Leaders for Life: St. Thomas Law Alumni Lead Local Bar Associations

The desire of legal practitioners to expand their scope of responsibility and influence outside of their practice areas often leads them to difference-making opportunities for outreach and leadership.

St. Thomas Law graduates have been successfully expanding their scope of influence by being elected and appointed to leadership positions in influential, local and national bar associations.

Oliver Ruiz '01

Oliver Ruiz III '01 is the president-elect of the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA). Mr. Ruiz follows in the footsteps of another St. Thomas Law graduate, Brett Barfield '99.

Mr. Ruiz is a trademark and litigation attorney and a partner at Malloy & Malloy, P.L. located in Miami. While a student at St. Thomas Law, Oliver served as a board member of the Moot Court Board and was president of the Student Bar Association (SBA). Mr. Ruiz is admitted to practice law in Florida and North Carolina as well as in the United State District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

The South Florida Chapter of the FBA is one of the largest chapters in the country. The FBA represents the Federal legal profession and has more than 15,000 members. The FBA monitors and often advocates on federal issues that impact the practice of federal lawyers and the courts; it keeps its members abreast of current federal issues; provides opportunities for scholarship and education to the profession; provides opportunities for judges and attorneys to professionally and socially interact; and promotes high standards of professional competence.

Andres J. Correa '10

Jorge Fors '11

Andres Correa '10 and Jorge L. Fors, Jr. '11, were simultaneously installed as president and president-elect, respectively, of the Coral Gables Bar Association on September 19, 2015.  

Mr. Correa is a trial attorney and founding partner at Jaramillo Correa & Martinez, and focuses on first party property damage claims against insurance companies, personal injury, premises liability and wrongful death claims and motor vehicle accidents. 

Mr. Fors is an associate attorney at FORS Attorneys at Law in Coral Gables, Florida.  While a student at St. Thomas Law, he served as a Judicial Intern for Justice Peggy A. Quince at the Florida Supreme Court, as well as for Judge Victoria Platzer in the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, General Jurisdiction Division. He also was a member of the law school's Moot Court and Mock Trial teams.


The mission of the Coral Gables Bar Association is to promote the exchange of ideas and information, the observance of the highest professional and ethical standards, the education of members on relevant issues in the legal profession.

These three alumni are continuing the tradition of St.Thomas Law graduates who seek and excel in leadership roles and live by the motto "Leaders Have the Courage and Compassion to Make a Difference."

International Anti-Human Trafficking Conference Held at St. Thomas Law

Jaco Booyens: Filmmaker and activist 

On Friday, September 18, St. Thomas University School of Law welcomed leaders and advocates from local, national and international legal communities and social entities for a substantive and timely anti-human trafficking conference. The conference, now in its fourth year and presented by the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), sought to highlight the growing problem of human trafficking, identify domestic and international legal frameworks,  and address the challenges that lie ahead in the fight to end human trafficking.

The keynote speaker was Jaco Booyens, director of 8 Days, a film inspired by actual events that tells the story of the harrowing journey of a sixteen year old girl who was forced into the world of sex trafficking. 

Booyens also recounted the emotive story of his family's experience with human trafficking. His sister, a recording artist in South Africa at the time, was trafficked for six years by her record label. The process of her rescue and recovery led him to anti-trafficking activism. He now travels the world and advocates for stronger laws and harsher penalties not only for traffickers but also for other players that benefit from the trade, i.e. "Johns" or "buyers."  He passionately shared his experience meeting victims and perpetrators of human trafficking and expressed his frustration at the lack of public discourse against human trafficking in the higher echelons of local and federal government. 

Conference panelist, Norma Ramos, Esq. pointedly spoke about the links between prostitution and sex trafficking including her own efforts to change the practice of sex slaves being labeled by the term "prostitute." She spoke out against the legalization of prostitution in some states and called it the world's oldest form of oppression.  Ramos applauded the signing of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act that creates a new funding stream to finance services for U.S. trafficking victims. According to the U.S Congress, up to $30 million of the funding will come from $5,000 fines on perpetrators of crimes ranging from human trafficking to child pornography. The legislation also redefines federal law to clarify that sex buyers of children and human trafficking victims can be prosecuted as traffickers.

