From left, Debra Staats, associate dean for administrative and fiscal affairs; Alyson Flournoy, senior associate dean for academic affairs; Dean Robert Jerry; and Rachel Inman, associate dean for students, paneled a town hall meeting Nov. 13. (Photo by Marcela Suter)

By Felicia Holloman (3L)

University of Florida Levin College of Law’s John Marshall Bar Association held a town hall to tackle hot-button issues for students and potential solutions.

Students, faculty, and staff filled the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom on Nov. 13 to discuss concerns regarding exam scheduling, the variety of classes offered and library hours.

Dean Robert Jerry; Rachel Inman, associate dean for students; Alyson Flournoy, senior associate dean for academic affairs; and Debra Staats, associate dean for administrative and fiscal affairs, paneled the meeting.

The topics discussed at the town hall were chosen through a student survey, which received 169 responses.

A high-priority issue was the exam conflict rule, which allows students to reschedule an exam if more than one of their exams is scheduled on the same day. The rule does not allow adjustments for students who have two exams within 24 hours of each other.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents reported general dissatisfaction with the rule, while 88.7 percent of respondents reported that having more than one exam in a 24-hour period puts them at a disadvantage.

One proposed solution is to institute a reading period. But Inman remarked that a reading period would likely extend the semester, and could pose problems for students who live on campus or receive financial aid. Jerry suggested scheduling conflicts with main campus may be avoided by starting the semester earlier.

Although the faculty needs to be consulted on the question of changing the exam conflict rule, Jerry believes students expressed compelling reasons for the change.

“This is a solid argument,” Jerry said. Inman hopes for a change to the conflict exam rule to be instituted by spring semester.

Another issue concerned the variety of classes offered in certain concentrations. A total of 56.6 percent of respondents reported that they were dissatisfied with the number of classes offered in their area of interest. A significant percentage of these responses called for more classes in criminal; entertainment, arts, and sports; and real property, probate, and trust law.

Flournoy explained some of the factors that influence the classes offered.

“We look at enrollment each semester and adjust accordingly,” Flournoy said.  “We try to balance the number of offerings in different subject areas so that there is a good array of offerings each semester.”  But in general, the spring semester schedule accounts for students enrolling in fewer credit hours. Thus the number of electives offered is adjusted accordingly.

According to Flournoy, faculty members are working with the administration with the goal of developing additional tools for academic guidance to help advise students on courses that are relevant to different career paths, some of which may not be obvious to students. Flournoy is also working with faculty to develop additional courses in areas of strong student interest.

A change to be instituted this semester is 24-hour access to a classroom for studying in the weeks prior to exams. Law students may use their swipe cards to access the room seven days a week. The change comes amid student complaints that libraries around campus and the county are not opened often enough.

Jerry expressed his appreciation for students’ input.

“We get a lot of good ideas from this, either through comments in the survey or the town hall,” Jerry said.

JMBA will host a Town Hall meeting today from noon to 1 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180). Students can submit questions to jmba.townhall@gmail.com or at the JMBA table. (Note: This is not the Town Hall meeting hosted by the administration, which has been postponed to the spring semester).

Sarah Papadelias (1L) volunteers for Puppy Hill Farm at PetSmart as part of JMBA’s community service event benefiting local organizations.

By Francie Weinberg
Student writer   

The John Marshall Bar Association’s annual community service week Oct. 8-14 gave students at the University of Florida Levin College of Law an easy and fun to way to give back to the community.

The week began on Monday, Oct. 8, with Canned Immunity, a canned food drive that donates directly to St. Francis House, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in downtown Gainesville.

For the second year in a row, students of Professors John Stinneford, Lyrissa Lidsky, Mark Fenster, Lea Johnston, Lee-ford Tritt and Jason Nance who brought cans to class were granted “immunity,” and were not called on for the day. Students also brought cans to the JMBA table. Approximately 650 cans were donated.

“I required students to bring at least two cans to class to get immunity,” Stinneford said. “When calling on students, I generally did not look to see whether they had the cans so they could claim immunity in front of the class and hopefully motivate classmates to bring their own cans the next day. I even let one unprepared student claim retroactive immunity by bringing his cans the following day. It was definitely a good time, and I’m glad to hear it was successful in gathering food for the needy.”

