Countless ways to put theory into practice Law clinics, externships, public service, and trial advocacy education at Widener Law
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Widener Leadership Works
Putting theory into practice A solid skills education is key to success as a lawyer. It is also a hallmark of the Widener Law experience. Working in law clinics and handling real cases in family, domestic violence, bankruptcy, environmental, criminal defense, and veterans assistance law bring your classroom studies to life. Externships earn you academic credit while immersing you in the day-to-day working life of practicing attorneys and judges who are leaders in their fields. Public interest and pro bono projects introduce you to a wide range of legal careers. Our Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute prepares you for the challenges and pressures trial lawyers face in court every day. At Widener Law, you will put legal theory into practice.
Each semester, Widener Law students are placed in prestigious state and federal externships in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, as well as with different state agencies, representatives, and senators. The Veterans Law Clinic was the first of its kind in the country to assist disabled veterans in veterans affairs compensation cases. Since its inception in 1989, the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic has successfully litigated more than 200 cases for more than 50 nonprofit environmental groups in 15 federal and state courts across the country.
Widener Law serves as the East Coast center for judicial and education training programs for the National Judicial College. The Delaware Campus hosted the college’s advanced seminar on administrative law in 2013.
“Clinical legal education is learning how to learn from experience. Clinics and externships at Widener Law are about the transition from being a good law student to being a good lawyer. We have long had a first-rate clinical faculty who are all committed to helping each of our students to envision an engaged, rewarding legal career and to providing them with experiences and tools they’ll need to realize those visions and become leaders.” Francis J. Catania Jr. Director of Clinical Programs and Associate Professor of Law
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“Working in one of Widener Law’s clinics is an invaluable opportunity that I would recommend to every law student. My experience at the Civil Law Clinic in Harrisburg has allowed me to apply the concepts that I have learned in class in a very tangible way. At the clinic, I have had the opportunity to help clients obtain divorces, create living wills and powers of attorney, and declare bankruptcy. These experiences will make me more marketable to employers who will appreciate the fact that I have significant experience working independently to help resolve client issues.” Candice Pryce ’14 Clinics Clinics immerse you in the working world of the law. We have built one of the leading clinical programs in the region, where you can sharpen your legal skills dealing with real cases and clients under the guidance of faculty who have significant professional
experience. All Widener clinics serve under-represented clients. Many have far-reaching impact. No matter which campus you attend, participating in a Widener clinic is one of the best ways to hone the skills that will help you succeed in your legal career.
to clean water, clean air, endangered species, hazardous waste, land use, and national and state environmental law. Working with Widener professors and other attorneys, you will draft pleadings, motions, and agreements, and learn the skills necessary to handle complex litigation.
Delaware Civil Law Clinic Delaware Campus The Delaware Civil Law Clinic works with Delaware Volunteer Legal Services to provide free legal advice and representation to indigent clients who are victims of domestic violence. Working in the clinic, you will practice interviewing, counseling, negotiating, and trial advocacy as you handle family law issues.
Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic Harrisburg Campus When you enroll in the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic, you get the chance to represent indigent clients in a variety of civil matters, including family law, administrative law, and bankruptcy. Your clients may include veterans seeking benefits from the Veterans Administration, victims of domestic violence, and elderly clients in need of financial planning documents. Representing clients before state and federal courts and administrative agencies gives you the ability to develop real-world lawyering skills such as counseling, negotiating, and litigating. You can begin your legal career in a collegial and supportive atmosphere created to make your introduction to the legal profession enlightening and positive.
Environmental Law and Natural Resources Clinic Delaware and Harrisburg Campuses The Environmental Law and Natural Resources Clinic offers something rare in legal education: the chance to litigate complex federal cases while still in law school. You will research issues pertaining
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Students in the Environmental Law and Natural Resources Clinic work with such organizations as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club.
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Veterans Law Clinic students advise a client on matters pertaining to veterans’ benefits.
Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic Delaware Campus The Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Clinic serves as a law office specializing in criminal law and procedure. Here, you learn the fine points of criminal defense and gain the skills to represent clients—from preliminary hearing through bench or jury trial and beyond.
veterans’ law. Founded in 1997, the clinic offers you the opportunity to serve an underrepresented population in great need. Clinical students gain first-hand experience in client advocacy, case file management, and administrative practice by representing disabled veterans and/or their dependents before the Department of Veterans Affairs and
In addition to regular practice before the Pennsylvania state courts of Chester County (West Chester), you may participate in post-conviction representation of death row defendants and draft briefs to be filed with the Supreme Court of the United States.
federal courts.
Veterans Law Clinic Delaware Campus The Widener Law Veterans Law Clinic is the nation’s oldest clinical program designed to assist veterans while providing students an engaging, dynamic setting in which to learn
Students from the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic have argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Delaware Civil Law Clinic is the hub of civil legal services in Delaware. Students screen Legal Help Link calls to qualify prospective clients and refer others to appropriate resources.
Widener Law students along with Delaware Volunteer Legal Services staff assisted an additional 267 survivors of domestic violence seeking protection from abuse through the Protection from Abuse Act.
“Clinical experiences show students how knowledge gained in the classroom can be put to use in the real world. One semester in a clinic is usually enough time to gain the confidence that you, too, will become a seasoned advocate.” J. Palmer Lockard II Director, Civil Law Clinic, Harrisburg Campus
In 2012, the Delaware Civil Clinic closed 73 cases representing 2,690 hours in pro bono time—equating to approximately $336,332 worth of legal services.
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“Participating in Widener’s Clinical Externship program has been the most advantageous experience of my law school career. Placement at the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office in Norristown, Pennsylvania, granted me the opportunity to interview clients, both in-house and at the local correctional facilities, as well as the chance to speak in court on behalf of our clients. I realized success in law school was only a stepping stone to a successful law career, but it has been the hands-on experience inside the courtroom that has provided me with the practical learning required to become a successful attorney. Nicolle M. Vasconez ’14
Externship opportunities Externships take you into the working world of the law. Widener’s strategic campus locations—a state capital and a global center for corporate law—offer unusually rich externship opportunities. Choose one, and you will learn how the law works day-to-day as you develop practical skills you can use over a lifetime. You might meet your future employer, make a crucial career connection, or discover the professional path that is yours alone—Widener externships open doors. Clinical Externship Program Delaware Campus The Delaware Valley is a center for many types of law practice. Widener Law students who spend a year externing in a government and public service law office earn academic credit working alongside attorneys who are carefully chosen for their skills as mentors.
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Placements often result in contacts and references for future employment. You will grow into the role of attorney as you meet regularly with classmates in small groups to discuss your experiences and legal skills, professional and personal ethics, and the culture of a modern law office. Recent placements include: Delaware County (PA) District Attorney ■ Federal Public Defender (Wilmington, DE) ■ Mercer County (NJ) Prosecutor ■ Montgomery County (PA) Public Defender ■ Pennsylvania Attorney General— Torts Litigation Section ■ Philadelphia Municipal Court Mediation Program ■ U.S. Department of Justice— Office of Bankruptcy Trustee ■
Widener Law students like Nicolle M. Vasconez ‘14 participate in full-year externships in governmental agencies, public and private sector law firms, and local, state, and federal courts.
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Judicial Externship Program Delaware Campus Some of the most respected state trial and appellate courts in the nation are within easy reach of the Delaware Campus. Widener Law students are often placed in the chambers of state courts—from trial courts to state Supreme Courts—in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and beyond. Widener Judicial Externs also are placed in such highly regarded specialty courts as the Delaware Court of Chancery, the Equity Division of the New Jersey Superior Court, and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. In federal courts, students have worked in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, U.S. District Court, Magistrate Court and Bankruptcy Court. During the summer, Widener Law students have been placed in externships worldwide, including courts in Melbourne, Australia, and Hyderabad, India.