The domestic and international legal framework of protections and corresponding jurisprudence against human trafficking was outlined by St. Thomas Law professor, Dr. Roza Pati. Dr. Pati is one of the pioneer experts in the field of human trafficking in the United States, and an internationally recognized scholar.   She is also director of the Human Trafficking Academy at St. Thomas Law, a program designed to conduct research and education in the field of human trafficking. In particular, it offers specialized training and technical assistance to law enforcement, lawyers, healthcare providers, teachers, students, religious institutions and the community at large on issues relating to the crime of trafficking in persons. Her presentation added the essential international perspective to the conference and brought to light the continuing efforts to create laws that are transnational since human trafficking is itself a transnational crime. 

Dr. Roza Pati: Professor and Director of the Human Trafficking Academy at St. Thomas Law

Other panelists included Eleventh Circuit Court Judges, Maria I. Sampedro-Iglesia (Juvenile Division) and Rosa C. Figarola (Family Division) who discussed human trafficking evidentiary issues, myths and facts, how to identify a victim, and the correlation to domestic violence.  The attendees also heard from Dr. Ivon Mesa and Dr. Kateriina Rosenblatt representing Miami-Dade County. They  discussed the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Grant awarded to Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Department. The county will use the $400,000 award to provide coordinated advocacy services to victims of human trafficking. 

Elba Lumbi, a St.Thomas Law graduate and immigration attorney with Revilla Law Firm, P.A., spoke on immigration relief available to human trafficking victims. The T Non-immigrant Status (T Visa) that is set aside for those who are or have been victims of human trafficking, protects victims of human trafficking and allows them to remain in the United States to assist in an investigation or prosecution of human traffickers.  She also noted that even though the federal government limits the number of those visas that are granted annually, the quota is very rarely ever met.  

Lourdes Fernandez: Board member at
The Porch Light and St. Thomas Law
Career Counselor/Outreach Coordinator

A turning point of the conference was the story told by Dr. Rosenblatt, a St. Thomas Law alumna and herself a victim of human trafficking. Her book, Stolen, tells her story. It recounts a less-than-desirable childhood, being deceptively befriended by an older woman, and these circumstances leading her to drug-addiction and being a sex slave by the age of thirteen.  Her story brought home the reality that sex trafficking is not a foreign concept that happens in the back streets of third world countries, but an epidemic in our own backyards.  

The proceedings were made all the more substantive by two additional presentations: one by St. Thomas Law's Outreach Coordinator & Career Counselor, Lourdes Fernandez. Mrs. Fernandez is a board member of The Porch Light; a non-governmental, faith-based non-profit that serves as a safe home for girls who have been victims of sex trafficking. They provide shelter, counseling, and a place to begin a new life.  The other presentation was by Sherry Thompson Giordano of PACE Center for Girls. PACE provides girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. It provides social services, academics and a focus on the future. These two organizations show the difference that can be made when girls are given a safe, place, educational opportunities and a second chance.

St. Thomas Law LL.M. Student Interprets for Papal Visit to Cuba

St.Thomas Law LL.M Student, Mary Iacibelli as she appeared
on ABC News.

Ms. Mary Iacobelli, a student in St. Thomas Law's  LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human Rights had the special honor of serving as an interpreter in the live coverage by Channel 10 ABC News of the Holy Father's visit to Cuba. She interpreted live, from Spanish into English, the Welcome Ceremony on Saturday, September 19th and the three Holy Masses celebrated by Pope Francis in the cities of Havana, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba held on September 20, 21 and 22 respectively. 

 Ms. Iacobelli was thrilled to have been chosen for this extraordinary job. 

"The messages of Pope Francis in all three homilies were especially moving.  He spoke of the need to live life authentically with a commitment to our neighbor through service which truly serves, and is not self -serving; to not serve ideas but rather to serve people and not forget to care for the most vulnerable in our society.  He spoke of mercy and compassion especially for the elderly, the sick, the imprisoned, the poor and the marginalized and the need to go out to visit those in need,"  stated Ms. Iacobelli. 

" He talked about not casting judgment on others and overcoming preconceptions." she continued.  "He stressed the obligation to respect the human rights and dignity of each person.   He also talked of the importance of dialogue and reconciliation in the peacemaking process and commended Colombia on his efforts in this regard. As a human rights student, I felt at home with Pope Francis' message. His peaceful voice and his genuine love and care is a blessing that will stay with me forever." 

    

Pope Francis' U.S. Visit - Q&A with Professor Roza Pati

Professor Dr.Roza Pati

Prior to Pope Francis' visit to the the United States, the Archdiocese of Miami conducted an interview with St. Thomas University School of Law professor and Pontifical Council member, Dr. Roza Pati. She offered her insight into what issues the Pope would focus on during his addresses to Congress and the United Nations.

