61 minute read
FUNDING THEIR FUTURES
Dickinson Law Student Emergency Fund supports students in need, provides year-round assistance for COVID-related situations and other unexpected challenges
Last year, Penn State Dickinson Law moved to a virtual class schedule amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Students logged on from their electronic devices each day to attend classes.
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Bruce Hall ‘22 used an old laptop to participate. One day during class, Hall’s laptop crashed. He was unable to get the computer to function again, and he was not sure what to do. As a fulltime student, he had limited resources and lacked the funds to purchase a new laptop.
Hall reached out to Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Rebecca Schreiber and informed her of his dilemma. That is when he learned about the Dickinson Law Student Emergency Fund, which offers cash grants and awards to help meet students’ basic needs.
Hall applied for emergency aid from the fund to purchase a new laptop, and within two weeks, he secured a new one to use for class.
Hall felt relieved to discover that safety net. “The application process was extremely easy,” said Hall. “All I did was reach out to the director and accept the funds. Not long after, the funds were deposited into my account.”
Amid the COVID-19 shutdown last spring, the fund provided relief for Dickinson Law students who lost work, supplementing their income to pay for rent, utilities, and food. One Dickinson Law student who graduated in 2020 learned about the fund as he searched for a job. He worried that the pandemic would impact his chances of fi nding employment and make it diffi cult to care for his family.
“I was in the mid-fi nal semester, and I was getting ready to secure employment after graduation. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit all aspects of our life, including the job market. I envisioned it would be hard to attach to the job market any time soon to take care of my family. I, therefore, decided to apply for the aid,” said the recent graduate, who asked to remain anonymous.
Receiving the aid allowed him to think about other things besides how to meet his family’s basic needs. “No one knows how hard it is to focus on studies while facing fi nancial hardship except a student who has encountered it,” said the recent graduate. “The aid gave me peace of mind and helped me focus on my studies.” The Student Emergency Fund has supported varied student needs. The pandemic forced several Dickinson Law students to move suddenly, and the fund bridged gaps in their budgets created by the fi nancial stress of the unexpected relocation.
Dickinson Law students facing higher physical and mental health expenses from the pandemic used the emergency fund to pay for medical appointment co-pays. The fund also covered situations similar to Hall’s, when law students needed tools to implement learn-from-home protocols, such as technology or offi ce supplies they typically accessed on the Dickinson Law campus prior to the pandemic.
Hall appreciates the generosity behind the fund. “Full-time students do not have an income to rely on. They rely on the resources of the school, family members, and, unfortunately, loans. Loans can pile up quickly. Sources like this lighten the load for students,” said Hall.
Bruce Hall ‘22
“It is because of donors that students with limited resources can continue to follow their dreams to become a defender of the rule of law,” said Hall.
Alumni can make contributions to continue to support students into the future. Gifts to the Dickinson Law Student Emergency Fund can be made by visiting raise.psu.edu/ DickinsonLaw or by contacting Kelly Rimmer, director of development and alumni affairs at Dickinson Law, at krimmer@psu.edu.
CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN LEGAL EDUCATION
Faculty, alumni, staff, and students work toward achieving Dean Conway’s second vision priority of moving the needle signifi cantly on diversity while embracing a new Antiracist curriculum and promoting the rule of law
Penn State Dickinson Law alumni often visit classes, allowing students to learn from their practice experience. With the pandemic, these appearances have shifted to Zoom.
Recently, Samantha Jallah ’14 visited a class taught by Dickinson Law Assistant Dean for Administration and Adjunct Professor of Law Laura Williams ’90. As she studied the faces on her Zoom screen, she was struck by the diversity in the class. “There were more minorities in that twenty-person class than I remember having in my entire graduating class,” said Jallah. “For me, that was really special. It shows Dickinson Law is going beyond just talk. It is so encouraging to see the changes in the makeup of classes of incoming students.”
Increasing diversity of incoming classes has been a vision priority at Dickinson Law under Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway, who became dean in July 2019. The goal became even more urgent since the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, which prompted the Dickinson Law community to stand united to renew and extend its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Law School, in the legal academy, and in the legal profession. “If we are going to attract confi dence in our system of laws, there must be representation in the profession,” said Conway. “People have to see themselves in our system of laws, in the rule of law, and then in the legal profession.”
