Religious Freedom: A Global Conversation, 2/10
The McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy and the Villanova Political Theology Project welcome Michael D. McNally, Emilia Justyna Powell and Jolyon Thomas to discuss their new books exploring religious freedom and the intersection of law and religion in the global context.
Professor Todd Aagaard Named Visiting Fellow at Resources for the Future
Todd Aagaard, Professor of Law, has been named a visiting fellow for the 2019-20 academic year at Resources for the Future (RFF), a nonpartisan environmental economics think tank based in Washington, DC. RFF’s mission is to improve environmental, energy and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement.
Comprised of both silent and live auctions, the annual PIFP Auction is a highlight of the semester for students and alumni. It features items, baskets, and experiences donated by individuals and businesses throughout Greater Philadelphia and across the country. All proceeds from the event go toward providing fellowships to current students who commit their summers to performing public service legal work.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law hosts the Sixth Annual Fashion Law Symposium, which will bring together lawyers and non-lawyers, focusing on the key players in the fashion industry. This year’s event will include discussions on how leaders of fashion companies interact with both inside and outside counsel to run some of the most successful businesses in the world.
At the 2020 Villanova Environmental Law Journal 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.
Alum Thomas Gallagher ’89, Partner and Chairman at Pepper Hamilton LLP, worked with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project to exonerate John Miller, who has spent more than 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.
Katie Albanese ’19 was recognized at the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s Annual Reception for winning the 2019 George Hutchinson Writing Competition with her paper titled “When is Enough Enough? What Constitutes an Adequate Written Description of Genus” on intellectual property matters.
After weeks of preparation and preliminary trials, the final round of the 60th Annual Theodore L. Reimel ’24 CLAS Moot Court Competition concluded on Thursday, November 21, 2019. After an impressive all-female final round, Karina Norwood ’21 and Cecilia Carreras ’21, who argued for the respondent, were victorious.
Villanova Law provided David Pejovic ’21 an opportunity to prepare for the future with his summer externship, which he spent with a Philadelphia-based firm that specializes in cryptocurrency and related securitized digital assets. During his externship, Pejovic received hands-on experience in one of the newest facets of the legal sphere: blockchain law.
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy welcomes Keith Whittington, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University. This lecture will focus on his book Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, which won the PROSE Award for best book in education and the Heterodox Academy Award for Exceptional Scholarship.
The 60th Annual Theodore L. Reimel Moot Court Competition is set to begin with preliminary rounds on November 11-14. The final round of the competition will take place on Thursday, November 21 at 5:00 p.m. in the Martin G. McGuinn '67 Ceremonial Courtroom (Room 201) at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.
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. 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.
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 Villanova Environmental Law Journal. Her dedication solidified at Villanova Law thanks to completing a summer 2019 externship with the Clean Air Council in Philadelphia, in which she was a witness to the nonprofit’s work in a crisis situation.
The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy and Resources recently awarded the Villanova Environmental Law Journal with the 2019 Environment, Energy and Resources Law Student Program of the Year Award for the Journal’s Annual Blank Rome LLP Symposium.
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy welcomes George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies of the Ethics & Public Policy Center. He will discuss his new book, The Irony of Modern Catholic History: How the Church Rediscovered Itself and Challenged the Modern World to Reform, which reveals how Catholicism offers 21st Century essential truths for society’s survival and flourishing.
Villanova Law welcomes Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to the Charles Widger School of Law for a special event with faculty, students, staff, lawyers and intellectual property professionals.
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy welcomes The Honorable Thomas Hardiman, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Compliance sits at the intersection of law and business. Substantively, compliance draws broadly from criminal law, corporate law, ethics, management and more. Join the Girard-diCarlo Center for a lively discussion with experienced executive and compliance professionals.
Join us for a discussion on advancing careers, building experience, establishing a reputation, and networking within the tax world. The evening will open with keynote remarks from Bridget Roberts '03, the Acting National Taxpayer Advocate, followed by a panel discussion and a networking reception. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
The Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law continues its annual speaker series. Andrew Brandt, Executive Director of the Center, will lead conversations with David Reid, Vice President, Legal Affairs and Compliance at Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment; Chris Seeger, founding partner of Seeger Weiss, LLP and co-lead counsel of the NFL concussion litigation; and Barry Hanrahan, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) has recognized Candace Centeno, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law and Director of the Duane Morris LLP Legal Writing Program, with the Outstanding Service Award. The Outstanding Service Award is presented to individuals who go above and beyond by volunteering their time, energy and talent to the organization, its members and the national legal writing community.
