Super Lawyers magazine placed UM Law at number 20 in its new law school rankings.  While other law school rankings look at GPAs, LSAT scores and the number of books in a library, Super Lawyers looks at the end product — that is, the quality of lawyers produced by the schools. Schools were ranked according to the total number of graduates named to the state and regional Super Lawyers lists in 2009.  In the event of a tie between schools, the cumulative peer evaluation and research scores of graduates were used as tie-breakers.

Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  It is published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazine, featuring articles about attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list, is distributed to all attorneys in the state or region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies and the ABA-approved law school libraries.

Polling, research and selection are performed by Law & Politics, a publication of Key Professional Media, Inc. Law & Politics has been publishing legal magazines since 1990 and Super Lawyers since 1991.

Notable schools UM beat:

• Florida State University
• Duke
• Cornell
• Fordham
• Emory
• University of Southern California
• Notre Dame

To check out the results on the website, click here: http://www.superlawyers.com/toplists/lawschools/united-states/2010/

On Monday, November 9, the Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) hosted its Annual Fall Mentor Reception from 5:30pm-7:30pm at La Loggia Restaurant, located in the heart of downtown Miami.

The event, which partners local law students with prominent Miami attorneys and judges, is one of the highlights of the CABA organization.  Essentially, the mentorship program asks that mentors meet with their mentees at least 3 times during the school year.  In addition, mentors and mentees are encouraged to speak on a regular basis and to attend the many CABA events held throughout the years.  Many of CABA’s current attorney members were once mentees, making the program an important avenue in introducing young, Latino lawyers to the Miami area.  This year, students were placed in “groups” and each received an attorney and judge mentor.  As one lawyer commented during the event, “What I would’ve given to have a judge as a mentor when I was a law student!”  Needless to say, the program helps law students gain an influential role model and helps established lawyers and judges to “give back” by spending quality time with future attorneys.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the event is the announcement of Scholarship Recipients – CABA awards one scholarship per Florida law school.  This year, Annery Pulgar (2L) received the scholarship on behalf of the University of Miami School of Law.  Other students from St. Thomas, FIU and UF were also honored.  The awards range from $500-$5,000.  If you would like more information on the scholarship application, please visit: CabaOnline.com and click on the “Scholarship” tab on the upper right hand corner.  Scholarship applications are due September 1st of every year, and the winner(s) are announced at the Annual Mentor Reception in Novemeber of that same year.  CABA’s scholarship requirements are: 

 To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Meet either of the following descriptions:

a. A Cuban American law student who has distinguished himself/herself academically and/or in service-oriented activities.

b. Any law student who has distinguished himself/herself in research, writing, community services, and/or other activities of importance to the Cuban-American community.

a. A competitive essay (no more than 1,000 words) focusing on and describing in detail the activities and achievements that qualify him/her for the award. (See 1 above.)

b. An updated résumé.

c. A copy of his/her transcript.

 Also, here at UM, you can contact Dean Angones at: gangones@law.miami.edu for more information on UM’s selection process.

Federal agents raid Scott Rothstein’s law offices

Federal authorities turned up the heat on Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein as he sought to cooperate with prosecutors investigating his alleged multimillion-dollar investment scam.

BY AMY SHERMAN AND JAY WEAVER

jweaver@MiamiHerald.com

 —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — -

So my question to all future lawyers is, how do we prevent this from happening?  How can we ensure that our profession meets the highest standards of ethics without having a select few, like Rothstein, ruin it all for the rest of us?

This year’s Wellness Week included programs on healthy dining, healthy competition, physical fitness, and mental fitness.

The week began with the annual Race Judicata, hosted by the Society of Bar & Gavel with all funds benefitting CHARLEE Homes for Children in Miami.

Immediately following the race, author Scott Rogers hosted a Wellness Week welcome event at the Law School.

Other events that held throughout the week included cooking lessons and a green tea happy hour on October 26; a Wii sports competition, the Dean’s Cup pep rally, a student organization potluck on The Bricks, and a healthy happy hour on October 27; boot camp and personal training sessions on October 28, chair massages, a stress reduction workshop, aromatherapy happy hour, and yoga class on October 29; and various Halloween events and the Annual Law Bowl on October 30.