In the interview, Dr. Pati shared her expectation that Pope Francis will reiterate his call the reduction of poverty, urge politicians to act decisively in order to remove the causes of this "shameful plague" of human-trafficking, and that he would call for a more humane immigration law and policy.

Please read below for details on the Q&A as published in The Archdiocese of Miami Newsletter.


MIAMI | When Pope Francis visits three U.S. cities next week, his talks will probably touch on issues of immigration and human trafficking.
The latter topic is especially of interest to one lay expert, a Miami-based Catholic academic who has focused on studying and advocating against the “shameful plague” that Pope Francis has called human trafficking.
Roza Pati is a professor of law at St. Thomas University and director of the school’s Human Trafficking Academy. In August 2012, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI appointed her a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. She is the only council member representing the United States.
Pati formerly served as a member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Youth and Women in Albania. She talked with The Florida Catholic about human trafficking in light of the upcoming papal visit: 


In the last few years, how has the human trafficking-immigration issue "played out" or evolved here domestically in the U.S., in your view?
Mobile groups such as refugees, internally displaced persons and economic migrants have constantly been vulnerable to human trafficking. Actually, the proliferation of human trafficking in the last few decades has been the result of the global failure to manage migration. Hence, immigration laws have not been able to control illegal migration, nor to protect innocent migrants from falling prey to modern slavers. U.S. law — particularly as it relates to human trafficking — through T-Visas and U-visas, has evolved to make it easier for trafficking victims to rectify their status, but it has not yet succeeded in addressing the problem comprehensively. 

In April the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences offered recommendations at the plenary session on “Human Trafficking: Issues beyond Criminalization.” Can you discuss that?
In addition to the well-known policies of prevention, criminalization and demand-reduction, the recommendations shed light on important matters that relate to people's migration, such as challenging the default rule of repatriation of victims into their country of origin, and encouraging resettlement instead. It suggested that the “country of destination should bear the highest burden for the resettlement of victims, including identification, documentation and humanitarian services.” It is refreshing to see the extraordinary efforts of the Catholic Church with the vigorous involvement of its men and women religious as well as its laity, to end the greatest assault to human dignity.  

No country is immune from human trafficking today, so what do we see here in Florida?
Human trafficking happens all around us: A 20-year-old Miami woman gets arrested for luring a 14-year old runaway girl into prostitution; a Florida man is arrested for promising lucrative escort service jobs to young women and then holding them against their will into forced labor; a North Lauderdale man gets convicted of child sex tourism, to mention but a few cases. The legal response has also been robust. In addition to the federal law, Florida has sharply answered human trafficking with its state law, which continues to be amended and enriched with new sections and bills.  

In Florida this past June, HB 369 Human Trafficking Bill was signed into law. Can you talk about that?
It requires the display of human trafficking public awareness and reporting signs in certain business locations such as strip clubs, massage parlors and hospitals. The civil society, including universities, the public and private sector have all intensified their efforts in combating labor and sex trafficking. There is much more awareness amongst the community. According to the Department of Children and Families, calls to report potential incidences of human trafficking in the state have more than doubled in the last four years. This is a very good indicator, though we still have a long way to go to be able to claim a society free of modern slave-work and services.   

How has civil society at large gained more experience and expertise in providing useful services to trafficking victims?
One important initiative is the (U.S. bishops’) nationwide campaign focusing on anti-trafficking education and awareness-raising. This is an initiative worth mentioning because it is centered on the empowerment from within. It bases itself on the resilience and audacity of the victim-survivor, following St. Josephine Bakhita’s example — the Sudanese slave who fought her case up to the Supreme Court of Italy. The campaign aims at and is building a network of migrant communities, led by their own local representatives; (it) organizes awareness events to (train) local immigrant members of the community … to understand the dynamics of human trafficking, its dangers, the modalities of operation of modern slavers and the techniques they use. 

A most recent act signed into law this past June is the "Girls Count Act of 2015.” Can you talk about that?
It authorizes the Secretary of State and the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development to prioritize efforts to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries. This statute aims at creating greater protections for the rights of women and girls in the developing world through birth registration. It is estimated that globally 36 percent of children under the age of five do not possess a birth certificate or national identity card. This exacerbates their vulnerability to all forms of human trafficking: commercial sexual exploitation, child marriage, child labor, arrest and treatment as adults in the justice system, or forcible conscription in armed forces. 

