https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/20192024-03-13T16:35:53.947Z2019Adobe Experience Manager23rd Annual Public Interest Auction, 2/22noemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="text parbase"> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Hosted by </b></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>The Walter A. Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP)</b></h2> </div> <div class="image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@6da5fff0 /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12192/jcr:content/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1581577905815.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12192/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1581577905815.jpg" alt="Public Interest Auction" title="PIFP" class="cq-dd-image" ><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div> <div class="text_1796561459 text parbase"> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Saturday, February 22, 2020<br> 6:00 p.m.<br> Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law</b></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h3> </div> <div class="image_1510048977 image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@5a751047 /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12192/jcr:content/pagecontent/image_1510048977.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/23rd-annual-walter-a-lucas-public-interest-fellowship-program-auction-tickets-83207978303"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12192/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image_1510048977.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg" alt="Click to Register" title="register" class="cq-dd-image" ></a><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div>2020 Villanova Environmental Law Journal Blank Rome LLP Symposium, 2/7noemail@noemail.orgjtoth04<div class="text parbase"> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>“Shareholder Environmental Activism”</b></h2> </div> <div class="text_493373583 text parbase"> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>&nbsp;</b></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Friday, February 7<br> 9:00 a.m – 12:30 p.m.</b></h3> <h4 style="text-align: center;"><b><br> Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)<br> Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law<br> 299 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA 19085</b></h4> <h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h3> </div> <div class="image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@1b7aed6 /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12191/jcr:content/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-villanova-environmental-law-journal-blank-rome-llp-symposium-tickets-86838645727"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/12191/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg" alt="Click to Register" title="register" class="cq-dd-image" ></a><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div> <div class="text_261459639 text parbase"> <p>Proxy proposals give shareholders a voice in how corporations address issues ranging from corporate governance to social concerns. Shareholder proposals addressing environmental issues have been increasing in recent years, tackling important topics such as climate change, sustainability, water use and waste. In November 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed new amendments to Exchange Act Rule 14a-8, the regulation that governs the process for shareholder proposals to be included in a publicly traded company’s proxy statement. Supporters of the proposed amendments contend that it will prevent misuse of the proxy proposal process, but opponents allege that it will stifle shareholder voices.</p> <p>At the 2020 <i>Villanova Environmental Law Journal</i> Blank Rome LLP Symposium, representatives from shareholder activist groups, advisors, companies, attorneys and academics will discuss the use of shareholder proposals to advance environmental objectives, including the proposed Rule 14a-8 amendments.</p> <p>The symposium will take place on Friday, February 7, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101) of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education board for <b>3 substantive CLE credits</b>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><b>Agenda</b></h3> <p><b>9:00 a.m. — Welcome</b></p> <p><b>9:10 a.m. — Introductory Panel</b></p> <p><b>Jonathan Doh, PhD</b>, Associate Dean of Research, Herbert G. Rammrath Endowed Chair in International Business, Co-Faculty Director of the Moran Center for Global Leadership and Professor of Management at Villanova University School of Business<br> <a href="https://law.wlu.edu/faculty/full-time-faculty/sarah-haan" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Sarah Haan</b></a>, Associate Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law<br> <a href="https://siinstitute.org/boardofdirectors.html" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Heidi Welsh</b></a>, Executive Director, Sustainable Investment Institute (Si2)<br> Moderated by <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/law/academics/faculty/Facultyprofiles/JenniferOHare.html" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Jennifer O’Hare</b></a>, Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law</p> <p><b>10:00 a.m. — Shareholder Panel</b></p> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathybelyeu/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Kathy