Before coming to UF, Davidson worked at Loyola University Maryland as a staff psychologist. She received her master’s and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Lehigh University.

Her academic career has centered on research related to racial discrimination, namely discrimination against South Asians. She hopes to tie in this experience with her work for the CSRRR, where she will be assisting the center with research, collaborating with law students and other members of the law school and UF communities, and seeking to increase student involvement in the center’s programs and initiatives.

Are there valid secular public policy arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage? Is the failure to legalize same-sex marriage one example of our society’s discrimination against the LGBTQ community? Will the adoption of same-sex marriage weaken the government’s ability to facilitate and incentivize procreative relationships between heterosexual couples? The UF Federalist Society and OUTLaw present a civil discourse on same-sex marriage Wednesday at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180, with Professor Richard Esenberg of Marquette University Law School and UF Law Professor Rachel Rebouché.

Come hear a discussion on secular arguments for and against the legalization of same-sex marriage. Free Publix subs and chicken tenders for attendees.

About the speakers:
Professor Richard Esenberg currently teaches at Marquette University Law School. For the past ten years, Professor Esenberg served as vice president and general counsel of Rite Hite Holding Corporation in Milwaukee. From 1981 to 1997, he was an associate and then partner at Foley & Lardner. Esenberg has overseen international acquisitions and business expansions throughout Europe, Latin America, and Canada. Esenberg holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He teaches Civil Procedure, Election Law, Wisconsin Supreme Court and Law and Theology.

Professor Rachel Rebouché is an assistant professor of law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School where she was the editor-in-chief for the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender. She received her LL.M. from Queen’s University, Belfast, and her B.A. from Trinity University. Rebouché has worked as the associate director of Adolescent Health Programs, and was a law clerk to Justice Kate O’Regan of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She is currently associate director at the UF Law Center for Children & Families, an advisor for the Family Law Society, and an affiliated faculty for the Center for Women’s Studies & Gender Research. In 2012, Rebouché received 1 of only 10 campuswide UF Excellence Awards for assistant professors. She joined the UF law faculty in 2010.

Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations hosts open house

The CSRRR will host an open house Wednesday from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR meeting room, HOL 370D.

Glasser Barbecue slated for Oct. 9

The Levin College of Law is holding a free barbecue for all students, faculty and staff Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Marcia Whitney Schott Courtyard. The food is from Hill’s Bar-B-Que in Gainesville and the event is sponsored by the Gene K. and Elaine Glasser Endowment. The Glassers, who are both UF alumni, have sponsored the event for the past several years. They hope the annual event will foster a greater sense of community among people at the law school. “The law school education I received at the University of Florida has greatly influenced my professional and personal life, creating lasting memories with my friends,” said Gene Glasser, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who received his juris doctor degree from UF Law in 1972. The event is a great chance for incoming students to get to know one another and feel like a part of the law school community. During the event, the Office of Communications will post photos on the UF Law Facebook page and we invite attendees to submit their comments on the photos to thank the Glassers for their contributions to the law school.

Join UF Oct. 12 to honor black leadership

• Leadership and Law: Diverse Perspectives on the Role of Race and Participation in Professional Legal Organizations (CLE Credit Anticipated), 12-2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, UF Law Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center. Welcome reception and luncheon noon-1 p.m.; panel presentation 1-2:30 p.m. with leaders from national, state, and local bar associations discussing how race has influenced the past, present, and future of their respective organizations in order to foster a dialogue on avenues for leadership and joint initiatives that transcend racial and other divides. Funded by The Florida Bar in cooperation with the 8th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Josiah T. Walls Bar Association and Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. RSVP here.
• A celebration honoring the 50th Anniversary of the Graduation of the University of Florida and Levin College of Law’s First Black alumnus: W. George Allen, featuring presentations by W. George Allen and other honored guests, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (180 HOL). Co-sponsored by the University of Florida Alumni Association and Association of Black Alumni, Levin College of Law & Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations. Read more.