On Oct. 11, JMBA hosted a community service social at Mother’s Pub and Grill. Proceeds went to Caiti Pomerance, a second-year law student who will be biking from Maryland to California next summer in the 4K for Cancer benefiting the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Along the way, Pomerance and her bike group will participate in cancer-related service projects, including visiting cancer centers, cooking dinner at Hope Lodges and participating in Pedal Pals. Pomerance brought her journal to Mother’s to allow attendees to write down names of anyone they knew who were affected by cancer so she could ride in honor or memory of them. The social raised $820 and JMBA donated $180 to make it an even $1,000.

Law students groomed and fed horses at the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm in Alachua  as part of JMBA community service week earlier this month.

Throughout the weekend, the JMBA general board participated in onsite community service at four different organizations — The Retirement Home for Horses, Puppy Hill Farm, Hospice Attic Resale Store and Al’z Place.

The horses are no longer ridden or required to work. Eight law school volunteers helped to groom and feed them. An additional 12 volunteers helped adoptions at PetSmart with Puppy Hill Farm by walking, cleaning and attending to the dogs and cats at the store.

Puppy Hill Farm rescues animals from “kill shelters” and helps to adopt or obtain foster homes for them. Seven members helped sort through and clean items at Hospice Attic Resale Store, which donates proceeds to Haven Hospice.

Finally, 10 members volunteered at Al’z Place on Oct. 19 by going to music class and playing games with the day clinic’s attendees affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

“I was nervous people would be reluctant to help just because, as law students, a lot of times we get caught up,” said Kelly Wicker, vice president of community service for JMBA. “People really want to help; they just have to have people who are willing to get them out there.”

One of Wicker’s favorite community service events is making food baskets of full Thanksgiving dinners. Representatives will be coming around to classes to explain how students can participate starting in November.

Administrators Alyson Flournoy, Debra Staats, Dean Robert Jerry and Rachel Inman address student issues and concerns in a town hall meeting last week. (Photo by Kim Burroughs)

Last week, the John Marshall Bar Association hosted UF Law’s latest Town Hall Meeting where administrators addressed concerns and answered questions raised by students about topics that included discussion of a student lounge where students can relax and socialize, exam schedules and the ongoing quest for the perfect hot food option in the cafeteria.

Dean Robert Jerry began the meeting with a few announcements, beginning with the continuing news of the difficult legal job market. He said there are some signs of improvement recently, but it continues to be a challenge.

“I can assure you our alumni have been extremely helpful in trying to help our students find meaningful opportunities after graduation, and our career development office has worked very hard on this,” he said.

He also addressed the recent U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings in which UF Law placed 48th overall and 25th among public schools, and noted that although UF Law applications are down, the downswing tracks with the national trend.

The first topic addressed the addition or reconfiguring of a student lounge area. Associate Dean for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs Debra Staats listened to students’ concerns that the current area downstairs in Bruton-Geer Hall is not conducive to relaxing and socializing. Options include changing the second-floor Bruton-Geer study area to a more traditional student lounge with couches and televisions or computer monitors for students to use. Staats said administrators will take this into consideration and continue to explore options.

Other topics included the installation of a card swipe on the second floor of Bruton-Geer Hall, which is currently on the way; nonworking electrical outlets in the library cubbies; and the possibility of getting an ATM on campus.

Staats said all the electrical outlets were working at the end of the fall semester and any that are not working will be repaired. Staats also said Wells-Fargo, which the University of Florida maintains a contract with, does not believe there would be enough traffic to merit installation of an ATM on the law school campus.

Associate Dean for Students Rachel Inman said a request was made to extend the hours of the cafeteria Starbucks during the exam period. She said administrators will be mindful in trying to take the exam schedule into consideration in relation to the hours the Starbucks will operate.

Inman then drew some laughs from the crowd as she read a student request about the hot food lunch option.

“Someone said ‘I love the hot lunch option, however, could we mix it up a little more? One time we had Panda Express instead of Pollo Tropical and that was great, thank you.’ And then they say, “but by the way can we please have Chic-fil-A?’”

The topic elicited a wide variety of opinions, ranging from changing Starbucks to a Subway, to having a Starbucks-Subway combination, to expanding the capabilities of the food service area for an expanded menu with items like french fries and other hot items.

