Here are our winners with their prizes.

Runners up with other great suggestions were Andrew Ricker, Hunter Whaley, Shakuwra Shaw, Stefano Portigliatti, Megan Becker, and Kimberly Morant. Thank you to everyone who submitted suggestions!!

Library  Hours
The Library Hours are kept up to date each day on the Library Homepage. The Reference Desk hours and the future hours of the Library including intersession and Memorial Day weekend are posted at http://www.fcsl.edu/ltc/ltc-hours.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

 - Mark Twain

This is a great opportunity to get to know potential employers in the Jacksonville area and to increase your knowledge of litigation!  Find out more about the American Inns of Court on the Symplicity job posting or visit their website here.

DUE DATE: Applications must be submitted through Symplicity by May 28, 2013!

Tickets are $35 if you RSVP by Friday, May 17th and $40 if you miss the RSVP deadline.  Click here for full details!

Some of the best resources are Libguides on legal research.  Libguides are created by librarians, and there are lots of law librarians helping you out!  Florida Coastal has a great one for low cost legal research. 

If you want more, run a search in Google for libguide starting legal research: .edu (that : .edu restricts the search to only school websites).  Or change up the language and run  starting legal research libguide: .edu (it will give you slightly different results).  Switch up the words for more results libguide beginning legal research: .edu for example.

Or, call a Librarian!  We are here all summer for you, whether it is for class, an externship or work!  You can call and leave a message, we will call you back – (904) 680-7612.  Or you can email us your question refdesk@fcsl.edu or use the Ask A Librarian page.

Student extern will be involved in research, drafting, and organizing cases among other duties. The Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution focuses its practice on long-term investigation.

Please visit Symplicity or email koughton@fcsl.edu to apply.

Enjoy your graduation weekend!

Title                                                                                                                  Call Number

RSVP on Symplicity or to Lisa Crouch at lcrouch@fcsl.edu!

1.  Hope–The firm to which you are applying wants to know about your skills and abilities, not what you are hoping will happen.  Instead of “I hope to be able to contribute my skills to your firm”, switch it up to “I look forward to speaking with you about my qualifications”.

2.  Hone–I am guilty of this.  But it admittedly is overused.  Intead of “during my internship I honed my skills”, write how your experience “developed” or “sharpened” your skills, or how your “research culminated in a report to your supervising attorney which was used during trial”.  Stated this way, there is no doubt of your abilities.

3.  Drawn–You can be drawn to a person, but a firm wants to know that you are a match for the type of work they are producing and that your mindset is similar to theirs, not that you are drawn to their firm for their reputation or location.

4.  Feel–Notice the difference:  I feel the relationship management skills I built while working at the Public Defender’s Office are a match for The Jones Firm’s commitment to outstanding client relationships.  OR  The relationship management skills I built while working at the Public Defender’s Office are a match for The Jones Firm’s commitment to outstanding client relationships.  The second example is more powerful and creative and will be more apt to get your cover letter noticed. 

Write strongly and with conviction and you will give yourself an edge.

RSVP on Symplicity or to Ellen Sefton at esefton@fcsl.edu!

Tuesday, May 14
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Wednesday, May 15
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Look for our table in the lobby!

… read the entire piece at SportsMoney.

Atlanta: Speed Networking & Happy Hour
When: Thursday, May 23, 2013
Time: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Where: Fado Irish Pub
273 Buckhead Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30305
Cost: FREE!
Contact Amber Williams, Career Counselor, at arwilliams@fcsl.edu for more information.

Orlando: Happy Hour & Networking Reception
When: Thursday, May 23, 2013
Time: 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Where: The Citrus Club
BB&T Building
255 South Orange Avenue, Suite 1800
Orlando, FL 32801
Cost: FREE!
Contact Lisa Crouch, Career Counselor, at lcrouch@fcsl.edu for more information.

Washington D.C.: Practitioners’ Panel & Networking Reception
When: Thursday, May 23, 2013
Time: Practitioners’ Panel – 4:30 p.m.; Networking *Time Change* - 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Where: The University Club
Library, 1st Floor
1135 16th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Subway: McPherson Square Station
Cost: FREE!
Contact Ellen Sefton, Director of Career Services, at esefton@fcsl.edu for more information.

Please make your travel plans ASAP in order to save on transportation and a hotel! RSVP on Symplicity or send an e-mail to careerservices@fcsl.edu with the networking event of your choice on the subject line to enjoy one of these can’t-miss events!

Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, Ask.com, and other sources will give you common wisdom and anecdotes about various techniques that have worked for other test takers. These may work for you.

But what if you want some no-nonsense, scientifically reliable, double-blind-tested techniques? If so, the best way to find them is to start by carefully selecting a source that contains that kind of material. You may have to try several sources until you find a good one.

I knew I wanted to find an article that contained carefully researched methods of dealing with test-day jitters. I was not interested in studies that simply measured anxiety levels. I wanted articles that would give me reliable advice. I settled on ProQuest eLibrary. I knew this source contained a range of newspapers and magazines that could have articles describing how to deal with exam jitters that would be properly sourced. I found the following tips from Sue Shellenbarger, Toughest Exam Question: What is the Best Way to Study?, WALL ST. J. ONLINE, Oct. 26, 2011.

• If you are taking the exam in an unfamiliar place, visit the room in advance.
• Set aside 10 minutes beforehand to write down your worries. Expressing yourself in writing will unburden you.
• Envision yourself in a situation you find challenging and invigorating. Then switch your mental image to the testing room and imagine yourself feeling the same way. With practice, you’ll be able to summon up more confidence on test day.

… read the entire article at the Minnesota Daily.

