NSU Law Student Newsletter - April 2020
NSU Law hopes that you and your families, friends and colleagues are healthy and are safe during this difficult time. We are very proud of our entire community as we continue to show patience, kindness and a healthy attitude toward each other while we all continue to shelter in place.

After a return to our recent historical levels of bar passage, we acknowledge disappointing Florida results released this April 2020. While we congratulate the alumni who passed the bars in all states, we are committed to ensuring that number continues to grow. We recognize that the commitment and effort needed to pass the bar must come from the hard work and dedication of each test taker, but the faculty and staff of NSU Law are working to ensure that our students and alumni have every tool possible to succeed. We have expanded our bar preparation programs, coaching, and tutoring to those alumni who need to take and retake the bar.

For the coming Bar administrations, NSU Law has rolled out many new initiatives. We are further personalizing the support that we provide to each of our bar takers, recognizing that each person’s study circumstances are unique. We have developed comprehensive and innovative supportive programming to enhance our alumni’s studies in their commercial bar courses, and we are prepared to provide that support in whatever format – in person or online – and on whatever timeline is required by the COVID-19 uncertainty. Through these many efforts, NSU Law remains committed to providing top-quality legal education, bar preparation, and training to serve in the legal profession.
NSU Law US News and World Report
Specialty Rankings Triple in 5 years
In five years, the NSU Law specialty rankings have tripled. This is a testament to the creative and dynamic method that NSU Law faculty and staff share their knowledge and scholarship as well as the NSU Law students and alumni that support NSU and NSU Law.

Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Shepard Broad College of Law Legal Research and Writing Program has been ranked 18th nationally, our Trial Advocacy Program moved up more than 50 spots and is now ranked 50th nationally and our Health Law Program is ranked 54th nationally and tied for the highest ranked program in Florida by U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the NSU Law Part-Time Law program is now ranked in the top of 50 Law School programs

These successes are due to the teaching, scholarship, and broad interdisciplinary engagement of the NSU Law faculty, staff and NSU leadership. “Our faculty, across multiple areas have developed exemplary national programs in these important, practice ready specialties,” said Debra Moss Vollweiler, Interim Dean of the law school. “They bring their national expertise into the classroom and community on a daily basis.” As experts in their field, the faculty in these programs continue to focus on student success through engaging research and national symposiums, conferences and publications.
Legal Research and Writing
Student Outreach Program Recognized
The Legal Research and Writing (LRW) Student Outreach Program has been awarded the 2020 Group Professionalism Award by The Florida Bar . This is the first LRW program recognized by The Florida Bar.

The LRW Student Outreach Committee is a special volunteer working group of LRW Faculty designed to target first-year law students by reinforcing legal research and writing skills with a concentration on professionalism. Since 2013, the program has provided an opportunity for NSU Law Students to focus on writing and wellness, citation, oral advocacy, interviewing, time management, ethics and legal networking with local lawyers and judges. Each year, the program offers highly interactive workshops. It also allows upper-level students opportunities for “near peer” mentoring with the 1Ls. The LRW Student Outreach Committee is comprised of LRW Faculty committed to the discipline of LRW and student-centered instruction. Professor Joe Hnylka is the current Chair of the LRW Student Outreach Committee. Associate Dean Olympia Duhart is the Director of the NSU Law Legal Research & Writing Program.
Virtual Bar Admittance Celebrations
On Monday, April 13, 2020 NSU Law hosted two virtual bar admittance ceremonies with the help of alumni judges, The Honorable Kal Evans, The Honorable Mariya Weekes and The Honorable Robert F. Diaz. Following the two online group presentations and the taking of the oath of new attorney, each judge, with a NSU Law faculty/staff representative, hosted their own individual virtual meetings with our new admittees to verify the identity of each student and to wish them well. 

Thank you to Interim Dean Vollweiler, all the alumni, faculty, and staff that helped to make these virtual meetings a success.
AccessLex Institute Grant &
Student Emergency Relief Fund
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unparalleled time as we all try to navigate our “new normal.” While the NSU Law community continues to transition and pivot in these unprecedented times, there are many law students who need our help immediately. We are proud to report that on April, 9, 2020, the NSU Shepard Broad College of Law secured a $25,000.00 grant from the AccessLex Institute to assist our students experiencing financial crisis due to the current pandemic.

Student News
Jeremy Nataf , (JD 2021) International Student, had his article "In Camera Inspections: Who Gets to See the Material and When" in the NITA blog, "The Legal Advocate" in March 2020.

