds the massive banyan trees.
Beyond
buildings
The vision for a revitalized Gulfport campus 14 Stetson Lawyer
by Davina Y. Gould BA ’97 Click, click, click, click. The rhythmic tapping of high-heeled shoes emanates from the newly paved asphalt. Rolling laptop cases smoothly rumble against the firm surface. Street banners gently wave in the spring breeze, welcoming visitors to Stetson University College of Law. Drawing nearer to the signature golden tower, the changes grow more obvious. An expansive field frames the corner of campus where a bookstore and recreation center once stood. An elegant hardscape of brick pavers stretch around the towering banyan trees, creating a shaded outdoor courtyard surrounded by tropical foliage and Stetson’s unique, SpanishMediterranean architecture. While top-ranked skills programs and myriad clinical opportunities initially attract prospective law students to Stetson, it’s the supportive culture and breathtaking surroundings that help future advocates choose the Gulfport campus as their academic home. “It’s one key advantage that we have at Stetson that nobody else
does,” describes Dean Christopher Pietruszkiewicz. Adapting the infrastructure of a 1920s destination resort for a 21stcentury law school is no small task. Over the decades, buildings have been erected, repurposed and renovated. Climate control added. Technology integrated. Aging underground pipes have created both challenges and opportunities for change. Pietruszkiewicz emphasizes that in a competitive market for prospective law students, campus facilities must be upgraded to meet the demands of the marketplace as the number of U.S. law school graduates shifts from a historic peak in 2010 to the smallest number since 1977. In Fall 2013, the campus planning firm of Dober Lidsky Mathey collaborated with a committee of students, faculty and staff to develop a long-term master plan for the Gulfport campus. The results were both visionary and practical, including ambitious plans for renovating the old Dana library and redesigning the center of campus. “A big part of this plan is to realign our campus facilities
with what our needs are from an educational perspective,” says Pietruszkiewicz. “For example, we already have seven courtrooms, but we’re running out of practice courtroom space for our students to retain the #1 advocacy ranking in the country.” Architectural plans for the old library space call for the addition of six small courtrooms and two new classrooms, as well as office suites for each of the Centers for Excellence. The second major proposed project is the creation of a student union space that stretches from Crummer Courtyard to Gulfport’s signature Plaza Mayor courtyard. Designed to enhance the campus culture, the proposed student union will feature expanded dining and lounge space to facilitate the informal collaboration that cultivates professional relationships that can last a lifetime. “The academic core of campus doesn’t have a student gathering place,” says the dean. Students have limited indoor seating during peak periods, driving many students offcampus for meals and coffee. “When the weather is nice, it’s wonderful
Old pool and bookstore building razed
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for the students to congregate in Crummer Courtyard. When it’s not, it’s difficult for students to find a place to have lunch.” The advocacy building and student union projects are contingent on funding from Stetson donors to become reality. Major naming opportunities exist, and Dean Pietruszkiewicz said he would be happy to meet with alumni and friends who are interested in making a leadership gift. While funding awaits larger scale projects, smaller elements of the master plan are already coming to fruition. The “horseshoe” drive along 61st Street South has been closed to vehicular traffic. The old bookstore and Firestone pool has been razed, clearing the way for greenspace and an unobstructed view of Stetson’s two signature banyan trees. Brick pavers surround the mammoth plants, creating an expansive shaded courtyard that can be used for alumni receptions and other events year round. To improve Stetson’s first impression for visitors, an information desk and the admissions and student
“A big part of this plan is to realign our campus facilities with what our needs are from an educational perspective.” — Dean Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz financial planning office will move to the space surrounding the main foyer where the public safety office once resided. “When I first came to campus, two things struck me about the facilities,” Pietruszkiewicz recalls. “In the horseshoe, there were public safety vehicles. Then you walked past the Mann Lounge and Great Hall, and there was the public safety office. If this is the grand entrance to our campus, what do we really want to demonstrate about Stetson?” The reconfigured foyer, set to open this spring, creates a one-stop shop for prospective students and others visiting campus. With the public safety office now relocated to an off-campus house, officers have easier access to vehicles and the flexibility to focus on safety rather than running the switchboard and information desk. As offices have shuffled to new locations, a new “student services
wing” has been created from the housing office to the student center, reconnecting once-disparate areas of the campus in a strategic way. Even the newly paved parking lot on 15th Avenue South supports the law school’s academic priorities. “More students are coming to class dressed professionally as they participate in clinics and internships, work to reduce the amount of student debt they take out for law school, or participate in moot court or trial competitions,” says Pietruszkiewicz. “There were so many students wearing suits and high heels to campus only to park on a grass lot, sometimes in the rain. That’s not how we need to be treating our professional environment.” Ultimately, Dean Pietruszkiewicz envisions a welcoming, more pedestrian-friendly campus that lives out Stetson’s mission and its warm, collegial atmosphere in bricks and mortar.
Horseshoe drive closed to vehicular traffic
16 Stetson Lawyer
Draft plan for new student union
New paved parking lot, recreation field relocated
Courtroom H reconstructed in Dana building
Draft plan for new advocacy and center facilities
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Christina Unkel ’12 balances careers as attorney and FIFA referee by Brian K. Vandervliet When Christina Unkel ’12 began refereeing soccer games as a 10-yearold, she couldn’t have known her skills would someday allow her to be paid to make crucial, split-second calls in premiere soccer games around the world. Her motivation, at that time, was simpler. “I could ref two games and make $40 and have all the concession stand food you could want,” said Unkel. “For me, it was kind of a no brainer. It was something where I could play and practice soccer and then on my off-days referee. I ended up falling in love with it.” Today, that love for “the beautiful game” and talent for officiating has earned her a spot as a FIFA referee and as one of only seven women officials in the U.S. who represent the U.S. Soccer Federation at the highest international levels. Since being named to FIFA’s panel in January 2013, she has officiated women’s soccer tournaments in Jamaica, British Virgin Islands, China and Mexico. One of her most significant international games so far, Unkel said, was the opening game in the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 tournament in Jamaica. Unkel, now 27, described feeling goosebumps when leading players from Mexico and Haiti onto the field and hearing the FIFA International Soccer anthem. “For me, it’s always the introductions that get me and kind of put me back into place and make me realize where I am and what’s going on,” she said. For Unkel, there has almost always been a lot going on. During her 1L year at Stetson University College of Law, she was sidelined from having torn her ACL as a senior collegiate player at Palm Beach Atlantic Univer18 Stetson Lawyer
sity. By her second year of law school, Unkel recovered and began traveling nearly every weekend to officiate NCAA Division I and women’s professional soccer games. “I would go to school, then on Friday afternoons I would fly out to some place and do a game and then fly back on Sunday evening to go back to school on Monday,” said Unkel, who officiated more than 80 games while at Stetson, in addition to serving on the moot court and alternative dispute resolution boards. Today, Unkel is an attorney in Sarasota at the law firm Maglio, Christopher & Toale, and her workload and travel schedule remain as hectic as her law school days. She speaks of finding balance between officiating and the law, and how she has found many similarities between them both. “It’s important to think in that perspective where you can take a step back and look at entire situations — and not just the trees but also the forest,” said Unkel. “I really feel like law school has significantly helped me with doing that — and not just with my law career and refereeing, but also in life.” At Stetson, Unkel earned a certificate of concentration in
advocacy, and she fondly remembers the practical lessons learned. Professors such as Stephanie Vaughan and Joseph Morrissey stressed the importance of professionalism, presentation, attention to details, and other skills applicable both in the court and on the field. “So we speak of advocacy skills as not just being the best advocate for your client, but also understanding what role and which mask you put on,” said Unkel. “At certain times, you have to be passive, sometimes you have to be aggressive, sometimes you have to be neutral, and that’s kind of the same thing with refereeing.” As a second-year FIFA referee, Unkel said that she is grateful for the opportunities that she’s had and looks forward to future appointments. Last fall, she was selected for the final of the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico, in what was her first role as head referee in an international final. She hopes to one day represent the United States at a future FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympics. “You just have to continue to perform, go to tournaments, and make sure you do well both on and off the field,” said Unkel.
Law of the
game
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Alumni
News
Building your reputation, online and off by Brian Tannebaum ’94 Social media is not, I repeat, not, the key to building a reputation as a lawyer. It’s important, but so is real, live, interaction with people. While there are plenty of consultants out there that, for a fee, will try and convince today’s young lawyers that “likes” on a Facebook fan page or followers on Twitter will bring clients and cash in the door, it’s simply not true. No matter how much we as a society rely on information from social media, the best clients out there are not looking at social media to select their lawyer. I want you to be active on social media. I want you to take advantage of the free profiles you can have on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ (although the last two are basically a waste of time). People need to find you, to see what you are all about. But when they are selecting a lawyer, the clients that are serious about legal counsel go another route. That was true when I started in 1995, and it’s true in 2015. “I found you on the internet,” is not usually a good beginning to a new client call. So before you buy in to the lie that the internet is where you should be building your reputation, and in turn, your practice, ask yourself one question. It’s the same question a mentor of mine would always ask when I would present to him a dilemma — “What are you trying to accomplish?” 20 Stetson Lawyer
“I found you on the internet” is not usually a good beginning to a new client call.