Harvard law professor discusses same-sex marriage at Weyrauch Lecture Oct. 18

The Weyrauch Distinguished Lecture in Family Law will feature Harvard Law School Professor Janet Halley on “Traveling Marriage: Why the Campaign for Same Sex Marriage Gets Marriage Wrong,” Thursday, Oct. 18, at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180. Hosted by the Center for Children and Families, this lecture was established in honor of Professor Walter O. Weyrauch, internationally known for his work in foreign and family law. Professor Weyrauch joined the UF Law faculty in 1957 as associate professor. He became professor in 1960, was Clarence J. TeSelle Professor 1989-94, and became Stephen C. O’Connell Chair in 1994 and distinguished professor in 1998. A reception will follow the lecture.

Halley is the Royall Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She teaches courses in family law, comparative family law and sexuality, and legal theory. Before teaching at Harvard, she was professor of law at Stanford Law School (1991-2000) and assistant professor of English at Hamilton College (1980-85). She has a Ph.D. in English from UCLA (1980) and a J.D. from Yale Law School (1988).

Her books include After Sex? On Writing Since Queer Theory, co-edited with Andrew Parker (Duke University Press 2011); Split Decisions: How and Why to Take a Break from Feminism (Princeton University Press 2006); Left Legalism/Left Critique, co-edited with Wendy Brown (Duke University Press, 2002); Don’t: A Reader’s Guide to the Military’s Anti-Gay Policy (Duke Univ. Press, 1999); and Seeking the Woman in Late Medieval and Renaissance Literature: Essays in Feminist Contextual Criticism, co-edited with Sheila Fisher (University of Tennessee Press, 1989). Her current projects include a handbook, What’s Not to Like about Sexual Harassment Law; a paper comparing family law systems entitled “Travelling Marriage;” and a critique of the rules about sexual violence in war established by the ad hoc courts convened to adjudicate war crimes in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

Criminal Justice Center, Criminal Law Association hosts criminal video-advocacy competition

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

• Cash prizes will be awarded for first through third places.
• All law students enrolled at the Levin College of Law are eligible to enter.
• Deadline for submissions is Oct. 22. Winners will be announced on 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 at the CJC website (www.law.ufl.edu/academics/centers/cjc) or can be obtained from Eva Achero in Room 100, Bruton-Geer Hall.

Applications open for 2013 Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship

The Evan Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award permits one UF Law student to participate in a paid Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Florida Regional Office in Boca Raton. The Yegelwel Summer Fellowship award is $4,000. The ADL is a premier national civil rights organization that fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry in the U.S. and abroad, combats international terrorism, probes the roots of hatred, comes to the aid of victims of bigotry, develops educational programs, and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement, all toward the goal of countering and reducing hatred. A generous gift from Evan Yegelwel (JD 80) has made this fellowship possible. Yegelwel is a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Terrell Hogan Ellis Yegelwel, P.A. Click here for more fellowship and application information.

The UF Law Externship Program offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit while working in a variety of legal settings. Externships are offered in Florida and throughout the United States and include placements such as government agencies; state and federal courts, non-profit organizations, and corporations. Externships are offered in areas such as family law, criminal law, health care, local government, and higher education law, just to name  a few.

Today at 5 p.m. in HOL 345, learn about the externship program requirements, the application process for Spring externships, deadlines for applications, required documentation and much more. If you are interested in applying for these valuable opportunities, it is very important that you attend this meeting.

Legal Careers with the Navy JAG Corps

Thursday from 1 to 1:50 p.m. in HOL 285D.

Join Naval JAG Officer Matt Kozyra to learn about:

• The Benefits of Navy JAG Legal Careers
• The Commissioning Process
• Internship Opportunities\

Gerald T. Bennett American Inn of Court

The Gerald T. Bennett American Inn of Court is accepting applications from second- and third-year law students.  The Bennett Inn, co-sponsored by the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is dedicated to improving the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar through the assessment of cutting edge legal trends, innovation and technology.  Last year’s meeting topics included “Presenting Your Online Self:  Safely and Ethically Using Online Advertising and Social Media,” “E-Discovery Practice,” “Using Social Media in Litigation,” and “Use of Technology in Trial Preparation and Presentation.”

