Archive for '2013'

Based on her recent work, Joelle Anne Moreno, associate dean and professor at the FIU College of Law, will represent the Society for Pediatric Radiology at the the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Ray E. Helfer Society.

The Helfer Society is an honorary society of physicians seeking to provide medical leadership regarding the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research concerning child abuse and neglect.

This year, their annual meeting will take place April 14 to 17, in the wine country of Sonoma, California.

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El 26 de marzo, Profesor Gabilondo salió en el programa Dinero de CNN en Español para analizar Hollingsworth v. Perry y United States v. Windsor, dos casos en Tribunal Supremo que impugnan las restricciones federales y estatales sobre el matrimonio civil por parte de personas del mismo sexo.

“Nuestra Constitución reconoce dos distintas fuentes de derecho – una democrática y la otra judicial.  La mayoría de las leyes se promulgan a través de la primera por los procesos mayoritarios, i.e., las legislaturas estatales y el Congreso.  Pero cuando el demos se convierte en una turba, la única forma de proteger a las minorías de los abusos mayoritarios es a través de una intervención judicial en la cual una corte – típicamente federal – acredita los derechos del individuo.  Eso es lo que está en juego en los casos Perry y Winsor.”

La entrevista se puede ver aquí: FIU on CNN en Español (Part 1) y FIU on CNN en Español (Part 2)

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For two days in March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments regarding landmark cases about same-sex marriage. On Tuesday, March 26, U.S. Supreme Court justices heard arguments regarding California’s Proposition 8, which was approved by voters in 2008 and bans same-sex marriage. A day later, justices heard arguments regarding the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

FIU News sat down with two university professors to learn more about the issues being debated.

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Pictured above (l to r): Kimberlee Martin (3L), Guest Speaker Will Potter, and Ashley Gruber (3L)

When third-year law students Kimberlee Martin and Ashley Gruber founded the FIU Law Student Animal Legal Defense Fund with alumna Aleksandra Sikorska ’12, they wanted to focus on educating the community on animal rights issues.

Staying true to their mission, SALDF hosted its Second Annual Animal Rights Panel on Saturday, March 30, in the Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall. With students and community members from all over South Florida in attendance, the panel featured three leading authorities on animal rights – Will Potter, Sherry Schlueter, and Richard “Kudo” Couto.

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Pictured above (l to r) are the competition’s winners, from the University of Florida: Richard Fuerst, Jackie Hacker, Gianfranco Gazzo, and Margret Flodeen.

In a unique, if not unprecedented gesture, the Florida International University College of Law awarded over $25,000 in scholarship funds to the winners of the 2013 Phi Alpha Delta State Conference and Mock Trial Competition, held in the Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall on March 15 and 16.

Winning the pre-law competition and each receiving a $2,500 scholarship to attend the FIU College of Law were Richard Fuerst, Jackie Hacker, Gianfranco Gazzo, and Margret Flodeen. Also receiving $1,500 scholarships were the participants in the second through fourth place teams – contingent on acceptance to the law school.

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Chamber President & CEO Liliam M. Lopez, Chamber member Alison Hoefler, and Dean R. Alexander Acosta

Florida International University College of Law Dean R. Alexander Acosta was awarded the 2013 Chairman’s Higher Education Award, in recognition of his outstanding achievements, leadership and determination throughout a lifetime of caring and giving back to the community.

The award was presented by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at its Annual Hispanic Leadership Awards Luncheon on March 22, 2013, at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa.

“To be recognized by the Hispanic Chamber for giving back to the community I love is an honor,” said Acosta. “I was born and raised here, and the South Florida community is one which I am grateful to be a part of.”

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MacAdam Glinn JD ’07, center, receives a Torch Award from President Mark B. Rosenberg as Alumni Association President Gonzalo Acevedo looks on.

Neon-clad people and electronic music filled the streets of downtown Miami this past Saturday thanks to the Ultra Music Festival, but the real excitement was inside the nearby JW Marriott Marquis, where the FIU community came together to honor remarkable alumni and faculty at the 12^th annual Torch Awards ceremony.

“This is a joyous occasion that captures the hope, the spirit and the accomplishments of our graduates,” said President Mark B. Rosenberg as he welcomed attendees. “This gathering, ultimately, is a celebration of our values.”

The traditional gold and blue event is held by the Alumni Association to commend university graduates and faculty who have been outstanding in their communities and professional fields.

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In December of 2012, the FIU Family and Education Law Clinic filed three State Complaints with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) against the Miami-Dade County School District.

The complaints, lead by Visiting Assistant Professor Laverne Pinkney, were filed on behalf of three siblings alleging violations of State and Federal Law pertaining to children with disabilities or suspected of having a disability.

Fourth year law student Doreen Rubio, former Staff Attorney Ilana Bonan, and law school Graduate Assistant Sandra Eschaverry assisted Pinkney with the complaints.

In a decisive victory for the clinic, the FDOE, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services recently issued a Finding of Noncompliance against the School District on March 1, 2013.

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Weil, bottom left, and crew during the filming of a scene from “Taste It.”

Zachary Weil ’09 was still a law student when he began writing the script for his movie “Taste It: A Comedy About the Recession.” Scheduled for an online release this April, the Miami-based film has already garnered a buzz, earning an “Award of Merit” in July 2012 at The Indie Fest, an international awards competition for independent filmmakers worldwide. Weil himself was recently interviewed by GQ Magazine Australia for an article about comedy during the recession.

1. How does someone trained in law end up making an indie movie? What’s that all about?

I’d loved making movies since I was a little kid. I used to shoot them on my dad’s camcorder using my sisters and friends as actors.  After making some films in college, I worked briefly for a production company in New York. It wasn’t a great experience so I decided to go to law school to make sure I could pay the bills if a career in filmmaking didn’t work out. I ended up not being able to shake the film bug even during law school, and ended up writing what became “Taste It” while I was still a student.

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Pictured above (l to r) – Front Row: Keyla Smith, Chanel Rowe, Michelle Anglade, Kelly Torres. Back Row: George Knox, Daniel Cartwright, and Sherman Davis.

Recently, two teams of FIU Law students competed in the 7th Annual National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) International Negotiations Competition in Atlanta. The competition, sponsored by BARBRI, took place at the NBLSA convention March 6 – 10, 2013.

One of the teams consisted of Chanel Rowe (2L) and Daniel Cartwright (2L), while the other consisted of Kelly Torres (3L) and Keyla Smith (2L). Rowe and Cartwright finished second in the national competition. Smith won Best Negotiator of Preliminary Round Two.

Each team was tasked with negotiating cross-border conflicts based on current issues affecting our global community. With 50 minute negotiating rounds, it made for a competitive and time-intensive competition.

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