We've heard a lot comment lately on Mexico as perhaps a major source human trafficking. Your thoughts?  
The issue of porous borders is not one that can be ignored. The fact that numerous undocumented migrants cross our border with Mexico into the U.S. daily includes the reality that many trafficking victims are smuggled into the country. We know this for a fact even if we only count the court cases and nothing else. So while Mexico might not necessarily be a prime source of human trafficking victims, it is indeed a transit country for trafficking victims from Central and South America and beyond. What starts as human smuggling in many cases ends up as human trafficking. 

Can you imagine what message Pope Francis will have for Congress on these issues?
I expect Pope Francis to reiterate his call for care for the “least among us,” reduction of poverty that makes people vulnerable, and fight against complicity in issues that relate to human trafficking. He will urge politicians, as he has done before, to act decisively in order “to remove the causes of this shameful plague,” that he finds unworthy of a “civilized society,” and “an open wound on the body of contemporary society.” He will call for a clear shift and change in the mentality that permits seeing a human being as an object. He will call for  and above all for commitment to mitigate international imbalances in economy, finance, and politics in order to combat the rising inequality and poverty within and between nations. 

Anything else on the role and leadership of Pope Francis in terms of migrants and human trafficking?
From day one of his pontificate, the Holy Father has called human trafficking by its true name: a crime against humanity that has to be eradicated. Particularly, the Holy Father’s Message for the 48th World Day of Peace, January 1, 2015, on the theme “Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters,” called human beings all over the world to transform social relations from a relationship of dependence-slavery of other men; from the negation of the humanity of the other person into a relationship of fraternity, into a status of respect for the inalienable and inviolable dignity of each and every human being… In 2013, Pope Francis provided the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences with the assignment to take up the issue of the global scourge of human trafficking and come up with new ideas and recommendations for solutions to the worldwide problem.  

FACULTY BLOG: How to Improve Your State's "Lawsuit Climate": Reduce the State's Population

In response to a Miami Herald article on the US Chamber of Commerce's position that Miami-Dade is one of the worst areas in the country for lawsuits, St. Thomas Law professor Patricia Moore wrote a blog post on the Civil Procedure & Federal Court Blog.  

The original article in the Herald stated that Miami-Dade County is one of the least fair jurisdictions in the country for lawsuits, according to a poll of top lawyers and executives at major companies. The poll was commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article34662561.html#storylink=cpy

See Professor Moore's response/post in its entirety below:

Friday, September 11, 2015

How to Improve Your State's "Lawsuit Climate": Reduce the State's Population

By Patricia W. Moore

So you send a survey to people whose job depends on how well they do defending their $100-million-plus employer in court and ask them how fair and reasonable the courts are.  If they just lost a big verdict in Texas, they probably think juries in Texas are unfair and the judge who tried the case is an idiot.  (A friend who was born and raised on a farm said that it was like asking foxes to rate how fairly the farmer guarded the henhouse.)
Compile all those subjective answers, assign some ordinal numbers to them, and rank the fifty states: that’s about the long and short of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s 2015 "lawsuit climate survey" conducted by Harris Poll "to explore how fair and reasonable the states’ tort liability systems are perceived to be by U.S. businesses."  (The full report is here.) 
To be fair, if you read the report carefully, it does not misrepresent what it purports to show.  It never says it is a random survey (and it isn't).  It explains that the only people asked to participate are lawyers and other executives who are in charge of litigation for companies with at least $100 million in annual revenues.  (It doesn’t say, but it’s fairly obvious, that these companies are overwhelmingly defendants, not plaintiffs, in lawsuits.)  The report admits that what it measures are these executives’ “perceptions” (p. 3 of the Executive Summary), not any objectively quantifiable element of a state’s justice system, such as the caseload per judge.
But the sheer repetition of the ensuing headlines (egged on by the Chamber's state-specific press releases) encourages the casual reader to elide the difference between objective reality and the subjective perceptions of a very distinct interest group.  

A sampling:

"Florida's 'lawsuit climate' hits all-time low, Chamber survey says" (Tampa Bay Times)

"Survey: Missouri’s Lawsuit Climate Hits All-Time Low, Ranks Among Nation’s Worst" (Associated Press, via ABC's WAAY-TV)

Once again, Louisiana’s lawsuit climate ranked second worst in US (Greater Baton Rouge Business Report)

And that's not even counting the "coverage" of the survey by news-like websites that are owned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, such as the West Virginia Record and the Madison-St. Clair Record, or op-eds planted by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.  

