The Diversity and Community Relations Committee and OUTLaw (UF Law’s gay-straight alliance) are pleased to announce that Lauren Hannahs, director of LGBT Affairs at UF, will present the Gator Allies program at UF Law on Wednesday at noon in HOL 345. All are welcome.

Gator Allies is an educational opportunity offered by LGBT Affairs that focuses on relevant issues that affect the LGBTQ community, while offering the opportunity to engage with the question: what does it mean to be an ally to the LGBTQ community?

The Gator Allies program is designed to provide participants with:

• Increased awareness and understanding of current LGBTQ issues, and LGBT history
• Further understanding of heteronormativity and homophobia and how it affects everyone (not just LGBTQ people)
• Further understanding of what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ community
• Skills and resources in being an ally across multiple contexts and communities

LIC Notes: vLex: A World of Information – with Translations

vLex is a database that provides access to current legal materials for 129 countries. While the exact materials available on vLex vary by country, they often include case law, legislation, regulations, gazettes, constitutions, legal books, journals and news coverage. Materials provided are generally in the official language of the country. vLex is able to automatically generate unofficial translations into 12 language options, including English.

The UF Legal Information Center provides access to vLex to UF faculty, staff, students, and UF Libraries visitors. The vLex link is located on our webpage under Foreign & Comparative Law Research: http://www.law.ufl.edu/library/library-information/find-a-database

If you are a UF faculty or staff member or a student and would like to access this database from home, you will need to follow our remote access procedures first.

Sixth annual Wolf Family Lecture March 13

The topic of the sixth annual Wolf Family Lecture on the American Law of Real Property on March 13 at 11 a.m. in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center is “Property Law and the Rise, Life, and Demise of Racially Restrictive Coveneants.” The lecture will feature Carol Rose, the Gordon Bradford Tweedy Professor Emeritus of Law and Organization and Professorial Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School.

The Wolf Family Lecture Series was endowed by a gift from UF Law Professor Michael Allan Wolf, who holds the Richard E. Nelson Chair in Local Government Law, and his wife, Betty.

Past scholars who have delivered the Wolf Family Lecture in the American Law of Real Property include Thomas W. Merrill, Charles Evans Hughes Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; Gregory S. Alexander, A. Robert Noll Professor of Law at Cornell Law School; Lee Fennel, Max Pam Professor of Law at the University of Chicago; Joseph William Singer, Bussey Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School; and Vicki L. Been, Boxer Family Professor of Law and director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University School of Law.

Dean hosts Music Night March 17

Got a hidden musical talent? Show it off at the upcoming Music Night 2013 to be held Sunday, March 17, at 7 p.m. at the home of Dean Bob Jerry and his wife, Lisa. All students and faculty are invited – but the “ticket” to attend is that you must bring a dessert and agree to perform a musical piece (play an instrument or sing a song). A piano will be available. Each participant can bring one guest. Space is limited, so sign up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, stop by the Dean’s Office and see Doris Perron.

CSRRR spring lecture, panel examines Trayvon Martin case on March 20

The Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations’ 10th annual Spring Lecture & Panel Discussions, “At Close Range: The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin,” will feature New York Times visual op-ed columnist Charles Blow. The event is March 20 in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180.

Participants include UF faculty and graduate students from history, journalism, African-American studies, sociology, anthropology, law, education, political science, English, philosophy and health services research. Panelists will discuss a range of topics including racial bias and media perspectives and they will recommend policy changes.

Blow joined The New York Times in 1994 as a graphics editor and quickly became the paper’s graphics director, a position he held for nine years. Blow went on to become the paper’s design director for news before leaving in 2006 to become the art director of National Geographic Magazine.

Blow often appears on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, Starting Point and AC360. He has also appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and Hardball with Chris Matthews, Headline News’ The Joy Behar show, Fox News’ Fox and Friends, the BBC and Al Jazeera, as well as numerous radio programs.

32nd Annual Dunwody Distinguished Lecture in Law

The Florida Law Review welcomes Professor Randy Barnett as the 32nd Annual Dunwody Distinguished Lecturer in Law. Barnett, the Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory at the Georgetown University Law Center, will discuss the recent United States Supreme Court decision upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22, in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Barnett has written and commented extensively on the Affordable Care Act and represented the National Federal of Independent Businesses as their case against the ACA was presented before the Supreme Court last spring. Barnett will discuss the general implications of the court’s landmark decision, as well as fundamental misunderstandings he perceives among the legal academic community regarding the decision’s import. Barnett’s lecture, “Who Won the Obamacare Case (and Why Did So Many Law Professors Miss the Boat)?” precedes an article of the same name to be published in an upcoming edition of the Florida Law Review.

