Hailing from 20 states and the District of Columbia and from undergraduate institutions such as New York University, Loyola University, Virginia Tech and Fairfield University, the Charles Widger School of Law’s Class of 2020 was welcomed this week into the Villanova community. Many students in the Class come to law school with significant work experience, including prior positions as financial analysts, mechanical engineers, landscapers and more.
A recent article by Prof. Josephine Sandler Nelson has been recognized with two top awards—the Holmes-Cardozo Award for best submitted conference paper and the Distinguished Proceedings Award—by the Academy of Legal Studies in Business.
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, appeared on MSNBC's AM Joy on July 23, 2017, to discuss constitutional law and the repurcussions of Presidential pardons.
Villanova University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, today announced the appointment of Michael P. Moreland, JD, PhD, as University Professor of Law and Religion. Among Villanova’s highest academic honors, the University Professor recognizes distinguished faculty whose extraordinary scholarly achievement and accomplishment spans disciplines and crosses traditional college boundaries.
At Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, the expertise of our remarkable faculty members is showcased through scholarship, media commentary, town hall discussions and lectures. The recent publication of two textbooks written by faculty members, Todd Aagaard and Patrick Brennan, particularly highlights the faculty’s dedication to transforming legal scholarship and teaching.
Villanova University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, today announced the appointment of Brett Frischmann, JD, as the Charles Widger Endowed University Professor in Law, Business and Economics, effective August 1. Among Villanova’s highest academic honors, the University Professor recognizes distinguished faculty whose extraordinary scholarly achievement and accomplishment spans disciplines and crosses traditional college boundaries. This interdisciplinary position, based in the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, was conceived and endowed as part of a $25 million leadership gift from Charles Widger ’73 JD.
Richard Prebil ’17 is one of a select group of recent law graduates chosen as 2017 Equal Justice Works Fellows. This prestigious public interest fellowship is granted by Equal Justice Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice. Just 77 recent law graduates from 40 law schools were selected as a part of the program’s 2017 fellowship class.
Every year, the student-run Walter Lucas Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP) provides fellowship funding to Villanova Law students who are committed to serving the greater community and delivering legal aid to those in need. Eight students will work for non-profit and public interest organizations in summer 2017 thanks to PIFP’s fundraising efforts.
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A testament to Villanova’s strong legal writing programming and its outstanding students, Eliese Herzl-Betz ’17 earned first place in the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s 2017 Honorable Intellectual Property Law Section writing contest for her paper, “Give Me the Beat Boys, and Free My Copyrighted Creativity: An Examination of Music Copyright Infringement Through the Lens of the Ninth Circuit’s ‘Blurred Lines’ Opinion.” Chandel Boozer ’18 took second place.
Students in Villanova Law’s six in-house clinics develop their skills through work with real clients. For Liam Leyden ’17 and Eliese Herzl-Betz ’17 that meant working with IAmElemental—a startup company that creates female action figures inspired by everyday “superpowers” like bravery, honesty, and persistence—on compliance and licensing in the Clinic for Law and Entrepreneurship.
Villanova University Charles Widger School is pleased to celebrate the graduates of the Class of 2017. This impressive group of students—poised for success—joins a tight-knit community of more than 10,000 Villanova Lawyers. Before they embark on their next big adventure, we asked members of the Class of 2017 to share more about their Villanova Law experience.
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean of the Charles Widger School of Law, and two Villanova Law alumni were recognized by The Legal Intelligencer with its inaugural Distinguished Lawyers Award. Alums Michael J. Heller ’89, President and CEO of Cozen O’Connor, and Alan J. Hoffman ’73, Chairman and Managing Partner of Blank Rome LLP, were also selected for the honor.
Four alumni from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law were chosen by the Philadelphia Business Journal as part of their “25 young lawyers on the rise” list. The list highlights those born between 1982 and 2000 who are beginning to make an impact on the legal profession in Greater Philadelphia.
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, announced that Justice Debra Todd of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will address the Class of 2017 as the School’s commencement speaker and will also receive the Villanova Law Medallion Award in recognition of her achievements. Commencement will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 19, 2017, in The Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University.
This event will bring together a cross section of business leaders—from tax and accounting to legal and government to renowned academics—to discuss the economic and tax policy issues surrounding the current tax reform proposals, as well as their economic impact.