Belyeu</b></a>, Senior Associate, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)<br> <a href="https://iasj.org/staff/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Mary Beth Gallagher</b></a>, Executive Director, Investor Advocates for Social Justice<br> <a href="https://www.pcgloanfund.org/profile/sister-nora-nash-osf" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Sr. Nora Nash, OSF</b></a>, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia<br> Moderated by <a href="https://siinstitute.org/boardofdirectors.html" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Heidi Welsh</b></a>, Executive Director, Sustainable Investment Institute (Si2)</p> <p><b>10:50 a.m. — Break</b></p> <p><b>11:00 a.m. — Companies Panel</b></p> <p><b><a href="https://www.blankrome.com/people/yelena-m-barychev#biography" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Yelena M. Barychev</a></b>, Partner, Corporate Practice Group, Blank Rome LLP<br> <a href="https://www.skadden.com/professionals/g/ganem-hagen-j" target="_blank" style="font-weight: bold;"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Hagen J. Ganem</a>, Counsel, SEC Reporting and Compliance, Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Governance, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &amp; Flom LLP and Affiliates<br> <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahefh/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Sarah Friedman Hersh</a></b>, Senior Investment Stewardship Strategist, Vanguard<br> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-smith-729a2818/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Nancy Smith</b></a>, Senior Vice President, Corporate, Securities and Finance Law, Lincoln Financial Group<br> Moderated by <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/law/academics/faculty/Facultyprofiles/ToddAagaard.html" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><b>Todd Aagaard</b></a>, Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law</p> <p><b>11:50 a.m. — Plenary Discussion</b></p> <p><b>12:30 p.m. — Adjourn</b></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div>Advocating on the Long Road to Justicenoemail@noemail.orgjtoth04<div class="image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@17c076e5 /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1216/jcr:content/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1576510462130.jpg --> <div class="image leftimage"><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1216/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1576510462130.jpg" alt="Tom Gallagher, Hannah McPhelin and John Miller, a free man." title="JohnMillerLegalTeal" class="cq-dd-image" ><br clear="all"><small>Tom Gallagher, Hannah McPhelin and John Miller, a free man.</small><br /> </div><div class="clear"></div></div> <div class="text parbase"> <p>On July 31, 2019 Villanova Law alum <a href="https://www.pepperlaw.com/people/thomas-m-gallagher/"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Thomas Gallagher ’89</a>, Partner and Chairman, Pepper Hamilton LLP, boarded a bus bound for Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution (SCI) Mahanoy. The 105-mile trip from Center City Philadelphia to Frackville, Pennsylvania was familiar. It was one he had taken several times over the past eight years, but this time was different. Instead of visiting inmate John Miller and discussing the frustrating details of his pro bono client’s case, today Gallagher was joined by Miller’s family –ready to welcome home a free man.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="text_1083476136 text parbase"> <h3><b>Life in Prison</b></h3> <p><br> On October 8, 1996 Anthony Mullen was shot and killed in an attempted robbery in the parking lot where he worked as an attendant near Philadelphia’s 30<sup>th</sup> Street Station. “It was a completely cold case. No eyewitness, no evidence at the crime scene, no forensics,” said Gallagher. Months passed without any leads.</p> <p>In February 1997, Philadelphia police arrested David Williams on an unrelated burglary charge. In exchange for leniency, Williams told detectives that John Miller, his lifelong neighbor from their Southwest Philadelphia block, had confessed to him that he had killed Anthony Mullen in the 1996 murder. Police arrested Miller for the crime in June 1997. He was 19 years old.</p> <p>Williams recanted his accusations at the preliminary hearing, saying he had a disagreement with Miller and lied to police about his murder confession. Despite this, the case moved to trial. A year later, in September 1998, without a reliable confession, eyewitness testimony or any physical evidence, Miller was tried, convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="text_2076710925 text parbase"> <h3><b>“A Wing and a Prayer”</b></h3> <p><br> Fast forward to 2009. While Miller spent years in prison, the <a href="https://www.innocenceprojectpa.org/"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Pennsylvania Innocence Project</a> was founded in Philadelphia by a group of visionary lawyers in partnership with students and faculty from Villanova and Temple law schools. The Pennsylvania Innocence Project works to provide pro bono investigative and legal assistance to prisoners convicted in Pennsylvania who are actually innocent and can be proven so by DNA testing or by other newly discovered evidence.