Bill Moore of Brigham Moore, LLP presents an oral argument during the 1st District Court of Appeal hearings held Oct. 25 at the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom. (Photo by Marcela Suter)

By Felicia Holloman (3L)

When some think about the work of lawyers in a courtroom, they may conjure up images of attorneys giving impassioned speeches to a jury. But there is another side of courtroom lawyering in the form of appellate proceedings.

The 1st District Court of Appeal made its annual visit to UF Law for oral arguments on Oct. 25. The visit is coordinated by the legal skills department in the hopes of better educating first-year students about their chosen field.

Legal Skills Professor Diane Tomlinson believes the opportunity to watch oral arguments is novel for students who have likely never witnessed an appellate-level courtroom.

“The solemnity of a court proceeding, I think, is one of first impression for students preparing to become members of the legal profession.”

Tomlinson also considers the officers and practitioners of the 1st District Court to be the ideal illustration of legal professionalism for students.

“Our 1st District judges are such a fine example of a bench that knows the record, gets right to the legal issues, and respects the lawyers that appear before them. The lawyers that appear are likewise a fine example of officers of the court, as lawyers are sworn, first, to be advocates for their clients.”

UF Law alumnus and founder of the Journal of Law and Public Policy Judge Scott Makar (JD 87), Judge Philip Padovano, and Judge Stephanie Ray presided over four cases in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom.

The cases covered various areas of law, from divorce and defamation to takings and wills.

Alachua Land Investors v. City of Gainesville garnered the highest attendance and concerned whether the appellant had notice of a zoning restriction on his property that prohibited him from building on a piece of the land. Bill Moore of Brigham Moore, LLP and Timothy J. McDermott of Akerman Senterfitt argued for the appellant and appellee, respectively.

After the arguments, the judges answered questions from students and offered opinions on the importance of oral arguments in appellate courts.

“No matter how much you study or prepare, you always should be open, I think, and I am, to have somebody show you that there is another way to look at this issue,” Makar said.

A town hall meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed to the Spring semester and the date is to be determined.

The purpose of the planned Town Hall Meeting remains to discuss ways the college’s faculty, staff, students, and administration, can promote inclusivity and tolerance and build upon a shared sense of the values inherent in broad diversity. It is the sense of the Diversity Committee that a better program can be presented if the UF Law administration, along with the committee, are able to invest more time in its preparation. Further, it is the committee’s sense that this program will be better if it is one in a series of to-be-planned programs. Check emails and future issues of FlaLaw for more information.

The law school has created a webpage offering resources for dealing with academic stress, tolerance issues, anxiety and a variety of other issues. Got a problem? We can help. Contact the Communications Office if you have comments or suggestions for improving the page.

Intellectual Property Certificate Program hosts reception Tuesday

The Intellectual Property Certificate Program is having a reception on Tuesday at noon in HOL 285C for any student interested in the IP program and for all students currently enrolled in the program. Professor Elizabeth Rowe will provide information about the certificate program, IP course registration for spring and IP externships. Lunch will be served.

1st District Court of Appeal holds oral arguments on campus Thursday

The 1st District Court of Appeal will hold oral arguments in four cases on Thursday beginning 9 a.m. in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom. This is a chance for all law students to see real lawyers arguing real cases. The panel of three judges includes a UF Law alumnus (and founder of the Journal of Law and Public Policy), Judge Scott Makar (JD 87). The other judges include Judge Philip Padovano and Judge Stephanie Ray. The judges will address Legal Writing classes after oral arguments are complete.

Actor to teach art of persuasion class Oct. 29

At 10 a.m., Oct. 29, actor Paul Morella of Washington, D.C., will teach “The Art of Persuasion: Exploring Performance Philosophies in the Court Room” in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. The class is free and open to the public. Morella has performed professionally in regional theater, film, television, and radio for more than 30 years, establishing a reputation as one of the more respected, versatile, and acclaimed actors in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. As a member of American University’s Washington College of Law Trial Advocacy Program, Morella has continued to explore the relationship between theatre and law, particularly in terms of how the techniques and philosophies of performance inform the communication between trial lawyers and the juries. At American University, he was Artist-in-Residence for the drama department, teaching acting classes, and conducting workshops. In addition, Morella has taught basic and advanced acting at Montgomery College, the Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts, and was professional Artist-in-Residence for Signature Theatre’s outreach program, Signature in the Schools.

