Kara Carnley, editor of the Journal of Law and Public Policy, introduces panelists at the March 14 JLPP Media Law Symposium in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. (Photo by Elise Giordano)

By Lindsey Tercilla
Student writer

The protection of false factual statements under the First Amendment in the case of United Sates v. Alvarez was the topic of a panel discussion at the Journal of Law and Public Policy’s Media Law Symposium on March 14 in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center.

In 2012, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Stolen Valor Act, which attempted to criminalize lying about receiving a military medal.

A new version of the act was passed in September that created penalties for individuals who lied about receiving military medals and profited from their deception.

Panelists included UF Law Professor Lyrissa Lidsky; First Amendment and media law attorney Craig D. Feiser, attorney Kristen Rasmussen, who authored the amicus brief presented to the U.S. Supreme Court for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; and Col. Michael L. Smidt, staff judge advocate of U.S. Special Operations Command.

Professor Lidsky lead the discussion by posing the question: “Does the Alvarez case protect lies?”

When making the decision, the Justices asked themselves two questions, Lidsky said. The first was if the speech was valuable, and the second was did the speech cause harm? Six of the justices said they started with the harm question, she said.

“How you come out on this case depends on which one you ask first,” Lidsky said. “These lies muddy the message of military medals, and that pollutes public disclosure.”

While these lies dilute the value of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the majority decided that the Stolen Valor Act violated the First Amendment by prohibiting people from making false statements.

Craig D. Feiser spoke about the history of false factual statements with regards to media law.

Kristen Rasmussen expressed the important not-so-obvious interests of the news media in the Alvarez case. This included a discussion of what animated the Reporters Committee’s decision to get involved in the case via an amicus effort.

This symposium was sponsored by the Florida Free Speech Forum and the American Bar Association Law Student Division at UF Law.

University of Arizona Professor Carol M. Rose addresses racially restrictive covenants at the sixth annual Wolf Family Lecture on March 13, 2013. (Photo by Haley Stracher)

By Francie Weinberg
Student writer

The sixth annual Wolf Family lecture drew a capacity crowd in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. This year’s guest speaker, Professor Carol M. Rose, presented her lecture on “Property Law and the Rise, Life and Demise of Racially Restrictive Covenants.”

Up until the 1940s it was not uncommon for property deeds to include clauses that restricted the sale of property to whites only. In 1948, the Supreme Court ruled against these racially restrictive covenants, and the practice was outlawed in 1968 by the Fair Housing Act. The lecture offered valuable insights for property law students, as well as those interested in constitutional law and those  involved with the Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations.

“In the early 20^th century, African Americans started to move to cities,” Rose said at the March 13 lecture. “The hope was to escape the violence and oppression of the Southeast, so Caucasians began to take legal routes to get them out of their neighborhoods.”

She went on to explain that though race-restriction laws were Constitution-proof, they were not property-proof. It became harder and harder to sneak a Caucasians-only clause into property contracts.

“The pool of potential white buyers dried up,” Rose explained. “The only feasible buyers were minority members. This resulted in kind of an odd alliance between the white sellers and the black buyers: both of them wanted to get rid of restrictive covenants.”

Rose is the Gordon Bradford Tweedy Professor Emeritus of Law and Organization and Professorial Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School and the Lohse Chair in Water and Natural Resources at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. Her book, Saving the Neighborhood: Racially Restrictive Covenants, Law, and Social Norms (Harvard University Press), co-authored with Yale Law Professor Richard Brooks, will be available in April.

The lecture was streamed via live webcast and can be viewed at http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/4775d77635a741deb45688dbd080d5fd1d.

The Wolf Family Lecture Series was endowed by a gift from UF Law Professor Michael Allan Wolf, who holds the Richard E. Nelson Chair in Local Government Law, and his wife, Betty. Wolf is the general editor of a 17-volume treatise, Powell on Real Property. The treatise is the most referenced real property treatise in the country and is cited regularly by the courts, including several citations in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Wolf family’s strong ties to the University of Florida date back to the 1930s, when Wolf’s father, Leonard Wolf, was a UF undergraduate. Since that time, two more generations of his descendants have made their way to Gainesville to study and work.