The Bennett Inn will host a champagne and cupcake reception Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in HOL 180 or the Courtyard (depending on weather). All are welcome to come and learn about the Bennett Inn and meet current members. The student application for membership can be found at Bennettinn.org. Applications are due by 9/18 to Membership Chair Mary K. Wimsett, mkwimsett@adoptionlawfl.com.  You may also direct any questions about the reception to her, or to your 2012 Board Members, Bryan Griffin  bryandgriffin@gmail.com or Michael Hacker mike814@ufl.edu.

The Bennett Inn is a chartered member of the American Inns of Court, America’s oldest, largest and fastest growing legal mentoring organization.  The Bennett Inn is a cooperative learning Inn, which distinguishes it from other Inns in Florida because student members sit on the Executive board and each group has a student leader coupled with a master/barrister to engage in true cooperative learning with a strong mentoring component. Members join with local judges and lawyers dedicated to restoring the nobility and ideals of the legal profession in a hands-on, practical way.  The Bennett Inn meets approximately once a month during both semesters on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 in the Faculty Dining Room.

Constitution Day at UF

The University of Florida celebrates this year’s Constitution Day with “The Affordable Care Act: The U.S. Constitution Meets Health Care Reform,” featuring talks and a discussion from UF Law Professor Steven Willis and Associate General Counsel at Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Inc., Andrei Boyarshinov. The discussion will be Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. in the Advocacy Center courtroom. For complete details, read the press release here: http://www.law.ufl.edu/news/2012/09/04/constitution-day-celebration-examines-health-care-reform/.

‘Women, Work, and Family in the 2012 Presidential Campaign’ roundtable Sept. 19 at UF Law

The Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research and the League of Women Voters of Alachua County will present Sept. 19 a roundtable to discuss “Women, Work and Family in the 2012 Presidential Campaign” at 6:30 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom, HOL 180.

This discussion and community event will feature Lynn Leverty, UF Department of Political Science; UF Law Professor Shani King; state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston; state Sen. Evelynn Lynn, R-Daytona; with moderator Pegeen Hanrahan, former mayor of Gainesville. The panelists will focus on representations of gender and sexuality during this electoral season.

The event is presented with support from the Levin College of Law, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service and Association for Academic Women.

ELULP hosts potluck reception Sept. 20

A potluck reception for all students and faculty with an interest in environmental and land use law will be held at the home of Professor Mary Jane Angelo on Thursday, Sept. 20,at 6 p.m. Bring your favorite dish and get to know some students and faculty who share your interests.

RSVP to Lenny Kennedy at lkennedy@law.ufl.edu and let her know if you need directions to Professor Angelo’s home.

Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) hosts open house

The CSRRR will host an open house Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the CSRRR meeting room, HOL 370D.

Students, faculty and other members of the UF Law community gathered March 28 to hear the CSRRR panel, which discussed the legal aspects of the Trayvon Martin case. (Photo by Maggie Powers)

It would be three weeks after Trayvon Martin’s body lay on the sidewalk before Michelle Jacobs heard the Sanford, Fla., boy’s name.

“The media wasn’t interested in Trayvon Martin,” Jacobs told a packed crowd March 28 at the UF Law Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations panel that discussed the case that has stoked a national debate and left many with troubled hearts and unanswered questions. “Trayvon Martin wasn’t newsworthy.”

And that’s because Martin’s story is one that’s been told before.

Martin was fatally shot in the Orlando suburb by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, while walking home from a convenience store Feb. 26. Martin was unarmed, but Zimmerman shot Martin in what he said was an act of self-defense.

Jacobs had only heard of Martin after discussing “the talk” with fellow professor Monique Haughton-Worrell that black mothers are forced to have with their sons about subserviently obeying police officers when — not if — they’re confronted by law enforcement.

By the time Jacobs had that conversation with Haughton-Worrell, the 17-year-old had nearly been forgotten after three weeks.

Now, after almost 2.3 million online petition signatures, a social media stampede calling for “Justice for Trayvon” and a delayed media whirlwind, Martin has become the latest poster boy for the searing racial tensions in America.

The two-and-a-half-hour CSRRR event, “A Conversation on the Shooting Death of Trayvon Martin,” featured a panel of four black law professors, two white law professors and an audience that tried to understand the messy legal web with Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” statute at its epicenter.