</p> <p>“The Pennsylvania Innocence Project was launched on a wing and a prayer,” said Doris DelTosto Brogan, Professor of Law and Harold Reuschlein Chair, a Member of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project Board of Directors. “It got off the ground with minimal staffing with the goal of freeing people who are wrongfully incarcerated, and also preventing wrongful incarcerations in the first place.”</p> <p>“We receive thousands and thousands of letters from people in prison who want us to take on their case,” said Brogan. Each case goes through a rigorous review process that starts with student volunteers, mostly law students, and proceeds through four tiers of screening and analysis to determine in each case whether the individual is factually innocent and whether their innocence can be proven.</p> <p>Each semester, Villanova Law externs work at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project to sort and review the cases. “It’s a wonderful training program and a structured externship for students who are interested in learning about the criminal justice system from a different angle,” said Brogan, who also supervises the Villanova Law externs.</p> <p>“Pennsylvania Innocence Project externs experience firsthand the inner workings of the criminal appeals process, and form relationships with both likeminded students and incarcerated individuals seeking assistance from the Project,” said Villanova Law student extern, John (Trip) Lenahan ’20. “And it’s not all office work—this semester, we witnessed another man’s exoneration after almost two decades of wrongful imprisonment. There wasn’t a dry eye in the courtroom.”</p> <p>The externs are trained by Pennsylvania Innocence Project staff, attending a weekly seminar on wrongful convictions. They do in-depth case reviews, gather additional information, draft memos and help present cases to a review panel of staff and volunteer attorneys who decide whether they should take the case on. &nbsp;</p> <p>“The Villanova Law students have been great,” said Nilam Sanghvi, Legal Director for the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. “Some continue to volunteer with us after they complete their externship. It’s nice to build that relationship and have them stay abreast of the work we are doing at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project even if they go on to work in other areas of law.”</p> <p>“The externs run into a lot of roadblocks,” added Brogan. “These are the things they will come across as real lawyers. The case isn’t presented to them in a nice package like it is in a law school simulation course. They have to figure out how to get the answers and information they need. It forces them to dig deeper.”<br> &nbsp;</p> </div>Recent Alum Wins Federal Circuit Bar Association Student Writing Competitionnoemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="text parbase"> <p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="textimage parbase rightimage nostyle"> <div class="image pull-right" id="cq-textimage-jsp-/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1210/jcr:content/pagecontent/textimage" style="max-width: 300px;"> <img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1210/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/textimage/image.img.jpg/1581577924957.jpg" alt="Katie Albanese &#39;19 Wins Federal Circuit Bar Association Student Writing Competition" title="KatieAlbanese-3" class="cq-dd-image" ><br> </div> <p>Katie Albanese ’19 won the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s 2019 George Hutchinson Writing Competition, an annual writing contest named for George Hutchinson, the first Chief Clerk of the Federal Circuit and an active member of the Federal Circuit Bar Association and The Federal Circuit Historical Society. The competition is open to law school students throughout the United States whose paper focuses on a topic that lies within the scope of the specialized jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The papers are judged by selected members of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Albanese was recognized for her accomplishment at the 2019 Annual Dinner and Reception on November 22, and her paper will be published in the <i>Federal Circuit Bar Journal.</i></p> <p>She originally wrote her winning paper, titled <i>When is Enough Enough? What Constitutes an Adequate Written Description of Genus</i>, during her 3L year at Villanova Law for the Advanced IP and Cyberlaw Seminar with Michael Risch, Vice Dean and Professor of Law. “Professor Risch was crucial in my editing process and continuously countered my arguments such that I addressed all sides of the issue,” said Albanese.</p> <p>The paper focused on issues that occur when a patentee tries to claim a biological genus – a term used by scientists for biological classification – by disclosing some of the species within that genus, which is common practice in pharmaceutical and genetic patents. The paper analyzed cases on the topic to assess what level of disclosure is sufficient in the eyes of the courts. It also provided best practices for patent drafters, attorneys and judges in writing and interpreting such patents.</p> <p>Albanese credited her Villanova Law experiences with preparing her for success in the Intellectual Property field. “Delving into the Intellectual Property community at Villanova and in the general Philadelphia area allowed me to gain familiarity with some of the more difficult issues in this type of law.”</p> <p>“To win the Federal Circuit Bar Association George Hutchinson Writing Competition is a great honor,” stated Albanese. “The Federal Circuit is the country’s most trusted authority on patent law and to get their seal of approval on my work is an incredible feeling.