Archive for 'Student News'

After a rigorous spring tryout and interview process, the Trial Advocacy Program is pleased to announce that the following students have been selected to join the FIU Trial Team:

Alejandro Carrasco,

Igor Hernandez,

Denita Jones,

Tia Jones,

Jose Lorenzo,

Megan Mackintosh, and

Nisha Mohammed.

These students will now spend the summer participating in advanced advocacy “boot camps” to prepare them to join the current Trial Team members in the fall for the 2012-2013 competition season.

Congratulations to these Passionate Principled Advocates, as they strive to become the next generation of Great Legal Storytellers.

In the Miami Times, law student Desmond Meade is quoted on the State of Florida’s purging process and why he feels entire communities are being wiped out of existence with the purging of voting rolls.

In the article, Desmond Meade states: “When you focus on the rights of one person, you sometimes forget to look at the bigger picture,” he said. “Given the disproportionate number of Blacks in prison who are now ‘returning citizens’ [he refuses to use the term ex-felons which he says is a negative label], when we allow for these purging schemes, it’s inevitable that entire Black communities are losing their political voice. They are becoming a political non-factor. Commissioners still listen to ‘returning citizens’ because those jobs [city and county commission] are tied directly to the community. But when you look at folks like state representatives or state senators, even school systems and public parks, voters sway the decisions of the office holders. Why fund a park or help a school where most of the people cannot vote? They can’t keep you in office anyway. Those who live in such communities that can vote find themselves and their needs being ignored more and more.”

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MIAMI – Florida International University College of Law congratulates the incoming 2012-13 FIU Law Review Editorial Board. Editorial board members include: Editor-in-Chief Courtney Walter, Managing Editor Cristina Neuman, Executive Symposium Editor Erin Auble, and Executive Comments Editor Jennifer Soberal.

The FIU Law Review is a student-run organization responsible for producing a journal of scholarly legal works.  As a symposium-based law review, their issues are composed of articles addressing a particular area of the law, with its authors often participating in a live symposium before publication.

“I congratulate the new board members of the Law Review and look forward to working with them in the year ahead,” said FIU Law Dean R. Alexander Acosta.

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Nicholas Icaro had a rough start. When he was 5, a car accident rendered his father quadriplegic. When he was 12, his mother suffered a work injury that kept her from ever holding down another job. Public assistance followed.

MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry highlights FIU Law student Desmond Meade, who is now challenging felony disenfranchisement laws that deny those who had formerly been incarcerated the right to vote.

Desmond Meade is the current president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), and a 2nd-year law student at Florida International University College of Law.

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In the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), law student Desmond Meade addresses how he is “taking his message to Washington, D.C. where he will speak at a Congressional briefing about the Democracy Restoration Act. The DRA would give Desmond and others like him the chance to participate in the democratic process by restoring voting rights in federal elections to the approximately four million Americans who are no longer incarcerated, but are denied the right to vote because they once served criminal sentences.”

Desmond Meade is the current president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), and a 2nd-year law student at Florida International University College of Law.
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MIAMI – In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Career Planning and Placement Office arranged for select FIU Law students to attend the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association program “Welcoming a New Generation of Lawyers to South Florida.”  The event was sponsored and hosted by Greenberg Traurig P.A.   Keynote Speaker, Eve Wright, Esq. delivered a message to the students about personal and professional development that was equal parts inspiring and practical.  The breakfast event was a wonderful opportunity for students to network with seasoned attorneys practicing in many different facets of law.  Ms. Wright remained after the program and answered individual questions regarding sports and entertainment law and her personal journey.  Students also had an opportunity to sign up to engage with her pilot program, The Spark, an initiative aimed at helping corporate professional women advance in their fields.

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In Case You Missed it:

http://www.acslaw.org/studentchapteroftheweek?mgs1=82c17tdv3z

MIAMI (March 27, 2012) – Law students from FIU’s Health Ethics Law and Policy (HELP) Clinic are helping low-income community members access vital healthcare services through community-based education. Three students – Ilana Bonan, Christopher Bryant and Justin Budwick – created a presentation explaining eligibility requirements and program benefits for Medicaid, Medicare, and Jackson Care Card programs. On March 22, they delivered the presentation to roughly 80 low-income residents of Little Haiti, Liberty City, and North Miami. “This information is incredibly important,” said organizer Christella Dorval. “Many people do not know how to apply, and they often are scared to ask for help. The fact that these students are willing to come out to the community to share information is really wonderful.”

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Photo Courtesy of St. John's University School of Law

MIAMI (October 18, 2011) – The FIU Law Investor Advocacy Clinic team wins top spot in first-ever appearance at national securities dispute resolution negotiation competition.

The Annual Securities Dispute Resolution Triathlon sponsored by St. John’s Law School and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) was held at the Hugh L. Carey Center for Dispute Resolution in New York City.

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