leading the way - St. Thomas University

STU LAW 

LEADING THE WAY 

Globally, Locally, Legally

Law School Board of Advisors 

Rev. Msgr. Franklyn Casale, President 

Alfredo Garcia, Dean of Law School 

Herman Russomanno, Chair 

Jeannette Hausler, Chair Emeritus 

The Hon. Michael Chavies 

Victor De Bianchi 

Steven Dell 

The Hon. Pedro Dijols ’87 

Daniel Dolan ’96 

The Hon. Peter T. Fay 

Lawrence Forman 

The Hon. Ana Gardiner 

Philip Gerson 

Nancy Gregoire 

Christopher Griffin 

Karen Guito ’98 

Anthony Karrat 

Justice R. Fred Lewis 

MaryAnne Lukacs ’87 

Timothy Martin ’87 

William McCormick ’97 

Clarence McKee 

Rev. Patrick O’Neill 

Representative Juan Carlos Planas ’98 

Patricia Redmond 

Edward Ricci 

Rafael Roca ’87 

Mark Romance ’94 

Francisco Sanchez 

The Hon. Samuel Slom ’87 

Mary Ann Stiles 

Parker Thomson 

The Hon. Daryl Trawick 

St. Thomas University 

Board of Trustees 

The Most Rev. John C. Favalora, 

Archbishop of Miami 

Rev. Msgr. Franklyn Casale, President 

Gregory Swienton, Chair 

Jorge de Cespedes, Vice Chair 

Cyrus Jollivette, Secretary 

Wini Amaturo 

Alvaro Cabrera 

Peter Davis ’73 

Bob Dickinson 

John Dooner ’70 

Herman Echevarria 

Gary Goldbloom 

Rev. Msgr. William Hennessey 

Joseph Lacher 

Victor Mendelson 

Albert Miniaci 

Mario Murgado 

Emmanuel Nwadike 

Ivette Planas 

Frances Sevilla-Sacasa 

Rodger Shay 

Stanley Tate 

Raymond Trevino 

Mario Trueba ’80

contents 

26 

Faculty Forward: 

STU Law Graduate 

Appointed to 

Tenure-Track 

Faculty Post 

features 

16 

Human Rights LL.M. 

Graduates are 

Creating a Brighter 

Future for the World 

Longtime Faculty 

Member, 

Alfredo Garcia, 

takes the Reigns 

as Dean of 

STU Law 

The Lawyer 

Summer 2007 

Editor 

Graphic Designer 

Karen A. Malin 

President 


Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale 

Dean 

Alfredo Garcia 

Vice President for University 

Advancement and Marketing and 

Communications 

Beverly S. Bachrach 

The Lawyer is published by the 

St. Thomas University Office of 

Communications & Marketing. 

St. Thomas University is an equal 

opportunity employer. 


School of Law 

16401 N.W. 37th Avenue 

Miami Gardens, Florida 33054 

www.stu.edu/lawschool 

20 

2 

4 

30 

departments 

Dean’s Message 

News Briefs 

Alumni News & Class Notes 

39 

Calendar of Events

As I finish my first semester as Dean, I have to say 

that it has been a truly exciting and challenging time. 

As most of you know, St. Thomas University School 

of Law has been a part of my life for nearly two 

decades and the school, its students, and alumni hold 

a special place in my heart. For me, there is no 

greater honor than to lead the institution that has 

meant so much to me. 

I am pleased to tell you that there is a renewed 

energy and excitement on campus as we look 

together towards the law school’s bright future. 

There is also plenty of good news to report about 

our law school: from our scoring above the state 

average on the most recent Florida Bar Exam to our 

ranking as the #1 school graduating Hispanic 

students. We continue to fulfill our mission of 

diversifying the legal profession-- we were recently 

2 

St. Thomas University School of Law Magazine

anked in a tie for fourth on the U.S. News & World Report diversity index-- and our mission of public 

service--our students performed more than 14,000 hours of pro bono service this year alone. Our 

Human Rights Institute continues to aid those most in need in our community, providing direct 

service to 3,000 clients this year alone, and our longest-standing clinic, the Volunteer Income Tax 

Assistance Program has served more than 400 clients. 

Exciting plans are under way for the creation of a Center for Social Justice and Global Dialogue at 

the law school. The Center would consist of two components: a research wing, the Intercultural 

Research Center, and a direct service prong, The Center for Law and Public Service. A state-of-theart 

building is envisioned to house these resources which reflect the core of the University’s and the 

Law School’s mission. You will be hearing much more about this exciting project in coming months 

and its success will depend in large part upon the involvement and participation of our alumni and 

friends. 

Our law school, its students, faculty, and alumni, are leading the way in critical areas: legal education, 

public service, and global change. This issue of The Lawyer features just a small sampling of our 

outstanding leaders who are fulfilling their personal dreams while at the same time living and 

practicing the mission and values of St. Thomas University School of Law. You will read about our 

first graduate to hold a tenure track faculty position at an ABA-accredited law school, Rory Bahadur, 

who is blazing new trails in legal education and who is training the next generation of lawyers to be 

effective, committed advocates. Our LL.M. in Intercultural Human Rights, now entering its seventh 

year, continues to prepare individuals for effective research and advocacy in the field of human rights. 

You will read about just a few of our LL.M. in Human Rights graduates who are truly making a 

difference in the world-- in locations ranging from Africa to Egypt to Kosovo to right here in our 

own backyard. 

Each of the graduates, students, and faculty members featured in this issue demonstrates the 

success St. Thomas University School of Law has in “Developing Leaders for Life.” I hope that as 

you read their stories, you will be inspired to find new ways to help those in need in your own 

community, and that you will find ways to become involved in the life of your alma mater. I honestly 

welcome and value input and feedback from our alumni and friends. Please feel free to share your 

thoughts and ideas with me as I endeavor to lead St. Thomas University School of Law to new 

heights. 

Dean 

The Lawyer Summer 2007 

3

STU Law Named #1 in Conferring Law Degrees on 

Hispanic Students 

St. Thomas University School of Law is number one 

on the Top 25 list for schools conferring the most 

law degrees on Hispanic students, according to The 

Hispanic Outlook in Higher 

Education magazine. The 

magazine featured the law 

school in its December 4, 

2006 issue for conferring 

63 law degrees on 

Hispanic students in 

2005, representing 

38% of total J.D. 

degrees conferred. 

“St. Thomas 

University School of 

Law is proud of its ongoing commitment to 

diversity,” said Dean Alfredo Garcia. “We believe 

that a diverse classroom is a key component in 

providing the best educational experience, and that a 

diverse population of lawyers is a key component in 

providing the best legal services to the community.” 

St. Thomas University School of Law is 

consistently recognized for its commitment to 

diversity, ranking eighth in the U.S. for Best 

Environment for Minority Students by The Princeton 

Review. U.S. News & World Report ranks the law 

school in a tie for fourth place in their Law School 

Diversity Index and the American Bar Association 

ranked the law school first in total Hispanic 

enrollment among the 189 ABA-accredited law 

schools in its Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law 

Schools (2006 edition). 

Lending a Helping Hand with Habitat for Humanity 

Alumni, administrators, and staff gathered together to help complete a Habitat for Humanity home. This year, the Alumni 

Office organized three Habitat for Humanity Alumni Volunteer Days which were very successful. To participate in 

upcoming alumni volunteer opportunities, contact the Alumni Office at (305) 474-2466. 

4 


Alumni Awards Reception Draws a Crowd 

The Honorable Pedro Dijols ’87, 

Marlene Dijols, and daughter 

Madison Dijols, with students Tanya 

Newman and Kristopher Nathan 

Rafael Roca ’87, President Msgr. Franklyn Casale, Tony Karrat, Dean Alfredo 

Garcia, The Honorable Jay Cristol, Joshua Hertz ’01, Christine Reis ’98, John 

Kozyak, and Gerald Salerno ’92 who accepted for John Capra ’92 

February 1, 2007 saw St. Thomas 

University School of Law’s new 

Dean, Alfredo Garcia, host his 

first alumni awards event at the 

Mellon Financial Center. A 

capacity crowd gathered to 

celebrate St. Thomas alumni, 

judges, community leaders, and the 

appointment of our new Dean. 

Dean Garcia was introduced by 

St. Thomas University President 

Monsignor Franklyn Casale who 

made note of the fact that not 

only is Dean Garcia a muchrespected 

member of the Law 

School faculty, but also that he is 

the first Cuban-born Dean of any 

law school in the United States. 

In recognizing the Alumni Award 

winners, Dean Garcia said “each 

of these outstanding individuals 

epitomizes the core values of St. 

Thomas University School of 

Law: excellence, professionalism, 

ethics, and public service. We are 

proud today to recognize them for 

their outstanding contributions 

and leadership.” 

The Honorable Jay Cristol 

received the Outstanding Jurist 

Award for his lifelong 

commitment to meting out the law 

in a humane and just manner. 

John Rocco Capra ’92, serving 

as an active reservist in the JAG 

Corps in Guantanamo, received 

the Arête Award in absentia in 

recognition of his lifelong service 

to the law and to the nation. 

Joshua Hertz ’01 was awarded 

the Outstanding Young Alumnus 

Award in recognition of his 

continued service to the law 

school and the community. 

Dr. Marcia Becker, Odil Hertz, Joshua 

Hertz ’01, and Dr. Michael Bitz ’01 

Rafael Roca ’87 received the 

Distinguished Alumnus Award 

and Christine Reis ’98 received the 

Distinguished Alumna Award for 

their leadership in the legal 

profession and their commitment 

to public service. 

Anthony J. Karrat and John 

Kozyak received the Dean’s Award 

of Distinction for their 

unwavering commitment to 

professionalism and ethics and 

their service to the community. 

Former Dean Bob Butterworth 

and former Associate Dean 

George Sheldon were also 

recognized for their leadership of 

the Law School these past three 

years. 

Mark your calendar! Next year’s 

alumni awards event is scheduled 

for February 5, 2008. 


