Members of the Florida Journal of International Law. (Photo by Marcela Suter)

The Florida Journal of International Law has kicked off the 2012-2013 school year by welcoming the following 11 new members: Danisa Borges, Amanda Broadwell, Connor Haskins, Priya Kolli, Jared Lay, Lauren McCord, Arletys Rodriguez, Nelson Rodriguez, Ashleigh Shelver, Sumer Thomas and Jourdan Weltman. They join 18 returning members, including the new members of this year’s executive board: Kendall Obreza, editor-in-chief; Markey Bakas, managing editor; Paydon Broeder, articles editor; Matt Nellans, articles editor; Bill Doiron, editor-at-large; Suryia Rahman, editor-at-large; Lauren Wajsman, student works editor; David Byron, research editor; Matt Frey, research editor; Jimmy Glover, research editor; Julie Ickes, research editor; and Zach Ullman, research editor.

The FJIL members have just begun the first stage of editing the December issue, which includes four fascinating articles, two of which we spotlight here. Jordan Toone authored “Occupation Law During and After Iraq: The Expedience of Conservationism Evidenced in the Minutes and Resolutions of the Iraqi Governing Council.” It examines America’s adherence to the law of occupation from the Iraqis’ perspective. Toone was inspired to explore this topic while translating and analyzing minutes and resolutions of the Iraqi Governing Council. Toone proposes a framework to uphold the rights of the occupied population while fostering political and economic transformation by the occupying state. The second article, by Patrick Woods, is titled “Inevident Truths: Why Current International Norms and Policies May not have Supported the American Revolution.” In the article, Woods explores whether the American Revolution would have been possible under modern standards of international law. He concludes that the complaints of the American colonists would not have sufficed to create a right to succession under today’s law. Woods suggests some hypocrisy in United States foreign policy for its failure to reflect United States history.

The December issue will conclude with the best case comment submitted during FJIL’s 2012 Write-On Competition. This year’s winner of the Best Case Comment is Arletys Rodriguez (2L). Her case comment, titled “Copyright Law: Balancing Foreign and Domestic Interests in the International Arena, Golan v. Holder, 609 F.3d 1076 (10th Cir. 2010),” will be edited and published by FJIL, which is the top-ranking secondary law journal in the state of Florida.

In addition to the December issue, FJIL will publish issues in April and August 2013. The executive board thanks the general board members who devote their precious time to editing FJIL’s articles; and thanks Victoria Redd, the journal director, and Professor Berta Esperanza Hernandez-Truyol, our faculty advisor, for all of their help and guidance.

-Kendall Obreza (3L)
Special to FlaLaw

FJIL also proudly introduces its new and continuing general board members: Alex Braunstein, M. Austin Moretz, Adriana Paris, Brian Wagner, Jennie Zilner, Brittany Jacobs, Nicole Zakarin, Jason Levy, Laura Thayer, Julie Wells, Jeff Rechtman, Joshua Root, Mai Tran, Moish Peltz, Julie Ickes, Zachary Ullman, Benjamin Baird, Matthew Lane, Bill Doiron, Clay Matthews, Robert Gidel, Nicholas Batty, James Glover, Jonas Cummings, Matthew Frey, Jonelle Reed, Eric Nechter, Kendall Obreza, Daniel Smith, Matthew Nellans, Suryia Rahman, Phil Kegler, Paydon Broeder, Lauren Wajsman and Winton (“Buddy”) Wilks.

Finally, congratulations to Jennifer Allen for winning FJIL’s Best Case Comment, entitled: “A.C.L.U. v. United States D.O.D.: Substantive Difference = Substantial Deference.” Her case comment will be published in FJIL’s Issue 23.3 (December 2011), alongside articles by Professors Daphne Richemond-Barak (Radzyner School of Law, Israel); Alan Reed (University of Sunderland, Sussex, U.K.); and Robert Rains (Pennsylvania State University, U.S.).

UF Law’s newest clinic opens doors
The newest addition to UF Law’s Virgil D. Hawkins Civil Clinics opened its doors for the first time this past summer with four interns completing the program earlier this month. The Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Clinic (IPVAC) is the first and only clinic of its kind in the country; helping indigent victims of domestic violence meet legal, safety, family and medical needs.

“I am thrilled that we got IPVAC off the ground and running this summer,” said Teresa Drake, director of the clinic. “The students handled cases with issues ranging from dissolution to injunctive relief; immigration to landlord tenant law.”

“A major benefit of the clinic is that the law students are enabling individuals to have representation and a voice in proceedings where they might not have,” said intern Diana Korn (3L).

The clinic is a collaboration between the University of Florida Levin College of Law, College of Medicine, Shands Teaching Hospital and Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network. Students interested in enrolling in the IPVAC program can contact Director Teresa Drake at drake@law.ufl.edu.

