December 15, 2005 Regular News Briefs Briefs
JAMES M. DOUGLAS, interim dean of the Florida A&M University College of Law, recently presented the 2004–2005 Labor and Employment Law Section scholarship to Sherri Hubbard. Working full- time as a case manager for a local law firm, Hubbard is a fourth-year student in the law school’s part-time evening program. The scholarship is given annually to the student with an interest in a career in employment law who has also demonstrated outstanding performance in the college of law’s employment law related course. The $1,000 scholarship is funded by the Labor and Employment Law Section of The Florida Bar.HECTOR R. RIVERA was recently sworn-in by 11th Circuit Chief Judge Joseph P. Farina as president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Florida at its Third Annual Dinner and Installation. Other officers include Tony Cabassa, vice president, Tampa; Luis Figueroa, VP, Orlando; Yesenia Collazo, VP, Miami-Dade; Jose Negroni, VP, Broward; Nydia Menendez, treasurer; and Natasha Cortes, secretary. Pictured from the left are Francisco R. Angones, a member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors; Richard R. Robles, outgoing president of the PR Bar; Attorney General Charlie Crist; Rivera; Raymond Torres, chair of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida; and Florida Bar President Alan Bookman.THE ORANGE COUNTY BAR’S Young Lawyers’ Section recently presented its annual scholarships to two deserving Orange County High School graduates. Princess Innocent, a graduate of Jones High School, and Joshua Montalvo, a graduate of Colonial High School, will each receive a total of $15,000 toward books and tuition at Valencia Community College and then at a four-year Florida public school of their choice. The scholarship is primarily funded by the annual YLS Charity Golf Tournament. Pictured from the left are Shiela Rene (sister of Ms. Innocent), Skyla Williams (daughter of Ms. Innocent), Princess Innocent, YLS President Tom Zehnder, Joshua Montalvo, Michael Montalvo (brother of Joshua Montalvo) and Scholarship Committee Chair Chelsie Roberts.ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAWand the Law Offices of Joshua J. Hertz recently sponsored a charity fundraiser to benefit the United States Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program. This year the school raised over $1,500. Approximately 100 guests attended the event, held at Gordon Biersch Bar and Restaurant on Brickell Avenue in downtown Miami. The guest list included not only St. Thomas alumni, but also current faculty, students, Marines, and administration. They all brought toys or made cash donations that will purchase toys for underprivileged children of the community. The toys will be handed over to the Marines for distribution during the holidays. The Toys for Tots program can be traced back to the 1940’s, but was officially recognized by the United States Marines Corps in August 1991 by the Secretary of Defense. Based on this approval, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation became an operational organization in September 1991 and has been fundraising and supporting the organization for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program ever since. Joshua Hertz is a member of the St. Thomas Alumni Council and has been actively involved in alumni and community events since his graduation in 2001. “I feel that this year’s second fundraiser was a great success for the St. Thomas alumni and I look forward to next year’s event that promises to be even bigger.” Pictured are J. Hertz, second from the left, Dean Bob Butterworth, and a few good marines.THE PALM BEACH COUNTY BAR recently selected the first recipients of its Minority Initiative Program, created to give minority students an opportunity to receive on-the-job experience with prominent firms. Eight students from the top half of their classes from four South Florida law schools, including Nova Southeastern University, St. Thomas University, University of Miami, and Florida International University are participating. The firms involved include Boose Casey Ciklin Lubitz Martins McBane & O’Connell; Lytal Reiter Clark Fountain & Williams; Gunster Yoakley & Stewart; Greenberg Traurig; Ruden McClosky; and Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson; along with the Fourth District Court of Appeal and the clerk and comptroller for Palm Beach County. Firm representatives standing from the left are V. Lynn Whitfield, Walton Lantaff Schroeder & Carson; David Prather, Lytal Reiter Clark Fountain & Williams; Meenu Sasser, Gunster Yoakley & Stewart; Denise Coffman, Clerk & Comptroller’s Office; Theodore Leopold, president of the Palm Beach County Bar; Sharon Bock, Clerk & Comptroller for Palm Beach County; Nisha Wright, Ruden McClosky; Al Malefatto, Greenberg Traurig; and Marc Matthews, Greenberg Traurig. Students, seated from the left, include Patrick McKinley, UM; Barbara Petit-Homme, St. Thomas; Jessica Menjivar, St. Thomas; Sue-Anne Robinson, FIU; Gabriel Mejia, NSU; Cleve Glenn, UM; and Shelly Springer, UM. Not pictured is Armando Edmiston from Nova Southeastern.
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