Anyway, the purpose of this post is not to go through the myriad glaring problems with the survey. But I can't resist pointing out one of many examples: the survey respondents really couldn't help calling Cook County, Illinois or Miami-Dade County "among the worst city or county courts."  That is because the survey respondents were given twelve listed locations to pick from, which included those two locations, and the respondents would have had to think of any other jurisdiction on their own. Question 637 (p. 127 of the full report) is:

Thinking about the entire country, which of the following do you think are the worst city or county courts? That is, which city or county courts have the least fair and reasonable litigation environment for both defendants and plaintiffs? Please select up to two responses.    

1 Chicago or Cook County, Illinois

2 Los Angeles, California

3 San Francisco, California

4 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5 Madison County, Illinois

6 Miami or Dade County, Florida

7 New Orleans or Orleans Parish, Louisiana

8 New York, New York

9 East Texas

10 St. Louis, Missouri

11 Detroit, Michigan

12 Washington, DC

13 Other [ONLINE: (Please specify)] [ PHONE: CAPTURE RESPONE]

14 Not sure

99 Decline to answer [EXCLUSIVE] [PHONE ONLY]

The twelve listed locations were randomized for each survey respondent, so they were not necessarily listed in the order above for any given respondent.  But it's a great example of the availability heuristic.

Anyway, setting aside the problems with the survey, I noticed this: in general, the fewer people who live in a state, the better that state's "lawsuit climate" is perceived.   

Many of the top-ranked states (with the “best” perceived “litigation climates”) in the Chamber's survey are states with the fewest people.  Using census data for 2014, I ranked the states from 1 to 50, from most populous to least populous.  For example, California has the largest population, so is ranked #1, and Wyoming has the fewest people, so it's ranked #50.  I then compared the 15 least populous states (ranked 36-50) with the "best" 15 states in the U.S. Chamber's survey (ranked 1-15).  Ten states were on both lists: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.   

In other words, the Chamber rankings are negatively correlated with the population rankings: in general, as the state's population goes down, the perception of its "lawsuit climate" goes up.   Here is a scatterplot of the fifty states and a fitted line:
 
I’ve labeled two of the fifty data points as examples.  California is ranked #1 in population (the y-axis) and #47 in the Chamber survey (the x-axis).  Delaware is ranked #45 in population and #1 in the Chamber survey (the “best” in the country).

So what does this all mean?  Of course, correlation is not the same as causation.  But maybe if there are fewer people, there are fewer things to go wrong (industrial accidents, adverse drug reactions, discriminatory employment decisions), so there are fewer lawsuits.  Just a simple-minded theory.

St. Thomas Law Graduate Wins Multi-Million Dollar Verdict in Farm Worker Sexual Abuse Case

St. Thomas Law graduate, Victoria Mesa-Estrada, recently won a multi-million dollar verdict on behalf of five female migrant farmworkers. The five women accused the owners of Moreno Farms, located in Felda, Florida, of rape and sexual harassment from incidents that occurred between 2011 and 2012.

Attorney Victoria Mesa '08 (left) with her clients Ligia Martinez and Sandra Lopez, 

two former Moreno Farms workers who sued over rape and sexual harassment. 
PHOTO CREDIT- TIM ELFRINK

                                                                                         

Victoria Mesa-Estrada '08

Mesa, a 2008 graduate, revived a case that had been dropped by prosecutors in Hendry County, Florida, who had determined that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.  She convinced the EEOC to file a federal complaint against the farm and the case was subsequently argued before a federal jury.  The women finally received justice when they were awarded a $17.42 million judgement: $2,425,000 in compensatory damages and $15 million in punitive damages.  The amount is reportedly one of the largest verdicts ever for mistreatment of farm workers.





Ms. Mesa is the co-founder of Mesa & Coe Law, P.A., a small civil practice law firm serving the south Florida community. 
She was previously a staff attorney for the Migrant Farmworker Justice Project and represented migrant, seasonal and guest workers in complex federal class action and collective action cases in the areas of employment law, litigating claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act, and Title VII/EEOC among others. She states that she is a firm believer that every person - no matter their economic status - should have access to an attorney at an affordable fee and receive the best quality of work. She said that she continues to live by this mission and will continue to assist and support her community in any way to improve lives.

St. Thomas Law Recognizes World Day of Prayer

Following the invitation by the Pope during the general audience of Wednesday, August 26, 2015 the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace encouraged the organization of prayer meetings around the world to celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, on Tuesday, 1^st September 2015.