Having been a swimmer for many years, Hogshead-Makar said she saw firsthand how other sports can emulate swimming, with nearly the same number of males and females training together in the pool at the same time. She also noted that the United States’ above-average number of females can be attributed to sports being an integral part of the education system, which few countries do. The foundation’s work with enforcing Title IX in high school and college athletics has also played a part in promoting athletic participation among women, Hogshead-Makar said.

“It gives us a vision of what sports could be and makes us want that globally,” she said.

… read the entire article at Swimming World Magazine.

… read the full post from Roger Groves at SportsMoney.

Selection Criteria

To qualify for the scholarship, the candidates must:  (1) have completed their first year of law school, (2) be a member of a group traditionally under-represented at large law firms; and (3) attend an ABA accredited Law School.  Candidates may not be the recipient of a similar scholarship award from another law firm.  Joint degree candidates must have successfully completed two years of a JD program.

Application Process and Deadline

Applications are due by midnight, Friday, June 21, 2013.  Once applications are being accepted, interested students may submit their application online and attach the below listed documents.  A link to the application will be made available to your Career Services Office in just a few weeks.

•        Resume
•        Personal statement explaining your interest in the scholarship program, how diversity has influenced your life, how it impacts the legal profession and any challenges you have to overcome (Single spaced, please limit to 500 words)
•        Undergraduate transcript(s)
•        Law school transcript (Including Fall and Spring semester grades)
•        Legal writing sample (Please limit to 10 pages)
•        One written professional recommendation

Please keep a lookout for an e-mail from Career Services within the next few weeks, inviting you to start applying for this program.  If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Cheryl Hunt, Firm Diversity Coordinator, at cherylhunt@bakerdonelson.com or (615) 726-5567 OR Helen Beasley, Firm Recruiting Assistant, at hbeasley@bakerdonelson.com or (205) 244-3833

Have you met with your assigned Job Placement Coach yet? You have received at least one phone call and/or email from the person assigned to HELP YOU FIND A JOB!! If you haven’t met with yours yet, now’s the time! Stop by our office on the first floor (across from the student lounge) or call/email your coach now to set up a quick appointment before you begin studying for the bar! Not sure who your coach is? No problem! Call or email Tara Block at (904) 680-7744 or tblock@fcsl.edu! We’re looking forward to partnering with you in your job search!!

Just a reminder that the Career Services Department is offering extended Coffee Days during finals. We’ll be out in the atrium serving up coffee, snacks, and career advice at the times listed below: 

Tuesday, May 7 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 PM

Wednesday, May 8 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Thursday, May 9 
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Friday, May 10 
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Monday, May 13 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday, May 14 
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Wednesday, May 15 
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

We are happy to assist you at any time!

… Roger Groves dissects the more recent drafts of the Jacksonville Jaguars at SportsMoney.

This is a reminder to anyone who signed up to watch the live stream of the Public Service Town Hall meeting hosted by Cokie Roberts. The meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday May 6th from 1pm-2:30pm. You received a link to the live stream when you signed up, so check your email.

View the case via Justina US Law:  http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/cafc/12-1029/12-1029-2013-05-01.html?utm_source=Justia+Law&utm_campaign=f6371ef6b9-summary_newsletters_practice&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_92aabbfa32-f6371ef6b9-406004917

The Delaware Minority Job Fair Committee of the Delaware State Bar Association invites students at your law school to apply for an invitation to participate in the 2013 Delaware Minority Job Fair for Second- and Third-Year Law Students, which will be held at the Wilmington, Delaware campus of Widener University School of Law on Saturday, August 10, 2013.  The Job Fair was founded by a consortium of Delaware law firm, corporate, and public sector/interest legal employers interested in recruiting minority law students for the purpose of increasing diversity in the Delaware bar.  The Job Fair, an invitation-only event, is limited to students interested in employment opportunities in Delaware who will be in their second or third year of law school during the 2013-14 academic year.  While minority law students are the focus of this event, the Job Fair accepts applications from all interested students.

The application deadline is Tuesday, May 21, 2013.  Please direct any questions regarding the Job Fair to Kimberly L. Gattuso, Job Fair Administrator, at (302) 651-3246 or dmjf@dsba.org

Click Delaware Minority Job Fair/Philadelphia Area Diversity Job Fair | Delaware Minority Job Fair/Philadelphia Area Diversity Job Fair.

The case, decided by a 5-2 vote, has statewide implications because the court ruled that police cannot look at information on a cell phone without getting a search warrant first.

“It’s a huge decision,” said Rod Sullivan, a professor of constitutional law at Florida Coastal School of Law. “Police have been looking through the cell phones of people they arrest for years.”

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-05-02/story/court-throws-out-conviction-over-cell-phone-search-jacksonville-police?utm_source=feedly#ixzz2SEflkzZK

“Sports are unique,” Hogshead-Makar said. “Other than bathrooms, they are the only sex-segregated area because of the physical differences between boys and girls.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/high-school-other/boys-and-girls-sports-to-come-under-debate-686079/#ixzz2SEfZhYr0

… read on for the entire piece by Roger Groves.

As weather, climate and the water cycles know no national boundaries, international cooperation at a global scale is essential for the development of meteorology and operational hydrology as well as to reap the benefits from their application. WMO provides the framework for such international cooperation.

This summary and website can lead you to a ton of other international sources on climate and environmental law.  Use the list of topics at the top of WMO’s home page or the facets on the left to find relevant information that may be more difficult to get to simply by using the web site search box.  Evaluating and making use of all access points (also known as finding aids) are important research processes.

Monday, May 6 
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Tuesday, May 7 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 PM

Wednesday, May 8 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Thursday, May 9 
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Friday, May 10 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Monday, May 13 
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Tuesday, May 14 
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Wednesday, May 15 
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Look for our table in the Atrium!

