Announcements
Week of 24 March 2025
A Discussion on Title IX Compliance
Monday, March 24, at 12:30pm in the Martin G. McGuinn ’67 Ceremonial Courtroom (Room 201)
The goal of Title IX is to ensure that educational institutions receiving federal funding do not discriminate based on sex. Joining us will be Katie Colgan Vodzak '10, Title IX coordinator at Thomas Jefferson University, for a discussion about the challenges and rewards of guiding a University toward Title IX compliance. Lunch will be provided. Presented by the David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance with the Sports Law Society.
American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation – and Could Again
Monday, March 24, 4-5pm in the Arthur M. Goldberg ’66 Commons
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy with support from the H. Hovnanian Family Foundation welcomes Yuval Levin, Director of Social, Cultural and Constitutional Studies and Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy with the American Enterprise Institute for a discussion on his most recent book. The founder and editor of National Affairs, Yuval Levin is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis, a contributing editor at National Review, and a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times.
A reception and book signing will take place immediately following the lecture in the Ambassador David F. Girard-diCarlo ’73 and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo ’74 Student Lounge. For more information and to register, visit the event page.
Pennsylvania Superior Court Panel Sitting at Villanova Law
Tuesday, March 25, 9:30am-3:00pm in the Martin G. McGuinn ’67 Ceremonial Courtroom (Room 201)
On Tuesday, March 25, Villanova Law will host a select panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Attendees are welcome to listen to arguments addressing various issues of law, including civil, criminal, family court and dependency court. All are invited to observe this oral argument session of the Superior Court. The Appellate Panel:
The Hon. Ann E. Lazarus, President Judge (Philadelphia)
The Hon. Maria McLaughlin (Philadelphia)
The Hon. Megan Sullivan (Chester County)
An Introduction to Cape Town Externship Sites
Tuesday, March 25 at 12 noon virtually
Please join us for a virtual meeting with Professor Ada Ordor, an expert in Comparative Business Law and Director of the Comparative Law Center (CCLA) and Director Vanja Karth of the Democratic Rights and Governance Unity (RDGU). Hosted by The International Entrepreneurship Program in South Africa. To receive the Zoom link for the event please register here.
A Founder’s Playbook: Law, Leadership, & Lessons
Tuesday, March 25, 12:20-1:20pm in the Blank Rome LLP Classroom (Room 102)
Please join us for a panel discussion featuring industry experts:
- Peter Toolan, Founder and CEO of Benebone
- Sherill Mosee, Founder and CEO of MinkeeBlue
- Justin Rosenberg, Founder and CEO of Honeygrow
Moderated by Student Founder Brett Mastrangelo, CPA ’26 Law Student and Entrepreneur. Sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Law Society. Food will be served!
Community Conversation: Athletics, Sports and Identity
Wednesday, March 26, 12-1pm, West Lounge of Dougherty Hall
Join the Nance Center for Dialogue in partnership with UNITAS in Athletics in a conversation on how your identities influence your engagement or disengagement with athletics and sports. Come reflect and share experiences through the lens of power and identity while we build community.
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.
2025 CARES Symposium
Friday, March 28, 9am-1pm in the Laurence E. Hirsch ’71 Classroom (Room 101)
This year’s annual symposium hosted by the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES) will focus on maximizing pro bono efforts and fostering meaningful community involvement in supporting immigrants facing complex legal challenges. This event will feature immigration attorneys, non-profit leaders and advocates, who will share practical insights on how attorneys can navigate the unique aspects of immigration law and provide crucial support through pro bono work. The symposium will also address the current immigration landscape, highlighting the specific legal needs of immigrant populations and the critical role legal professionals play in advancing justice. For more information and to register, visit the event page.
IP Guest Speaker
Monday, March 31, 6-8pm in classroom 302
We are pleased to announce that Mr. Kevin Rivette, one of the world’s top patent strategists, will speak at the Charles Widger School of Law. This event will be in-person and is hosted by the IP Law Students Association along with Adjunct Professors Virmani and O’Malley, who teach IP Licensing & Strategy. Light refreshments will be served and Kevin will have a short Q&A session following his talk, in which he intends to cover three main case studies, all of which have been significant events in the patent licensing community:
Case Study |
Topic |
Pixar |
The billion-dollar IPO made possible by a patent. |
Rolls Royce |
The untold BMW patent story on how to outfox Ford and VW. |
Proctor & Gamble |
The licensing strategy that shifted innovation and ended a patent war. |
Kevin is a founding partner of the Sherpa Technology Group, which develops patent strategies for startup to Fortune 10 companies. Prior to founding Sherpa Technology Group, he was the Vice President of IP Strategy for IBM and set up the worldwide IP practice for The Boston Consulting Group. He is the former Chairman of the USPTO oversight committee and a former member of the Board of Directors at Tessera Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSRA).