FJIL welcomes new members
The Florida Journal of International Law welcomes and congratulates its newest members for the Fall 2010 semester: Meghan Zavoina, Michael Burns, Chelsea Koff, Agnieszka (Agnes) Jeter, Liridona Sinani, Fabienne Suter, Shawn Clark, Daphne Duplessis, M. Austin Moretz, Adriana Paris, Kristina (Nina) Burke, Lamar Miller, Caroline Picart, Brian Wagner, Jennie Zilner, Anastasia Campbell, Julianne Parker, Michael Gutman, Brittany Jacobs, Monica L. Haddad, Nicole Zakarin, Jason Parnell, Jerry Lee, Jason Levy, Christopher Marotta and Laura Thayer. FJIL publishes three times a year and concentrates on international legal topics such as international trade and commerce law, human rights law, national security, war crimes, international environmental law and maritime law. For more information on FJIL, e-mail editor-in-chief Stephen Lott at FJIL.EIC@gmail.com.

CSRRR panel looks at new Arizona immigration law
Over the summer, the UF Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations presented an insightful examination of the controversial Arizona immigration law featuring Gainesville immigration attorney and UF Law alumni Evan George and UF Law professor Pedro Malavet. George and Malavet provided an overview of the law and elaborated on a number of reasons the law is a cause for concern. George focused on misperceptions about immigration issues while Malavet examined issues of race and culture in relation to the law.

No smoking policy takes effect
In order to provide faculty, staff and students with a healthy work and learning environmnent, UF became a tobacco-free campus on July 1. For more information about the Tobacco-Free Campus initiative and to learn about resources available to employees or students who wish to stop using tobacco, visit the Tobacco-Free Campus website at www.tobaccofree.ufl.edu/.

LCC election results
Executive Officers: President, Brandon Sapp; Vice President, Josh Nemser; Treasurer, Daniel Cardenal; Secretary, Kyla Tan; At Large Representatives: Justin Berlin, Michael Gutman, Alena Haurykava, Greg Kwok, Alyssa Lunin, Matthew Michel, Patrick Painter, Moish Peltz, Jeff Rechtman, Vivian Seymour, Liridona Sinani, Guichard St. Surin, Jason Taylor, and Tyler Yonge. Organization Representatives: Daphne Duplessis, Ben Friedman, Amber Hall, Stephanie Johnson, Amanda Kotula, Leslie Owen, Maria Thompson, and Mirelis Torres.

Congratulations to the 2010-11 Florida Law Review editorial board
Congratulations to the newly elected Florida Law Review editorial board. Editor in Chief, Dwayne Robinson; Exec. Managing Editor, Claudia Murray; Exec. Research Editor, Justin Alex; Exec. Article Editor, Nate Edenfield; Exec. Notes & Comments Editor, Ben Lingle; Exec. Communications Editor, Ben Steinberg; Symposium Editors: Elizabeth Bowers & Andrew Brown; Managing Editors: Jaime Barwig, Daniel Mahfood, Amy Wessel, Maddie Parro; Research Editors: Leigha DiGregory, Suzanne Palms, Katie Moum, Adam Griffin, Darren Schweiger; Senior Research Editor: Kristen McKinney; Articles Editors: Steve McGinley, Frank Mari, Luis Casas; Notes & Comments Editors: Tara Richardson, Rania Kajan, Lauren Kirkpatrick, Heather Reynolds, Kimon Korres; Communications Editor: Chris Burton; Special Works Editors: Nathan Frazier, Josh Winegar, Spencer Diamond.

Justice Rivlin was named deputy president of the court in 2006. He began his judicial career in 1976 and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2000. While on the bench, Justice Rivlin has also taught law school courses in torts and constitutional law. Recently, the Journal was honored when Justice Rivlin accepted an invitation to sit on the Journal’s Advisory Board.

Justice Rivlin’s work, titled “Thoughts on Referral to Foreign Law, Global Chain-novel, and Novelty,” examines the use or lack thereof of foreign legal authorities by courts around the world. Throughout his thought-provoking piece, Justice Rivlin takes aim at such legal luminaries as Judge Richard Posner and justices of both the Canadian and Israeli Supreme Courts.

Rivlin states, “[r]eferral to foreign law does not necessarily mean the adoption of foreign choices or reliance on foreign experiences in reaching a judicial decision. It does mean a better evaluation of competing options, an available source of empirical experience and a source of novel ideas and knowledge.”

Rivlin examines the debate which often occurs when courts in the United States refer to foreign law. The controversy over reference to foreign law, writes Rivlin, often stems from disagreement over the proper approach the U.S. Supreme Court should take towards interpreting the Constitution of the United States.

Ultimately, Rivlin contends that referral to foreign law serves an important goal: overcoming domestic juristic biases. Rivlin explains that status quo biases are hurtful to the development of domestic law when they are based on irrationality or chill the evolution of modern law. The journal is proud to have this contribution from such an esteemed jurist and looks forward to future contributions by Justice Rivlin.