5

Luxury Living at STU: Villanova Hall Opens 

Walk into any of the single rooms 

or double suites in St. Thomas 

University’s newly opened 

Villanova Hall, and it would be 

easy to imagine you are in one of 

the luxury condominiums 

sprouting up throughout South 

Florida. From sweeping views to 

single suites with double beds and 

private bathrooms, St. Thomas 

University’s new residence hall is a 

far cry from the cramped 

dormitories of the past. 

Named in honor of Universidad 

de Santo Tomas de Villanueva, the 

Cuban institution whose 

disbandment under Castro’s 

government led to the founding of 

Biscayne College (now St. Thomas 

University), Villanova Hall is the 

first new residence hall to be built 

on campus since the school’s 

founding 46 years ago. The 

dedication also marks one of the 

first concrete steps in a major 

renaissance now being undertaking 

by the University. 

“The dedication of Villanova 

Hall not only provides St. Thomas 

University with much needed 

housing and renewed interest in 

campus living, but it also marks a 

major step in our current 

restructuring and one of the first 

events of what is probably the 

most exciting time in recent 

University history,” said Msgr. 

Casale. “In the next year and a half 

alone, we plan on completing our 

academic restructuring, reentering 

the NCAA, launching new men’s 

and women’s basketball teams, and 

finishing construction on the 

Carnival Cruise Lines Science & 

Technology Building and the 

Fernandez Leadership and 

Wellness Center, our premier 

athletic and academic facility.” 

Furnished in part by donations 

from Ft. Lauderdale-based City 

Furniture, Villanova Hall is 

another example of the unique 

corporate partnerships that have 

fueled much of St. Thomas 

University’s current expansion. 

These collaborations have resulted 

in numerous improvements, 

including the building of the 

Carnival Cruise Lines Science & 

Technology Building, the naming 

of lead South Florida executives to 

the University’s Board of Trustees, 

and a continual strengthening of 

the University’s reputation within 

the international business 

community. 

6 


The Diversity Difference: Law School ties for 4th place 

on U.S. News & World Report Diversity Index 

St. Thomas University School of Law is one of the 

nation’s most diverse law schools according to U.S. 

News & World Report’s 2008 edition of America’s Best 

Graduate Schools. 

St. Thomas University School of Law appears in 

the guide’s Law School Diversity index in a tie for 

fourth place. The index is based on the “total 

proportion of minority students—not including 

international students—and the mix of racial and 

ethnic groups on campus.” 

The student body at St. Thomas University School 

of Law is extremely diverse. As of Fall 2006, 41.1% 

of the student body represented an ethnic minority. 

Our students are taught by a diverse faculty, and are 

led by the nation’s first Cuban-born dean of a U.S. 

law school, Alfredo Garcia. 

St. Thomas University School of Law is recognized 

regularly for its outstanding commitment to diversity, 

ranking first in the U.S. for conferring degrees upon 

Hispanic students by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher 

Education magazine, and 8th best environment for 

minority law students by The Princeton Review. 

The law school is leading the way in diversifying 

the legal profession. 

Third District Court of Appeal at STU Law 

The Third District Court of Appeal heard oral arguments in four cases at STU Law: John Roundtree vs. State of Florida; 

Marketing Systems Group Inc., et. al., vs. Carnival Corporation, et.al.; Mario Fallon vs. City Furniture, Inc., and Gerard P. 

Dumorange vs. City of Miami. Interestingly, STU Law 3L Michael Mayer, who is President of the Moot Court and a certified 

legal intern in the Appellate Clinic, argued the first case, Roundtree v. State, on behalf of the appellant. Pictured: The 

Honorable Richard Suarez, 3L Michael Mayer, The Honorable Juan Ramirez, Jr., Chief Judge Elect David M. Gersten, and 

Dean Alfredo Garcia. 


7

Center for Earth Jurisprudence 

Thanks to a $1 million grant from 

the estate of Marie V. Gendron to 

the Sisters of St. Dominic of 

Adrian, Michigan, St. Thomas 

University School of Law and 

Barry University Law School have 

jointly created the nation’s first 

Center for Earth Jurisprudence. 

Based out of St. Thomas 

University’s Miami Gardens 

campus, the center will look at law 

and governance from an earthcentered—rather 

than a humancentered—perspective. 

“This landmark collaboration 

will enable both of our law 

schools to uniquely prepare their 

students for the unprecedented 

ecological legal challenges they 

will face in the coming years,” said 

Msgr. Casale. Earth jurisprudence 

is premised on the concept that 

law and governance is meant to 

protect the well-being and integral 

functioning of the planet so that 

all components of the earth 

community live in healthy 

ecosystems and maintain sustained 

diversity of the natural world. 

Using an interdisciplinary 

approach, part of the mission of 

the center, therefore, will be 

research into developing a 

philosophy and practice of law 

that is responsive to ecological 

and ethical imperatives related to a 

deteriorating state of planetary 

systems in the 21st century. 

The new center is directed by 

Sister Patricia Siemen, OP, JD, and 

opened its doors in Fall 2006, on 

the campus of St. Thomas 

University School of Law. 

“The work of this center will be 

unique within legal education in 

the United States,” Siemen stated. 

“From a sacramental perspective 

of the natural world and Catholic 

social teaching on ecology and 

care for the ‘commons,’ the center 

will further the 2004 Adrian 

Dominican Congregational Vision 

to ‘seek truth, make peace, 

reverence life,’ and discover what 

it means to ‘live right relationships 

with earth community.’ 

The Center hosted its first 

international conference April 12- 

14, 2007 at the law school, and 

plans are already in motion for the 

2nd annual conference to be held 

in 2008 at Barry University’s law 

school in Orlando. 

Law School 

Mourns Passing of 

Prof. Ken Feldman 

Professor Feldman will be 

remembered as a man who 

embodied the mission of the law 

school and who was loved by the 

students, faculty, and staff. He was 

profoundly committed to the spirit 

of service and dedication to others. 

As Director of Pro Bono Services, 

he helped students respond to the 

needs of underprivileged persons. 

He lived his convictions, building 

homes with Habitat for Humanity 

and assisting shelters such as 

Women in Distress- eventually 

being honored with the Miami- 

Dade County Pro Bono Award. 

He was a respected criminal 

litigator and an adjunct professor 

here for over a decade. 

He never said “no” when it came 

to assisting others in need- and he 

will be remembered warmly for his 

great enthusiasm and compassion. 

The Law School will hold a 

memorial service June 11th and will 

dedicate an orchid garden in his 

memory. 

8 


Janet Reno Speaks on the Responsibilities of Lawyers 

Janet Reno, former United States 

Attorney General, spoke at St. Thomas 

University School of Law this past 

January as part of the law school’s 

annual Distinguished Speaker 

Series. 

Easily the most recognized U.S. 

Attorney General since Bobby 

Kennedy and the longest serving 

AG since the Civil War, Janet Reno 

fought to make the sure the 

Department of Justice reflected 

integrity, excellence, and 

professionalism. 

Ms. Reno spoke on issues 

including: the need to increase the 

protections available to women 

and children, the juvenile criminal 

justice system, crime rates and the 

correlation to educational quality 

or the lack thereof, and the need 

to support children in the critical 

0-3 years. She encouraged 

everyone to “find a way to make a 

difference.” 

St. Thomas University School of 

Law’s Dean Alfredo Garcia, who 

worked for Ms. Reno in the Dade 

County State Attorney’s Office, 

introduced her as an “outstanding 

example of how, by dedicating 

your life and work to public 

service, you can institute change 

and make the world a better 

place.” He added, “Ms. Reno 

embodies the ideals that are so 

important to us at St. Thomas 

University School of Law—the 

ideals of integrity, ethics, and 

service to those most in need.” 

STU Law Hosts Jordanian Delegation 

The Graduate Program in Intercultural Human Rights hosted a delegation of 

high-ranking Jordanian officials to discuss the issue of human trafficking. “It is 

key to our mission as a human rights program to be effective all over the globe 

in promoting a public order of human dignity. Human Trafficking is one of the 

worst affronts to human dignity. We were pleased to have the opportunity to 

discuss with the delegation from the Kingdom of Jordan the particular context 

in their country and the region with a view toward elaborating ideas about a 

possible solution tailored to the Jordanian culture and environment,” said Roza 

Pati, executive director of the LL.M. in Intercultural Human Rights at St. Thomas 

University School of Law. 


9

Law School Exceeds State Average on Florida Bar Exam 

With a 74.2% passage rate on February’s Florida Bar 

Exam, St. Thomas University School of Law 

exceeded the state average of 70.9%. The Law 

School’s graduates also achieved an 86.9% passage 

rate on the Multistate Professional Responsibility 

Examination, exceeding the state average of 86.4%. 

“We are very pleased with the results,” said Dean 

Alfredo Garcia. “These statistics demonstrate both 

the talent and dedication of our students, and that 

the School’s bar passage preparation efforts are 

working. We look forward to continued 

improvement and success on the Florida Bar 

examination.” He adds, “my foremost goal is to 

once-and-for-all improve the bar passage rate so that 

we are consistently above the state average and 

among the top three Florida law schools in this area.” 

In order to meet these goals, Dean Garcia is 

implementing a 10-point plan for continuing to 

improve bar passage rates. For more detailed 

information on the plan, read the article on page 16. 

With its most recent score of 74.2%, surpassing the 

state average of 70.9%, St. Thomas University School 

of Law is well on its way to meeting this goal. 

Former Senator Bob Graham Speaks at STU 

Former United States Senator and two-term Florida 

Governor Bob Graham gave an enlightening and 

educational presentation to the St. Thomas 

University community in March. 

Senator Graham focused on the topic of “what it 

means to be a citizen in a democracy.” Using Florida 

history as a backdrop, the Senator pointed to key 

events that have shifted the state’s population and 

politics. He also called on everyone present to take 

up his or her civic duty and take pride in this rapidly 

changing community. 

Open to the entire St. Thomas University 

community, Sen. Graham’s visit provided yet another 

opportunity for students to participate in an intimate 

conversation with a leader in American politics. In 

the past year alone, St. Thomas University has played 

host to a diverse group of political leaders including 

Robert Kennedy Jr., Florida Governor Charlie Christ 

and former Attorney Generals John Ashcroft and 

Janet Reno. 