“When schools do have to cut a men’s program, it is inevitably — and both Maryland and Towson are prime examples of this — because of budgets, because they can not support the size of the athletic program that they would like to,” said Hogshead-Makar, who is also a law professor at Florida Coastal School of Law.

… read the entire story at Diamondback Online.

“It’s never a good thing when you’re moving money from one place to another,” say Sarah Sullivan, Associate Professor of Professional Skills at the Florida Coastal School of Law.

Sullivan says local attorneys are embarrassed and disgusted that their peer, Cynthia Nichols, is accused of scamming her elderly client, Mary Vest, out of $100,000.

Action News went to Sullivan to find out how this could happen.  She says guardians are court appointed, and must follow strict rules.

“Every year, [guardians] have to go back to the court and do a fairly detailed record of accounting that talks about everything that’s come in, and everything that’s gone out of their clients accounts.”

But in this case, Sullivan says something looks wrong.

… read the entire story at Action News Jax.

• Family Law (Certified Legal Intern)
• Criminal Defense (Certified Legal Intern)
• Immigrant Rights
• Public Benefits and Disability Rights
• Consumer Law (Certified Legal Intern)

The goal of the program is to serve the needy by teaching students through actual practice. All legal services provided by the clinics are free to the public. Each clinical student enrolled in the program provides direct representation to clients under the supervision of Clinical Faculty/Licensed attorneys.  Students typically take the clinic their 3rd year of law school. This is when students have completed core courses that will be foundational to the live practice experience. 

  Each year Coastal Law Clinics provide thousands of hours of legal services to members of the Jacksonville area community.  Students report that it is an amazing experience and often one of the best in law school. Clients have said that the attention and support they recieve from the students and staff attorneys working on their cases is amazing.  . If you have questions about any of our clinics please do not hesitate to contact us at (904) 680-7782 or stop by and see us ( appointments preferred). . 

Clinic applications still be accepted for certain CLI clinics for summer and fall semester.  Only students with their CLI pending may currently apply.

• Read the questions or hypothetical situations on the front of each card, and then tap the screen to flip the card over.
• Enter personal study notes for each card via the touch screen keyboard.
• Bookmark and save cards requiring further review using the “Study Set” feature.
• Apply the law to hypothetical examples
  

Top In-App Purchases:

• Law in a Flash: Evidence $19.99
• Law in a Flash: Corporations $19.99
• Law in a Flash: Criminal Procedure $19.99
• Law in a Flash: Wills and Trusts $19.99
• Law in a Flash: Professional Responsibility $19.99
• Law in a Flash: Future Interests $19.99

AVAILABLE ON: iPad, iPhone, and Android

This site will give statistics on Crime, Budgets, Education, Voting and much, much more!

… read the entire story at the Orlando Sentinel.

 Where: Marietta, Georgia

When: July 26-27, 2013

Log on to http://www.semjf.org/Home_Page.html to learn more about the job fair.  Should you have any questions, feel free to contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CoastalLawCSD/~3/qgEv_nzQO1Q/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheCoastalNetwork/~3/Dtm4OCl34pQ/ The latest work from over the weekend about The Masters by Roger Groves. This is not your Father’s Masters. Tianlang Guan is a 14 Year Old Ambassador of Golf to Billions. Retroactive Rules versus Tiger Woods and Every Other Major Sport http://fcsl.edu/blogs/sportslaw/?p=591 Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:33:39 +0000 The latest work from over the weekend about The Masters by Roger Groves.

• This is not your Father’s Masters. Tianlang Guan is a 14 Year Old Ambassador of Golf to Billions.
  
• Retroactive Rules versus Tiger Woods and Every Other Major Sport

 We often think of the Clinics and Skills Labs offered at Florida Coastal School of Law (“FCSL”) from the perspective of how they make a difference in so many lives and generally we are thinking of the clients (as we should!), but I want to take a moment to encourage you to consider it from a different perspective – they can make a difference in your life as well because they certainly made a difference in mine as  a student, as a professional, and just as a person learning who I am and what makes me happy.  I was incredibly lucky that I took a shot and applied for the Immigrant Rights Clinic (“IRC”) in 2007 because it completely changed my life.  Now let me tell you why you should take that same shot.

 Prior to the IRC, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but plenty of ideas of what I did not want to do through past positions, employers, experiences, etc.  My dad told me, “There are three people in life:  one who loves what he does and doesn’t make much money; one who hates what he does and makes lots of money; and a rare individual who loves what he does and makes lots of money doing it.”  Based on my past experiences, I knew I could only be two of those three (and, unfortunately for me, making lots of money would make me a rare individual, but financial planning will be a discussion for another day), so I started wondering ‘what could I love to do in the legal profession?’ For many, this involves anything that leads to making lots of money.  For others, it is impact work through lobbying, academic papers and analysis, etc.  For some, it is the desire to litigate and “go to bat” for the underdog.  And for most, it is some combination of these and many other factors.  Now I just had to figure out what kind of work I would love.

 The IRC started in August 2007; I was one of the lucky first students.  I applied for it because my business law professor from undergrad, Mr. Robert Schupp, encouraged me to get some experience in Immigration law as he felt demand in our area would grow and it would be good experience to have as a new attorney.  I interviewed with Professor Ericka Curran and for some reason she decided to accept me in her class; hopefully she will not regret this.  I got my first few cases and I knew I loved this work.

 I loved everything about the IRC – the clients, the work, the positive impact on the community, the long hours, the late evenings, and knowing I was doing something for someone who had nowhere else to turn.  I was learning how to be a lawyer before I was one; I had the luxury of making mistakes and having them corrected by my professor instead of a partner in a firm, a judge, or an Immigration officer.  I was also completely responsible for my case load; it was real experience with real clients in the real world.  When I needed it, I had the undivided attention of an expert (as with all professors for all of the Clinics).  My professor soon turned into my mentor and I was nothing short of inspired.  I was hungry for more and, lucky for me, more was coming – Professor Curran recommended me to Nancy Hale, Director of the Refugee Immigration Project at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (“Refugee Project”), for an externship. 