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania will hold a Special Session at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law on Thursday, October 17. The court will hear oral arguments in the Martin G. McGuinn '67 Ceremonial Courtroom (Room 201) in the morning and afternoon, and will be simulcast in the Arthur M. Goldberg '66 Commons.
For some law school students, becoming a lawyer is something they’ve wanted to do their whole life. But others come to law school after embarking on a different path. Khalil Wilkes ’19 played college football and had a brief career in the NFL before he wound up at Villanova Law, where he found a new passion.
Despite the significant demographic change in the gender composition of law faculty during the last 25 years, persistent questions of unequal treatment and unconscious bias continue to hamper the ability of female faculty to achieve full equality in law schools. This symposium will examine a broad variety of issues relating to gender equity in law schools.
Each year Villanova Law brings practitioners and scholars to campus through the ongoing Visiting Assistant Professor program, providing them guidance and mentorship as they prepare for careers in academia. This year, Villanova Law welcomes four visiting faculty members—Nadia Bankteka, Brittany Deitch, Deeya Halder and Jane Voegele—for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming the way all industries behave. Although law has been perhaps slower to adapt, these new technologies have become powerful disruptors in the legal profession that is traditionally labor-intensive. The John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Villanova School of Business welcomes Arup Ras and his team from Alphaserve, to present an interactive course introducing these technologies.
Jessica Webb, Associate Professor of Legal Writing, has received the 2019 Villanova Law Diane E. Ambler '78 Faculty Curricular Innovation Award. The Ambler Faculty Curricular Innovation Award is presented annually to full-time faculty members who have distinguished themselves through the creation and implementation of positive curricular or pedagogical change or development.
Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, has appointed three new faculty beginning in the 2019-20 academic year. Jason Iuliano, Assistant Professor of Law, Melvin J. Kelley, Assistant Professor of Law and Komal Vaidya, Director of the Clinic for Law and Entrepreneurship and Assistant Professor of Law, will begin their tenures during the fall 2019 semester.
Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, announced the establishment of a new Chair in Jewish Law, and named Chaim Saiman, Professor of Law, as the first holder of the new position.
Low Income Tax Clinics around the county provide an invaluable service of free legal counsel to low-income taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service. Each spring Villanova University’s Graduate Tax Program works together with the Villanova Law Federal Tax Clinic to offer a trial advocacy course for Graduate Tax students and low income tax clinic practitioners.
Villanova Law alumni Peyton Carper ’19, Lauren DeBona ’19 and Abraham Schneider ’19 were hired for prestigious judicial clerkship positions with the Delaware Court of Chancery. Widely recognized as the nation’s preeminent business court, the Chancery Court hears disputes involving the thousands of national and international corporations and other business entities that are incorporated in the state of Delaware.
What is in the best interest of the child? This is the question that is often at the center of custody and welfare cases involving minors. How do attorneys go about answering this question and what in the United States’ current system helps or hinders their efforts? The 2019 Matthew J. Ryan Law and Public Policy Forum will bring together attorneys, experts and government officials to tackle issues in policy and to offer possible solutions.
The Fourteenth Annual John F. Scarpa Conference on Law, Politics and Culture aims to ask how some of the basic conceptual building blocks of the liberal state can be fortified, reformed or limited, in response to growing dissatisfaction with the paradoxes or perversities of life in a classically liberal regime in the early 21st century. Inspired by the important work of Prof. Nomi Stolzenberg, Nathan and Lilly Shapell Chair in Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, the conference will focus on what Stolzenberg has termed “the profanity of law,” the future of liberalism, and the future of accommodation litigation in the federal courts.
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy welcomes Robert Louis Wilken, William R. Kenan, Jr. Emeritus Professor at the University of Virginia and author of Liberty in the Things of God: The Christian Origins of Religious Freedom. This lecture is approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for 1 substantive CLE credit.