10 


Palm Beach Reception Welcomes Dean Garcia 

Ed Ricci, Dean Alfredo Garcia, Rev. Msgr. Franklyn Casale, Rafael Roca ’87 

On Thursday, March 15, 2007, 

Ricci-Leopold, P.A. hosted a 

reception at their beautiful office 

in Palm Beach Gardens in honor 

of newly-named dean, Alfredo 

Garcia. 

Alumni who live and work in the 

Palm Beach area enjoyed the 

opportunity to meet the dean and 

gather with fellow alumni. 

A Fort Lauderdale reception is 

being hosted by Gray Robinson 

and a Miami reception is being 

hosted by Holland & Knight. 

For more information, contact the 

alumni office at (305) 474-2466. 

STU Makes Judge C. Clyde Atkins Papers 

Available Online 

Throughout his legendary career, 

Judge C. Clyde Atkins was known 

as a brilliant jurist and staunch 

defender of society’s most 

vulnerable members. In an effort to 

maximize the public’s access to and 

knowledge of Judge Atkins’ vital 

role in South Florida history, St. 

Thomas University School of Law 

has created the Judge Atkins 

Chambers/Legal Papers Project. 

The Project will make Judge 

Atkins’ Court papers, speeches and 

legal opinions available online in a 

searchable database on the St. 

Thomas University website at 

www.stu.edu. 

Judge Atkins has been associated 

with St. Thomas University since its 

founding, serving as a Board 

member for both the University 

and School of Law; he even 

secured the loan for the University’s 

first building. After his death in 

1999, the St. Thomas University 

School of Law established the 

C. Clyde Atkins Memorial 

Fellowship Fund to help 

disadvantaged students complete law 

school. 

“From his work in the civil rights 

movement to his fights on the behalf 

of displaced refugees and the 

homeless, Judge Atkins was a perfect 

embodiment of the commitment to 

humanity St. Thomas University tries 

to instill in its students and 

community,” said Dean Garcia. 


11

Law School Celebrates Red Mass 

This year’s Red Mass honored all our alumni who are currently serving in the 

judiciary. Shown are: Victoria Del Pino ’99, Nuria Saenz de la Torre ’97, Michael 

Orlando ’88, Pedro Dijols ’87, John Bowman ’87, and President Msgr. Casale. 

In September, St. Thomas 

University School of Law’s St. 

Thomas More Catholic Law 

Society hosted a Red Mass in the 

campus Chapel of St. Anthony. 

More than 150 attorneys, judges, 

students, and faculty attended the 

Red Mass which seeks God’s 

blessing on those who are a part 

of the legal profession. 

This year’s Red Mass paid 

special tribute to the St. Thomas 

University School of Law alumni 

who serve their communities as 

members of the judiciary: The 

Honorable Nuria Saenz de la 

Torre ’97, The Honorable John 

Bowman ’87, The Honorable 

Margaret T. Courtney ’92, The 

Honorable Pedro Dijols ’87, The 

Honorable Mindy Glazer ’91, The 

Honorable Don Hall ’90, The 

Honorable Michael Orlando ’88, 

The Honorable Elizabeth Reisman 

’93, The Honorable Sam Slom ’87, 

and The Honorable Victoria Del 

Pino ’99. 

The luncheon following the 

Mass featured remarks by Florida 

Representative J.C. Planas ’98, who 

spoke to the crowd about his own 

faith. “The things you do as a law 

practitioner will affect people’s 

lives, and will having lasting 

repercussions,” he told the crowd. 

“When faced with tremendous 

challenges, your faith can give you 

the strength you need to do the 

right thing.” 

Mark your calendar for the 

upcoming Red Mass scheduled for 

September 20, 2007. 

From the Faculty 

Prof. Benton Becker gave a lecture 

at the Gerald R. Ford Museum on 

“Slavery: A Legal Perspective.” 

Prof. Karl Gruben and Associate 

Law Library Director Sonia Luna- 

Lamas have published chapters in 

the book, LAW LIBRARIANSHIP 

IN THE TWENTY FIRST 

CENTURY. 

Roza Pati, Executive Director of 

the Graduate Program in 

Intercultural Human Rights, 

presented "International Legal 

Standards of Fair Trial under 

Universal and Regional Human 

Rights Law and Their Application 

by the International Criminal 

Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 

(ICTY)" at a conference in Graz, 

Austria. Pati's speech will also be 

published in a book on the issue. 

Prof. Elizabeth Pendo serves as 

Chair of the Dade-Monroe and 

Statewide Committees of Florida’s 

Managed Care Ombudsman program. 

Prof. Siegfried Wiessner was 

named to the Executive Committee 

of the American Society of 

International Law. Additionally, he 

spoke at the University of 

Pittsburgh Law School as part of 

their Faculty Speakers Program. 

Prof. Mark Wolff participated as 

Head of Delegation for Pax 

Romana in the fourth special 

session of the United Nations 

Human Rights Council on the 

human rights conditions in Darfur. 

12 


Newsworthy 

Brett Barfield ’99 and Felix 

Lasarte ’94 were named partners 

at Holland & Knight in Miami. 

The Honorable John Bowman ’87 

was appointed to the Board of 

Directors of the One Community 

Partnership, a project to evaluate 

and redesign Broward’s children’s 

mental health services. 

Marisol Gomez ’05 was elected to 

the Board of Directors for Miami- 

Dade Florida Association of 

Women Lawyers (FAWL). 

Eric Gordon ’95 was named 

partner with Akerman Senterfitt in 

Fort Lauderdale. 

Joshua Hertz ’01 was elected 

Treasurer of the Dade County Bar 

Association Young Lawyers 

Section. 

Tim Hughes ’99 was named 

partner with Akerman Senterfitt in 

Tampa in October 2006. 

Spencer Kuvin ’01 of Ricci 

Leopold in Palm Beach Gardens 

recently won a 5.2 million dollar 

judgment against Geico on behalf 

of his client following a five-day 

trial in Palm Beach. 

Jared Lopez ’96 was named 

partner at Black, Srebnick, 

Kornspan & Stumpf. 

Shari McCartney ’93 was recently 

named partner at Tripp Scott in 

Fort Lauderdale. 

Christopher Prusaski ’97 was 

named a partner with Shutts & 

Bowen in Miami. 

Mark Romance ’94 was named to 

the 11th Judicial Circuit 

Nominating Committee. 

Gail Sparks ’07 received a 2007 

“Put Something Back” Pro Bono 

Law Clerk Award for outstanding 

contributions to the provision of 

pro bono services to the poor in 

2006-7. 

Human Rights Moot Court Competition 

The Second Annual Susan J. Ferrell Intercultural Human Rights Moot Court Competition was held in January at 

the law school. This competition featured the first participants from outside the United States, the National Law 

University in Jodhpur, India, one of the five top law schools in India. Other participants included the Florida 

International University College of Law and our own team. Last year, the competition was inaugurated using a 

problem touching on indigenous peoples’ land, mining and treaty rights, as well as slave labor. This year’s 

problem focused on freedom of the press, fair trial guarantees and national security concerns. Teams are already 

registering for next year’s competition. 


13

Students Provide Pro Bono Assistance 

Some of this year’s pro bono leaders: George Hansen (320 hours), Brian 

Jacobson (280 hours), and Casimir Wolnowski (200 hours). 

A leader in providing pro bono 

service to the community, St. Thomas 

University School of Law is proud 

to announce that this academic 

year, our law students provided 

more than 14,600 hours of service 

to those most in need in our 

community. 

While students are required to 

perform 40 hours of pro bono 

service prior to graduation, STU 

Law students go above and 

beyond. Some of this year’s pro 

bono stars are: James Karrat, 456 

hours; George Hansen, 320 hours; 

Federico Gil, 314 hours; Brian 

Jacobson, 280 hours; Christopher 

Pardo, 230 hours; Winston 

Cuenant, 210 hours; Davit Hor, 

206 hours; Austin Nowakowski, 

200 hours; and Casimir 

Wolnowski, 200 hours. 


Law students make a difference 

every day in their communities. 

Law School Seeks Graduate to Serve 

as Director of Alumni Affairs 

Amanda Blackledge ’03 will be 

leaving St. Thomas after serving 

three years as the Director of 

Alumni Affairs for the law school. 

She recently wed Craig Haugh, 

and the couple will reside in 

Georgia. 

The Law School hopes to fill 

the position with a graduate. 

If you are interested or have a 

recommendation, please contact 

Lenore Prado, Associate Director 

of Human Resources, at (305) 

628-6514 or lprado@stu.edu. 

University Unveils 

New Academic 

Structure 

As of July 1, 2007, St. Thomas 

University will officially reorganize 

its academic structure. Almost 

four years in the making, these 

historic changes will divide the 

University into one college, five 

schools and seven institutes 

encompassing all undergraduate, 

graduate and law school programs. 

The University will be divided 

into: Biscayne College, School of 

Law, School of Business, School 

of Leadership Studies, School of 

Science, Technology and 

Engineering Management, and 

School of Theology and Ministry. 

The purpose of these drastic 

changes is to introduce new 

programs, research, and teaching 

methodologies, while continuing 

to strengthen the school’s most 

successful programs. Recognizing 

the importance of addressing each 

learning environment as a 

specialized area, the new structure 

will guarantee each student the 

best, most innovative and 

individualized academic learning 

environment. 

You will also soon notice on our 

materials that each school will 

have its own individualized logo 

and credo. The law school’s new 

color is purple and our credo is, 

appropriately, “Leaders have the 

courage and compassion to make 

a difference.” 

14 


Law School Launches Human Rights Law Review 

The next issue of the Intercultural 

Human Rights Law Review is 

scheduled to be published in 

Summer 2007. It features 

proceedings from the Seventh Tribal 

Sovereignty Symposium, which took 

place on January 27, 2006, entitled 

“Sovereignty and Sustainable 

Development of Indigenous 

Peoples.” The symposium discussed 

issues of economic survival of 

Indian tribes as well as their rights 

to land and natural resources, their 

concept of sustainable development, 

and their right to self-determination. 