Over the past year, faculty, alumni, staff, and students have undertaken proactive steps to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their efforts also refl ect Dickinson Law’s obligation to promote the rule of law. Here is a glimpse of what that concerted effort looks like. HOW FACULTY ARE SUPPORTING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Following Floyd’s murder and the ensuing protests for racial justice, Dickinson Law faculty wanted to make a statement; condemning the killing. But they also wanted to do more.
“In the summer of 2020, many institutions offered powerful and important words of commitment in written statements; however, we heard our students’ call, for us to do more,” said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Lawyering Skills Amy C. Gaudion. “They asked to act and to engage in the work required to translate our words of commitment into concrete actions.”
In early June 2020, the faculty unanimously adopted a joint resolution condemning violence against Black and Brown people through police impunity. Faculty resolved to be part of the solution. “Nobody moved to amend it,” said Professor of Law Michael Mogill. “Several people at the same time made motions to approve it. Several people made motions to second it. To get that kind of response shows the kind of community we are and how strongly we believe in social justice and racial justice.”
“As educators, we must recognize our unique opportunity and important responsibility to combat racism in our educational mission,” said Professor of Law and Harvey A. Feldman Distinguished Faculty Scholar Dermot Groome. “We must do more than transfer legal knowledge and skills to our students. We must cultivate within them a principled, enduring commitment to work for true equality over the course of their careers and practice law in a way that promotes equal treatment of all. To do this, we must reconsider not only what we teach but how we teach it.”
“We wanted our words to be precise and to hold us accountable for the actions that we would take as opposed to being mere platitudes of sorrow, of condolence,” said Gaudion. From that desire came the development of an Antiracist curriculum featuring a new course required for all fi rst-year students called “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws.”
Professor of Law and Harvey A. Feldman Distinguished Faculty Scholar Dermot Groome proposed the course to the faculty.
“After the resolution was passed unanimously, it really got me thinking about our responsibility as legal educators. It seemed to me that we had this unique opportunity and a special responsibility to help form the lawyers of tomorrow who could possibly address these issues of structural racism,” said Groome, who designed the course, developed its teaching approach, drafted and edited the course materials, and organized the Dickinson Law community in creating content for the course.
The fi rst-year required course explores slavery and its continuing impact on African Americans as well as how the legal system perpetuates inequality and students’ sworn duty as lawyers to ensure the equal protection of the laws. It examines systemic racism in health care, housing, criminal justice, education, commercial law, and democratic institutions.
“When there are problems this big, it is a human tendency to turn away from it,” said Conway. “But there are some of us who do not turn away from it. And that is what this work is about. It is making sure that somebody is not turning away from the heart of the problem. This work demands that we build a coalition to look at the problem together and fi gure out how to solve it.”
Conway has also stepped up to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within Penn State and the broader legal academy. In July 2020, she was appointed by Penn State President Eric J. Barron as one of three co-chairs of Penn State’s Select Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety, which examined the deployment of University resources to address social issues related to racism and bias across the nation and at Penn State.
Conway also joined the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Executive Committee and came together with four other law school deans to form AALS’s Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Project, a website for law deans, faculty, and the public featuring resources and information addressing racism and police reform.
“I was working with four other Black women, lobbying colleagues, just to try to get through those traumatic experiences while still leading a law school,” said Conway. “The way we thought to respond was to create this website to help our colleagues, who are leading as deans throughout the legal academy, understand why Mr. Floyd’s murder impacted us the way it did. Statements were appropriate, but actions really meant more than those statements.”
On March 18, Dickinson Law’s Steele Family Leadership Program in Gender and Racial Equity held its inaugural event. The program provides funds to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; support victims’ rights (particularly those of women of color); and seek solutions to race and gender injustice and inequities through programming and research focused on the intersectionality of gender and race.