St. Thomas Law's Graduate Program in Human Rights, directed by Professor Roza Pati sponsored the event at The Chapel of St. Anthony at St. Thomas University.

Students, faculty and administrators attended the hour-long prayer and adoration.

A group of  participants including St. Thomas University President Monsignor Franklyn Casale, students, faculty and staff attended the event hosted by St. Thomas Campus Ministry under the auspices of Professor Dr. Roza Pati, Law Professor and Member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

A Reflection On the World Day of Prayer  

by Diana M. Barroso- Dueñas, Law School

We all together!

O God of the poor,

Recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite

Light.

Day and night!

During A World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation,

All-powerful God

You are present in the whole universe and in the smallest

Of your creatures. O Lord, we pray in our struggle   

For justice, love and peace.

Pour out upon us the power of your love to

Respect

And care for your creation. O Lord,

You embrace with your tenderness all that

Exists!

Reminding us that each day we have a new opportunity to stand together against all threats to life.

Fill us with peace, O Lord that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O Lord, bless all of your creatures as a sign of your wondrous love, and we will

Reverence all that you have created for us.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing and how to

Heal your creation over and over.

Encourage us O Lord; we have come to protect your creation.

Come to discover some new beauty every day in God's creation,

Amazing flowers and trees,

Rainbows in the sky,

Everything was created for us,

On care for our common home.

Full of magic!

Come to listen to the "music of the universe"

Raindrops pattering the roof, water flowing over rocks,

Earth sustains us

And keeps us

To be filled with awe and contemplation.

I ask you

O Lord, to help us to end the suffering of the poor and bring the healing we

Need for all of your creation.

 “The human person grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures.” (Laudato Si’: 240)

St. Thomas Law Small/Solo Practice Incubator Program – Q & A with Dean Garcia

One of Dean Alfredo Garcia’s key initiatives is the successful development of St. Thomas Law’s Solo/Small Practice Incubator.

A solo/small practice incubator will ideally provide St. Thomas Law graduates with the tools to successfully launch their own firms.

Graduates will have access to office space at a reduced rent and will be provided with guidance and expertise from experienced mentors who have practiced law.

In the most recent issue of The St. Thomas Lawyer, Dean Garcia spoke, in depth, about the incubator program and his plans for its development and implementation.


Read Dean Garcia's Interview Here

Professor Roza Pati - Only U.S. member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican

St. Thomas University School of Law is well-recognized at a global level for its faculty leadership in the intercultural human rights and social justice. Since July 2012, Professor Roza Pati has been a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican, appointed by then Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, and confirmed by Pope Francis.

Professor Roza Pati with Cardinal Peter Turkson and Pope Francis 

Dr. Roza Pati is the only member hailing from the United States. The Council, a Vatican body dedicated to the promotion of social justice, has as its main goal advocating peace and justice around the world consistent with the Gospel and the Church's social teaching. In addition to Cardinals and Archbishops members of the Council, Dr. Pati joins an elite few of lay people -- leaders of global influential institutions-- such as Dr. Michel Camdessus of France, former and the longest serving Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and Dr. Juan Somavia of Chile, former Director-General of the International Labor Organization.

Professor Pati, a prolific scholar and public servant--former Member of Parliament of Albania and Cabinet Member serving as Secretary of State for Youth and Women of Albania, is among the pioneers in establishing the rule of law and democracy in her native country, and also in the struggle for an order of human dignity through combating modern slavery. In her role as an active member of the Pontifical Council, she assists in identifying "the signs of the times," and contributes to developing solutions benefiting our common humanity. Through her work at the Council and beyond she continues to foster global dialogues from Colombia to Hong Kong, to Argentina, to Romania, to India, to the United Nations to promote the dignity of the human person through political freedom and social justice-- indispensable to the attainment of true world peace.

To this end, Dr. Pati notes: “I am humbled by this appointment and I will not spare a moment from trying my very best to explore solutions to the problems facing humankind today. Above all, through my work on the ground, writings, research and presentations around the world I will continue to address the global affront against human dignity that human trafficking and other forms of injustice represent. In this quest for the protection of the dignity of the human person in harmony with all God’s creation, St. Thomas Law School, my colleagues, my students and I point out clearly that we are all members of a single community: humankind, and we turn the tide of this battle towards the rule of law, peace, justice and dialogue amongst religions, cultures and civilizations, races and ethnicities.”