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.

Mary Adkins has been promoted to director of the Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy Program.

ELULP taking applications for moot court team

The Environmental and Land Use Law Program is now taking applications for participants on the Environmental Moot Court Team for 2012-2013. Environmental Moot Court team tryouts are scheduled for Sept. 7 and Sept. 10. The deadline for applying is Thursday at noon. The dates for the tryouts are: Friday from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and from 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 10, from 3:45 to 5 p.m.; The tryouts are scheduled in 15-minute intervals. Contact Lenny Kennedy at lkennedy@law.ufl.edu for details.

The University of Florida sends teams to the National Environmental Moot Court Competition and the International Environmental Moot Court Competition. Students selected to participate in the UF teams have the chance to brief and argue a case, and to compete against teams from around the country in the annual competition.

Throughout the year, ELULP students can participate in summer externships, the Conservation Clinic, the Public Interest Environmental Conference, the Richard E. Nelson Symposium, the Environmental Capstone Colloquium, and the Costa Rica Study Abroad Program.

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 audiences

• 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.

Restoration of Civil Rights training Sept. 6

The Restoration of Civil Rights (RCR) Project is having a training session on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 5 p.m. in HOL 285D. The Restoration of Civil Rights Project is a volunteer group based out of the law school that helps members of the community with felony convictions apply to have their civil rights, including the right to vote, restored. The RCR group provides application assistance at workshops held once a month. RCR is a low-commitment way for law students to make a difference in the community. If you plan to attend the training session, add the Restoration of Civil Right project to your TWEN page and sign up for the training session or contact Brandon Campbell at bcampbell@ufl.edu.

‘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.

The Center on Children and Families is seeking volunteers to participate in its annual Youth Summit. There will be an information meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, and Monday, Feb. 16, at noon in HOL 359. The Youth Summit is designed to engage high school students in discussion about matters concerning law and policy and how each affects them. This year the summit will be on March 20, and will focus on youth involvement in the Juvenile Justice System. The program will address topics ranging from what activities could be illegal or result in suspension or expulsion from school to the consequences of involvement in the juvenile justice system. While volunteering, you will have the opportunity to interact with over 400 high school students to inform them of their legal rights, as well as inspire them to be focused and to live a productive life. For more information contact Debbie Willis, program at kelley@law.ufl.edu or Kristianna Rodriguez, Youth Summit project assistant at querod@ufl.edu. If you are a member of Facebook, the event and information is listed there as well.

ELULP informational meeting Feb. 13

The Environmental and Land Use Law Program offers many opportunities for you to become involved and learn about these important areas of law. There will be an informational meeting at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 13, in HOL 283. At the meeting, you’ll learn critical information about the ELUL program, including the requirements for earning a Certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law, and details about the curriculum, including the Conservation Clinic, summer externships, and the summer study abroad in Costa Rica, and find out about the Environmental and Land Use Law Society, the Environmental Moot Court Team, the Public Interest Environmental Conference, and our new LL.M. in Environmental and Land Use Law. Students who attend will also have the chance to meet and talk with some of the ELULP faculty and to get individual advice on course selection for summer and fall and career development guidance. This is an excellent opportunity for currently enrolled certificate students to get answers to questions about certificate requirements, course availability, etc. All students with an interest are encouraged to attend, but especially first- and second-year students – this is the ideal opportunity to get the best possible information to plan your academic program for your remaining semesters. Contact ELULP Program Assistant Lena Hinson at hinson@law.ufl.edu.

