Before the University of Georgia’s student-athletes defeated the University of Florida on the gridiron Saturday, UGA’s law students prevailed in the other traditional competition of the annual weekend in Jacksonville: The 38th annual Hulsey/Gambrell Moot Court Competition.
Two third-year law students from each school argued a theoretical appellate case involving First Amendment free speech and 14th Amendment due process issues before a panel of five federal judges.
After deliberations by the panel, the arguments by Jennifer Cotton and Miles Skedsvold from Georgia were deemed superior over those of Savannah Clifton and Brooke Taylor from the University of Florida.
With Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger presiding as the neutral, the panel comprised Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges and U.S. District Judges Marcia Morales Howard, William Moore and Lisa Godbey Wood.
Schlesinger opened the proceeding with what he called “a little bit of levity to lighten things up.”
Since there were three judges, including Schlesinger, from Florida jurisdictions and two from Georgia jurisdictions on the panel, Schlesinger administered to them an oath to “renounce all allegiance to any prince, potentate, law school or sovereignty” as they considered the arguments and made their decision.
Attorney Jamie Moses, senior counsel at Holland & Knight’s office in Orlando, is the invited speaker for the Nov. 8 Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association monthly CLE meeting.
An appellate litigation specialist, her topic will be the advantages of being board-certified by The Florida Bar.
Lunch begins at 11:45 a.m. at The River Club; it’s approved for 1.0 general CLE hour. Visit jwla.org to register.
A Jacksonville real estate investor was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for possessing and passing fraudulent government securities — specifically, four U.S. Treasury checks.
Neil Andre Butler, 47, was found guilty July 20 at a bench trial and was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Brian Davis.
According to court documents, Butler borrowed funds to buy distressed properties, intending to refurbish and “flip” them for a profit.
When his business began to fail, in an effort to put off his financing sources, Butler manufactured and mailed four fraudulent checks to his creditors. The checks totaled more than $250,000 and were purportedly payable by the U.S. Treasury.
The case was investigated by the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Coolican.
The Florida Bar Foundation is seeking applications for two vacancies on its board.
Appointees will serve three-year terms beginning July 1.
The board administers The Florida Bar’s Interest on Trust Accounts program.
To apply, visit floridabar.org or call Bar headquarters at (850) 561-5667 for more information.
The deadline is 5 p.m Dec. 7.
• Burr & Forman added associate attorney Aubrey Smith to the firm’s Creditor’s Rights & Bankruptcy and Commercial/Corporate Litigation practice groups in Jacksonville. Smith earned her J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.
• Candace Padgett has joined Boyd & Jenerette as an associate attorney focusing on insurance defense litigation, federal and state insurance coverage issues, insurer bad-faith cases and appeals.
• Rogers Towers added Markenson Pierre to the law firm’s Litigation Department in the Jacksonville office. His practice focuses on the defense of civil litigation, including business disputes and premises liability actions. Pierre received his bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his J.D. from the University of Alabama.
