Welcome to Florida Coastal School of Law

BACKGROUND

• January 1988 – December 1996 – Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, City of Jacksonville. Handle constitutional law litigation for City, at trial and appellate levels in both State and Federal courts. Advise City Council on constitutionality and legality of pending or proposed legislation. Draft and revise legislation. Attend council and committee meetings.
• April 1985 – December 1987 – Associate, Carlton, Fields, Ward, Emmanuel, Smith, Cutler & Kent. Research and draft memoranda of law and appellate briefs. Handle foreclosures, bankruptcies and general commercial/banking litigation.
• April 1984 – December 1984 – Clerk, Law Offices of William J. Sheppard. Research and draft memoranda of law, appellate briefs and other documents related to Criminal Defense/Civil Rights.
• January 1984 – April 1984 – Visiting Adjunct, University of Florida College of Journalism. Assist Professor Tom Goldstein in teaching law of mass communications. Teach three hours per week. Provide individual assistance to students. Grade exams.
• May 1983 – July 1983 – Assistant Legislative Counsel, Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia. Draft legislation, resolutions, committee reports, letters, and legislative counsel opinions. Review proposed legislation for legal problems. Research various constitutional, international and national legal issues.

EXPERTISE

Constitutional Law First Amendment Free Speech Freedom of Religion Constitutional Theory Local Government Law Florida Constitutional Law Land Use & Zoning

EDUCATION

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, J.D., July 1984. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, B.A., May 1981.

TEACHING & SCHOLARSHIP

Courses Taught:  Constitutional Law, Advanced Constitutional Law, First Amendment Constitutional Law Seminar, Florida Constitutional Law, Paths of the Law (combination of Jurisprudence and Introduction to the Common Law), Land Use & Zoning, Sales, Civil Procedure.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Significant Cases Handled

Reported Cases With Opinions:

1. Lady J. Lingerie, Inc. v. City of Jacksonville, 973 F.Supp. 1428 (M.D. Fla., 1997) (Freedom of Expression; adult entertainment).
2. Adler v. Duval County School Bd., 112 F.3d 1475, 37 Fed.R.Serv.3d 824, 118 Ed. Law Rep. 39 (11th Cir., 1997) (Establishment Clause, Freedom of Expression; graduation prayer).
3. Adler v. Duval County School Bd., 851 F.Supp. 446, 91 Ed. Law Rep. 930 (M.D. Fla., 1994) (Establishment Clause, Freedom of Expression; graduation prayer). 
4. City of Jacksonville v. Naegele Outdoor Advertising Co., 634 So.2d 750 (Fla. App. 1st Dist., 1994) (Sign Regulation; procedural due process and legislative process).
5. City of Jacksonville v. C. J. Ventures, Inc., 558 So.2d 133, (Fla. App., 1st Dist., 1990) (Alcoholic regulation; substantive and procedural due process).
6. Allen v. Consolidated City of Jacksonville, Fla., 719 F.Supp. 1532, 56 Ed. Law Rep. 161 (M. D. Fla. 1989) (Establishment Clause; day of prayer).
7. W. D. C., Inc. v. City of Jacksonville, 710 F.Supp. 782 (M. D. Fla., 1989) (Freedom of Expression; adult entertainment).
8. Florida Committee for Liability Reform v. McMillan, 682 F.Supp. 1536 (M. D. Fla., 1988) (Freedom of Expression; election laws).
9. Williams v. Bevis, 509 So.2d 1304, 12 Fla. L. Weekly 1715 (Fla. App., 1st Dist. 1987) (Banking).
10. Carrison v. Carrison, 486 So.2d 1363 (Fla. App. 1st Dist., 1986) (Dissolution of Marriage).

Reported Cases Without Opinions:

1. Allen v. City of Jacksonville, 920 F.2d 11 (Table) (11th Cir. 1990) (Establishment Clause; day of prayer).
2. Allen v. City of Jacksonville, 880 F.2d 420 (Table) (11th Cir. 1989) (Establishment Clause; day of prayer).  
3. G.P.Y. v. City of Jacksonville, 873 F.2d 298 (Table) (11th Cir. 1989) (Freedom of Expression; adult entertainment).
4. G.P. Y. v. City of Jacksonville, 835 F.2d 1439 (Table) (11th Cir. 1987) (Freedom of Expression; adult entertainment).
5. Carrison v. Carrison, 494 So.2d 1149 (Table) (Fla. 1986) (Dissolution of Marriage)

BOOKS

Book Chapter, “Land Use and Religion,” Hot Topics in Land Use Law: From the Comprehensive Plan to Del Monte Dunes (Patricia E. Salkin and Robert H. Freilich, ed.) (2000).

Self-published Works Cases on Constitutional Law: Yin and Yang of Liberty and Order (2001) (casebook).

Constitutional Law: A Study in Power, (2000) (casebook).

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Zoning of Public Nudity Laid Bare, 70 Fla. B.J. 108, (1996).

LAW REVIEW ARTICLES

• Animal Farm Jurisprudence: Hiding Personal Predilections Behind the "Plain Language" of the Takings Clause, -- Pace Env. L. Rev. --(to be published 2008).
• Plain Language Textualism: Some Personal Predilections are More Equal Than Others, 26 QLR 337 (2008).
• Sign Amortization Laws: Insight into Precedent, Property and Public Policy, 35 Cap. L. Rev. 891 (2007).
• Nude Entertainment Zoning, 12 Seton Hall Const. L.J. 119 (2001).
• In the Wake of Lee v. Weisman: The Future of School Graduation Prayer is Uncertain at Best, 2001 B.Y.U. Educ. & L.J. 111 (2001).
• The Impact of Florida Statute 800.03 on Local Regulation of Nude Dancing Facilities, 1 Florida Coastal L.J. 361 (2000).
• Recent Developments in Land Use, Planning and Zoning Law: Land Use and Religion in Florida, 30 Urb. Law. 711 (1998) Cited in: 2 State Environmental Appendix Florida (2002).

• Stephen Durden and David Ray, Litter or Literature: Does the First Amendment Protect Littering of Neighborhoods?, 26 Stetson L. Rev. 837 (1997) Cited in: 

  • 16A Am. Jur. 2d Constitutional Law §520
  • 10 Fla. Jur. 2d Constitutional Law §279