Past scholars who have delivered the Wolf Family Lecture in the American Law of Real Property include Thomas W. Merrill, Charles Evans Hughes Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; Gregory S. Alexander, A. Robert Noll Professor of Law at Cornell Law School; Lee Fennel, Max Pam Professor of Law at the University of Chicago; Joseph William Singer, Bussey Professor of Law at the Harvard Law School; and Vicki L. Been, Boxer Family Professor of Law and director of the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University School of Law.

Martin H. Levin, left, Teri Levin and Fredric G. Levin were honored March 30 by the University of Florida Levin College of Law as they participated in a dedication ceremony for the 19,500 square-foot Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center and its second floor, the Allen and Teri Levin Advocacy Education Suite. The building was made possible by a $1 million donation from Teri Levin on behalf of her and her late husband and a $2 million donation from Fredric Levin. (Photo by Marcela Suter)

When UF Law celebrated the dedication of the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center and the Allen and Teri Levin Advocacy Education Suite March 30, a theme was quickly apparent among the many distinguished guest speakers at the event: the value and importance of advocacy in our society cannot be understated.

The event marked the end of a decade-long transformation period at UF Law, which has brought about many changes to the campus, including the multi-million dollar Advocacy Center, which houses a fully functional modern courtroom, practice areas for trial and moot court teams, two multipurpose courtroom classrooms and UF Law’s Legal Research and Writing Program.

“In this nation we need advocacy because we need the rule of law and we need trials because we must have justice,” said UF President Bernie Machen, who attended to accept the Advocacy Center on behalf of the University of Florida. “The courtroom advocacy skills of the attorneys are thus at the very center of our civil society and the democratic system of government.”

The Advocacy Center benefits many different groups at UF Law in various ways and guest speakers expressed excitement and gratitude to the Levin family during the ceremony, which included Fredric Levin, his son Martin H. Levin and his sister-in-law Teri Levin, the wife of Fredric’s late brother Allen Levin.

“It isn’t often during these three years that we can suspend reality, step out of the role of a student and into the role of an attorney, but facilities like this allow that,” said UF Law Trial Team President Tara Tedrow (3L). “And not only have we sat in this building and learned from the best, but most importantly we have learned how to be the best at our craft.”

Other speakers included UF Law Dean Robert Jerry; Legal Research, Writing and Appellate Advocacy Director Henry Wihnyk; Director of Communications Debra Amirin; Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Alyson Flournoy; UF Board of Trustees Chairman Carlos Alfonso and Trial Team Director and Legal Skills Professor Jennifer Zedalis, via taped message.

Finally, Martin H. Levin and Teri Levin offered heartfelt reflections on the University of Florida, their connections to UF Law and the late Allen Levin, whose name graces the Advocacy Education Suite.

Martin Levin said that although his uncle was not a lawyer he was a strong believer in justice and equality – that individuals should be judged on who they are and what they have done. Allen Levin believed, “the only way that could be accomplished is through the efforts of advocates, people who are willing to stand up and speak out even when their own individual may be in harm or become endangered because of it.”

Teri Levin expressed gratitude for the appreciation of her contribution to the Advocacy Center and she offered insight into her late husband’s personality.

“He was a man of integrity, compassion, tolerance. And he was an example of what he believed in, he was a loyal man, a man of his word, a mentor to all who knew him and respected and loved by all who knew him,” Teri Levin said. “He was an advocate all of his life; to honor him with this donation and dedication is the least that I can do.”

The 19,500 square-foot Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center earned the gold LEED rating for its energy efficient and environmentally friendly design. The rating is based on features such as the use of low-flow faucets, waterless urinals, reflective building materials and designs to optimize energy performance. According to the March 14, 2011, LEED report, 1.5 tons of construction waste water was diverted from landfills during the building’s construction and potable water use has been reduced by 55 percent from fittings and fixtures. Energy efficiency measures include high efficiency glazing, reduced interior lighting power density, occupancy sensors and a district chilled water system. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage more environmentally sustainable buildings.

Architect Sol J. Fleischman Jr., A.I.A., CEO of Tampa-based FleischmanGarcia, said the courtroom is geared to its teaching function through monitors, data, phone and Internet connections, and especially the tiered seating giving students a clear view of the proceedings. The cherry-paneled walls and leather chairs give it the stately grace appropriate for Florida’s flagship law school.