Steven Chanenson, Professor of Law, was recently named a fellow by the Program in Law and Public Affairs (LAPA) at Princeton University for the 2019-2020 academic year. Chanenson was selected from a competitive interdisciplinary and international applicant for pool for the prestigious fellowship.
“I always stress to my students: if you have a passion for something, you need to go for it. Take advantage of every opportunity while you still have it.” These are words of advice from Tomika Stevens Patterson ’03, one Villanova Law alum who lives by her words and seizes every opportunity. Her career has taken her from associate at a large firm to adjunct professor at Villanova to Nairobi, Kenya, where she now serves as the Resident Legal Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance & Training.
The Philadelphia Bar Association has recognized Villanova Law alumni Shannon Beam ’19, Waqar Rehman ’19 and David Secor ’19 with the Eve Biskind Klothen Law Student Pro Bono Distinction Award, which is given to area law students for their commitment to pro bono and public interest work.
The Diversity Corporate Summer Internship Program, which aims to increase diversity within corporate legal departments in the Delaware Valley and provide law students with an opportunity to experience in-house practice and examine alternative legal careers, is open to law students who are members of minority groups, specifically based on race, ethnicity, religion, or LGBTQ status, who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession.
Ruth Gordon, Professor of Law at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, was recently awarded a 2019-2020 U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program grant by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to conduct research in Hong Kong. She will be at the University of Hong Kong from August-December 2019.
Externships provide law students with invaluable practical legal experience that can’t be achieved in the classroom. Thanks to a Villanova Law professor, Yalda Hajavi ’19 connected with John Vandenburg ’02, a passionate and dedicated Villanova alum, for the ultimate externship experience in her dream area of work—immigration law.
The Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law and Seattle University School of Law will offer the Eighth Annual Promoting Diversity in Law School Leadership, a workshop to encourage and assist members of underrepresented groups to pursue deanships and other university and law school leadership positions.
Lisa Riley ’20 has been named a recipient of the 2019 Judge William M. Marutani Fellowship, which is awarded to students who show a commitment to public service. The Fellowship provides a stipend for a summer internship with a nonprofit public interest organization or with a federal, state or municipal government in Pennsylvania.
Sarah Baranik de Alarcón ’19 was recently selected by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award. Beginning in February 2020, Baranik will use her Fulbright to research Brazil’s Migration Law.
In addition to acquiring the knowledge necessary to become successful attorneys, students at Villanova Law also receive the critical business skills that are necessary to thrive in today’s intense and dynamic climate. The John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship has developed two unique and innovative Business Modules, week-long one-credit courses required for all first and second-year students.
The John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship will host the “Future Business Law Professors Conference” on Friday, September 6. All those who are considering entering the higher education academic teaching market in business law are invited attend to learn more about the business law teaching market, receive advice on how to be a successful candidate and meet future colleagues
For the seventh consecutive year, a Villanova Law student has placed in the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Law Annual Writing Competition. Joshua Schmid ’19, earned first place in this year’s competition with his article, “One Final Word in Favor of Broadest Reasonable Interpretation Standard for Claim Construction in AIA Proceedings.”
Continuing Villanova Law’s commitment to bringing renowned leaders in the legal profession to campus, The Honorable Joel Slomsky, Senior United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, joins the Law School’s Dean’s Distinguished Fellows program.
Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, announced that Judge Cheryl Ann Krause of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will address the Class of 2019 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 17, 2019, in the Finneran Pavilion on the campus of Villanova University.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law will host the Second Annual ComplianceNet Conference on June 3-4, 2019 . With a theme of “Business Ethics,” this year’s Conference seeks to engage participants on how to run ethical companies and how to encourage ethical behavior within organizations.
When social justice-minded students wanted to explore how laws impact marginalized groups when it comes to things like access to health care and voting, buying or renting a house, employment discrimination and many other societal issues, Villanova Law created a course to do just that.
Some Villanova Law students arrive at law school with real-world experiences that make the business-focused legal education an immediate and applicable benefit. Joseph Diorio ’20 is one such student. Diorio works for his family-run start-up, KoffieStaw, in addition to balancing the work of a full-time student in Villanova Law’s Intellectual Property (IP) concentration.
Hands-on experience is vital preparation for practice. While a student at Villanova Law, Jesse Imbriano ’12, had early field experience in an in-house clinic that proved key in helping him find his passion and jumpstart his career in immigration law.