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="clear"></div> <script src="https://www1.villanova.edu/etc/designs/villanova/clientlibs/textimage.min.js"></script> </div>Karina Norwood ’21 and Cecilia Carreras ’21 Win 60th Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competitionnoemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="textimage parbase rightimage nostyle"> <div class="image pull-right" id="cq-textimage-jsp-/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1205/jcr:content/pagecontent/textimage" style="max-width: 300px;"> <img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1205/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/textimage/image.img.jpg/1581577928980.jpg" alt="Karina Norwood ’21 &amp; Cecilia Carreras ’21 " title="2019-Reimel-Moot-Court-Competition-Winners" class="cq-dd-image" ><br> <small>Cecilia Carreras ’21 (left) and Karina Norwood ’21 (right)</small> </div> <p>After weeks of preparation and preliminary trials, the final round of the 60<sup>th</sup> Annual Theodore L. Reimel ’24 CLAS&nbsp;Moot Court Competition concluded on Thursday, November 21, 2019. The competition is an annual intra-school tournament and a hallowed tradition at Villanova Law, named in honor of the late Theodore L. Reimel, Judge for the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas from 1953 to 1973. The trial is designed to foster student development in written and oral advocacy through simulated appellate argument.</p> <p>The case argued in this year’s competition was focused on issues of inmates’ rights, protection of the prison population and violations of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.</p> <p>The unprecedented all-female semi-final round boiled down to a final round which consisted of four 2L students: Alice Douglas ’21 and Mary Haggerty ’21, who argued for the petitioner, versus Karina Norwood ’21 and Cecilia Carreras ’21, who argued for respondent. In an impressive trial, it was Norwood and Carreras who were victorious. Carreras was also named Best Oralist in the Final Round.</p> <p>The final round was presided over by The Honorable Barry T. Albin, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, The Honorable Susan P. Gantman ’77, President Judge Emeritus of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and The Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell ’73, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Rendell commented that it was the best round of arguments she has seen to date.</p> <p>In addition, the following students received recognition for their remarkable efforts throughout the competition: Sarah Blum ’21 and Katie Carden ’21 for Best Brief for Petitioner, Andrew Todd ’21 and Zach Epstein ’21 for Best Brief for Respondent and Rachel Levy ’21 for Best Overall Oralist.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="clear"></div> </div>Externship Provides Experience in Emerging Law Domainnoemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="textimage parbase rightimage nostyle"> <div class="image pull-right" id="cq-textimage-jsp-/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1126/jcr:content/pagecontent/textimage" style="max-width: 300px;"> <img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1126/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/textimage/image.img.jpg/1581577965139.jpg" alt="David Pejovic ’21" title="David-Pejovic-Headshot-resized" class="cq-dd-image" ><br> </div> <p>Technological innovation is quickly developing and creating opportunities and challenges in law, from research driven by artificial intelligence to providing legal counsel for new technological advancements. One of the newest opportunities in the legal sphere is blockchain. Villanova Law provided David Pejovic ’21 an opportunity to prepare for the future with his summer 2019 externship, which he spent with <a href="https://bullblockchainlaw.com/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Bull Blockchain Law, LLC</a>, a Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in cryptocurrency and related securitized digital assets.</p> <p>Blockchain is based on ledger technology, which uses secure cryptographic functions to store and distribute records. &nbsp;It is the science behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and the legal field is utilizing this new technology for everyday tasks, such as email encryption and contract management.</p> <p>Not only does blockchain provide a new way to help lawyers operate, but it also provides a new niche legal specialization. During his externship, Pejovic conducted legal research on complex corporate structuring for both domestic and international FinTech entities, including studying publications from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to find guidance from past issues that could be applied to current clients’ needs.</p> <p>“There’s no wide sweeping blockchain law yet, it’s brand new territory. You’re working with guidance or commentaries made by commissioners, or state legislation efforts which are far and few between, and going off those, while trying to adapt it to this new technology,” said Pejovic. He credited his undergrad experience in investment banking blockchain projects, combined with his current legal studies at Villanova Law, with helping him advise in this new frontier.