UF Law eNews - October 2010

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[UF LAW eNews - a publication of the Levin College of Law @ the University of Florida]

[Fredric G. Levin College of Law]

UPCOMING EVENTS

ABA president, UF Law grad Stephen Zack delivers Criser lecture Friday, Oct. 8

American Bar Association (ABA) President and University of Florida Levin College of Law graduate Stephen N. Zack will present at the Marshall M. Criser Distinguished Lecture Series at the UF law school. Zack's presentation, "How Will the Next Generation of Lawyers be Remembered?" will be held in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180, on Friday at 2 p.m. Zack is the fifth UF Law graduate and first Hispanic-American to serve as president of the ABA. As president of the 400,000 member-plus organization, Zack works toward gaining equal access to justice for all segments of society, sufficient funding of the judiciary, the growing use of technology in the legal world and the importance of a proper civic education for young students. "We are pleased to welcome Stephen Zack for our next Criser Lecture," said UF Law Dean Robert Jerry. "Zack has been a tireless advocate for the rule of law, and he is devoted to the judiciary and its role in guaranteeing the constitutional rights of every citizen." The lecture will be webcast live via the UF Law homepage.

"Beat the Bulldogs" reception set for Oct. 28

Join Dean Bob Jerry and other UF Law Alumni for our annual "Beat the Bulldogs" reception on Thursday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The River Club (Florida Room, 35th Floor) in Jacksonville. To RSVP, please visit our website For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kathy Hendrixson at khendrixson@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0642. Thank you to our current sponsors: Law firms: Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe, P.A. and Holland & Knight; Individuals: Howard C. Coker, W.C. Gentry, Robert M. Harris and Julie C. Miller.

Free webinars offer CLE credits

You can earn 1.5 CLE credits from The Florida Bar by viewing free webinars from the comfort of your home or office thanks to a new collaborative effort by the Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group and University of Florida Levin College of Law's Institute for Dispute Resolution. The first webinar is scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, and will feature Kim Sands, shareholder with the Upchurch Watson White & Max Mediation Group, as she examines third party bad faith and shares the mediator's perspective during a 75-minute interactive discussion. Part II of her presentation will be offered 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3. For more information on these or other collaborative webinars or to register, go to http://uww-adr.com/seminars.cfm?sections_id=6. Future webinars will explore probate mediation, representing clients in class actions at mediation, the relationship between risk management departments and the field of alternative dispute resolution.

UF Law Alumni & Friends 2010 Holiday Party Dec. 9

Please join us for the UF Law Alumni & Friends 2010 Holiday Party Thursday, Dec. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the home of Dean Bob and Lisa Jerry. RSVP by Dec. 2 online, by e-mailing development@law.ufl.edu or by calling 352-273-0640. A special thanks to our sponsor Dean, Mead & Bovay, who will be opening their Gainesville office on Jan. 1, 2011.

RECENT NEWS

UF Law grads lead state and national bar

When UF Law graduate and former president of The Florida Bar Stephen N. Zack was sworn in as president of the American Bar Association in August, he became the first Hispanic-American to take on the duty, and the fifth UF Law graduate to hold the position. Following in Zack's footsteps on the state level are UF Law alumni Mayanne Downs, who became president of The Florida Bar in June, and Scott G. Hawkins, The Florida Bar president-elect for 2011. As president of the 400,000 member-plus ABA, Zack will work toward gaining equal access to justice for all segments of society, a major focal point of his presidency.
READ MORE»

UF Law No. 1 on July Florida Bar Exam

The University of Florida Levin College of Law achieved the highest passage rate on the July Florida bar exam out of the state's 11 law schools, according to results recently released by the Florida Supreme Court. Out of 310 UF Law grads that took the examination, 269 passed, resulting in a 86.8 percent pass rate compared to the state's overall pass rate of 79.2 percent. Florida State University (86.2) and Miami University (86) rounded out the top three schools."UF Law was first in Florida on the July 2010 Bar Exam, and continues to hold the record of having the most consistently strong performance on the bar over time of any law school in the state," said UF Law Dean Robert Jerry.
READ MORE»

UF Law ranks as No. 5 best law school for Hispanic students

The University of Florida Levin College of Law has been ranked as the fifth best law school in the nation for Hispanic students by Hispanic Business magazine. UF Law has been ranked in the top 10 eight times in the past decade. "It is exciting, but not surprising, that UF is recognized for its firm commitment to diversity, and its success with the Latina/Latino community," said UF Law Professor Berta Hernández-Truyol. Hernández-Truyol, along with Pedro Malavet, Juan Perea and Daniel Sokol are the full-time Hispanic professors at UF Law, making the college a national leader in the number of tenured and tenure-track Hispanic faculty members. "Many law schools do not have a single Hispanic law professor, and few have more than one," Malavet said. "We have earned our place in the top 10 by developing a strongly diverse community with a strong critical mass of Hispanics at every level of our school."
READ MORE»