Stevenson and her son at Fenway Park

By Anne Stevenson, 1L.

As a recent transplant from Boston, I have found the adjustment to Miami living fairly easy. I chose to enroll in the University of Miami School of Law because of the magnificent opportunities offered here to further my education without the possibility of ever having to shovel another flake of snow. I think I may have even notified U-Haul of my move before calling my family and UML to tell them the great news.

During my first week of orientation, I discovered that the social scene here was going to be challenging for me because I am from a different background than most of my classmates. One of the reasons I chose Miami was because of the diverse cultural aspects of the region, however, it would have been helpful if UML had actually included the number of Yankees fans in some of the brochures that came to the house before I enrolled.

At orientation, nobody knows each other and for an entire week small talk dominated. As a Bostonian, I am a professional small talker. Next time you go on Facebook, check to see how many of your Boston friends post status updates about traffic, food, the weather, and sports. Especially the sports. However, I didn’t move to Miami to talk about how bad the weather is in Boston. I deliberately moved to Miami so I wouldn’t feel peer pressured to go outside and “enjoy the nice weathah.”  Miami traffic is another blog all together, but what I will say about that is put the cell phones down when you are driving, and as long as you are no more than the third car to blow through the red light you are fine. I am a broke student with no time to eat and an obligation to be bikini ready on the weekends when I hit the beach, so chatting about food would be just cruel at this juncture. So that left us with the topic of sports, which I was not going to broach in a sea of Miami Yankees fans.

As a mom to a six year old, I try to raise my son right by teaching him how to follow the golden rule, don’t do drugs, don’t play in traffic, and don’t play with Yankees fans. Everyone in my family owns a t-shirt that says “Real women don’t sleep with Yankees fans” or “Yankees suck!” This is because we know that our “dirty cousins” from New York do not subscribe to the same code of ethics governing loyalty and altruism that Sox fans do. It is my duty to save my son the heart ache of being cheated later in life should he choose to befriend a Yankees fan.

Think I am kidding? We Sox fans take our loyalties very seriously, and unlike other sports fans, we don’t cheer for other people’s teams. That’s the difference between us.  I struggled with this when I moved to Florida when a friend of mine invited me to a Marlins game. I stood up to cheer for the locals and nothing came out because deep in my heart I know that it would be like mailing anthrax home to my family to have them see me do that.

A Yankees fan will cheer for anyone and not feel bad about it, and nobody would really notice. At the Church of Red Sox Nation, we know who has been attending services since before 2004 and we don’t call the “Johnny Come Latelies” members of our congregation. You know you are in a Boston law office when it’s the day before a big game and everyone is wearing team jerseys to board meetings, including the partners.  Or God forbid, the day after a big game loss and nobody in the office is talking to each other and grief councilors are on site to support the staff. Let me tell you something, when the Sox, the Pats, and the Celtics won the championships over the last six years, Boston fans rioted in the streets. We turned over cars and burned them. People died and went to jail for Boston teams on those nights. We don’t get that worked up about the Patriot Act, but the Patriots losing the big game last year and coming in second was the source of some serious outrage. You just don’t see that kind of loyalty in a Marlins fan.

Last weekend, I flew home to Boston because my grandfather is very sick.  First thing I did at Logan Airport was grab a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee, then I reported my luggage carrying all my text books lost. For the next 24 hours, I relished the fact that the staff at the airport were willing to help me out simply because my Red Sox hat and townie accent gave me automatic trustworthiness credibility.

