Announcements
Week of 21April 2025
Oliver the Therapy Dog and UCC Resources
Tuesday, April 22
Stop by the table to chat with staff from the University Counseling Center and get some love from Oliver the Therapy Dog.
Weekly Mass and 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.
Matthew J. Ryan Law and Public Policy Forum
Criminal Sentencing Colloquium: Developments in Civilian and Military Law
Friday, April 25, 9:45am-3pm in Vasey Hall Room 206
This colloquium will examine crucial developments in sentencing law across two distinct domains: federal civilian sentencing jurisprudence and military justice reform. This event will bring together leading scholars and practitioners to explore these parallel yet distinct evolutionary paths in American sentencing law. It is a particularly opportune moment to explore these issues as it has been 20 years since the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision in United States v. Booker and just over one year since the military justice “sentencing parameters” became effective pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.
Co-sponsored by the Federal Sentencing Reporter and the National Institute of Military Justice. For further information and to register, visit the event page.
Law Library Use During Finals
During finals, library use is limited to those in the Villanova Law community. Please show your ID when you enter the law library. As a reminder, the law library is a quiet study space. Talking/noise is disruptive to other students. Please respect your classmates and take phone calls and other conversations outside the library. Headphones are available for check out at the Circulation Desk for listening to class or other recordings. If you wish to talk with others, please reserve a group study room in the library or the classroom wing or meet in the coffee bar, Student Lounge, or a vacant classroom. Your fellow students greatly appreciate it! The Library also has a limited supply of earplugs – ask for them at the Circulation Desk.
Maura Buri Memorial Excellence in Student Research Prize
The Law Library is now accepting submissions for the Maura Buri Memorial Excellence in Student Research Prize. This prize grants an award to one Villanova Law Student who demonstrates excellent research ability and application in an academic paper that they have written this academic year. Please see the prize webpage for submission eligibility and guidelines. Submissions must be received by Monday, May 5, at 9am.
Online Study Aids, Practice Questions, Old Exams and More!
The Law Library offers two online study aids platforms to help you prep for exams. The Aspen Learning Library offers many different study aids including Casenote Legal Briefs, Emanuel CrunchTime and Law Outlines, Examples & Explanations, Glannon Guides, the Inside Series and many more while the Lexis Digital Library provides the Understanding Series and the Questions & Answers series. Also check out our Study Aids research guide for print study guides, links to the old exam database and other materials to get you ready for finals. Try CALI tutorials to help you review concepts and quiz yourself as you go along. And if you’re finishing up a research paper, review our other Research Guides for more sources or contact reference@law.villanova.edu for additional assistance. Good luck on your exams!
Summer Resources Guide: Prepare for Your Job, Learn About Summer/Post-Grad Database Access, Pick up New Skills and More!
Check out our Summer Resources Guide to view the summer and post-graduation access to Bloomberg, Lexis, and Westlaw. The guide also has resources for walking you through researching your employer ahead of your first day of work, tips for handling research assignments, resources like to help you with the Write-on Competition, Write.law and database certifications to update your skills and more!
3L Survey
3Ls, if you have not yet completed the 3L Survey, please do so at your earliest opportunity. Check your email for your own unique survey link.
Smoking Policy Reminder
Smoking is prohibited inside and within 75 feet of all University buildings, including the Law School, which includes…
- the front of the law school,
- the walkway from the parking garage,
- the outdoor dining area,
- all entrances.
This policy covers all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and dip. Thank you for your cooperation.
SBA Student Organization Leadership Transitions
SBA student groups should please submit the new SORF FORM with your new leadership. This will allow the law school to update the student group officers listing on the website and recognize your group as active for the 2025-2026 academic year. This is due by Friday, May 2.
Lending Library Textbook Donation
Every year, SBA works in conjunction with the Law Library to manage the Lending Library, which provides textbooks to students with financial need. At the end of each semester, the library accepts donations of books previously used by law students for the collection. The Lending Library Textbook Donation Box can be found on the bottom floor in the locker area. All books except Bar Prep Program and MPRE Books Program are accepted (aka No Barbari, Themis, Kaplin etc.). If you have any questions about the Lending Library please email Hannah Fassbender.
Commencement Information
The Law School’s Commencement for the Class of 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 17th. We encourage all graduating students to review the Commencement website and emails you receive from the Law School Commencement team so you are informed about commencement-related events and information. If you have specific questions, please email the Villanova Law Commencement Team.
Bird Migration
Spring Migration is underway! Please close blinds and turn off office lights at the end of each day. Small efforts on our part make a big difference to traveling birds by helping them to avoid window collisions and reducing other hazards such as the disorientation caused by reflective light. For those interested in reading more about this problem, please visit: https://www.birdsafephilly.org/lights-out
If you find an injured or dead bird, email birds@law.villanova.edu.
If you see a bird hit a window or door at the Law School during the weekend or after 5pm during the weekday, and it does not fly away within a few minutes, it may be dazed, injured, or deceased. If the bird is alive, it is important to protect it from predators. Place the bird in a ventilated box with a lid and place the box in a warm, quiet place away from humans or predatory animals. Boxes are available at the lobby desk. After 30 minutes, release the bird back into the wild, unless it still remains dazed or appears injured, then you may contact the Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center in King of Prussia at 267-416-9453 or the Tri-State Bird Rescue at (302) 737-9543. If you find a deceased bird, please email birds@law.villanova.edu so that the bird can be transferred to the Biology department for documentation. Thank you for your help.
Gazette Submissions
This is the last Gavel Gazette for this semester. Please send items for the first Fall semester issue to gavelgazette@law.villanova.edu by 3pm on Friday, August 22.
SBA and Student Graduation Speaker Election Results
A special thank you to all who ran and all who voted!
Congratulations to our new SBA representatives:
President: Sadie Richardson '26
Vice President: Elizabeth Ellick '26
Secretary: Sydney Ryan '26
Treasurer: Grace Jang '27
Student Groups Chair: Karlee Whitpan '27
Intramurals Chair: Evan Partridge '26
University Senator: Molly Moore '27
Events Chair: Michael Agrama '27
Alumni Relations Chair: Sofia Lopez '27
Wellness Chair: Hannah Goldberg '27
Bar Representative: Samuel Beatty '26
Diversity and Inclusion Chair: Amira Martin '26
Apparel Chair: Nicole Ged '27
2L Representatives: Regan Anderson '27, Claire Borland '27, and Justice Mory '27
3L Representatives: Wyatt Ansel '26, Ethan Chaiet '26, and Brad Edwards '26
Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Student Graduation Speaker: Nic Johnson '25
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.
Writing Competition Guide
If you are interested in participating in one of the many annual law student writing competitions, check out the Writing Competitions Guide: http://libguides.law.villanova.edu/writingcompetitions. There is information in the Guide regarding the mechanics of writing for publication, as well as lists of open competitions.
Counseling Center YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@Villanovacounseling
These contain ‘self-serve’ advice and guidance with titles such as: • Resilience Skills for transition to college • Coping with Academic Disappointment • Progressive Relaxation and Body Scan • Mindfulness Playlists: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/health-services/counseling-center.html.
DEI LibGuide
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.
Embedded Counselors at the Law School
Dr Allison Kosloff and Dr. Candice Post, counselors from University Counseling Center, will be at the Law School in Room 138 from 12:30-4:30pm on Mondays and Tuesdays through spring semester for appointments with Law Students. Students should schedule an appointment in advance (in-person or telehealth) using the online appointment form on the Counseling Center’s website or by calling 610 519-4050.
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.
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
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.
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.
