FIU Law welcomed nearly 200 new students, including its first group of foreign attorney LL.M. students to the 2014-2015 academic school year.
Returning students will notice some changes to the law school building as it undergoes improvements, new professors who have joined the FIU Law family and faculty who have assumed new roles.
FIU Law is excited to welcome three new members to its faculty. Joining the law school is Associate Professor Kalyani Robbins, and Visiting Professors Dionne Anthon and Kathy-Ann Marlin.
Michelle D. Mason, who was formally the Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management, Student Development & Outreach and Director for the Center for Ethics & Professionalism has moved into a new position. Mason is now the Interim Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Education, Experiential Learning & Engagement. Dean Mason will spearhead the law school’s efforts to expand opportunities and promote excellence in clinical, experiential and public service programming.
“I cannot overstate how eager I am to have the chance to work collaboratively with the faculty, administration and staff in a new capacity. I am confident that we will continue down a successful path by leveraging and improving experiential learning opportunities for our students. My goal is to firmly establish us as a local, statewide, national and international presence within this arena as we provide necessary services to the most vulnerable in the community,” Mason shared.
In addition to Mason’s new position, Professor Juan Carlos Gomez has been appointed Interim Director of Clinics.
Assistant Professor Angelique Ortega Fridman has assumed the role of Interim Assistant Dean for Students. Her office provides students with personal, academic, and professional support throughout their law school years.
“I am honored and excited to take on this new role. I look forward to meeting our new students and working with our existing – and amazing – FIU Law students,” Fridman commented.
Nineteen lawyers from around the globe will become the first FIU Law LL.M. class. LL.M. is a post-graduate course in law for lawyers who have completed their law degree in another country. This year’s class joins us from Panama, Dominican Republic, Italy, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam, Brazil, France and Costa Rica. The year-long program offers these attorneys the opportunity to develop expertise in U.S. law.
Although the Academic Excellence Program (AEP) was launched in the fall of 2013, the program has been expanded for this academic year. AEP provides students with resources to help them succeed in law school, pass the Bar Examination, and develop strong practice skills.
The law school’s website – law.fiu.edu – has been completely redesigned, and includes many new features. The most notable is that the new website is mobile ready, which means it can be accessed from any mobile device. The website features an expanded news section and a complete contact listing of administration, faculty and staff.
New online Law Library resources will be available.
The new eResource portal offers access to all legal databases, online journals and periodicals. Students in need of research support, or who want to stay up-to-date on current legal issues will find the new research and service guides a valuable tool. Access to the Law Library’s special collections, FIU Law Review and faculty publications and now available via the eCollections @ FIU Law Library institutional repository. This online digital media portal is an open-access publication platform. New training calendar and news feed are also available to stay up to date on legal resources offered by the Law Library.
The website will be live in September.