Inman said another survey will be conducted before the end of the semester to help determine what will best meet the needs of the students, but any decisions will have to be cleared through Aramark, which is responsible for the food vendors on campus.

Inman also addressed concerns of reducing exam scheduling conflicts and time in between exams and said administrators will continue to work toward an option that will work best for the most students.

With those donations and more from 2Ls and 3Ls, JMBA collected 379 cans to donate to Bread of the Mighty Food Bank. On Friday, Oct. 14, JMBA hosted a community service social at Tall Paul’s and accepted $5 donations.

By the end of the night, the group collected $667, which it will donate to the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

To end the week, JMBA members participated in a community service project at Haven Hospice Attic, where volunteers helped clean and organize donated items.

JMBA would like to thank everyone for their donations during the week.

Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom opening celebration with ABC News past president on Feb. 24
Please join the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law as we celebrate the grand opening of the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom Thursday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. David Westin, a lawyer and the immediate past president of ABC News, will give keynote remarks on a topic involving courts and the media. A limited number of tickets will be available for the event in the Office of Student Affairs. Details will be available via the Allaw listerv. Following the courtroom opening celebration and lecture, the UF Law Trial Team will present its exhibition at 2 p.m. in the center. This event is free and open to the public.

Refine your conflict resolution skills today
Brush up on your conflict resolution knowledge and skills this Valentine’s Day at the practical presentation, “Why can’t we all just get along? Everything you wanted to know about dispute resolution but were afraid to ask,” by Levin College of Law Professor Robin Davis, Esq., director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution. Her presentation will focus on common dispute resolution processes and help faculty and administrators make more informed decisions, personally and professionally, in choosing an appropriate process for their disputes. She will highlight the application of these processes to academia, with special emphasis on mediation. The presentation will be held 3:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14, in the Faculty Dining Room at the Levin College of Law, and is free and open to all. For more information on the program, contact Debra Amirin, amirin@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0651.

Need a Valentine’s Day gift to charm your sweetheart or friends?
The Journal of Law and Public Policy is selling carnations of assorted colors in the courtyard today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each carnation costs $2, and if you would like them to deliver the carnation to your recipient with a note, the carnation will cost $3. For more information, stop by the table in the courtyard today or contact JLPP Fundraising Chair Justin Berlin at justinberlin@gmail.com.

Spend an evening with pioneers in U.S. Civil Rights Movement
The University of Florida Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations (CSRRR) and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (SPOHP)* present “An Evening with the Dues: Pioneers in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement” Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. with a reception and book signing followed by lecture in the Buddy and Anne McKay Auditorium of Pugh Hall. The event honors the work and legacy of Patricia Stephens Due and John Due. The Dues will discuss their lives, work, and the future work that needs to be done for social justice. In 1960 Patricia Stephens Due and four other students from Florida A&M University made history when they served 49 days in jail after being arrested for sitting-in at a lunch counter. Ms. Due and her fellow protestors refused to pay a fine and instead chose to go to jail in order to highlight the injustice of legal segregation. This was the first jail-in of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the beginning of Mrs. Due’s work fighting for human and civil rights in America. Mrs. Due and her husband, civil rights attorney John Due, have fought for human rights since their days on the campus of Florida A&M University. Mrs. Due is the recipient of many awards, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Outstanding Leadership, the Ghandi Award for Outstanding Work in Human Relations and the NAACP Florida Freedom Award. John Due is a 1963 graduate of the FAMU College of Law. *UF event co-sponsors: African American Studies Program; Bob Graham Center; Center for African Studies; Center for Women’s Studies & Gender Research; Department of Anthropology; George A. Smathers Libraries; History Department; and the Office of the Provost.

