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Week of 18 March 2024

EVENTS

Current Federal Court Challenges to LGBTQ+ Civil Rights

Monday, March 18 at 4pm in Room 302

Join OUTLaw, If/When/How, Villanova Law Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Tufano Interdisciplinary Initiative on Poverty and Inequality for a discussion about the challenges to LGBTQ+ and civil rights, how to work towards safeguarding these rights as attorneys, and how to best support impacted communities featuring:

  • Thomas Ude Jr., Esq., director of legal and public policy at the Mazzoni Center,
  • Zachary Strassburger, Deputy City Solicitor of the City of Philadelphia Law Department,
  • Janine Dunlap Kiah ’07, Director of Public Service and Pro Bono Initiatives at Villanova Law.

Pizza will be provided. Visit the event page to register.

 

Free Speech and Higher Education

Monday, March 18, 4-5pm in the Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)

The McCullen Center welcomes Judge Kyle Duncan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to discuss free speech and higher education. The program will address constitutional protections and limitations on free speech, the rise of campus illiberalism, recent controversies about free speech and antisemitism, the new American Bar Association standard requiring law schools to adopt free speech policies and Judge Duncan’s encounter with student protesters at Stanford Law School in 2023.

The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board has approved this symposium for 1 Ethics CLE credit. Please note registration for this event is required. 

 

JD-LLM in International Studies Information Session

Tuesday, March 19, 12:20-1:20pm in Room 303

1Ls - please save Tuesday, 3/19, 12:20-1:20pm for an information session in room 303 about the Villanova International Program’s JD-LLM in international studies and other international exchange opportunities. Discover what career paths are open to graduates of our international program and the benefits of the joint JD-LLM in international studies. Learn about the application process for the Class of 2026 (current 1Ls), program requirements, and tips for successfully completing all program requirements before the 3L year. Please email internationalprogram@law.villanova.edu if you have any questions about the event.

 

Strategies for Overcoming the Unique Challenges Facing Female Attorneys

Tuesday, March 19, 12:30-1:30pm in the Arthur M. Goldberg ’66 Classroom (Room 202)

Join the Women’s Law Caucus and the Scarpa Center for this Lunch & Learn featuring Julianne Opet ’13, RubinGoldman and Associates.

 

What is a Public Interest Fellowship? A Fireside Chat to Provide You with Answers

Thursday, March 21, 12:30pm in the Robert A.J. Barry Classroom (Room 303)

Are you interested in learning more about public service careers? What is a post-graduate public interest fellowship, and should you be considering that type of opportunity? How would you go about it?

Join Richard Prebil '17 (2017-2018 Equal Justice Works Fellow) and Meggie McCarthy-White ’24 (2024-2025 Independence Foundation Fellow) for a conversation about what it means to have a post-graduate public interest fellowship, how to pursue one, and how it can move you forward in your career. Pizza will be provided.

 

A Conversation with Entrepreneur in Residence, Terrence Low

Thursday, March 21, 4-6pm in the Ambassador David F. Girard-diCarlo ’73 and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo ’74 Student Lounge

Join us to hear the entrepreneurial journey of the CEO/cofounder of the luxury, black-owned wine label, Michael Lavelle Wines. An interactive wine tasting will follow. Presented by the Entrepreneurship Law Society and Black Law Students Society.

 

CARES Symposium

Friday, March 22, 12-3pm in the Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)

“Supporting Asylum Seekers and Immigrants: An Intersectionality of Immigration and State Law”

This year’s symposium will shed light on important legal issues immigrants face while navigating the immigration system, including legal topics that affect them while their immigration applications are pending or for those who do not have a pathway to legalization. The United States’s immigration system is very complicated since the interpretation and application of immigration laws vary significantly by state and city. Other issues facing asylum seekers include lengthy application wait times–which can take years, up to almost a decade–and the millions of cases that are backlogged in our system, which create uncertainty for immigrants and their families. Participants will learn how immigrants are affected by laws in health, family, labor and more.

The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board has approved this program for 2.5 Substantive CLE credits. Please note registration is required for this event. This event is co-sponsored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The cost of attendance is covered by a generous gift from Joseph Azrack ’69 VSB.

 

27th Annual PIFP Auction

Saturday, March 23, 5-8pm at John F. Scarpa Hall

Join the Walter A. Lucas '88 Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP) for our 27th Annual Public Interest Auction, benefitting Villanova Law students who dedicate their summers to public interest and public service legal work. Over the past 27 years, PIFP has funded 260 law students working at more than 140 public interest law organizations, raising over $1 million for Villanova Law’s public interest community. We are celebrating these accomplishments in person at John F. Scarpa Hall. 

Once registered, you will be automatically entered into a raffle for the chance to win Apple AirPod Pros, a Nintendo Switch or a Shark FlexStyle. You may also purchase additional $5 raffle tickets to improve your chances! For more details and to register, visit the event page. Please see the Villanova Law website for more details. 

