COLLEGE OF LAW

FSU LAW FOCUSDecember 16, 2016

From the Dean

This fall semester was extremely busy for ouradmissions office. Representatives fromadmissions participated in 87 recruiting eventsat various colleges and universities across thecountry. From coast to coast, they met withnearly 2,000 prospective law students. As lawschools nationwide are competing for fewerapplicants, alumni participation in the recruitingprocess is extremely helpful. If you knowsomeone who is considering law school, pleasesend them a link to our Viewbook andencourage them to contact us to schedule apersonal visit to the College of Law. If youwould like to contact admitted students, please volunteer to become anadmissions partner. Thank you to everyone who is helping us with thisimportant mission!

Also, today marks the end of a busy fall semester for everyone at the Collegeof Law. While students are on winter break, we will not be sending weeklynewsletters – look for our next issue on Friday, January 6. I hope you enjoy theholiday season and have a prosperous new year!

- Dean Erin O'Connor

50-Year Anniversary: 1976

Dean Emeritus and AlumniCentennial Professor DonaldWeidner joined our faculty in 1976.Under his leadership, the lawschool climbed into the top tier of

U.S. law schools and was consistently recognizedas one of the nation’s best in terms of jobplacement. After 20+ years of leading the lawschool, Dean Weidner retired as dean in June2016. Also in 1976, funding continued to be anissue for both FSU and the College of Law. InFebruary, a group of about 100 law studentsmarched in peaceful protest to FSU’sadministration building seeking emergency aid forfunding the law school library. University PresidentStanley Marshall met with law students and saidhe would support their efforts to secure additionalfunding for the law school from the legislature andprivate sources. “I am the chief lobbyist for theuniversity, but that doesn’t preclude other peoplefrom doing this,” the president was cited as sayingin a Florida Flambeau article. Also in 1976, CarolAnn Turner (’77) was the first woman to serve aseditor-in-chief of the Florida State University LawReview. She was one of the few women editors-in-chief of law reviews in the country at the time.

Dean Emeritus Donald Weidner

Faculty Profile: Hannah Wiseman

Attorneys' Title Professor Hannah Wiseman hasa new co-authored book that was published byFoundation Press in November. Energy Lawprovides a broad, yet detailed, understanding ofthe major components of energy systems,energy infrastructure, and energy markets andthe laws that guide their development. It coversall major energy policy sectors including oil andgas extraction, electricity regulation, renewableenergy development, and regulation of vehiclesand transportation fuels. The timely bookaddresses rapidly changing policy inenvironmental regulation. Wiseman is a nationalexpert on energy law, especially in the area ofhydraulic fracturing – also known as fracking. She is quoted often in the

national media and has testified before members of congress.

Student Profile: 3L James FallsFor third-year student James Falls, a“hometown” is difficult to identify because hismother was in the military most of his childhood.Falls was born in Naples, Italy, and movedaround from Chicago to San Diego to PuertoRico. He attended junior high and high school inFleming Island, Florida, and then attended FSUfor undergrad, where he double majored inpolitical science and sociology. Falls is mostinterested in criminal law and would like to workat the public defender’s office somewhere inFlorida. However, he is also interested in federalclerkships, which would provide him theopportunity to see more than just criminal law.Falls served as an executive board member forthe Black Law Students Association during his first two years of law school andwas on the 2016 BLSA mock trial team that placed third in the southern regionand advanced to the national competition. He currently serves as a researchassistant for Professor Wayne A. Logan and has worked with him on twoarticles. They are also co-authoring an article forthcoming spring 2017. Thesummer after his 1L year, Falls interned with Stephen Knight at the Knight LawFirm in Tallahassee. Since August 2015 he has clerked at the Office of theGeneral Counsel for the Florida Department of Business & ProfessionalRegulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco. Next semester, Fallswill end his law school career with an externship at the Second Circuit PublicDefender's Office in Leon County. If you are interested in hiring Falls for a jobafter graduation, please visit his LinkedIn profile.

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