The presentation was organized by the school’s Career Services Department, the Small Business Administration and the Corporate and Business Law Society.

According to Ellen Kiefer Sefton, director of Coastal Law’s Career Services Department, a second-year student respondent who was so moved by the experience suggested Flannery be a graduation speaker. A third-year student, she said, claimed it was the “most practical, relevant and helpful presentation” ever attended.

Why the excited response? Let’s just say Flannery spoke on one of the legal profession’s most critical points — getting a job.

“He is clearly considered the ‘go-to’ person nationally in the area of relationship and client development in law firms,” said Sefton.

Flannery is president of The WJF Institute, based in Austin, Texas. During the past 23 years Flannery’s firm has conducted small group training sessions for more than 16,000 lawyers around the world. Flannery built his career at IBM, where he was instrumental in developing a marketing group that created technology systems for the legal profession, according to his bio. Flannery received his Juris Doctorate in 1973 while working at IBM.

His Florida Coastal School of Law presentation encouraged students to think about the employer rather than their resume. He said employers hire candidates who understand their practice and its unique challenges. Another tip? He said employers want candidates they like and can trust, and that building rapport is an important key to finding a job.

In his presentation, Flannery laid the groundwork for the tough hiring competitions students will soon face. He encouraged students to have a process, beginning with a plan, some face-to-face interviewing, and a follow-up plan.

He added there is an emergence of new roles for law schools. In addition to the standards, he said there should be an added focus on counseling students on the reality of the law firm culture, the business of law, clients and client service, leadership, and how to get hired and keep your job.

“We were so fortunate to have him on campus,” Sefton said. “He was so gracious, and I feel confident he’ll be back.”

Flannery’s 12 things you need to know to be a successful lawyer:

1. Think like a client.

2. Take a marketing and sales course.

3. Understand the business of law.

4. Take a course on interviewing and being interviewed.

5. Become knowledgeable on technology.

6. Take a course on interpersonal communications and presentations.

7. Video yourself making a presentation and having a face- to-face interview.

8. Select a career direction and be prepared to change.

9. Select an industry and study the economics of the practice.

10. Market yourself by asking what the buyer is looking for.

11. Expect and embrace change.

12. Learn to bring in business no matter what the law firm tells you!

When he tells stories of his music business beginnings, it’s impossible to do so without mentioning the rich context of his experience. Bands like Boston, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, The Eagles and The Who are all connected to Ingram through music production, record labels, fans and the vibe defining music of the 1970s and 1980s. Ingram and Molly Hatchet — and all the musical legends of that time — were part of rock’s evolution.

On more than one occasion, Ingram said he had no idea where all the money he was making went. While he acquired all the trademark rights to Molly Hatchet 15 years ago, he still wasn’t 100 percent sure what his rights were as the owner. His experience also includes financial worries — and questions about intellectual property rights.

Now he’s at Florida Coastal School of Law to learn. Ingram came to the law school last year to take a class, and he has made himself right at home. This spring, he participated in, and helped organize, an entertainment law panel discussion dissecting the pitfalls of contract negotiations. Called “Fame & Fortune: A Multi-Platinum View of Music Contracts,” the event was moderated by Professor Carolyn Herman. In addition to Ingram, panelists included Ronnie Winter of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Paul Phillips from the band Puddle of Mudd and Bobby Amaru from the band Saliva.

“When I came here in the fall of 2011, I immediately saw the school had an entertainment law society — so I worked every event,” Ingram said. When society leaders asked if he would help organize an artist panel, Ingram said he jumped right in and was happy to phone a few friends. “These were some of the musicians in town I knew would be available.”

Ingram said the panel was an interesting mix of musicians from different generations in the music business. All of the panelists were from Jacksonville, which Ingram describes as the Mecca of southern rock. “We were all from different genres but there was a common denominator — we didn’t know much about the contracts we were signing,” Ingram said. “We just trusted our attorneys.”

Another panel event is scheduled for Spring 2013, and Ingram is already looking to pals Henley and Schon for some help on that front. “I’ve had so many amazing experiences during my first year in law school,” Ingram said. “I’m getting the knowledge and perspective I always knew I needed. I’m sold on learning more about the law.”

Second-year law student Chelsi P. Henry helped organize the visit, which was sponsored by the Republican Legal Society in partnership with the Women’s Law Student Association, Military Law Student Association and the Black Law Student Association.

“She was able to hit on many different topics from being an African-American to being a woman — she talked about her journey from the Navy to politics,” Henry said.

Henry added Carroll “shared many personal moments with the Coastal Law community, including lessons she learned along the way and how she sees the importance of attorneys today.”