What are you trying to accomplish? The internet is a great place for finding cheap deals on products and services. Is that what you want, to be the best deal around? Do you want to receive calls all day starting with, “I found you on the internet, how much do you charge?” Or do you want to be “the guy” (no sexism intended) to call for certain types of legal matters? The internet can be a great resource for both types of lawyers, but to be the latter, the one to call, you have to differentiate yourself. You have to be found in a way that shows potential clients you are who they want. How do you do that? Write. Write articles and blog posts about issues that people seek information about when looking for a lawyer. If you are a divorce lawyer, you don’t want the client who types in “divorce lawyer” and the name of the city. You want the client who types in “divorce distribution trust fund assets” and finds your article on that issue. This is the client wondering what is going to happen to their trust fund money in a divorce. They are not looking for a generalist; they are looking for someone who tells them, “I know your issue(s).” Those types of clients are willing to pay higher fees for lawyers who appear to understand
their specific issues. Profiles, friends, likes and followers on social media mean nothing unless you express your knowledge of your practice area. Keep in mind, though, that the first word in social media is “social.” Talking about law all the time makes you uninteresting. So what about the offline world? If you think the Bar association happy hours, judicial receptions and charity events are things of the past, you’re missing opportunities to connect with people who have the respect of others in the community. These are the people who receive calls asking for referrals to lawyers — from people who would never hire a lawyer from a Google search. Brian Tannebaum ’94, practices criminal and Florida Bar defense and is the author of The Practice, published by the ABA and available at americanbar.org.
Pictured L-R: Rich McKay ’84, Marsha Rydberg ’76, Joshua Magidson ’80 and Dean Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz.
Alumni
News
2014 Hall of Fame by Frank Klim
Rich McKay JD ’84, presi-
dent and CEO of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, credits his Stetson education with preparing him for his unique career path. After graduating and practicing law in Tampa for several years, McKay became vice president of football administration for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, later, general manager. McKay is extremely proud that his first two draft picks were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Under his watch, the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl by defeating the Oakland Raiders in 2003. After leaving the Bucs, McKay was introduced as president and general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, where he became the only person to have negotiated two stadium agreements — one in Tampa and one in Atlanta. A strong supporter of Stetson’s experiential opportunities, McKay frequently urges students to engage in every aspect of the legal learning process and to apply all of the tools they hone in law school to their careers.
Stetson University College of Law inducted three members into its Hall of Fame on Nov. 1 in Gulfport. Joshua Magidson JD ’80
has served as president of the Stetson Lawyers Association, chair of the Board of Overseers, and member of the Stetson University Board of Trustees. As an adjunct professor, Magidson has taught numerous Stetson Law students about the values of professionalism. The Pinellas County judiciary presented Magidson with the prestigious Richard T. Earle Jr. Professionalism Award in 2007, presented annually to the lawyer who demonstrates the highest degree of professionalism in the practice of law. He is the recipient of Stetson’s Outstanding Alumni Award and the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for his continued support of the College of Law. Magidson became a member of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969.
Marsha Rydberg JD ’76
graduated first in her class at Stetson Law during a time when women comprised only about 3% of Florida’s legal sector. Rydberg was the first female president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, first woman president of the Tampa Exchange Club, first woman to chair the Tampa Downtown Partnership, and the first woman member (and later president) of the University Club of Tampa. She twice chaired the Florida Commission on the Status of Women and the Jacksonville Branch of the Atlanta Federal Reserve Board, and she was the second woman to chair the Tampa Chamber’s Committee of One Hundred. Rydberg has been honored by the Girl Scouts of America, and received Stetson’s Outstanding Law Alumni Representative and Ben Willard awards. She served as president of the Stetson Lawyers Association, chair of the Board of Overseers, and member of the Board of Trustees. Rydberg played a pivotal role in helping Stetson build its Tampa Law Center.
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Alumni
News
Student Life Director Briant ’06 receives national honor Director for Student Life Tammy Briant ’06 has been selected as an Outstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services by the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, NASPA. Briant was recognized during the annual NASPA conference this March in New Orleans. The honor was presented by the NASPA Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services Knowledge Community. Briant is a member of Stetson’s Student Support and Emergency Team, strategic planning and master planning committees. She recently coordinated Stetson’s “It’s On Us” campaign to raise campus awareness about guarding against sexual assault. Briant also co-teaches Stetson’s Law and the Civil Rights Movement course as an adjunct professor. “I am deeply honored to receive this award,” said Briant, “which to me, recognizes the diligent work of my entire team to create an innovative, dynamic and supportive community focused on developing our students to be future leaders of the legal profession.” Briant serves on the board of the Hillsborough County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and volunteers with Bay Area Legal Services, Wills for Heroes, and Crossroads for Kids.
22 Stetson Lawyer
Stetson presents Bob Dillinger with public service award Stetson University College of Law presented this year’s prestigious William Reece Smith Jr. Public Service Award to Bob Dillinger JD ’76, who has served for 18 years as Public Defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. This year’s award was presented at the annual Inns of Court Banquet and William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Lecture in St. Petersburg on Jan. 28. As an assistant public defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Dillinger served on the Capital Crimes Defense team and was instrumen-
tal in publishing Florida’s first comprehensive death penalty training manual for defense attorneys. He first ran for the Public Defender’s Office in 1996 and has been continuously reelected to the position ever since.
Aaron Watson ’09: Living the Dream On Jan. 17, 30-year-old Pensacola attorney Aaron Watson ’09 was honored for “living the dream.” The special honor is for individuals exemplifying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. Watson was one of eight Pensacola leaders to accept the honor. “This award inspires me to continue to push forward,” said Watson. “I know that the eyes of the younger generation of lawyers are watching. If I can inspire them to dream big dreams, it makes my hard work worthwhile.” Watson, who recently made partner at Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor, P.A., said that his dream has always been to become a lawyer, and to move back home to help the people who helped him. Watson gives back by mentoring students at Pine Forest High School, where he graduated. Watson grew up in a modest home with five children. His father started off as a sharecropper and now serves as senior pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Pensacola. Aaron is the second person in his family to earn a college degree.
When Watson first tried out for Stetson’s Trial Team in 2008, he did not make the cut. An internship with two mentors, Willie Gary and Fred Levin, helped him to hone his individual voice as an advocate. The next time he tried out for Stetson’s Trial Team, Aaron made it. He went on to win regional, then national competitions with the team. After graduating from Stetson, Watson immediately started making a name for himself in Pensacola. His first high-profile case with the Levin Papantonio law firm was the case of Victor Steen, a young AfricanAmerican teen killed by a policeman. The case resulted in one of the largest civil rights settlements to date against the city of Pensacola. Aaron subsequently won a $12.6 million verdict for his client last year, his second million-dollar verdict in two years. “I am still dreaming,” Aaron said. “I still have goals. I am only 30 years old. My definition of success is setting a goal, accomplishing it, and showing others how you did it.”
Alumni
News
Alumni, friends honored by Brandi Palmer The Stetson Lawyers Association presented awards to eight outstanding alumni and friends during the Florida Bar Annual Meeting in Orlando in June 2014. Nestor M. de Armas BBA ’73 and Congressman David W. Jolly received the Distinguished Service Award for their significant, meritorious and continuing contributions to Stetson. Former president of the Stetson University Alumni Association, de Armas has served as trustee emeritus, chair and member of Stetson’s board of trustees. He and his wife Donna created the Nestor M. and Donna Hunt de Armas Scholarship to assist Stetson students with financial need. Congressman David W. Jolly, who represents Florida’s 13th Congressional District, serves on Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law Advisory Board. Jolly also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Veterans Affairs Committee, and was senior advisor and general counsel to the late Congressman Bill Young. Judge David Demers BA ’68, JD ’72 and Judge Irene Sullivan JD ’77 received this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Demers, elected chief judge of the Pinellas County Circuit Court in 2001, implemented policies and procedures during his six-year tenure that guide the circuit court today. Judge Demers is a 2009 Stetson Law Hall of Fame inductee who has served as an adjunct professor, member of the prestigious Stetson Law Skills Training Committee, and frequent presenter at Stetson’s Professionalism seminars. Sullivan is a 2011 Stetson Law Hall of Fame inductee and adjunct professor. She practiced trial law in St. Petersburg for 22 years before she was elected circuit court judge in 1998.
Judge Sullivan served on the juvenile and family law bench until 2011 and authored the popular book Raised by the Courts: One Judge’s Insight into Juvenile Justice. Lawrence P. Ingram JD ’90 received the Paul M. May Meritorious Service Award for continuously supporting Stetson Law and its alumni association. Ingram is managing partner of the Tampa office of Phelps Dunbar. Brian Tannebaum JD ’94 received the Outstanding Alumni Representative Award for dedication and service to the Stetson Lawyers Association. He is an ABA National Trial Champion and a former member of Stetson’s Trial Team. Tannebaum is on the board of directors of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where he is one of only two members of the association to have received all three presidential service awards. Gregory Coleman BBA ’85, JD ’89, president of the Florida Bar, received the Ben C. Willard Award for humanitarian achievements bringing distinction to himself and Stetson Law. Coleman has served on and chaired nearly every major standing and special committee in the Florida Bar and is an unprecedented three-time winner of the Florida Bar’s prestigious President’s Award of Merit. Coleman is also a member of the house of delegates for the American Bar Association and a director of the Florida Bar Foundation. Past Stetson Lawyers Association president Jenay Iurato JD/MBA ’00 received the President’s Award in recognition of her leadership. Iurato works with the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, the Junior League of Tampa, and advocates for ending human trafficking around the world.