One of my only two friends in Miami is from New York, but is not a baseball fan.  In preparation for writing this blog I asked her, “Kell, do you think it’s possible for a Sox fan to date a Yankees fan?” Kelly goes “Well my boyfriend is from Boston and he cheers for both teams.”  So I was like “Oh, so he’s a Yankees fan then.”  Note to self, I might have one friend in Miami after all;)

Anne Stevenson is a 1L from Concord, New Hampshire who moved to Miami in June to attend UM Law with her six year old son Reece.  She graduated from Tufts University in 2007 with her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and worked as a legal assistant after college.  As a Miami Scholar and proud mother, she does not have free time to partake in any hobbies (aside from writing her Res Ipsa blog in the middle of the night when she can’t sleep).  However, back in the olden days you could find her doing political and legal aid volunteer work, reading books at the beach, taking Reece on adventures, teaching Sunday school, playing softball, running, doing yoga, exploring foreign countries, eating a quality breakfast at the best hole in the wall in town, or doing her beloved crossword puzzles.  Anne would like to pursue a career in Family Law and start a non-profit agency to provide single mothers with pro bono legal assistance in the court system. Her Blog, “Wanton 1L” will be updated regularly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4HtmTEeEgU

Pictures:

Participants signing in

Runners getting lined up to run

One of the first runners to cross the finish line

Members of the Society of Bar & Gavel volunteered to make sure runners were fed

IPLS will be screening the movie “Flash of Genius” which follows the story of a young inventor who’s idea for the intermittent windshield wiper was copied by the auto industry. We will have two speakers for the event: Professor Depoorter, our Faculty Adviser, and Professor Flint, who teaches the Patent Law course. Snacks and Drinks will be provided! Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ZSDE0aJqg&feature=related

Dean White speaks enthusiastically to students

            Dean White commenced the meeting by discussing the biggest news to hit the law school campus in a while—the decision to partner with the Business School in constructing a shared building on campus to provide additional much-needed space to our ever growing law school.  The Dean emphasized the importance of student involvement in the project and assured students that she is open to any student suggestions and concerns regarding the new project which is expected to be ready by the fall of 2011.  The Dean then spoke about the new clinical opportunities available for law students, including an Appeals Clinic with Professor Bascuas, a Natural Resources Defense Council clinic headed by Professor Doyle, and a Housing Clinic supervised by Legal Services of Miami.  The Dean explained that the school is focusing on creating more clinical experiences for students to participate in, particularly those opportunities that require students to travel outside of Miami like the NRDC and Florida Supreme Court internships which take place in Washington, D.C./New York and Tallahassee respectively.  “We are expanding the notion of working with others,” said Dean White during the meeting, “We want students to earn legal experiences outside of Miami while receiving academic credit for their work.”  Needless to say, students in attendance were very appreciative and excited to hear of all of the new clinical programs set up by the school.

LLMs students asked the Dean about the future of international programs at UM Law

  In addition, the Dean discussed an array of issues with students.   Topics that were mentioned during the meeting included: (1) the number of first year students admitted, (2) security/safety concern on the law school campus, (3) issues with the student lounge, (4) UM buses and their inefficiency, (5) course diversification, (6) creating more join degree options and (7) the never-ending number of emails over flooding our student emails. 

Students voicing their concerns

At least one student voiced a concern about the large number of first year students that were admitted, especially this past year.  The Dean agreed that the number was too high, and she believes “400” students is “not a bad number” that the administration intends to keep as a cut off for next year admissions process.  The Dean reminded that she is “always interested in student responses” concerning any issue affecting the law school.

Student expresses concerns over security at UM Law library

Surprisingly, a number of students complained about campus security at the law school, particularly at the law school’s library.  One student suggested that the law library implement a system similar to Richter library, where an official UM id is required to enter or signing in at the front desk with library personnel is mandatory.  However, Dean White reminded students that law librarians believe that access to a law library for pro se litigants is “at the core” of their values, and would be hesitant to restrict access to the law library.  Nevertheless, she agreed that the problem should be addressed.  In the meantime, the Dean encouraged “personal vigilance” and encouraged students to report suspicious behavior immediately.  “Unfortunately, theft occurs at every university,” conceded Dean White, as she described a recent event at the Bank United Center where first-year students’ cars were broken into and valuable items were stolen while students attended a mandatory meeting.  More importantly, Dean White warned that any law student engaged in stealing—even something as “small” as a book—would face a “huge penalty.”  Dean White assured personally that if a student was caught stealing, it would affect Bar admission.  Ultimately, many students said that although stealing was a problem, making smart choices and remaining vigilant and alert would suffice in resolving any theft issues on campus.