Carroll is Florida’s 18th lieute

nant governor and holds special prominence as the first female and first African-American lieutenant governor in the state of Florida. Described as “the American Dream come true,” Carroll was born in Trinidad and joined the Navy in 1979. Since then she has been a seven-year state legislator, a small business owner and former executive director of the

Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. In her current role, she also oversees the state Department of Military Affairs, the state Department of Veterans Affairs, the Governor Designee on the Florida Defense Support Task Force and is chairperson of Space Florida.

Black History Month began in early February with a ceremony and closed at the end of the month with another special gathering of students and faculty.

According to the latest figures, approximately 225 parents and spouses have signed up to receive information about upcoming events, important deadlines, and other items of interest to law students and their loved ones.

“Realizing parents and other family members want to be involved and informed, we knew we needed to create a platform for them to regularly receive the information we can share,” said Brooks Terry, director of marketing and communications for the law school.

“Additionally, we understand families often play significant roles in helping students make a number of important choices, including which classes to take, how much money to borrow, and how to spend their summers wisely. We wanted to bring them in and make them as informed as we possibly can.”

Florida Coastal School of Law is not alone in its exploration of ways to include and involve parents in their students’ lives without violating privacy regulations. Higher education conferences around the country have addressed ways to draw more parents and spouses into the fold, as trends have shown families — parents in particular — remain highly influential throughout the student experience.

“To ignore that highly engaged audience is unwise,” Terry said.

Terry added each newsletter’s open rates — the number of times a subscriber elects to read it — hovers much higher than the industry high of 14.5 percent. Coastal CURRENTS emailed newsletters, he said, have an open rate of more than 50 percent.

As the first year of Coastal CURRENTS comes to a close, he said it is in the process of being refined even further. By next year, he said families will receive newsletter editions that are tailor-made for their student’s year of study at Florida Coastal School of Law.

“This was a pilot year for us,” Terry said, “and as pleased as we are with the results, we want to continuously improve and make the newsletter as targeted and strategic as we can. Each year in law school presents an entirely new set of opportunities and challenges, so we have to be effective, we have to be current — no pun intended.”

Parents and spouses can sign up to receive Coastal CURRENTS at www.fcsl.edu/parentsandfamilies.

Illustration by Karen Kurycki

Florida Coastal School of Law’s appellate courtroom has been named The Martha and Irving Sonnenschein Appellate Courtroom following a generous donation from one of the law school’s earliest advocates.

Irving Sonnenschein, a 92-year-old attorney living in Manhattan, put seed money toward the school when it was first established and has stayed in touch with its leadership over the years. In memory of his wife, Martha, Sonnenschein made a $250,000 endowed scholarship gift to the school that will generate scholarships for students for years to come. In honor of his gift and his appreciation for the accomplishments of Coastal Law’s nationally ranked Moot Court team, the appellate courtroom will be renamed in his honor and in memory of his wife, Martha.

“My wife was interested in Florida Coastal because she thought it was interesting to see how this law school had grown from a thought in the minds of unrelated people to this building with people and professors and students — the school came to mean a lot to her,” Sonnenschein said. “When she died, I thought it would be something she would appreciate — to name the moot courtroom after her and me, that’s why I did it.”

Sonnenschein has been practicing law, primarily real estate law, for more than 70 years. He received his degree from Columbia Law School in New York City. Sonnenschein is a member of the New York State Bar and was a longtime partner in Sonnenschein Sherman & Deutsch LLP. His wife, Martha, passed away three years ago.

The Florida Coastal School of Law Foundation’s scholarship committee is in the process of advertising for applicants, and the school hopes to make its first-ever fund distribution to students before summer’s end. The scholarship will be given annually to students who exhibit leadership in legal education through their academics and extracurricular activities — including law review, pro bono service, mock trial and moot court participation.

The school’s moot court team, which has consistently maintained a top ranking, this year ahead of schools like Columbia and Duke universities, is an example of what Florida Coastal is doing right to prepare students for success in the legal field, according to Sonnenschein. Many prestigious law schools around the country have historically lacked a focus on gaining practical courtroom experience prior to graduation, Sonnenschein said.

Related stories:

• Foundation launches annual scholarship fund
• A Conversation with Linsay Warren, Coastal Law Class of 2007

“One of the problems with many law school educations — at least when I went to law school 70 years ago — is that you didn’t get much practical experience; you did not get the equivalent of what a doctor gets in an internship,” Sonnenschein said. “The moot court does give you at least some of that — the moot court experience is an important part of learning to become a lawyer.”

Margaret Dees, director of institutional advancement for Florida Coastal, said the courtroom name and scholarship are a gratifying “statement of approval for what we do and how we do it.”