 

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal Symposium

Friday, April 5 in the Arthur M. Goldberg ’66 Commons

“Fast Forward: The Changing Landscape of Sports Media”

This year's Moorad Symposium will feature informative and entertaining panel discussions on recent disruptions in sports media distribution, programming and revenue generation. Panelists of media personalities, network executives and producers and league and team management discussing the evolving landscape of sports media. Featured speakers include Angelo CataldiHoward Eskin and Brian Westbrook. Sponsored by Morgan Lewis.

This event will offer CLE credits pending approval from The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Please note the event is open for general admission, but registration is required for CLE credit. 

 

Philadelphia Social Justice Hackathon

Want to have a great time and make a difference in the Philadelphia community? The Philadelphia Social Justice Hackathon brings together students, programmers, and other "civic-minded hackers" to work in collaboration with social justice advocates, public servants, community legal providers, and members of the community to design creative solutions to social justice issues identified by residents of the City of Philly. The event is free and open to all participants, regardless of coding experience or affiliation with an organization or university. Join us at the Drexel Kline School of Law, April 5-7, 2024. Please register here. Questions may be directed to Professor Amy Emerson at amy.emerson@law.villanova.edu

 

The Ethics and Empirics of Engineering Humanity Speaker Series

Wednesday, April 10, 4–6pm in PWC Auditorium, Bartley Hall (First Floor)

"Do Humans Have an Obligation to be Machine Readable?" presented by Helen Nissenbaum, Professor of Information Science & Director of Digital Life Initiative, Cornell Tech

This interdisciplinary speaker series will cover ethical, philosophical, and empirical issues surrounding the engineering of artificial and human intelligence. Please see the event page for details of the full series. This speaker series is co-sponsored by the David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance and Villanova Women in Tech.

 

The Virtues of Free Enterprise and the Heroic Spirit of Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, April 10, 5-7pm in the Arthur M. Goldberg ’66 Commons

The Scarpa Center welcomes Andreas Widmer, founder and director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship and associate professor of practice at The Catholic University of America. In an hour-long conversation with MarySheila McDonald, John F. Scarpa Professor of Entrepreneurship and director of the Scarpa Center, Widmer will address why capitalism has been under attack while providing case studies of thriving businesses that are ethical and rooted in a purpose higher than pure profit maximization.

The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board has approved this symposium for 1 Ethics CLE credit. Please note registration is required for this event. A reception and book signing will follow the presentation.

 

Ninth Annual Fashion Law Symposium

Friday, April 12, 9:30am-2pm in the Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)

“Threads of Compliance: The Legal & Business Challenges of Fashion”

Join us as industry leaders share their insights on several hot topics, including IP protection, M&A trends, ESG concerns, influencer culture and more. Following the symposium, there will be a networking hour with a fashion showcase and light refreshments in the Ambassador David F. Girard-diCarlo ’73 and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo ’74 Student Lounge. The Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board has approved this symposium for 2 Substantive and 1 Ethical CLE credits.  For more information and to register please visit the event page.

 

KUDOS

ELJ Publication Decisions

The Villanova Environmental Law Journal congratulates the following Staff Writers whose Comments were selected for publication in Volume 36, Issue 1:

Joe Harmar, Get Your Act Together: The Alternative Fines Act in Federal Prosecutions of Corporate Environmental Crimes

Sarah Hofgesang, Pedagogy of the Polluted: Environmental Justice for School Communities

Caroline Nelson, Invasive Species from Sea to Shining Sea: An Exploration of Different Governmental Responses to Invasive Species in the United States

Meghan Termat, Revving Up or Stalling Out? Examining the Effectiveness of Electric Vehicles in Combatting Climate Change

Katie Uszakiewicz, Unveiling a Hidden Hazard: A Deep Dive into Forever Chemicals and the Urgent Need for Solutions

Many thanks to all the Staff Writers for their thoughtful submissions. We would also like to recognize our Managing Editors of Student Works – James Burke, Nick Greco, Brianna Manobianco, and Patrick Ware – for their hard work throughout the year guiding the Staff Writers.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Articles in the Forum on Entrepreneurship and Law

Check out the latest Entrepreneurship Law Society blog posts:

Nikolette Dusevic wrote Navigating the New Wave: Young Investors, Social Media, and the Arbitration Dilemma in Post-COVID Markets. https://www.vlsentrepreneurship.com/post/navigating-the-new-wave-young-investors-social-media-and-the-arbitration-dilemma-in-post-covid-ma

Alysse Danyi posts The Social Entrepreneur’s Dilemma: For-Profit or Nonprofit? https://www.vlsentrepreneurship.com/post/the-social-entrepreneur-s-dilemma-for-profit-or-nonprofit

 

Law Library’s Rivalry of Resources Competition

Sixteen legal research databases will face off over four rounds but who will win? You decide! Vote each week, now through April 9th, and be entered to win fabulous weekly prizes. Enter each week and you’ll have even more chances to win the grand prize drawing—a private room party for you and your friends during the reading period! Visit the game website each week to learn more and submit your votes! 