Considering the obstacles, you might call it a modern miracle. In the face of dwindling state support and increasingly tough times for higher education as state revenues plummeted in the wake of the Great Recession, the University of Florida Levin College of Law has rallied its alumni and friends during the past decade in a $30 million effort to completely transform, enlarge and upgrade its facilities and offer more scholarship and faculty support.

“We’ve had to manage our money very carefully,” said UF Law Dean Robert Jerry. “But we’ve been able to continue to move forward when other schools have not thanks to the generosity and foresight of our graduates and their families as well as others who believe in the value of what we do here. This facility wraps up a decade of transformation for our law school, particularly in its physical facilities.”

The college will formally dedicate its newest building, the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center, March 30, with its presentation to UF President Bernie Machen. Another surprise is that the sleek 19,500 square-foot building with its dramatic, two-story curved glass foyer has earned the gold LEED rating for its energy efficient and environmentally friendly design, a tribute to its architects. The rating is based on features such as the use of low-flow faucets, waterless urinals, reflective building materials and designs to optimize energy performance. According to the March 14, 2011, LEED report, 1.5 tons of construction waste water was diverted from landfills during the building’s construction and potable water use has been reduced by 55 percent from fittings and fixtures. Energy efficiency measures include high efficiency glazing, reduced interior lighting power density, occupancy sensors and a district chilled water system. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Rating System was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage more environmentally sustainable buildings.

Proud participants at the dedication will be the Levin family, who made the building – as well as numerous other improvements at the school – possible.

Machen noted that Fredric G. Levin (JD 61) donated $10 million to the law school in 1999. At the time it was the largest gift ever given to UF.

“When the history of this law school is recounted 50 or 100 years from now, Fred Levin will be known as a transformative force,” Machen said.

The center is named after Fredric’s son, Martin Levin (JD 88), who serves as general counsel for the Washington, D.C.-based Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. He illuminated what has driven his father to become the prime benefactor of UF Law in general and the advocacy center in particular when the opening of the center’s 4,000-square-foot courtroom was celebrated last year.

He said his father believes that advocacy is a way of arriving at conclusions that instill confidence in the advocate to speak even if the point of view is unpopular. The meticulous research and critical thinking upon which advocacy relies allows conclusions based on reality rather than self-interest, Martin Levin said.

“It’s very simple. Dad honestly believes that advocacy is the single-most important action that can sustain this country’s greatness and, certainly, sustain justice,” said Martin Levin, who finished first in his class at UF Law and holds two advanced degrees from Harvard as well as an undergraduate degree from Stanford.

Martin Levin said his father has done this regularly during his 50-year career. “He spoke out no matter what the consequences were going to be to him. He never backed down.”

“I’m very privileged and honored to do this for Allen and to live the legacy of this incredible family,” Teri Levin announced at the courtroom dedication. Her $1 million donation in the name of her late husband, Allen Levin, a Pensacola developer, allowed the Teri and Allen Levin Advocacy Center Suite on the second floor, which includes two new multipurpose courtroom classrooms and offices for Legal Research and Writing faculty and practice areas for student trial and moot court teams, to be completed this summer.

Teri Levin noted that she gave the money for the advocacy center at the guidance and encouragement of her brother-in-law Fredric G. Levin, who also donated $2 million for construction of the advocacy center.

“I hope with the facility here, the advocacy center, that it will become the go-to place for young law students who want to become trial lawyers and they certainly have the facility to do it,” said Fredric Levin, a renowned trial lawyer. “I have tried cases all over the country. I’ve never seen a more beautiful courtroom or a more well-equipped courtroom.”

Architect Sol J. Fleischman Jr., A.I.A., CEO of Tampa-based FleischmanGarcia, said the courtroom is geared to its teaching function through monitors, data, phone and Internet connections, and especially the tiered seating giving students a clear view of the proceedings. The cherry-paneled walls and leather chairs give it the stately grace appropriate for Florida’s flagship law school.

President of The Florida Bar and University of Florida Levin College of Law graduate Scott Hawkins spoke Nov. 8 to students in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. (Photo by Nicole Safker)

President of The Florida Bar Scott Hawkins (JD 83) let UF Law students in on a secret.

“I have a confession,” Hawkins said as he stepped to the lectern in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. “I didn’t like to go to law school, but I love being a lawyer; I really, really love it.”