Members of Villanova Law's National Trial Team—Brittany Frederick ’20 and Jerry Rassias ‘19—recently finished as quarterfinalists in the National Trial Team Competition Championship in San Antonio, Texas, ranking the team among the top eight out of more than 250 law school trial teams in the nation.
The Honorable Ernest F. Hart ’83 Named NYPD’s Chief Legal Officer
The Honorable Ernest Hart ’83, a New York State Supreme Court judge, has been named the new Chief Legal Officer of the New York City Police Department.
How could the Holocaust happen? Were there no laws to prevent it? This program will examine the history and ethics of the legal profession in Germany both prior to the ascension of the Nazi Party in 1933 and during the Nazi period. This program will be held on Monday, April 29 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Cozen O'Connor's Philadelphia office (One Liberty Place, 1650 Market Street, Suite 2800, Philadelphia, PA).
Leslie Book, Professor of Law at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, is serving as the Professor-in-Residence at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). As Professor-in-Residence, Book will provide advice, guidance and analysis on various tax administration issues, and lead a team that will draft a report to Congress that will focus on improving administration of refundable credits.
Mark C. Alexander, The Arthur J. Kania Dean and Professor of Law, recently announced the appointment of Matthew Carluzzo to the newly established position of Assistant Dean of Students and Academic Success for the Charles Widger School of Law.
The Peggy Browning Fund has awarded a 10-week summer fellowship to Madison Slupe ’21, which she will spend working at Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 19 in Philadelphia, PA.
While some students may take a sunny vacation to Mexico during the winter months to relax and rejuvenate, Villanova Law student Sarah Baranik de Alarcón ’19 traveled to the southern border to gain hands-on legal experience.
As society changes, so do our pastimes. This year's Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Symposium will examine The Future of Sports and how the industry is evolving to respond to societal and fan demands with insights from athletes, industry experts and attorneys. This symposium takes place on Friday, April 12, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in the Arthur M. Goldberg ’66 Commons.
Duquesne University has named April Barton ’96 CWSL, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, as Dean of the Duquesne University School of Law following a national search.
A team of students from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law recently competed in and won the Fifth Annual Tulane Professional Football Negotiation Competition, sponsored by the Tulane Sports Law Society.
Villanova University announced the appointment of Joy Mullane, Professor of Law, as Faculty Director of its Graduate Tax Program. Mullane has been a member of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law faculty since 2006.
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law co-sponsored a gathering of international jurists and scholars at the Rome campus of Università LUMSA in December 2018 for “The Value of Tradition in the Global Context.” The event featured a keynote address by U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr.
Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law will mark its annual commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a keynote lecture in January 2019 as part of a University-wide celebration. Brenda Wright, Senior Advisor at Demos, will present the lecture.
The Philadelphia Bar Association (PBA) recently honored three Villanova Law alumni with awards for judicial service, dedication toward serving the public interest and legal writing.
The Saint Thomas More Society of Philadelphia has presented their annual Saint Thomas More Award to the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Clinical Program. The Award is presented by the Society annually to a member of the legal profession whose accomplishments represent the principles and ideals of Saint Thomas More.
At Villanova Law, students find creative ways to combine their passions with their legal education. Meaghan Lane ’18 coupled her interest in sports management with a spring 2018 externship to propel her into the world of athletics and sports compliance.
At Villanova Law, we believe that academics and professional development are intertwined and equally essential to the long-term success of our students. Today our curriculum infuses professional skills along with vital business principles and practical experience into each student’s rigorous legal training.
In the study of law, there is no substitute for real-world experience. And when it comes to giving students hands-on opportunities, Villanova Law excels in providing over 200 externship opportunities, including many government placements. Colin Milon ’18 and Alyssa Pooler ’19 took advantage of the law school’s close proximity to Washington, D.C. and landed coveted externships on Capitol Hill.
Jason Kaner ’19 enrolled in the JD/MBA program and in his 2L year found a way to combine his legal and business career pursuits with his interest in sports and entertainment law. After working with the legal department on NFL Films, he is spending the summer in Los Angeles working in a different capacity in the league, now working on the media team as a club media policy associate.
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:
American Bar Association
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321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 988-6738