 

Register for the 3rd Annual Scarpa Business Negotiation Competition

Registration Deadline: Monday, March 18 at 5pm

Competition: Friday, March 22, 3-7:30pm

This competition serves as a great opportunity for both 1Ls and 2Ls to take part in a simulated, real-world dispute resolution negotiation. The competition will be judged by experienced negotiators and legal professionals, and participants will be given feedback and advice that will help build negotiation skills.

The competition requires no negotiation experience or in-depth business knowledge. The winning team from this year’s competition will be invited to join the Scarpa Corporate Negotiation Team for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Who is eligible to participate? 1L and 2L Villanova Law students are eligible for this year’s competition.

To Register click on this link and fill out this quick form by 5pm on Monday, March 18th. Participants will be in teams of two. You may register with a partner or register solo; solo registrants will be paired with another participant.

Questions? Contact team co-chairs Krysti Oschal and Alex Schiavino. We hope you’ll join us for the third annual Scarpa Corporate Negotiation Team Negotiation Competition!

 

New DEI Libguide

A new DEI LibGuide has been added to the CWSL LibGuide Section. The DEI LibGuide includes information about the law school and university Offices of DEI, the DEI Committee list, processing DEI environmental complaints, student organizations, and affinity groups, a glossary of DEI terms, and details about the Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas Community Award. Refer any questions, suggestions, and recommendations about the libguide content to the Office of DEI.

 

Emergency Closing Information

The Law School rarely closes because of weather or emergency conditions, but should it become appropriate that information will be available on the Law School website, our Emergency Cancellation Line 610-519-7744, and a notice will be sent via Nova Alert. If you have not signed up for Nova Alert, you may do so online at MyNova>Novasis>Personal Information>Nova Alert – Sign-up.

The Emergency Cancellation Line is a listen-only number that will carry details regarding closing, late opening, early closing, and library access. Please do not call the main number to obtain information available on the Emergency Cancellation Line.

If the University closes because of inclement weather, professors have the option to hold class remotely at the scheduled date/time. We have asked professors to let students know the individual policy for their class: reschedule or hold remote class on the snow day.

 

Worship Opportunities on Campus 

Wednesdays at 12:30pm Chapel of Our Lady, Mirror of Justice, dedicated in memory of Helen A. O’Connor

Mass will be held at the Law School when classes are in session. Further details and other opportunities for worship can be found on the Campus Ministry website. For other information, you may contact Fr. Aldo Potencio, OSA at aldo.potencio@villanova.edu

 

Absence Reporting Form

If you have missed or know you will miss a class session and believe the absence may be excused, please use this form to record the absence and have it excused where applicable. Please note that individual faculty members DO NOT receive submitted forms, so you must still notify your professors independently of any absences. 

 

Wellness Resources for Students

Villanova University School of Law faculty and staff care about you. We remind all law students to prioritize your physical, emotional, and mental health. It is important to reach out if you are going through a challenge, feeling overwhelmed, need to talk or want to find ways to maintain balance in your life.

(NEW) UCC Counselors at Law School: Dr. Candice Post and Dr. Allison Kosloff from the University Counseling Center are available to meet with law students here at the Law School on Mondays and Tuesdays from noon until 4:30pm. Interested students must schedule an appointment in advance. To schedule an appointment:

  • Call 610-519-4050 weekdays between 9am and 5pm, or
  • Submit the ONLINE APPOINTMENT REQUEST FORM to receive a call from the Counseling Center to schedule your appointment.
  • When the UCC staff calls back to confirm the appointment, please indicate you want the appointment at the Law School location (Room 138) with one of the embedded counselors.

University Counseling Center: Please see the Counseling Center’s website regarding their message for continuity of care, on-line appointment request form, local referrals or prescription refill if you have been seeing the University psychiatrist. Law Students have full access to the University Counseling center M-F, 9-5 610 519- 4050 and UWill 24/7 Telehealth Counseling

Villanova’s Health and Well-Being website

Nancy Whalen, Director of Student Affairs and Wellbeing can help you if you need to connect to resources, want a wellness check-in or need to discuss a specific concern.  Email her at whalen@law.villanova.edu or schedule a time to meet with Nancy.

In an emergency, call Villanova Public Safety at 610-519-4444.

Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers: LCL is fully operational during this time of uncertainty. They have one staff rotating in the office each day to ensure every helpline call will be thoroughly handled. Their volunteer base of 295 law students, attorneys, and judges are ready, willing, and able to assist any student, staff or faculty member that may be struggling LCL’s 24/7 helpline is 888-999-1941 and their website is also a wealth of information www.lclpa.org

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 160 crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

 

Gazette Submissions

Please send items for next week’s Gavel Gazette to gavelgazette@law.villanova.edu by 3pm on Friday.