Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-4-22

FAMU News
FAMU Law Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Spectacular Gala
Major financial sup- porters honored
ORLANDO, FL – Florida A&M University (FAMU) Col- lege of Law celebrated 20 years in Orlando with a spec- tacular gala on October 22nd at the law school. The anniver- sary theme is “Two Decades: Continuing a Great Legacy.”
During the program, major supporters were recog- nized for their financial con- tributions to FAMU Law over the years.
The honorees include: John Crossman is passion- ate about diversity and educa- tion, especially Historically Black Colleges and Universi- ties. As the immediate past chair of FAMU College of Law Dean’s Advisory Council, and chair of the Council’s Fundraising Committee, Crossman hosted more than 50 Meet the FAM lunches at
From left, Chris Monts, FAMU Law Alumnus; Dr. Nizam Razack, FAMU Law Alumnus; Arthenia Joyner, FAMU Law Alumna and former state Senator; and Deveron Gibbons, FAMU Law Alumnus. Not pictured: John Crossman, president Crossmarc Services, and Katie Williams, financial supporter.
2006 graduate of the College of Law, and he served on the executive board that produced the first Law Review Journal. While in law school, Monts worked diligently to balance his studies with being a hus- band and father. After gradu- ating, Monts began hosting workshops for young male law students and he funded an an- nual scholarship for Black male students with families. Monts later funded the Monts Law Endowed Scholar- ship, becoming one of the first law school alumni to fully endow a scholarship.
Nizam Razack is a 2010 graduate of the College of Law, who took a nontradi- tional route to a Juris Doctor degree. Dr. Razack had al- ready earned an MD and was board certified in neurological surgery when he became a law student. Since graduation, he has often stepped up to pro- vide financial support to the law school. He fully funded the first Rattler for Justice Scholarship, which provides full in-state tuition to a law student committed to public or community service while in law school. Dr. Razack has also directly funded other key law school initiatives, making annual donations to the insti- tution.
Katie Williams is a re- tired educator in Miami-Dade County who was a friend and sorority sister of the late Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, a member of the Florida Legislature who was a 1965 graduate of the original FAMU College of Law. Williams led the initiative to name the Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry Lecture Hall and to endow the Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, Esquire Scholarship, organizing the fundraising ef- forts of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and others in the legal and broader com- munity. Williams has con- sistently supported the scholarship to continue Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry’s legacy of service.
The honorees received a special plaque. They will also receive a photo book which highlights the 20-year accom- plishments of the law school. The book is being printed and will include photos from the 20th Anniversary Gala.
For more information about the FAMU College of Law, please visit law.famu.edu.
his own expense to introduce the new dean to Central Florida.
Deveron Gibbons is a
2016 graduate of the College of Law, and he obtained his MBA from the School of Busi- ness in 2020. As the senior
vice president for business de- velopment and public affairs for Amscot Financial, Gib- bons spearheaded the fundraising effort to name Arthenia Joyner as the first inductee of the FAMU Law Hall of Fame. Gibbons is now leading a similar effort to induct the late Alcee Hast- ings into the Hall of Fame. Through his Gibbons Family Foundation, he has under- written several FAMU Law events and programs, includ- ing the 20th Anniversary Gala.
Arthenia Joyner is a member of the last graduating class of the original FAMU College of Law. She has amassed so many firsts: the first African American woman to practice law in Hillsbor- ough County and the first Black person to practice in Polk County. When she re- tired from the Florida Legisla- ture after 16 years – having served in both the Florida Senate and the Florida House – she was serving as the first Black woman Senate Minority Leader.
Now, as the first inductee into the FAMU Law Hall of Fame, Joyner has taken the lead in building the Arthenia L. Joyner Endowed Scholar- ship Fund for Black women dedicated to public service into the largest alumni-named endowment. Having recently celebrated her 50th year in practice, “the Senator” as she is fondly referred to, remains the longest-practicing Black woman lawyer in the history of Florida. She also serves on FAMU Law’s Dean’s Advisory Council.
Christopher Monts is a
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