These judicial externships create exceptional opportunities for Widener students to work as law clerks for outstanding judges. As a mentor, a judge can help you map a career, challenge you to hone research and legal writing skills, and offer a working perspective on the courts. Placements often lead to contacts and references for future employment. Recent placements include: ■
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U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit (Philadelphia, Wilmington) U.S. Bankruptcy Court (Delaware) U.S. Immigration Court (York, PA) Delaware Court of Chancery Supreme and Superior Courts in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Circuit Court of Baltimore County, Maryland
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“The judicial externship program was the highlight of my legal education at Widener. It gave me the opportunity to put into practice all of the information I learned in the classroom. I was able to draft judicial opinions, perform research, sit in on pretrial conferences, and learn how the courts work from behind the scenes. It was an experience that I will never forget.” Christopher Feigenbutz ’11
Clinical Externship Program Harrisburg Campus The law and American government are inextricably connected. As an extern in the Harrisburg Clinical Externship Program, you will discover an endless array of choices for working with attorneys for the government, courts, or notfor-profit organizations located in and around the state capital in Harrisburg and throughout the region. Weekly classes present skill-related issues and encourage you to reflect on the challenges you face as a new lawyer. You earn two to four credit hours per semester and complete between 10 and 20 hours of work per week in your placement. Placements in the Clinical Externship Program qualify to fulfill requirements of the Law & Government Institute certificate program.
Recent placements include: ■ Dauphin County District Attorney and Public Defender (PA) ■ Pennsylvania Office of Chief Counsel ■ Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General ■ Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission ■ Pennsylvania House of Representatives ■ ■
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U.S. Attorney’s Office HBDA Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center Chesapeake Bay Foundation
available in many jurisdictions. You are encouraged to choose placements in the community in which you intend to practice upon graduation. Placements often result in career connections and job offers. You will attend a weekly class to share experiences and refine your working skills, and you earn two, three, or four credit hours for your efforts. Recent placements include: ■ ■
Judicial Externship Program Harrisburg Campus As a Harrisburg judicial extern, you earn credit working in the chambers of a judge, observing judicial proceedings, drafting documents, and conducting legal research for the court. This is ideal if you wish to gain firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of a specific court system. Placements are
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Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Superior Court of Pennsylvania U.S. District Court (Middle District of Pennsylvania) Court of Common Pleas in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northumberland, Wayne, and York (PA) Counties Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
More than 80 judicial externs were placed with state and federal judges since spring 2006. A Widener Law student is placed in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel every semester for an externship. Since 1999, we have matched 1,585 first-year law students with alumni who serve as mentors. Widener Law consistently exceeds the national average for placement of judicial law clerks.
“When I made a career change, I chose Widener Law because of its dedication to helping students succeed. From professors, advisors, academic support to career planning, everyone is accessible, encouraging, and resourceful. They provide guidance as we find our way.” Public interest law offers you a chance to explore new areas of law, make a difference in someone’s life, find mentors, and build your résumé.
Beth Godett ’15
Public interest law and pro bono opportunities According to the American Bar Association: “Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay.” When these services are performed for little or no tangible compensation, they are described as pro bono. Public interest law and legal services are integral to your profession— and to the Widener Law experience. For students on both campuses, public interest and pro bono opportunities translate into real-world training and professional skill building—all while giving back by helping others. Public interest lawyers provide legal services to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, educational, and other organizations established to help people of limited means. You may also find yourself performing legal services that advance the work of individuals or groups seeking to secure or protect civil liberties or public rights.
Public Interest at Widener Delaware’s Public Interest Resource Center (PIRC) and Harrisburg’s Public Interest Initiative (PII) house libraries of information about public interest agencies and resources to fund public interest work. Both organizations maintain extensive and up-to-date lists of placement opportunities and are staffed with experts who can help you find a position that suits your interests and needs. We even track your volunteer hours; exceptional service receives special recognition at graduation.
Public interest law and pro bono recent placements include: ■ New Jersey Protection & Advocacy, Inc., Trenton, NJ ■ Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Chester, PA ■ Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Philadelphia, PA ■
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“My experience working in the Superior Court of New Jersey was extremely rewarding. I gained much legal knowledge and advanced my legal writing skills immensely. It was inspiring to work with people who dedicate their lives to serving their community.”
Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, Media, PA Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, Philadelphia, PA YWCA of Harrisburg, Domestic Violence Legal Center
The Widener Law Loan Repayment Assistance Program is available to students who decide to pursue careers in public service. The Public Interest Law Alliance sponsors a silent auction each year to raise funds for public interest fellowships.
