THE DAVID F. AND CONSTANCE B. GIRARD-diCARLO CENTER FOR ETHICS, INTEGRITY AND COMPLIANCE
The David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance builds upon the Charles Widger School of Law’s dominant position at the intersection of law and business, and will further the University’s goal of educating ethical leaders.
As a leader in legal education, the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law continually seeks to further enhance its national prominence and academic reputation through the development of signature programs - with sharp attention to expanding student opportunities that will position its graduates for success. The Law School’s Centers of Excellence were created as a result of this focus. The Centers bring together theory, practice and research to define the School’s specialties, add depth to the curriculum and provide opportunities for interdisciplinary work within the Law School and across the University.
The task of educating compassionate and ethical lawyers is more urgent than ever. As the legal profession continues to undergo profound change, Villanova lawyers have unprecedented opportunities to set a new standard of excellence—one that is infused with the University’s Augustinian values. The Girard-diCarlo Center will be at the forefront of the effort to reclaim lawyers’ central place as pillars of society.
The Center will also honor the University’s Augustinian tradition by creating compliance and ethics programs that support the entire Villanova community in its academic, administrative and research undertakings.
The Center's Mission
The Girard-diCarlo Center is dedicated to the exploration and research of ethics, integrity and compliance—areas of vital importance in today’s world. The Center will bring leading scholars in these important fields to the Law School and will provide exciting new coursework and academic programs designed to help the Law School’s graduates succeed in a rapidly developing legal environment.
The Center will also be a leading resource on compliance and ethics by conducting conferences and seminars on emerging issues, sponsoring interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and engaging the media and external audiences.
Today’s lawyers do more than just practice law; they perform important roles as consultants, problem solvers and strategists. In the current complex environment, businesses are under heightened scrutiny from their various constituencies, including regulatory agencies and governments.
The Girard-diCarlo Center will play a key role in educating future Villanova lawyers and will be essential to defining what makes a Villanova lawyer—a professional with first-rate legal skills who thrives in law firms, government or business and who approaches his or her work with a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation; a leader who is committed to serving the community through government service, non-profit practice or pro-bono work; and an advocate who approaches his or her professional responsibilities with a strong moral compass and a heightened sense of accountability.
The David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
299 N. Spring Mill Road
Villanova, PA 19085