Archive for '2012'

MIAMI (March 1, 2012) – Florida International University will pay tribute to distinguished alumni and members of the university community at its 11th annual Torch Awards Gala on Sat., March 3.  The event recognizes the university’s most outstanding alumni and members of the FIU faculty for contributions to their fields, the community and their alma mater.

The Torch Award honors the memory of Senator Ernest R. Graham, the forward-thinking champion who helped to create the university.  This year, the signature social event for the FIU Alumni Association will be held at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, Wells Fargo Center (Met 2), 255 Biscayne Boulevard Way in Miami.  A cocktail reception will start at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation at 7:30 p.m.

This year, the College of Law will honor:

Robert Babayi ’81, Attorney, Venable, LLP.

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Pictured from left to right are: seated, VICTORIA CUETO (3L), JULIAN STROLENY (3L), and AMY RUIZ (3L); standing, MARC SCHMULIAN (3L), PROFESSOR H. SCOTT FINGERHUT (Assistant Director, Trial Advocacy Program), MIKE RYAN (Coach and December 2009 alum), and CARLOS (“CHARLIE”) GARCIA (3L).

The FIU Law Trial Team recently finished in the top 4 at the Chester E. Bedell Memorial Mock Trial Competition, sponsored by the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar.

Bedell is the premier state mock trial tournament, which this year hosted 22 teams – two squads from all 11 Florida law schools.  This year’s case file involved the cocaine trafficking trial of Sheila Stone, and FIU advanced to the semi-final round, only to fall to the ultimate tournament champion.

“Our Passionate Principled Advocates trained for almost three months – including over winter break –and continue to make us proud,” said Professor H.T. Smith, Director of the Trial Advocacy Program.

Bedell team members also included ARI GOLDBERG (3L), ALYSSA SUAREZ (3L), DAVID GOUDREAU (3L), and KENIA CODECIDO (2L).

MIAMI (February 28, 2012) — FIU College of Law congratulates Professor Manuel Gomez on his selection for two prestigious academic posts on international dispute resolution. Based on the nominations of peers, Professor Gomez was selected to join the Institute of Transnational Arbitration’s (ITA) Academic Council, as well as the scientific committee for the VIII Conference of the World Mediation Forum (WMF).

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This past week the College of Law hosted the First Annual Dannette’s Voice Symposium. The First Annual Symposium theme was Perspectives: The Complexities of Domestic Violence and the Response of Various Professions and Agencies. Through the symposium, FIU Law endeavored to further the domestic violence discussion, increase awareness, advance community efforts to combat this epidemical problem and express our sincerest thanks to the Willory family for the gift that was Dannette.

In addition to the Symposium, the College also held a dedication ceremony in memory of Dannette Willory.

Pictured with Dean Acosta at the ceremony are Dannette’s friends and colleagues, and her mother Avril Willory.

Pictured above is Professor and Judge Adalberto Jordan (center),along
with Chief Justice Charles T. Canady and FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

Adjunct Professor elevated to 11th Circuit Court of Appeals

MIAMI (February 16, 2012)  — FIU College of Law is proud to congratulate Professor and Judge Adalberto (“Bert”) Jordan on his confirmation by the United States Senate to join the Eleventh Court of Appeals.

“Judge Jordán is among our best adjunct faculty. Our students consistently praise him for his teaching, and as important, his mentoring of our future lawyers. We at FIU College of Law are proud to call him a colleague,” said Dean R. Alexander Acosta.

Judge Jordan is the newest member of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and he is the first Cuban-American to serve on the federal appeals court that has jurisdiction over Florida.

Pictured above, from left to right: Sarah Gray (3L), Kimberlee Martin (2L), Cristina Neuman (2L), Ligianette Cordova (3L), and Daphne Bareket (3L). Standing, Professor Ila Klion.

FIU Law’s Board of Advocates Intercultural Human Rights Moot Court team competed at the Susan J. Ferrell Moot Court Competition on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. The competition was held at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Gardens.

The FIU team, which included five students, Gigi Cordova (3L), Daphne Bareket (3L), Sarah Gray (3L), Kimberlee Martin (2L), and Cristina Neuman (2L) won the Runner-Up trophy. In addition, Kimberlee Martin won the Best Orator trophy. The team also finished with the Second Runner-Up Brief/Memorial award.

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WHAT: The FIU Law Center for Professionalism and Ethics, in addition to the The Academic Network, Inc., Dade County Bar Association and The PhD Project present the First Annual Diversity Leadership Summit.

WHO:  

Topics will include:

• The Current State of Affirmative Action in Higher Education
• Establishing the Tools of Leadership Through Effective Communication
• The Business Case for Diversity
• Where the Rubber Meets the Road
• Race and Race Relations: Where is the Median?
• Leading the Charge: Diversity at an Organizational Level

WHEN AND WHERE:  Monday, February 6th from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay.

For more information, please visit http://theacademicnetwork.org/summit.html
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Professor Joëlle Moreno will address an international audience of over 300 radiologists, pediatricians, emergency room physicians, radiologic technologists, health care professionals and legal professionals at a medical-legal conference in Orlando, FL.  Her two talks on Responsible Experts and The Law of Child Abuse Evidence will be presented at a medical-legal conference sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics entitled Imaging of Child Abuse:  Fact, Fiction and Responsible Action.

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Jeremy Chevres, Dean Acosta, Justice Alito, Judge Marcus, Judge Barkett and Nicolas Greene at the reception following the mock proceedings.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sat as chief justice for FIU’s 9th annual Moot Court Competition

Even seasoned trial lawyers might find themselves intimidated arguing in front of a Supreme Court justice. At FIU’s 9th annual Moot Court Competition, four College of Law students rose to the challenge.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. joined Judge Rosemary Barkett and Judge Stanley Marcus – both from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals – to preside over the final round of oral argument Jan. 26 at the Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall.

In the fictitious case Ernesto Escobar v. United States, the petitioner appealed his conviction for drug smuggling. Escobar’s appeal argued the government unlawfully gathered evidence using a GPS device. The appeal asserted that there is a “reasonable-expectation-of-privacy” standard.

The FIU case was well timed. Earlier in January, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision that law enforcement officers must obtain a search warrant to attach a GPS unit to a suspect’s car to track him. Although similar to the real case, United States v. Jones, the FIU case dealt exclusively with whether the monitoring of such a device would alone violate the Fourth Amendment when no warrant is first obtained.

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