Pamela Playo ’11
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Trial advocacy
sequence and are taught by instituteselected instructors using approved material and course outlines.
The Taishoff Advocacy, Technology and Public Service Institute at Widener Law educates aspiring attorneys in the fundamental skills essential to becoming trial advocates. The institute grounds students in the core competencies of the trial process from beginning to end, from the initial client interviews through summation. Our dedicated and experienced faculty provides instruction on critical topics, including pre-trial motions, discovery requests, opening statements, and closing arguments.
On the Harrisburg Campus, the advocacy certificate provides students with course work and hands-on learning opportunities in litigation (civil, criminal, and administrative) and dispute resolution. The program is designed to enhance skills necessary for career opportunities in the region’s district attorney and public defender offices, public agencies that conduct administrative hearings, and private law firms.
On the Delaware Campus, the institute offers JD students an opportunity to develop their knowledge of and proficiency in the fundamental skills essential to becoming a competent, professionally responsible advocate. Students have access to courses covering all basic trial advocacy skills, culminating in a trial advocacy certificate. These courses are presented in a clearly integrated
Intensive Trial Advocacy Program Conducted on both the Harrisburg and Delaware campuses after the conclusion of spring semester final examinations, the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) is a sevenday course designed to sharpen trial advocacy skills. The ITAP faculty consists of highly experienced trial attorneys, judges, and law professors
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who offer detailed and valuable insight into trial law. The intensive program culminates with a simulated jury trial enabling students to put their newly learned skills into action.
“There is not much time for a prosecutor to hit the ground running. I knew I would immediately be handed a caseload that no one was going to help me with. Widener prepared me for that.” Joseph Whitehead Jr. ’88 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Widener graduates comprise one-third of the Delaware State Bar. Members of the Harrisburg Campus Trial Advocacy Honor Society master litigation skills through classroom workshops and competitions with students from Widener Law and other schools. The Delaware Campus’s Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society is named for the late Morris (Moe) Levine, Esq., of New York City, who championed law school trial advocacy. Widener Law adjunct faculty members include Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland and retired Justice Joseph T. Walsh, who teach appellate advocacy courses, along with Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice and Widener Law Jurist in Residence Thomas G. Saylor, who teaches a seminar on constitutional law. Judge Paul P. Panepinto ’76 of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas teaches a seminar on the practice of law in Philadelphia that is held in City Hall.
Widener’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) provides a legal “boot camp” where practitioners teach students the skills they need.
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Apply to Widener Law The application process is paperless. All materials must be submitted electronically. Apply today at law.widener.edu. Admission Policy: The Admissions Committee considers undergraduate GPA and the LSAT score, work and life experiences, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and graduate study. A personal statement is required and letters of recommendation are highly encouraged. Widener Law is committed to diversity and encourages women and members of minority groups to apply.
Widener Law does not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, national origin or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. For the complete text of our Nondiscrimination Policy see law.widener.edu/About/NondiscriminationPolicy
Contact Widener Law To learn more about the opportunities on our two campuses and the countless paths to success you will find as a Widener Law student, contact us today. Admissions 1-888-WIDENER Delaware Campus 4601 Concord Pike P.O. Box 7474 Wilmington, DE 19803-0474 302-477-2703 Harrisburg Campus 3800 Vartan Way P.O. Box 69380 Harrisburg, PA 17106-9360 717-541-3903 E-mail: lawadmissions@mail.widener.edu
For the past five years, we have posted an average of 500 jobs per year in our online job bank. Widener graduates build careers of distinction: ■ Chandlee Johnson Kuhns '88, Chief Judge, Family Court, State of Delaware ■ Cynthia Rhoades Ryan ’79, Chief Counsel, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency ■ Michael J. Aiello ’94, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges ■ M. Jane Mahoney ’76, Trial Attorney, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice ■ Eugene DePasquale ’02, Auditor General, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Widener Law has more than 14,000 alumni, many of whom mentor and hire Widener students and graduates.
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Two great campuses