In addition, this issue of our 

Intercultural Human Rights Law 

Review showcases articles on “The 

1951 Convention and the 1967 

Protocol Relating to the Status of 

Refugees: Evolution and Relevance 

for Today” by Pierre-Michel 

Fontaine, “How Far Can an Old 

Flogged Horse Carry Human Rights 

in the EU?” by Adam DJ Balfour, 

“Regional Human Rights Courts 

and Internal Armed Conflicts” by 

Michele D’Avolio, and “Making 

Sense of the Right to Truth in 

Educational Ethics,” by Anja 

Matwijkiw and Willie Mack. 

The inaugural issue, published last 

year, focused on issues related to 

human trafficking. 

To subscribe to the Intercultural 

Human Rights Law Review, 

contact Haydee Gonzalez at 

hgonzalez@stu.edu or 

call (305) 474-2403. 

Law Day Celebrates Student Achievement 

President of the Florida Bar Henry M. Coxe III, scholarship donor Dean Jeannette 

Hausler, Director of Pro Bono at St. Thomas University School of Law Ken Feldman, 

student recipient of the Richard & Jeannette Hausler Scholarship Teresita Perez ’08, 

and Dean of St. Thomas University School of Law Alfredo Garcia. 


Law celebrated Law Day in April 

with a luncheon celebrating 

student achievement and donors 

who provide student scholarships. 

The keynote address was given by 

President of the Florida Bar, 

Henry “Hank” Coxe. 

Students who earned multiple 

book awards were recognized, as 

were those who contributed 

outstanding pro bono service and 

those who performed outstanding 

writing and scholarship. 

Scholarship donors and 

recipients had the opportunity to 

meet and get to know one 

another. 

Far Left: The Harkins Family with the 

James “Jamie” Harkins Endowed 

Scholarship recipient, Covington 

Campbell. 

Left: Students receive awards for 

outstanding writing and scholarship: 

Andrew Batog, Patricia Jorge, Lisa S. 

Sutton, and Isis Pacheco. 


15

Alfredo Garcia 

Named Dean 

Longtime Faculty Member and 

Administrator Takes the Reigns

As St. Thomas University began preparing for a national 

search for a new dean for the Law School, the faculty 

met to discuss who from the faculty should sit on the 

search committee. But rather than sending search 

committee recommendations over to President 

Monsignor Casale, the faculty sent over a nearly 

unanimous recommendation to appoint Alfredo Garcia 

dean of the law school. 

This is an excerpt from the faculty’s 

recommendation: “Dean Garcia universally is held in 

high esteem for his personal and leadership qualities. 

Within a diverse and in the past somewhat fractious law 

faculty, no one, either publicly or privately, expresses any 

reservation regarding his appointment. His decisionmaking 

is guided by a firm religious foundation with that 

tolerance for diverse perspectives characteristic of great 

leaders. Capable of making tough decisions and forceful 

expression when necessary, he is nonetheless slow to 

anger and mindful of admonitions in the book of James 

about the tongue. The law faculty to a person all trust 

Dean Garcia to listen and to represent them to the 

University and other communities faithfully as well as to 

communicate the concerns of others to them in a 

productive way. Such universal trust is rare.” 

Rev. Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale, President of St. 

Thomas University, agreed. “I am extremely pleased to 

appoint Alfredo Garcia permanent Dean of St. Thomas 

University School of Law,” he said on January 26, 2007. 

“He is a consummate scholar, an excellent teacher, and 

well regarded by his colleagues, members of the 

University family, and most especially his students.” 

Dean Garcia, who was appointed Interim Dean of the 

School of Law following the resignation of Bob 

Butterworth, has served the law school for 18 years as an 

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Interim Associate 

Dean, and tenured faculty member teaching Criminal 

Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Torts, Sixth 

Amendment, and Clinics. 

Born in Santiago, Cuba, Dean Garcia immigrated to 

the U.S. at the age of ten, earned his Bachelor’s degree 

from Jacksonville University, and both his Master’s 

degree and Juris Doctor degree from the University of 

Florida. Upon his appointment, Dean Garcia became 

the nation’s first Cuban-born Dean of an American Bar 

Association (ABA) approved law school, and one of 

only seven Hispanic law school deans in the United 

States. 

“I am honored and humbled by the support the 

faculty, students, staff, and Monsignor Casale have 

shown in giving me this tremendous opportunity,” said 

Dean Garcia. “My appointment shows that you can 

come to this nation not knowing a word of English and 

through opportunity and hard work rise to unimaginable 

heights. I also believe my appointment is a reflection of 

St. Thomas University School of Law’s unique mission 

to give opportunities to underserved populations and 

will inevitably provide our students with a firsthand 

example of where their education can lead them.” 

As an educator, Dean Garcia’s experience is extensive 

and includes visiting professorships at Nova 

Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, 

American University Washington College of Law, 

Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and Southwestern 

Alfredo Garcia through the years: As a faculty member, 1993; teaching, 2004; and as dean, 2007

University School of Law. He also taught on the 

undergraduate level at Miami-Dade Community College, 

Florida International University, and The University of 

Texas at San Antonio. Since 1989, Dean Garcia has 

served on the faculty at St. Thomas University School of 

Law. 

An accomplished practicing attorney, Dean Garcia 

brings to his students real-world understanding of both 

the practice of law and commitment to public service. 

As an Assistant State Attorney in Miami, he handled 

felony cases ranging from attempted murder to 

kidnapping, drug trafficking to forgery and other white 

collar crimes. Dean Garcia also worked as a criminal 

defense attorney and a criminal appellate attorney prior 

to joining the St. Thomas law school faculty. 

Alumnus Brett Barfield, now a partner at Holland & 

Knight in Miami, fondly remembers his experiences 

learning from Dean Garcia. “I had Al Garcia for three 

classes: Torts, Criminal Procedure I and II. He is one of 

the most dynamic and enthusiastic professors I had the 

pleasure of learning from. His criminal law experience 

brought a wealth of practical application to the study of 

criminal law and procedure. All who know him 

understand what a truly good person he is and he will be 

a phenomenal dean because of that.” 

As an author, Dean Garcia has penned numerous 

works including three books: CRIMINAL LAW: CONCEPTS 

AND PRACTICE, with Podgor, Henning, and Taslitz (2005); 

THE FIFTH AMENDMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE AND 

HISTORICAL APPROACH (2002); and THE SIXTH 

AMENDMENT IN MODERN AMERICAN JURISPRUDENCE: A 

CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE (1992). 

And while Dean Garcia has excelled as an educator, 

administrator, attorney, and author, his proudest 

achievements come as a father and husband. Married to 

his wife, Cindy, for 22 years, they have three children: 

Christina (19), James (16), and Catherine (13). 

As he begins his first 100 days leading the School of 

Law, Dean Garcia discusses his role, his vision, and the 

future of St. Thomas law school.

Q: What do you see as the role of the law school 

dean? 

A: To put it bluntly, I see the role of the dean being an 

ambassador, a diplomat, who works with the various 

constituencies—faculty, students, alumni, staff, University 

community—to mediate and work together while 

implementing the mission and the vision of the law school. 

Q: Now, in the beginning of your deanship, what are 

your priorities? 

A: My foremost goal is to once-and-for-all improve the 

bar passage rate so that we are consistently above the state 

average and among the top three Florida law schools in this 

area. Second to this goal is my desire to fulfill the vision to 

fund and build a Justice Center on campus that would house 

our clinical programs, the Human Rights Institute, and other 

outreach programs under one roof at St. Thomas University 

School of Law. This said, the desire to continue graduating 

highly competent, ethical lawyers who are at the forefront of 

providing public service to the local, national and 

international communities remains a constant priority. 

Q: You have stated that raising the bar passage rate is 

your foremost priority. Do you have a plan for how to 

achieve this? 

A: I have a 10-point plan that for improving bar passage 

rates. Some of the ideas included in this plan are: 

Resume admission of a Spring Class which has traditionally 

done well on the Bar Exam. 

Include bar-type multiple choice questions on 

comprehensive exams for first-year students. 

Replace first semester grades with grades for end-of-year, 

comprehensive exams. 

Provide tutoring sessions for first-year students on how to 

answer Bar-type questions. 

Include Bar-type questions in required upper level courses. 

Offer training to faculty to facilitate writing Bar-type 

multiple choice questions. 

Q: How do you think your previous experience as 

both faculty and administrator will help you 

accomplish your goals? 

our St. Thomas law school community; and I know that this 

knowledge and experience will help me achieve these goals. 

Knowing the students and alumni so well will be a 

tremendous advantage in recruiting these groups to help me 

move the school forward. As a faculty member, I hope that 

I have led by example, teaching them the importance of 

practical skills, teaching them the necessary academic skills 

to pass the bar, and teaching them the importance of public 

service. I feel that my community involvement, my 

involvement with the legal community, and my knowledge 

of the St. Thomas community will help to facilitate these 

goals. 

Q: What does it mean to you to be the first Cubanborn 

dean of an ABA-approved law school? 

A: It is very important to me. It serves as a role model to 

our mission—to give opportunity to those people 

traditionally underrepresented. I hope that my appointment 

enables people to see the possibilities—to see an immigrant 

become lawyer, educator, and ultimately dean. I hope it 

serves as inspiration to ethnic minorities to strive to achieve 

within the profession and to realize it is possible to succeed. 

Q: What do you see for the future of St. Thomas 

University School of Law? 

A: I see a thriving law school that serves all parts of the 

local and international community. I see a school that is 

widely respected for its unique mission and vision and is 

recognized in its areas of specialty. We are and will 

continue to be a law school on the forefront of research to 

further the cause of human rights within the international 

community and we will have a Justice Center which will 

embody these principles. I see a faculty, staff, and student 

body striving towards these goals and continuing to serve as 

leaders, teachers, and servants to the community. 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say? 

A: I would like to extend our hospitality to all of our 

alumni, members of the Bench and the Bar locally and 

throughout the world and invite them learn about what we 

are doing here at St. Thomas University School of Law and 

join us in this worthwhile endeavor. 

A: I feel privileged to have such an intimate knowledge of

Focusing 

on a 

Brighter 

Future 

St. Thomas University School of Law’s respected 

LL.M. program in Intercultural Human Rights 

graduates dedicated, talented professionals who 

utilize the skills they learned at STU Law 

to assist those most in need, 

to speak for those with no voice, 

to bring hope to the hopeless, and 

to change the world for the better. 