Nestor de Armas BBA ’73
Hon. David Demers BA ’68, JD ’72
Hon. Irene Sullivan ’77
Lawrence P. Ingram ’90
Brian Tannebaum ’94
Gregory Coleman BBA ’85 JD ’89
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Alumni
News
1960s Joseph P. D’Alessandro ’64, Fort Myers, has been reappointed vice chairman of the board by the Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers. Charles S. Liberis Jr. ’67, Pensacola, was named to the Stetson University College of Law Board of Overseers. Nathan E. Eden ’69, Key West, has maintained the AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
1970s Leonard S. Englander ’75, St. Petersburg, joined the All Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and sits on the All Children’s Institutional Grants Committee. Bruce S. Albright ’77, Middletown, Md., received the Leigh Curry Award from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel. Stephen C. Page ’77, a shareholder in the Gunster Law Firm’s Stuart office, was listed in the 2015 Best Lawyers in America. As a member of the business litigation team, he focuses on complex business and intellectual property litigation, as well as probate, environmental, land use and securities litigation in state and federal courts. Bryan S. Henry ’76, Dillon, Colo., was elected president of the Continental Divide Bar Association for the 5th Judicial District of Colorado, and was appointed associate municipal court judge for Frisco, Colo. Hon. Carol W. Hunstein ’76, Atlanta, Ga., was honored by the Anti-Defamation League with its Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the judicial system and the community. William D. Keith ’76, Naples, was listed in the 2015 Best Lawyers in America. Kent S. Pratt ’76, West Palm Beach, received his AV Preeminent rating and has been a Supreme Court Certified Circuit mediator since 2011. J. Brent Walker ’76, Falls Church, Va., gave the 2014 James A. Auchmuty Lecture at Samford University. 24 Stetson Lawyer
In Memoriam Lt. Col. Marvene Gordon LLB ’49 March 7, 2015, Sarasota
John N. Mackey ‘70 Sept. 11, 2014, Canton, Ohio
Walker S. Green BA ’44, JD ’51 July 20, 2014, DeFuniak Springs
Ronald W. Drathman ’73 February 27, 2014, Homer, Alaska
William T. Moore ‘52 July 7, 2014, Ormond Beach
Martin E. Rice ’74 Feb. 3, 2014, St. Petersburg
Victor R. Koche ’48 May 7, 2014, Sarasota
Mary L. Taylor ’75 July 31, 2014, Clearwater
Cliff B. Gosney ’52 May 23, 2014, Tallahassee
Gino L. Andreuzzi ’76 Sept. 25, 2014, Hazleton, Penn.
Howard S. Borden Jr. ’57 March 20, 2014, Toms River, N.J.
Kenneth Alan Beytin ’78 February 2, 2015, Tampa
Robert F. Bearinger BBA ’58, JD ’58 Sept. 14, 2014, Clifton, Va.
Russell P. Martin BA ’79, JD ’79 May 11, 2014, Johnstown, N.Y.
Hon. Gene R. Stephenson BA ’56, LLB ’59 Nov. 14, 2014, Lake Mary
Meredith Craig ’80 Oct. 22, 2014, St. Petersburg
Obediah R. Miller ’59 Sept. 25, 2014, White Plains, NY
Ralph J. Mattice ’82 Sept. 9, 2014, Bradenton
Ben Daniel Jr., BBA ’60, LLB ’60 April 9, 2014, Ocala
Robert L. McIntyre Jr. ’85 Jan. 10, 2015, St. Petersburg
Hon. Charles D. McClure ’63 June 25, 2014, Tallahassee
James C. Dauksch III ’96 April 14, 2014, Orlando
Mitchell D. Franks ’66 Feb. 5, 2015, Lakeland
Lawrence Scott Aarons ’08 April 4, 2014, Tampa
C. Allen Watts ’67 Feb. 21, 2015, DeLand
Prof. James J. Brown May 26, 2014, London, England
Dr. Mark Heidt ’77, Largo, became president and director of Advanzeon Solutions, a behavioral health and pharmacy management company. Michael E. Marder ’77, Orlando, was selected as a finalist for the Daily Business Review’s 2014 Top Dealmakers of the Year award in the real estate finance category. John Passidomo ’78, Naples, serves on the board of directors at Jewish Family and Community Services. Robert S. Schumaker BA ’75, JD ’78, joined GrayRobinson, P.A.’s Tampa real estate practice group. Pamela Cichon ’79, St. Petersburg, has joined the law firm of Rahdert, Steele, Reynolds & Driscoll, P.L., after 23 years as a senior assistant city attorney handling defense litigation for
the City of St. Petersburg. She practices in the areas of commercial and tort litigation, land use and zoning, employment law, and arbitration. Lewis R. Cohen ’79, a shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Miami office, was named a Top Power Leader in banking by the South Florida Business Journal. Rev. Dr. J. Allison DeFoor II ’79, Tallahassee, was appointed chairman of the political committee backing a proposed constitutional amendment for conservation lands.
1980s Theodore C. Eastmoore ’80 of Sarasota, founding shareholder of the law firm Matthews Eastmoore, has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers,
Alumni
News the highest professional national honor given to a trial attorney. Michael S. Mullin ’80, is a shareholder for Rogers Towers and a former president of the Board of Family Support Services. Glenn D. Storch ’80, Daytona Beach, was recognized as one of the 55 most influential people in Volusia and Flagler Counties by MyCoast Magazine, and was appointed to the board of directors of the Daytona Blues Festival. R. Bruce Anderson ’81 was named a Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in land use and zoning law for the Fort Myers metropolitan area. He also received Best Lawyers distinctions for his work in environmental law and land use and zoning litigation. Luis Prats BA ’78, JD ’81, St. Petersburg, was named chair of Stetson University’s Board of Trustees. Timothy A. Knowles ’82 of Bradenton joined the Manatee Glens board of directors. Murray B. Silverstein BA ’80, JD ’82, of Tampa was appointed chair of the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration Committee by Florida Bar President Gregory Coleman. Todd C. Richardson, BA ’84,
JD ’86, of Daytona Beach recently published “Cloud Computing and International Jurisdiction” in the November issue of Facts and Findings, the bimonthly national periodical of the National Association of Legal Assistants. Richardson is an assistant professor of paralegal studies at Daytona State College. G. Donald Thomson ’84, managing attorney with Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt P.A.’s Bonita Springs office, joined the boards of directors for the Speakers Assembly of Southwest Florida and the Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs. Kenneth R. Brown ’86 of St. Petersburg received his D.V.M. from the University of Florida and plans to consult with attorneys on veterinary law. He also started Rural Veterinary Services LLC, caring for both small and large animals in Pinellas County and North Florida. Wendy E. Hunt ’86, Milford, N.H., is the new executive director of the Milford Improvement Team, a nonprofit organization that promotes prosperity and vitality for its downtown area. John Kostyack ’86 of Washington,
D.C., was selected as Wind Energy Foundation’s new executive director. Jaye A. Terry ’87 of St. Petersburg presented a play she co-authored with Amanda Dodge and Julie Saffan on June 26 at the Studio@620. Christopher T. Vernon ’87 of Naples was reappointed by Governor Scott to the Edison State College District Board of Trustees, representing Collier County. Wendy S. Loquasto ’88 of Tallahassee was selected “Volunteer of the Month” in March 2014 by Legal Services of North Florida, where she is a former president and does pro bono work. Stephen T. Parascandola ’88 of Raleigh, N.C., a partner at Smith Anderson and leader of the firm’s Environmental, Health and Safety Practice, was recognized by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in North Carolina and by Best Lawyers in America for environmental law. Marie Tomassi ’88 of St. Petersburg was named to the Florida Super Lawyers Business Edition. Nancy M. Alfonso ’89 of Zephyrhills was appointed by the Supreme Court to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners for a five-year term.
What’s new in your life? Tell us. What’s going on in your life? A career change? Opened your own firm? Recently married? New additions to your family? Took a trip around the world? Keep your classmates posted! Just fill out this form and send us your information or email alumni@law.stetson.edu. Name_______________________________________________________________________ Graduation Month/Year___________________________ Last Name in Law School_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Spouse’s Name__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Children’s Names and Ages____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Home Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone_________________________________________________________ Email ________________________________________________ Employer Name and Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Work Phone_________________________________________________________ Email ________________________________________________ Your Title__________________________________________________________ Area of Practice or Specialty__________________________________ Preferred Mailing Address: q Home
q Business
Any other information you would like to share would be appreciated. Return this to Stetson Law Office of Development and Allumni Engagement, 1401 61st St. S., Gulfport, FL 33707 or fax to (727) 347-4183. You may also email alumni@law.stetson.edu or visit www.law.stetson.edu/alumni.
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1990s Timothy McFadden ’90 of Arlington, Va., joined the board of directors for the Local Initiatives Support Courporation, the nation’s largest community development support organization. He is president of State Farm Indemnity. Thomas McElroy ’90, after 22 years in various legal and executive corporate positions, has recently joined Gravitational Marketing in Orlando as its director of business development. Stephanie A. Vaughan ’91, associate director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Advocacy and professor of legal skills, conducted Teacher Advocacy Training at the University of Buffalo with Professor Charles Rose. Peggy Hoyt BBA ’81, MBA ’82, JD ’93, Oviedo, authored the bookWhat’s the Deal with Estate Planning? published by People Tested Publications. Cynthia A. Mikos ’93 of Tampa was named to Florida Trend’s 2014 Legal Elite. She is a shareholder and managing partner of Allen Dell PA. James G. Vickaryous MBA ’98, JD ’93 of Lake Mary was elected to the Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association board of directors. He chaired the Rescue Run Corporate 5K, which raised almost $50,000 for the Rescue Outreach Mission of Central Florida. Douglas A. Peebles ’94 of Bradenton received the Community Service Leader Award from the Manatee County Bar Association. Beth Cronin ’95 of St. Petersburg was listed among the 2014 Florida Trend Legal Elite. Mark Hill, ’95, formerly a state mediator with the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims, has joined Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox, Waranch & Westcott, P.A. as an associate in the firm’s Ft. Pierce office. James O’Leary II ’95 received an AV Pre-Eminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Gregory W. Meier ’95 of Orlando was listed among the 2014 Florida Trend Legal Elite. Terri Oster ’95 of San Francisco, 26 Stetson Lawyer
Calif., joined senior management at PayPal to lead the Fair Lending and UDAAP compliance program for PayPal Americas. David Sampedro ’95 of Miami received an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. John F. Schutz ’95, of Schutz & White LLP, in West Palm Beach was appointed vice-chair of the Advisory Board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of the Palm Beaches. He also was board certified in Family Law Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Thomas A. “Andy” Zodrow ’95 was elected to the Safety Harbor City Commission. Jean-Paul “JP” Durand ’96 of Palm Harbor was appointed vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer for Tech Data, where he will lead the corporation’s worldwide ethics and compliance program. Sarah C. Sullivan ’96 authored “5 Ways to Slay the Enemy of Entrepreneurs: Fear” in Entrepreneur. Lance A. Ragland ’97 of Winter Park co-founded a nonprofit organization, HelpKidsPlaySports. org, to help kids in need afford participation in youth sports.