Hawkins spoke Nov. 8 on what it means to be a lawyer and offered advice for law students after they graduate. The event was presented by the UF Chapter of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, Law Student Division.

Hawkins explained that as he progressed through law school, he began to appreciate the experience when he realized that being a law student was about more than just acquiring knowledge from textbooks.

“Law school is a lot more than knowledge; (in) law school you’re learning how to solve problems and learning how to work with language and different rules within different disciplines to solve problems that will be entrusted to you when you become a lawyer,” Hawkins told the near-capacity crowd.

He also emphasized the value of the opportunity to attend law school and to become a lawyer.

“To be a lawyer in America is one of the most important privileges that you could ever have,” Hawkins said.

And while the privilege comes with benefits, it also comes with certain obligations, he said. People will expect lawyers to live up to certain expectations regarding their behavior, character and ethics.

Hawkins also stated the importance of remembering to give back so others can have the same opportunities.

“I hope for those of you who do particularly well, that you will invest back into the law school, and I hope you’ll be thinking about that today,” he said, “because the privilege is being given to you now to go off and serve others and serve communities in the coming years in a way that you could not do without the juris doctor.”

Hawkins went on to offer advice for starting out in the legal profession, saying that a lawyer’s reputation starts right now in law school.

“How you’re remembered by your class will be carried on for the rest of your career,” he said, mentioning how he still remembers what his former classmates were like for better and worse in law school.

“I stress three Cs when I’m talking to young lawyers: You want to be a person of character, you want to be competent, you want to be committed,” Hawkins said. “If you put those values at the forefront of your mind as you’re starting out, it will serve you well.”

Hawkins closed by urging law students to begin considering becoming certified by The Florida Bar. He said it takes a lot of focus and discipline to become certified, but it benefits lawyers throughout their career.

“It’s a very tough standard but it’s a very worthwhile goal.”

The event was made possible by The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division, which is comprised of law students around the state. The division works on creating a smooth transition between law school and practicing law. The group works with The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, local bar associations and practicing lawyers to provide opportunities for networking, mentoring, legal education and community service opportunities for members.

UF representatives of The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division include Ryan Gilbert (2L), Margaret Good (3L), Allie Menegakis (2L and division secretary) and Laura Thayer (3L).

All students are encouraged to apply for membership. For more information about the division, visit www.flayld.org/students/signup.php or contact Allie Menegakis at allieem@ufl.edu.

Scott G. Hawkins, President of The Florida Bar

The president of The Florida Bar and active alumnus at the University of Florida, Scott Hawkins, will speak at UF’s Levin College of Law tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. “A Discussion with Scott G. Hawkins, President of The Florida Bar,” is presented by the UF Chapter of The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Law Student Division, and is free to the UF Law community.

Hawkins’ topic will be “The Great Privilege of Being a Lawyer and Getting Started in the Legal Profession.” Twenty minutes will be available for questions, and a 25-minute meet-and-greet will follow. Refreshments will be served after the presentation.

Hawkins is vice chair of Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, P.A. in West Palm Beach and is board certified with The Florida Bar in business litigation. He is past president for the Palm Beach County Bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. District Court for northern, middle, and southern districts of Florida, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Hawkins’ expertise includes intellectual property, trade secret disputes, software litigation, commercial litigation, utility contracts, environmental and land use law, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), health care disability and administrative litigation. Hawkins is also a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated attorney for maintaining high ethical standards.

The event was made possible by The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division, which is comprised of law students around the state. The division works on creating a smooth transition between law school and practicing law. The group works with The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, local bar associations and practicing lawyers to provide opportunities for networking, mentoring, legal education and community service opportunities for members.

UF representatives of The Florida Bar YLD Law Student Division include Ryan Gilbert (2L), Margaret Good (3L), Allie Menegakis (2L and division secretary) and Laura Thayer (3L).

All students are encouraged to apply for membership. For more information about the division, visit http://www.flayld.org/students/signup.php or contact Allie Menegakis at allieem@ufl.edu.

The court will hear oral arguments in four cases on Wednesday, beginning at 2 p.m., and Thursday, beginning at 9 a.m. Students are invited to attend.

