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CLASS NOTESBedell 861986Frank M. Bedell of Orlando hasbecome chair of the Trial LawyersSection of The Florida Bar. Bedell haspreviously served the bar as presidentof the Young Lawyers Division andas chair of the 2003 Annual MeetingCommittee.Lynne Borsuk of Atlanta, Ga. hasbeen elected president of the GeorgiaAssociation of Criminal Defense Lawyers.the Florida Justice Association for hiscontributions on behalf of the FJA’slegislative efforts. Benrubi has beennamed as one of the 2008 FloridaLegal Elite and has also been includedin Florida Super Lawyers for the thirdconsecutive year.Scott E. Ray was recently appointedas a deputy chief in the Major CrimesSection for the United States Attorney’sOffice in the Southern District of Florida.1989Amy U. Hickman of DelrayBeach was awarded the FloridaAdoption Council’s highest honor,the Adoption Star Award, for herwork in the area of adoption.David P. Milian was selectedas one of the Best Lawyers inAmerica in the specialty ofCommercial Litigation.Borsuk 86Ruffier 86Finney 87McMillan 87Nostro 87Hickman 89Elizabeth Green, of the Orlando firmLatham, Shuker, Eden, and Beaudinewas named to Florida Trend magazine’sFlorida Legal Elite.William E. Ruffier, a partner with thelaw firm Dellecker, Wilson, King, McKenna& Ruffier, has been appointedgeneral counsel for the Boy Scoutsof America, Central Florida Council.He also serves on the organization’sexecutive board and holds the rank ofEagle Scout.1987Madonna M. Finney of Tallahasseewas awarded the Florida AdoptionCouncil’s highest honor, the AdoptionStar Award, for her work in the area ofadoption.Tuwana J. McMillan was named byFlorida Super Lawyers magazine as atop attorney in Florida for 2008. Shealso began a one-year term as chair ofthe Workers’ Compensation section ofThe Florida Bar on July 1.Louis Nostro was named to the BestLawyers in America Guide 2009 inthe areas of Tax Law and Trusts &Estates.1988Jaqueline Bozzuto was named byFlorida Super Lawyers magazine as atop attorney in Florida for 2008.Cathryn A. Mitchell has become partnerwith Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman.in New York, and will be spearheadingthe firm’s new office in Princeton.cam@cll.comRichard M. Benrubi, a partner atLiggio, Benrubi & Williams in WestPalm Beach, received the LegislativeLeadership “Shoe Leather” Award byDelray Beach City CommissionerMackenson ‘Mack’ Bernard (JD 02 / LLMT 03)Mackenson ‘Mack’ Bernardstepped into political officethis August fulfilling a call toserve he’s felt since high school andsetting a first, not just for himself, butfor many in Palm Beach County, Fla.When Bernard (JD 02 / LLMT 03)accepted appointment to the DelrayBeach City Commission this summer,he became the first person of Haitiandescent to hold political office in thecounty. Although about 10 percent ofDelray Beach’s population is of Haitiandescent, he is among fewer thana dozen persons of Haitian descent tohold political office anywhere in thestate of Florida.“I love Delray Beach and I wanteda chance to make it a little bit better, togive something back,” Bernard said. “Iwas raised in Delray Beach and I spentmost of my life in Delray Beach.”Bernard emigrated to Delray Beachfrom Haiti in 1986 at the age of 10.After earning his undergraduatedegree in political science and criminologyfrom Florida State Universityin 1997, Bernard came to the Universityof Florida to earn his JD and LLMin taxation.At UF, Bernard also met his wifeShawntoyia N. Bernard (JD 03) andpartner at Bernard & Auguste, ParnelD. Auguste (JD 05).“My professors really pushed meto consider tax law and they nurturedme to follow my goal,” he said. “Theskills that they taught me are the skillsBernardthat I’m using at the city commission.”As the only attorney on the commission,Bernard’s education at UF andwork through his firm, which primarilyfocuses on tax, real estate and familylaw, have prepared him to deal with thecity’s home foreclosure woes.Bernard has several goals duringhis time on the commission. He plansto help bring more affordable housingto the city. He will work to help the citydeal with the budget crunch and workto make several streets in the city safer.Bernard took the place of a commissionerwho stepped down midterm.In his first political office, he saidhe still has a lot to learn but is happy tobe a public servant. His political ambitionsremain focused on being a commissionerfor now as he plans to runfor the commission seat in March.“I’m a public servant, the peoplewill decide,” Bernard said. ■50 UF LAW