I started as an extern for the Refugee Project in December 2007.  My experiences with the IRC and the Refugee Project simply made me even more dedicated to the immigrant population with unmet needs in our community.  I came on as an Attorney for the Refugee Project in October 2008 and at the end of 2010 my position was threatened due to the effects of the economic downturn.  I decided to try and fundraise to save my job (really the services provided through it as our project simply cannot function with only one attorney) instead of accepting a lay-off so easily because my experience showed me the value of these services and the consequences should I just give up without even trying.  My efforts and those of my supporters paid off and the Refugee Project was able to avoid cutting additional services.  Had I never been in the IRC, this would have never happened; it happened because I figured out what motivates me, what I care about, and what makes me happy –  and I did this by participating in the IRC.

 So, what does this have to do with you? The point I am trying to make is that experience is what will make all the difference in your life because that is the only way you can answer the questions that form your goals.  The Clinics, the Skills Labs, Externships, Internships, Moot Court, Mock Trial, Law Review, etc. – these are all tools at your disposal at FCSL to get you experience before you become an attorney and any of them are just as excellent for experience as the others.  Personally, I was better in the IRC than my attempts at trying out for Moot Court because I was never terribly good at role-playing, but the moment I had an actual client in front of me, there was no stopping me; this is why trying any and all of those “tools” is the best recommendation I can give you – you need experience to be a more attractive candidate for any position and you need to know yourself to be successful at anything (do I learn better through live experience and/or role-playing? Do I enjoy helping others? Is compensation the only motivator for me? Will doing this or that really make me happy? – and there is no right answer, just the honest answers that help you make better decisions).  The greatest disservice you can do to yourself is to not take advantage of these opportunities for experience while you are in school – know who you are and what you want to do before you go into the real world. 

 I strongly encourage you to apply for the Clinics because I guarantee that experience will change your life either by helping you really find yourself and your passion or by allowing you to better understand what kind of work you really want to do (and you work under some pretty amazing attorneys there).  I strongly encourage you to apply for any and all skills labs you can – especially the Naturalization Skills Lab offered in the Spring semester because it sounds like an opportunity for some great experience and some fun (hint, hint – and there is yet another way the IRC changed my life). 

In all seriousness, I hope you decide to apply for the Clinics, I hope it changes your life as well, and I hope that through those experiences you find what I found before graduation – my passion, my purpose, and myself. 

Vault.com and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) are hosting the 8th Annual Legal Diversity Career Fair in Washington DC and you are invited to attend!

This is a great opportunity for 2Ls who have not yet committed to a firm or other employer for summer 2014, laterals interested in new positions, and rising 3Ls seeking entry-level associate positions to meet with top legal employers from firms and organizations committed to diversity. There are no fees associated with participation at the career fair and all students and laterals are welcome to attend.

For more information and to register please visit:  http://www.vault.com/legaldiversity

Date: Friday, August 2, 2013  

Location: Capitol Hilton, 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036     

Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm

•Registration is required and must be completed online by July 31, 2013. After such time candidates can register on-site at the hotel.

•Employers have access to resumes in advance of the career fair and may schedule one on one interviews during exhibit hall hours. In such cases employers will contact candidates directly to arrange these meetings.

•There is no bid process to attend the career fair.

 •Candidates should come prepared with copies of their resumes, transcripts and any other writing materials to share with employers.

•Lunch is complimentary.

 •Dress code is business attire.

Every year the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) issues a list of tax scams called the “Dirty Dozen” to remind taxpayers to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes during tax season. This year the IRS has just listed the following “Dirty Dozen” tax scams:
1. Identity Theft

Identity is number one on the Dirty Dozen list. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name and Social Security number (SSN), without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The IRS actively protects victims of identity theft by conducting identity theft enforcement sweeps. Taxpayers who believe they are at risk of identity theft should contact the IRS immediately so the agency can take action to secure their tax account. IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit 800-908-4490

2. Phishing

Phishing is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited emails or fake websites that pose as legitimate sites to bait possible victims and prompt them to provide personal and financial information. This allows criminals to use the information to commit financial theft.

3. Return Preparer Fraud

60 percent of taxpayers use tax professionals to prepare their tax returns.  Some tax preparers prey on taxpayers to commit refund fraud. For example, a fraudulent tax preparer might direct deposit a victim’s refund check into the preparer’s own bank account.

4. Hiding Income Offshore

Numerous individuals evade U.S. taxes by hiding income in offshore banks and other accounts.

5. “Free Money” from the IRS and Tax Scams

Flyers and advertisements for free money from the IRS, suggesting that the taxpayer can file a tax return with little or no documentation, have been appearing in communities around the nation. The tax preparer will falsely prepare returns for people with little or no income, and promise them invalid tax credits.

6. Impersonation of Charitable Organizations

This is another scam that occurs after a major natural disaster. Scam artists impersonate charities to get money or private information.

7. False/Inflated Income and Expenses

This occurs when people lie about their income and expenses on their taxes.

8. False Form 1099 Refund Claims

Do not file false forms and watch out for Form 1099-OID

9. Frivolous Arguments

Some promoters encourage taxpayers to make outlandish and unreasonable claims to avoid paying the taxes that they owe.

10. Falsely Claiming Zero Wages

Filing a phony information return is an illegal way to lower the amount of taxes an individual owes.