For additional information, contact the Florida Law Review at www.FloridaLawReview.com or 352-273-0670.

Electronic Discovery for the Small and Medium Case April 4-5

The University of Florida Levin College of Law and Electronic Discovery Reference Model are pleased to announce the first-of-its-kind conference devoted to “Electronic Discovery for the Small and Medium Case.” The conference will be held April 4 and 5, 2013, at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and also will be broadcast live. Students may view the webcasts free of charge.

The conference will focus on solutions to the difficulties, issues, and decisions that attorneys face in competently and cost-effectively handling e-discovery in small and medium cases. The conference will feature demonstrations of a new generation of right-sized e-discovery software and tools for each phase of the e-discovery process in small and medium sized cases and include starter e-discovery toolkits for each in-person attendee.

For more information:

• Conference Website
• About ICAIR & the E-Discovery Project
• Conference Agenda

When the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, it proved to be a great step forward in showing the United States’ and Congress’ commitment to preserving our nation’s natural heritage and protecting native plants and animals from extinction.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the ESA, the 19th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the University of Florida Levin College of Law will focus on the evolution of endangered species protection over the past four decades. “The Endangered Species Act at 40: Polishing the Crown Jewel,” will be held Feb. 21-23 at UF Law.

The event is free-of-charge for students and faculty. Register under “student conference” (the banquet still calls for a $35 fee).

“I’m very excited about this year’s conference,” said Mary Jane Angelo, UF Law professor and director of the Environmental and Land Use Law program. “We are bringing in experts from around the U.S. to discuss the act’s many successes, such as the recovery of our national symbol, the bald eagle, as well as significant challenges we face in the future such as addressing impacts from habitat loss and climate change.”

The keynote speakers for this year’s conference include Carl Safina, founding president of the Blue Ocean Institute and award winning of author of Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross, and Zygmunt Plater and Patrick Parenteau, attorneys in the landmark decision of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill et al. – temporarily halting the completion of the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River in order to protect the snail darter, an endangered species of fish.

The conference will also include multiple panel discussions, a workshop sponsored by The Florida Bar, and training opportunities for both attorneys and those outside the legal field.

UF Law 3L and PIEC co-chair Chelsea Sims said the PIEC is one of the largest student-run conferences in the nation.

“It’s a great opportunity for UF students to engage with cutting-edge issues surrounding endangered species such as the Florida panther, corals, sea turtles, manatees and more,” Sims said.

To view the agenda and register for the conference, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/academics/concentration/elul/public-interest-environmental-conference.

“Any student that is interested in learning about the status of endangered species, the role of climate change, or the interface of science and policy regulating endangered species will enjoy this free event at the law school campus,” said Rachael Bruce (3L), PIEC co-chair. “Please come out and join us.”

Conservation Clinic students work on water quality issues with a woods restoration consultant and an Adventure Outfitters guide along the springs coast at the Florida Chassahowitzka River during a fall 2012 field trip.

By Francie Weinberg
Student writer

Looking for a chance to work with clients and make a difference in the world? Housed at the law school’s Center for Governmental Responsibility, the University of Florida Levin College of Law Conservation Clinic offers both law and graduate students the opportunity to work on cutting-edge environmental and land use law and policy issues.

The Conservation Clinic provides upper-level environmental law students and graduate students in conservation-related fields with exposure to environmental and land use professional practice, applied research and public policy analysis under the supervision of Professor Thomas Ankersen, the clinic’s faculty advisor.

Interested students need to have completed three semesters and can earn up to six credits in two semesters. Of the students who apply, Ankersen accepts between nine to 12 students per semester. While most accepted students are involved in the Environmental and Land Use Law Program, students in other areas can apply and can benefit from the clinic. The clinic emphasizes applied research and writing as well as speaking skills, and the ability to work with Ph.D. and other graduate students is a unique aspect of the Conservation Clinic.

After graduating from UF Law in 1986, Ankersen practiced in an environmental law firm in Miami for five years. He then spent a year with the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund where he developed an interest in international law that brought him back to UF Law and a series of projects in Latin America, India and Africa.

Ankersen started the clinic in 2002 when faculty saw the need to expand its Environmental and Land Use curriculum and students were seeking skills training in the area. Over the past 10 years, the program has grown exponentially and the clinic is an essential part. The program is now fifth among public colleges and ninth overall, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

“Anything that you can do to demonstrate that you have real world experience is going to help you get a job,” Ankersen said. “If you’re working on projects that require you to understand an area of law Florida’s water law and do an analysis for a client that leads to a change in the law, or even an internal decision that client makes, that’s something you’ll do when you’re practicing law. That’ll definitely be recognized by a potential employer – in addition to providing a public service.”