UF Law Trial Team to compete in Texas and Alabama
The UF Law Trial Team sends two teams this week to compete in competitions in Texas and Alabama. On Wednesday, Feb. 16, advocates Rhett Parker, Anita McNulty, Michael Quintero and Dan Hogan, supported by their coaches Nick Zissimopulos and Tania Alavi, travel to San Antonio, Texas, to compete in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Trial Advocacy Competition. This competition is a criminal trial where the advocates represent both the prosecution and defense. The NACDL competition selects only 12 schools to compete in this three-day competition. The NACDL team is supported by its Round-Robin Team of Georgia Buckhalter, Daniella Chacoa, Tiana Beaudouin, and Gillian Sykes and their Researcher/Team Mascot, James Baley. On Friday, Feb. 18, advocates Jennifer White, Dillon Roberts, Erik Gruber and Jared Thoma, supported by coaches Whitney Untiedt and Darby Hertz, travel to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the National Trial Competition (NTC). Our advocates are prepared to represent both the prosecution and defense in this criminal trial where the defendant is charged with both first-degree murder and robbery. This regional competition features 26 teams from law schools across Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. The top two teams advance to the national competition held in Houston, Texas, from April 6-10. The NTC team is supported by researcher, Andrew Bauta.

JMBA hosts student-faculty-alumni softball game and picnic Saturday, Feb. 19
Join local alumni, students and faculty Saturday, Feb. 19, at 3:30 p.m. at Westside Park, as the John Marshall Bar Association hosts a picnic and friendly game of softball between students, alumni and faculty. Many local alumni are expected to attend, which will provide a valuable networking opportunity for students, and include local alumni in the UF Law community. Please check back for more details as they become available.

Save the date for the Public Interest Environmental Conference Feb. 24-26
The theme of this year’s conference is “It’s Not Easy Being Green: Our Energy Future.” The discussion will focus on contemporary issues associated with our need for energy. Different forms of energy generation and their legal and social ramifications will be examined in a series of nine panels and two hands-on workshops. For details and registration information, visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/piec/.

All seven Florida Supreme Court justices to judge Maguire Appellate Advocacy Competition Feb. 25
The law school community is invited to watch as members of the Florida Moot Court Team showcase their oral advocacy skills to all seven members of the Florida Supreme Court Feb. 25. 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. 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 distinguished oral advocacy skills. Providing critiques for the oral arguments will be members of the current Florida Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Charles T. Canady, Justice Barbara J. Pariente, Justice R. Fred Lewis, Justice Peggy A. Quince, Justice Ricky Polston, Justice Jorge Labarga and Justice James E.C. Perry.

Submit art for the Sixth Annual UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show by March 14
Mark your calendars for the upcoming UF Law Student/Faculty Art Show, which will take place Wednesday, March 16, in the Legal Information Center at 7 p.m. The Art Law Society will be having 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.

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.

John Marshall Bar Association President Joe Joyce introduces the panel of Dean Robert Jerry, Dean Debra Staats, Dean William Page and Dean Rachel Inman at the town hall meeting Nov. 16. (Photo by Joey Springer)

“Is there any way we can get a salad bar?”

“Can the library extend its hours to mimic main campus library hours?”

“Can Starbucks be open the same duration of the library?”

These and other questions and suggestions were addressed at the Fall 2010 Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom. The event was hosted by the John Marshall Bar Association (JMBA) and included panel members Dean Robert Jerry, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs William Page, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rachel Inman and Associate Dean for Administrative and Fiscal Affairs Debra Staats.

The hour-long event had over 100 attendees and touched on topics such as career development, academics, facilities and student services. Each dean answered questions and addressed suggestions relating to their area.

The meeting first focused on questions and suggestions collected by JMBA from students. These included requests to add a new microwave and furniture in the cafeteria, painting and/or pressure washing the outside of the building during an academic break and adding toilet seat covers and individual trashcans in the women’s restroom stalls.

“Some things are obvious. We just need someone to say them out loud,” Staats said.

In response to concerns related to the Center for Career Development, Jerry said, “We recognize [career development] as an area where we need to perform better – in the delivery of student services. Making improvements in that area is a top priority.”

Inman has stepped in as interim director of the Center for Career Development following the resignation of former Assistant Dean for Career Development Linda Calvert-Hanson. Jerry said there will be a national search to bring in a new director, and that the school will continue to work to make available more small-firm options for employment, disseminate information more effectively, and get more recruiters to interview UF Law students.

“We will do a better job providing all these services,” Jerry said.

Jerry also discussed the power of the Gator Nation network, how alumni have helped with the placement of prior graduates, and the school’s plan to encourage alumni to hire Gator grads.

