Archive for 'Scott Fingerhut'

Nisha Mohammed (3L) coaching her group on how to develop a theory and theme for the hypothetical case.

Students from Broward County’s Plantation Middle School’s Mock Trial Team visited the FIU College of Law to learn the art of legal storytelling. The program began with a welcome from Professor H.T. Smith, director of the FIU Law Trial Advocacy Program. Professor H. Scott Fingerhut, assistant director of the Trial Advocacy Program, then explained to the students the importance of developing a case theory and theme, and gave them the facts of a hypothetical case on cyber bullying.

Following the presentation, the group of twenty students were divided into smaller groups. Igor Hernandez (3L), Joanna Hernandez (3L), Denita Jones (3L), Daniel Masvidal (2L), and Nisha Mohammed (3L), all Trial Team members and competition veterans, coached their respective groups on how to develop a theory and theme for the hypothetical case.

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Pictured from left to right: Coach Matthew L. Baldwin, Coach Anthony C. Hevia ‘07,  Joseph P. Glace (3L), Nisha Mohammed (3L), Marc Schmulian (4L),  Julian V. Stroleny (4L), Professor H. Scott Fingerhut, and Professor H.T. Smith.

This past weekend in Washington, D.C., the FIU Law Trial Team – composed of students Joe Glace (3L), Nisha Mohammed (3L), Marc Schmulian (4L), and Julian Stroleny (4L) – won first place at the 16th Annual National White Collar Crime Mock Trial Invitational, sponsored by Georgetown Law and the Georgetown University Law Center Barristers’ Council.

From 20 of the top trial advocacy programs across the country, the FIU Trial Team won all five rounds in the competition, defeating the University of Houston, Fordham University, and Barry University in the preliminary rounds. They entered the semi-final round undefeated and as the second-ranked squad, where they defeated the University of Houston once again, and then William & Mary in the final round.

This year’s tournament featured allegations of straw contributions, illegal money orders, a mayoral campaign, and the candidate’s alleged honest services fraud in accepting a bribe to change her position to favor a casino referendum on the same ballot.

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For the 5th year running, Professor H. Scott Fingerhut has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America for protecting people’s liberties as one of the nation’s top criminal defense lawyers.

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, with listings published in almost 70 countries around the world.  Lawyers are not permitted to pay any fee to participate or be included.

2013 will mark the 19th edition of Best Lawyers celebratory publication and include 50,178 attorneys in 128 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Professor Fingerhut began his legal career as a prosecutor in Janet Reno’s Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and opened his own law practice in 1992, where he concentrates still on state and federal trial and appellate criminal defense, as well as Florida Bar admission and regulation.

Professor Fingerhut has been with FIU since 2000.  He teaches trial advocacy, pretrial practice, and criminal procedure, coaches the trial team, and this year oversees the criminal law externship program.

At its annual meeting, the Executive Council of the Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar selected Professor H. Scott Fingerhut to serve as chair for 2012-2013.

A former chair of The Bar’s Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Professor Fingerhut will now lead more than 2,000 prosecutors, public and private defenders, judges, and academics as they strive to improve the manner in which criminal justice is dispensed across the state.

Founded in 1976, the Criminal Law Section provides an open forum to all who share a passion for the fair administration of the law and whose mission focuses on advocating to and for lawyer, law-student, and the public alike on ways in which our court system can improve, including support of the recent recommendations made by the Florida Innocence Commission.  Among its many responsibilities, the Criminal Law Section advises the Florida Supreme Court and the Florida Legislature on proposed substantive and procedural changes in the law as well as sponsors numerous continuing legal education programs throughout the state.

Professor Fingerhut has been with FIU since 2000.  He teaches trial advocacy, pretrial practice, and criminal procedure, coaches the trial team, and this year oversees the criminal law externship program.

Pictured with Bernie (middle) are Professor H.T. Smith (left), Director
of the Trial Advocacy Program,and Professor H. Scott Fingerhut (right),
Assistant Director.

Last week, the Trial Advocacy Program proudly recognized Bernardo (“Bernie”) Pastor on his fifth year as an adjunct professor teaching Trial Advocacy for the College of Law.

Bernie is currently an Assistant County Attorney for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, having begun his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable John H. Moore II, of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.  After clerking for Judge Moore, Professor Pastor joined Holland & Knight here in Miami as an associate, following which he became a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for three years, and then working at White & Case for three years more before going to the County Attorney.

Bernie has been a National Faculty Lecturer for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).  He has also served on the Advisory (Ad Hoc) Committee on Federal Rules & Procedures here in the Southern District, The Florida Bar Federal Court Practice Committee, and chaired a Florida Bar Grievance Committee.

Professor Pastor earned his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Fordham University, and graduated from Temple University School of Law.

The President of The Florida Bar has appointed Professor H. Scott Fingerhut to the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee for a three-year term.  Crim Pro Rules, a standing committee of The Bar, reports to the Florida Supreme Court concerning the proposal of new rules of criminal procedure as well as changes to existing rules.  This is Professor Fingerhut’s second appointment the Committee.  His previous six years of service includes three terms as Vice Chair and as Chair of the Committee in 2007.

On Thursday, May 17, 2012, Professor H. Scott Fingerhut will serve as Program Chair of the 2012 Criminal Law Update.  Sponsored by the Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar, this annual continuing legal education seminar will be held in Tampa and feature experts in immigration, the death penalty, DUI, appeals, mental health, drug and sex crimes, and ethics and lawyer regulation.

A highlight of the program will surely be Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady, who is to speak on the state of our criminal justice system.

Professor Fingerhut is Chair-Elect of the Criminal Law Section and also serves as Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee, overseeing the Section’s educational programming.

Read more at floridabar.org

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MIAMI (March 12, 2012) – Fresh off their semi-final finishes in all-state competitions, FIU’s Trial Team took second place in the National regional rounds of the 2012 American Association for Justice (“AAJ”) Student Trial Advocacy Competition.

Trial Team veterans Ari Goldberg (3L), Amy Ruiz (3L), and Victoria Cueto (3L), along with talented newcomer Matthew Pierce (3L), went undefeated in three preliminary rounds and entered the semi-finals as the top-ranked and lone undefeated squad among the 15 teams competing in the Miami Region, including Tulane, Louisiana State, Miami, and Stetson.

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