FlaLaw » 2002 » February » 18

JESSUP Moot Court Team Excels

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:34:37 +0000

Florida’s JESSUP Moot Court Team won second place for Best Memorial in the JESSUP Southeast Regional Competition last week at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale. The JESSUP Competition is the oldest and most prestigious of the moot courts. Each year, over 300 law schools from more than 80 countries compete in regional competitions for a chance to argue in front of justices from the International Court of Justice. Competition topics this year included Internet regulation, cyberterrorism and fraudulent abduction. The team went 3-1 — losing only to champion Georgia — and finished second among all teams in total points. Representing Applicants, Mark Schultz and Taneka Campbell defeated Florida Coastal University and narrowly lost to Georgia. Representing Respondents, Brian Koch and Pamela Black defeated Stetson and South Carolina. (In the round against South Carolina, a judge awarded the only perfect marks given in the competition to Koch and Black.) Koch, who also coached the team, was named Second Best Oralist. Jennifer Gurevitz and Tiffany Durst were alternates, assisting the team in its awardwinning Memorial. The JESSUP Moot Court Team is part of UF’s International Moot Court, which has competed in Vienna, the Netherlands, and Washington. The international team holds tryouts for future competitions each semester.

In the spotlight: Sasnett, Slobogin, Wihnyk

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:31:29 +0000

Recent Appointments to Florida Bar Committees include Associate Dean for Students Gail Sasnett (Student Education and Admission to the Bar), Stephen C. O’Connell Professor Christopher Slobogin (Professionalism), and Legal Research and Writing Director Henry Wihnyk (CLE).

In the spotlight: Mazur

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:28:48 +0000

Professor Diane Mazur’s article, “Rehnquist’s Vietnam: Constitutional Separatism and the Stealth Advance of Martial Law,” will be published in the summer 2002 Indiana Law Journal. The article is a ‘prequel’ to a collection of articles to be published in a subsequent issue, “Congressional Power in the Shadow of the Rehnquist Court,” which will feature work by prominent constitutional scholars.

Weyrauch Receives ‘Golden JD’

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:26:25 +0000

Distinguished Professor and Stephen C. O’Connell Chair Walter Weyrauch (left) received a ‘Golden J.D.’ last week from the Faculty of Law of Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt, Germany. “This certificate is given at the 50th, or ‘Golden Jubilee,’ of the recipient’s J.D., and renews the diploma,” said Visiting Professor Albrecht Cordes (right), who presented the award on behalf of Dean Helmut Kohl. Weyrauch has been at UF since 1957. He is internationally known for his work in foreign and family law, and, more recently, Gypsy law. He once practiced law in Germany, and holds a faculty appointment at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. His connections led him to introduce the exchange program between the UF and Frankfurt law schools 15 years ago. “Professor Weyrauch is a renowned expert on many fundamental questions of law and its social structure, and is probably the world’s best expert in the field of Gypsy Law,” said Cordes. Weyrauch edited the recently published, Gypsy Law: Romani Legal Traditions and Culture.

McCulloch, Velasques Named ‘Women of the Year’

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 18 Feb 2002 18:18:23 +0000

Elizabeth “Liz” McCulloch, director of social policy at the Center for Governmental Responsibility, and Carol Velasques, Faculty Support Center secretary, have been named Alachua/Bradford County Women of Distinction in recognition of their involvement and service to their communities. McCulloch, who has worked at the law school since 1980, teaches Poverty Law and Policy, and directs the Florida Bar Foundation Public Service Law Fellows program. Her longstanding and numerous activities include chairing the Board of Directors of the domestic violence shelter “Peaceful Paths,” and serving on a county task force on indigent health care. The task force helped the County Medical Society and County Commission create ‘We Care,’ which coordinates millions of dollars a year in free care by health practitioners and hospitals. She recently wrote a layperson’s guide to Florida’s welfare program for the benefit of low income people and social service providers. According to Professor Nancy Dowd, “She has brought an awareness of the real lives of poor people into the law school, and changed people’s lives with her dedication.” Velasques, in addition to working full-time at the law school since 1990, is in her eighth year as general manager of Gainesville’s Acrosstown Repertory Theater and is credited for much of its success. She has directed numerous plays over the last 20 years, and is noted for her production of compelling black theater. She is immediate past chair of the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board and an instructor for the Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts, and has her own theater company. She frequently speaks at area schools on the history of African-Americans in American theater. “Carol is well-respected by business associates and considered a valuable resource by civic leaders and government officials alike,” said Robert Woods of the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board, which named Velasques Outstanding Artist of the Year for 2001. “Her tireless efforts on behalf of community arts and disadvantaged youth are widely recognized.” McCulloch and Velasques will be honored March 12 at a luncheon at the Savannah Grande. Tickets available from Yvonne Currie (395.5507).