Board of Visitors meet February 16-17

Each year, Board of Visitors members meet with faculty, staff and students to discuss trends in the legal profession, current happenings at the College of Law and, at the same time, talk about the school's future. The Board is composed of 44 members, most of whom are FSU law school graduates. They represent some of the most outstanding and successful lawyers in the U.S., reflecting a broad spectrum of practices both in the legal profession and the corporate arena. The Board is enthusiastic about its support of the school, and the members openly express their optimism about what a College of Law degree can mean to the graduate. It is a great opportunity for students to network with some of our most successful graduates.

This year, the Board meets Sunday and Monday, February 16-17. All students are encouraged to interact with various Board of Visitors' members during one of several Monday morning sessions. Look for the Student Announcements e-mail from Nancy Benavides and Student Affairs in the next couple of days to note times and places of sessions. Some professors and faculty are either canceling class or making attendance optional to facilitate student attendance. If you have questions, please e-mail Mark Pankey, Assistant Dean for Development, or call him at (850) 644-5160.

"Answer the call" while the College of Law conducts its annual Phonathon now through March 7. This year, 38 law school students are making calls to alumni from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday throughout the calling period. The proceeds from the Phonathon support the Annual Fund, which is comprised of gifts from alumni and friends committed to assisting the College of Law fulfill its mission of academic excellence.

The Phonathon was established two years ago under the guidance of alumnus Ed Walborsky '79. Walborsky has stressed the important role that students play in the Phonathon calling process. "Students are the best people possible to contact our alums," he said. "They understand what's happening at the law school and can relate their experiences to the alumni—it gives our graduates a sense of connection." Walborsky added that students and alumni create a culture of giving that helps perpetuate the school's mission.

For more information about the Phonathon, e-mail Tim Kelly, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs, or call him at (850)644-0231.

Most alumni are probably aware by now that the spring Phonathon is in its first week of activity. During the Phonathon, law students contact alumni seeking support for the law school's Annual Fund.

This year, members of Public Interest Law Students Association (PILSA) are encouraging alumni to earmark their Phonathon contribution to PILSA to fund summer stipends for students. "Many students would like to work in public interest during the summer but such organizations are often unable to pay them for their services. Stipends enable one or two students to follow their dream of working in the public interest area of law," said Valerie Thompson, president of PILSA.

PILSA is a law school student organization that promotes pro bono and community service and educates students about opportunities in public interest law. PILSA members are eligible to apply for the summer stipends.

Although Katherine (Kat) Silverglate said she never thought an acting profession was an option for her, it's possible she missed her calling. Silverglate, member of The Florida Bar's Standing Committee on Professionalism, presented "The Many Fabulous Hats a Lawyer Wears: What One Lawyer Wishes She Knew Before She Entered the Practice of Law" Monday, February 10 at the College of Law. Florida Supreme Court Justice, Raoul G. Cantero, III, who is currently serving as the chair of the Standing Committee on Professionalism, introduced Silverglate to students and faculty.

As an extended introduction to her topic, she theatrically donned more than eighteen different hats, acting out the various personalities she thought befit the attire. Silverglate said that "being a lawyer is the most fabulous game of dress-up you've ever played." She indicated that, early in her career, she gained a quick sense of litigation, becoming quite successful—so successful that her colleagues dubbed her "Attila the Hun." As her career advanced, she realized that many of the people around her, in some cases her adversaries, were wearing different hats and, as a result, she was categorizing them.

"I learned that people shouldn't be compartmentalized based on what you see at first glance. It's not easy to put someone in a box." Silverglate said that much of her early spontaneity in pigeonholing of others around her has been tempered by better understanding through the years. "Your mistakes make you successful," she said.

Silverglate made her presentation in an attempt to encourage law students to take advantage of mentoring possibilities available through The Florida Bar and Tallahassee's Voluntary Bar Association. "I wish more than anything that I had taken advantage of a mentor when I was attending law school," she concluded.

After the presentation, students attended a reception held in the D'Alemberte Rotunda where they met with law school staff and members of Barristers, Tallahassee Women Lawyers, Tallahassee Bar Association, and Inns of Court, all of whom offer mentoring programs.

Deadline for the next WebNews is Monday, February 24, 2003
Email news items to Phillip Pollock at webnews@mail.law.fsu.edu. Email attachments should be sent in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect formats.