Fredric G. Levin College of Law

January 28, 2008 | Vol. XI, Issue 19

14th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference Looks at Florida's Role In Global Issues

The University of Florida Levin College of Law’s 14th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference (PIEC) will be held Feb. 28- Mar. 1, 2008, at the UF Law campus. The theme of this year's conference is "Reducing Florida's Footprint: Stepping Up to the Global Challenge." The conference will focus on Florida's role in global issues on energy, land use, biodiversity, and water. The PIEC will take place in conjunction with the 1st Annual University of Florida Water Symposium - "Sustainable Water Resources: Florida Challenges, Global Solutions." On the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 27, the PIEC opens with a pre-conference keynote speech by Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit climate change and human rights activist and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. The speech will be held at the Reitz Union Ballroom and is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m. Co-sponsored by UF Office of Sustainability, the conference is free for all UF students, faculty and staff. The PIEC pre-registration fee is $85, and the on-site registration is $100. Both fees include all program activities except the banquet, which is an additional $35 for all Conference attendees. The post-mark deadline for pre-registration is Feb. 22.
READ MORE>>www.law.ufl.edu/flalawonline

Career Services: The CCS Buzz Catches You Up On Spring Recruitment, Upcoming Job Fair In Atlanta

Catch up on what's happening with spring recruitment and an upcoming job fair in Atlanta in this week's issue of The CCS Buzz, your source for a quick synopsis of programming, recruiting, networking, volunteer, and “SHIP” opportunities available to you. The CCS Buzz can be found in FlaLaw OnLine, via a link on your Symplicity homepage after you log in, or you can pick up a hard copy in Career Services at 244 Bruton Geer Hall.

Click below to downloadThe CCS Buzz, your weekly guide to what is important to your career and professional development:
• The CCS Buzz

Career Spotlight: Cary Davis

It’s not often someone makes the jump from journalist to attorney, but UF Law alum Cary Davis (JD 06) has done just that, and loves being part of the action. Davis, who practices media law, intellectual property and commercial litigation for the firm Helms Mulliss & Wicker in Charlotte, N.C., spent seven years as an award-winning reporter with the St. Petersburg Times and the Ocala Star-Banner. After spending so much time writing about the police and the law, it was time to be the one helping to make the news, Davis said. “I spent a lot of time sitting in court rooms as a member of the audience, thinking to myself, ‘Hey I can do that,’” he said. “I really wanted to start influencing and figuring out how to work with the law, and I wanted to be a player in the game.”
READ MORE>>www.law.ufl.edu/flalawonline

Sheriff Sadie Darnell To Speak on Mental Health Issues of Prisoners in Alachua County

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell (pictured left) will speak about the mental health issues of prisoners in Alachua County at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the College of Education's Terrace Room in Norman Hall as part of the University of Florida Counselors for Social Justice's Community Speaker Series. It will be a brownbag dinner meeting so bring your dinner. For more information, go to www.ufcsj.org. Sheriff Darnell was sworn in as the first female sheriff of Alachua County on Nov. 14, 2006. She is a 30-year veteran of the Gainesville Police Department, having been promoted through the ranks to Police Captain, before retiring and ultimately returning as the agency’s Community Relations Coordinator working with special needs citizens and victims. Sheriff Darnell earned a master's degree in Educational Leadership and a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, and an Associate of Arts Degree from Santa Fe Community College. Her community involvement includes being the past president of the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women, Board of Trustees of Peaceful Paths, volunteer for Interfaith Hospitality Network for homeless families, Leadership Gainesville XXII, board member of The Preserve, transitional housing for homeless boys, board member of the Coalition for Suicide Prevention, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Alachua County Humane Society and advocate for crime victims.

Florida Presidential Preference Primary Tuesday

Polls in Alachua County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, for the Florida Presidential Preference Primary. Florida is a closed primary state, so you may vote only for candidates of the political party in which you are registered, unless all candidates for an office have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the General Election. All registered voters may vote in non-partisan elections, on issues, and for any candidate in the General Election. All voters in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. You must vote in the precinct where you live. Check your voter information card for the location of your polling place or use the precinct finder on the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website at http://elections.alachua.fl.us.