11. Disguised Corporate Ownership

Third parties are improperly used to request employer identification numbers and form corporations that obscure the true ownership of the business. These entities can be used to underreport income, claim fake deductions, and commit several other financial crimes.

12. Misuse of Trusts

Trusts have been misused by transferring assets into trust funds to lower income tax liability.

For more details:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Releases-the-Dirty-Dozen-Tax-Scams-for-2013

Publicly traded companies can now use social media as a way to disclose material, non public information, and be in compliance with Regulation FD.  The company must give investors proper notice of the site that the company will use to disclose that information. Regulation FD and Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act prohibit public companies or persons acting on their behalf, from selectively disclosing material non-public information to certain securities professionals, or shareholders where it is reasonably forseeable that they will trade on that information, before it is made available to the general public. Regulation FD protects against insider trading.

A publicly traded company must disclose all material information to the public, and for purposes of complying with Regulation FD, a company makes public disclosure when it distributes information “through a recognized channel of distribution.” Instead of disclosure through the usual press release or a Form 8-K, companies can now use channels such as Facebook, Twitter, or other social media websites. The SEC recently launched an investigation of Netflix, Inc. because the company’s CEO, Reed Hastings posted on his personal Facebook page an announcement that Netflix had streamed 1 billion hours of content in the month of June. Neither Netflix, Inc. nor Hastings had previously used Facebook to disclose information. Nor had they informed shareholders that Facebook would be used to disclose information about Netflix.

The post was not accompanied by a press release or a securities filing (Form 8-K). But Hastings claims that his personal Facebook page is readily available to the public, especially because he has over 200,000 followers, and the post was picked up on several blogs and news posts. After the investigation, the SEC liberalized its policy and said that Facebook and other social media websites were in fact a “recognized channel of distribution.”

A small startup company, Aereo, provides a method of streaming broadcast TV through a browser. It provides a DVR in a cloud storage system by micro-version TV antennas, thereby rebroadcasting programming content found in the public airwaves.  Aero has recently been sued by a contingent of broadcasters, including Fox, Univision, and PBS and a majority of the media outlets in New York City. The claim is that Aereo infringes of their copyrights. The broadcasters seek an injunction to immediately stop Aereo’s activities and attendant monetary damages.

The economic crux of the dispute is that Aereo provides this service for only $12 a month. This allegedly threatens the substantial license fees and advertising revenue the broadcasters generate from cable companies.  To view the complaint in this case see the link: http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2012cv01540/392820/1/

The NCAA has ruled that a former University of Tennessee assistant football coach has violated NCAA rules for knowingly collaborating with a booster to provide impermissible travel and lodging to prospective student athletes. According to the Division I Committee on Infractions, the former assistant coach developed a relationship with the booster of the football program that ultimately led to the violation involving the prospect and his mother.

Although aware of his unethical conduct, the former coach failed to disclose his involvement to university staff and the NCAA enforcement staff.
The conduct by the former assistant coach is entrenched in the football violations found in the committee of infraction’s decision issued in August of 2011. For more detailed information, please see http://bit.ly/11PZsxO.

Soto’s plan to bring back the parole system might be more problematic, although it does make a certain amount of sense to bring back parole for juveniles, Moorehead said.

The most logical step might be to take a hybrid of both bills, give judges the option of life without parole but allow them to impose a lighter sentence, and also let judges decide whether the defendant should be eligible for parole at some point, Moorehead said.

“Judges know the people in front of them best,” he said.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-04-06/story/lawmakers-differ-how-fix-juvenile-sentencing-laws#ixzz2PyHf4JR1

As early as 1998, Under Armour has been using the “I WILL” phrase as an answer to its iconic slogan “PROTECT THIS HOUSE”.  In the compliant, Under Armour provides illustrative photos and screen images of the “I WILL” mark used on products, packaging, labels, billboards, internet advertisements, and television commercials.  During 2013  the phrase has been used in a global marketing campaign by Under Armour, and the corporation has held valid trademarks for the phrase since 2000 and filed 7 more applications in May 2012, expanding to multiple classes of registration.

Nike allegedly began using the same “I WILL” in bold block letters in late 2012, even repackaging it in connection with another saying: “PROTECT MY HOME COURT”, which Under Armour claims is synonymous with its original slogan.  Nike has disseminated multiple ads and images across various streams of media, including Facebook where users can share the images across the web, and, according to Under Armour, further dilute the use of the mark.  Under Armour is seeking damages, a permanent injunction, and costs against Nike; as well as a demand to destroy any and all products, packaging, etc. in connection with Nike’s use of “I WILL”.  For more information see UNDER ARMOUR, INC. v. NIKE, INC.

By CURB Contributor Nicholas R. Swindle, Florida Coastal JD graduate May 2013, and intern at Tax Defense Network.

A provisional patent application was filed in July, 2007, so the question of whether the devise was sufficiently novel, useful, and non-obvious is determined as of that time. According the Patent Office, Twitter had a patentable method of distributing messages independently of the sending or receiving devices and “beneficially allows for device independent point to multipoint communication.” For more detailed information see U.S. Patent No. 8,401,009.

- Roger M. Groves, director of business law certificate program, Florida Coastal School of Law

The deadline for applying online for this externship is Friday, May 3, 2013.
Interested students should submit the following documents:

U.S. Attorney Pre-Interview questionnaire form (copy emailed to students and on Symplicity);
Resume;
FCSL transcript (unofficial is OK);
Writing Sample;
Cover letter expressing why you want this placement addressed to:
Ms. Judith Hoberman
Human Resources Specialist
Office of the United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida
400 N. Tampa Street, suite 3200
Tampa, FL 33602

All of the above should be e-mailed to the following address:

usaflm.law.intern@usdoj.gov

You cannot submit these materials by mail or on Symplicity. They must be directly e-mailed to usaflm.law.intern@usdoj.gov before the May 3 deadline. Please send a courtesy copy (“cc”) of your e-mail to ahammond@fcsl.edu if you plan to earn externship credit.

