Law students who have completed 48 credit hours may be certified by the Florida Supreme Court to appear in court on behalf of an indigent person while under supervision of a lawyer in an ABA-approved law school practice program (clinic).

Effective this semester, to become certified with the Florida Supreme Court you must be registered with the Florida Board of Bar Examiners (FBBE) as a certified legal intern registrant (or have already received your FBBE clearance letter). See Chapter 11: Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.

It is crucial that you allow sufficient time for the mandatory FBBE “fitness and character screening” so that you receive your clearance letter from them prior to enrolling in clinics requiring CLI.

We recommend you submit your application to the Bar at least three to six months before you apply for one of the law school clinics (not required for Mediation or Conservation Clinic).

Clinic prep courses do not require the certification for registration, but you must be eligible by mid-semester of the prep course (Juvenile and Pro Se).

For more information about certification eligibility visit the clinics or attend the information session on Nov. 5 at noon in 180 HOL.

Clinic Calendar and Deadlines:
Oct. 27: Schedules and clinic applications available to students.
Nov. 5: Clinic information meeting at noon in 180 HOL – Pizza will be served.
Nov. 7: Clinic applications due in Student Affairs.

NOTE: Students will be notified after Nov.14 of their acceptance into a clinic and made an offer to accept within a certain amount of time. If they decline the offer will be made to the next person on the waiting list. Also, registration is department-controlled ( i.e., you may only register through Student Affairs based on the offer and you may only drop the clinic through Student Affairs).

Assistant Dean Michael Patrick shakes hands with former UF law student Frank Goldstein during the Mike Patrick Scholarship presentation on Oct. 24. (UF Law/Chen Wang)

Assistant Dean of Admissions Michael Patrick was honored Friday with a scholarship endowed in his name.

“The ceremony was very pleasant and very nice,” Patrick said. “Even though it was a day that law school wasn’t in session, there was a large group of faculty there.”

Frank Goldstein of The Goldstein Law Group will donate $40,000 towards scholarships for University of Florida Levin College of Law students in Patrick’s name. The fund will be known as The Goldstein Law Group Endowment in Honor of University of Florida College of Law Dean Michael Patrick.

“Considering scholarships most generally get endowed in people’s names after they are well away from the university or passed away, it’s pretty unique and quite an honor for someone who is still in the position that they are honored for,” Patrick said.

Patrick came to the UF College of Law in 1980 as an assistant registrar. In 1982, he was named assistant dean for admissions and financial aid before becoming the assistant dean for admissions in 1993.

Patrick was part of the admissions office that admitted Goldstein to UF Law.

“When I applied to UF’s College of Law I was an imperfect candidate who had to put himself through law school, but Dean Patrick saw someone with potential and took a chance on me,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein and Patrick were honored in a ceremony Friday in the Rare Book Room. Goldstein graduated from UF with a Bachelor of Science in economics in 1990. In 1993, he earned his Juris Doctorate from UF Law.

He now practices in South Florida where he established the Goldstein Law Group. He focuses on the civil prosecution of insurance fraud claims and the defense of insurance and corporate related matters.

The scholarship recipient is to be chosen by the Dean and/or law school financial aid/scholarship committee. Minimum criteria for applicant is: Third-year law student, LSAT score of 159 or higher, has financial need and completes a 100 word essay on why he/she is deserving of the scholarship.

Goldstein said the scholarship would be a good way to give back to the school he owes his success to.

“This scholarship should benefit a well deserving student with a strong work ethic,” Goldstein said. “I want to take the chance on today’s youth just like Dean Patrick took a chance on me.”

Professor Lyrissa Lidsky speaks in front of a crowd of 10,000 at a Michelle Obama speech on Oct. 22. (UF Law/Chen Wang)

Professor Lyrissa C. Barnett Lidsky spoke Wednesday to the largest group she’s ever spoken to—a crowd of over 10,000 people.

Lidsky was one of many local citizens to warm up the crowd for Michelle Obama, presidential candidate Barack Obama’s wife. The event took place at the Hippodrome as part of the Obama campaign’s “Early Vote for Change” tour.

“I am so proud to be here today and to be part of this historic moment,” Lidsky said at the rally. “I’m so glad to see all of you because I know that you want to make your voice heard in this election and you’re going to do it.”

Lidsky and local attorney Cherie Fine are heading Alachua County’s voter protection team for the Obama campaign. Lidsky and Fine have over 100 volunteers in Alachua County to make sure that every vote counts. There will be someone from the team at almost every polling place in the county to ensure things run smoothly. There is also a member of the voter protection team at each of the three early voting locations in the county.

The Obama campaign is assembling voter protection teams all across the country in battleground states. John McCain’s campaign is allowed to have someone at the polls also, Lidsky said. Both candidates have sections of their Web sites for people to volunteer monitoring the election.

Lidsky encouraged voters to go to a member of the team if they had any problem voting.

In her speech, Lidsky told the crowd how easy it was to vote and dispelled some common voting myths.

In Florida, you can wear candidate paraphernalia to the polls despite Internet rumors saying you cannot vote if you do.

“You may have heard some rumors telling you that voting is hard,” Lidsky said at the rally. “I’m here to tell you that voting is easy.”

Ralph Losey (right), e-discovery author, joined Professor Bill Hamilton (left) in his e-discovery class Friday. (UF Law/ Joshua Lukman)

The Sedona “E-Discovery Evening” will address the changing world of e-discovery tomorrow, Oct. 28, 5-9 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (180 HOL).

Lawyers and information technology professionals alike are faced with legal issues regarding the management and storage of electronic information. This conference will feature a panel and audience collaborative discussion of current e-discovery issues. E-discovery writer and visionary Ken Withers will moderate the event. For more information, see the conference Web site, http://www.law.ufl.edu/news/events/ediscovery/, which contains multiple links to information and handouts on the event and this important topic.

“The Levin College of Law is one of the first law schools in the nation to offer a course in what is being called ‘E-Discovery,’” said UF Law Dean Robert Jerry. “We’re very pleased that, thanks to Adjunct Professor Bill Hamilton, we are also now the first to co-sponsor a conference on the topic with the very well-respected Sedona Conference.”

Hamilton teaches the E-Discovery course at the law school, and helped set up a prestigious panel to discuss the changing world of e-discovery at the conference.

“The University of Florida should be very excited about its leadership in this area,” said Hamilton, who also serves as co-chair of Holland & Knight’s e-discovery team. “Other law schools have got to step up to the plate and teach electronic discovery because it’s a critical skill out there that judges are looking for. It’s almost a survival skill at this point. That’s why The Sedona Conference® has come here in recognition of Florida’s leadership in the e-discovery education world for students.”

The event is primarily for law students and faculty, but is also free and open to the public. There is still space available at the conference and those attending from outside the University of Florida should RSVP to william.hamilton@hklaw.com or 813-227-6480.

To read more about the E-Discovery Evening and The Sedona Conference®, see http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalawonline/10202008/sedona.shtml.