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|  | Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman addresses the FSU Law community. | |
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Earlier this month, we were honored to host Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman for a special reception. Karman is a journalist, politician, human rights activist and mother of three who founded Women Journalists Without Chains in order to promote freedom of expression and democratic rights. She later helped spark the Yemeni uprising during the Arab Spring uprisings and in 2011 shared the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in the areas of peace and women's rights, becoming the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman and the second Muslim woman to win a Nobel Prize. Karman has tirelessly advocated for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work, as well as human rights and access to education. Having her speak to students about her inspiring work and answer their questions was an amazing opportunity! - Dean Erin O'Connor
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Faculty Profile: Shi-Ling Hsu
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Shi-Ling Hsu, the FSU D’Alemberte Professor and Associate Dean for Environmental Programs, is an expert in the areas of environmental and natural resource law, climate change, law and economics, and property. Hsu has published in a wide variety of legal journals and edited volumes, and a book, The Case for a Carbon Tax: Getting Past Our Hang-ups to Effective Climate Policy. His forthcoming casebook, Ocean and Coastal Resources Law, co-authored with Josh Eagle, will be published by Wolters Kluwer this fall. Hsu was Vermont Law School's 2018 Distinguished Environmental Summer Scholar. He serves on the board of advisors of Citizens' Climate Lobby and as an adjunct scholar for the Niskanen Center. Before joining the FSU Law faculty in 2012, Hsu was professor of law and associate dean for special projects at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law. Prior to entering law academia, Hsu was a senior attorney and economist for the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C. He also practiced law in California, both as a deputy city attorney for the City and County of San Francisco and as an associate attorney with the firm of Fenwick & West in Palo Alto. Hsu earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He also has a master’s degree in ecology and a Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics, both from the University of California, Davis.
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“Teaching helps keep me fresh. Students ask good questions, and it reminds you of how many different ways there are of looking at a problem. Environmental law is the perfect area to have this exchange of perspectives, and ideally, a multi-disciplinary approach to solving environmental problems.”
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Alum Profile: G.C. Murray II, DPL (’12)
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 | Murray with his wife AJ after the christening of their son
G.C. “Tr3” Murray III |
| Since graduating from FSU Law, G.C. Murray II has become nationally recognized for his work as a lawyer and as a community leader. Currently, Murray works as special counsel for the Florida Justice Association (FJA) in Tallahassee, where he manages the team responsible for increasing membership, which most recently hit a 10-year high. Murray also continues to lobby and work on legal and compliance issues for FJA. Outside of the legal world, Murray is the founder and president of Innovative Community Engagement (ICE) Foundation – a national not-for-profit organization with the mission of stimulating different segments of society through mentorship, service and professional development. The ICE Foundation implements unique projects that nurture children, build communities and enhance young leaders. Through the ICE Foundation, Murray, alongside his wife AJ, has impacted more than 1,000 students in low-resource neighborhoods, donated 900 turkeys during the Thanksgiving holiday, and mentored 34 law students and young lawyers. Murray also serves on the FSU Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and remains very engaged with our students, including his younger sister, Jessica, who was recently sworn in to the bar by their father, Judge Gordon Murray.
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“FSU Law is more than just an academic institution; to me, it is truly a school for the better making of people. We entered those hallowed halls as strangers but departed as brothers and sisters with a firm and steadfast resolution to make a positive impact. From the day I got accepted until this very moment, there has been a constant drumbeat of service before self, loyalty to the rule of law, and excellence in all which needs to be done. I will probably never be able to give back as much as I have gotten from FSU Law, but I will try.”
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Student Profile: 3L Madeline Ann Brezin
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Desired Practice Location: Loves Tallahassee, but is open to any opportunity; would like to someday work in Washington, D.C. or New York City
Expected Graduation: May 2019
Specialization: Family law, constitutional law and health care access
Field of Law Sought: Hopes to continue working in policy, particularly in health care and reproductive care access
Madeline Ann Brezin is a Tallahassee native who earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a minor in French from the University of South Florida. She will graduate from FSU Law in May 2019. Since February, Brezin has been a legislative assistant in the Office of Florida Senator José Javier Rodríguez. She meets with constituents and special interest groups, researches various topics and writes memos and policy pieces. Senator Rodríguez's Office also gave Brezin her first legal internship during the spring semester of her 1L year. Last semester, Brezin participated in the FSU Public Interest Law Center Health Care Access Project, where she worked on an appellate class action case and administrative rulemaking, and wrote an opinion piece on Medicaid expansion that was published in the Tallahassee Democrat. Last summer, Brezin worked at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York City, where she interned with two different teams. Working with the judicial strategy team, Brezin saw how an amicus brief strategy is formulated, and completed opposition and judicial research. With the U.S. policy and advocacy state legislative team, Brezin helped prepare to challenge administrative rules, wrote policy pieces and learned about coalition building. Brezin received the FSU Law Calvin Patterson Civil Rights Scholarship, which helped fund her internship experience in New York City. During the spring semester of her 2L year, Brezin was a legislative fellow with Planned Parenthood. She worked almost exclusively on issues relating to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. She secured new coalition partners, translated legal issues for the public and helped carry out a successful policy strategy. During the summer after her 1L year, Brezin interned with then-Chief Justice Jorge Labarga, of the Florida Supreme Court. There, she sharpened her legal writing, editing and research skills, and received an intimate look at the judicial process. If you are interested in hiring Brezin after graduation, visit her LinkedIn profile.
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“FSU has always been a part of my life. My grandfather Gregory Choppin was a chemistry professor here for years and one of my fondest childhood memories is going to a home football game with my dad. I was so happy that I was able to go to FSU for law school. I am thankful to FSU Law and its alumni for all they have done for me. I am a Garnet and Gold full-scholarship recipient and a Calvin Patterson Fellow. Without the generosity of the alumni who funded those programs, I would not have been able to go to FSU. I certainly would not have been able to pursue all the opportunities that became available to me.”
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