FlaLaw » 2003 » March » 31

Souza To Be Honored For Contributions

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:57:03 +0000

Paulo Roberto Pereira de Souza will receive the Award for Significant Contributions to Relations Between Florida and the Americas during the conference for helping to develop a permanent relationship between UF and Brazil. Souza is a founding member of the Advisory Board of UF’s Florida/Brazil Institute; directed collaborative research and exchange projects between the law faculties and co-authored comparative environmental law and policy studies in and between Florida and Paraná; and coordinates the Master’s Course of Law at the State University of Maringá in Brazil. He has served as rector of the State University of Maringá; state secretary of science, technology and economic development; state secretary of urban development and environment; and director of development, exchange and international operations of the Bank of the State of Paraná.

CGR Conference To Examine ‘Judicial Reform & Rule Of Law’

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:56:16 +0000

Top legal and policy experts from throughout Florida and Latin America are expected to participate April 13-14 in a unique “roundtable conference” here organized by the law school’s Center for Governmental Responsibility (CGR). Panelists and commentators will face the challenge of designing a blueprint for establishment of a “Center for Judicial Reform and Rule of Law in the Americas,” a UF initiative to be housed in the Levin College of Law. “This is our fourth annual Legal & Policy Issues in the Americas conference,” said Dean Jon Mills, who established CGR in 1972 and has since served as director. “It is particularly significant because the participants will help usher us into a new phase of our relationships in the Americas.” The proposed center is based on the concept that a democracy without an effective judiciary governed by the rule of law inhibits the capacity of its citizens to enjoy basic freedoms and discourages the international community from investing in the future of the country. The UF team proposes a university-based program designed to collaborate with sister universities throughout the Americas to implement a program that strengthens the rule of law in the region. Collaborators include the Justice Studies Center of the Americas in Santiago, Chile, which joined with CGR, the UF Warrington College of Business Center for International Business Education and Research, and the Florida Journal of International Law as conference sponsors. “Our panelists and commentators are wellqualified to assist us in development of this new venture,” said Mills. “Participants represent 14 international universities from eight countries; six international organizations; eight private law firms; five international businesses; five U.S. universities; and 12 UF academic departments.” Conference panels are organized on the topics of rule of law, civil justice reform, criminal law, comparative constitutional approaches, human rights commitments and judicial reform. Each roundtable session will feature a panel presentation followed by responses from distinguished commentators invited by Dean Mills to assist in the development of the center’s blueprint. Among distinguished panelists and commentators are former ABA President Martha Barnett; MetLife Senior Vice President Christine Markussen; attorney Robert G. Kerrigan; international businessman Everett J. Santos; former circuit judge and mediation specialist John Upchurch; former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; UF International Center Dean Dennis Jett; former Florida Governor and U.S. Envoy to the Americas Buddy MacKay; Chief Superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Peter German; former National Ombudsman of Peru Jorge Santistevan de Noriega; Director of UF’s Center for Latin American Studies Charles Wood; and law school deans and professors from Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, West Indies, Chile and the United Kingdom. UF law faculty involved in the conference are Michael Gordon, Fletcher Baldwin, Berta Esperanza Hernandez-Truyol, Stephen Powell, Timothy McLendon, Don Peters and Jeff Wade, as well as members of the law school’s international advisory committee. “Since the conference is organized as a roundtable discussion, limited spaces are available to the public as observers for the Monday session,” said conference organizer and CGR Development Director JoAnn Klein. “You must pre-register to attend, since a working lunch is part of the program and space is limited.” Sessions will be held at UF’s Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center. Additional details and registration are available through Lenny Kennedy of CGR (392.2237 or LKennedy@law.ufl.edu).

Beyond the Law School: Clinics Benefit Students & Community

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:52:01 +0000

This is the second of a two-part series examining how students benefit the community and themselves through the five clinics of the UF Levin College of Law’s Virgil Hawkins Civil Clinics — Full-Representation and Pro Se (see the March 24, 2003, FlaLaw) and Mediation, Criminal and Juvenile (Gator TeamChild), where students are certified by the Florida Supreme Court to practice under supervision of a licensed attorney. Mediation Clinic County Court Small Claims Mediation Clinic is taught by Clinics Director/Professor Don Peters (now on sabbatical) and Legal Skills Professor Alison Gerencser. It gives students experience in acting as neutral third-parties to help adversaries resolve conflicts. “There is a growing trend toward mediation, whether in contracts, probate or civil litigation, and only about two percent of civil cases go to trial,” said Gerencser. “Some courts, such as the Eighth Circuit, require mediation before trial.” In addition to providing invaluable practical experience, Mediation Clinic fulfills the Florida Supreme Court’s requirements for “Certified County Court Mediator.” Sections are offered spring and fall. There are no pre-requisites, though Negotiation is highly recommended. Gerencser’s section also offers the opportunity to participate in the Conflict Resolution Program (CRP), which helps troubled children learn to peacefully settle conflicts. CRP is supervised by Norma Greene, an education specialist and certified county mediator who has been involved in juvenile issues for years, including PACE Center for Girls, Alachua Regional Marine Institute and Pleasant Place. “CRP is important for young people we interact with,” said Greene. “And law students learn a lot from seeing what at-risk children go through.” Criminal Clinic Students in Criminal Clinic can work for the public defender under Professor Michelle Jacobs or state attorney under Adjunct Professor William Davis. There is a classroom component fall and spring, and students work 20 hours per week. During summer, students work 30 hours per week, with no classroom component, and may work in other Florida cities. (See the College of Law Student Handbook for prerequisites. Gator TeamChild (Juvenile Law Clinic) Because children rarely can advocate for themselves, their rights often are ignored. Under direction of Legal Skills Professor Claudia Wright, Gator TeamChild (GTC) provides free legal services to roughly 100 indigent children at any given time. The clinic also provides valuable experience to third-year law students, including fundamental advocacy skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiating, and navigating bureaucracies, agencies and court systems. “GTC offers a unique opportunity for students to represent clients in a variety of forums,” Wright said. “In different counties, before different judges, before different agencies.” The clinic’s core principle is that adults can work together to create environments where children can succeed. Law students work in teams with graduate-level, social-work students to assess clients’ needs, and collaborate with other professionals in the community to provide services for the children. GTC is a two-semester program and is open to third-year law students.