So many people are interested in the clinic’s services that Ankersen said they’ve had to turn projects away. He picks projects based on what he thinks students will get value out of, whether their work will have an impact, and if the client would be able to accomplish its goals without the help of the clinic.

Past projects have included drafting local ordinances and comprehensive plan amendments, obtaining environmental permits for coastal restoration and preparing contracts for environmental service payments. Clinic clients include the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education and the Blue Water Initiative. Occasionally students have opportunities to work on international law projects or with local governments.

Chelsea Sims (3L) began her work in the Conservation Clinic while studying abroad in Costa Rica. Her first project was for The Nature Conservancy, where she worked to help ensure that environmental service concessions benefit indigenous communities.

Sims then took on the Blue Water Intitiative, Inc., a reef restoration and conservation nonprofit, whose main project is removing tires from the Osborne Reef off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. This reef was home to more than 1 million tires that were dumped in the 1970s in an attempt to create an artificial reef. Years of currents and hurricanes have become dislodged tires from the main tire field and they are destroying real reefs by bumping into and crushing them.

Sims helped the Blue Water Initiative obtain the necessary state and federal permits to remove the loose tires and dispose of them. She went with Blue Water Initiative members on their first dive to remove around 100 tires. The group no longer needs the clinic’s services, but asked Sims to remain on its board of directors to help with future legal issues.

“The clinic taught me real-world skills that cannot be learned through lectures and books,” Sims said. “It introduced me to a great network of people in the field I want to work in when I graduate, and it allowed me to work on a range of projects so I could discover what areas I would like to work in when I have my own career.”

The Environmental and Land Use Law Program, the Conservation Clinic and the Public Interest Environmental Conference all represent the College of Law’s commitment to developing the skills of tomorrow’s environmental lawyers to face tomorrow’s environmental problems.

Deroy Murdock, columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service, discusses gay rights, freedom of association and religious liberty with UF Law Professor Darren Hutchinson Jan. 31 at an event sponsored by the UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw. (Photo by Haley Stracher)

By Lindsey Tercilla
Student writer

On Jan. 31, the UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw, the Levin College of Law’s gay-straight alliance group, hosted a discussion on gay rights, freedom of association and religious liberty. Deroy Murdock, columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service, and visiting Professor Darren Hutchinson exchanged ideas and offered students new perspectives about the three topics.

The openly libertarian columnist discussed gay rights in relation to gay marriage.

“The best way to handle marriage is to get the government out of it,” said Murdock. “If you want to keep something sacred, keep it in the sacred sector.”

Murdock advocated for making the social benefits of marriage universal in some sense in order for gay couples to enjoy these benefits. He stressed the need for a separation of government and marriage.

Hutchinson spoke of his involvement in the Dale V. Boy Scouts trial and about the differences of expressive association and intimate association.

The government, he said, cannot evoke religious freedom to address discrimination and civil rights issues.

The discussion provided an opportunity for students to see the law in action.

“This informational session is relevant to students because it shows application of the law to real-world problems,” said Hutchinson. “While real-world application of the law is discussed in class, an info session like that can go beyond what we can talk about in class.”

The discussion, like many others hosted by these student organizations, allowed for a more in-depth analysis of concepts and connects students to professionals within the field while exposing students to other types of law.

Murdock is a nationally syndicated columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service. His column, “This Opinion Just In…,” frequently appears in the New York Post, Washington Times, and Orange County Register, among some 400 U.S. newspapers he reaches weekly.

Hutchinson teaches Constitutional Law, Equitable Remedies and seminars in Critical Race Theory, Law and Social Change, and Equal Protection Theory at the American University, Washington College of Law.

UF Law staff members, from left, Ron Perry, Michelle Ocepek, Christopher Ambrose, Lena Hinson, Kari Mattox, Robert Horn, Minnie Lindsey, Theresa Sturzenbecker and Trudi Reid are joined by Dean Robert Jerry in a ceremony recognizing their service. (Photo by Elise Giordano)

By Elise Giordano
Student writer

Dean Robert Jerry awarded UF Law staff members service pins during a recognition ceremony held in the Rare Book room on Thursday.

Lena Hinson and Robert Horn were awarded 25-year-pins.

Hinson began her law school career in 1987 in the Graduate Tax Program. She worked with the tax program for 13 years and then moved to a supervisory position with Graduate Admissions in Criser Hall. In 2006 she returned to the law school and serves as program assistant to both the International Studies Program and the LL.M. in Environmental & Land Use Law Program.