Reunions: Above, members of the class of 1964 celebrated their 50th reunion in May 2014. Right: Members of the class of 1974 pose in the Great Hall.
Jonathan C. Chane ’97 of West Palm Beach was promoted to shareholder of Greenberg Traurig LLP and was presented the 2014 Robert S. and Ceil N. Levy Young Leadership Award by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. Hon. Tangela H. Barrie ’97, DeKalb County (Ga.) Superior Court, spoke during the Albany State University National Alumni Association’s Founder’s Day Luncheon. Benjamin H. Hill IV ’97 of Tampa was sworn in as president of the Hillsborough County Bar Association. Hon. Kim Hernandez Vance ’97 of Tampa was appointed to the Hillsborough County Court by Gov. Scott. Hobel Florido MBA ’98, JD ’98, of Miami Lakes was reappointed by Gov. Scott to the South Broward Hospital District board of commissioners. Vincent A. Branton ’99 of Richland, Wash., has been named general counsel at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Gregory D. Lee MBA ’96, JD ’99, of Orlando was ranked in the Chambers USA Guide: America’s
Alumni
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Marriages and New Additions Anne S. Mason ’84 married Bruce Grabell in March 2014. David J. Brunell ’11 married Nolan Kline in Tampa in October 2013. Steven Lacks ’11 married Laura Vittetoe ’13. David Johnston ’13 married Katelyn Knaak ’10 in August 2014. Sabrina C. Beavens ’02 and wife Juli welcomed a daughter, Grace Anna, in September 2013. Angeline S. Caracciolo ’03 and
Leading Lawyers for Business 2014. A partner with Baker & Hostetler LLP, he also was appointed chair of the Central Florida Sports Commission board of directors. Richard B. Weinman MBA ’99, JD ’99, of Orlando has been named a partner in the law firm of Winderweedle, Haines, Ward & Woodman P.A. Matt Westerman ’99 of Blalock Walter P.A. is leading the firm’s new office in St. Petersburg.
2000s Hon. Holly Grissinger ’00 of Clearwater was appointed to the Pinellas County Court by Gov. Scott. Tyra N. Read ’00 has joined the real estate practice group of Becker & Poliakoff, as a shareholder in the Ft. Myers office. She has an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Amy D. Singer ’00 of Tampa was listed among the 2014 Florida Trend Legal Elite. Matthew B. Taylor ’00 of Bradenton was selected by Manatee County judges and attorneys to serve as a barrister for the 2014-2015 Manatee American Inn of Court. Nicolette C. Vilmos BA ’98, JD ’00, partner in the Broad and Cassel Orlando office, was named chair of the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice group. Charles R. Gallagher ’00 of St.
husband Rory welcomed a daughter, Alessa. Marisa (Davies) Powers ’04 and husband Justin welcomed a daughter, Amelia Harber, in December 2013. Phoenix Ayotte Harris ’07 and husband Issac welcomed a son, Leopold Honor, in June 2012. Chelsie Marie Lamie, JD ’07 and husband David Alfonso welcomed a son, Michael Patrick, in January 2014.
Petersburg was appointed vice-chair of the programs board for the American Bar Association’s Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division. Jeanie Dubinski ’00 of Tampa was named vice president of business development at Big Truck Rentals. Blair H. Chan III ’01 of Tampa received an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell. Jackie Crain, JD ’01, MBA ’01 of St. Petersburg has been named to the new position of chief strategy officer/ senior counsel for All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine. Crain will be responsible for strategic business services, including strategic planning, business development initiatives and affiliate programs. Amy L. Drushal ’01, Trenam Kemker attorney, was elected to Council for the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division, and was named to the 2014 Florida Super Lawyers Business Edition. Hon. Mary C. Evans ’01 of Naples has been elected to serve as a judge for Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. Katherine Schnauss Naugle MBA ’01, JD ’01, was selected as a new member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers’ 2014 class of Leaders in the Law. Alicia M. Polk ’02 of New Port Richey was elected circuit judge for Florida’s 6th Circuit Court. Sabrina C. Beavens ’02 was
Rachael L. Wood ’07 and husband Jonathan welcomed a son, Hawthorne Isaac, in March 2013. Korey L. Henson ’09 and wife Victoria welcomed a son, Edward Joseph (EJ), in December 2013. Chelsea J. Anderson ’10 and husband Brendan welcomed a daughter, Eliza, in May 2014. Kennedy B. Legler BA ’08, JD ’11 and wife Emmalee (BA ’07) welcomed a daughter, Brynn Emma, in March 2014.
promoted to partner at Iurillo Law Group P.A. The firm’s practice areas include complex bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, business law, business litigation, real estate and personal injury. A. Courtney Cox MBA ’03, JD ’03, of Tampa was promoted to vice president for litigation at WellCare. William J. “Josh” Podolsky III ’03 was elected to partner of Phelps Dunbar LLP. Podolsky practices law in the firm’s Tampa office, where he concentrates in the areas of real estate, commercial transactions, banking, finance, general business, and corporate and partnership matters for buyers, sellers, investors, developers and financial institutions. Sozon C. Vatikiotis BA ’03, JD ’05, of Lakeland was promoted to CEO of Alltrust. Anne L. Weintraub ’03 of Sarasota was named Humanitarian of the Year by Temple Sinai. Alicia Rhia Winant ’03 of Lutz joined Paramount Title Corporation and will represent Hillsborough Title as legal counsel. Erin E. Banks ’04 of Tampa was elected to shareholder at the firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, where she is a member of the firm’s construction and real property litigation practice groups. Tara L. Carroll MBA ’04, JD ’04, was named the Woman to Watch for the St. Petersburg Chamber’s 15th Annual Iconic Women of St.
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Petersburg, and has joined the Fidelity National Title Group as an assistant vice president and claims counsel. Joanne Kenna ’04 of Altamonte Springs with The Health Law Firm, in alliance with the Greater Orlando Chapter of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, presented a seminar focused on the Florida Board of Nursing, significant steps in nursing disciplinary process, and actions to take to protect a nursing license at the University of Central Florida. Jason C. Logan ’04 was promoted to partner in the Macon, Ga., office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLP. Philippe Matthey ’04 was elected judge for Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit. Stephen Mathew Whyte JD ’98, MBA ’04, of Sarasota joined the law firm of Kirk-Pinkerton P.A. as a shareholder. H. Brendan Burke ’05 earned an LL.M. degree in energy and environmental law from the George Washington University. Patricia S. Calhoun ’05 of Tampa was elected shareholder at Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, serving in the health care, national trial practice, pharmaceutical, medical device, products and toxic tort liability, white collar crime, and government investigations practice groups. Brandon T. Crossland ’05 became a partner in the Orlando office of Baker & Hostetler’s complex commercial litigation group. Jo Ann Palchak ’05 of Tampa was elected to the board of directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in February. She is a life member of the NACDL, and has been active in the organization’s women’s initiative. Gary E. Williams ’05, founder of The Law Firm for Family Law, was board certified by the Florida Bar in marital and family law. Suzanne M. Boy, JD ’06 of Fort Myers is president of the Human Resource Management Association of Southwest Florida, a chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. Boy practices employment 28 Stetson Lawyer
law, including litigation, claims and client counseling, including employee handbooks; supervisory training; wage/hour matters; and employee termination, leave, and disciplinary issues. Boy speaks to businesses and professional groups, is lead editor of the Southwest Class of 1984 Reunion: Members of the class of 1984 Florida Employment celebrated their 30th reunion last summer. Law Blog, and was was elected to the Ferguson-White Inn elected to Canterbury School board of of Court board of directors and will trustees. serve as co-chair of the Hillsborough Alan G. Bulnes ’06 is partnering County Bar Association’s securities with the firm Stechschulte Bulnes PL. section for 2014–15. Michelle Lajoie Hermey ’06, of Sarah M. Oquendo ’07 of Naples Fergeson, Skipper, Shaw, Keyser, Baron was appointed chair of the family law & Tirabassi P.A., was board certified in section of the Collier County Bar real estate by the Florida Bar. Association for 2014–15. Marc L. Levine ’06 serves as Brian E. Smith ’07 of Orlando Stetson Lawyers Association president joined BakerHostetler as an associate. and was named shareholder at He spoke on condemnation blight at GrayRobinson. the 2014 Florida Bar annual convention. Rodney J. MacKinnon ’06 of Erica K. Smith ’07 was a coTallahassee has been named interim recipient of the “Rocking Chair Award” executive director of the Office of in recognition of her dedication as the Early Learning. He previously served 2013–14 chair of the Young Lawyers the agency as inspector general. Section of the St. Petersburg Bar Katherine Hurst Miller ’06 of Association. She was reappointed Daytona Beach was named the 2014 as section chair for 2014–15 and as “Woman of the Year” by the Volusia a member of the St. Petersburg Bar Flagler Association for Women Association executive committee. Lawyers, and is president elect of the Matthew L. Snyder ’07 was named Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division. director of business operations for the Woodrow H. Pollack ’06 of Tampa Austin Bruins of the North American was named vice-chair of the Florida Hockey League in Austin, Minn. Bar business law section intellectual Brian A. Watson ’07 was named property committee. to the board of directors for the Andrew Abramovich ’07 of Orlando Economic Development Jacksonville was elected partner at Commission. Watson brings his Boyd & Jenerette P.A. leadership experience in publicJason M. Ellison BA ’04, JD ’07, private partnership development and was chosen for The Florida Bar’s Leadimplementation to support the board. ership Academy. He opened his firm, Jonathan T. Gilbert ’08 of Orlando Ellison & Lazenby, in St. Petersburg. joined Colling Gilbert Wright & Phoenix Ayotte Harris ’07 of Carter LLC, practicing personal invesAlexandria, Va., announced the tigation, medical malpractice, product formation of a new law partnership, liability and nursing home abuse. Harris & Carmichael, PLLC, Krista M. Anderson ’08 of Wesley specializing in criminal defense. Chapel joined Brock Law LLC in Tampa. Dominique E. Heller ’07 of Tampa
Alumni
News Ryan J. McGee ’08 of Tampa is a federal judicial law clerk for Hon. Elizabeth A. Kovachevich ’61. John Miller ’08 of Fort Myers was elected a stockholder at Henderson Franklin, where he practices tort and insurance defense, municipal and governmental liability defense, and professional negligence defense. He speaks and writes before public and private associations, and was listed as a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star in civil litigation defense. He received the Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s James A. Dixon Young Lawyer of the Year Award, and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Mark J. Rose MBA ’08, JD ’08, was promoted to partner at Roig Lawyers in their Deerfield Beach office. Forrest J. Bass ’09 of Punta Gorda joined the Charlotte State Bank & Trust advisory board. Aaron Watson ’09 received the 2015 Living the Dream award. He also recently became a partner at the law firm of Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty & Proctor, P.A.
