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|  | (L-R) Trial Team Champions Lemley, Waldron, Posey and Edwards | |
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On Saturday, our FSU Law Trial Team won the 2019 Mockingbird Challenge National Trial Competition in Montgomery, Alabama! The competition was hosted by Faulker Law School and held October 9-12. Twenty-four law school teams participated in the competition, including a team from the University of Georgia, which our students defeated in the finals. Other law schools competing included defending champion University of South Carolina, which FSU Law defeated in the semi-final round, Fordham University, University of California – Davis, Washington University in St. Louis, and William & Mary. Winning team members are 3L McLane Edwards, 2L Genevieve Lemley, 2L Corie Posey and 3L Luke Waldron. FSU College of Law alumni and former Trial Team members Samuel Gilot (’16), who practices at Kubicki Draper in Tallahassee, and Louis Jean-Baptiste (’16), who practices at the Law Office of Stephen G. Webster, LLC in Tallahassee, coached the team to victory. Congratulations to our talented student advocates and many thanks to their dedicated coaches!
- Dean Erin O'Connor
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Professor Abbott Speaks in Beijing and at Harvard Law, Appointed to IP Journal Board
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|  | Professor Abbott speaking in Beijing last month
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Frederick M. Abbott, the FSU Law Edward Ball Eminent Scholar, is having a busy fall semester. On September 26, he spoke in Beijing at an international conference, "A Changing International Economic Order and the Response from International Law.” Participants included former members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body, officials from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, leaders in China's international economic law community, and academics. Abbott presented "TRIPS, Strategic Competition and Global Welfare: Intellectual Property at the Intersection of Law and Power," on current disputes between the U.S. and China regarding protection of intellectual property and "forced" technology transfer.
Then, on September 27, Abbott spoke at an event at Harvard Law School honoring Professor Jerry Reichman, the Bunyan S. Womple Professor of Law at Duke Law. Abbott discussed his and Reichman’s work on legal mechanisms for promoting equitable access to medicines, including work at the WTO and a report they prepared for the European Parliament.
Later in October Abbott will participate in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 20 Years UDRP Conference in Geneva, having served as a WIPO dispute settlement panelist since the inception of its system. And, in early November, he will speak at a conference in Copenhagen on excessive pharmaceutical pricing and competition law.
In addition to these prestigious speaking engagements, Abbott was recently invited to serve on the editorial board of the Journal of Intellectual Property Rights (JIPR) published under the auspices of India’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The bimonthy journal is a peer-review publication of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research–National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (CSIR–NISCAIR) in New Delhi. “Your active participation and timely guidance to the editorial team will make the journal a better vehicle of scholarly communication,” said JIPR Editor Dr. Kanika Malik in her invitation to Abbott.
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Alum Profile: Alaine S. Williams (’79)
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Alaine S. Williams is a partner at Willig, Williams & Davidson in Philadelphia. She is an authority on public employee labor law and focuses on representing public sector labor unions and protecting the rights of workers. Her accomplishments include drafting and defending Pennsylvania legislation on behalf of public sector labor unions to require all non-members in a bargaining unit to pay fair-share fees for benefits negotiated on their behalf. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME, she has been involved in advising clients throughout the United States on compliance and litigation. She has won significant legal rulings prohibiting state and local governments from reducing or changing pension benefits for existing employees. She was also involved in legal action to stop efforts to privatize the Pennsylvania state lottery, saving workers’ jobs and ultimately billions of dollars of revenue used to fund services for senior citizens. Williams has won numerous honors for her legal work, is a fellow in labor of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and has served in various leadership roles, including chairing the Philadelphia Bar Association Labor Law Committee. In addition to her successful legal practice, Williams frequently speaks and publishes on topics including employee rights, constitutional matters, and race and gender discrimination. In addition to a J.D. from FSU Law, Williams earned an LL.M. from Columbia University.
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“I was inspired to go to law school to be able to give back–to represent working men and women and help them better their lives. My time at the Florida State College of Law prepared me to do this important work. I have spent nearly 40 years representing labor unions and it has truly been a labor of love.”
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Student Profile: 3L Mikayla Taylor
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Desired Practice Location: West Palm Beach area
Expected Graduation: May 2020
Field of Law Sought: Interested in personal injury/civil litigation and has experience with both the plaintiff and defense sides
Originally from Navarre, Florida, Mikayla Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Florida State University. A double ’Nole, Taylor will graduate from FSU Law in May 2020. This summer, Taylor clerked at Kubicki Draper in West Palm Beach, where she drafted proposed orders, motions for summary judgment and other documents. She also assisted with legal arguments and attended mediations, depositions and hearings. Working at Kubicki Draper solidified Taylor’s interest in civil litigation and insurance defense. During her 2L year, Taylor clerked for Waczewski Law Group, a private plaintiff’s personal injury firm. There, she conducted legal research, including analyzing case law and statutes. She also drafted complaints, demand letters and requests for discovery. The summer after her 1L year, Taylor clerked at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, where she created public records requests and assisted counsel with the redaction of public records. Taylor is a subciter for the Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law. She is also a member of the FSU Law Trial Team, where she competed in the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Trial Competition at the UC Davis School of Law. Additionally, Taylor is a member of the Student Bar Association, Phi Alpha Delta and the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), where she has served as a financial secretary and 2L representative. Taylor also participated on the BLSA Mock Trial Team and received the Best Advocate award at a regional tournament. If you are interested in hiring Taylor after graduation, visit her LinkedIn profile.
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“I love the thrill of arguing in a courtroom and advocating for my clients, but I also enjoy client relations and the calmer days spent strategizing with co-workers. My time at FSU Law and participation on various mock trial teams has allowed me to continue improving my litigation skills, and I am eager to utilize those skills in my practice.”
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