10
B R I E F S
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS Q&A
I N T E RV I EWS B Y M O L LY K A E L I N , PHOTO S B Y D A N I E L A GOMEZ
Kia Tolbert for Stetson Law Republicans
What motivated you to reinstate the
Stetson Law Republicans?
1) I am a Republican and hold
conservative values; and 2) I think it’s
important to have a safe space for all
forms of beliefs and ideals. There seems to be some
stigma about the Republican Party in our current
political climate. As with every demographic, there are a
range of ideals and beliefs within the party. I am the type
of person who advocates for hearing from the other side.
A person can’t make informed decisions, if he/she doesn’t
know the alternatives. It allows us to get a chance to
review current events and politics in a context other than
law. We plan to participate in local campaigns and
encourage our community to vote, regardless of party
affiliation. Recently, we co-sponsored a roundtable
discussion with the Federalist Society, Stetson Law
Democrats, and Constitutional Law Society. Working
with other groups is important to us. Emily, the
president of the Stetson Democrats, has been very
helpful to me in understanding how organizations work
and how to effectively lead an organization.
Blair Brannan for Intellectual Property
Law Society
How does Intellectual Property Law
Society plan to connect with alumni?
This year, we are hosting “Pathways to
IP Practice,” where we invite local
intellectual property attorneys and professors to speak. It’s
a great networking event, and members learn about career
paths and current issues in patent, trademark and
copyright law. My favorite event was our “Trademarks
Crash Course,” where our vice president, Alyssa Castelli,
taught the basics of Trademark Law. The organization was
inactive when I became president, but I wanted to ensure
IPLS remained active to provide law students with
important resources. Intellectual property is a constantly
evolving field, and it is important for new and undecided
students to learn about the variety of opportunities it
offers. Stetson has many IP internships and externships.
The future of intellectual property law will focus on
globalization; as technology and international trade
expand, nations will need to find new ways to protect their
intellectual property, inventor’s rights, and consumers.
Cori B. Foster for Space Law Society
How is the area of Space Law
expanding?
Space Law is growing in every way
possible. It encompasses international law
and policy, contracts, environmental/
sustainability issues, and even criminal
law. The first space crime was committed just this year. As
space itself becomes more accessible to private individuals
and companies, all the legal issues relevant to this planet
will follow us into outer space. Space Law is such a new
area, and we want Stetson to be a leader. The organization
is a way to make sure students are up to date on all things
space law.
I have a science background, so I am always looking for
where science and law overlap. I am most excited about
our upcoming speaker, Chris Quilty of Quilty Analytics.
He will be joining us and International Law Society to
share in-depth knowledge of the private space sector.
Student Affairs was very helpful in creating the Space Law
Society. The hardest part was getting the word out to
students. Many people don’t know about this area of law
and thought it was a joke.
Rebecca Klonel and Emily Preu for Stetson
Law Democrats
Why is it important to have your
organization on campus?
We think it’s important to have political
organizations on campus in general.
Rebecca initiated reinstatement of the organization after
attempting to join the Stetson Law Democrats and finding
it was no longer active. We aim to encourage political
discussion and civic involvement. This year, we are focusing
on community outreach. We just had Mary Fahy from the
Pinellas County Democrats train students on how to
register voters. Last year, we worked with Alan Brock, J.D.
’17, LL.M. ‘18, the Florida Democrats' Regional Voter
Protection Director, on numerous pro bono events such as
phone banking, poll watching and voter registration. Our
favorite event is Bringing Respect to Politics — a
collaboration with American Constitutional Society, the
Federalist Society, and the Stetson Law Republicans, and
the focus is on civil political discourse. It’s always really
awesome to hear other perspectives and bring people
together instead of pushing them apart.