2010s David E. Little MBA ’10, JD ’10, of St. Petersburg joined Brown & Doherty P.A. as a criminal defense attorney. Eileen C. McGee ’10 of St.
Petersburg is corporate counsel for the Home Shopping Network. Paul M. Messina Jr. MBA ’10, JD ’10, joined the Tampa office of Greenspoon Marder P.A. as an associate in the litigation group. Paul T. Sabaj LLM ’10 negotiated the fourth highest medical malpractice settlement in New York in 2014. He was a featured panelist speaker for the third year in a row at the February 2014 Inn of Court meeting at the Brooklyn Bar Association, addressing the ethical considerations of thirdparty non-recourse litigation financing. Kristina Snyderman ’10 joined the Sarasota law firm of Tannenbaum Hanewich. William “Bill” M. Allen Jr. ’11 of Fort Myers joined the Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt P.A. firm as an associate in the business and tax practice area. Erin A. Londraville ’11 of Starke became a senior attorney for Florida’s Department of Children and Families. Christopher D. Breton ’12 of St. Petersburg became the managing attorney for the Tampa Bay branch of Peyton Bolin PL. Grant R. Gillenwater ’12 of Vero Beach joined Graves Injury Law Group. Sabsina N. Karimi ’12 of Naples
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became a felony assistant state attorney in the 20th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Shannon R. Strasser MBA ’12, JD ’12, became an associate at Segal McCambridge Singer and Mahoney Ltd. in its Chicago office. Stephanie R. Dominguez ’13 joined Gallagher & Associates Law Firm P.A. in St. Petersburg as an associate attorney and will focus on real estate litigation, mortgage foreclosure and consumer law. Chrissie Fernandez ’13 has been appointed assistant public defender in the 16th Judicial District of Florida. She will be practicing from the Monroe County Public Defender’s office in Marathon, Florida Keys. Michael J. Finegan ’13 of Brandon joined the law firm of Carman and Bevington P.A. John Scott Martin ’13 became a registered patent attorney. Evan D. Rosen ’13 of Tampa is an assistant attorney general for the Suncoast Region of the State of Florida. Anthony D. Tilton ’13, a construction law associate at Trent Cotney P.A., has successfully earned safety certifications from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 3
2014 Holiday Open House: 1) John “Jake” Smith ’74, Gaye Jenkins, Ernest Jenkins ’71, Sherry Smith and Erica Smith ’07; 2) Karla Allen ’08 and Kyle Belz ’14; 3) Nicolas Robinson ’10, Joann Grages Burnett ’08 and Howard Williams ’12; 4) Jim Martin BS ’71, JD ’74, Judge Pamela Campbell ’89 and Judge Amy Williams ’80; 5) Kevin (’00) and Jenay (JD ’00, MBA ’00) Iurato.
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Faculty activities and professional achievements Kristen David Adams and Candace Zierdt, professors of law, presented their proposed book project on the topic of what United States attorneys might expect — or be surprised by — when practicing overseas or in international transactions, to the American Bar Association Business Law Section Uniform Code Committee’s Joint Meeting of the Article 1 and Article 2 subcommittees on April 12, 2014, in Los Angeles. Jason R. Bent, associate professor of law, published “Curtailing Voter Intimidation by Employers After Citizens United,” 43 Stetson L. Rev. 595 (Spring 2014), in connection with the Stetson Law Review symposium. Robert D. Bickel, professor of law, together with Tammy Briant, Director for Student Life, presented “Equal Justice Journey: The Permanent Lessons of the Civil Rights Movement,” at the Annual Meeting of the Southeast Legal Aid Program Directors Association. Brooke J. Bowman, professor of legal skills, co-presented “Fantastic FiveMinute Fundamentals: Teaching and Reinforcing Research Skills in Five Minutes,” at the 16th Biennial Conference of the Legal Writing Institute in Philadelphia (with Stetson’s Wanita Scroggs and Hastings’ Whitney Curtis). She cochairs the Moot Court committee of the Legal Writing Institute and serves as editor in chief of the peer-edited Legal Writing: The Journal Of The Legal Writing 30 Stetson Lawyer
Institute. Professor Bowman is a member of the ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition subcommittee, which hosts the six regional rounds of the competition (involving over two hundred teams), as well as the national finals, and she took the lead in converting her book, ALWD Companion: A Citation Practice Book, (with Coleen Barger) to the ALWD Online Companion. Catherine J. Cameron, professor of legal skills, presented “The Top Ten Takeaways from The Science Behind The Art Of Legal Writing” at the Southeast Legal Writing Conference held at Stetson, which highlighted information that can be found in the book she co-authored with Lance N. Long, professor of legal skills. Kelly M. Feeley, professor of legal skills, and James A. Sheehan, Tampa Law Center director and distinguished practitioner in residence, completed their book, Mastering ADR (Carolina Academic Press 2014). Peter L. Fitzgerald, professor of law, published “Good Badger, Bad Badger: The Impact of Perspective on Wildlife Law and Policy,” 10 J. Animal and Natural Resource Law 41 (2014). His column, “The WTO, Hunting Seals, and Public Morality,” appeared in the Wildlife News column of the Animal Law Committee of the ABA Torts and Insurance Practice Section summer newsletter. He presented “International Trade in Animals and Animal Products: Forging Agreements and Litigating Disputes” at the American Bar
Association Meeting in Boston. He served as the featured legal commentator in the WUSF 30-minute documentary “Animals with a Purpose.” He continues as Faculty Advisor to Stetson’s Student Animal Legal Defense Fund Chapter, and was the inaugural recipient of Student Life’s “Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award” (2014). Royal C. Gardner, professor of law and director, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, spoke about his book Lawyers, Swamps and Money, at the U.S. EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and moderated two plenary sessions at the National Mitigation and Ecosystem Banking Conference in Denver. This summer, in his capacity as Chair of the Ramsar Convention’s scientific advisory body, he participated in meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (Montreal), the Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn), and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Bonn). Carol E. Henderson, professor of law and director, National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law, co-chairs the Life and Physical Sciences Division, Science and Technology Section of the American Bar Association. She presented “Art and Scientific Evidence: Criminal Investigation and Authentication,” at the 2014 Annual Meeting. The Clearinghouse developed an online training course in scientific evidence for capital litigators and obtained Florida Bar CLE credit for the course. It went live April 2014 and can be accessed through ncstl.org. Over 550 lawyers have received training through this BJA grant.
Faculty
Forum Bruce R. Jacob, dean emeritus and professor of law, published “The Gideon Trials,” 99 Iowa L. Rev. 2059 (2014). Lance N. Long, professor of legal skills, presented at the Legal Writing Institute’s National Bi-Annual Conference in Philadelphia on the subject of Stetson’s subject-focused legal writing classes. Jeffrey J. Minneti, professor of legal skills and director of academic success, presented “Assessing the Impact of Law Student Work Ethic on Academic Performance and First-Time Bar Passage,” at the Association of Academic Support Educators Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Rebecca C. Morgan, Boston Asset Management chair in elder law and co-director, Center for Excellence in Elder Law, served as the interim executive director for development and alumni relations for summer 2014. She moderated a one-day program for JAG Legal Services attorneys at Redstone Arsenal on Special Needs Trusts, provided CLE for the Oklahoma Bar Elder Law Section, presented at the Third World Congress on Adult Guardianships in Washington D.C. and at the Law and Society Meeting in Minneapolis, and was the keynote speaker on “What Aging Society Means to All of Us,” at the Professional Network on Aging’s Annual Conference in Memphis. Luz Estella Nagle, professor of law, met with members of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority from Bahrain to discuss human trafficking and labor migration. Professor Nagle has
been invited to Bahrain to observe firsthand the efforts being made there to combat human trafficking. Marleen A. O’Connor, professor of law, presented “Corporate Control of the Global Food Economy” at the Annual Meeting of Law and Society, and “The New Economy and the Future of Corporate Law Scholarship” at the AALS Mid-year Meeting for Corporations. She also wrote an article, “Corporate Control of the Global Food Economy,” which was selected from a field of over 150 entries to be presented at Yale’s Food Systems Symposium in November 2014. Ann M. Piccard, professor of legal skills, taught in the International Program’s new U.S. Legal Systems certificate program. Ellen S. Podgor, Gary R. Trombley family white collar crime research professor, is the new president of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools. Charles H. Rose III, professor of excellence in trial advocacy and director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy, presented on depositions skills and skills training at the Federal Trade Commission, and presented as a Master of Advocacy during the NACDL White Collar Crime Program in San Diego. Professor Rose with Stephanie A. Vaughan, professor of legal skills and associate director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, taught a two-day intensive Teacher Advocacy Training course to more than 20 advocacy professors at the University at Buffalo Law School. Together they also taught fundamental advocacy skills to both Irish lawyers and law students at University College Dublin in Ireland.
