The event, part of LSGMI’s 4th Annual Heart of Giving Celebration to the “Together, We Must” Campaign for Justice was held at the magnificent Gary Nader Art Gallery and co-sponsored by Florida Supreme Court Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente, and Peggy Quince.

Professor Smith began his legal career as an intern at LSGMI and later served on LSGMI’s Board of Directors. His law practice has been in the areas of civil rights, criminal defense, and personal injury.

“It is a singular honor for me to be recognized by my colleagues for providing zealous advocacy and financial support to those in our community who cannot cannot afford effective legal representation — the least, last, lost, looked over, and left out,” Professor Smith stated.

LSGMI is the largest provider of broad-based civil legal services for the poor in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, each year providing free legal services which benefit more than 30,000 vulnerable members of our community who have nowhere else to turn for help — women, children, seniors, veterans returning from combat, people with disabilities, low wage workers, and the homeless who have problems in the areas of tenants’ rights, home ownership, health, income maintenance, employment, special education, tax, and consumer rights.

Professor Smith is the founding director of FIU Law’s Trial Advocacy Program and Center for Passionate Principled Advocacy. He teaches Trial Advocacy and Advanced Trial Advocacy and leads FIU’s national champion Trial Team.

Sanjeev Shah, valedictorian of the 2012 evening class at the Florida International University College of Law, received one of the highest scores in the latest Florida Bar exam. Due to this, he was invited to offer a few remarks on behalf of the Bar inductees by Chief Judge Linda Ann Wells of the Florida Third District Court of Appeal.

Shah, who is principal in the Lea+Elliott, Inc. Miami office, plans to merge his legal and engineering skills to inform the firm’s strategic decisions and policy making process.

We recently sat down with Shah to reflect on his time at FIU Law.

You were recently chosen to speak at the induction ceremony. What did it meant to you?

I received a call from the Chief Judge Wells’ office and was invited to offer a few remarks on behalf of the inductees; as indicated to me, the invitation was due to my Bar Score being one of the highest in Florida. Personally, simply passing the Bar was achievement enough considering my full time employment as the Regional Director at Lea+Elliott, Inc. and my commitments to my wife Carolina and our soon to be 3 year old, Jay.  I know many colleagues went through law school and the Bar Exam while also juggling jobs and family.  This process is a marathon and one has to remain focused on the reason we chose to go down this path.

Chief Judge Wells’ invitation was an honor to all inductees and I was privileged to offer remarks on their behalf.  On a personal level, I was humbled and appreciative of all the support and encouragement that I received through my journey from my family, friends, colleagues and mentors at FIU College of Law.

Now that you have passed the Bar, what’s next?

Throughout law school I have been employed at Lea+Elliott, Inc.  I lead the firm’s strategic services with a focus on transit and airport developments and access.  My professional area of interest is in merging my legal and engineering skills to inform strategic decisions and the policy making process to help develop and implement critical infrastructure projects/investments such that there is an optimized return on investment – in terms of benefits to the Owner, the stakeholders, users and the community.  I look forward to continued opportunities to provide value-add to the process.

On a personal level, a key motivating factor in my decision to go to law school was the United States Constitution – how a seemingly simple and short document resulted in our complex society with an unwavering commitment to individual liberties and equality before the law.  I will remain engaged in our process – now as a lawyer with an ability to help resolve disputes fairly and equitably and help the less fortunate obtain equal access to justice.

Can you trace your path to FIU Law?

There were two factors that motivated me to go to law school – professional and personal.  I believed that a legal education would help me more effectively contribute to our community – both professionally and personally.

I decided to go to FIU Law. It offered me an opportunity to maintain my professional career in engineering while being educated and trained to become a lawyer.  It was a commitment that I could not have made without the support and encouragement of my wife, Carolina. Her constant encouragement and tons of patience made it possible for me to get through law school.

While at law school, there were many mentors within the faculty and staff who took to time to know and understood me; they provided me with encouragement and counsel.  I am grateful to each of them.  Many of my colleagues/classmates had similar commitments to family and employment – it is said that misery loves company, but I think they helped me keep my sanity through law school and preparing for the Bar.

Any advice for future law students?

Looking back, I offer this – balance your life, cherish your family, work hard and manage your time.  Law school is a marathon – there were and will be many moments of exhaustion and an impulse to quit.  During those moments remember why you started down this path – don’t give up.  You will find that the harder you work, the luckier you get!