</p> <p>Many of the clients Pejovic worked with were international companies looking to move into U.S. operations. He recalled his “a-ha” moment, when he found a solution for a European-based client who was looking to move to the U.S. He discovered a way to structure the client’s corporation, while also reducing administrative costs and maintaining legal liability, in a way that perfectly fit the company’s business model. “It was a great feeling to see all of my hard work pay off and be able to help the client so seamlessly.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="clear"></div> </div>Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, 11/12noemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="text parbase"> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Presented by</b></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy</b></h3> </div> <div class="image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@2a0ce19e /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/11012/jcr:content/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1572624424360.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/11012/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1572624424360.jpg" alt="Keith Whittington" title="keith-whittington" class="cq-dd-image" ><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div> <div class="text_669728412 text parbase"> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>Tuesday, November 12<br> 4:00 p.m.<br> Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)<br> Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law</b></p> </div> <div class="image_1866632678 image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@2629512c /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/11012/jcr:content/pagecontent/image_1866632678.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keith-whittington-speak-freely-why-universities-must-defend-free-speech-tickets-75035335709"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/11012/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image_1866632678.img.jpg/1583783688803.jpg" alt="Click to Register" title="register" class="cq-dd-image" ></a><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div>60th Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competitionnoemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="image parbase"><!-- org.apache.sling.scripting.core.impl.helper.OnDemandReaderRequest@73b8465f /content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1101/jcr:content/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1572552792105.jpg --> <div class="image middleimage"><img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1101/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/image.img.jpg/1572552792105.jpg" alt="60th Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition" title="60th-Reimel-Moot-Court-Competition" class="cq-dd-image" ><br clear="all"> </div><div class="clear"></div></div> <div class="text_1803695692 text parbase"> <h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://vums-web.villanova.edu/Mediasite/Play/76b5b19354ec47789f829a87099115531d" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Watch a livestream of the final round of the competition&nbsp;beginning 11/21 at 5:00 p.m.</a></b></h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</h3> </div> <div class="text parbase"> <p>The 60<sup>th</sup> Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition is set to begin with preliminary rounds on November 11-14. The quarterfinal round will take place on Monday, November 18, with the semifinal round on Tuesday, November 19.</p> <p>The final round of the competition will take place on <b>Thursday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m.</b> in the Martin G. McGuinn '67 Ceremonial Courtroom (Room 201) at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. This event is open to the public.<br> </p> <p>The Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition is an annual intra-school tournament and a hallowed tradition at Villanova Law. Named in honor of the late Theodore L. Reimel, Judge for the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas from 1953 to 1973, the competition is designed to foster student development in written and oral advocacy through simulated appellate argument.</p> <p>This year's judges who will preside over the final round are:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Honorable Barry T. Albin</b></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Honorable Susan P. Gantman ’77</b></p> <p style="text-align: center;">President Judge Emeritus of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania</p> <p style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><b>The Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell ’73</b></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit</p> </div>Trial Team Members Named Best Advocates at Battle of the Expertsnoemail@noemail.orgjtoth04<div class="textimage parbase rightimage nostyle"> <div class="image pull-right" id="cq-textimage-jsp-/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1031/jcr:content/pagecontent/textimage" style="max-width: 300px;"> <img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1031/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/textimage/image.img.jpg/1638206673002.jpg" alt="Trial Team Members Named Best Advocates at Battle of the Experts" title="VUTrialTeam2019_DrexelLaw_BattleoftheExperts" class="cq-dd-image" ><br> <small>Pictured: Mark Cerroni ’20, Chelsea Eret ’21, Rachel Levy ’21 & Austin Skelton ’21</small> </div> <p>Rachel Levy ’21 and Austin Skelton ’21 were recently named Best Advocates at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law’s Battle of the Experts in Philadelphia.