If you have any questions, please contact Professor Hammond.

The Florida Coastal Alumni Association invites you to save the date for Alumni Weekend 2013 on April 19-20! 

Alumni from across the country will be back on campus to reconnect with each other, participate in CLE courses, tour the school and meet our students.   Don’t be left out!  Come take advantage of the CLE courses offered on Friday, April 19 hosted by Natalie Tuttle, Sarah Sullivan, Rod Sullivan and graduates Renee Maxey and Christine Bell.  Visit the Alumni Weekend homepage for more information or to register online.

We hope to see you next month!

Registration for SEMJF began on April 3, 2013 and will end on April 19, 2013. Registration is FREE! Students will be able to register in the Atrium during Coffee Wednesdays, on Symplicity, or by email. To register via email contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu.

Job Fair Details

 When:            Friday, July 26 & Saturday, July 27, 2013

Where:           Hyatt Regency Suites Perimeter Northwest in Marietta, Georgia

 Log on to http://www.semjf.org/Home_Page.html to learn more about the job fair. Should you have additional questions, feel free to contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu

“In exchange for purchasing workers compensation insurance, the employer gets immunity from suit by the employees. So that, at the end of the day, if this employer actually has money, the employee would actually get more money because they didn’t have workers comp. But, they’d have to go through litigation to get that money.”

… read more at WJCT.

Change is, again, in the wind.  Alimony reform and other proposed legislation has made it through various committees in both the House and Senate in Florida’s legislature.  This new proposed law, if passed, will have dramatic effect on current alimony cases, and, more importantly, on prior alimony cases. The Senate Bill, as currently written, allows the proposed new law to apply retroactively to prior alimony awards.

The proposed law would also provides that equal time sharing with a minor child by both parents is “in the best interest of the child” unless the court makes specific findings otherwise, specifically considering seven factors.

If you are interested in the family law clinic over the next year you could be involved directly in the implementation of sweeping changes in the alimony and custody world.

More to come in Professor Sullivan’s blog later this week!

The app is Free and gives students the capability of studying for the MPRE exam in the following ways:

• Practice real MPRE questions
• Listen to audio lectures
• Review flashcards
• Outlines available in PDF format
• 174 actual practice MPRE questions from previous exams
• Lifetime access to the app and course materials

AVAILABLE ON: iPhone & iPad

MPRE Flashcards

The app is FREE andallows students to study for the MPRE through the following ways:

• MPRE preparation with fun games including matching, memorization and quiz.
• Powered by superflashcard with a built-in spaced repetition scheme
• The app will also help you memorize MPRE flashcards more efficiently

AVAILABLE ON: Android Devices

Congratulations to Coastal Law’s Public Interest Research Bureau. Several Bureau teams have recently completed a number of practice-quality research memorandums that will be used to advance the rights of poor persons across Florida and Mississippi.

The Bureau team of Cassandra Smith, Kelly Kalahar, and Olajuwon Adebeyo completed a legal analysis for Mississippi poverty lawyers on an important access to court issue affecting poor Mississippians across the state.  The team of Stacy Patrick, Kristi White, and Boris Futeryan has just completed a jurisdictional and equal protection analysis for a Palm Beach Legal Aid Society attorney working on a case involving equal access to Road To Independence Scholarships for former foster care children.  And, the team of Erica Clark, Kathryn Kofler, Elizabeth Jung, and Tyler Pettinghill completed a legal analysis for a Three Rivers Legal Services attorney attempting to develop a theory of liability against fraudulent tax preparers who exploit the poor and members of the immigrant community.

Finally, the Bureau team of Anthony Davis, Tony Nguyen, Dipa Patel, and Derek Folds prepared a legal analysis for a Palm Beach Legal Aid Society attorney concerning libel and disclosure issues affecting the status of a HIV positive client.

Reminder–Applications for Fall Clinics and Externships are due Friday March 29^th, 2013. Stop by suite 255 to pick up an application and information or apply on line via simplicity.

Finally, the Immigrant Rights clinic assisted two foreign nationals in achieving their goal to become US citizens this past week. Congratulations to IRC students Bruno Portigliatti and Leah Gregoire.

July 26, 2013 – July 27, 2013

Marietta, Georgia – Hyatt Regency Suites Perimeter Northwest

• Registration is free and it begins on April 3, 2013.
• Students can register during Coffee Wednesday or on Symplicity.
• Students can begin applying for jobs and submitting application materials on SEMJF Symplicity on May 16, 2013. Only students that are invited to interview with an employer or as an alternate are permitted to attend the job fair.
• For more information log on to www.semjf.org

 Join members of the Public Interest Research Bureau to learn more about what they do and how you can be a part of this rewarding organization.  Make a difference in the lives of the poor, develop critical legal skills, and acquire essential writing and research experience.  An information session will be held Thursday, March 21st at noon, in Room 250.  During the sessions, you will learn how to become a member of the Research Bureau.  Applications will also be distributed.  If you have any questions, please contact Brandy Natalzia at Brandy.Natalzia@law.fcsl.edu.

Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association

presents
“BASIC TRAINING”
A FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM FOR LAW STUDENTS

 March 23, 2013
12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Florida A&M University College of Law
Room 240

The primary goal of the program is to provide law students with a foundational guide for success in their preparation to enter the legal field. The program will include resume’ and writing sample editing and advice on the proper dress for various professional settings. There will be a special presentation by Judge Carole Y. Taylor of the Fourth District Court of Appeal on “Judicial Clerkships in a Nutshell.” Daryl Manning will provide information on behalf of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners regarding the application process.