UF Law Mentor Program Unique Among Florida Schools

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:50:01 +0000

According to The Florida Bar, the Levin College of Law is the only Florida school with an interactive student-mentor program. Its database of lawyermentors who volunteer their time to help students better understand the legal profession has grown to more than 300 since the Center for Career Services took over the program in 2000, and now includes information such as the mentor’s graduation year, region, practice specialty and law school extra-curricular activities. “More information makes for better matches between students and mentors,” said Career Services Assistant Dean Kathy Urbach. Third-year law student Gisela Then met her mentor, UF graduate Oscar Sanchez, president of the Law Alumni Council and partner at Akerman Senterfitt, her first year of law school. “Being a mentor to Gisela was extremely fulfilling. I have been involved in these types of programs for years, and success or failure always depends on the level of involvement either side puts into it,” said Sanchez. “Gisela and I hit it off right away when she was in her first year of law school, and because of her commitment, we maintained the mentor-mentee relationship via e-mail over the years. For the mentor, it is a great way to give back a little and to stay in touch with the wonderful enthusiasm of the students.” Then considers the mentor program one of her best experiences in law school. “It has been motivational since the beginning,” she said. “Oscar is the perfect model of a successful UF graduate and was very available to me. All his guidance and advice turned out to be right.” “Some mentors meet with students just a few times, some build lasting associations,” said Urbach. “Sometimes a mentor’s practice won’t quite match a student’s interests, but the mentor will provide another contact for the student, which can be incredibly helpful.” “Many mentors take on more than one student at a time,” she added. “The program is a great way for lawyers to give back and help students ease into professional life.” Students interested in finding a mentor or graduates wishing to volunteer should contact the Center for Career Services.

Dean’s Message

wsmitty@ufl.edu — Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:48:24 +0000

Professor Jeffrey Davis (left), who led the college's recent strategic planning effor, Dean Jon Mills and Professor and Self-Study Committee Chair Alyson Flournoy spoke with Dean Nell Newton and other site visit team members last week.

Months of planning and concentrated and concerted efforts by College of Law faculty, alumni and others culminated last week in a site visit from American Bar Association (ABA) and Association of American Law Schools (AALS) representatives.

A Sabbatical Site Visit Team led by W.H. “Joe” Knight, dean of the University of Washington School of Law, visited classes, met with UF and law school administrators and spoke with students, staff, alumni and members of the bench and bar as part of the ABA accreditation process and AALS review for conformity. Also on the team were Fordham University Law Professor James A. Cohen, University of Alabama Law Professor Bryan Fair, A.H. Gaede, Jr. of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, University of Connecticut Law Dean Nell Jessup Newton, Wake Forest University School of Law Professor Marian Parker and University of Kentucky Medical School Dean David S. Watt.

I was pleased I could inform them of significant progress since the last site visit seven years ago.

Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our alumni, we begin construction this year on a new academic building and library, and continue to renovate and modernize existing facilities. As demonstrated in their response to our requests for support during the building campaign, our relationship with our graduates has improved, and members of our Board of Trustees and Law Center Association are increasingly active participants in fundraising. And the proactive participation of the central UF administration in finding funds for new and expanded facilities at the law school is tangible proof of our now solid relationship with main campus.

We reported a 25-1 student-faculty ratio in the last visit. It is now 16-1, an astonishing improvement. We have hired a nearly unprecedented number of new faculty, bringing richness and depth to our academic programs.

Thanks to the leadership of former and current associate deans Mike Seigel and Michael Friel, we now have and are following a carefully formulated administrative budget. In addition, we have developed a Strategic Plan designed to bring our college into the ranks of the nation’s top 10 public law schools.

We have paid particular attention to listening and responding to student concerns. Our Center for Career Services, for example, has worked hard to help students find fulfilling jobs, which has paid off in a dramatically improved employment rate nine months after graduation of 97 percent.

There is much more good news we were able to share with the ABA/AALS team. All of it is due to you — every member of the UF law family — who cared and worked hard to make a difference in this school and the future of those who pass through here.

The team was very impressed with our students, faculty and staff. Thanks to each of you for your efforts. — Dean Jon Mills