Stephanie Janie (JD 2021) had her white paper "Reading, Signing, and Making Corrections to Depositions" selected by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
The white paper will be released in mid April 2020 at:

Faculty News
Associate Dean for Faculty And Student Development, Director of the Legal Research and Writing Program & Professor of Law Olympia Duhart

Published, Emotional Appraisals in the Wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, 54 Wake Forest L. Rev. 973 (2019) This publication addresses federal government responses to vulnerable populations after hurricanes. LINK

Published, Advancing Technology and the Changing Conception of Human Rights, 55 Gonz. J. Int’l L. 331 (2020) (with Steven I. Friedland) This publication explores the ways in which the Parkland Activists accelerated their work through social media. LINK
Professor Jessica Garcia-Brown

Was the faculty keynote speaker at the Shark Preview Honors Reception on March 13, 2020.
Professor Richard Grosso

Was interviewed by WLRN and quoted in the Daily Business Review, concerning the ruling of State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway extension across Everglades wetlands. Professor Grosso was a pro bono attorney on the case representing Tropical Audubon and Friends of the Everglades in this case. WLRN Interview LINK
Professor Robert Jarvis

Published, Florida Constitutional Law in a Nutshell (2020). LINK

Published, Does the New York Convention Allow a Non-Party to an Arbitration Agreement to Use Equitable Estoppel to Compel Arbitration, 47 Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases 25 (Jan. 13, 2020) [GE Energy Power Conversion France SAS, Corp. v. Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC, No. 18-1048]. LINK

Was one of the signers of an amicus brief in United States v. Varner (5th Cir.) (No. 19–40016) (request for rehearing en banc), a case involving judicial respect for transsexual rights.

Was quoted in the following:

  1. The Guardian (London) (1/16) in a story about Gene and Sandy Ralston, an Idaho couple who search for missing bodies.
  2. Gambling Compliance (1/17) in a story about the future of gambling in Florida. 
  3. The Guardian (London) (1/21) in a story about the Hard Rock’s new guitar-shaped hotel. 
  4. Washington Post (1/23) in a story about the police investigation into Gritty, the costumed mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers, who is accused of punching a 13-year-old boy during a meet-and-greet event.
  5. Palm Beach Post (1/24) in a story about the nomination of Circuit Judge Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court.
  6. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung [Germany’s leading newspaper] (2/2) in another story about the Hard Rock’s new guitar-shaped hotel.
  7. TheScore.com (2/12) in a story about pitcher Mike Bolsinger’s lawsuit against the Houston Astros, in which Bolsinger claims that the Astros’ cheating cost him a chance to continue his major league career.
  8. Palm Beach Post (2/22) in a story about the extended netting being installed to protect spectators from foul balls at FITTEAM Ballpark and Roger Dean Stadium, the spring training homes of the Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Nationals.
  9. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (2/22) in a story about the Multi-District Judicial Panel assigning the nation’s Zantac lawsuits to U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach.
  10. Miami Herald (3/2) in a story about the propriety of Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velázquez serving as a defense character witness in a federal tax evasion case.
  11. TheScore.com (3/4) in a story about a copyright lawsuit that is pending over ownership of the Phillie Phanatic, the Philadelphia Phillies’ long-time mascot.
  12. MergerMarket.com (3/10) in a story about the future of sports betting in the United States.
  13. Gambling Compliance (3/25) in another story about the future of sports betting in the United States.
  14. WorkCompCentral.com (3/30) in a story about the possibility of expanding Florida’s workers’ compensation to quarantined first responders.

Received favorable reviews for:

  1. Gambling Under the Swastika: Casinos, Horse Racing, Lotteries, and Other Forms of Betting in Nazi Germany at 37 German Hist. 593 (2019) and 43 German Stud. Rev. 193 (2020).
  2. Florida Legal Malpractice Law: Commentary and Forms at Fla. B.J., Jan.–Feb. 2020, at 65.

Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Public Impact & Professor of Law Elena Maria Marty-Nelson

Published, Why Not Me?: Intersectionality in Law School Leadership , 23 U. Pa. J. L. & Soc. Change 65 (2020). LINK
Professor of Law Emeritus and C. William Trout Senior Fellow in Public Interest Law Joel Mintz

Had his opinion article, EPA Regulatory Rollbacks and COVID-19 Enforcement Policy, published by the American Constitutional Society. LINK
Legal Research and Writing Student Outreach Volunteer working group

The Legal Research and Writing (LRW) Student Outreach Program was awarded the 2020 Group Professionalism Award by The Florida Bar in March 2020. This is the first LRW program recognized by The Florida Bar. The LRW Student Outreach Committee is comprised of LRW Faculty committed to the discipline of LRW and student-centered instruction.
Contact Us
For questions, suggestions, and to submit news for any future editions of the Student Newsletter please contact:
 
Lynn Acosta
Assistant Dean for Student Services
E:  lynn@nova.edu | P: 954-262-6127