Fredric G. Levin College of Law

November 26, 2007 | Vol. XI, Issue 15

Baldwin and Kottkamp to Speak at Levin College of Law's Final Fall Commencement Ceremony Dec. 21

Chesterfield Smith Professor of Law Fletcher N. Baldwin Jr., who has taught generations of UF Law students since arriving in Gainesville in 1962, will be the faculty speaker at the Levin College of Law's commencement at 2 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, a 1987 UF Law graduate, will address the Fall 2007 graduating class. Students and faculty are asked to arrive at 1:15 p.m. The ceremony will last approximately 90 minutes to two hours. There will be a reception to follow at the Levin College of Law Marcia Schott Courtyard. Parking will be in the lot directly in front of the Phillips Center for Performing Arts as well as the parking garage in the same complex.

Career Services: Reminders for December Grads

Pro Bono Certificates
Be sure that you have properly reported any pro bono or community service hours to Career Services by Dec. 3. Final certificates for timely reported hours will be available for pickup in Career Services by Dec. 10. If you have any questions about what hours we have recorded for you in our database, please email Sam Sarno at sarno@law.ufl.edu.

CCS Exit Interviews
Please call or come by the Center for Career Services to sign up for your 10-minute Career Services Exit Interview. You may also come in during Walk-In Exit Interview times Tuesday-Fridays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., beginning Dec. 10 and running through graduation. December grads who have not yet accepted a position or still considering options are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment with a career counselor. We can help you.

Cap & Gown Pickup
Your regalia will be available for pickup in the Center for Career Services beginning Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 9 a.m. If you ordered your cap & gown late, you may need to check with the bookstore for information on when you can expect your cap and gown to arrive.

Additional Career Services Articles
• Making summer plans? Looking for a J-O-B? Consider these dates...
• Winter Break Networking Opportunities
• Interested in Working in Alachua-Marion County area upon graduation?
• Patent Bar and Intellectual Job Fair Information
• The Florida Bar Foundation Legal Services Summer Fellowship Program
• Spring 2008 CCS Programming Watch
• Presidential Management Fellowship Application Information
• Career Services’ Holiday Hours

Career Spotlight: D. Rodney Brown

On November 5, 2006, UF Levin College of Law graduate D. Rodney Brown (JD 91) stood at the rear of the courtroom in Baghdad when deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by the Iraqi High Tribunal. As Hussein was led away by guards after a defiant outburst, Hussein walked within a few feet of Brown. Hussein smiled at Brown, and Brown politely returned the gesture. That was the closest that Brown, an assistant U.S. attorney in Jacksonville, came to the notorious Iraqi ruler during the six months he was deployed as an attorney advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Regime Crimes Liaison’s Office at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Brown was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom after responding to a request from the Department of Justice for prosecutors willing to spend six months in Baghdad assisting and advising the Iraqi High Tribunal in the investigation and prosecution of high ranking members of the former Iraqi regime.
READ MORE>>www.law.ufl.edu/flalawonline

UF Law Students Tour Alachua County Jail

Officer Maggie Donnell (pictured, right) led UF Levin College of Law students on a tour of the Alachua County Jail Thursday, Nov. 1. Hosted by the Criminal Law Association, the annual tour of the jail provided participants access to the entire 314,000 square foot facility. The jail, which is under the authority of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, is currently overcrowded with only 980 beds for approximately 1,100 inmates. The jail houses individuals arrested within Alachua County to include detainees awaiting a first appearance and bail hearing, defendants awaiting trial, and convicts with sentences up to one year. The tour included views of the first appearance room, which utilizes a video conference link to the Alachua County Courthouse, the library, which has a Westlaw account for the inmates' use, and the inmates' living spaces, which are organized by pods. The inmates are assigned to the pods according to a classification system that takes into account a variety of factors including the alleged crime, age, and adherence to the rules.

Faculty Among Most Cited Law Professors in the Country, According to Latest Leiter Rankings

Several UF Levin College of Law professors are among those recognized as the most cited in the country in the latest rankings from University of Texas Law Professor Brian Leiter. Leiter's ranking of Most Cited Law Professors by Specialty, 2000-2007 includes the following members of the UF Law faculty: Professor Jerold Israel, Ed Rood Eminent Scholar in Trial Advocacy & Procedure, who is 25th in Criminal Law & Procedure; Professor Lawrence Lokken, Hugh F. Culverhouse Eminent Scholar in Taxation, who is 9th in Tax; Cone Wagner Nugent Johnson, Hazouri and Roth Professor Juan Perea, who is 24th in Critical Theories; and Professor Christopher Slobogin, Stephen C. O'Connell Chair, who is 11th in Criminal Law & Procedure. Earlier this fall, Leiter ranked the UF Law faculty among the Top 35 Law Faculties Based on Scholarly Impact for 2007.
2007 Faculty Report

The Washington Post Calls on UF Law Professors Slobogin and Seigel for Expert Commentary