Student suggestions and concerns voiced at the town hall meeting included:

• Keeping the law library open until 1 a.m. like the main campus libraries
• Offering extended library hours two weeks earlier than usually offered for students who have papers due before finals
• Making the reading room limited to only law students
• Having Starbucks use the same operating hours as the library
• Adding food options such as a salad bar, Subway and Boar’s Head
• Inviting food vendors such as Chick-fil-A to sell on campus at designated times
• Offering the law calendar in a smart-phone friendly format
• Providing more lighting and/or security on the campus at night, especially around the Florida Law Review office entrance

After the administration addressed suggestions, the town hall meeting closed with a question and answer session. Some questions included: “why is there no ‘Sexuality in Law’ class?”, “will there be a certificate in criminal law available?” and “why don’t we have more clinic options?”

Page’s answers included that there was a “Sexuality in Law” class previously offered during the summer, but the professor who teaches that class hasn’t been able to teach it the past couple years due to course loads. However, they are looking to offer the class in the spring or fall semester. Page also said that a certificate in criminal law is not yet available, but that the school is investigating the addition of an entrepreneurship clinic.

In answer to a question regarding the grading curve, Page said the current class standing system communicates the quality and competitiveness of the student body.

After receiving answers to their questions and voicing their opinions, students were offered free lunch provided by JMBA. Joe Joyce, president of JMBA, thought the meeting was successful.

“It was a really honest dialogue,” Joyce said. “There has been positive change from town hall meetings in the past, and this is an important part of what JMBA does: advocate for student issues. JMBA wants to provide students with access to the administration and advocate on their behalf issues that the students care about and believe in.”

“It’s about effecting positive change,” he said.

Jerry started the discussion by sharing the recent results from the February Bar exam, which were much improved from last year’s results. The pass percentage for UF first-time takers was 81.1 percent (30/37) against an overall pass rate of 72.2 percent (586/812). Another product of the school’s hard work was the employment status of the UF Law class of 2009. As of February 2010, for graduates who wish to work and who are working or those pursuing a graduate degree from the class of 2009, the employment status was 99.5 percent; all but three members of last year’s graduating class are employed.

Jerry was pleased to be able to report the good news, and was very grateful for the help given by past graduates of the law school.

“Our alumni really stepped up in finding and helping create those positions for our students,” Jerry said.

Much of the meeting was devoted to issues that had already been raised, and while the solutions to many of them were still being sought, the issue of paying for exam-taking software had been solved.

Previously, students who wanted to use their computers to take exams were forced to pay a fee in the range of $25 to register the ExamSoft program. Jerry said that fee would soon be taken care of by the school.

“Starting next year, and I think this is the right answer, we are going to use private unrestricted gifts to pay for a school-wide licensing fee,” he said.

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Bill Page spoke on a range of issues, but most of his time was spent answering students’ questions about scheduling. Scheduling issues ranged from what to do with the noon period that is usually free, the possibility of more classes focusing on Florida law, and the possibility of a certificate program in criminal law.

Assistant Dean for Career Development Linda Calvert Hanson spoke to the school’s efforts to help students get jobs, externships and other opportunities. While Career Development does much to aid students, being perhaps the most rural of Florida law schools can make things more difficult, Hanson said. “One of the challenges that we have is the geographic limitations of Gainesville.”

Finally, Associate Dean for Students Rachel Inman discussed a few more issues, including the idea of introducing hot lunches to the cafeteria. Solutions discussed included getting the current vendor to add items, or have main campus vendors bring sandwiches or other items to the law school. While a final solution has not been reached, Inman said that they are committed to finding one, saying “We’ll do our best to have some sort of schedule for hot food options for you in the fall.

“There were five people who were finalists and they’re great people, so that’s a question I had. Why me?” Davis said. “But it’s certainly an honor.”

Davis won student of the year while Professor Lee-ford Tritt won professor of the year for the second consecutive year.

“I’m very humbled by the honor of being named professor of the year,” Tritt said. “And I feel so unworthy of this recognition when I reflect upon the great depth of wonderful professors that the law school is blessed to have. My colleagues daily inspire me and guide me. In reality, the students are prepared and trained so well by the professors who teach first year courses that teaching 2Ls and 3Ls is an effortless pleasure.”

Davis, who will work at Holland & Knight in Orlando after graduation, had a great experience at UF Law and congratulated the finalists for student of the year: Clay Carlton, Jon Philipson, Jennifer White and James Tyger. The highlight of law school for him was arguing in front of Chief Justice Roberts for the Moot Court Final Four.