Making the cut Scott Sheftall (JD 76)BY IAN FISHERScott D. Sheftall (JD 76) hadn’tseriously golfed for 35 yearsbefore he decided to pick up hisclubs and play in a few tournamentqualifiers.Sheftall entered a 2008 SeniorU.S. Open sectional qualifier inBoynton Beach, Fla., on June 27. Tosay he didn’t expect to qualify wouldbe an understatement.Sheftall birdied the 18th hole toforce a sudden-death playoff to qualifyfor the Senior U.S. Open, whichwas held at Broadmoor in ColoradoSprings, Colo. On the third hole of theplayoff, he and his wife Regina, whowas caddying, walked up to the greenand couldn’t believe what they saw.“It was a pretty special moment,”Sheftall said. “I turned to my wife aswe walked up to the green and sawthat I only had a one-and-a-half-footputt, and I told her, ‘It looks likewe’re going to Colorado, baby.’ ”Sheftall sank the short putt, andhe and his wife were off to Coloradofor practice rounds on July 28.Sheftall practiced with former Gatorgolfer Andy Bean, whom he hadcoincidentally played against as anundergraduate at Davidson College.And although Sheftall didn’t makethe cut or even play his best, he willnever forget the trip.“It was an amazing, once-in-alifetimeexperience, one that I trulynever expected to happen to me giventhe fact that I hadn’t really playedserious golf for about 35 years sincecollege, until about two summers ago,when I decided I would play in a fewtournament qualifiers,” Sheftall said.“Once I qualified and went to ColoradoSprings with my wife for theU.S. Open, I was awestruck by howwonderful it was to play in a nationalchampionship — to be inside theropes, to be in the locker room withthe great players, and to just enjoy theentire spectacle, which I did.”Sheftall’s extra confidence duringthe qualifying tournament came bothfrom watching his alma mater Davidsonin an unlikely NCAA BasketballTournament run and from having hiswife at his side the whole tournament.“I got to see what Coach BobMcKillop of Davidson was gettingat when he was telling his playersabout the importance of translating adream into a belief, a genuine belief,and not just a wish,” Sheftall said.“To see the players buy into his philosophyof competition and actuallymake it happen with limited talentwas very inspiring and it really sort ofgalvanized in me a new sense of confidence.… That coupled with the factthat my wife Regina caddied for mein the qualifier. She had never seenme play competitive golf before; shehad never caddied for anyone. Buthaving someone believe in me and bethere to keep me calm and focusedand to persevere through leg crampsand everything — I think that was thefinal secret ingredient that made therecipe for success work.”Back in his day job, Sheftall isa trial lawyer for Sheftall & Torres,P.A, which he founded in 1996, andhis practice is mostly complex civillitigation. The firm has developedan affinity for issues involving childrenafter Sheftall hooked up withDr. R. Rodney Howell, the chairmanemeritus of pediatrics at the Universityof Miami. Howell is also aDavidson graduate.Sheftall is very involved withchildren-related community service,and his wife teaches elementaryschool in inner-city Miami.