These are just a few of their stories.

Ana Vallejo, Esq. 

LL.M. IHR 2002 cum laude 

Puerto Rico 

Ana Vallejo graduated cum laude from the LL.M. Program in Intercultural Human 

Rights in 2002. She is now a J.S.D. Candidate researching and writing on the topic 

of new paradigms in international protection for victims of violent crimes. 

Ana currently works as a Supervising Attorney for LUCHA: A Women’s Legal 

Project at Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center in Miami, Florida. She assists lowincome 

immigrant women and children victims of violent crimes including 

domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking in persons. She represents these 

victims before the various agencies in charge of implementing and enforcing the 

immigration and anti-trafficking laws of the United States, including the 

Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement and Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and the local police 

departments. 

Aside from providing direct legal services to victims of violent crimes, Ana 

provides national technical assistance to lawyers and other service providers on 

immigration law and remedies available for immigrant victims of violent crimes; 

and she has collaborated with other national organizations in the drafting of 

recent legislation affecting the rights of immigrant victims of violent crimes and 

trafficking in persons. She travels throughout the United States providing 

training on trafficking in persons and working with immigrant victims of violent 

crimes for law enforcement, service providers, victim advocates, and members of 

the community. She also travels internationally --most recently to Panama, El 

Salvador, Thailand and Mexico-- to conduct training and to participate in global 

consultations on the rights of trafficked persons in the United States. 

In her most recent trip to Mexico she participated in a conference on youth, 

borders and migration; and thereafter, she visited at risk communities—Suchiate, 

Hidalgo, Motozintla, Union Juarez, Tapachula, Arriaga and San Cristobal de las 

Casas--in Chiapas, Mexico. She was invited by the Government of Chiapas, 

International Relations Department, Migrant Attention Unit to conduct 

informational workshops with community members and leaders about the risks 

of “irregular migration”, trafficking in persons, and the rights of migrant 

workers in the United States. 

Ana Vallejo 

(second row, center) 

at Union Juarez, 

Chiapas, Mexico, 

one of the 

communities at risk 

for human trafficking. 

Sara Pedersini 

LL.M. IHR 2004 

Italy 

Stationed in Northern Uganda, a place 

of horrendous atrocities attributed to a 

group which calls itself the “Lord’s 

Resistance Army,” Sara Pedersini serves 

as the Project Coordinator for the 

UNHCR-funded project “Camp 

Management and Population Movement 

Monitoring in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader 

Districts." This project was implemented 

by AVSI, an Italian non-governmental 

organization which holds general 

consultative status with the UN 

Economic and Social Council 

(ECOSOC) in New York, the UN 

Industrial Development Organization 

(UNIDO) in Vienna, and the UN Fund 

for Children (UNICEF) in New York, 

and is recognized on the NGOs Special 

List of the International Labor 

Organization (ILO) in Geneva. 

Sara is presently working on a 

protection strategy for 2007 for 

Northern Uganda, where the peace 

process is still in a fledgling state. 

Within AVSI, she also served on a 

monitoring mission in Ethiopia as the 

Program Manager of the project 

"Together against AIDS- HIV 

Prevention and Control Program" 

financed by the Italian Ministry of 

Foreign Affairs. It paid specific 

attention to vulnerable groups such as 

orphans, street children, women, and 

people living with AIDS. 

Ahmed El Demery 


Egypt 

Ahmed El Demery came to our LL.M. 

program in Intercultural Human Rights

as a Fulbright Scholar, the 

first such scholar in the 

history of St. Thomas 

University. He is currently 

interning at the United 

Nations Secretariat in the 

Department of Political 

Affairs (DPA), at the 

Policy Planning Unit 

(PPU), where he is given 

the opportunity to 

attended meetings of the 

Security Council and the 

General Assembly. 

Prior to working at the 

U.N., Ahmed was 

appointed to the Office of 

the Prosecutor General of 

Egypt in the International Cooperation and Human Rights 

Division. This was a great honor for Ahmed because very 

few prosecutors are invited to join this division. In this role, 

he was responsible for investigating severe human rights 

violations throughout Egypt, and bringing accused 

criminals before the court. He focused on the human rights 

of prisoners and on issues related to the rule of law, anticorruption, 

human rights, transitional crimes, and human 

trafficking. 

As a current J.S.D. candidate in Intercultural Human 

Rights at St. Thomas University School of Law, he is 

developing a suggested regional human rights system for 

the Arab world. 

Mariam Ahmedani 


U.S.A. 

detained by the U.S. in 

Guantánamo since the 

age of 15; and he recently 

became one of the first 

Guantánamo detainees to 

be charged under the 

2006 Military 

Commissions Act. 

At WCL, Mariam has 

also worked as a Dean’s 

Fellow at the Center for 

Human Rights and 

Humanitarian Law, and as 

a staff writer for the 

Human Rights Brief 

covering developments in 

the International Criminal 

Court and the 

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. 

She previously interned with the International Service for 

Human Rights and Amnesty International. Last summer, 

she received a Florida Bar Foundation Fellowship to work 

in the immigration unit at Gulfcoast Legal Services. 

“My fellowship project, the Child Victim Immigration 

Advocacy Project, creates a lasting capacity in legal service 

provision for undocumented children who have been 

victimized and live in the western central region of 

Florida,” Mariam says. “To me, immigration is one of the 

most pressing human rights issues in America and 

undocumented abused children are the most vulnerable 

segment of the immigrant population.” 

Qerim Qerimi 


Kosovo 

Mariam Ahmedani, in her last semester in the International 

Human Rights Clinic at American University Washington 

College of Law (WCL), currently serves as part of the 

defense team of Omar Khadr. Mr. Khadr has been 

Qerim Qerimi is a legal expert in the Legal Office of the 

Office of Prime Minister of Kosovo. He specifically works 

on a European Union-funded project “Assistance to the 

Government of Kosovo for Enhanced EU Compatibility.” 

Be the change you wish to see in the world... 

Gandhi

Simultaneously, he teaches 

International Law and 

International Law of 

Human Rights at the 

University of Prishtina 

School of Law. His recent 

activities include work as 

legal expert with the 

International Organization 

for Migration (IOM) on an 

anti-trafficking project in 

Kosovo, as well as research 

in the Max Planck Institute 

for Comparative Public 

Law and International Law, 

in Heidelberg, Germany. 

In the summer of 2006, 

he attended The Hague 

Academy of International Law. Within the University of 

Prishtina, he serves as the publisher of the Journal of 

Human Rights and Policy. He also is pursuing his J.S.D. 

degree in Intercultural Human Rights at St. Thomas 

University School of Law on the right to development under 

international law. 

Mireya Maritza PEÑA GUZMÁN 


magna cum laude 

Since graduating from St. Thomas’s LL.M. program, Mireya 

has earned a Doctor of Law degree from the University of 

Paris – Sorbonne in 2006. Her dissertation focused on “The 

Legal Status of Indigenous Peoples under International Law 

and the Continental and Regional Paradigms for their 

Protection.” 

From 2004-2006, Mireya worked as a Human Rights 

Officer and OIC Team Leader Central Sector for the United 

Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). 

“My work within 

UNMEE allowed me to 

make real three of my most 

cherished dreams: to work 

for the UN; to work in 

Africa; and to work in the 

field within the area of 

human rights,” she says. 

Vesna Æoriæ 


Belgrade, Serbia 

Vesna Æoriæ works for the 

Institute of Comparative 

and European Law and also 

serves as the Jessup 

National Administrator for 

her homeland of Serbia. She uses the skills she gained at St. 

Thomas Law School by working on the reform of legal 

education and the judicial system in Serbia through the 

USAID-funded "Rule of Law" project, implemented by the 

National Center for State Courts in her capacity as staff 

attorney. She also recently served as legal consultant for the 

upcoming USAID project concerning judicial reform. In 

addition, Vesna has provided legal consultancy on judicial 

reform issues for Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc., a 

company well-known in promoting social and economic 

development to help better the lives of people in developing 

and transitional nations. Additionally, she has just published 

an article which contained a comparative legal analysis on 

the status of conscientious objectors. 

Aleksandar V. Djurisiæ 


Podgorica, Montenegro 

A former member of the Montenegrin Parliament, 

Aleksandar Djurisiæ runs a law firm “Advokatska Kancelarija 

Freedom is the last best hope of earth... 

Abraham Lincoln

Aleksandar Djurisiæ” which is the only representative 

of EUROJURIS INTERNATIONAL in the newly 

independent state of Montenegro. EUROJURIS is 

the leading network of law firms in Europe that 

provides direct legal advice and local representation 

to companies, corporations, public authorities, and 

private clients across Europe. 

Aleksandar published his LL.M. IHR Thesis on the 

principle of the independence of the judiciary in the 

main national newspaper. His suggestions were used 

as guidelines by the leaders of the new state of 

Montenegro when drafting the documents of 

independence from the remnants of former 

Yugoslavia. 

Nataša Kraljeviæ 


Montenegro 

Nataša Kraljeviæ traveled to Strasbourg with the 

delegation of the newly independent state of 

Montenegro, which participated in the plenary session 

of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of 

Europe. The Council of Europe is the Europeanwide 

intergovernmental organization most known for 

its regional system of protection of human rights. 

Nataša works in the Council of Europe Office in the 

capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, on the “Support 

to Parliamentary Institutions” project, whose purpose 

is to develop the best solution for Montenegro as it 

negotiates its membership to the Council of Europe. 

Since earning her LL.M. at STU Law, she also has 

worked as a legal consultant with a World Bank 

project for the Ministry of Labor and Social Services 

of Montenegro. In this capacity, she was charged with 

reviewing the country’s retirement laws with the aim 

of improving and updating them. She researched, 

analyzed, and compared several foreign laws while 

drafting the law that best fit the interest of 

Montenegrin citizens and that observed the 

parameters set by international financial institutions 

such as the World Bank. 

St. Thomas University School of Law works to stem 

the tide of injustice locally and globally 

through programs and services including: 

Human Rights Institute provided nearly 6,000 direct 

services to 3,000 clients during the past year. 