Real Property Law Association welcomes new officers, develops local connections

The UF branch of the Real Property Law Association (RPLA) was pleased to recently celebrate its second anniversary as a UF Levin College of Law organization. As part of the celebration, the RPLA inaugurated a new crew of officers. The inauguration was immediately followed by networking events at recent North Florida Area Real Estate Attorney (NFAREA) meetings hosted by the law firms of Salter, Feiber, Murphy, Hutson & Menet and Scruggs and Carmichael. The NFAREA welcomed Tiffany Kimball as the RPLA’s new President, along with fellow officers Jamie Barwig, Zea McDonnough, Derren Kales and Lauren Kirkpatrick. Barwig was offered and accepted the position of NFAREA secretary and is now responsible for both assisting the NFAREA chairperson and keeping the minutes for the organization. Outgoing president Brent Kimball was pleased to present a new initiative to the NFAREA designed to help local real property attorneys locate and communicate with University of Florida students interested in practicing in the field of real property. The RPLA will continue to work with Florida’s real property law community at the upcoming executive council meeting this spring, where they plan to attend several training seminars, volunteer their services for pro bono projects, and rub elbows with the elite of Florida’s real property community. (Photo from left: Tiffany Kimball, Lauren Kirkpatrick, Derren Kales and Zea McDonnough)

Research Assistant Needed

Professor Jonathan Cohen seeks a research assistant for this spring and summer concerning a project addressing one family’s response to a case of medical error. Interested students should have both excellent research and typing skills, as some of the work will involve transcribing interviews. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and undergraduate and law school transcripts (unofficial copies fine) to Betty Donaldson, HOL 340, by Wednesday, Feb. 18

Introduction to Law School and the Profession 2009 Ambassador Program

Student Affairs is looking for ambassadors. Ambassadors are current students who are selected for their interest in helping new students prior to, during, and even after the ILSP. If you are interested in being a part of the ambassador team, now is the time to apply. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, Feb. 17, at noon. An information sheet and application is available on the orientation Web site www.law.ufl.edu/students/orientation/. When you turn in your application and resume to the Office of Student Affairs, you will sign up for an interview. If you wish to be considered for a coordinator position, an additional application is required. Contact Michelle Ocepek at ocepek@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0620 for more information.

by Andrew Friedman

Twelve Levin College of Law students got their hands dirty on Saturday at Rooterville Animal Sanctuary. They helped with farm chores like repairing fences and enjoyed the sunny, blue-skied afternoon with more than a hundred animals, including pigs, chickens, turkeys and a goat. Most of the animals were rescued from factory farms, circuses and other merciless conditions. The sanctuary is located in Archer, about a half-hour southwest of campus, and is home to more than 100 animals. The event was organized by the Animal Law Association. ALA aims to educate the public about animal abuse and how litigation and other legal means can protect the lives of animals. The group is planning more events throughout the semester. For more information contact Jamie Klapholz at animallawassociation@gmail.com.

Joint degree informational meeting Feb. 5

Did you know that you can earn your law degree and a graduate degree at the same time? Did you know that pursuing both degrees at the same time can actually save you time and money? In fact, in most situations, under a joint degree program, a student can obtain both degrees in approximately two semesters less than it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued separately. The joint degree programs are credit-sharing arrangements that allow qualified students to combine their legal studies with graduate work, resulting in two degrees earned in a reduced amount of time. Joint degree programs can be established in nearly any area, such as: agribusiness, anthropology, building construction, business administration, counselor education, criminology, decision & information sciences, doctorate of medicine, educational leadership, electrical & computer engineering, environmental engineering, exercise and sport sciences, food and resource economics, forest resources & conservation, history, interdisciplinary ecology, Latin American studies, mass communications, materials science & engineering, medical sciences, pharmacy, political science, psychology, public health, real estate, sociology, urban and regional planning. If you are interested in learning about this opportunity, students are invited to attend an informational session about joint degree programs on Thursday, Feb. 5, in HOL 285C and visit at http://www.law.ufl.edu/programs/joint/. Assistant Dean of Students Kari Mattox, mattoxk@law.ufl.edu, will address the requirements of the program and answer questions.

