Professor Lee-ford Tritt will discuss career opportunities in the area of estate planning, charitable giving and fiduciary administration today at noon in the Faculty Dining Room. He will also discuss why an estates & trusts certificate may be important to you and your future employment. There will be opportunity to apply for the certificate program and complete the priority registration form. And the officers of the Trusts & Estates Law Society will talk about the organization and why you should get involved. Lunch from Jason’s Deli will be provided.

Actor to teach art of persuasion class today

Today at 10 a.m., 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. Darrow is known as more than a lawyer. He is known as an orator, a philosopher and a champion of the poor. Tickets for the show are $50 and can be purchased at thehipp.org.

Deadline today to create a video about Fourth Amendment issues for chance to 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 is today. 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 Tuesday to discuss obtaining legal jobs in tight market

The Center for Career Development, along with co-sponsors the 8th Judicial Circuit Law Student Association and the UF Law Chapter of the Young Lawyer Division of The Florida Bar, host Pamela Spalter, Esq. for a presentation, “Identifying, Pursuing and Obtaining Legal Positions in a Tight Market.” The discussion is tomorrow at noon in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. Spalter is a legal career consultant with more than 20 years of experience and will speak about how students can develop an action plan to land a job.

CCD welcomes 1Ls with events Thursday

The Center for Career Development is hosting a series of “1L Open House Sessions” on Thursday designed to inform students how to take advantage of CCD services. These mandatory sessions are organize by section time (Section 1- 10 a.m.; Section 2- 2 p.m.; Section 3- 1 p.m.) and will take place in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180. Students should plan to attend the “Application Documents Workshop” taking place at the same time on Thursday, Nov. 8. Students with conflicts are encouraged to email careers@law.ufl.edu.

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: Billable Hours LexisNexis Surveys

Two recent LexisNexis law firm surveys attempt to understand better the gap between hours billed and actual hours worked. The first study, “Billable Hours,” asks “Does the ability to bill more of the time worked vary by state and size of firm?” The second survey, “Non-Billable Hours,” digs deeper to attempt to answer questions such as “What types of activities eat up the time attorneys work but don’t bill to clients?” and “Do attorneys at larger firms more effectively bill hours than their colleagues at smaller firms, or is billing efficiency more related to practice area versus firm size?” While neither study solves the issue, both produce interesting results that can lead to more robust conversations among and with students.