Dickinson Law Clinical Professor, Director of the Children’s Advocacy Clinic, and Director of the Center on Children and the Law Lucy Johnston-Walsh ‘97 moderated a victims’ rights panel during the inaugural program/CLE of the Steele Family Leadership Program in Gender and Racial Equity. Alumni panelists, including Tiffany Jeffers ’08, (pictured above) associate professor of law and legal practice, Georgetown Law, Georgetown University Law Center; Kevin R. Steele ‘92, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Offi ce, district attorney; and Alexia Tomlinson ’18, Justice for Victims Fellow, The Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova Law, explained the roles of lawyers and future lawyers in protecting our communities from racialized misogyny, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and rape.
The Steele family—including the late J. Rodman “Rod” Steele ‘66, wife Karen, Kevin Steele ‘92, and Tracy Steele ‘95— honed a vision for the program during discussions with Conway and Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Kelly Rimmer throughout 2020. They acknowledged that the work toward gender and racial equality demands a deep commitment and may require generations to achieve.
The fi rst event, titled “Justice for All? Addressing Systemic Barriers Experienced by Victims of Color and Advocating for Change,” included two Dickinson Law graduates presenting on the plenary panel: Tiffany Jeffers ‘08, associate professor of law and legal practice at Georgetown University Law Center, and Alexia Tomlinson ‘18, Justice for Victims Fellow at the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE Institute) at Villanova Law.
Tomlinson outlined how criminalization and victimization often overlap in sex traffi cking cases and how to apply trauma-informed practice to victim representation, while Jeffers discussed the vulnerability of Black women victims. The panel was moderated by Lucy Johnston-Walsh ‘97, clinical professor and director of the Children’s Advocacy Clinic and the Center on Children and the Law, and also featured Suzanne Estrella, now Pennsylvania’s acting victim advocate, and former Pennsylvania Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm. Another way alumni have shown support is by creating or making gifts to scholarships earmarked for students who contribute to the diversity of the student body. For instance, Thomas L. VanKirk ‘70 and his wife, Bonnie, contributed $50,000, a gift matched by Highmark in honor of VanKirk’s recent retirement from his role as executive vice president, chief legal offi cer, and secretary for Highmark Health, to create the VanKirk/Highmark Educational Equity Scholarship at Dickinson Law.
In June 2020, Penn State announced a $10 million commitment to scholarships supporting diversity across the institution, a decision made following Floyd’s death and protests across the country against racially motivated violence committed by police. The University Educational Equity Matching Program pledged 1:1 matches for scholarships supporting diversity that meet certain criteria.
“Over the last nine months, there has been quite an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and racial equality,” said VanKirk. “We want to support getting more minority students, and people of color, in particular, involved in the educational process and in law.”
Alumni have also shared their experiences to inform others. Jallah serves on the Pennsylvania Bar Association Minority Bar Committee Diversity Team. Last June, shortly after the killing of Floyd, she participated in a webinar hosted by the team titled “A Conversation About Racism in Our Country and Profession.”
Jallah has mentored many young lawyers and given back in other ways to the legal community, but she said sharing her personal experiences with racism demanded an uncomfortable level of vulnerability. Yet Jallah realized, “I could not say no to that conversation now. In this moment, you need to back up what you say. It was the hardest talk I have ever given. We are always aware of that Blackness.” Jallah believes “getting people in the door” is the critical fi rst step to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Dickinson Law, noting her excitement at the number of minority students in the class where she served as a guest lecturer. But she said simply admitting more students of color is not enough. They need support, something she benefi ted from at Dickinson Law.
“Deb Ryerson in Career Services introduced me to Alison Taylor ‘91, who was then chief counsel at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Alison offered me my fi rst job out of law school and assisted me in becoming barred. Jodi Frantz ‘99 interviewed me for a position at the Offi ce of General Counsel. She has stayed in my life as a sponsor,” said Jallah. “Puja Khare ‘10 mentored me during my fi rst years out of law school, ensuring I succeeded. Yvette Kostelac ‘87 taught me to see the people my counsel would affect and solve problems with them in mind. Paula Sanders ‘88 sponsored my fi rst fi rm position. I would not be where I am without the investment these Dickinson Law women, and many others, made in my career.”