Professor Lee-ford Tritt wins professor of the year for the second consecutive year.

“Not only would that be the highlight of law school, I have a feeling that will probably be the highlight of my legal career, but you never know,” Davis said. “I learned a lot from that experience. I remember Justice [Rosemary] Barkett, when we were walking to the event, pulled us all aside and told us not to be nervous, which we all laughed at. She also said, ‘Treat this as a conversation. It’s not us interviewing you and you responding. We’re talking to you about your case. We want to know your theory and we have legitimate questions that need to be answered.’”

Tritt, who taught Estates and Trusts, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Administration this year, thanked his students for pushing him to improve.

“It’s an extreme honor and privilege to teach the students who attend UF Law School,” Tritt said. “The students are so sharp, hardworking, and dedicated—they keep me on my toes and positively challenge me. The students set a high hurdle which, in turn, makes me a better teacher and lawyer. I learn more from teaching them then they will ever learn from me.”

But even though Tritt has won the award twice in a row he knows there is still room for improvement.

“There is really nothing more important to me than striving to be a good teacher,” Tritt said. “This award means that I will continue to strive to be a better teacher so that I can be worthy of this honor.”

UF Federalist Society sends delegation to national student symposium
A delegation from the UF Federalist Society represented UF at the 2010 Federalist Society National Student Symposium, an annual gathering of conservative and libertarian students, lawyers, and law professors from around the nation. The symposium was held Feb. 26 & 27, at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia. The theme was “Originalism 2.0.” Members of the UF delegation included, Federalist Society President Joshua Mize, Nakku Chung, Eugenia Fischer, Jason Yoepp, Christine Pratt, Michael Kelley, and Jordan Pratt. At the symposium, law professors and judges conducted panel discussions and debates on topics such as “Originalism: A Rationalization for Conservatism or a Principled Theory of Interpretation?,” “Originalism and Construction: Does Originalism Always Provide the Answer?,” and “Originalism, Precedent and Judicial Restraint.” Panelists included, Yale Law Professor Jack Balkin of the legal blog “Balkanization,” Professor Richard Fallon of Harvard Law School, former U.S. Solicitor General Greg Garre, Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judge Diane Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Professor Jeffrey Rosen of George Washington University School of Law. The keynote speaker was Dr. Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard.

Congratulations to the UF Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Team
Over the weekend, the Vis team travelled to the University of Miami campus to compete in the Florida scrimmage competition hosted by The Florida Bar. The participants were Olga Butkevich, Chana Cannon, Sasha Funk, Anastasia Campbell, Julianne Parker and Andres Healy. Campbell received the highest score awarded in UF’s match-up against the University of Versaille, Healy received the highest score awarded in UF’s match-up against Florida Coastal, and Parker received the highest score awarded in UF’s match-up against Stetson University. Additionally, Healy was one of three students recognized for “Top Oralist” honors. Thanks to the generous donation from adjunct coach Eduardo Palmer (JD 85) the team will travel to the competition in Vienna from March 26 through April 1. For more information please visit http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/vis.html. Tryouts for UF’s team are held each fall.

Congratulations to the 2010-2011 JMBA Executive Board
President: Joe Joyce; Vice President Student Services: Laurie Tyler Yonge; Vice President Social: Ashley Johnson; Secretary: Katie Kellam; Treasurer: Justin Pacific. General Board: Jenny Albano, Sarah Casey, Jessica Couvertier, Amber Curtis, Martin Holland, Brian Johnson, Joe Kovecses, Dan Lazaro, Jay Levin, Vincent Massaro, Matt Michel, Sarah Moore, Katie Moum, Josh Nemser, Moish Peltz, Sal Picataggio, Megan Policastro, Lindsay Powell, Christina Russo, Bethany Turner, Genevieve Turner, and Chase Wiley.

2010 Census Information
This March, the 2010 Census will arrive in every Gainesville resident’s mailbox. The responses will directly affect the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funding for education, healthcare, transportation and the environment. Off-campus students must fill out the form with their housemates and return it by mail before April 1. It is important that everyone in Gainesville fill out the census form to ensure funding that will help keep The Gator Nation great.