Going so far as to call it a “bad law,” Michael Seigel, criminal law professor and director of the Criminal Justice Center and the criminal clinics, said the stand your ground statute — the self-defense law Zimmerman invoked in the death of Martin — has a host of internal issues that need to be revised.

“(Stand your ground) has put a chill factor on prosecutors to do their job,” Seigel said.

Many panelists agreed, including Haughton-Worrell, who went so far as to say Zimmerman would not be sent to prison in Martin’s death.

The law’s record seems to echo Seigel.

According to a Tampa Bay Times March analysis, defendants have invoked the stand your ground statute at least 130 times since the law’s 2005 birth. Of those cases, 28 have been brought to trial, and 19 of those instances resulted in a guilty verdict.

But beyond the stand your ground statute, the Martin case has created a media firestorm and nationwide outpourings of grief because of its racial undertones.

“One reason this case has got so much attention is because it’s racialized from top to bottom,” panelist and law professor Kenneth Nunn added.

Jacobs added to the discussion of the “racialization of Trayvon Martin” by suggesting the case was impacted by racism before it even began.

In order for self-defense to become a legitimate rallying cry, Nunn said, a victim must feel it is a “reasonable” occasion to use force.

According to Jacobs, the ever-present social perceptions of black Americans have created a “reasonable” suspicion of violence that will, according to her, allow Zimmerman to use this defense in his case.

“If you turn on the TV just once, you are infected by American racism,” Jacobs added. “The normative racist values that drive the American justice system — that’s what the Trayvon Martin case is all about.”

The panel also featured Katheryn Russell-Brown, director of the CSRRR, and law professor George Dekle.

The event, “Race Talk in the Age of Obama,” will be a timely and provocative panel discussion by contributors to the December 2011 issue of the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Representing diverse race, gender and academic perspectives, panelists will discuss how they confront race at a time when many claim America is now a post-racial society.

In light of the historic election of President Barack Obama, how does race matter? How should we engage in everyday conversations about race at work, at school and informally? What are the potential risks and benefits? What are the consequences of not talking about race? What is “critical citizenship” and how does it impact public policy and our work as students, lawyers and educators?

Panelists will include: Professor Jonathan R. Cohen, professor of law, University of Florida; Michelle D. Deardorff, professor of political science, Jackson State University, Jackson, Miss.; Angela Mae Kupenda, professor of law, Mississippi College School of Law, Jackson, Miss.; Professor Kenneth B. Nunn, professor of law, University of Florida; and Professor Sharon E. Rush, Irving Cypen Professor of Law, University of Florida.

Contact Melissa Bamba with questions at 273-0614 or bamba@law.ufl.edu.

All seven Florida Supreme Court justices to judge Maguire Appellate Advocacy Competition on Friday
The law school community is invited to watch as members of the Florida Moot Court Team, (pictured at right), showcase their oral advocacy skills to all seven members of the Florida Supreme Court on Friday. The 27th annual Maguire Appellate Advocacy Competition, formerly known as the Raymer F. Maguire Moot Court Final Four Competition, will be held at 10 a.m. in UF Law’s Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center Courtroom. The event is free and open to the public — the law school community is encouraged to attend. The exhibition allows moot court team members to receive useful critiques regarding their oral arguments as they prepare for the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition. This year’s team consists of Wilbert Vancol (3L), Leah Edelman (3L), Katie Tinsley (3L), David Hughes (3L), David Evans (3L) and Monica Haddad (2L). During the exhibition, Vancol and Edelman will present arguments for Petitioner, and Haddad and Evans will argue for Respondent. The Maguire exhibition provides UF Law students a unique opportunity to observe these outstanding law students exhibit their oral advocacy skills. Providing critiques for the oral arguments will be the justices of the Florida Supreme Court: Chief Justice Charles T. Canady, Justice Barbara J. Pariente, Justice R. Fred Lewis, Justice Peggy A. Quince, Justice Ricky Polston, Justice Jorge Labarga (JD 79) and Justice James E.C. Perry. First-year law students interested in being a part of the Florida Moot Court Team are highly encouraged to attend the Maguire Competition to see the team in action. Additionally, the team will hold a question and answer session for all interested 1Ls Wednesday, March 2, at noon. Pizza will be provided at the session, and 1Ls will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Florida Moot Court Team, the try-out process and general appellate advocacy issues. For questions regarding the information session, please contact Jennifer Sharp.