LOC published the 1^st annual edition of “The 50 Under 50 List” on May 15, 2013. The publication is available online and features profiles of these brilliant law professors. The publication also includes the names and racial and ethnic heritage of all minority law professors at 200 law schools and a comprehensive list of scholarships, fellowships and interns available to minority prospective and current law students.

Before joining the academy, José Gabilondo (A.B. Harvard; J.D. Boalt Hall) worked in financial market regulation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the World Bank.  His scholarship focuses principally on debt markets.  He is co-author of Corporate Finance: Debt, Equity, and Derivative Markets and their Intermediaries in the American Casebook Series. He is a nationally recognized commentator in the Spanish-language media on financial and economic matters.

“Thanks in part to affirmative action and race-based remedial efforts, in the United States race and skin color no longer serve as reliable proxies for social position, ideology, or sensitivity to discrimination, if they ever did,” said Gabilondo.  “The Establishment – and that includes the legal academy – now has some color in it.  The structural inequality and power abuses that inspired these remedial efforts continue, however, sometimes even under the mask of diversity.  So don’t judge a book by its cover.”

LOC’s editorial team, together with a group of advisers, spent months researching prospective candidates. The selection committee read trade publications, blogs, and critical reviews. The committee considered a candidate’s influence and relevance both within and beyond the academy.

Lawyers of Color, which was founded as On Being A Black Lawyer, has been recognized by the American Bar Association, National Black Law Students Association, and National Association of Black Journalists. Founded in 2008 as a news and resource center, the company has grown into a social media firm providing research, career development, and brand marketing opportunities to clients.

RELATED: On May 10th on CNN Dinero, Gabilondo analyzed the two major legal challenges to Affirmative Action now pending in the United States Supreme Court.  He emphasized the need to complement race-based remedies by targeting economic inequality more directly in selective admissions.

Celebrating his vital career, the Greater Miami Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union recently honored Harper, clinical professor at Florida International University College of Law, with the 2013 C. Clyde Atkins Civil Liberties Award. The award acknowledges an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the advancement of civil liberties.

Perhaps Harper’s most important work to date has been demonstrating to the legal world the permanent and causal link between childhood experiences and adult criminal behavior.

Harper was the coordinator of the Juvenile Death Penalty Initiative, a group whose sole purpose was to end the death penalty for juveniles. Together they worked on state legislation, helped lawyers litigate cases, and enlisted organizations and countries against the juvenile death penalty.

His work culminated in Roper v. Simmons (striking down juvenile death penalty as unconstitutional) in which he advised counsel and coordinated the writing of amicus briefs to the Supreme Court.

He recently retired as co-coordinator of the Capital Litigation Unit in the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, and now teaches a course on the death penalty while supervising law students and lawyers on properly preparing the penalty phase of death cases throughout Florida.

The annual award, was presented to Harper on May 10, in the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.

“It was an honor to be selected for this award as I always admired the integrity and work of Judge C. Clyde Atkins,” said Harper. “It is also an honor to be recognized by my peers as someone who has contributed to making the law more just.”

What have you been doing since your graduation from law school?

After law school, I took a position with a patent firm in Hollywood. While I was working there, I had occasion to meet an assistant chair in the Department of Criminal Justice at FIU. Although I did not practice criminal law, they offered me a position teaching a class as an adjunct. I have a teaching background having previously taught high school science/advanced math and SAT and MCAT test preparation for Kaplan.

The position eventually led to teaching assignments in Public Administration, where I taught administrative law, and the College of Business teaching business law. I have been teaching as an adjunct at FIU for six years.

How did you become interested in teaching law at the university level?

I have always loved teaching. I have two undergraduate degrees from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, one in chemistry and one in music performance — tuba. Teaching brings out the performer in me. The opportunity to get back in the classroom while still practicing law was most appealing to me.

What’s the most fulfilling part of your work?

When a student comes for advice on their next stage in life, and I am able to offer help. I have written letters of recommendation for jobs and grad school as well as offered career/life advice. Receiving responses from these students informing me of their successes after my class [means a lot].

You’ve just received a university faculty appointment. How did your time at FIU Law prepare you for this?

To paraphrase… it’s not just a job. This is my university. I was a member of the inaugural law school class at FIU. I am honored by the opportunity to be a member of the full-time faculty in the College of Business.

My first day of my first university class, I was reminded of what I was told after my first (very rough) day teaching high school. My principal said, think about a teacher that you remember learning a lot from, and copy what they did.