UF Law Professors Christopher Slobogin and Mike Seigel each made appearances in the pages of The Washington Post recently. Slobogin and his newly published book, Privacy at Risk, were mentioned in the Nov. 16 article, "The Picture Of Conformity In a Watched Society, More Security Comes With Tempered Actions," which included the following passage from his book: "Anonymity in public promotes freedom of action and an open society. Lack of public anonymity promotes conformity and an oppressive society." Seigel was quoted in an article discussing the recent release of Arthur Bremer (pictured above), who in 1972 shot and paralyzed Democratic presidential candidate Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace in Laurel, Md. "In general, there is an odd element of nostalgia that is attached to these crimes, especially for baby boomers," Seigel says. "It may be odd, but I do think that for many of us, it brings back memories of where we were, and what we were doing and how these events impacted our lives." Read what UF Law professors 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

Time to Get Ready for Final Exams
Exam time is fast approaching and Student Affairs is beginning to organize for that period. The final exam period runs Dec. 1-14. The law school policy states that you may move an exam if you have two or more exams scheduled on the same day or for another accommodation. The Student Affairs Office is responsible for scheduling and proctoring your accommodation. Please do not contact your professors. You may not take an exam early. The Student Affairs Office has the ultimate discretion as to which exam(s) are delayed. In order to receive an accommodation you will be required to complete the appropriate form online or in the Student Affairs Office. There are three forms: 1) Two or more exams scheduled on the same day; 2) Americans with Disabilities Accommodations; and 3) International Students - English as a Second Language. If you complete the form online the information will come to the Office of Student Affairs (HOL 164). If you submit a form you will receive a response from a member of the Student Affairs Staff indicating a decision. The form requests general information (i.e., name, UF i.d., email address, and type of program) as well as information about your current exam schedule, the exam you would like delayed and the reason you need the delay. You may find the forms at http://www.law.ufl.edu/students/forms_apps/examexceptions.shtml. Please select the form that is appropriate for your situation. If you have questions please contact the Office of Student Affairs. The deadline for completing the form for accommodations, language and conflicts and delays is Monday, Nov. 26, at 5 p.m. Please make sure you have completed the form by the deadline.

Summer Fellowship Available with Anti-Defamation League
The Summer 2008 Yegelwel Fellowship provides a $4,000 stipend to a UF Law student to participate in a Summer Fellowship Program at the Anti-Defamation League, Florida Regional Office in Boca Raton. A generous gift from UF Law alumnus Evan Yegelwel, who graduated in 1980, has made this fellowship possible. Yegelwel is a partner in the Jacksonville law firm of Brown, Terrell, Hogan, Ellis, McClamma, & Yegelwel. The fellowship will last eight weeks, with the student committing to a minimum of 35 hours per week. The fellow will be supervised by the ADL Southern Area Counsel and will conduct research on hate crimes, housing discrimination, education, bullying, or other bias-related topics. The Yegelwel Fellowship is limited to UF Law students who have completed the first-year required curriculum and Constitutional Law prior to the fellowship summer and who at the time of application are in good academic standing. The student must also pass a background check. To apply, please submit the following: a personal statement of 500 words or less outlining any past experiences or qualifications that indicate your interest in and commitment to public service; a resume; two references (including names, addresses and phone numbers); an official transcript; and a letter verifying good academic standing. Please submit a hard copy of these items to Patricia Hancock in 340 Holland Hall. Fellowship applications are due Friday, Jan. 18, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations Assistant Director Melissa Bamba at (352) 273-0614 or bamba@law.ufl.edu.

Time Running Out to Make a Pledge to the Fall 2007 Class Gift
The Class Gift Committee would like to thank the following people for pledging to the Fall 2007 Class Gift: Jeff Allen, Pedro Allende, Arturo Armand, Yelizaveta Batres, Andrea Campbell, Tyler Cathey, Andrew Cheslock, Billy Dolence, Jessica Gavrich, Mildred Gomez, Jim Gusner, John Hooker, Shaun Koby, Christina Locke, Laura Lothman, Jason Marques, Kate Munkittrick, Michael Nardella, John Oliver, John Paglio, Neil Patel, Anastasia Protopapadakis, Angelica Saavedra, Cameron James Siggs, Darryl Smith, and Olivia Zink.

Thanks to the help of these people, we have collected a total of $25,000. We are still $20,000 away from our goal. Time is running out for you to make a pledge. If you are graduating in the fall, please consider donating to the class gift. Please keep in mind that your first payment is not due until December, 2008. Pledge forms are available at the JMBA office or at the class gift table in the courtyard. Please consider donating to the class gift. We have received a great education at UF Law, now is our time to give back.

Legal Information Center Hours During Finals, Intercession
The Legal Information Center (LIC) will be open for extended hours during the finals period. On Thursday, Nov. 29, and Friday, Nov. 30, the LIC will be open 7:30a.m.–2 a.m; Saturday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sunday, Dec. 2, 1 p.m.–2 a.m.; Monday-Friday, Dec. 3-7, 7:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Saturday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m.–2 a.m.; Monday-Thursday, Dec. 10–13, 7:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Friday, Dec. 14, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. During the intercession, the LIC will be closed Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15-16. It will re-open Monday-Friday, Dec. 17–21, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and will be closed Saturday, Dec. 22, through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. The LIC will be open Wednesday, Jan. 2, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, 8 a.m.-11:30 p.m., and will resume regular hours Friday, Jan. 4, 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

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