Morella will also perform a one-man show as the famed trial attorney Clarence Darrow. The show is at The Hippodrome Theatre from 7 to 9 p.m. As a trial lawyer, Darrow won cases that seemed hopeless. However, he was much more than a lawyer; he was an orator, a philosopher and a champion of the poor. Tickets for the show are $50 and can be purchased at thehipp.org or at the Hippodrome Box Office from 12 – 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or 12 – 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Create a video about Fourth Amendment issues and you could win $500

The Criminal Justice Center and the Criminal Law Association is pleased to host its inaugural criminal video-advocacy competition this fall. The competition solicits submissions by student teams of an original, creative and educational video portrayal of Fourth Amendment issues geared toward a college-student audience. Please note:

• The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and dinner with Professors Monique Haughton Worrell and George Dekle. The second place winner will receive a $350 cash price and the third place winner will receive $150. The winning entry will also be shown, along with other honorable mention entries, at a viewing party at the law school. At the discretion of the review committee, the winning entry may be selected to be aired on GatorVision network.
• All law students enrolled at the Levin College of Law are eligible to enter.
• Deadline for submissions has been extended to Oct. 29. Winners will be announced Nov. 10.
• The submissions will be evaluated by members of a judging panel; criteria include clarity of thought, well-structured argumentation, creative use of videography and liveliness of expression.

Decisions of the judging panel will be final. Complete rules of the competition are available on the CJC website (www.law.ufl.edu/academics/centers/cjc) or can be obtained from Eva Achero in Room 100, Bruton-Geer Hall.

CCD speaker Oct. 30 to discuss obtaining legal jobs in tight market

On Oct. 30 at noon in the Advocacy Center Courtroom, Pamela Spalter, Esq. will present “Identifying, Pursuing, and Obtaining Legal Positions in a Tight Market.” Spalter has nearly 20 years experience in legal employer/employee consulting services. She is founder and director of P.S.E.C., a business providing executive and legal and coaching services. This is a great opportunity for students to get advice on developing and executing a game plan for post graduate legal employment.

Ninth Annual Minority Law Student Picnic set for Nov. 10

The Ninth Annual Minority Law Student Picnic will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Hialeah, Fla. In the past, UF Law alumnus and U.S. District Judge Paul Huck (JD 65) has assisted with connecting Florida Law students with a mentor. If you are interested in having a mentor, complete the student application. Each year many UF law students attend this picnic by traveling themselves or on the bus provided by the law school. The trip to Hialeah will take approximately five hours, and the bus will depart from Gainesville at approximately 7 a.m. The bus will begin the return trip around 4:15 p.m. If you are interested in attending the picnic and riding on the bus, sign up at the Student Affairs Office front desk by Monday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. and complete the release form to ride the bus.

LIC Notes: Legislative and Regulatory Research: A New CRS Report

Legislative and regulatory research can be complex and selecting the correct resource can be challenging. A recent Congressional Research Service report provides an overview of both freely available federal government and common fee-based legislative and regulatory resources. Learn more in “Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff,” Aug. 31, 2012, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33895.pdf

The court will hear oral arguments in four cases on Wednesday, beginning at 2 p.m., and Thursday, beginning at 9 a.m. Students are invited to attend.

“The 1st District Court of Appeal scheduled this special session here at UF so that our students could enjoy the unique opportunity to observe appellate arguments in actual cases,” said Legal Research and Writing Director Henry Wihnyk.

The court travels to UF Law each fall to provide students with this chance to further their understanding of the appellate arguments and to meet and interact with the judges.

Wihnyk said the judges are looking forward to the visit and is eager for students to attend and observe the arguments. Students interested in reading the case briefs beforehand can email Wihnyk at wihnyk@law.ufl.edu.

The arguments will be available as a live webcast: Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.