“It is an amazing gift for such a young school to get such a generous donation,” Dees said. The fact that Sonnenschein has no Jacksonville connection with the exception of his initial gift speaks well for the school and its accomplishments. “It feels good that somebody thought well enough of what we’re doing here and how we’re doing it that they’re willing to support the school’s future at this level.”

Florida Coastal officials hope to host Sonnenschein on campus in the coming year to meet students and faculty. Sonnenschein also is expected to play a lead role in selecting scholarship recipients.

“You don’t get gifts like this unless you’re doing something right,” Dees said. “It is even more special that it comes from someone who didn’t go to school here and has decades of experience practicing law, but could see the quality of the work and lawyers we are producing.”

To directly support Florida Coastal student scholarships, make your gift online now.

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid presented the award during its annual gathering in January, which highlights local organizations’ and individuals’ pro bono work for the legal aid community. On hand to receive the award were Coastal Law Dean Peter Goplerud, Vice Dean Terri Davlantes and Professors Laura Boeckman, Ericka Curran and Karen Millard, director of the school’s pro bono program.

Michael Freed, Jacksonville Bar Association president and managing partner for Jacksonville-based Brennan, Manna & Diamond, emceed the event.

“The Jacksonville Bar Association is proud of its regular association with Florida Coastal School of Law on the provision of legal services to those who cannot afford it,” Freed said. “Such outreach is critical to the workings of our justice system.” He said Coastal Law “wisely instills this commitment” in its students, who have a well-known reputation for community service work and involvement.

Millard said the class of 2012 performed more than 39,000 volunteer hours at graduation — a school record. “That’s a significant jump,” Millard said, “up from the 26,000 hours last year’s class contributed to community service endeavors.”

Students worked with many non-profit organizations, including Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, public defenders’ offices across the state, and other groups including the Clara White Mission and the Sulzbacher Center, Millard said.

“One thing to keep in mind is that the U.S. Census Bureau reported the number of those living below the poverty level had increased to 46.9 million — that means one person out of seven is living below the poverty rate,” Millard said, adding it is the highest rate the U.S. has seen in two decades. “This work comes at a time when it is desperately needed.”

One of Florida Coastal School of Law’s fundamental pillars, she said, is service to the underserved. The lessons students are learning about pro bono work and commitment to the community through their experiences will serve them well — and help further the school’s mission.

“They’re learning right now what their responsibilities are as attorneys — they’re already putting it into action,” Millard said. “Students at Florida Coastal School of Law already are doing more than what some attorneys are doing in their practice.”

Kathy Para, pro bono development coordinator at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, said the class of 2012 contributed a greatly needed service to the Northeast Florida community.

“Florida Coastal is doing its part to develop and instill in our next generation of attorneys how important it is that they share their unique legal skills with people in need,” she said.

“Florida Coastal School of Law is one of the strongest — and most diverse — programs in the country,” said Professor Sander Moody, faculty advisor for the Moot Court Honor Board. “And it starts and ends with our students’ hard work.”

Each year the Moot Court National Championship invites the top 16 schools in the country to participate. And while law schools at Columbia University, Duke University, George Washington University and the University of Texas create a competitive field, Coastal Law has ranked in the final four of the competition for the past two years.

The national championship is one of a number of national competitions in which the school participates throughout the year. Florida Coastal School of Law students, Moody said, command the respect of student peers around the country. “It’s rewarding because our students are treated like royalty — they come in to the competitions with a tremendous history of success,” he said.

Consistent with the National Championship success, Florida Coastal’s performances at two other national competitions shine additional light on the school’s impressive moot court program. Teams from Coastal Law won the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition’s Southeast Regional championship title in January, and later outpaced 150 competing teams to claim top honors at Nationals.

Last September, the team also won the National Latino Law Students Association Moot Court competition in New Orleans.

“Diversity is a core value at the law school,” Moody said. “And the success in these competitions shows that the law school is committed to it.”

The project was part of an institution-wide renovation which included moving several functions to the adjacent Oak Grove building, while adding study space, as well as career services and academic success counselors. In addition, Law Review was relocated from the library to its own expanded suite on the 4th floor.

Even with the additional study spaces and more people, the first floor is still the Library’s QUIET ZONE — no cell phones, no food, no chatting. Sounds like no fun! But don’t you remember those times when YOU needed the QUIET ZONE to focus on prepping for that class? Ah, those were the days!

Coastal Law alumni in the Jacksonville, Florida area can register for library privileges. Check out our website for more information.

