Archive for 'School News'

SBA Secretary Samah Abukhodeir and Professor Christine Rickard

In a night where the FIU Law community dressed in their finest attire, and enjoyed a masquerade ball, Professor Christine Rickard was selected as “Professor of the Year” for 2012-13.

She was selected in recognition of her “excellence in teaching” and her “devoted commitment to the students of the Florida International University College of Law.”

“I am very honored and humbled to be the Professor of the Year,” said Rickard. “I love being a professor and this job means so much to me because I get to teach students how to make a difference every day through the law.”

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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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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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MIAMI (March 12, 2013) – In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 edition of Best Graduate Schools, the Florida International University College of Law has risen to 105 among top law schools – up from 113 last year, an eight point rise.

In just four years, FIU Law has ascended from unranked (below 150), to 132, to 113, to their present ranking of 105. This represents an increase of more than 44 spots since 2009.

At 105, FIU Law is tied with long-established schools such as Mercer University, Texas Tech University, and Wayne State University.

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FIU Law Review Editor-in-Chief Courtney Walter (on left) and Executive Symposium Editor Erin Auble introduce the panelists.

Why is there a strong presence of women in higher education, but the highest positions of power and prestige in law firms and corporations are still occupied by men?

Pictured above: Professor George Knox leads the participants through a series of exercises.

On Feb. 27, 2013, the FIU College of Law Center for Professionalism and Ethics, together with The Florida Bar Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, hosted a symposium at the FIU College of Law titled Professionalism Matters.

At the event, led by George Knox, director of non-litigation advocacy programs within the Center for Professionalism and Ethics, and with contributions from various guest speakers, participants explored the fundamental ideals and values that underlie the meaning of professionalism. The event was ultimately designed to provide the tools and motivation that stimulate personal and professional growth and development.

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The Honorable José M. Rodríguez, Circuit Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida leads a mock class for local high school students.

It is never too early to provide young students interested in the law with support at the FIU College of Law. On Feb. 25, the college hosted its annual DiscoverLaw High School Visit Day for four local high schools: Hialeah Law Academy, Coral Reef Senior High, Law Enforcement Officers Memorial High, and COPE Center North.

With over 100 high school students from underrepresented and diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds in attendance, students were exposed to the various aspects of a legal education.

The program, held in the Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall, featured a video presentation from current law students discussing why they chose to attend law school; a mock class taught by the Honorable José M. Rodríguez, Circuit Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida; an interactive law student panel; and a tour of the building with current law-student ambassadors.

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Alexander Kopf will be joining the Florida International University College of Law as a visiting researcher from Feb. 20, until July 19, 2013. He will be working with Professor Hannibal Travis.

Mr. Kopf holds a first degree in law focusing on commercial and intellectual property law from Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, Thuringia, Germany.  He is currently a doctoral candidate at Martin-Luther-University in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany studying the cross-border enforcement of domain claims.  Mr. Kopf’s research will focus on the legal aspects of U.S. domain law, examining the different possibilities and requirements for jurisdiction and enforcement of claims.

The cross-border enforcement of domain-claims deals with the relation of national jurisdiction and international arbitration Systems for Domains (UDRP and ADR) for the enforcement of trademark and name right related claims against the infringing use of domains. Mr. Kopf will give special consideration to how the problems resulting from the territorial character of protection rights can be avoided by arbitration panels. The related issues of international jurisdiction the cross-border enforcement demand a detailed analysis of intellectual property and international procedural law.

This past Monday, the FIU College of Law marked the 17th anniversary of the attack by the Cuban Air Force on two small, unarmed civilian aircraft, by hosting a vigil for the victims’ families and friends.

Four men — three of whom were United States citizens — were shot down and killed by Cuban fighter planes on Feb. 24, 1996, while flying over the international waters of the Florida Straits. Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, flying with the Brothers to the Rescue organization, were on a volunteer mission to spot potential rafters at sea.

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MIAMI (Feb. 18, 2013) – The Florida International University College of Law is pleased to announce a new graduate degree in law, the LL.M., a one-year residential course of study for attorneys holding their first law degree from outside the United States.

The LL.M. provides an introduction to and in-depth study of the law of the United States.  Students will gain a general, conversant level of understanding of U.S. legal institutions, substantive law, and practice.  This program at FIU Law, housed in Rafael Diaz-Balart Hall, offers an academically demanding education to students who seek additional training to advance their scholarly or practical work as lawyers.  The course of study is tailored to the individual needs and interests of the student.

As South Florida’s only public law school, FIU Law is known for its diverse faculty and students, its emphasis on comparative and international law, and its service to the public.  In keeping with Miami’s business and community, many of its faculty members work in international areas or have international experiences.  FIU Law has received numerous awards and recognitions including most recently being ranked as the No. 1 school for Hispanics and the third most diverse law school by The National Jurist.

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