EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

EXTERNSHIPS

The Scarpa Center, in conjunction with Villanova Law's externship program, coordinates placements that align with the Where Law Meets Business philosophy. 

Villanova Law externships provide students with the opportunity to observe and work directly with an experienced legal practitioner in a real-world learning environment. Students work under the guidance of an on-site supervising attorney, allowing them to observe and work with an expert gaining hands-on legal experience. 

Current Scarpa Center externships include:

  • Blank Rome LLC
  • Ellucian
  • Fridman Law Group
  • Saxbys Coffee
  • Grovara
  • BFY

SCARPA FELLOWS

The Scarpa Fellows are committed to raising awareness of the Scarpa Center and its mission while furthering the Charles Widger School of Law philosophy, Where Law Meets Business.

Each Fellow is expected to provide leadership to the Entrepreneurship Law Society, maintain and expand digital and social media presence, assist in the development and execution of the Scarpa Center events, organize and oversee student competitions, interface with other schools, departments, organizations across Villanova and beyond, and provide leadership and research on established law and topical entrepreneurial issues.

 

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Tony Cassetta ‘24 is a U.S. Army veteran who retired from active duty in 2021 after a remarkable 22-year career. He served with distinction in the esteemed 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and held every enlisted leadership position from Private to Master Sergeant. He deployed to various operational theaters, including Operation Enduring Freedom (2002, 2007, 2009), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003), and Operation Inherent Resolve (2016), where he provided close personal protection to the combined joint task force commander, General Steven Townsend. Additionally, in 2017, he served as an advisor to NATO in Belgium, bringing his expertise and guidance to multinational military efforts. His exceptional service has been recognized with prestigious awards and decorations, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Combat Action Badge.

Driven by a commitment to growth, Cassetta completed all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Education System and graduated from the U.S. Army Jumpmaster School, Rappel Master School, Mountain Warfare School and Equal Opportunity Leaders Course. Concurrently, he served as an ROTC instructor at Cornell University, where he pursued a BA in sociology (2010-14). Cassetta’s academic accomplishments include a BA in applied management from Grand Canyon University (2018-20). His academic performance earned him a place on the President's List and membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

As a JD candidate, Tony serves as the president of the Parents and Non-Traditional Student Association, fostering a supportive community for his classmates. He is involved in various student organizations, including the Black Law Students Association, Justinian Law Society and the Veteran's Society. In 2023, Cassetta received a prestigious fellowship from the Scarpa Center.

In his legal work, Cassetta served as a judicial law clerk at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, DC, working under the Honorable Judge Enechi Modu. As a legal aid intern, he confirmed his unrelenting commitment to U.S. servicemembers and his legal acumen by providing vital advocacy to veterans unjustly denied benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Cassetta lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Kiara, and daughter, Lucia.

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Audrey Heuser '24 is an alumna of the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in the spring of 2021. She received the Knight of St. Pat Award in 2021 for her dedication and leadership to her engineering peers there. She was also awarded first place for her capstone project, where she helped develop a recycling process for electric vehicle batteries. Currently, she serves as the national director of finance of her sorority, Alpha Sigma Kappa, Women in Technical Studies.

Heuser is a patent agent registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has a passion for the intellectual property side of entrepreneurship. This past summer, she was a summer associate at Fletcher Yoder, a boutique patent firm in Houston, TX. This academic year, Heuser will participate in the Frederic Bastiat Fellowship at the Mercatus Center, where she will attend colloquia on political economy. Last academic year, she co-founded and served as president of the Entrepreneurship Law Society, and she will continue her role in the society this academic year as treasurer. 

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Kelly Kollias ‘24 is a JD/MBA student who received an undergraduate degree from Tufts University in English and a minor in entrepreneurial leadership studies.  

During the summer, Kollias worked at a trust and estates firm in Delaware, which inspired her to one day run her own business and be a successful attorney. 

When not in class, Kollias teaches barre classes at Pure Barre in Greenville, DE. She enjoys traveling and organizing networking events for Greek Americans all over the U.S. Kelly is a proud descendant of two Greek immigrant families here in the U.S. and loves being able to connect people with others based not only on their heritage but similar interests and passions.