Susan D. Rozelle, associate dean for faculty and professor of law, was appointed to the editorial board of the ABA Criminal Justice Magazine. Her article, “Practice Attributional Charity: Cognitive Bias in Intentional Homicide Law,” is forthcoming in volume 47 of the Texas Tech Law Review (invited symposium contribution), and she presented “Eating the Elephant: Institutional Strategies for WorkLife Balance,” at the Southeastern Association of Law Schools Conference in August. Stacey-Rae Simcox, associate professor of legal skills and director, Veterans Advocacy Clinic, is co-editor of Servicemember and Veterans Rights with LexisNexis. She also was appointed to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judicial Conference Committee. Ciara TorresSpelliscy, associate professor of law, presented on multiple panels, including “When Corporate and Election Law Collide: A Century of Regulating Money in Politics,” at the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools; “Beyond Citizens United and McCutcheon: What Next for Campaign Finance Regulation?” at the annual convention of the American Constitution Society in Washington, D.C.; and “The Emerging Ecology of Money and Politics” at the annual meeting of the National Institute on Money in state Politics at Bigfork, Montana. She was elected as member of the board of directors of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation in July 2014. Rebecca S. Trammell, Dolly and Homer Hand Library Director and professor of law, chairs the Southeastern Association of Law Schools Distance
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Learning Committee. She led a twoday Distance Education Expo as part of the SEALS annual meeting, providing hands-on access to online law school courses from several law schools, including Stetson. She also presented as part of the SEALS Distance Learning discussion group. Stephanie A. Vaughan, professor of legal skills and associate director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, in addition to her copresentations at the University at Buffalo and University College Dublin with Charles Rose (detailed under his listing), co-coached the Willem C. Vis International Arbitration Moot Team. The Vis team competed in Hong Kong in April 2014, and won an award in every category. Louis J. Virelli III, Leroy Highbaugh Sr. Research Chair and professor of law, authored, “What ‘Stop and Frisk’ Can Teach Us About the First Amendment and Judicial Recusal,” 47 Conn. L. Rev. Online (2014).
Eleazer receives Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Stetson presented its Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching Advocacy to Professor Emeritus William Eleazer last May. The award was presented during Stetson’s Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills conference on the Gulfport campus. Professor Eleazer helped to establish Stetson’s reputation for excellence in ethical and effective trial advocacy. He challenged his students to maintain the highest standards of both professionalism and competency in the art of advocacy and the ethical practice of law. Professor Eleazer was inducted into the Stetson University College of Law Hall of Fame in 2005. He is the author of the 2010 Gold Medal-winning novel Savannah Law and The Indictments.
Stetson Law Review honors Professor Ellen Podgor Professor Ellen S. Podgor was honored with the J. Ben Watkins Award at the Stetson Law Review banquet last November. Professor Podgor is the Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor at Stetson University, the co-author of numerous books on white collar crime and criminal law, and has authored more than 70 law review articles and essays in the areas of computer crime, international criminal law, lawyer’s ethics, criminal discovery, prosecutorial discretion, corporate criminality and other white collar crime topics. The editor of the
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popular White Collar Crime Prof Blog, Professor Podgor chairs the advisory committee of the NACDL WhiteCollar Criminal Defense College at Stetson, serves on the board of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, and is the president of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools. She is chair of the AALS Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity issues, an honorary
member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and a member of the American Law Institute. The J. Ben Watkins Award is presented annually in honor of the 1949 Stetson Law graduate who helped create the Stetson Law Review, a premier academic journal published three times per year. “It is an honor to be chosen by the students for the Ben Watkins Award, because as Ben said, ’You don’t have a great law school without a law review,’” said Professor Podgor.
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e would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their continued support of Stetson Law during the 2013–2014 academic year. Below, we recognize gifts to the College of Law received from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014.
Your gifts make the critical difference in the life of our students and law school programs by helping us to maintain Stetson’s well-deserved reputation for superior teaching, scholarship and service to the profession. THE JUSTICE SOCIETY $50,000 OR MORE S. Sammy ’66 T O and Carolyn Michels Cacciatore BA ’63 Charles A. Dana Law Center Foundation Dr. Dolly ’49 T and Homer Hand William Reece Smith Jr. D O F Hon. Raphael Steinhardt ’63 O Gary R. Trombley ’73 O FOUNDER SOCIETY $25,000 – $49,999 Anonymous Bonnie Brown Foreman BA ’68 T O Boston Asset Management Leo J. Govoni O Dean Emeritus Lizabeth Moody F Pinellas County Community Foundation COUNSELOR SOCIETY $15,000 – $24,999 Anonymous Florin & Roebig P.A. Wilfried H. Florin ’80 O Thomas D. Roebig Jr. ’86 BARRISTER SOCIETY $10,000 – $14,999 Prof. Kristen Adams F Prof. Brooke J. Bowman ’02 F The Joy McCann Foundation Scott J. Sternberg ’98 O Matthew A. Towery ’87 O William H. Weller ’04 O Dr. Jay Wolfson ’93 ADVOCATE SOCIETY $5,000 – $9,999 Prof. James J. Brown D Gregory W. Coleman BBA ’85, JD ’89 O Doyle Conflict Resolution Inc. Robert E. Doyle Jr. ’75 O Bernard J. Iacovangelo ’73 Judge John M. Scheb Sarasota Inn of Court Joshua ’80 T O and Eileen D. Magidson Prof. Rebecca C. Morgan ’80 F Roger W. Yoerges ’85 O Anthony P. Zinge ’90 O
PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY $2,500 – $4,999 Daniel N. ’64 and Linda Burton John W. Bussey III ’68 Carey & Leisure Thomas W. Carey Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, P.A. Keith M. Carter ’85 Javier A. Centonzio JD ’12, LLM ’14 Alexander M. Clem ’90 O Erik G. Detlefsen BA ’07, MBA ’10, JD ’10 Carmen R. Gillett ’81 Richard A. Harrison BA ’83, JD ’86 O Hill Ward Henderson Benjamin H. Hill IV ’97 O Maurelle L. Hooks Lawrence P. Ingram ’90 O J. Ben Watkins Private Foundation, Inc. Michael Keane ’78 D Marlyss R. Kuenzel Jodi Leisure ’99 Wendy S. Loquasto ’88 O Carl R. Nelson ’79 Clara and George Nenezian Phelps Dunbar, LLP Dean Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz F O Luis BA ’78, JD ’81 T and Catherine C. Prats ’83 Arturo R. Rios Jr. ’06 O Sabadell United Bank Mary B. Scheb St. Petersburg Bar Foundation, Inc Brian L. ’94 and Elizabeth D. Tannebaum ’94 Thompson, Sizemore Gonzalez & Hearing, P.A. Jason L. Turner ’04 Keith W. Upson DEAN’S CIRCLE $1,000 – 2,499 David J. Abbey ’77 Lawrence C. Adams Ausley & McMullen, P.A. William C. Baker Jr. ’83 Prof. Mark D. Bauer F Kirk T. Bauer BA ’82, JD ’84 and Martha C. Bauer BBA ’81 A.C. Bergman Prof. Robert D. Bickel F Robin A. Blanton BA ’73, JD ’77 Jackson H. Bowman ’98