Faculty scholarship & activities
Last week, Professor Mark Fenster discussed conspiracy theories in a radio interview; Professor Gugliuzza was a panelist in a recent Washington, D.C., panel looking at court decisions; Professor Amy Mashburn talked about a class action lawsuit; Professor McMahon was published in Tax Notes; Dean Emeritus Jon Mills was appointed to an ABA task force and the results of a CGR study are referenced in an article on Florida Main Street programs.
Faculty scholarship & activities »

UF Law’s Center on Children & Families co-hosts presentations on collaborative and therapeutic family law
Barry Law Review and UF Law Center on Children and Families will host “Collaborative and Therapeutic Family Law: Theory and Practice” Friday, March 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Orlando. Area and state experts will offer their expertise. To register, contact Debbie Willis willisd@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0613 by Feb. 22 and fill out this form.

Submit art for Sixth Annual UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show by March 14
Mark your calendars for the upcoming UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show Wednesday, March 16, in the Legal Information Center at 7 p.m. The Art Law Society will have a silent auction for selected works and all proceeds will benefit Shands Arts in Medicine program. There also will be wine, food and live music. If you are interested in submitting your artwork, send the following information to f.c.tripp@gmail.com by March 14 at 5 p.m.: title, artist’s name, date created, dimensions of the work/length of video, medium (i.e., oil on canvas, photography, etc) and whether you would like to donate the work for the silent auction.

CSRRR hosts Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree Thursday, March 24
The Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations presents its spring lecture with Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and director of the Charles Hamilton, Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard University. The lecture takes place at noon, March 24, in Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180) with a reception and book signing at 1 p.m. Ogletree will discuss his book, The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Race, Class and Crime in America (Palgrave Macmillan 2010). This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/centers/csrrr/events.shtml.

‘Coffee with the Dean’ resumes Wednesday
Dean Robert Jerry will resume a program he has hosted for several years called “Coffee with the Dean” Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. Up to 15 students can sign up, first-come, first-served, to meet him in the Faculty Dining Room for coffee and doughnuts. He will have three sessions this semester and each will last about an hour. If you have concerns, questions, a compliment about a member of the faculty or staff, or topics you would like to discuss with the dean, please sign-up by sending an e-mail to Ellen Robinson at robinsone@law.ufl.edu. In addition, the John Marshall Bar Association will host another Town Hall meeting Wednesday, March 30, at noon in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180).

Law student to publish work in e-book, assume editorship of the Global Journal of Peer Review
After graduation, Eric N. Grosch (3L) will publish Clinical-Performance Peer-Review: The Triumph of Fallacy, a work unique in its scientific, logical, legal and philosophical treatment of its medical topic. It contains: (1) proof that clinical-performance peer-review, as practiced, cannot generate reliable findings and that it is counterproductive of its claimed purpose, to maintain and improve quality of clinical care. (2) Evidence that, for clinical-performance peer-review, courts disregard proper legal principles and logic to which they adhere in other cases. (3) Evidence that state legislatures and Congress have produced misguided laws, establishing clinical-performance peer-review-based on no evidence of its efficacy in maintaining or improving quality of clinical care or of its accuracy in identifying good or errant physicians or in distinguishing them. (4) Solutions to enable decision-makers to avoid pitfalls and to found the healthcare-system on principles that fulfill its clinical mission. (5) Defense tactics against bad-faith peer-review.

Princeton Review seeks input from law students
The Princeton Review has once again named the University of Florida Levin College of Law one of the best law schools in the nation. Distinguished schools will be profiled in the 2012 edition of Best Law Schools. In order to help them represent UF Law accurately, please fill out the following survey to author a new “Students Say” profile and update our ratings.

