St. Thomas Law Student Interns at the United Nations in New York

Anastasia Latman

The opportunities afforded to students at St. Thomas Law include unique internships and externships. The Pax Romano internship at the United Nations is one such opportunity. This full-time, single semester assignment provides law students with placements at national missions to the United Nations in New York.

Third-year law student Anastasia Latman spent the summer in New York for what she described as the experience of a lifetime.

Anastasia was assigned to the Permanent Mission of Honduras in the role of advisor. She attended meetings and compiled analytical reports on what she observed.  The first official meeting that she attended centered around small arms trafficking and its affect on South American countries.  She also covered issues such as disabilities and women's rights.

She emphasized how her perspective of global concerns changed during her time at the UN. "I had the opportunity to listen to and understand the concerns and views of other nations and it became clear to me that I was living in a bubble," stated Anastasia. "It was really an eye-opening experience with international relations, legal issues and human rights issues."

United Nations Building in New York

Upon graduation from St. Thomas Law, Anastasia plans to become a prosecutor and said that the internship paved the way in helping her understand the major human rights violations that are happening globally, and how the international community is trying to solve these issues through the law.  She came out with an enhanced understanding of international laws and legal systems and was able to formulate ideas as to how she can work on these legal issues locally and hopefully someday make a difference on an international level.  

This fall, Anastasia will return to the UN during the General Assembly at the invitation of the Permanent Mission of Honduras.  Additionally,  two St. Thomas Law students will be assigned to the Holy See in New York with the likelihood of meeting the Pope himself.

St. Thomas Law's Phi Alpha Delta - Soia Mentschikoff Chapter Recognized by National P.A.D.

Each year, Phi Alpha Delta recognizes its members and chapters with awards of excellence.  Phi Alpha Delta has over 200 law and 100 alumni chapters.  They honor those who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments, both on the individual and chapter levels.  

Members of the championship PAD Mock Trial Team
(L-R) Freddy Figueroa, Ileana Garcia, Natasha Vargas, Tayron Lopez

The Executive Office and International Executive Board collectively spend hours over the course of weeks reviewing nominations for P.A.D.’s most deserving chapters and members and our very own Soia Mentschikoff Chapter has received recognition for the 2014-2015 school year.  They received recognition for:

• First place in the Stanley H. Kohn Outstanding Chapter; 
• Receiving first place for the Alex Hotchkiss Outstanding Justice (Regilucia Smith);
• Top 3 ranking for Top Recruitment (with 102 initiates).

Regilucia Smith received first place
for  Outstanding Justice.

The Mentschikoff Chapter will sponsor a mentorship program, in which 1Ls or 2Ls can be paired with other 2L or 3L students who have similar interests.  The mentorship program will be a support system for many 1L students.  

The Chapter will also host social and networking events, pro bono opportunities, panel discussions, and speakers at the law school.  

Preparation is also underway for the PAD Mock Trial Competition, with hopes that they can bring home another National Championship at the Mock Trial competition this school year.

Professor Jennifer Martin Elected President of CALI

Professor Jennifer Martin

St. Thomas Law is proud to announce that Professor Jennifer Martin was unanimously elected President of the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI).

In the role of president, Professor Martin will work closely with John Mayer, the CEO of CALI, and the rest of the board on CALI’s ongoing projects that are aimed at enriching the development of legal education through use of technology.

Professor Martin began working with CALI during her early years as an author of CALI lessons in the area of Contracts.  She has authored more than 30 lessons for CALI in the area of Contracts and Commercial Law.  Professor Martin was elected to the Board of Directors of CALI in 2009.

"CALI’s thoughtful attention and leadership in independent and collaborative ventures make [it] a key resource for students and faculty," stated Professor Martin. "

CALI is a non-profit consortium of law schools, law libraries and related organizations. The bulk of the organization's membership comprises of American law schools.  CALI conducts applied research and development in the area of computer-mediated legal education and creates tools that increase access to justice. 

Professor Jennifer Martin is the author of the American Bar Association's Annual Survey on Sales Law and has published many articles and given lectures on subjects such as wartime and conflict contracting, consumer rights, and lender liability.

St. Thomas Law Graduates Score Big Court Win in FSU Battery Case

RICKY PATEL, ESQ. ’09 presents his case to the jury in Tallahassee 

on behalf of his client, Florida State running back Dalvin Cook.

St. Thomas Law graduates Ricky Patel, Esq. ’09 and Joey McCall, Esq. ’11, made national headlines this week after successfully defending their client, Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, in a misdemeanor battery case in Tallahassee. Mr. Cook was found not guilty by a jury after being involved in an incident a few months ago in Tallahassee.  