Guest professor, author of new book visits UF Law to discuss mass incarceration

"We have not ended the racial caste system in America, we have merely redesigned it," said Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Professor Michelle Alexander, author of "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," at her discussion Sept. 22. Students, faculty and community members gathered to hear the lecture and ask the first-time author questions. Alexander intended her book to be "a wake-up call." "It was my greatest hope in writing The New Jim Crow that it would help to stimulate public dialogue and debate about a phenomenon that has been ignored for far too long in this country – the mass incarceration of poor people of color," Alexander said.
READ MORE»

UF examines relationship of social media and government during Constitution Day

During his campaign for the presidency, President Barack Obama captured the attention of Americans through his savvy use of social media in a way no presidential candidate had done before. As a result, many government agencies have jumped on the social media bandwagon, and are using Facebook and other social media websites to communicate with their constituents. Yet, they may be unaware that exercising editorial control over the content on their websites could open them up to potential liability for lawsuits or other legal actions. Can a government actor, such as a law school administrator, remove or edit "undesirable" comments on a website without becoming the subject of litigation charging a First Amendment violation? According to Stephen C. O'Connell Chair and University of Florida Professor of Law Lyrissa Lidsky, it depends on whether a court labels it government speech or a public forum.
READ MORE»

Historic preservation contributes $6 billion annually to Florida economy, UF Law study shows

Historic preservation activities in Florida contribute more than $6 billion annually to the state's economy, accounting for more than 110,000 jobs, according to a two-year study by the Center for Governmental Responsibility (CGR) at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. UF researchers, partnering with the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University, examined activities that included rehabilitation of historic buildings, heritage tourism, state historic preservation grants, operations of history museums and Florida Main Street Programs. The study was funded by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources in the Florida Department of State. It updated a similar study completed in 2002.
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2010 incoming class best-credentialed in UF Law history

The entering Class of 2013 set a new record in terms of their collective GPA — with metrics that compare favorably to those previously reported by the nation's top 25 law schools — and LSAT — with metrics resembling those of the top 40 law schools. The credentials of these first-year law students reinforce UF Law's reputation as a top-tier national law school, and enhance the school's ability to recruit high-caliber students. It builds on the trend of an increasingly well-qualified student body in recent years.
READ MORE»

Oil spill symposium digs deep into issues of April disaster, aftermath

"What has happened? A lot. What needs to happen? A lot." This was UF Law Professor Alyson Flournoy's response to the federal government's actions since the BP oil disaster April 20. UF Law students and faculty discussed legal and policy issues from the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil spill before an audience Sept. 16 in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. Law students Austin Moretz, Alyssa Cameron, Jesse Reiblich, James Davies, Carli Koshal and Fay Pappas presented their research on various aspects of the catastrophe including a comparative analysis from state and federal perspectives of the legal foundations governing spills, responses to the oil spill, recovery and restoration issues and social impacts of the disaster.
READ MORE»

UF Law opens all-inclusive domestic violence clinic

[Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic]

The newest addition to UF Law's Virgil D. Hawkins Civil Clinics opened its doors for the first time this past summer with four interns completing the program in early August. The Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic (IPVAC) is the first and only clinic of its kind in the country, helping indigent victims of domestic violence meet legal, safety, family and medical needs. "I am thrilled that we got IPVAC off the ground and running this summer," said Teresa Drake, director of the clinic. "The students handled cases with issues ranging from dissolution to injunctive relief; immigration to landlord tenant law." Intern Diana Korn (3L) said "A major benefit of the clinic is that the law students are enabling individuals to have representation and a voice in proceedings where they might not have." The clinic is a collaboration between the University of Florida Levin College of Law, College of Medicine, Shands Teaching Hospital and Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network.

Sculpture by renowned artist installed at UF Law

A sculpture by internationally renowned American artist John Van Alstine was installed this past summer on the UF Law campus. Marty Margulies, whose gift to the 2005 law school renovation project was the largest single contribution for that project, chose and donated the sculpture to the law school from his extensive private art collection. "Marty is a prominent real-estate developer, major national and international art collector and supporter of the arts, and a philanthropist of extraordinary generosity," UF Law Dean Robert Jerry said. "This sculpture is a famous work of art, and a welcome addition to the landscape of our campus."
READ MORE»

Check out the UF Florida Tomorrow capital campaign, view the UF Law campaign video,
and learn how you can help.

October 2010
VOLUME XI, ISSUE 1

Stay informed

We are beginning to schedule the Music Law Conference and other events for spring, so be sure to check out the
events page for updates.

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UF Law eNews is produced by the Levin College of Law Communications Office.

Communications Coordinator, UF Law eNews Editor:
Whitney Smith
Director:
Debra Amirin
Associate Director, UF Law Magazine Editor:
Richard Goldstein
Online Communications Coordinator:
Michael Davis
Senior Writer, Media Relations:
Matt Walker
Photography:
Vincent Massaro
Joey Springer

Send submissions and/or suggestions to eNews editor Whitney Smith at smithw@law.ufl.edu or
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