UF Law Student Eric Gold, 26, Strived to Conquer Despite Host of Medical Challenges

When Eric Gold faced a serious medical challenge in his life, he turned it into a crusade to help others. Diagnosed with diabetes at age 7, he went on to help develop a summer camp for kids with that disease. After coming down with a lung disease five years ago and later having a double lung transplant, he ran a half-marathon and became a speaker on behalf of organ and tissue donation. On Sunday, Jan. 20, Gold died in a Gainesville hospital of pneumonia related to his most recent medical battle, this time with cancer. He turned 26 just six days earlier.
READ MORE>>www.law.ufl.edu/flalawonline

Poverty Law Expert April Charney to Discuss Public Interest Lawyering Friday, Feb. 1

April Charney, a nationally recognized expert in poverty law issues, will present "Public Interest Lawyering: Doing Well While Doing Good," a talk about the issues that face low-income communities and what lawyers and law student volunteers can do to make a difference, at noon Friday, Feb. 1, in the Bailey Courtroom at the UF Levin College of Law. Charney (pictured far left), an attorney with Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, will talk with students specifically about consumer law issues in light of the current economy—from credit card debt to mortgage foreclosures to rent-to-own and payday loan businesses. Charney's talk is presented by Three Rivers Legal Services. The talk is open to the entire student body, and is also part of a training for law students who have volunteered to go out in the community to teach people about their rights and responsibilities under the law—and how to protect themselves from credit sharks and housing problems. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Whitney Untiedt at 352-372-0519.

Professor Fenster's Book on Conspiracy Theories Referenced in Blog Discussing 9/11 Attacks

UF Law Professor Mark Fenster (pictured left) recently was quoted in a blog on Wordpress.com, which discusses speculation that federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East, according to a new Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll. The blog referenced his book Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture, which said the poll’s findings reflect public anger at the unpopular Iraq war, realization that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction and growing doubts of the veracity of the Bush administration. "What has amazed me is not that there are conspiracy theories, but that they didn't seem to be getting any purchase among the American public until the last year or so," Fenster said. "Although the Iraq war was not directly related to the 9/11 attacks, people are now looking back at 9/11 with much more skepticism than they used to." Keep up with what UF Law faculty are saying in the media and writing about in scholarly publications in FlaLaw Online's weekly updates on Faculty Scholarship & Activities.
• Faculty Scholarship & Activities

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News Briefs

Michigan's Clarkson to Discuss the Need for Economic Development in Indian Country
Gavin Clarkson (pictured left), assistant professor in the School of Information and visiting professor in the School of Law at the University of Michigan, will speak at noon Thursday, Jan. 31, in the Faculty Dining Room as part of the UF Levin College of Law's Faculty Enrichment Series. His talk is on "Accredited Indians: Increasing the Flow of Private Equity into Indian Country as a Domestic Emerging Market." Demonstrating a commitment to scholarly engagement, UF Law's faculty colloquium series hosts some of the nation's top legal academics as they present their current work to the law school faculty. The series provides a forum for provocative and innovative legal scholarship and gives UFLaw faculty the opportunity to exchange ideas with other scholars, foster relationships with other institutions, and collaborate on works in progress. Although this series is primarily oriented toward faculty, students are welcome to attend provided they first contact Professor Christine Klein, associate dean for faculty development. For more information, go to: http://www.law.ufl.edu/faculty/enrichment.shtml.

Restoration of Civil Rights Project Volunteer Training Session Jan. 31
The Restoration of Civil Rights Project volunteer training session for the Spring 08 semester will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, in 283 Holland Hall. Please contact Allison Riggs at ajriggs@ufl.edu if you plan to attend the training session. If you’ve attended a training session previously, you do not have to attend this one unless you would like to review the rules and process. However, if you do not attend, please email Allison to sign up for the workshops to be held Feb. 7, March 6 and April 3, 5:30-7 p.m., at the UF Eastside Campus Community Room on Waldo Road.

Deadlines Approaching for ABA-Approved Summer Programs in France, South Africa and Costa Rica
Students interested in any of the ABA-approved summer programs in France, South Africa and Costa Rica should act quickly before all the spots are taken. The deadline for all three programs is March 21. For more information on these programs, click on the links below.


San Jose, Costa Rica
Paris and Montpellier, France
Cape Town, South Africa

Fall 2008 Financial Aid Renewal Reminder
For those of you who have not already done so, now is the time to apply for aid for the 2008-2009 academic year. Students are encouraged to apply electronically using FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA on the web since it can save you processing time and has a built in editing format to reduce errors. Just go to FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA on the web at http://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 renewal electronically.

Scholarship Opportunity for Brevard County Students
Students from Brevard County are encouraged to apply for the Frederick W. & Grace P. Brecht Scholarship. The award amount is $1,000. The criteria for the scholarship stipulates that the student's home and place of residence must be in Brevard County, Florida, or must have graduated from a Brevard County high school. The student must be 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 2008-2009 FAFSA, maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA, and good moral character and habits. The deadline 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. If you are a Brevard County resident or graduated from a Brevard County high school and demonstrate financial need as determined by the 2008-2009 FAFSA, it is strongly recommended that you apply for this scholarship.

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