As a Scarpa fellow, she hopes to organize events with interesting individuals who can broaden law students' horizons and show them how non-traditional or more unique paths can open and flourish through a law degree. Connections are her superpower, and Kollias cannot wait to share it with everyone.

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Robert McLain '24 is a 3L at Villanova Law. While living in his hometown of Scranton, PA, he undertook his first entrepreneurial venture, RA Apparel. In doing so, he learned the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and had the distinction of celebrities such as Halsey, Action Bronson and Bam Margera wearing his brand. To complement the brand, McLain published a book that expanded on its meaning–doing what you love in life. After this venture, he relocated to Orlando, FL, to gain further experience by working in leadership roles for three multinational Fortune 500 companies.

Despite his success in the corporate world, McLain’s entrepreneurial itch was persistent. It led to the founding of an additional apparel company, a consulting company and a publishing company while maintaining his “nine-to-five.” Prior to attending law school, McLain earned a degree in public relations, summa cum laude, from the University of Florida. As he approaches graduation from law school, he hopes to ride the wave of legal innovation, specifically within the cannabis and technology sectors. 

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Ciara Murphy ’24 is originally from Boston, MA, and is a graduate of Emory University, where she majored in history and political science. Murphy maintains an interest in intellectual property, corporate and transactional legal work. Last year, she served as the law student liaison between the Scarpa Center and entrepreneurship programs embedded in undergraduate schools. 

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Victor Cochrane ’25 is originally from Long Valley, NJ. He graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

While at Lehigh, Cochrane had several opportunities to engage in the entrepreneurial environment, which sparked his interest in entrepreneurship and law. In June 2020, he interned for a startup accelerator in Dubai, UAE, Tenl.io. While at Tenl.io, Victor initiated partnerships with American accelerators, incubators and venture capital partners. He also had an opportunity to engage with startups through the Lehigh in Silicon Valley program, allowing students to engage in live case analysis in front of founders to provide solutions to the startups' current business challenges.

Cochrane is the public relations chair for the Entrepreneurship Law Society. By working with the Scarpa Center, he is excited to learn more about emerging technologies and how law schools and lawyers can leverage these technologies. He also hopes to increase the opportunities for undergraduate, law school and graduate students to interact as a whole community. 

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Carlos Juarez ’25 is a Scarpa Fellow and president of the Entrepreneurship Law Society. He was a summer associate in Morgan Stanley's Legal and Compliance Department during his 1L summer. Previously, Juarez held business development and practice strategy roles at two AmLaw 100 firms supporting practices focused on capital markets, securities, emerging companies, venture capital and derivatives law.

Juarez actively writes on securities and capital formation market and legal trends. He is co-chair of the Access to Capital Programming Board for StartOut, a non-profit focused on breaking down economic barriers for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and founders. Juarez has spent time giving back to the community, working with other non-profits working with underprivileged and underrepresented communities.

Juarez holds an MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. He was an investment banking intern at Raymond James & Associates during business school. He received his BA from the University of California at Irvine.

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Jackson Sindaco '25 hails from Hagerstown, MD and earned his BS, summa cum laude, in sport management from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. At ESU, Jackson was a PSAC Scholar-Athlete (wrestling) and a COSMA Chi Sigma Mu Honor Society member. He also served as a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and won the Sport Sales Competition.

Sindaco’s passion for law and business led him to Villanova, where he is pursuing his JD with a concentration in business law. He was part of the winning team for the 2023 Scarpa Center Business Negotiation Competition. Now, he is part of the negotiation team.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Sindaco has gained practical experience as a summer law clerk at The Halpern Law Firm in Ardmore, PA, where he conducted discovery and document preparation for mass-tort cases. He also worked as an extern at The PLK Law Group in Hillsborough, NJ, assisting with intellectual property transactions.

Outside his academic and professional life, Sindaco is a classic car enthusiast who enjoys golfing and exercising. He is also a dedicated fan of the Philadelphia 76ers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also gives back to his community by volunteering as an assistant wrestling coach at Radnor High School.

MarySheila E. McDonald
John F. Scarpa Professor of Entrepreneurship
Director, Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
299 N. Spring Mill Road
Villanova, PA 19085

marysheila.mcdonald@law.villanova.edu