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Pamela Burch Fort ('77) and Wayne Hogan ('72) talk to Donald J. Weidner Summer for Undergraduates Program students at the Florida Capitol in May 2018. | |
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When undergraduate students enter the spring semester, many of them begin to research summer internships and enriching scholastic options. If you know college students currently in their undergraduate career who are considering law school, please encourage them to apply for our Donald J. Weidner Summer for Undergraduates Program. Since 1992, this ABA award-winning program has helped students direct their remaining time in college to best prepare for law school. More than 1,250 students have participated in the program and 70% of them have subsequently enrolled in law school. The 2019 program will take place at FSU Law from June 12 through July 10, and we are now accepting applications from rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. The application deadline is April 1; however, we encourage students to apply early as we are admitting on a rolling basis beginning this month. Students from two- and four-year institutions, and all majors and backgrounds may apply. Perhaps one of the biggest selling points is that the program’s cost of attendance is $0 and students receive a $500 stipend, thanks to the generous support of alumnus Wayne Hogan (’72) and his wife, Patricia. Please encourage interested students to visit our website for more information about the program and to apply online. We would love to host them this summer for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!
- Dean Erin O'Connor
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Faculty and Alum Profile: Cynthia Tunnicliff (’71)
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Cynthia Tunnicliff is an adjunct professor teaching Florida Administrative Litigation this spring. Her practice at Pennington, P.A. concentrated on all aspects of administrative and appellate law, including professional licensing issues, rule challenges and public procurement. Tunnicliff has regularly appeared before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings to contest a variety of agency decisions. Although her appellate practice encompasses a wide range of civil matters, she has a particular emphasis on appeals from governmental agency decision. She has had substantial responsibility for over 300 appellate decisions in various appellate courts. Tunnicliff served as a member of the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission and as chair of both the First District Court of Appeal and the Second Judicial Circuit Nominating Commissions. She also served two terms as chair of the Second Judicial Circuit Florida Bar Grievance Committee. Tunnicliff is a member of the Administrative Law Section of The Florida Bar and served on the APA Model Rules Committee. She has authored several chapters of The Florida Bar’s definitive administrative law publication including the chapter on appellate review and attorney fees. Tunnicliff has been honored as a member of the Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine and as a Florida Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine. Tunnicliff received a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and graduated from FSU Law in 1971. She is a member of the law school's Board of Visitors, a past chair of the FSU Alumni Association Board and was a member of both the FSU Foundation Board and the Board of Seminole Boosters.
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“I am very excited to teach this course. I think law school graduates don’t always have the skills to try a case even though they are well informed on the law. I hope that this course will give new lawyers more confidence to try an administrative case.”
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Alum Profile: R. Mark Williamson (’91)
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R. Mark Williamson is a partner in the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird, LLP, where he chairs the firm’s Wealth Planning and Exempt Organizations Teams. He specializes in estate planning and federal taxation, and is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. His practice includes a wide variety of tax and non-tax controversies, including fiduciary litigation, tax audits and litigation, divorce tax and estate planning issues, and offshore voluntary disclosure matters. Williamson is regularly listed among Georgia and the nation’s best attorneys. In 2019, he was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in trusts and estates by The Best Lawyers in America. Williamson also has served as an adjunct law professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Georgia State University in Atlanta. In addition, Williamson is a world-class musician and continues to perform professionally, including with the Atlanta Pops and a three-week tour of China in 2011-2012. He remains engaged with the FSU College of Law, currently serving as chair of our Board of Visitors. Williamson recently made an additional gift of $50,000 to his existing endowed scholarship.
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Student Profile: 3L Chelsie Lyons
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Desired Practice Location: Tampa/St. Petersburg area
Expected Graduation: May 2019
Field of Law Sought: Would like to practice in securities law and real estate law, as well as transactional business law and business litigation
Originally from Tallahassee, Chelsie Lyons earned her bachelor’s degree in healthcare management at FAMU. She will graduate from FSU Law in May 2019. Lyons is currently clerking at Pennington, P.A., where she works with a variety of attorneys in different practice areas, including family law, international trade law, business litigation and employment law. A large part of her work involves researching and writing on issues such as the use of social media content in discovery, joint employer doctrine in employer discrimination disputes, False Claims Act defenses and limitations, and the enforceability of foreign choice of law provisions and non-compete agreements. The summer after her 1L year and throughout her 2L year, Lyons clerked for Williams & Coleman, P.A., where she worked under attorney Jami A. Coleman (’08), a tax specialist. Lyons managed information on client tax dispute resolution, and compiled and organized financial information. Also during the summer of 2017, Lyons participated in the Public Interest Law Center Children’s Advocacy Clinic, where she managed cases involving a petition for special immigrant juvenile status for a minor and advocated for a child victim of human trafficking who was speaking out against her trafficker. Lyons is a member of the FSU Law Trial Team and has competed in three competitions. She is also a member of the Moot Court Team and served as secretary last year. Lyons and her partner earned second best brief in the National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare & Adoption Law and competed as finalists in that competition. Lyons participated in the FSU Law Alternative Spring Break Program, traveling to migrant farm worker communities to increase awareness of legal options and assistance available to workers and families in those communities. She was also a mentor for the 1L class at One-Week Orientation in 2017. If you are interested in hiring Lyons after graduation, visit her LinkedIn profile or email her at cl10m@my.fsu.edu.
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“I am always willing to accept a challenge and make a concerted effort to achieve any goals I am given or set. I am driven by a strong Caribbean work ethic and an urge to stand out through hard work.”
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