ELULP informational meeting Feb. 13

The Environmental and Land Use Law Program offers many opportunities for you to become involved and learn about these important areas of law. There will be an informational meeting at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 13, in HOL 283. At the meeting, you’ll learn critical information about the ELUL program, including the requirements for earning a Certificate in Environmental and Land Use Law, and details about the curriculum, including the Conservation Clinic, summer externships, and the summer study abroad in Costa Rica, and find out about the Environmental and Land Use Law Society, the Environmental Moot Court Team, the Public Interest Environmental Conference, and our new LL.M. in Environmental and Land Use Law. Students who attend will also have the chance to meet and talk with some of the ELULP faculty and to get individual advice on course selection for summer and fall and career development guidance. This is an excellent opportunity for currently enrolled certificate students to get answers to questions about certificate requirements, course availability, etc. All students with an interest are encouraged to attend, but especially first- and second-year students – this is the ideal opportunity to get the best possible information to plan your academic program for your remaining semesters. Contact ELULP Program Assistant Lena Hinson at hinson@law.ufl.edu.

Trial Team makes semifinals at mock trial competition

The UF Trial Team sent two teams to The Florida Bar mock trial competition this year in Miami on Jan. 14 & 15. The first team included four advocates, Ranaldo Allen, Kailey Evans, Connie Jones, and Maulik Sharma (all 3Ls). They defeated Stetson and Miami in the initial round. The second team was composed of two advocates who argued both the plaintiff and defense side of the trial, 3Ls Elizabeth Manno and David Mitchell, along with witnesses played by 2Ls Allison Kirkwood and Jamie Stephens. This team defeated FSU and Barry in the initial round. Manno and Mitchell qualified for the semifinal round, but lost in a 5-4 split of the judges. The team was coached by Nick Zissimopulos (JD 02), former UF Trial Team member who is currently a criminal defense lawyer at the Gainesville firm Rush & Glassman. Pictured from left: Elizabeth Manno, David Mitchell, Jamie Stephens, Kailey Evans and Ranaldo Allen. (Not pictured: Connie Jones, Maulik Sharma and Allison Kirkwood)

Fall 2010 Financial aid renewal reminder

For those of you who have not already done so, now is the time to apply for aid for the 2009-2010 academic year. I encourage you to apply by April 1 using FAFSA on the Web. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and follow the instructions on the site. After applying via FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA on the Web, you can check the status of your application and/or make corrections online. You will need to use your Federal Access Code (PIN) to complete the 2009/2010 FAFSA.

2009 Vis-Pre Competition Feb. 28

The International Law Section of the Florida Bar will bring together law students, practitioners, and scholars for the 2009 Florida Pre-Competition for the Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Orlando on Saturday, Feb. 28. Every year over 200 law schools from all over the world gather at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria and Hong Kong, China, to argue a case based on complex aspects of international commercial law. For many years, Florida’s law schools have strongly acquitted themselves at these premiere moot events, consistently ranking among the top teams. This year, the International Law Section continues this tradition by inviting members of the bar and public to learn about and participate in the event. The 2009 Florida Pre-Competition will be held at the Florida A&M University College of Law located at 201 Beggs Ave. in downtown Orlando. The competition will begin at 9 a.m. Contact Arnie Lacayo at alacayo@astidavis.com for more information.

The Frederick W. & Grace P. Brecht Scholarship

The Frederick W. & Grace P. Brecht Scholarship ($1,000) is available to students who meet the following criteria: Home and place of residence must be in Brevard County, Florida or must have graduated from a Brevard County high school; accepted for admission to a community college or university in the state of Florida; enrolled as a full-time, degree seeking student in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional program; demonstrate financial need as determined by the 2009-2010 FAFSA; minimum 2.0 GPA; and good moral character and habits. The deadline to apply is May 15. Scholarship recipients are selected annually; renewal is not automatic. To be considered for renewal you must submit a new application and complete each step listed in the procedures section of the new application instructions. Applications are available at www.sfa.ufl.edu/pub/forms.html#apps