A LETTER FROM THE INTERIM DEAN
Your Support Serves the Public Interest
I have had the privilege to be part of this great faculty for more than 17 years and
am looking forward to the year ahead in my current role as Interim Dean as we
undertake a nationwide search for our next Dean. As one of the faculty members
involved in the Social Justice Advocacy concentration, I am very proud of
Stetson’s history of public service. For more than 50 years, Stetson Law has been
taking the lead in serving the public interest. Stetson launched the first Public
Defender Clinic in the state in 1963.
Every year, we welcome new students who are passionate about public interest
work and eager to join the ranks of the Stetson lawyers who have gone before
them in creating this legacy of service. If we are to keep our promise of creating
practice-ready lawyers, we must make sure we prepare them for the legal world
they are entering.
Competition is the norm in every corner of the legal profession. In addition, law students who pursue careers
helping the underserved face the added hurdle of entering the legal profession making less income than their
private-practice counterparts. Without financial support and excellent planning, many Stetson students simply
cannot afford to pursue public interest work.
Stetson has made important strides in establishing scholarships and other incentives to give our students the
support they need to do the good work of helping others. We have greatly expanded the diversity of scholarships
and assistance available to Stetson Law students and now are able to offer dozens of scholarship opportunities
for both entering and continuing students. We have also been reinvigorating our Book Awards program to
recognize students for academic excellence.
In this issue of the Stetson Lawyer, you will read about some of our extraordinary alumni and faculty who
pay-it-forward in incredible ways. You will hear from scholarship recipients who have been able to pursue their
dream jobs once financial obstacles were removed from the path. The importance of scholarships and the impact
of financial support cannot be overemphasized. As both a donor and a recipient of a number of scholarships
throughout my education, this topic is very close to my heart. Simply stated, the scholarships I received helped
to make it possible for me to pursue my own dream job – being a law professor. I have never forgotten the
generosity of those who funded the scholarships that supported my studies.
Even a small gift is meaningful and helpful. The forward-thinking generosity of the Stetson community makes it
possible to continue the legacy of Stetson lawyers serving the public interest through incredible work. We hope
that you will find the stories in this issue of the Stetson Lawyer inspiring. Here, we celebrate the gifts that have
made dreams possible for a long green line of Stetson lawyers, and the amazing gifts to come.
Kristen David Adams
Interim Dean and Professor of Law
Stetson University College of Law
Kristen David Adams