FIU Law has some talented teachers. You can be a scholar in your field and not have the ability or talent that translates to teaching. I thought of two FIU Law professors, in particular, and copied their teaching style. When studying the law, it becomes easy to slip into a theoretical manner of communication. The professors in mind excelled not only as scholars but as teachers. They worked current news/cases/events into their courses and lectures. They gave me direction on how to teach.

The College of Law gave me the skills and knowledge to move forward.

What advice would you offer to current FIU Law students interested in teaching law?

As in every profession, the greatest difficulty is getting the first job. Be persistent. Look for opportunities to teach at universities, community colleges, even online.

My first contact with the College of Business was two years before my first class. The department chair at that time was very nice and told me to keep checking back. Every semester, I sent a friendly and short email that I was checking back. One semester, she had a faculty member with a schedule conflict three weeks before the start of the semester. She called and asked, “Do you want to teach a course?” I had no hesitation. I told her, “YES!”

I have not looked back.

Professor Gomez’s presentation, A Sour Battle in Lago Agrio: The Judicial Protection of the Environment and Indigenous Rights in Ecuador, addressed the implications of the Chevron-Ecuador saga in the debate on the protection of diffuse rights in Latin America and the development of structural litigation in the region.

“This case is by all measures the largest and most complex litigation involving a multinational corporation in Ecuador,” said Gómez. “Because of its notoriety, its political implications, and the high stakes involved, this litigation has rekindled an interesting debate on key issues that pertain to the litigation of complex cases in South America and the U.S. I look forward to this enriching discussion.”

Gomez’s presentation stems from his broader expertise on the two decade long litigation between Chevron and indigenous peoples of Ecuador in connection with the allegations of environmental pollution incurred by Texaco in the Ecuadorean Amazon.

Every Spring Professor Gomez teaches a Complex Litigation course centered on this case. He has also been invited to teach a similar course at the University of Iowa College of Law, has participated at several other conferences on the same topic, and has an upcoming publication that addresses it.

Fritznie Jarbath received her Juris Doctor from the Florida International University College of Law in 2011. She works at the Law Office of Frank Wolland, a full-service boutique firm, and was just appointed President-Elect of the Haitian Lawyers Association.

We recently sat down with Jarbath to discuss her career path and what led to her appointment.

Can you trace your career path after law school?

When I graduated from law school, I began working with a solo-practitioner, Frank Wolland. I began working at his firm as an intern my last few months of law school. Although a solo-practitioner at heart, he decided to hire me, and became my mentor. As a result, I learned the challenges of owning and operating my own firm through hands on experience. I then took the big leap and opened my own law firm early last year.

Currently, I still work with Mr. Wolland and he continues to mentor me while I work to build my own firm successful. I am in the process of partnering with another FIU alumna, Melisa Pena.

A few months later, I attended the Minority Mentoring Picnic where I met the incumbent president of the Haitian Lawyers Association, Marie Jo Toussaint. We exchanged contact information and I attended the next HLA meeting. During the meetings, I began to assume leadership roles in the organization to assist the board, and ultimately I was nominated to become Secretary of HLA. During the next election term, I was nominated and elected as President-Elect of HLA.

Most recently, I received the exciting news that I was selected out to the Inaugural class of the Florida Bar’s Leadership Academy.

You were just appointed President-Elect of the Haitian Lawyers Association. What does it mean to you to be appointed President-Elect of the HLA?

It is truly an honor. I was a bit hesitant to take on the position because I unsure I would be ready to take on such a huge role this early in my legal career. However, the support of the board members and past board members assured otherwise.  I made the realization if they believed in me, I knew that they would not let me fail the organization.

It has been a couple of weeks since I started working as the president-elect and I know it will be a successful year.  I look forward to many successful events this year. Our first event will be May 24, 2013, where we will be recognizing some of the trailblazers that founded the HLA over 15 years ago.

What are some of the challenges facing the HLA?

In the past, I believe that HLA’s biggest challenge was publicizing the various events they were hosting. Our aim last year was to bring our organization back to the forefront, and will maintain a goal for the upcoming year.

What are the duties of the President of the HLA? What’s the most fulfilling part of your work?

The president is the face of the organization. He or she is responsible for all aspects of the organization, the chief-executive officer. The by-laws state:

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association, shall preside at all meetings of the Association and Board of Directors, shall appoint all committee chairpersons and shall perform all the duties as are usually possessed or exercised by chief executive officers or which may from time to time, be subscribed in these By-Laws or by the Board of Directors.