“Not too many people could understandand still can’t understandwhy an ardent Gator like myself— I’ve been a Gator since I was 5years old — could be contributingso much to the University of Miami,”Sheftall said. “But I’ve lived downhere for 30 years. As I said, the invitationI received from Dr. Howell,who was a Davidson graduate, gotme involved. I do have a passion forchildren’s health care and believe thatlawyers should be involved in theircommunities in a positive and visibleway. For all those reasons, it justsolidified a connection with the Universityof Miami down here, whichScott Sheftall claps on his way to thefourth hole of the U.S. Senior Open,held at the legendary Broadmoor golfcourse in Colorado Springs, Colo.“I was awestruck by how wonderfulit was to play in a national championship— to be inside the ropes... andto just enjoy the entire spectacle.”was about as unlikely as me qualifyingfor the U.S. Open.”But Sheftall is still a Gator atheart. His father went to UF in the1930s, when it was an all men’sschool with about 2,300 students,he said.Sheftall grew up in Jacksonvilleand came to many historic Gatorgames over the years. He attendedthe game against Auburn in whichSteve Spurrier kicked a game-winningfield goal to clinch the 1966Heisman Trophy.Sheftall even named his twoboykin spaniel retrievers Tebowand Saurian, which fans used to callGator football players. A saurianis an ancient ancestor to modernreptiles.“If there were any doubt in yourmind about my allegiance to theUniversity of Florida in spite of mycomments about Davidson and theUniversity of Miami, that shouldput it to rest,” Sheftall said. “You’llnote that I did not name my dogsWildcat and Hurricane.” ■FALL 2008 51
Page 1 and 2: UF LAWUNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FREDRIC
Page 3 and 4: UF LAW Vol. 45, Issue 1 FALL 2008CO
Page 5 and 6: “We openedin 1909 with 38students
Page 7 and 8: question, but it was probably theon
Page 9 and 10: UF Conservation ClinicTeams Up With
Page 11 and 12: “I feel very strongly that casewa
Page 13 and 14: Fifty years ago one man changed the
Page 15 and 16: Early newspaperaccounts of George H
Page 17 and 18: “The first lesson is this: Take i
Page 19 and 20: I should certify in time according
Page 21 and 22: high court’s decision as final an
Page 23 and 24: AP PHOTO/J.PAT CARTEREarly voters c
Page 25 and 26: tender age of 18, where he became a
Page 27 and 28: Allen, left, and Andrew Hallreturne
Page 29 and 30: In the old Alligator Alley, AndyOwe
Page 31 and 32: Brenda Owens-Philhower with herdaug
Page 33 and 34: DAVID GRUNFELD/THE TIMES-PICAYUNEPe
Page 35 and 36: Homes in the Pontchartrain Parkneig
Page 37 and 38: PART I:Making the case forelectroni
Page 39 and 40: PART II:Discoveringe-discoveryBY IA
Page 41 and 42: which could force delays throughout
Page 43 and 44: some big problems with the juvenile
Page 45 and 46: Florida TomorrowThe Campaign for th
Page 47 and 48: CLASS NOTESShare your newsThe e-mai
Page 49 and 50: The magic touchDerek Bruce (JD/MBA
Page 51: COURTROOM SKETCH COURTESY OF DANA V
Page 55 and 56: A man of firstsAlfredo Garcia (JD 8
Page 57 and 58: Pro bono pays offJason Lazarus (JD
Page 59 and 60: Golden opportunityEvelyn Davis Gold
Page 62 and 63: As chair of the Law CenterAssociati
Page 64 and 65: Financial SummaryOF GIVING JULY 1,
Page 66 and 67: I loved my time at UF as an undergr
Page 68 and 69: John M. GilliesDaniel J. GlassmanMa
Page 70 and 71: While on our life’s journey, we m
Page 72 and 73: Gary L. & Suzanne Printy*J. Stephen
Page 74 and 75: Greg & Sonya BrownJoshua R. & Monic
Page 76 and 77: Ross T. & Silvana LessackChauncey W
Page 78 and 79: As a May 2006 graduate, I spent hal
Page 81 and 82: M. Stephen Smith IIIRodney W. Smith
Page 83 and 84: Douglas A. SmithH. Bradley StaggsGe
Page 85 and 86: Enrichment SocietySara S. BeckerJoh
Page 87 and 88: PartnersDavid H. PeekJohn J. Scrogg
Page 89 and 90: NOTAS BENEFaculty Scholarship & Act
Page 91 and 92: NOTAS BENEAlyson FlournoyUF Researc
Page 93 and 94: NOTAS BENE■ Presented “When the
Page 95 and 96: NOTAS BENE■ Participated in “Ne
Page 97 and 98: NOTAS BENEroundtable, Northwestern
Page 99 and 100: UP AND COMINGUF Law Student Wins Di

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