FLORIDA STATE LAW ALUMNI MAGAZINE & ANNUAL REPORT 2021 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Adjusting and Advancing During COVD-19 The 2020-2021 academic year who passed a bar examination in the primary jurisdiction on likely will be recorded as the strang- the first attempt. preLaw magazine ranked us the top law est in the history of the College of school in the nation for government careers, the seventh best Law. Masks, hand sanitizer and for criminal law careers, among the top seven law schools for social distancing are everywhere. We both public policy and human rights law, and the eighth best haven’t traveled at all for recruiting value law school. According to the World University Rankings students, student job interviews, or (2020), which heavily weights faculty scholarship, FSU Law alumni visits or receptions. Many is the 17th best U.S. law school, and ranks among the top 50 of our faculty and students have best universities for law in the world. engaged in our core educational Alumni engagement continues to be strong, with the in- mission from outside the law school walls and the city of troduction of practice area receptions and the planning and Tallahassee. Zoom fatigue, a concept unknown to us one formation of identity-based alumni groups (see page 6 for in- year earlier, overtook us with a vengeance as the reality of our formation about the formation of the Black Alumni Network). canceled spring break set in. And our work and study life is BLSA and our Student Bar Association have each planned broken regularly with dashes to the Civic Center for COVID very rich remote programming for the entire community, tests and vaccinations. and several of our alums have joined the lectures and panel Despite this strangeness, there is much good to report. Our discussions. At the end of the spring semester, we celebrated professors have become experts in the use of Zoom screens the end of the year and graduation! and breakout rooms, virtual office hours, and enhanced Graduation was the first sign of a planned return to nor- assessment tools to enable students to participate actively and malcy as the vaccine rollout has reached our entire university meaningfully in their legal education. Widespread alumni population. We plan to be fully back in person for classes this support of our student emergency fund has enabled us to fall. We look forward to a return of lunch-hour student events support our struggling students with the financial means and the energy that comes with having students on the law to adjust to lost employment, unexpected child care needs, campus all day. Our 1Ls have never seen the green filled with and the enhanced technology requirements associated with students and faculty enjoying social events and professional active remote learning. As always, we are most grateful for networking, and we look forward to seeing them experience your support, especially during a time when many of you have more of the larger community connectedness that makes FSU struggled, too. Law so excellent. Our students have adjusted well to their remote environ- Although we are most eager for this return to normalcy, our ments, and many are excelling in this new space. Our Moot forced adjustments have provided unexpected advantages that Court team won five national championships this year, and we hope to retain. It’s been far too long since I have seen you, the Trial Team has also won a national championship and is and I look forward to that as soon as possible. But I do hope nationally ranked for the first time. Our Black Law Students our new formats of engagement will provide an opportunity Association (BLSA) won their 2021 regional mock trial com- to enhance the richness of our core educational mission and petition in January. With many courses occurring remotely our connectedness with the entire FSU Law community. this year, we have attracted faculty and guest lecturers from See you soon! across the country and the world, which has truly enriched the educational experience for everyone. Our institutional accomplishments and recognitions also continue to grow, despite a challenging environment. Our class of 2020 employment numbers are as strong as the class of Erin O’Hara O’Connor 2019, despite a much softer job market last spring and summer. Dean and McKenzie Professor And our bar passage rate of 84.4% for the delayed July Florida Bar Exam is higher than it has been in many years. According to statistics released by the ABA earlier this year, FSU is the 18th best law school in terms of the percentage of graduates TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS DEAN AND MCKENZIE PROFESSOR Erin O’Hara O’Connor FEATURES ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COVER STORY Shawn J. Bayern ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC 2 A Tradition of Excellence: Black Alumni of FSU Law PROGRAMS AND STUDENT ADVANCEMENT Nancy L. Benavides ALUMNI FOCUS ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ADMINISTRATION 8 The Remingtons: A Florida State Family Catherine J. Miller ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ADMISSIONS 10 Amelia “Mel” Rea Maguire: Challenge Accepted Jennifer Kessinger ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR CAREER 12 Called to the Courtroom: B. Richard Young SERVICES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Debra Henley 14 Q&A with Nancy Daniels ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FACULTY FOCUS Glenda Thornton ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ACADEMIC 15 The Lasting Legacy of David Markell (1953-2021) PROGRAMS Maribel Roig DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Hovik J. Arakelian DEPARTMENTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Becky B. Shepherd 18 FSU Law in Photos EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND 22 Top News EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christi N. Morgan 29 Featured Alumni WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Hannah Akin 35 Annual Report Christi N. Morgan Beth N. Pannell William Vinopal GRAPHIC DESIGN Perry Albrigo, Pomegranate Studio Please send editorial contributions, including Class Notes submissions and changes of name and address to Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, College of Law, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306- 1601, email: [email protected]. 2021 1 COVER STORY A Tradition of Excellence: Black Alumni of FSU Law By Christi N. Morgan The College of Law is proud to count many successful Black lawyers and judges among its nearly 10,000 alumni. Graduates include judges, civil rights movement leaders, presidents of the National Bar Association, partners at top firms, high-ranking government attorneys, powerful lobbyists and innovative community leaders. These alumni are contributing to a tradition of excellence that shows future generations what is possible. This article features just some of FSU Law’s successful Black alumni and provides information on a new orga- nization that aims to support all Black graduates, students and professors. Benjamin L. Crump Additionally, a Netflix documentary crew has been fol- FSU Law’s most lowing Crump around the country for a project that is slated nationally recognized to air in 2022. alumnus may be Ben- Crump’s most recent legal victories include a record-setting jamin “Ben” Crump $621 million settlement on behalf of children who experienced (’95). An attorney for lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan. Crump also won a $411 the families of George million verdict in a Zoom trial on behalf of a Gadsden County, Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Florida man. Crump believes the second case is evidence that Ahmaud Arbery and human emotions can transcend Zoom screens. many others, Crump is In addition to his recent law-related achievements, Crump at the forefront of civil also served as an executive producer and writer for a movie, rights and racial justice “Woman in Motion,” which tells the true story of Nichelle movements and has been Nichols and her efforts to recruit women and minorities to in the spotlight more work for NASA. than ever recently. Although many of his fellow alumni do not practice in the “This last year of 2020 has been an unprecedented year, not area of civil rights, Crump says everyone can play a part in only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of his goal to end racial injustices. “As Dr. King said, ‘We all horrific injustices that have taken place,” said Crump. “During have a role to play in the struggle for equality and justice to the pandemic, it seems like everything shut down in America make a better world for our children.’ I absolutely believe that except racism and police brutality.” everybody’s role is not to be on the front lines, but you can With clients all over the United States and frequent ap- do something to try to make a difference in the world to help pearances on national news programs, Crump’s schedule is America live up to our high ideals of equal justice under the extremely full. To best represent his national clientele, after law for all American citizens.” seeking approval from his wife and daughter on his travel schedule, Crump typically flies to multiple cities each week. “Normally I don’t get to stay in one city beyond 24-36 hours before I have to go to the next city,” said Crump. 2 FLORIDA STATE LAW COVER STORY JoLinda L. Herring Carlos E. Moore In January 2021, This summer, Carlos JoLinda Herring (’96) Moore (’02) will take the was elected Bryant helm of the National Bar Miller Olive’s (BMO) Association (NBA), the managing shareholder, largest national network becoming the first Black of predominantly Black female to take the helm attorneys. of the firm. “It is the fulfillment “This is an awesome of a dream first birthed honor,” said Herring. “I in 2000 as a first-year am very proud of the law student,” Moore said work that the firm has about becoming NBA done in the area of diver- president.