Gary J. Boynton ’78 Susan M. Burton Howard G. Butler BBA ’82, JD ’85 David P. Carlton BBA ’83, JD ’88 Bryan D. Caulfield ’88 Hon. Angela J. Cowden ’93 Thomas F. Cuffie Kenneth B. Cuyler ’78 William E. Davis ’75 Betty V. Dillon Col. Christopher E. Dougherty ’85 Robert D. Eckard JD ’98, LLM ’03 Prof. William R. Eleazer F James O. Eubank II ’64 Adelaide G. Few ’85 O Prof. Peter L. Fitzgerald F Joseph W. Fleece III ’80 J. S. Lucas Fleming ’90 The Florida Bar Foundation Prof. Roberta Kemp Flowers F Meagan C. Foley ’13 John P. Foster Prof. Royal C. Gardner III F Seymour A. Gordon ’60 Thomas D. Graves ’60 O Walker S. Green BA ’44, JD ’51 D Hon. Karl B. Grube ’70 Gerard W. Harlan Cynthia A. Henderson BBA ’82, JD ’85 Holland & Knight David L. Hooks Michael D. Hooks Robin L. Hoyle ’91 Jack C. Inman BS ’47, JD ’49 and Alda W. Inman ’51 Kevin M. ’00 and Jenay Iurato MBA ’00, JD ’00 O Dean Emeritus Bruce R. Jacob ’59 F Thomas A. and Mary S. James Foundation Jefferson Lee Ford III Memorial Foundation, Inc. Hon. Anthony H. Johnson ’80 Patricia R. Johnson S Mercedes J. Karl Stacy A. Kemp ’07 Dennis D. Ketcham John M. Knowles Herbert L. Kurras ’59 Rhea F. Law ’79 O Diane and Armando Leighton Jr. Dr. Paul and Susan Levine
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Dr. Wendy B. Libby S T O and Dr. Richard M. Libby Harley K. Look Jr. ’78 Joseph K. Lopez Mark T. Luttier ’79 Stuart C. Markman Stewart A. Marshall III ’73 James W. Martin BS ’71, JD ’74 Catherine B. Martin MBA ’08 S Prof. Janice K. McClendon F Timothy P. McFadden ’90 Jean Miller Prof. Jeffrey Minneti F Hon. Andrew G. T. Moore II David G. Murray ’72 NSI Insurance Group Scott H. Pearce Hon. Thomas E. Penick Jr. ’72 Tyler K. Pitchford ’07 Hon. Anthony E. BA ’93, JD ’98 and Julie P. Porcelli BS ’93 John H. Rains III ’79 Andrew L. Sr. ’69 D and Kathryn J. Ringers Prof. Charles H. Rose F Marcus A. Rosin ’97 Hon. Dale Ross ’73 Roger J. Rovell ’80 Hon. Susan F. Schaeffer ’71 O John S. Slye ’64 William Reece Smith III ’09 Jason P. Stearns ’08 Senator Paul B. Steinberg ’63 Robert G. Stokes ’61 John Cameron Story III ’77 John M. Strickland ’71 Kimberly Cady Stroemich Hon. Irene H. Sullivan ’77 Brian O. Sutter ’82 James D. Thaler Jr. MBA ’00, JD ’00 Prof. Ruth Fleet Thurman ’63 F Melvyn Trute ’66 Bill Wagner P. Christopher Wegner ’06 PARTNER $500 – $999 Advocate’s Forum, Inc. American Legion Post 125 Assoc. Dean Michael P. Allen F Rashi Arya-Blankenship ’10 Robert E. Biasotti ’96 James L.S. Bowdish ’69 David A. Bronstein BS ’84, JD ’86 Deborah C. Brown ’87 Pamela D. Burdett Gentry B. Byrnes BA ’90 JD ’93 A. Craig Cameron ’73 Vincent A. Citro BBA ’98, MBA ’00, JD ’00 Robert J. Deak ’08 Hon. David A. BA ’68, JD ’72 and Susan Smotherman Demers BA ’71 John G. “Chip” Dicks III ’77 Eldercounsel, LLC Leonard S. Englander ’75 Ernst & Young Foundation 34 Stetson Lawyer
Prof. Michael S. Finch F and Lora Smeltzly Finch ’87 Florida Orthopaedic Institute Joseph N. Jr. and Meredith A. Freeman ’04 Frank L. Hearne W. Langston Holland ’60 Stephen D. Hurm ’86 Robert D. Johnson ’07 Hon. Lawrence E. Keough ’60 Frank Klim S Caranell B. Lott Prof. Thomas C. Marks Jr. ’63 F Bernard J. BA ’69, JD ’72 O and Denise P. McCabe BA ’68 Hon. Catherine Peek McEwen ’82 Stephen J. Mitchell William R. Nunno ’71 David A. Paul BA ’91, JD ’94 Maureen C. Proctor ’88 Hon. Peggy A. Quince O Assoc. Dean Theresa J. Pulley-Radwan F Evan R. Raymond ’10 Darin T. Richter ’08 Assoc. Dean Susan D. Rozelle F Francisco J. Sanchez Frederick L. Schaub ’84 Gregory K. Showers ’92 O Mark A. Smith Robert J. Sniffen ’93 G. Andrew Speer ’51 D William N. Spellacy Squire Sanders LLP G. J. Rod Sullivan Jr. ’82 Bill Shouyun Tong ’90 Prof. Rebecca S. Trammell F Prof. Stephanie A. Vaughan ’91 F Karen McManus Vaughan ’97 Vose Law Firm, LLP Julie E. Walbroel ’95 Robert G. Wellon Sr. ’74 O Irving W. Wheeler ’59 William A. Wildhack ’05 Ahmad M. Yakzan BA ’03, MBA ’05, JD ’08, LLM ’09 AMBASSADOR $250 – $499 Anonymous Wayne S. Abbott Bruce S. Albright ’77 Onchantho Am ’11 Gene J. Andre Jr. George C. Andriotis ’05 Jeptha F. BA ’79, JD ’82 and Carol H. Barbour BA ’81 Richard W. Bates ’09 Prof. Cynthia B. Batt F Biasotti and Associates Robert B. Blancato Hon. John R. Blue ’63 V. John Brook Jr. ’71 Beach A. Brooks Jr. ’83 Heather E. Bush ’10 Captrust Advisors LLC J. Frazier ’88 and Claire B. Carraway ’85
Mary F. Chapman ’98 David P. Coates ’06 Harry L. Coe IV ’95 Derrick R. Connell ’09 Janice K. Cooper Dorian K. Damoorgian Hugo H. deBeaubien ’73 Theodore A. Doremus Jr. ’69 Kelton M. Farris ’86 Ferman Motor Car Company, Inc. B. Claudette Goyanes-Fornuto ’13 Alberto F. Gomez Jr. ’88 Hon. Oliver L. Green ’58 Anthony J. Grezik ’53 Jeffrey M. ’11 and Scarlett R. Guy ’02 Mark E. Haranzo ’85 Thomas S. Harmon ’95 Nathaniel S. Hatcher ’08 Jerry M. and Sally A. Hayden David G. Henry ’91 R. Nathan ’83 and Margaret D. Hightower ’83 Paul W. Hitchens ’77 Clifford G. Hoffman ’69 Edward A. Hutchison Jr. ’86 Hon. Pamela D. Iorio Aleksandra I. Jagiella ’04 Adam T. Jameson ’09 Prof. Marco J. Jimenez F Gary R. Jodat ’93 Rita Al Goding Jones Gina Fridella Jung ’92 Debra L. Karl Brooke M. Lacy BA’02, JD’07 Prof. Peter F. Lake F Robert A. and Roxane M. Latoza S Tracy E. Leduc ’97 Jeffrey A. ’93 and Julie Luhrsen Eunice A. Luke ’66 Melody B. Lynch MBA ’07, JD ’07 Damian D. ’90 and Sara B. Mallard ’91 Kevin A. Malone Hon. Kenneth A. ’76 and Deborah Reid Marra ’77 Patrick S. McArdle ’12 Carey W. Meldon ’05 Hon. Robert F. Michael Jr. ’64 Peter S. Miller ’74 Lela E. Morris Perez ’10 Edwin A. Narain ’13 Christina Caroline Nethero ’10 Phil D. O’Connell Jr. ’68 James L. O’Leary II ’95 Prof. Jason S. Palmer F Clinton Paris MBA ’00, JD ’00 M. Blair Payne ’81 Samuel L. Jr. BBA ’70 and Jacquelin S. Perry James A. Pilon ’76 Prof. Ellen S. Podgor F Jerome D. Quinn ’68 Kayla E. Richmond ’13 Hon. Charles J. Roberts ’81 Kimberly L. Rodgers ’98 Andrew W. Rosin ’02
DONOR
Report Stephen B. Russell ’75 Allen R. Samuels ’56 Creighton P. Shafer ’98 Prof. James A. Sheehan ’77 F George R. ’53 and Barbara M. Stedronsky BS ’54 Leslie R. Stein ’76 O Terry W. Stiles Mark K. and Sarah R. Straley ’80 Hon. Jeffrey E. Streitfeld ’73 Brett L. Swigert ’90 Beverly H. Switz Robert M. Thomas Tony G. Thomas ’11 Patricia A. Trent ’77 Stephanie Sawchuk Turk ’12 John E. Tuthill USAFF-Gator Redleg Chapter Kenneth S. Van Meter ’90 Matthew T. Waite Thomas R. Williams Jr. ’79 Erika S. Wilson ’12 Peter L. Wittich Mark J. Woodward ’80 Thomas R. Yaegers ’05 Angela A. Zervos ’96 Prof. Candace M. Zierdt F Stuart D. Zimring Jeffrey C. Zucker ’72 DIPLOMAT $100 – $249 Anonymous ACLU Foundation of Florida Matthew Adler Albert T. MBA ’12 and Catharine Allen Ann M. Allison ’04 Prof. Linda S. Anderson F Hon. Horace Andrews ’70 Modupe O. Anuku Keith T. Appleby MBA ’04, JD ’04 Hon. Tangela H. Barrie ’97 Patricia G. Bean W. G. Bellows T. Grey Squires Binford ’87 Hon. Arthur B. Bleecher ’57 Prof. Paul J. Boudreaux Jr. F Patrick D. ’03 and Alicia H. Brannon BA ’97, MS ’99, JD ’04 Terrence T. Brennen Laura L. Brewer ’88 Jane H. Brown ’77 Jacqueline L. Brown ’92 Edward P. BA ’88, JD ’90 and Mercedes Buntz Joann Grages Burnett ’08 S Richard and Sara Callari Richard A. Canina ’10 Nancy Canniff Burton W. Carlson Hon. Charles Carrere ’61 David Cohen Beverly C. Cole
Community Foundation of Central Florida Inc. Douglas S. Connor ’82 Daniel C. Consuegra ’83 Robin M. L. Cornell ’94 Michael T. Davis BA ’05, JD ’08 Michael S. Davis BA ’65, MBA ’67 and Carol Davis Dr. J. Allison DeFoor II ’79 Mark Dern Darby Dickerson Slade V. Dukes ’04 Sacha Dyson ’01 Charles G. Edwards ’64 Charles Ermer Joseph W. Etter IV ’10 Kenneth R. BA ’60, JD ’67 and JoAnne A. Evans BA ’62 Jessica L. Falkner ’14 Mary D. Fanizzi Nancy G. Farage ’81 Prof. Kelly M. Feeley ’95 F Michael W. Fisher ’67 Rosana Fleming Chad S. Friedman ’04 Prof. Clark Furlow F Jay M. Gottlieb ’76 Davina Y. Gould BA ’97 S William R. Gower III ’13 Sen. Robert and Adele K. Graham Tamara L. Graysay ’02 Christine M. Gumberg Jeffrey D. Harvey ’12 Kathleen M. Heide Prof. Carol Henderson F Dan B. Hendrickson ’87 Michele Leo Hintson ’02 Peter T. Hofstra ’77 Hon. Donald E. Horrox ’82 Donald W. Howard S Mary Alice Jackson ’91 Jack P. James III ’96 Patricia Z. Jeter Miguel F. Jimenez Maureen D. Jones James A. Jordan Michael A. Kalil ’08 Thomas E. Kane Jr ’08 William A. and Barbara Kaplin Lt. John E. ’90 and Nancy E. Kemner JD ’90, LLM ’10 Douglas Kemp ’02 Daniel R. Kirkwood ’79 Earlene Kuester Damaris Leal Shirley H. Lee MEd ’73 Michael Lenehan ’75 Marvin S. Littky ’63 Robert B. Lochrie III Kristina G. Macys S Kevin and Julie Adler Mahfood Kerry Marsh Albert N. Masi