The symposium will take place on Thursday. June 1, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (299 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA). A networking breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law will hold its annual Donald A. Giannella Memorial Lecture on Monday, April 24 at 3 p.m. in Room 101. Paul Horwitz, Gordon Rosen Professor of Law at University of Alabama School of Law, will present. Horwitz is a leader in First Amendment scholarship. At University of Alabama Schoool of Law, he teaches courses pertaining to constitutional law, law and religion, and legal profession.
As part of our “Where Law Meets Business” philosophy—which focuses on preparing students to thrive in 21st-century practice—Villanova Law encourages students to explore a variety of practice areas and settings during law school. The more they know about their options, the more informed decisions they can make about their careers at the start. And for Christian Wynne ’18, taking Business Organizations unearthed a hidden passion for corporate law.
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, has appointed Josephine Sandler Nelson as Associate Professor of Law (Business Ethics), effective July 1, 2017. A scholar, legal consultant and start-up advisor, Nelson teaches and writes on issues related to business law, ethics and white collar crime.
Two students from Villanova Law took first place at the 2017 John J. Gibbons National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition, held at Seton Hall University School of Law on March 24-25. Sarah Burke ’18 and Kaitlyn Macaulay ’18 beat out 43 teams from 40 law schools for top honors at the competition, which focuses on timely issues of criminal procedure and criminal law.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law announced today that its Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy will be named in honor of Eleanor H. McCullen, recognizing recent gifts totaling $5 million from her husband, Joseph T. McCullen Jr. ’57 CLAS. The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy will offer new academic programming for Villanova law students and will serve as a hub for conferences and seminars on emerging advocacy issues in law, religion and public policy.
Backed with a Villanova Law degree, our graduates find creative ways to use their legal expertise to serve and make an impact. For alumna Beth Hernandez ’04 joining the U.S. Army JAG Corps upon graduation opened the door to a varied legal career and distinguished service.
Luis Canales ’17 has been named one of The National Jurist’s 2017 Students of the Year. Canales is one of 25 students from across the nation to receive the honor. The Law Students of the Year were nominated by their law schools and chosen by a selection committee at the magazine.
The Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law hosts its signature event—the annual Sports Law Symposium—on Friday, April 7, 2017. This year's symposium, "Sports, Media and Millennials," features an in-depth look into changing patterns of consumer demand in sports.
Scholars of law, religion and economics often see themselves as working in separate fields with few connections between them. This conference will explore Pope Francis’ teachings on market economics to bring these two bodies of legal scholarship into dialogue. Discussion will center around Pope Francis’ theological critique and assessment of global capitalism, and reaction to that critique from different of legal, economic and religious perspectives.
The Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation leads cross-disciplinary workshops and discussions aimed at engaging the survivor community in advocacy on Mar. 9-10. Workshops will be led by survivors and will encourage participants to engage in problem-solving scenarios on a variety of relevant topics and current issues in legislation, law enforcement and education.
Villanova Law offers numerous pro bono opportunities, including Wills for Heroes, for law students to volunteer their time working with outside organizations for the public good. In addition to helping others, pro bono work helps students to hone legal skills, develop professional interests and meet practicing attorneys who can provide mentoring and advice.
A team of students from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law recently competed in and won the 3rd Annual Tulane Professional Football Negotiation Competition, sponsored by the Tulane Sports Law Society.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law hosts the Third Annual Fashion Law Symposium, Navigating the Runway: A Closer Look at the Issues Facing the Fashion Law Industry. This year's event explores social media and the Internet, in-house fashion law, intellectual property issues, fashion mergers and acquisitions, and more. The Symposium takes place on Friday, February 24, 2017 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 101 of Villanova University School of Law.
The 2017 Villanova Environmental Law Journal Blank Rome LLP Symposium will explore the business, environmental, and legal implications of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century legislation. The Symposium takes place on Friday, February 10, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the Room 201 of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law will mark its annual commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with two events in January 2017 as part of a University-wide celebration.
Dean Mark C. Alexander spent his inaugural semester immersing himself in the culture and community of Villanova Law. His dynamic and inclusive leadership is grounded by his own commitment to the University’s Augustinian Catholic values of Veritas, Unitas, Caritas—truth, unity and charity—which Alexander often invokes when speaking with students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Today’s lawyers practice more than just law, performing important roles as consultants, problem-solvers and strategists. In response to this evolving market, Villanova Law introduced a newly-enhanced curriculum that provides graduates with both the academic and practical skills necessary for success. Core to this new approach are mandatory learning modules that teach students to connect vital business principles with the everyday practice of the law.
Villanova University Charles Widger
School of Law
299 North Spring Mill Road
Villanova, PA 19085
(610) 519-7000
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, (312) 988-6738