Interested Students should rsvp immediately to the VHFCNBA Student Liaison, Ashlee A. Pouncy at AshleeApouncy@gmail.com.

THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA BAR

 Please bring a résumé and/or writing sample (10 pages or less) to the event.

12:00-12:15pm        Introduction and Welcome (including registration & document   submission)

12:15 – 1:15pm       Judicial Clerkships in a Nutshell by Judge Carole Y. Taylor

1:15 – 2:15pm         Lunch (including presentation: What Not To Wear Fashion Show) 

2:15 – 3:15pm        Overview of Florida Board of Bar Examiners Application Process
                               (Including Question and Answer Segment) by Daryl M.   Manning,Esquire

3:15 – 3:30pm        Concluding Remarks (including redistributing résumés and writing samples)

CBA announces its annual scholarship. The scholarship will provide a 6-week Judicial Internship in South Florida and a stipend in the amount of $2,000.00. Applications are   available in Career Services. The deadline to apply is March 29, 2013. As a part of the application process students must complete a 1,000 words or less essay.

Should you have any questions, please contact Amber Williams at arwilliams@fcsl.edu.

Learn more about the Caribbean Bar Association by clicking here.

Coastal Law’s wide range of Externships and award winning Clinics provide an excellent way to earn credit while gaining legal work experience. Come and learn about the opportunities and the application and interview process during our information sessions. Today Monday, March 4 Room 550 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm and Wednesday, March 6 Room 250 11:45 am – 1:00 pm .   Applications are available on simplicity and in suite 255. Learn more by visiting the clinic blog or email Prof. Ericka Curran with any questions.

A law review article, “The Future of Estate Planning: The Multi-generational Life Plan,” authored by 3L, Charles Jamison and alumna, David Goldman (’06) appears in the Fall 2012 Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal of the Texas Tech University Law School.  Charles Jamison participates in the Disability and Public Benefits Clinic.  David Goldman is owner of The Apple Law Firm in Jacksonville, Florida.  His practice focuses on asset protection. Congratulations to Charlie and David on this wonderful achievement!

• legal dictionary terms
•  legal forms
• case reviews
• job post board

Available On: iPhone,  iPad, Android devices

As mid-term exams are approaching, this is a reminder to re-install ExamSoft to the updated version. Previous ExamSoft users that have not used or updated the software since December 19th, 2012 must completely uninstall and re-install SofTest on their computer before the next exam period. Please take note that the policies are strictly enforced and students are responsible for knowing the rules and guidelines as explained in the ExamSoft workshops.

On a side note, you will find below the ExamSoft support schedule for mid-term exams. AT will not be going into any classrooms before an exam start time to assist with the exam startup for any 1L first semester courses. However, students may seek support at the locations listed in the support schedule. The support schedule will be placed by all the elevators on every floor.  AT support will be available for the beginning of every exam during the exam period (please consult the support schedule for a specific location).

Should you experience any technical issues, you may seek technical support, however, no extra time will be granted to you if you leave the classroom or have technical issues. You are advised to follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in the workshops, and if the steps fail you should immediately start to hand-write where you left off in ExamSoft.  AT and IT will make every effort to ensure that students who wish to use ExamSoft are able to, but it is ultimately the students’ responsibility to ensure their computers are updated and functioning properly.

If you have any questions relating to the policies or need technical support please contact the Academic Technology team.

Tuesday, February 26 – noon-1:15 p.m. in Room 425 or 4-5:15 p.m. in Room 425

Please REGISTER for the workshop by signing-up in the Academic Success Office, Suite 580, by 4 p.m. TODAY.

Multiple Choice Strategies

Thursday, February 28 – 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. - Room 505

We recognize that multiple choice exams in law school are nothing like those you experienced at the undergraduate level.  At this week’s workshop, one of our Academic Success Counselors will go over tips and strategies to approaching multiple choice questions in law school so that you can approach your midterm and final exams with confidence.  Please feel free to bring your lunch to enjoy during the workshop since it is held during the lunch hour.  You do NOT need to RSVP for this event.

Class Buddy- Student Planner- AVAILABLE ON ANDROID

The app is $1.99 and allows students to organize and plan their courses and semesters through the following ways:

• Organize
• Terms and semesters
• Courses
• Events such as class meetings, assignment, exam, quiz, etc…
• Scores/  Grade and GPA

• Import and Export
• Import events from CSV file
• Import events from Google Docs
• Export events to SD card (TXT,CSV)
• Export events to email/text
• Export events to Google Docs
• Auto-Sync to Google calendar

iStudiez Pro- AVAILABLE ON iPhone, iPad

The app is $2.99 and allows students to organize and plan their courses and semesters through the following ways:

• Organize your Schedule
• Unique built-in planner lets you input and easy manage all types of schedules including
• Enter most common course details, but also add instructors with all related information
• Color labels are available for your convenience to mark each particular course

• Follow-up on your Homework
• Organize your assignments by date, by course or by priority, or sort them into pending and completed.

• Track your Data
• GPA Calculator
• Receive notifications of assignments due
• You’ll see list of events and assignments including all details such as event type, location, time left, class instructor, number of tasks pending and what’s next on schedule

At the end of the first three preliminary rounds, the students were ranked first in the competition. They advanced to the semi-finals and were defeated by Samford University, which was the team that won the competition.  Florida Coastal ultimately finished ahead of teams from, among others, Florida A&M, Emory, and John Marshall.  Jarmon DeSadier was the team captain.  Congratulations to all!