Nicola J. Melby ’92 Larry K. Meyer ’66 David C. Miller ’98 Hon. Stanley R. Mills ’72 Kenneth A. Mirkin ’08 Frank E. BBA ’93 and Tammy A. Morreale William M. Morrison Jr. ’50 Prof. Joseph F. Morrissey F James J. Moss ’88 NAELA National Guardianship Network Deana L. Nelson Daniel A. Noble Alicia M. Norton S Prof. Marleen O’Connor F Erin N. Okuno ’13 S Daniel A. Orie S John E. Ormond Jr. ’75 Eleno Oviedo and Mirta Chang Stephen C. Page ’77 Ruth B. Parent ’80 Gary R. Patena Dr. David W. Persky ’88 Prof. Ann M. Piccard ’85 F Erica G. Pless ’08 Bonnie L. Polk ’94 Cassandra N. Ponder ’03 Hon. Rom W. Powell ’63 William D. Preston Raymond J. Rafool II ’91 Andrew J. Rollins ’07 Kristi B. Rothell ’02 Arlene F. Rothman Aisha S. Sanchez ’09 Danny Scarfone David M. Scharlin Gregory L. Scott ’73 Richard M. Sebek ’87 and Joan Corces ’87 Gary P. Simon ’74 Maria Singfield Peter M. Sipples ’75 Joseph F. Smith Jr. Richard J. Stalder Hon. Ralph Steinberg ’59 Nancy K. Steverson ’03 Daniel R. Strader ’12 Hon. Elizabeth M. Timothy Prof. Ciara C. Torres-Spelliscy F Patricia S. Toups BBA ’09 S Gary L. and Laura H. Turner Joseph Valenti Prof. Louis J. Virelli III F Sheldon T. Warman Philip S. Wartenberg ’94 Christopher D. Watson ’82 Deborah L. Werner ’83 Stephen M. Whyte MBA ’04, JD ’98 John C. Wolfe ’73 Jefferey M. Yussman
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DONOR $99 and under Atlanta Chapter of the Holiday Inc. Steve Albers David A. BBA ’92 and Toni H. Ballesteros BS ’91 Prof. Dorothea Beane F Prof. Jason R. Bent F Nancy J. Besore ’05 Lilia Betancur Joseph C. Bodiford ’95 Amanda J. Boggus ’09 Terry D. Bork ’84 Yova A. Borovska ’10 Arianne E. Buchanan ’09 Adam R. Bugg ’13 Chad E. Burgess ’13 Deborah A. Bushnell ’80 Patricia S. Calhoun ’05 Prof. Catherine Cameron F Hunter W. Carroll P. Lynn Cash ’83 Wynne M. Casteel Jr. ’58 Cheyenne Consulting and Investments Chloe Coney Christopher W. Conklin Hon. John N. Conrad BA ’78, JD ’80 Karen J. Custer ’89 Kevin M. Davis ’04 Lana L. Dean ’99 Prof. Cynthia H. DeBose F Ivory M. Denson G. Robertson ’82 and Patti N. Dilg BA ’64 Roger J. Dodd Shannon L. Edgar S Katie F. Everson S Eileen M. Fahey ’86 Prof. James W. Fox Jr. F Larry M. ’80 and Judith A. Foyle ’81 Michael S. Fulton Jonathan T. Gilbert ’08 Jennifer L. Grosso Lenora L. Guidry Mark and Annette Gutt Bettie M. Harden Elizabeth S. Harris ’95 Phoenix Ayotte Harris ’07 Nina L. Hayden JD ’03 LLM ’12 Jennie E. Hayes ’13 Darryl J. Henderson Todd R. Howard ’07 Frank R. Jr. and Barbara G. Huth S Leighton J. Hyde ’12 David Kamm Sarah E. Kay MBA ’10 JD ’10 Clifford R. Klaus ’02 Edward B. Knauer ’84 Christopher R. Koehler JD ’03 MBA ’04 Tommy J. Koulouris Stephen M. Krist Derek E. Larsen-Chaney ’12 Norma S. Lewis Lashanda Lightbourne Karen E. Lloyd ’85 Prof. Lance N. Long F Kevin Adam Lonzo ’14
Harley K. Look ’07 Susan A. MacManus Andrea McHugh Coren J. Meeks BM ’06, JD ’09 Michael and Betty M. Milhoan Kristen R. Moore ’09 S Emily E. Morgan ’07 Carol C. Murphy ’78 Joseph T. Murray III ’08 Matt C. Myers ’07 Prof. Luz E. Nagle F J. William Norton III ’68 NorthStar Bank Mary A. Noud ’04 Diva E. O’Bryan ’12 Brandi Palmer S Felicia A. Pecora Dorothy M. Pessillo ’83 Michele L. Phillips Leanne C. Prinzi ’09 Benjamin W. Raslavich ’12 Robert M. Ratkiewicz Jr. S James E. Reid Thomas W. Rezanka ’80 Cynthia A. Riddell ’07 John Rivera ’81 Sabrina W. Robinson Col. Jorge E. Sr. BA ’73 and Renee Rodriguez George D. Root III ’09
Laura A. Rose BA ’09, JD ’12 Bonnie E. Russell ’84 Ilyas Sayeg Prof. Judith A. Scully F T. Terrell Sessums Todd C. Simms George M. and Cheryl L. Sledge Claudos G. Spears ’72 Brian F. Stayton Sonia P. Stepien ’12 Scott Stevenson ’12 Susan A. Stinson Janice A. Strawn S Mort Stupp Thomas Health Law Group P.A. David J. Tong ’84 Top Ladies of Distinction Inc., Tampa Bay West Central Florida Johanne Valois ’93 Jaime L. Mercado Vargas ’08 Capt. William C. Vose Adron H. Walker BBA ’77, JD ’80 Kevin P. BBA ’86 and Page N. Wasilewski BBA ’85 Brenda Knapper Wayne William C. Jr BA ’75 and Diane C. Webster Jessie M. Weissman ’12 Daniel D. Whitehouse ’11 Prof. Darryl C. Wilson F Helga L. Zipser
Hughes appointed assistant dean Kevin Hughes joined the College of Law in August as its new assistant dean of development and alumni engagement. He comes from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where he focused on major gifts fundraising, working with donors making major gifts and supporting the school’s annual fund. “With any type of fundraising, we first want to get people engaged in the life of a school,” he says. “I worked on that at Denison — getting alumni engaged in the school first, then talking about philanthropic opportunities. That’s really what I will be doing in this role at Stetson, as well.” While law school differs from the liberal-arts environment from which he comes, Dean Hughes finds some similarities. “It’s also a small school environment in which relationships are most important, and where faculty and students develop relationships both inside and outside the classroom,” he says. “That’s really what drew me to Stetson.” Dean Hughes started his career in
politics, serving as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate and as a regional political director and state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. Eventually, he began focusing on fundraising and campaign work. “I got burned out from the political games,” he says. “I have a very non-confrontational personality, and the nastiness of politics wore on me. I took a step back and looked at my liberal-arts background, and I realized how much I enjoyed fundraising.” Dean Hughes says he is most excited to get started building relationships at Stetson, getting to know the staff and faculty, and getting on the road to meet alumni. “I really sense a lot of great opportunity,” he says. “One of the reasons why I do love working in development so much is that when you do, you really have the opportunity to help the institution grow in a positive way. I see great opportunity here.”
Help a future lawyer take the
first step. As a Stetson Law graduate, you know what it takes to become a great lawyer. Do you know an outstanding student who’s interested in attending law school? Stetson is looking for students who
could follow in your footsteps and earn their degree from America’s top-ranked law school for trial advocacy. Simply have the student mention your name, and we will waive the student’s application fee. The sooner the student applies to Stetson, the greater the chance for a scholarship opportunity. Time is of the essence. Visit stetson.edu/lawstudentreferral or refer them directly by contacting 727-562-7802 or lawadmit@law.stetson.edu. Thank you.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID College of Law Development and Alumni Engagement 1401 61st St. S. Gulfport, FL 33707
Permit No. 1920 St. Petersburg, FL
The docket 4/24–25 Stetson University Alumni Board Meeting, Gulfport Campus 4/24 Fundamentals of Special Needs Trusts Administration Webinar, online 5/15 Honors and Awards Ceremony, 4:30 p.m.,Gulfport Campus 5/15 Graduation Family Celebration, 6 p.m.,Gulfport Campus 5/16 Commencement Ceremony, 8:30 a.m., Gulfport Campus 5/18–21 Educating Advocates: Teaching Advocacy Skills, Gulfport Campus 5/22 Tampa Bay Mad Hatter Golf Classic, 7 a.m., Pasadena Yacht and Country Club 6/2 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast Alumni Chapter Reception, 5:30 p.m., Palm Beach Yacht Club 6/5 Hard Questions in Ethics and Professionalism in the Legal World, The University Club, Orlando 6/5 Central Florida Alumni Chapter Reception, The University Club, Orlando 6/25 Florida Bar Annual Convention Alumni Reception, Boca Raton Resort and Club
7/4 7/13–15 7/16–17 7/28–29 8/25 10/8–11 10/14–16 10/24 11/7 12/17
Independence Day Barbecue and Fireworks Viewing, Gulfport Campus Destination CLE: Dublin, Ireland, Law Society of Ireland Advanced Legal Storytelling: The Persuasive Use of the Law, Skill and Art of Advocacy, University College of Dublin Sutherland School of Law, Ireland Florida Bar Examination, Tampa Convention Center Dean’s Circle Reception, Home of Dean Pietruszkiewicz National Pretrial Competition, Gulfport Campus Special Needs Trusts: The National Conference, The Vinoy Renaissance, St. Petersburg Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Gulfport Campus Stetson Law Information Day, Gulfport Campus Fall Graduate Celebration, 6 p.m., Gulfport Campus
Watch bit.ly/stetsonlawevents online for additional alumni events and class reunions or email alumni@law.stetson.edu for more information.