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) 

has assisted 400 clients and returned approximately $400 

million during its 22 years of continuous service. 

Clinical Programs provide students the opportunity to 

serve the underserved and to practice in settings ranging 

from criminal defense to appellate litigation to 

immigration. The Law School currently offers ten clinical 

programs. 

Center for Earth Jurisprudence, opened in Fall ’06, 

hosted its first international conference, “Earth 

Jurispudence: Defining the Field and Claiming the 

Promise.” 

United Nations Internship Program sends STU Law 

students to the United Nations in New York for a 

semester where they follow major policy issues, attend 

meetings, prepare analytical reports, and draft a research 

paper. 

Pro Bono Program enabled our law students to provide 

more than 14,500 hours of service to the community. 

Diplomacy Monitor offers worldwide availability of 

diplomatic information instantaneously on one userfriendly 

website. 

Human Rights Law Review publishes articles on 

issues of global concern ranging from human trafficking 

to rights of indigenous peoples.

FACULTY 

FORWARD 

Alumnus Rory Bahadur ’03 

forges new ground as he 

becomes St. Thomas University 

School of Law’s first graduate to 

become a tenure-track faculty 

member at an 

ABA-approved law school. 

“A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled,” said Plutarch, the 

ancient Greek writer and historian. Although Rory Bahadur ’03 is an 

innovative, modern-day educator, he certainly agrees. 

Rory, who has been teaching and serving as Director of Academic Support 

at his alma mater, St. Thomas University School of Law, since 2004, employs a 

more engaging approach to learning. It is working. He earned First Year 

Professor of the Year award from the Student Bar Association and he has been 

hired by Washburn University School of Law as a tenure track Associate 

Professor of Law. Rory is the first St. Thomas University School of Law 

alumnus to become a tenure-track law school faculty member. 

“I use a teaching method called active learning,” he says. “It is a pedagogy 

that is gaining ground across the country; but is still not wholly accepted, 

especially by those who adhere to the traditional Socratic Method.” He adds, 

“Laurie Zimet at Hastings and other progressive educators around the country 

readily acknowledge that the Socratic Method was invented before the first 

patent on the automobile, before the Wright brothers flew, and before the first 

voice message was transmitted by telephone. I would not want to drive the 

first automobile, use the first telephone, or fly in the Wright brother’s 

contraption. By analogy, I don’t think pedagogy from that era is entirely 

appropriate in today’s legal classroom.” 

In addition to his dynamic classroom approach, Rory brings a breadth of 

professional and work experiences to his students. He graduated first in his 

class, summa cum laude, from St. Thomas law school, where he also earned 

Best in Class awards in 12 different courses, and served as Senior Articles 

Editor on the Law Review. As a law student, he clerked at law firms during the 

summer, and following graduation, he joined Downs & Associates where he 

developed the firm’s maritime employee law practice. 

26 


Rory’s legal experience and understanding is only one part of 

the equation that equals success for him in the classroom. 

Before enrolling in law school, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in 

Zoology from University of the West Indies and a Master’s 

degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Miami. He 

went on to teach biology to high school students in Trinidad, to 

work as a fisheries biologist in Alaska, and to work as a 

maritime environmental consultant for the Army Corps of 

Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service. Much of 

what he did in the marine industry 

involved educating those unfamiliar with 

the importance, need, and methods to 

protect endangered species in our waters. 

Armed with his legal talent, his 

professional law experience, and his 

breadth of experience as an educator, 

Rory joined St. Thomas law school where 

he has taught Torts I, Torts II, Admiralty, 

Maritime Law, and the Art of Lawyering. 

He developed and is teaching an Active 

Learning Academic Support Program for 

all first-year doctrinal courses. Utilizing 

alternative pedagogy, Rory’s goals are not 

merely to impart factual information that 

can be gleaned from a book, but also to 

enhance students’ skills development and 

assimilation of substantive legal concepts. 

“As a teacher, I try to cater to the 

different learning styles of my students 

and to engage them more than in the 

typical Socratic classroom. I use relevant 

examples of the law, I freely encourage 

them to take the rules of law they are 

being taught and to say how they are no 

longer relevant or how changes in society 

since the inception of the rule has 

qualified the rule’s applicability and 

utility,” he explains. “I try to bring the law into our living, 

changing reality. I even consult with my teenage children to 

find relevant cultural examples I can use as the context for 

explaining the rule.” 

He is inspired to go the extra mile in his classroom in large 

part by some of the wonderful teachers he had while a student 

at St. Thomas. “My best professors were those who brought to 

the class more than we were able to get from just a textbook,” 

he remembers. “Those teachers who took the time to find 

relevant, current, and interesting illustrations of the law have 

heavily influenced the way that I teach. Despite the fact that it 

DESPITE THE FACT 

THAT IT TAKES A 

LOT OF EXTRA 

TIME, PREPARATION, 

AND RESEARCH TO 

BRING THE LAW 

ALIVE AND MAKE 

IT RELEVANT TO 

MY STUDENTS, I 

BELIEVE IT IS MY 

DUTY AS AN 

EDUCATOR TO 

DO THIS. 

takes a lot of time, extra preparation, and research to bring the 

law alive and make it relevant to students, I believe it is my duty 

as an educator to do this.” 

As well as the research he does for his classes, Rory also 

pursues his own personal research interests. Currently, he is 

interested in new issues raised regarding the tort of invasion of 

privacy and whether its recognition is constitutionally 

permissible; and he is working on an article arguing negligence 

as a three element and not a four element tort since the 

concepts of duty and proximate cause are 

empirically identical even though they are 

considered different. Rory has already 

published a number of articles primarily 

focusing on maritime law; and he is currently 

interested in the reverse Erie doctrine and the 

effect of arbitration law on the traditional 

choice of forum available to admiralty 

claimants. 

Rory will begin his tenure-track position at 

Washburn University School of Law in 

August of this year. He will teach Torts, 

Federal Courts, Civil Procedure, and Real 

Estate Transactions. It comes as no surprise 

that this talented and dynamic educator should 

become St. Thomas University School of 

Law’s first graduate to earn a tenure-track post 

at a law school. 

His advice to anyone who would like to 

follow in his footsteps and bring the law to 

life for future generations as a professor is 

this: graduate high in your law school class, 

publish, practice law before teaching it, and 

for the students’ sake, make sure you love 

teaching and enjoy working with students. 

Most importantly, be humble and be open to 

arguments from the students. “Some of the 

most challenging and progressive arguments 

regarding the very foundations of how I perceive the law have 

come from student’s questions in the classroom,” says Rory. 

“Finally, I would like to thank the students, faculty, and 

administration at St. Thomas University School of Law for 

giving me the opportunity to do what I thoroughly enjoy doing. 

Teaching is so rewarding—watching learning happen before 

your eyes, knowing that the students appreciate your efforts to 

make the law contextually relevant, and learning from your own 

students.” A leader as a law student, Rory is now a trailblazer in 

legal education. 


27

Giving Back 

Alumni support St. Thomas University 

School of Law by giving back in various ways. 

Here are a few personal stories... 

maybe you can create your own. 

SUPPORT YOUR 

ORGANIZATION 

Danna Magloire ’07 

An active student at the law school, Danna Magloire 

served as president of the Black Law Student 

Association. She was also a member of the St. 

Thomas More Society and coordinated our annual 

Red Mass program, working with our alumni in the 

judiciary. Our alumni have been mentors to Danna, 

and she received the Dan Bradley scholarship which 

is funded in part by alumni donations. “After 

graduation I plan to stay connected with the students 

particularly by giving to the Black Law Students 

Association which gave me so much when I was at 

St. Thomas.” Danna plans to one day work as an 

attorney within government agencies. 

SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL 

Tim Dunfey ’06 

Providing counsel to a South Florida bank, Tim is 

just starting his legal career. “I believe a strong 

alumni association makes my degree more valuable. I 

compare the St. Thomas University School of Law 

Alumni Association with that of my undergraduate 

school, the University of Florida. First, I have seen 

how gigantic donations have improved UF and I 

know STU needs the money even more since our 

Alumni Association is so much smaller. Any 

donations I make to St. Thomas will make a greater 

impact. Second, because the STU Law Alumni 

Association is so small, the affinity created by this 

sense of community is better for building business 

contacts and finding potential clients.” 

Danna Magloire and Tim Dunfey volunteering at the law school’s Spring Golf Fling in 2006. 

28 


SUPPORT YOUR STUDENTS 

Leanne Polk ’01 

As a past member of the Law School Board of 

Advisors and a current member of the Law Alumni 

Council, Leanne continues to stay active with the law 

school. “As a student I received scholarships including 

the Jamie Harkins scholarship. I was so grateful for the 

assistance, and I understand the importance of giving 

back. So now when I donate to the law school I 

earmark the gift for scholarships, including the fund in 

honor of Jamie.” Leanne is a member of the state bars 

of Florida and Texas. 

SUPPORT YOUR 

COMMUNITY 

Guillermo (Wil) Senmartin ’99 

Understanding the importance of giving back to his 

community, Wil Senmartin was more than willing to 

assist when a group of STU Law students and alumni 

participated in a local Habitat for Humanity project. 

The organization needed hammers added to their toolbox, so Wil provided the funds for the law school to 

purchase these items. “I give back because I think STU is an excellent school that is beginning to be 

recognized in the legal community. My experience at STU was a positive one where I thought the smaller 

classes and friendlier atmosphere were beneficial to the study of law. Locally our reputation is positive, and 

we are slowly making a global name for ourselves. If we give to the University in ways that help the PR 

effort, we also give back to ourselves in 

the long run.” Wil practices primarily 

immigration law out of his own law firm. 

To find out how you can support the law 

school and its students, please contact the 

Office of Alumni Affairs at (305) 474- 

2466 or lawalumni@stu.edu. 

To donate online, visit 

www.stu.edu/lawgiving. Remember your 

donation can be allocated to the fund of 

your choice. Thank you for your support. 


