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Dear Friends,
Please join me in congratulating the class of 2016 Ave Maria School of Law graduates! This class has worked earnestly since walking through the doors of our law school three years ago. As our graduates prepare for the bar exam, we will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. We thank the loving community of family and friends who have stood by their side during this time. On behalf of the faculty and staff, we are proud to have had them as students and now as distinguished alumni. To reference Lou Holtz during his speech at our Commencement, "Follow through, do the right thing, do the best you can, show people you care because you will generate trust and a commandment of care."
God Bless,
Kevin Cieply
President and Dean
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For more information on Ave Maria Law news and events, visit our
website
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Bishop Frank Dewane Celebrates Baccalaureate Mass
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Photo courtesy of Tony Zollo
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On Friday, May 13 as an important prelude to Commencement, Ave Maria School of Law was esteemed to welcome Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Florida in Venice as our main celebrant of
Baccalaureate
Mass at 6:00 p.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church. Along with Bishop Dewane, we also had the honor of Mass being celebrated by Ave Maria Law Chaplain Monsignor Frank McGrath, and Reverend Robert Kantor, Pastor of St. Agnes Church. We are very grateful to Father Bob Kantor and to the parishioners of St. Agnes for hosting us in their beautiful church.
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Alumni Reception and Pinning Ceremony
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Photo courtesy of Tony Zollo
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On Friday, May 13 following the special Baccalaureate Mass, g
raduation candidates and their families were invited to the Ave Maria Law campus for a celebratory event with faculty and local alumni. Candidates were inducted into the ranks of alumni during the Alumni Pinning Ceremony. I would like to thank Assistant Dean of Career Services and Alumni Affairs, Jennifer Lucas Ross, and her team for planning such a wonderful event.
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Congratulations to the Class of 2016
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 1:00 pm at Artis-Naples our graduating students embarked on a new chapter in their lives. Their three-year law school journey culminated in Commencement. Among the highlights of the event was a touching speech by Class of '16 Student Speaker, Shea Hasenauer, and an impactful speech by the legendary Lou Holtz who was our Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient. Karl Keating, founder and senior fellow at Catholic Answers, was also an honorary degree recipient along with Vincent and Connie Von Zwehl, two long-time benefactors who have been tireless advocates of Catholic education and tremendous supporters of Ave Maria School of Law. We're extremely proud of the Class of 2016 and wish them all of the success in the future to come. Sincere congratulations to Dean Kaye Castro, Pamela Kramer, Paula Johnson and the Commencement Committee for your hard work planning for the success of this event.
You may read more about our Commencement here:
We invite you to visit the following link to view our Commencement photo gallery:
Password: commencement2016
Graduates, we are also sharing a link to the Commencement photo gallery where you may purchase images directly from Paradise Photography:
www.avemarialawgrads.com
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Dean Cieply and Lou Holtz
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Dean Cieply, Connie Von Zwehl and Vincent Von Zwehl
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Dean Cieply and Karl Keating
Photos courtesy of Reagan Rule
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3rd Annual Estate Planning Conference Success
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Estate Planning Committee Members and Speakers
Photo courtesy of Tony Zollo
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The 3rd Annual Ave Maria School of Law Estate Planning Conference on Friday, May 6 was a great success. Approximately 130 people were in attendance interacting with Ave Maria Law faculty, staff, and volunteers, our incredible roster of sponsors and nationally recognized speakers discussing the latest estate planning hot topics of discussion. My sincere thanks are extended to Gregory Holtz, Chairman, our student volunteers Bibiana Potestad '17, Karenin Hache '17 and Patrick Finnegan '16, Director of Special Events and Communications, Kristy Kryszczak, and the entire Estate Planning Committee for their hard work and dedication on the conference.
We invite you to view the photo album from the Estate Planning Conference here:
Password: epc2016
We welcome Aaron Farmer, Farmer & Associates PLLC who will serve as the as the 2017 Estate Planning Conference Committee Chair.
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Elizabeth Humann '16 Receives Second Highest Score
on Florida Bar!
Elizabeth Humann graduated this last December and then took the February 2016 Florida Bar Exam. She scored the 2nd highest score in the State - a tremendous
accomplishment. Because of her score, she was invited to be a speaker at the Induction Ceremony at the Fourth District Court of Appeal at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Beth recently walked during Commencement on May 14. Congratulations, Beth, on doing such a fantastic job!