“The 1st District Court of Appeal scheduled this special session here at UF so that our students could enjoy the unique opportunity to observe appellate arguments in actual cases,” said Legal Research and Writing Director Henry Wihnyk.

The court travels to UF Law each fall to provide students with this chance to further their understanding of the appellate arguments and to meet and interact with the judges.

Wihnyk said the judges are looking forward to the visit and is eager for students to attend and observe the arguments. Students interested in reading the case briefs beforehand can email Wihnyk at wihnyk@law.ufl.edu.

The arguments will be available as a live webcast: Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

Fredric Levin, left, and Dean Robert Jerry listen as former ABC News President David Westin delivers keynote remarks at the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center coutroom opening celebration last Thursday. (Photo by Amanda Adams)

“I’m very privileged and honored to do this for Allen and to live the legacy of this incredible family,” Teri Levin told a crowd of about 150 in the courtroom, her voice breaking. “And I will say, and I will continue to say: Go Gators!”

Teri Levin’s $1 million donation in the name of her late husband, Allen Levin, a Pensacola developer, will allow the second floor of the 19,500-square-foot center to be completed. She was named an honorary alumna Thursday in recognition for her philanthropy to UF and numerous other causes, an honor for which she said she was grateful.

Teri Levin noted that she gave the money for the advocacy center at the guidance and encouragement of her brother-in-law Fredric G. Levin (JD 61). The law school bears Fredric Levin’s name, and he donated $2 million for construction of the advocacy center.

“I hope with the facility here, the advocacy center, that it will become the go-to place for young law students who want to become trial lawyers and they certainly have the facility to do it,” said Fredric Levin, a renowned trial lawyer. “I have tried cases all over the country. I’ve never seen a more beautiful courtroom or a more well-equipped courtroom.”

Architect Sol J. Fleischman Jr., A.I.A., CEO of Tampa-based FleischmanGarcia, said the courtroom is geared to its teaching function through monitors, data, phone and Internet connections, and especially the tiered seating giving students a clear view of the proceedings.

“It’s certainly a nice upgrade from Bailey courtroom,” noted James Baley (3L), a member of the UF Law Trial Team.

Fredric and Teri Levin spoke before the nearly 150 guests who filled the courtroom, including students, faculty, alumni and administrators.

Among the administrators was University of Florida President J. Bernard Machen. Machen noted that Fredric G. Levin donated $10 million to the law school in 1999. At the time it was the largest gift ever given to UF.

“When the history of this law school is recounted 50 or 100 years from now, Fred Levin will be known as a transformative force,” Machen said.

The center is named after Fredric’s son, Martin Levin (JD 88).

“It’s obviously an incredible honor to have this building bear my name. But the reality is I’ve done nothing to have my name up here. My name’s up here because my father gave $2 million,” Martin Levin told the guests, who responded with laughter.

Martin Levin, who serves as general counsel for the Washington, D.C.-based Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, further illuminated what has driven his father to become the prime benefactor of UF Law in general and the advocacy center in particular.

He said his father believes that advocacy is a way of arriving at conclusions that instill confidence in the advocate to speak even if the point of view is unpopular. The meticulous research and critical thinking upon which advocacy relies allows conclusions based on reality rather than self-interest, Martin Levin said.

“It’s very simple. Dad honestly believes that advocacy is the single-most important action that can sustain this country’s greatness and, certainly, sustain justice,” said Martin Levin, who finished first in his class at UF Law and holds two advanced degrees from Harvard as well as an undergraduate degree from Stanford.

Martin Levin said his father has done this regularly during his 50-year career. “He spoke out no matter what the consequences were going to be to him. He never backed down.”

David Westin, the former president of ABC News who delivered the keynote address, amplified the theme of advocacy as a vehicle for social good.

Westin, a University of Michigan graduate who once litigated in the federal courts, said he used to think televising federal court proceedings was a bad idea.

He now believes Supreme Court and other federal proceedings should be broadcast to show people the shared commitment to the rules of procedure and common principles. He said it is instructive the way “all of the arguments get resolved on the merits.”

Westin said the media could learn from how the court system settles disputes as the media turns to ever-more rancorous commentary and opinion to generate audiences.

For example, he said the contentiousness of news programs could be moderated if hosts question political adversaries about how they agree as well as how they disagree.

For more photos from the courtroom opening celebration, view the gallery on our Facebook page.