29

Alumni Awards 

Reception Honors 

Outstanding 

Alumni Leaders 

Flavia Carnevale ’90, Martha Arias ’02, Jennifer Harley, and Executive 

Director of the Graduate Program in Human Rights, Roza Pati 

Danna Magloire ’07, University Provost Dr. Gregory Chan, Manolo Reboso ’09, 

Vice President for University Advancement and Marketing and Communications 

Beverly Bachrach, Carlos Santisteban ’09, and Vice Provost Susan Angulo 

Msgr. Franklyn Casale, Professor and former Dean John 

Makdisi, Dean Alfredo Garcia, Professor and former Interim 

Dean Fred Light, and former Dean Bob Butterworth 

Ryan Zagare ’06 and Brett Barfield ’99 

30 


1987 

MIKKI CANTON ’87 

received the Valor Award from 

the American Diabetes Society 

for her staunch support and 

tireless efforts. She was also 

selected for inclusion in the 

2007 edition of the Best 

Lawyers in America. 

ROBERT JENNINGS ’87 

is a senior partner of Jennings 

and Kon, P.A. 

RAFAEL ROCA ’87 

was the 2006-07 recipient of 

The Distinguished Alumnus 

Award at the February 1, 2007 

Alumni Awards Reception. 

REYDEL SANTOS ’87 

has recently joined the Century 

Home Title, Inc. team as a real 

estate consultant. Santos is also 

president of Miami Property 

Investments, Inc. and is actively 

involved as a real estate 

developer and investor in both 

South Florida and overseas. 

1991 

J. DAVID GENTLE ’91 

is celebrating his seventh year as 

a partner of Longworth and 

Gentle in Orlando, Florida. 

1992 

JOHN ROCCO CAPRA ’92 

was awarded The Arête Award 

for his professional excellence, 

dedication to public service, 

social justice and citizenship at 

the February 1, 2007 Alumni 

Awards Reception. A member 

of the Navy JAG Reserve 

Corps he was unable to attend 

the ceremony since he had been 

called up for active duty in 

Guantanamo. We wish him a 

safe tour of duty. 

JOHN J. GORAN ’92, 

partner in the Miami office of 

Wicker, Smith, O’Hara, McCoy, 

Graham & Ford, P.A., was 

named among the “Top Up and 

Comers” for medical 

malpractice and liability defense 

in the South Florida Legal 

Guide’s 2007 listing. 

1993 

EVAN M. OSTFELD ’93 

founded Staum & Ostfeld, P.A., 

in January 2006. With satellite 

offices throughout Florida, the 

firm specializes in worker’s 

compensation, personal injury, 

social security, and admiralty 

issues. Evan is also the very 

proud father of two sons, 

Shane, age 4 (future class of 

2027), and Brandon, age 2 

(future class of 2029). 

SHARI MCCARTNEY ’93 

was recently named partner at 

Tripp Scott in Fort Lauderdale. 

NICHOLAS ROMANELLO 

’93 

was appointed Legal Counsel to 

the Health Care District of 

Palm Beach County. 

LISA M. SCHILLER ’93, 

partner with Rice Pugatch 

Robinson & Schiller, P.A. in 

Fort Lauderdale, has been 

appointed vice chair of the 

Business Law Section of the 

Florida Bar’s Bankruptcy 

Judicial Liaison Committee. 

1994 

MARK ROMANCE ’94 

of Richman Greer Weil 

Brumbaugh Mirabito & 

Christensen was appointed to 

the 11th Circuit Judicial 

Nominating Committee by 

former Governor Jeb Bush. 

EVELIO RUBIELLA ’94 

has been recalled to active duty 

in the Navy JAG Corps for one 

year beginning in October 2006, 

temporarily taking him away 

from his position as Assistant 

General Counsel at the Library 

of Congress in Washington, 

D.C. Evelio will be working for 

the Department of Defense, 

Criminal Investigative Task 

Force, and assigned to 

prosecute cases under the new 

Military Commissions law. He 

will return to the Library of 

Congress in October 2007. 

1995 

LYNDA MYERS BARACK ’95 

specializing in criminal appeals 

and post conviction matters, 

has opened her own firm in 

Tampa, Lynda Myers Barack, 

P.A. Her husband, Ryan, 


31

practices labor and employment 

law in Clearwater. Their son, 

Benjamin, born June 2005, has 

yet to decide which area of 

practice most interests him. 

1996 

DAN DOLAN ’96 

announces the opening of his 

firm’s new offices on Brickell 

Key at 501 Brickell Key Drive, 

Suite 210-A. 

SPENCER T. KUVIN ’96 

of Ricci Leopold in Palm Beach 

Gardens recently won a 5.2 

million dollar judgment against 

Geico on behalf of his client 

following a five-day trial in Palm 

Beach. 

JARED LOPEZ ’96 

was recently named partner at 

Black, Srebnick, Kornspan & 

Stumpf, P.A. 

LAWRENCE (LARRY) 

MARTIN ’96 

has recently accepted a new 

position with the National 

Basketball Association as the 

Director of Team Technology 

and Relationship Marketing. 

Larry is excited about rejoining 

the NBA family. 

ANDREW J. PINEIRO ’96 

announces that the offices of 

Pineiro, Wortman & Byrd have 

moved to Jupiter, Florida. Brett 

Elam '92 works for the same 

firm. 

CHAD WHITFIELD ’96 

has returned to Hunter, Smith 

& Davis, working in their 

Johnson City and Kingsport, 

TN, offices. Chad, his wife, 

Lisa, and their three children 

live in Johnson City. 

1997 

RICHARD G. (RICK) 

DETOTO ’97, 

a former Harris County, Texas, 

prosecutor is enjoying the 

challenges of his work as a 

defense attorney with his own 

practice since 2001. He is no 

stranger to handling high profile 

cases before the Houston courts 

such as the man sentenced for 

the arson fire of ex-Enron chief 

Andrew Fastow, and most 

recently a 16 year old accused of 

a fatal stabbing during a gang 

fight. Rick and his wife and 

three year old daughter are 

proud to announce the birth of 

Richard Alessandro DeToto 

(Class of 2027) on July 26, 2006. 

JEFFREY MARC FRIEDMAN 

’97 

shares that he is now an integral 

member of the firm of 

Vassallo, Bilotta, Friedman & 

Davis of Palm Springs 

(formerly Vassallo & Bilotta). 

Congratulations, Jeff. 

ROBERTO RAMIREZ ’97 

has his own law practice, 

Roberto Ramirez, P.A., that 

specializes in workers 

compensation and personal injury. 

1998 

AARON M. COHEN ’98 

has merged his firm with John 

L. Papera to create Cohen & 

Papera, LLC, with offices in 

Broward and Palm Beach 

counties, New York and New 

Jersey. The firm specializes in 

criminal defense, real estate title 

and escrow, and general 

litigation. 

JOSEPH COPELAND ’98, 

with JAG Corps since 2001, has 

moved from Atlanta and is 

currently assigned to the Fort 

Myers, Florida area. He would 

love to hear from classmates. 

PATRICK F. KISSANE ’98 

has moved from the Bristol 

West Insurance Group to join 

the George Hartz Law Firm in 

Fort Lauderdale as an associate. 

ALICIA M. PHIDD ’98, 

founder of Xaymaica Law 

Center, P.A., Palm Harbor, 

Florida, is very busy these days 

keeping up with the needs of 

her clients and her work as 

general counsel for the Pinellas 

County Democratic Election 

Committee. 

CHRISTINE REIS ’98 

was the 2006-07 recipient of 

The Distinguished Alumna 


Alumni Awards Reception held 

at the Mellon Financial Center. 

32 


Law Day 2007 

Celebrates 

Student Scholarship 

and 

Scholarship Donors 

Michael Torres is congratulated for earning five book 

awards by Dean Garcia 

Kathleen Moore accepts five book 

awards from Dean Garcia 

Hank Coxe, President of The Florida Bar 

addresses the audience 

Chris Pardo, who earned five book 

awards, is congratulated by Dean 

Garcia 

Harold and Jennifer Gabel with student Neil Opdahl, 

recipient of the Harold W. “Butch” Gabel III St. Thomas 

More Award 

Esther Atkins with Autumn Houston, recipient of the 

C. Clyde Atkins Memorial Endowed Scholarship 


33

Toys for Tots 

Alumni Reception 

December 2006 

US Marine Corps representatives with former Dean Bob Butterworth, 

Karen Guito ’98, former Associate Dean George Sheldon, and event 

sponsor Joshua Hertz ’01. 

Director of Alumni Relations Amanda Blackledge ’03 and 

Inna Shulkin ’06 

Raquel Campos ’03 and JC Perez ’04 

Tameka Grantham ’05 and Nico Romano ’05 

Michael Lascelle ’06 and Grace Larrain 

34 


1999 

TIM HUGHES ’99 

was named a partner with 

Akerman Senterfitt in Tampa in 

October 2006. 

VICTORIA DEL PINO ’99 

is the newest member of the 

elite group of St. Thomas 

alumni to sit on the bench. She 

was formally sworn in as a 

Miami-Dade County Court 

judge on Friday, February 2, 

2007. We congratulate her and 

wish her a successful tenure. 

2000 

ANTONIO ROCA ’00 

has partnered with Eric A. 

Gonzalez to form 

RocaGonzalez, P.A., of Miami. 

The firm specializes in 

commercial litigation and real 

estate transactions. 

PAUL ROYAL ’00 

has formed the Patent Guild, in 

Winter Springs, Florida, 

providing contract patent and 

product development services. 

2001 

COLETTE CORCORAN ’01 

AND MICHAEL ELKINS ’01 

announce that they have moved 

their firm, Corcoran & Elkins, 

LLP, from downtown Fort 

Lauderdale to offices in Davie. 

PETER EGAN ’01 

and his wife, Christie, welcomed 

their first child, Grace Addison, 

to their new home in Panama 

City, Florida, where Peter is now 

practicing in the area of liability 

and worker’s compensation 

defense. He is with Kelley, 

Kronenberg, Gilmartin, Fichtel 

& Wander and is the Managing 

Attorney of the Panama City 

office. 

