Judge Cheryl Ann Krause of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to Deliver Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law’s 2019 Commencement Address, May 17

Villanova, Pa. – 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.

Judge Krause was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in July of 2014. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and graduated from Stanford Law School with distinction before clerking on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

After her clerkship with the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Judge Krause served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and was a lecturer at Stanford and Columbia Law Schools.

As a litigator at a large law firm in Philadelphia, she specialized in white collar criminal defense and government investigations, was a frequent author and speaker on topics pertaining to constitutional and criminal law, and lectured at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she founded an appellate litigation externship.

Judge Krause has served many professional, civic and charitable organizations in various capacities. In 2011, she founded the Philadelphia Project, a partnership between practicing lawyers and a non-profit organization in Philadelphia, to improve the quality of education for children with disabilities.

About Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law: Founded in 1953, the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law provides broad-based legal education that is grounded in academic rigor, practical hands-on training and a foundation in business that prepares graduates for diverse and rewarding legal careers. The Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association, offers six in-house clinics and more than 250 externship opportunities that immerse students in the real-world application of their legal skills. Villanova is home to Centers of Excellence—the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy; the David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance; the John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship; and the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law—which provide students the opportunity to pursue innovative, interdisciplinary legal fields through study, practical experience and mentorship.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.