Alicia Edwards

In July, Alicia Edwards joined Florida Coastal School of Law as the Assistant Dean of Multicultural Affairs. Edwards brings more than 10 years of direct student experience in higher education, and has worked in multicultural affairs at the University of Iowa and the University of Michigan. Most recently, she was Assistant Director, Student Activities & Multicultural Student Affairs at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where she was the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Administrator Students’ Association Award for “giving unselfishly to the students and the University as a whole.”

Although Coastal Law students come from 46 states and numerous countries, its enrollment pales in comparison to those found at the Big Ten universities and the larger SMU. Edwards has no concerns, and is in fact excited, about the more intimate setting.

“The issues and the work are the same, regardless of the ‘clientele,’” Edwards said. “I thrive on building true, sincere relationships with students, faculty and staff. I can already see that Florida Coastal operates like a family with a positive environment that will promote that type of interaction.”

Edwards’ passion for multiculturalism springs from her own background. Bi-racial, she recounts growing up in a household where respect and celebration of both cultures were a huge part of daily life. As a student and administrator at the University of Iowa, she found a home in the multicultural affairs department, realizing that she could make her passion her career. Her experience expanded greatly at the University of Michigan, a school recognized for its work in diversity, social justice and driving a dialogue on multicultural issues.

Edwards’ early plans are to review the school’s cultural inclusion programs, examine the services offered to underrepresented student groups to help them succeed, and ensure that diversity training for faculty, staff and students gives everyone the cultural competency tools necessary to work with different cultures.

Edwards laughed when asked if it were a coincidence that her job arc has taken her to progressively warmer climates.

“I don’t think I would ever move north again,” she said.

Coastal Law’s Office of Multicultural Affairs addresses the needs, issues and concerns of students in nationality, ethnicity, language, gender, and sexual orientation groups. Its functions include representing and presenting these students’ perspectives to the Coastal Law community. The office supports diversity programming to develop appreciation for multiculturalism, and promotes the academic and personal growth of underrepresented student groups.

Schultz (center) with Coastal Law SBA Officers Chris Basler and Jessica Sexton

Local Holland & Knight partner George A. “Buddy” Schulz won this year’s prestigious Justice Raymond Ehrlich Award. Florida Coastal School of Law’s Student Bar Association (SBA) presented the award to Schulz during a February event at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville.

The SBA selects a recipient who “embodies professionalism and humanitarianism and integrity in the Jacksonville community.” The award is given in the name of Ehrlich, a retired state Court Chief Justice, serviceman and well known civil trial lawyer who died in 2005. On the Supreme Court, Ehrlich was “known for his clear and definitive decisions,” according to his obituary.

Past winners of the prestigious award include U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Gerald Tjoflat, Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince and local attorney Wayne Hogan. The award is in its fifth year.

Schulz, a board-certified trial lawyer who served as a naval officer in Vietnam and earned his law degree from the University of Florida, was active in the formation of Florida Coastal School of Law’s shadow initiative. He is past chairman of Holland & Knight’s litigation department and chairs the firm’s public and charitable service departments. In this

capacity, Schulz coordinates the firm’s pro bono and community service work. He has been a member of the Florida Bar’s Civil Rules and Evidence Code committees and as chairman of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. He has been practicing law since 1973 and serves as a volunteer to the Guardian Ad Litem Program and as a trustee emeritus of the University of Florida College of Law.

Schulz said it was difficult to express what he was feeling at the time he received the award. Schulz worked next door to Ehrlich at Holland & Knight for 10 years following Ehrlich’s retirement from the Florida Supreme Court. He said he learned from Ehrlich daily.

“Most of all he was a man of honor and humility, and for those who knew him well, a man of immense humor — he always seemed to have a quip or a funny story for the occasion,” Schulz recalled. “We would often ask him a serious legal question or for his conscientious advice, and he would remind us that he was forced by law to leave the court at the mandatory retirement age of 70 — so we shouldn’t expect much from a man who had been determined to be ‘constitutionally senile.’”

Schulz regularly received significant counsel from Ehrlich during their time together at Holland & Knight.

“The day I remember most was the one when I came to him for advice on a personal ethical issue,” Schulz said. “He gave me sound advice and as I was leaving he said, ‘Always remember that your reputation is who people think you are — your character is who you are.’”

Schulz is proud Florida Coastal holds Ehrlich out as an example of influence and is pleased to be recognized in his name.

“By highlighting Ray Ehrlich, the gentleman and the gentle lawyer, and recounting his incomparable achievements, Florida Coastal School of Law plays an important role in encouraging and ensuring that future generations of lawyers will follow his example as civil and courteous practitioners of the profession of law,” he said.

Buddy Schulz receives the 2011 Justice Raymond Ehrlich Award. – Photos by Evan Hampton