JOSHUA HERTZ ’01 

was elected Treasurer of the 

Dade County Bar Association 

Young Lawyers Section for 

2006-2007. Josh again 

sponsored the annual Toys for 

Tots drive on November 16, 

2006 at the Gordon Biersch 

Brewery in Miami. This year’s 

campaign exceeded last year’s by 

over 25%. We add our thanks 

and appreciation to that of the 

Toys for Tots campaign and the 

children who will have a better 

holiday season, for his 

continued dedication to this 

wonderful cause. Josh was also 

the 2006-07 recipient of the 

Outstanding Young Alumnus 


Alumni Awards Reception held 

at the Mellon Financial Center. 

CHRISTOPHER RADDATZ 

’01 

has joined FennimoreCraig of 

Phoenix, Arizona. Christopher 

will specialize in commercial 

real estate transactions and 

federal taxation. 

2002 

JEFF LAWLEY ’02 

has moved to Hinshaw and 

Culbertson, LLP in Fort 

Lauderdale where he joins 

Tammy Green ’03 and Otto 

Espino ’95. 

SUSAN RODGER ’02, 

an Assistant Public Defender in 

Panama City, Florida, has 

recently been promoted to the 

felony division and is also 

working in one of the Public 

Defender Offices adult felony 

divisions. 

2003 

CECILIA ARMENTEROS- 

CHAVEZ ’03 

has left Buckner, Schifrin, Rice 

& Etter, P.A., to open her own 

firm, Cecilia Armenteros, P.A., 

on Biscayne Boulevard in 

Miami. 

RORY BAHADUR ’03, 

currently STU Law School’s 

Director of the Academic 

Support Program, has accepted 

a tenure track teaching position 

at Washburn University School 

of Law in Topeka, Kansas. He 

is the first STU Law School 

graduate to obtain a tenuretrack 

law school faculty 

position. We are sorry to see 

him leave and wish him all the 

very best at his new school. 


35

AMANDA BLACKLEDGE ’03 

will be leaving St. Thomas after 

serving three years as the 

Director of Alumni Affairs for 

the law school. She recently 

wed Craig Haugh, a landscape 

architect, who has accepted a 

position in Georgia. Amanda, 

originally from Georgia, looks 

forward to joining him there 

and opening her own practice. 

ERICA L. DUNMYER ’03 

has moved from KPMG and 

joined Tripp Scott in Fort 

Lauderdale as an associate. 

CHERYL FLOWERS ’03 AND 

ALICIA PAULINO-GRISHAM 

’03 

have joined forces to form 

Flowers Paulino-Grisham, P.A., 

located in Lantana, Florida. 

Their firm specializes in 

disability and family law issues. 

SUZANNE KOPULOS ’03 

has moved from the National 

Center for Healthcare 

Leadership (Chicago) to Aon 

Corporation as a Compliance 

Monitor. Additionally, Suzanne 

has opened her own 

entrepreneurial venture, Boujie 

Baby Couture, an upscale diaper 

bag collection for mothers. 

2004 

The entire St. Thomas 

community extends its heartfelt 

condolences to DANIELLE 

RIZZO-MANTELLI ’04, 

whose husband was killed 

tragically in a water accident last 

year. Danielle assures everyone 

that she is keeping busy as a 

partner in the firm, Stafford & 

Rizzo-Mantelli in Coral Springs, 

and as a principle in both 

Ridgewood Title of South 

Florida and Premier Mortgage 

Funding. 

CARLOS CAVENAGO, III ’04 

has joined Parvey & Frankel of 

Fort Myers. 

CASSANDRA JEFFRIES ’04, 

an associate at Luks, Santaniello, 

Perez, Petrillo & Gold, recently 

addressed an Orlando group of 

claims professionals, speaking 

on evaluating and defending 

automobile soft tissue claims 

and defense strategies under 

Florida’s no-fault law. 

Show your Pride! Purchase an STU License Plate! 

The next time you renew your Florida license plate, 

buy a St. Thomas University tag and show your pride in 

your alma mater, and support the University at the same 

time. 

Your purchase of an STU tag supports academic 

programs and student scholarships. And the cost is 

only $27 in addition to the regular tag fee. 

Purchasing your tag is now easier than ever. 

Simply go to http://www.stu.edu/licenseplate and you 

can buy your tag online. If you have any questions, 

call the Alumni Office at (305) 474-2466 or e-mail us 

at lawalumni@stu.edu. 

36 


Palm Beach 

Event Honors 

Dean Garcia 

Law School Board of Advisor member Steven Dell, Msgr. Franklyn 

Casale, and Philip Mugavero 

Bryan Raymond, Spencer Kuvin ’96, Ted Leopold, and 

Jennifer Kuvin ’96 

Lawrence Buck ’97, Rafael Roca ’87, and Carlo 

D’Angelo ’97 

Associate Dean Cece Dykas, Michael O’Rourke, and 

Edward Ricci, Jr. 

Ed Ricci and Msgr. Franklyn Casale 


37

2005 

RAYMOND CARRERO ’05 

is an associate with Albert D. 

Rey of Miami working in real 

estate litigation. 

MARISOL GOMEZ ’05 

has joined Gamba & Lombana 

of Miami as an associate 

specializing in personal injury 

practice. Marisol was also 

elected to the Board of 

Directors for the Miami Dade 

FAWL chapter. 

DR. PATRICIA SHARPE ’05, 

currently Professor of 

International Relations at 

Broward Community College, 

will be a presenter at the 

Oxford Round Table. 

MILVA SINKS ’05 

left for northern California 

following graduation, where 

Liam Richard Aupperlee was 

born on Thanksgiving Day, 

November 23, 2006. In 

December 2006, Milva, Lenny 

and son, Liam, moved to 

Fairfax, Virginia where Lenny is 

a consultant for IPVision 

Software. Milva is currently a 

Portuguese and Spanish Legal 

Research Analyst for the Library 

of Congress and plans to take 

the D.C. Bar in July. Meanwhile, 

Liam is practicing sitting, 

crawling, and riding his own 

Harley. 

2006 

MELISSA BUTTON ’06, 

formerly an intern with the 

Broward State Attorney’s Office 

has joined Tripp Scott of Fort 

Lauderdale as a general litigation 

attorney. 

BRENT CHUDACHEK ’06 

has recently joined the firm of 

Corcoran & Elkins, LLP, as an 

associate. 

RYAN ZAGARE ’06 

has joined Herron, Jacobs, Ortiz 

as an associate. 

In Memoriam 

JUSTIN THOMAS STEEL, 

CLASS OF 2008 

ESTEBAN VENTURA, 

CLASS OF 2009 

PROFESSOR KENNETH 

FELDMAN 

Help Wanted! 

The Law School is interested in hiring a law school 

graduate to fill the position of 

Director of Alumni Affairs. 

Anyone interested should contact 

Lenore Prado in the Human Resources office at 

(305) 628-6514 or lprado@stu.edu. 

Alumni 

Information 

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE 

Let your fellow classmates 

know what is new with you. 

Submit a class note today 

online at 

www.stu.edu/lawschool or 

call (305) 474-2466 or e-mail 

lawalumni@stu.edu. 

UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS 

Be sure to keep receiving 

The Lawyer magazine and 

other STU Law mail. Update 

your address online using our 

online community at 

http://lawalumni.stu.edu or 

call (305) 474-2463. 

MENTOR AN STU LAW 

STUDENT 

Our Mentoring Program is 

seeking STU Law alumni and 

other attorneys with at least 

six years of practice to 

mentor second and third year 

St. Thomas law students. 

For more information or an 

application, call (305) 474- 

2433 or email 

mmkreuz@stu.edu. 

38 


Calendar of Events 

June 28 

July 24-25 

September 20 

October 25 

November 8 

November 15 

December 15 

February 5 

February 21 

February 26-27 

March 27 

May 2 

Reception at the Florida Bar Annual Meeting in Orlando 

Honoring Hank Coxe, President of The Florida Bar 

6:30-7:30 at the Orlando World Center Marriott 

RSVP to (305) 474-2466 or e-mail lawalumni@stu.edu 

You do not need to be registered for the Meeting to attend this event. 

Bar Exam Luncheons at Tampa Marriott Waterside 

11:30 am - 1:00pm 

Reservations Required-- Call (305) 474-2466 or e-mail lawalumni@stu.edu 

Annual St. Thomas Law School Red Mass 

12:15 p.m. with luncheon to follow. Keynote speaker, Anthony Karrat 

Chapel of St. Anthony 

Distinguished Speaker The Honorable Rosemary Barkett 

Noon in the Moot Court Room 

CLE credit offered. No RSVP necessary 

Distinguished Speaker Stanley Tate 



Annual Toys for Tots Law Alumni Holiday Party 

Law School Graduation with speaker 

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum 

Annual Alumni Awards Reception 

Distinguished Speaker Paul Marcus 



Bar Exam Luncheons 

Distinguished Speaker Grace Becker 



Golf Tournament at Jacaranda Country Club 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IN 2009, THE LAW SCHOOL WILL CELEBRATE ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY 

WITH A HOST OF ACTIVITIES CULMINATING IN AN ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND IN OCTOBER! 

For more information on any upcoming events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 

(305) 474-2466 or email lawalumni@stu.edu. 


39

Alumni Update Form 

Name 

Home Address 

Year 

City, State, Zip 

Home Phone 

Firm/Company Name 

Business Address 

Title 

City, State, Zip 

Business Phone 

Business Fax 

Preferred Address Business Home 

E-mail Address 

Please take a moment to tell us what is new with you for the next issue of The Lawyer. 

I would like to become involved with STU School of Law as a: 

Mentor to an STU Law student 

Resource for helping to recruit prospective students 

Career Resource for graduating law students and recent graduates 

Judge for Moot Court and Mock Trial competitions 

Volunteer for Law School 25th Anniversary Celebration Committee 

Please clip and return this form to: 

Director of Alumni Relations 

St. Thomas University School of Law 

16401 NW 37 Avenue, Miami Gardens, FL 33054 

Fax: (305) 623-2357 E-mail: lawalumni@stu.edu Phone: (305) 474-2466 

40 


Leaders have the courage and compassion to make a difference 

16401 NW 37th Avenue 

Miami Gardens, FL 33054 

www.stu.edu/lawschool 

NON-PROFIT 

ORGANIZATION 

U.S. POSTAGE PAID 

PERMIT NO. 1259 

SOUTH FLORIDA FACILITY

leading the way - St. Thomas University

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