Robert Horn began working at UF Law for the Physical Plant, where he was in charge of ordering and receiving supplies. He came to UF Law in 1997 as a program assistant and became a maintenance specialist in 2011.

Ron Perry and Trudi Reid received 20-year-pins.

Trudi Reid began working in the Graduate Tax Program of UF Law in December 1992 and was hired permanently in 1993 as a secretary.  She was promoted to the Alumni Affairs Office, and later to the Graduate Tax Program as admissions officer and assistant editor to the Florida Tax Review where she has been for the last nine years.

Ron Perry graduated from UF Law in 1982 and has been employed at the Legal Information Center since 1995. He handles interlibrary loan requests and assists in circulation and with the digital commons project.

Linda Kirby was awarded a 15-year-pin. Kirby has been with the Graduate Tax Program at UF Law since 1998, spending most of her time as the office manager. She has assisted with the admission, academic progression and graduation of nearly 1,200 LL.M. students and has served as the assistant editor of the Florida Tax Review.

Theresa Sturzenbecker received a 10-year-pin. She began working for UF Law in January 2002 with the Legal Information Center in Technical Services. In 2012 she was promoted to library associate II, which requires her to order all library materials, manage the library’s management system and the University’s financial management system.

Christopher Ambrose, Minnie Lindsey, Kari Mattox and Michelle Ocepek received five-year-pins.

Ambrose began working with the law school in May of 2007 with the Communications Office as webmaster and would later be transferred to Technology Services. He is now a part-time Help Desk technician and part-time developer for the department.

Lindsey is in charge of organizing information for the book award ceremony and assists students with any questions they may have.  Lindsey also works closely with Debra Hyatt in ensuring exam information is collected.

Mattox graduated from the Levin College of Law in 2001 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in higher education administration. She returned to UF Law in May of 2008 and was named assistant dean for students.

Ocepek arrived at UF Law in 2007, after earning a B.S. in social work from Ashland University and a master’s in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University. Ocepek now works in Student Affairs as director of student programs, working with students on orientation, student organizations and study abroad.

Professor Shani King is looking to hire a research assistant for a short-term project with the potential for more work in the future. Interdisciplinary work is a plus, as the project involves law, history, sociology, and political science. Of particular interest are individuals who have expertise in critical legal studies, organizational, structural and institutional discrimination, and LGBT legal studies. Submit a resume and cover letter and the name of two references (preferably one of whom is a UF law professor) to kings@law.ufl.edu.

Florida Gubernatorial Fellowship program applications due March 8

The director of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellowship program was on campus last week to recruit UF Law students. UF Law students have been strongly represented in this selective and non-partisan program over the past few years. Whitney Smith, a 3L, is currently serving as a Gubernatorial Fellow, and over the past three years, four UF Law students have been selected as Gubernatorial Fellows.

In addition to the professional and networking opportunities, fellows receive a tuition waiver for the year they serve in Tallahassee.

Students can visit www.floridafellows.com to learn about the expectations and requirements of the program, as well as read testimonials from alumni. Interested students must apply online.

Applications are due by Friday, March 8. The fellowship will follow the university calendar starting in August 2013 and ending in May 2014. The governor’s screening and selection committee will announce the program participants in June.

Applications now being accepted for summer externships

Externships offer students for-credit, semester-long opportunities to leave the traditional classroom setting and assist lawyers and judges in the practice of law and the administration of justice. Externs earn course credit while working for judges, government agencies, public interest organizations and corporations.

Applications are now being accepted for summer externships. To apply go to the UF Gator Jobs homepage at https://jobs.ufl.edu. Applications for several externships are reviewed on a rolling basis so it is best to apply early. The application deadline for most externships is Feb. 22 at midnight. See the Summer Externship Program Guide, Part 2 on the UF Law Externship web page for more information.

Contact Julie Barnes in the Center for Career Development with questions.

“UF law school applications down among national decrease” (Feb. 5, 2013, The Alligator)

The article discusses a trend of decreasing law school applications nationwide, including at UF Law. Jerry addresses the issue.

From the article:
Robert Jerry, dean of UF Law, said the decrease in the job market for new law graduates may have impacted the decline in applications.

Jerry is remaining positive, though he admits changes in the field of law heightened the effect this recession has had on law firms.

“It doesn’t mean the need for new law graduates is going to disappear,” he said. “We still need prosecutors, public defenders and judges, and we will always have a justice system.”

Omri Marian
Assistant Professor of Law

On Jan. 28, Marian presented his work-in-progress Meaningful Corporate Tax Residence at the Florida State University College of Law.