As the future CEO of the organization, my most fulfilling role will be knowing that I was part of an organization that has made a difference in the community, whether its ensuring that deserving students will receive much needed scholarship money in recognition of their efforts, or helping the community at large to get access to the legal community.

How did your time at FIU Law prepare you for this?

The career planning office at FIU Law always pushed the importance of networking, building relationships, and following up. While my hard work and dedication to the organization earned me my current position, I would not have known about it without taking that first step to get over being shy and introducing myself to others.

Although, I have to admit I had help. I knew that I tend to be shy and that could be detrimental, I invited my outgoing cousin, Pegy Boule, who was interested in going to law school and she facilitated the introductions.  I knew my weakness but I did not let it stop me. I merely crafted a way to overcome it.

Additionally, I found that a few of the faculty were not only willing to mentor me; they were excited to guide the younger generation, for example, Dean Anglade and, Professor Kotey, just to name a few.

What was your favorite class at FIU Law? Why?

There are a few favorites, but if I had to choose one, it would be the clinics. I had the opportunity to partake in the Education Advocacy Clinic (which has converted to the Family and Education Law Clinic) and the Children’s Immigrant Justice Clinic. I was able to serve a community of the indigent, helpless, and voiceless, the children. The clinic provided an outlet for me to help those who needed it the most. The Haitian Lawyers Association does that for me now.

Professor Baker writes: “As a student of the Supreme Court, I found these memoirs overall to be a reassuring account of the man and the institution he served so long and so faithfully.”  Between 1985 and 1987, Baker worked at the Supreme Court, first as a Judicial Fellow to Chief Justice Burger and then as acting Administrative Assistant to Chief Justice Rehnquist.

Baker, who is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Journal, explained that he was eager to accept the invitation to write this review because he “believes that all Americans are in Justice Stevens’ debt for the Justice’s years of public service at the highest level.”

Read Baker’s full book review.

According to the AALS website, sections are established by action of the committee and appointed by the president. The 94 sections, composed of members of the faculty and administration of member schools, provide reports and policy advice to the Association.

Specifically, the Section on Minority Groups develops and organizes two panels for the annual meeting; gives out the the Clyde Ferguson Award and the Derrick A. Bell, Jr. Award; hosts and staffs a hospitality suite at the annual Faculty Recruitment Conference; hosts a New Teacher’s Breakfast; helps with the Minority Law Prof Listserv; and recruits volunteers to produce a newsletter.

“I’m excited to have been elected for this position and to be able to work with such bright and dedicated colleagues from so many different law schools,” said Rodriguez-Dod.  “This committee has consistently organized critical and thought provoking programs. I look forward to the challenge of continuing this tradition as chair in 2014.”

Professor Rodriguez-Dod teaches Property, Wills & Trusts, and Elder Law at the Florida International University College of Law. Her scholarship focuses on the necessary balancing of autonomy versus societal goals. She has been cited, quoted, and excerpted in texts, scholarly books, articles, academic blogs, and leading treatises.

The University of Miami School of Law’s Center for Ethics and Public Service recently honored Professor Laverne Pinkney with the 2013 Friend of the Center Award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Historic Black Church Program’s Community Education Project.

The Historic Black Church Program is part of the Center’s ongoing effort to help Miami’s distressed Coconut Grove Village West community by providing multidisciplinary resources in education, law, and social services to underserved residents.

During the award presentation, Pinkney was praised as a wonderful role model and motivating teacher. The value of the collaboration she created between the Florida International University College of Law and the University of Miami School of Law, was also praised.

“Professor Pinkney’s leadership, mentoring, and advocacy have enabled the law schools to engage in an unprecedented collaboration to assist at risk children and families in underserved low-income communities in the field of public education,” said Professor Anthony Alfieri, director of the Center. ”The 2013 Friend of the Center Award is a tribute to Professor Pinkney’s commitment and idealism.”

“Being selected as the recipient of this Award is an honor,” Pinkney said. “The collaboration between our law schools became a reality thanks to the Deans of both schools, Professor Maisel, director of Clinical Program at FIU, and Professor Alfieri, director of the Center for Ethics & Public Service at Miami. Through the collaboration, we have reached more than two-thousand at risk children and families in Miami-Dade County.”

She added that the Education Rights presentations address issues of general and special education, school discipline and bullying.

“We educate parents on how to advocate on behalf of their children and provide information on legal and non-legal resources. When parents know their rights and the rights of their children, it can make the difference in the life of a child,” said Pinkney.

Professor Pinkney directs and supervises the Family and Education Law Clinic at FIU Law.