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|  | We welcomed new FSU Law students to campus during this week's orientation.
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On Monday, we welcomed our incredibly bright new students for a week-long orientation designed to acquaint them with FSU Law and with the rigors of law school classes before the fall semester begins next week. The group is extremely enthusiastic and includes students enrolled in our J.D., Juris Master (J.M.) and LL.M. programs. This year’s new J.D. 1L class is making history with the highest median G.P.A. of any incoming class – an impressive 3.73! The 193 1L students graduated from 70 undergraduate institutions with 54 different majors, and hail from 23 states and five countries. At 45, this class has the highest number of out-of-state students in a decade. In addition, 64 students identify as ethnically or racially diverse, which makes this year’s 1L class the third most diverse in the law school’s history in terms of quantity. The class is 54% female, has a combined 735 years of work experience and ranges in age from 19–42. In addition, the seven new LL.M. students joining us hail from Barbados, Brazil, Italy, Jamaica, Panama and South Korea. Because the vast majority of our J.M. students are enrolled in our online program, most did not attend orientation, but we are delighted to report that this is by far the largest incoming J.M. class at 88 total students. These students are primarily working individuals, many of whom have already achieved significant professional success. This was an exciting week for me personally, as I was one of six professors who engaged deeply with our new students by teaching an abbreviated Contracts course during orientation. I have been bragging about the strength of our incoming students for months, so I was especially delighted to meet them. I hope you will join me in welcoming them to the FSU Law family!
- Dean Erin O'Connor
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Faculty & Alum Profile: Hillary Powell (’10)
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Hillary Powell is a new member of the legal writing faculty at the College of Law. Prior to joining the law school in August, Powell served as director of central staff at the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. She also served the First District Court of Appeal as a staff attorney and a law clerk to the Honorable Robert T. Benton, II. Additionally, Powell was senior assistant general counsel at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Powell earned a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from the University of Florida and graduated magna cum laude from FSU Law in 2010. While attending law school, Powell was a member and associate editor of the Florida State University Law Review.
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“Strong legal writing skills lay the foundation for a successful legal career. I learned so much as a student at FSU Law and I am thrilled to return to this wonderful school to teach legal writing.”
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Alum Profile: Maegan E. McCann (’11)
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In October 2018, Maegan McCann began an appointment as legal affairs and technical assistance officer at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Intellectual Property, Government Procurement & Competition Division in Geneva, Switzerland. In this role, McCann designs and delivers technical assistance activities, provides technical and policy advice, and conducts trade policy research and analysis. She has worked for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the WTO in various positions since 2011, including most recently as a junior legal affairs officer at the WTO and as a research associate in the WIPO Patent Law Division. After earning her J.D. from FSU in 2011, where she was a research assistant to Professor Fred Abbott, McCann also earned an M.A. in international law and economics from the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern summa cum laude in 2013. McCann is currently pursuing an LL.M. in medical law and ethics at the University of Edinburgh.
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“Working at the WTO requires a sound foundation in a range of international law and policy areas—from international human rights law, to global public health regulation, to public international law. FSU College of Law provided me with that foundation; in particular, the opportunity to work as a research assistant was instrumental to starting a career in the international trade law field. Beyond the foundational know-how, the phenomenal professors at FSU were a source of hope, enthusiasm, inspiration and support—and for that I am profoundly grateful!”
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Student Profile: 3L R. McLane Edwards
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Desired Practice Location: Tallahassee or surrounding counties
Expected Graduation: May 2020
Field of Law Sought: Aspires to be a prosecutor
Originally from Quincy, Florida, McLane Edwards earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in history and leadership from the University of Florida. He will graduate from FSU Law in May 2020. This summer, Edwards was a certified legal intern for the Misdemeanor Division of the State Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial Circuit of Florida, where he managed a caseload of approximately 100 cases, drafted memos, argued motions before judges and filed charging documents. From October 2018–May 2019, Edwards was a legislative intern in the Florida House of Representatives, House Majority Office. His duties included drafting documents and content for the Majority Office website, and following bills that were related to criminal justice. He also drafted documents relating to legislation and initiatives for committees, and worked on legislation related to the House Judiciary Committee, House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and House Justice Appropriations Committee. The summer after his 1L year, Edwards interned for the Honorable Barbara K. Hobbs of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit. There, he drafted memos and observed court proceedings. Edwards has been a member of the FSU Law Trial Team since the spring semester of his 1L year. He is also the president of LitiGators and a student ambassador for the FSU Law Admissions Office. If you are interested in hiring Edwards after graduation, visit his LinkedIn profile.
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“I have had an interest in criminal law since the beginning of my law school career, and that interest has not left me. I would like to become a prosecutor in the Second Judicial Circuit here in Tallahassee or the surrounding counties. I have always had a passion for this part of Florida; it is my home and I feel connected with the people in the Second Circuit.”
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