            The Dean also discussed recent developments regarding the Alma Jennings Student Lounge.  After many students complained that the lounge was not “student-friendly” due to the multitude of events hosted in the area, Dean White decided to create a solution.  For now, the Dean plans to slowly stop using the Student Lounge for events, and instead, begin using the “Quiet Room” on the second floor of the library.  Dean White explained that the Quiet Room will be furnished in a way that will easily facilitate event set ups, but remain a Quiet Room for students to use the majority of the time.  Even cooler, Dean White commissioned SBA President, Matthew Givens, to set a committee that will design and implement new additions to the student lounge, including a pool or ping-pong table, various big screen TVs, better and more comfortable couches, etc.  At the meeting Matthew Givens encouraged students to reach out to him with ideas for the new “Relaxation Student Lounge” set to be ready no later than next fall.

Students posing with Dean White after the meeting

            Finally, students voiced their concerns about the lack of course diversification here at UM Law.  Dean White was quick to agree, “The course variety here is much constrained.”  One of the problems the Dean pointed out was lack of space—an issue she hopes to resolve by using the Whitten Learning Center more and by the expansion of the law school with the Business School.  Nevertheless, Dean White encouraged students to take matters into their own hands by signing up and registering for graduate level courses offered at UM.  She promised that the school would make every effort possible to use at least a portion of those credits toward the J.D. degree.  Dean White mentioned that a similar process has already been set up for students interested in taking Entertainment related courses at the graduate level.  Dean White did caution that students must first ask permission from the Dean of Students Office, but that over all the law school needs to use graduate university resources more for the betterment of the students.  Dean White expressed concerns about students graduating with a J.D. but not really “knowing the subject matter.”  Instead, she predicts, and can only hope that more students will decide to earn a J.D. and an M.A. simultaneously, similar to the J.D./M.B.A. program.  “If you are interested, come and talk to us—we will try our best to accommodate you,” said Dean White.  The Dean plans on scheduling more “town hall” meetings in the near future with students to discuss a variety of school issues.  Perhaps next time you can attend and have your voice heard—plus the yummy free lunch does not hurt.

By Matthew Comiter and Raul Tano

Law Bowl IV, the law school’s annual, co-ed, flag football tournament, took place on Friday, October 30th.  The tournament was exclusively for law students and featured many of the best athletes the school has to offer.  All participants had a great time and the teams were very competitive; however, only one team could win.  In the championship game, team ‘Child Please’ defeated team ‘Law & Order,’ with a final score of 16-0, to take home the LAFAC Commissioner’s Cup.  MVP Honors went to quarterback Matthew MgGuane, who threw for 9 touch down passes and one interception. After the game MVP MgGuane said, “Each of my teammates consistently made big plays throughout the tournament and, for that, I share this award equally with all members of Child Please.”  The remaining members on the championship team were: Corey Adler, Ian Kirtman, Matt Givens, Claire Zovko, Ashley Foster, Brian Kelly, Brandon Shore, Raleigh Watson, and Matt Comiter.
 The win was especially notable because of the makeup of the winning team. The past two years of campus-wide intramural athletics had seen three law school teams dominate, but none of those teams were fully represented at Law Bowl. Interestingly, team ‘Child Please’ consisted of members from each of those three teams.
 ”I thought it was cool that members of the three strongest law school teams were able to come together. Typically we’re competitors, so it was nice that we were all able to play on one team,” said Brian Kelley, Dean’s Cup Chairperson and team member of ‘Child Please’.
 Additionally, Law Bowl featured a large amount of 1L students, which has some of the upperclassmen encouraged about the turnout for the upcoming Dean’s Cup events. Kelley noted, “It was really nice to see a large number of 1Ls out there. I was really impressed by their competitive spirit and their athleticism. I have a strong feeling that they’ll play a big part in this year’s Dean’s Cup.”