Nancy Dowd
Professor of Law; David H. Levin Chair in Family Law; Director, Center on Children & Families

Dowd recently finished the first phase of a guest professorship on the law faculty of Lund University in Sweden. She spent a little less than a month doing an informal collaboration with a range of faculty and formal presentations including collaborative law, the interrelation of family and employment law, juvenile justice, elder law and a presentation of her current research on gender, race and juvenile justice. She will return for a shorter, final visit in mid-June to complete her guest professorship in conjunction with a conference co-sponsored by Emory University School of Law on privatization and globalization.

Dowd will also give a talk on her research at Indiana University (Bloomington) on April 5 at the inaugural symposium of their Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality.

Joseph Jackson
Senior Legal Skills Professor

“Human rights activist to speak at law school” (March 26, 2013, The Alligator)

Jackson commented in this article in advance of South African Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs’ visit to UF Law last week, where Sachs spoke on marriage.

From the article:
Sachs will discuss his role in the legalization of same-sex marriage in South Africa and his beliefs on human rights, said Joseph Jackson, UF Law senior legal skills professor.

“He believes in a right to be different,” he said. “That society has an obligation to respect people for who they are.”

“Supreme Court same-sex marriage rulings could affect Florida law” (March 26, 2013, The Alligator)

This article discusses the two cases that were before the Supreme Court last week that challenged laws against gay marriage. Jackson weighed in on the issue.

From the article:
Jackson said the case regarding the Defense of Marriage Act has the potential to affect all 50 states. The provision of the act present in the case only affects federal laws and would not directly affect Florida’s laws.

A decision against the marriage act would only impact same-sex couples legally married under state law, Jackson said. They would be treated as married in federal law, meaning they could receive benefits like joint tax returns or Social Security.

Lea Johnston
Associate Professor of Law; Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Center

Johnston presented her paper, “Humane Punishment for Seriously Disordered Offenders,” at a Junior Scholars’ Conference hosted by UF Law’s Criminal Justice Center on March 21-22.

She also published an article, “Vulnerability and Just Desert: A Theory of Sentencing and Mental Illness,” in Northwestern’s Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. The cite is “Vulnerability and Just Desert: A Theory of Sentencing and Mental Illness” (Northwestern’s Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology).

Christine A. Klein
Chesterfield Smith Professor of Law; Director, LL.M. Program in Environmental & Land Use Law

 Klein’s article “Water Bankruptcy” was published in the Minnesota Law Review. The cite is 94 Minn. L. Rev. 560 (2012). “Water Bankruptcy” (Minnesota Law Review).

Klein also published “Compartmentalized Thinking and the Clean Water Act” in the George Washington Journal of Energy & Environmental Law. The cite is 4 GW J. Energy & Envtl. L. 38 (2013). “Compartmentalized Thinking and the Clean Water Act” (George Washington Journal of Energy & Environmental Law).

Tom Lin
Assistant Professor of Law; Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Center

Lin presented his paper, “The New Financial Industry,” at a Junior Scholars’ Conference hosted by UF Law’s Criminal Justice Center on March 21-22.

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

McMahon participated in a panel discussion and presented a paper, “Aspirational Tax Reform,” at the 2013 University of Virginia School of Law Tax Study Group Meeting on March 22.

Jason Nance
Assistant Professor of Law; Associate Director, Center on Children and Families

Nance presented his paper, “Students, Security and Race,” at a Junior Scholars’ Conference hosted by UF Law’s Criminal Justice Center on March 21-22.

John Stinneford
Associate Professor of Law; Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Center

Stinneford presented his paper, “The Illusory Eighth Amendment,” at a Junior Scholars’ Conference hosted by UF Law’s Criminal Justice Center on March 21-22. 

Christine A. Klein
Professor; Associate Dean for Faculty Development

• Published “The Law of the Lakes: From Protectionism to Sustainability,” 5 Michigan State Law Review 1259 (2006) as part of a symposium on Great Lakes water allocation issues held in Chicago.

William H. Page
Marshall M. Criser Eminent Scholar in Electronic Communications and Administrative Law; Professor

• Presented his paper, “Mandatory Contracting Remedies in the American and European Microsoft Cases,” at the conference on “The End of the Microsoft Case?,” sponsored by the Searle Center of Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago on Nov. 16.
• Served as commentator in a panel on recent Supreme Court antitrust decisions at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Economic Association in New Orleans on Nov. 19.

UF Law Faculty in the News

Robert H. Jerry, II
Dean; Levin Mabie and Levin Professor

• The Independent Florida Alligator, Nov. 16. Quoted in an article discussing the recent trend of declining applications for law schools and how the University of Florida has not been affected over the last two years. “It’s fair to say that our law school is increasingly a popular first-choice destination,” said Jerry who expects the number of applications to UF law school to continue to rise. “People who take a close look at the university and especially those taking a look at the law school realize we’ve got some pretty good things going on here.”

Jon L. Mills
Professor; Director of Center for Governmental Responsibility; Dean Emeritus

• The St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 15. Mentioned as the legal advisor for House Speaker Marco Rubio, a gambling opponent who has Mills’ opinion that any compact is subject to lawmaker’s approval. Mills said legislative approval is required because table games permitted in the compact are illegal under Florida law.

Michael L. Seigel
Professor

• The Washington Post, Nov. 18. Quoted in an article discussing the recent release from prison of Arthur Bremer, who in 1972 shot and paralyzed Democratic presidential candidate Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace in Laurel, Md. The article highlights other high-profile crimes of that era. “In general, there is an odd element of nostalgia that is attached to these crimes, especially for baby boomers,” says Michael Seigel. “It may be odd, but I do think that for many of us, it brings back memories of where we were, and what we were doing and how these events impacted our lives.” In discussing citizen’s fear of Bremmer’s release, Seigel said, “Most of the time, murder is not a recidivist crime. Unless someone is a mass murderer or a psychopath, they don’t do it again. Statistically speaking, if someone kills in a fit of passion, the odds of them murdering again is not high.” Public interest in the crimes is high, however, with a proliferation of such TV shows as “CSI” and “Law & Order,” which fuel the nation’s collective fascination, Seigel said. “Americans find crime, particularly homicide, as entertainment, which is unfortunate, but has become part of our culture.”

Christopher Slobogin
Stephen C. O’Connell Chair; Affiliate Professor of Psychiatry; Adjunct Professor, University of South Florida Mental Health Institute; Associate Director, Center for Children and Families

• The Washington Post, Nov. 16. Quoted in an article that also referenced his newly published book, Privacy at Risk. The article, entitled “The Picture Of Conformity In a Watched Society, More Security Comes With Tempered Actions,” refers to the following passage from the book: “Anonymity in public promotes freedom of action and an open society. Lack of public anonymity promotes conformity and an oppressive society.” Furthermore, it discussed Slobogin’s opinion sample, which randomly selected 70 people from Florida jury pools and asked them to rank the level of intrusiveness of 25 law enforcement tactics, including several surveillance techniques. People “don’t expect to be stalked either by a person or by a camera—at least they don’t like it,” he said. “They expect to get lost in the crowd, or at least not to be monitored continuously.”