Martin J. McMahon, Jr.
Stephen C. O’Connell Professor of Law

McMahon presented on Jan. 31 his article “Now You See It, Now You Don’t: The Comings and Goings of Disregarded Entities,” 65 Tax Lawyer 259 (2012), at the Advanced Topics in Taxation Colloquium at Northwestern University School of Law.

Daniel Sokol
Associate Professor of Law

 “U.S. Fights AB InBev With Tested Game Plan” (Feb. 3, 2013, Wall Street Journal)

The U.S. Justice Department is opposing the acquisition of the Mexican beer company, Grupo Modelo by Anheuser-Busch. The Justice Department said companies like Modelo help keep the market competitive in the face of giants like Anheuser-Busch.

From the article:
“The Justice Department has learned very well what works in court,” says University of Florida law professor D. Daniel Sokol. “If you can tell a story about a firm constraining prices, that’s a good story to tell a judge. And nothing tells a better story than documents.”

Or AB InBev and Modelo could argue that the relevant market is alcoholic beverages generally—meaning wine and other beverages also help keep prices in check.

“Defining the market is 90% of the game,” says the University of Florida’s Prof. Sokol. “If you win that battle, the rest is easy.”

Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens speaks with UF Law professors Kenneth Nunn, John Stinneford and Danaya Wright during the Marshall M. Criser Distinguished Lecture Series held in the Marcia Whitney Schott Courtyard on Tuesday. (Photo by Elise Giordano)

At 92, retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has a lifetime of experience and legal wisdom to impart, which he readily did Tuesday at UF Law. Stevens was welcomed for the second time in five years as the Marshall M. Criser Distinguished Lecturer. Stevens spoke at the inaugural Criser Lecture at UF Law in 2008.

The conversation was facilitated by UF Law Professors Kenneth Nunn, John Stinneford and Danaya Wright. Stevens addressed a wide variety of topics, including proportionality in sentencing, interpreting history, changing technology, and experiences and court opinions from his years as a justice.

“Justice Stevens not only appears to have encyclopedic memory of his decisions during his term on the court, but he remembers his reasons for reaching the conclusions he did and also the countervailing arguments that might have led him to decide differently,” Stinneford said. “As someone who can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning, I found this very impressive.”

One of the cases Stevens addressed in particular was Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. – a case Stevens said he believed to be a routine case in 1984 when he wrote the majority opinion. In the years since, it has become one of the most cited cases in administrative law.

“You don’t – at the time you’re working on a case – always appreciate what its long-run impact will be,” Stevens said.

Stinneford said “this is a nice reminder that we should take even the mundane events of our lives seriously, as they may turn out to have a bigger impact on our lives than we realize at the time.”

Stevens also addressed his legacy as a Supreme Court justice when Nunn suggested that his opinions over the years seemed to grow more liberal.

“To tell you the truth, I think I’m a good deal more conservative than people often assume because I feel very strongly that judges should not be deciding certain issues,” he said. “I’m sure I must have changed to a certain extent but I don’t think I’ve changed a tenth as much as the court in general has changed.”

He said each Supreme Court appointment beginning with his own was more conservative than his or her predecessor.

Wright said of spending time with Stevens before and after the lecture that he was delightful, modest and interesting.

“He told stories of his days before the court and he remembered almost all the cases we talked about quite well,” she said. “I did manage to dredge up a case he had only signed onto the majority opinion on, and he didn’t remember it very well.”

Stevens also imparted some advice for current law students, including the benefits of attaining a clerkship.

“I think it’s really excellent experience, and that’s at all levels, not necessarily appellate court but trial courts too,” he said. “You learn a great deal about how litigation actually works by being in the inside of the process for a year or so.”

In closing, Stevens emphasized the importance of studying hard, and ultimately having a good reputation as a practicing lawyer.

“It’s very simple and you’ve heard it over and over again: One, study hard and take your work seriously,” he said, “and remember that the most important asset that you’re going to have when you get out in practice is to have everybody in the profession know that your word is good, because that is a critical part of the profession – the integrity of the lawyer – and that’s something you must always keep in mind.”

The Marshall M. Criser Distinguished Lecture Series was created in early 2007 by Lewis Schott (B.A. 1943, LL.B. 1946) of Palm Beach, Fla., as a tribute to his fellow UF Law alumnus, former UF President Marshall Criser (JD 51). The goal of the speaker series is to host prestigious national and international speakers every year on topics of particular interest to law students. Past speakers have included Justice Clarence Thomas and former ABA President Stephen N. Zack (JD 71).

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