As research assistants for the center, Adrienne Biddings (3L) and Eferiekose Ukala (1L) have the opportunity to work with distinguished faculty, plan engaging events and inform others about the important role of race in society.

Biddings started working at the CSRRR in fall 2008. She became interested in the center’s activities after attending events including race conversations as a first-year law student.

“I liked the events that they held and the opportunities that they gave to the law school community,” Biddings said.

Biddings, who is working towards both a JD and a master’s degree in mass communications, is motivated by a desire to make a difference.

“When you come to your last year you want to get involved in more things you are passionate about and things that give you the opportunity to, at least before you go out there in the real world, give back,” she said.

Some law students get so caught up in their work, that they forget that there is a world outside of law school, Biddings said.

Ukala is looking forward to working with CSRRR Director Katheryn Russell-Brown, who has researched such issues as racial profiling and the effects of the interaction of race and justice.

“I think its going to contribute tremendously to my law school experience because the study of race and race relations is an area I’m really passionate about,” Ukala said.

Ukala has a personal interest in doing this kind of research. She wrote her undergraduate thesis on ethnocide in Nigeria.

“I particularly chose that because it was kind of close and the issue of Nigeria is not one that has been highly publicized,” Ukala said.

Ukala is also interested in studying international law to see how different countries attempt to bring themselves under one regulatory system, she said.

“I like to find answers, although research doesn’t always give you that definite answer, Ukala said. “It sort of points you in the right direction.”

“I chose UF Law because, besides Florida having the beautiful weather, it gave me the opportunity to study under very prominent faculty,” she said.

By serving as research assistants at the CSRRR, both Biddings and Ukala are able to investigate a variety of race-related issues. In fall 2008, Biddings helped Professor Michelle Jacobs coordinate a discussion about the role of race in the 2008 presidential election.

“I worked together with Professor Jacobs to come up with different questions and I interviewed people out in the law school community to get some topic areas,” Biddings said.

Biddings encourages her fellow law students to attend the center’s events and take advantage of its scholarships, oral competitions and writing competitions.

“The more people that know about it, the more willing they will be to give back and spread it around to other people that this is a great center at UF to be involved in,” she said. “I’m graduating soon. The center is going to be here forever.”

After receiving information about the fellowship, LeVine thought she would be a great candidate and embraced the possibility.

“I was excited about the prospect of working for the Anti-Defamation League,” said LeVine, who graduated from Emory University with a dual major in sociology and religion. “My experience, activities, and educational background reflected my qualifications, but I was uncertain if a first-year law student would be considered.”

With three other finalists in consideration, LeVine believes her interview was a deciding factor.

“The interview, scheduled for 20 minutes, extended to 40 minutes, as we had many ideas to discuss. I was hopeful that was an indication of their interest,” LeVine said. “When I received the position, I was delighted and honored.”

LeVine will have the opportunity to work with the Anti-Defamation League, which awards a $4,000 stipend. She will be working with David Barkey, Southern Area Counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, at the Florida Regional Office in Boca Raton.

ADL is the premier national civil rights organization that fights anti-Semitism and forms of bigotry in the U.S. and abroad, combats international terrorism, probes the roots of hatred, comes to the aid of victims, develops educational programs, and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement, all towards the goal of countering and reducing hatred.

LeVine believes the main focus of her position will be First Amendment issues. In the past, the ADL has dealt with a variety of issues including educating local law enforcement agencies on fighting extremism, combating a Gainesville charter amendment that would have eliminated anti-discrimination protections, and urging the Florida legislature to remove anti-Semitic references from criminal statutes. Her responsibilities will primarily include researching cases and drafting amicus briefs that deal with civil rights issues.

LeVine’s education and upbringing brought her naturally to this journey. “Outreach was a family value,” said LeVine, “We were involved in the community culturally, politically and socially.”

“I graduated from a religious day school, and woven in the tapestry of my educational experience, was the deleterious effect of anti-semitism and bigotry.”

LeVine’s interest in law is diverse. A career involving First Amendment issues may be a possibility, but LeVine is equally interested in intellectual property and family law.

“I enjoy learning about all aspects of law. The possibilities will unfold in time.”