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Sixteenth Annual St. Thomas More Oral Advocacy Competition
Please join me in recognizing the first year law students who competed in the Oral Advocacy Competition this spring, along with their fearless leader, Director and Assistant Professor of Research, Writing and Advocacy, Maureen Milliron. The top four finalists were Victor Bermudez, Molly McCann, Kathleen Mullallly, and Hershal Spangler. Molly McCann was the winner of the competition. Outstanding job, Molly, and congratulations to all.
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Edward Cardinal Egan Conference Room Named
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Founder Tom Monaghan, Monsignor McGrath, Dean Cieply
Photo courtesy of Reagan Rule
It is my pleasure to announce that we have named the Dean's Conference Room in honor of His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York. Ave Maria Law was extremely blessed to have Cardinal Egan serve on our Board of Directors for more than twelve years. Our current Board of Directors were on campus to celebrate the naming of the conference room and the memory of Cardinal Egan. He will be missed, but not forgotten. May he rest in the peace of Christ.
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Professors Gillen and Tracey Granted Tenure
I am proud to announce that our Board of Governors, upon favorable recommendations from the tenured faculty, has granted tenure to Professor Pat Gillen and Professor Tim Tracey. To obtain tenure, a faculty member has the burden of establishing demonstrated excellence in teaching, a serious commitment to scholarly research and publication, and a proven record of service to Ave Maria Law.
Professor Gillen and Professor Tracey have fully satisfied these standards and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Mission of Ave Maria Law We look forward to their continuing contributions to our law school for years to come.
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In the News and Around Town
Ron Kezeske, an alumnus of Ave Maria School of Law, sat on the county's public safety authority and code enforcement board, recently resigning from both boards this spring to run for County Commissioner. Read about it
here.
This summer, Stephen Wilhelm '18 will be clerking for the Alabama Supreme Court and Chelsea Maslar '17 will be clerking with the Florida Supreme Court.
Alumna Ashley Suarez '16 is accepted a job position with Zampogna Law Firm.
Alumna Anna Ismer '16 has accepted a position with a firm she has been with since February of this year. It's a local firm in downtown Naples, Seidensticker and San Filippo, specializing in high stakes business litigation, real estate, and personal injury work.
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Supreme Court Victory for Little Sisters of the Poor bodes well for Ave Maria Law's HHS Case
While Ave Maria School of Law would have preferred the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold that the HHS Mandate violates one of our most cherished Constitutional rights, that of religious liberty, we are very encouraged by the court's decision. The result means that we can purchase insurance for our employees that does not include abortifacients and contraception. It also means we are not required to take any action that would trigger that coverage for our employees. I invite you to view more details on our point of view
here.
I recently had the pleasure of appearing on Fox News 92.5 radio, Daybreak with Drew Steele, this talking about the recent Supreme Court rulings.
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Photo courtesy of Reagan Rule
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I would like to take a moment to personally thank our tried-and-true volunteer photographer, Tony Zollo, for all of his endless dedication to our law school. The entire Ave Maria School of Law staff, faculty, students and community are appreciative of you, Tony, and we are blessed to call you a part of our family. God bless you for all you do for Ave Maria Law.
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Ave Maria Law's Summer 2016 Course Highlights
The Sports Law Academy, Introduction to Government Contracts and Religious Liberty Practicum are three of the key courses being offered this summer online. The Sports Law Academy offers the option of online or in person on our Naples, Florida campus. For more information or to register now, please visit this link.
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Campus Naming Opportunities
With the purchase of our campus, we now have many Naming Opportunities that offer a meaningful way to support Ave Maria School of Law while honoring and commemorating someone or something important in your life. Please review this partial list of Campus Naming Opportunities and if you are interested in learning more, contact Donna Heiser, Chief Advancement and Communications Officer at 239-687-5405 or
dheiser@avemarialaw.edu. View Naming Opportunities
here.
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If you are interested in volunteering your time to Ave Maria School of Law on campus, please contact Christina Newman at
cnewman@avemarialaw.edu
. There are administrative opportunities currently available.
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Upcoming Events:
Every Tuesday
7:00 p.m. | Michigan Room
Complimentary coffee and desserts
Every Wednesday
Legion of Mary
8:00 AM | Cardinal O'Connor Conference Room
Every Friday
St. Thomas More Society: Rosary and Fellowship
6:00 PM | Chapel
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The next Dean's Newsletter will appear in August 2016. Have a wonderful summer!
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Ave Maria School of Law was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1999, and in 2009 relocated to Naples, Florida. It is licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, License Number 4007, and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state. http://www.freshfromflorida.com/divisions-offices/consumer-services 1-800-435-7352.
Copyright © 2016 Ave Maria School of Law, All rights reserved.
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