The Mock Trial Team competed against 26 other schools at the University of FLorida this weekend in the prestigious National Trial Competition. After all preliminary rounds, the 2L team of Theresa Carli, Tracy Engle, Justin Norman and witness Camille Smith were undefeated and ranked fifth entering the semifinals. They had beaten St. Thomas and Barry, but unfortunately lost to Faulkner in a very close round in the semifinal round. They were coached by Coastal Law Mock Trial alumni John Leombruno and Jo-Anne Yau.  The Team Manager was Tiffany Roman. Congratulations to all!

Spend your Spring Break making a difference in the lives and working conditions of one of the nation’s most exploited communities – - migrant farmworkers. The Alternative Spring Break Farmworker Justice Immersion Project will be holding an informational meeting on Thursday, February 21st in Room 425 from 4:00pm to 5:00 pm.  Students who participate in this year’s project will have an opportunity to work with some of the most skilled migrant attorneys in the nation.

“There is no longer any penalty available for juveniles convicted of first-degree murder,” Moorehead said. “We now have all of these cases in limbo.”

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2013-02-17/story/florida-grapples-what-do-underage-killers#ixzz2LSAJTMij

At the Charleston National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition this weekend one team won the championship while our other team reached the semi-finals. In fact, our two teams faced each other in the semi-finals, showing that it takes an Honor Board team to beat an Honor Board team. Our students defeated teams from FSU, University of Maryland, Mercer, Howard University and DePaul, among others.

The Coastal Law 2L team of Job Fickett and Amanda James reached the semi-finals. 3Ls Alexandra Amador and Nina Cano defeated William and Mary to win the championship, with Nina also winning the Best Advocate Award for the finals. Professor Sander Moody coached the teams. Alex and Nina also combined to win a national competition as 2Ls. And a very special note of congratulations to the Team Manager, Aida Ramirez. In the storied history of Florida Coastal’s Moot Court program, Aida is our first student to win three national competitions, having served the Honor Board as a brief writer, an oralist and a Team Manager. Congratulations to all!

I would like to congratulate the new candidates of the Florida Coastal Law Review:

• Stacy Patrick
• Charles Pearson
• Loreyn Raab

The Law Review would also like to congratulate Rick Nolan on receiving the Best Casenote Award! One requirement of the Candidacy semester on Law Review is the completion of a casenote, a ten- to twelve-page paper analyzing a recent case decision. Of the twenty outstanding casenote submissions, Rick’s received the highest score. Congratulations, Rick!

What if I told you to choose questions from one of three categories?

The first category is the hardest and worth fifty points. The second category is easier and worth forty points.  And the third category is the easiest and worth thirty points.

As a law student, you would probably go through some logically thought out process to choose a category.  Perhaps you would play it safe and choose the easiest questions because they guarantee you a good grade.

What if I did this after the test?

Automatically (without checking for accuracy), I give the students who had chosen the hardest questions A’s, the students who chose the easier questions B’s, and the students who chose the easiest questions C’s.

The moral of the story is that the easy route is not always the fastest way to your destination.

If you have academic goals and do not know how to reach them, visit an Academic Success Counselor for help.

iTalk Recorder

Available on: iPhone, iPad

The app is FREE-  “Whether you’re recording minutes of a meeting, or a lecture, iTalk Recorder puts the sound quality you need in the palm of your hand.”

Features:

Append to existing recordings

High-quality handheld recording

Easy, convenient user interface and controls

Email your recordings directly from iTalk

Supports iTunes File Sharing

Auto-noise cancellation (on iPhone 4)

Built-in search function to locate recordings by title

User-selectable Good, Better, Best sound quality (11.025, 22.05, or 44.10 kHz sample rates)

Easy Voice Recorder

Available on: Android Market

The app is FREE and allows you to “record meetings, lectures, and personal notes, without time limits!”

Core Features:

Record to MP4 files using AAC (on Gingerbread and higher), 3GP files using AMR, and WAVE files for lossless recording.

You can record in the background and control the recorder using a widget, while you do other things

It’s incredibly easy to share and manage your recordings

Everything is accessible via your device’s external storage

No time limits

PRO Features (Cost $3.99):

Continue an existing wave recording

Support for folders

Boost volume and reduce noise with the gain and noise gate features

Switch to the camcorder microphone for louder and clearer recordings

Control the recorder from anywhere using the status bar

Recordings can also be pinned to the status bar.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PROFESSOR’S PERMISSION TO RECORD A CLASS**

In reaching the finals, our team defeated teams from Stetson, the University of South Carolina and Florida State University, among others. There were a total of 22 teams in the Regional. Our team members included Camille Smith and Ronnie White (brief writers/oralists) and Talia Smith (Team Manager). Professor Nick Martino coached the team.

By reaching the Regional finals, our team has earned an invitation to the FDMCC National rounds. Last year, with over 150 teams competing in FDMCC, Florida Coastal defeated Columbia University in the national finals to win the championship. We are looking for a repeat!

And, further congratulations to the Coastal Law mock trial team for reaching the Quarterfinals in this weekend’s BLSA Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. They defeated Loyola University of New Orleans and Samford University, before losing to FSU in the Quarterfinals. This team of exceptional advocates included Caila Coleman 3L, Chantal Simon 3L, Jeffrey Walker 3L and Jermal Blanchard 2L. Their team manager was Jenna Sims and coaches were Professor Richard Watson and Coastal Law alum, Rocco Carbone. Great job everyone!

The Florida Coastal Law Review is proud to announce that the inaugural Literature and the Law Conference will be held on Friday, April 5, 2013 from 9:00 to 12:30 in room 550. In addition to offering CLE credit to area attorneys, the Conference will be free to Florida Coastal students, faculty, and administrators, and will offer insight into one of the most inclusive of the postmodern legal movements. Encompassing the study of both law in literature and law as literature, the movement emphasizes how both law and literature share in a common bond of language and interpretation, which supply their power and can reveal their fallibility.