Along with fellow alumnus Wesley Farrell, Esq. ’09, Mr. Patel is a founding partner at Farrell & Patel in Miami. Mr. McCall is a junior partner at the firm.  

Patel and McCall were actively involved in mock trial as students at St. Thomas Law, so it comes as no surprise to see their success in the Cook case, as well in their general practice.  

For the past several years, the firm has assisted hundreds of clients in the Gulf Coast area in recovering millions of dollars in lost revenue after the BP Oil Spill in 2010.

AFTER THE VERDICT (L-R): Ricky Patel, Esq. ’09, 

Mr. Dalvin Cook, and Joey McCall, Esq. ’11.

  

St. Thomas Law Professor Keith Rizzardi Teaches Environmental Law in China

This past July, at the invitation of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), St. Thomas Law professor Keith Rizzardi traveled to Beijing, China for an enlightening cultural and educational experience.

 China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL)

Professor Rizzardi was a visiting professor at the Chinese law school as a part of the CUPL Summer School Program. The program, now in its second year, attracts top academics in their fields to China to teach in a variety of disciplines including Environmental Law, Criminal Procedure, Legal Ethics, Lawyering Skills, Global Governance, and Human Rights.

Class Is In Session: Professor Rizzardi and students

In his Environmental Law class, Professor Rizzardi noted that the cultural differences between China and the United States were very evident not only because of the language barriers, but also due to restricted access to media and tools that westerners take for granted such as Google and Facebook.  He added that in the complex area of environmental negotiation, these law students quickly drew certain connections because of the air pollution all around them, overcame the language barriers, and understood that the concepts of mutual gains – from the Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) to the tools for dealing with an angry public – transcended the cultural divisions between East and West.

"Simply by breathing the Beijing air, I smelled the significance of teaching environmental law in China," recalled Professor Rizzardi. "Many of the students I taught will move on to important positions within the Chinese government. I realized that I was educating the change agents of the future.”

Professor Rizzardi and his Environmental Law students.

Professor Rizzardi was inspired to keep a daily blog of his experience in China.  It can be read in its entirety here.
___________________________________________________________________________

Keith Rizzardi is an Assistant Professor of Law at St. Thomas University School of Law. He teaches in the areas of administrative law, environmental law, negotiation and professional responsibility. An experienced government lawyer, he twice chaired The Florida Bar Government Lawyer Section, served as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division, and worked on the Everglades restoration as a managing attorney for the South Florida Water Management District. He has litigated cases before the Florida Supreme Court and in Federal district and circuit courts from coast to coast, and volunteers as an ombudsman for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Keith W. Rizzardi earned board certification from The Florida Bar in State & Federal Administrative Practice, and is the current Chairman of the U.S. Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. 

St. Thomas Law Professor Patricia Moore’s Article Ranked Top Ten on Ten Lists

Professor Patricia Moore

It’s not every day that an author comprehensively covers a variety of legal theories so well in one article that the article ranks in the Top 10 for downloads in ten separate categories.  That was the distinction reached by St. Thomas Law professor, Patricia Moore. Her forthcoming article, The Anti-Plaintiff Pending Amendments To The Federal Rules Of Civil Procedure And The Pro-Defendant Composition Of The Federal Rulemaking Committees has been listed on the SSRN (Social Science research Network) Top Ten download list in the following categories (rank noted in parentheses):

• Federal Courts & Jurisdiction eJournal (#4),
• Discovery & Evidence (Topic) (#1),
• Litigants & the Judiciary (Topic) (#1),
• Pleadings, Motions & Pretrial Procedure (Topic) (#1),
• Procedure (Courts) (Topic) (#2),
• Law & Courts eJournal (#9),
• Law & Society: Civil Procedure eJournal (#3),
• Law & Society: Courts eJournal (#3),
• Litigation & Procedure eJournal and Litigation (#2),
• Procedure & Dispute Resolution eJournals (#5). 

Professor Moore teaches in the areas of Civil Procedure, Evidence, Pretrial Litigation, and Complex Litigation.  Before entering academia, she successfully practiced civil litigation in a national law firm.  She was also recently called upon to testify before the United States Congress as an expert in civil litigation and class action lawsuits.

In addition to the article detailed above, her other recent article, The Civil Caseload of the Federal District Courts, is now available in reprints and downloadable on Westlaw.  You can read Professor Moore's writings on her SSRN page at http://ssrn.com/author=1111673.

The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is a website devoted to the rapid dissemination of scholarly research in the social sciences and humanities. SSRN was recently ranked the top open-access repository in the world by Ranking Web of Repositories. On SSRN, authors and papers are ranked by their number of downloads, which has become an informal indicator of popularity on prepress and open access sites.