</p> <p>Levy and Skelton, along with other trial team members Mark Cerroni ’20 and Chelsea Eret ’21, competed against 16 of the top trial advocacy programs in the country on October 11-13.</p> <p>The Battle of the Experts, a unique mock trial competition that showcased the critical role of expert witnesses in litigation, was judged by a jury of three leading trial lawyers from the Philadelphia area. The Villanova Law team tried a medical negligence case, in which they were tasked with direct and cross examining actual medical experts as part of the case presentation. They beat Southern Illinois University School of Law, Baylor University School of Law and Florida State University College of Law to advance to the semifinal round. There, they narrowly lost to Cumberland Law on a split 3-2 jury verdict. The team was coached by Steven Patton ’15 and Rebekah Lederer, both homicide prosecutors in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.</p> <p>Another Villanova Law Trial Team, consisting of Brittney Frederick ’20, Ashley Machamer ’20, Leah George ’21 and Ryan Kelly ’21, competed October 9-12 in the Mockingbird Challenge hosted by Faulkner University School of Law in Montgomery, AL. The Mockingbird Challenge is one of the premier fall semester mock trial competitions.&nbsp; The annual competition brings elite teams together in a “challenge” style format. Villanova Law competed against 24 top trial trams from across the country in this invitation-only competition. The team was coached by Zachary Wynkoop, a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and David Santee ’95 CLAS, a criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia.</p> <p>The <a href="/content/university/law/experience/organizations/trial-team.html"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>National Trial Team</a> is a student organization that focuses on oral advocacy at the trial level. The Trial Team represents Villanova at regional and national competitions hosted by other law schools and bar associations across the country. In these competitions, the Trial Team competes against the nation’s best law student advocates in simulated jury trials, which are scored by judges and seasoned attorneys.</p> <div class="clear"></div> </div>On the Frontlines of Advocacynoemail@noemail.orgslare<div class="textimage parbase rightimage nostyle"> <div class="image pull-right" id="cq-textimage-jsp-/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1030/jcr:content/pagecontent/textimage" style="max-width: 200px;"> <img src="https://www1.villanova.edu/content/villanova/law/newsroom/webstories/2019/1030/jcr%3acontent/pagecontent/textimage/image.img.jpg/1581577932267.jpg" alt="Juliana CLifton &#39;21" title="Juliana-Clifton-Headshot" class="cq-dd-image" ><br> </div> <p>Juliana Clifton ’21 has always had a passion for environmental affairs, from earning her BA in Earth and Environmental Sciences to becoming a Staff Writer for the <i>Villanova Environmental Law Journal</i>.&nbsp; Her dedication solidified at Villanova Law thanks to completing a summer 2019 externship with the <a href="https://cleanair.org/" target="_blank"x-cq-linkchecker='valid'>Clean Air Council</a> in Philadelphia, in which she was a witness to the nonprofit’s work in a crisis situation.</p> <p>Clifton’s day-to-day work included engaging in many facets of the field, including litigation, legislative outreach and lobbying. She helped to file briefs, to draft legislation and observed city council meetings. She also collaborated with other departments in the Council, including transportation, communications and events. She had the opportunity to attend a Lobby Day in Harrisburg, PA to advocate for a funder’s bill, and she met one-on-one with state representatives. “It was a great opportunity to see people advocating for change and discussing the work they’re doing with officials,” said Clifton.</p> <p>On the morning of June 21, 2019, a fire broke out at Philadelphia Energy Solutions, the largest refinery on the East Coast, resulting in multiple explosions and a shelter-in-place warning for the surrounding area. The fire burned for days after the explosions. Clifton recalls that day being very hectic at work; phones ringing constantly and concerned residents wanting to know the Council’s response to this issue.</p> <p>In the days following the explosion, Clifton attended a public meeting with the Council. At the meeting, state senators discussed legislative issues surrounding the refinery explosion and answered questions from the public. Doctors from the University of Pennsylvania addressed health concerns and representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection discussed next steps in response to the refinery explosion.</p> <p>During the disaster, Clifton had a front row seat to the Council’s response. “I had been learning about all these different cases related to environmental issues in Philadelphia. Then the refinery explodes, and it was the most tangible example of why we were doing what we were doing.”</p> <p>Clifton admits that going into her externship with the Clean Air Council, she was not sure what to expect, since it is a different field from other legal environments. But after her summer, she recommends every law student take a chance to experience a nonprofit setting.</p> <p>“Everyone I met in the nonprofit world is so incredibly passionate about what they do. It’s such a fascinating dynamic. It may not sound very glamorous, but it’s such a rewarding and interesting niche law profession.” &nbsp;</p> <div class="clear"></div> </div>