Kevin is the author of Rembrandts in the Attic, a book on Patent Strategy published by HBS. Further, he founded Aurigen Systems, an IP analytics firm acquired by Derwent, as well as ISI a telephony software company. In 2008, Kevin was named to the IP Hall of Fame by Intellectual Asset Management, in 2009 was named one of “The World’s Leading IP Strategists”, and in 2014 was named to the National Law Journal’s inaugural list of IP “Trailblazers and Pioneers”. He is a registered patent attorney. In addition, Kevin has spoken at numerous conferences worldwide including the World Economic Forum in Davos.
More information on Kevin:
https://www.iphalloffame.com/kevin_rivette/
https://www.sherpatechnologygroup.com/team/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPwzCZfnjWc (around minute 2:09)
https://www.amazon.com/Rembrandts-Attic-Unlocking-Hidden-Patents/dp/0875848990
We look forward to your attendance at this exciting event, and we thank Volpe Koenig for its sponsorship.
Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas Community Award
Nominations are now open for the Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas (VUC) Community Award, established to honor students who conduct and support programs that encourage an inclusive environment. Many events and activities have been conducted so far this year that will result in nominations. Congratulations to last year's honorees Kayla Martin and Gabriela Ontaneda. Here is a description of the VUC Award, please contact Kent Lollis if you have any questions:
- The Award honors individuals and affinity groups who support a belonging community. Prizes recognize students and organizations whose work and activities maintain and promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational community. Individuals earn this award for: their respect for colleagues, commitment to supporting the community, attendance and planning of events, and other distinguished contributions of time, effort and passion for Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas.
- Nominations may be either individuals or groups from the Law School community. Members of the Villanova Law community can submit nominations for students and organizations, including themselves. Nominations should describe the nominee’s activities, actions, and outlook to aid in decision-makings, with a preference for particular examples.
- Submit nominations by March 24th using this webform.
Congrats to this Week’s Winner and Keep Voting in the Villanova Law Library’s Skirmish of the Services 2025!
Thanks to all who voted for their favorite library services in the first round of the Skirmish of Services 2025! And congratulations to Qing Hu, winner of this round's prize, a Villanova frosted glass! Only 4 "Teams" of services remain as voting continues this week in our Terminal 4 round. This week's prize is a Villanova pennant and remember each weekly vote gives you another chance to win the grand prize, a private room taco party for you and your friends during the reading period! Visit the game website each week to learn more and submit your votes!
Gazette Submissions
Please send items for next week’s Gavel Gazette to gavelgazette@law.villanova.edu by 3pm on Friday.
Winners of the Internal Scarpa Corporate Negotiation Competition
On March 14th, 40 students competed in our 3rd annual internal Scarpa Corporate Negotiation Competition!
Congratulations to the winners, 1Ls Alex Godinar and Michaela Devlin!
Kudos to finalists- Luisa Peralta Martinez, Jacquelyn Plouffe, Nicole Ged, Francesca Capozzi, Lance Perlow, and Tyler Lynch.
We are grateful for the leadership of Scarpa Team co-chairs Kathryn Kane and Emilie Mooney, as well as the negotiation team members and Scarpa Fellows who helped with the judging rounds.
Alex and Michaela will join the Scarpa Negotiation Team next year, and more information about applying for the team will be sent in early summer.
More Moot Court Success – Employment Law Team
The Moot Court Board is excited to share the success of our Employment Law Team over the second weekend of spring break! March 7-8, 3L member Kelly Gurcsik and 2L member Brianna Cooper participated in the Nell Hennessy Employment Law Moot Court Competition hosted by Catholic University in Washington DC. The duo argued two very difficult issues related to ERISA benefits against a field of 15 competitive teams from 10 other schools and made it look easy!
After four rounds of competition across two days, the pair finished as SEMIFINALISTS tied for THIRD PLACE OVERALL! During their fantastic run, they faced off against programs including William and Mary, Lewis and Clark University, and George Washington University. The duo breezed through preliminary rounds, the Round of Twelve, and Quarterfinals where they received glowing feedback from seasoned ERISA litigators. Ultimately, they fell in the semifinals to the eventual second-place finishers.
We are so proud of these talented ladies for their OUTSTANDING performance, and we hope that you will join us in congratulating them on this wonderful accomplishment!
We'd also like to thank Kelly and Brianna’s 3L Coach, Daniel Rooney, for the time and hard work he put towards helping these ladies prepare!
Congratulations again to Kelly and Brianna!
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.