In early June 2020, as students at the Law School and across the University struggled to navigate fi nancial challenges brought on by the pandemic, Conway was inspired to help ease their burdens while investing in their futures. She made a gift of $125,000—believed to be the single largest gift made by a Law School dean—directing a portion to the Dickinson Law Future Fund and a portion to the Penn State Student Care and Advocacy Emergency Fund. Her generous gift so moved faculty and staff, they raised over $25,000 in her honor to establish the Dickinson Law Faculty and Staff Educational Equity Scholarship, focused on increasing student diversity and providing for those with fi nancial need. The University Educational Equity Matching Program matched the amount.
Dickinson Law held a moment of silence and refl ection on September 9, 2020. Members of the Law School community, including Campbell Goin ‘22, shared brief statements acknowledging Dickinson Law’s resolve to stop ongoing, systemic, and perpetual racial and societal injustices in the United States, and the Law School’s ongoing support of its students, staff, faculty, and their families who are persons of color.
Dickinson Law Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services Jeffrey A. Dodge organized the donations. He and the four other associate deans at Dickinson Law each pledged $1,000, and they emailed faculty and staff to ask them to join in, which they did gladly.
“Making a donation to this scholarship is one small way that I can help to ensure that our future lawyers are more representative of the diverse populations they serve,” said Assistant Director of Student Services Julie Cullings.
Staff has stepped up in other ways to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well. Rebecca Schreiber, director of admissions and fi nancial aid, and Bekah Saidman-Krauss ‘12, associate dean for admissions and fi nancial aid, meet regularly with Conway to discuss the vision priority of signifi cantly moving the needle on diversity in admissions. In fact, the three of them drafted an article for Rutgers Race and the Law Review focusing on inclusivity in admissions and retention of diverse students.
“Dean Conway recognizes that it is not just an admissions issue,” said Saidman-Krauss.
“You cannot just bring in more students of color without the infrastructure to support them. The dean wanted to use the article to showcase the curricular and administrative changes we have made as well as refl ect the cultural shift at Dickinson Law,” said Saidman-Krauss. The article offers ways other schools can make similar changes to achieve similar results.
“In our fall 2020 class, we showed pretty signifi cant improvements in enrolling more diverse students. We wanted to offer something of value, comment on the ways we reviewed and reframed our own policies, and encourage other schools to look at their own data. Is what they are saying aligning with their practices? What are the outcomes of those practices?” said Schreiber.
Schreiber and Saidman-Krauss appreciated Conway’s invitation to collaborate on the article. “It was wonderful to be afforded this opportunity,” said Schreiber.
Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid Bekah Saidman-Krauss ’12 drafted an article with Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Rebecca Schreiber for Rutgers Race and the Law Review focusing on inclusivity in admissions and retention of diverse students.
“Diversity only enhances the educational experience for everyone,” said SaidmanKrauss.“
As president of the Black Law Students Association at Dickinson Law, Campbell Goin ‘22 made a statement condemning white supremacy after the killing of Floyd. He saw an opportunity for Dickinson Law to take action, too.
“Black students were looking for more allyship and safe spaces on campus to be who we are. It is tough when you are one of the only people of color in a class. You may not want to speak up on racial issues because you feel like you are speaking for the whole race,” said Goin. Goin has seen promising changes over the past year, citing the greater diversity of the class of 2024 and the introduction of the “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws” course.
“One of the things Professor Groome and Professor Mogill have articulated in these class sessions is how can we better support the Black students here?” said Goin. He believes the class has raised awareness among his classmates.
“When 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls go into the workforce, they will be better prepared. Speaking to classmates, I think they have become more aware culturally and politically,” said Goin. “We have a great leader in Dean Conway to help diversify our classes even more.” “Representation is huge, but you have to have inclusion as well,” said Deborah Osborn ‘22, who helped research, draft, and edit some of the essays used in the “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws” class. “The class discusses issues that affect some people’s everyday lives. We should all be cognizant of these issues as we move forward.”
Osborn said she was particularly interested in the way the class highlights the discriminatory nature of many laws.
“This class gives the background and history of how the law was written, how it has been applied, how the U.S. government has applied it and continues to apply it. These things are not taught in American schools, and they need to be,” said Osborn.
Educating students is just one way to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Another is to ensure that diverse students receive the necessary support to succeed in law school.
Dickinson Law recently received an Equal Opportunity Planning Committee grant from the University to fully fund the hosting of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) this summer. It marks the second year in a row Dickinson Law has hosted the program, which draws participants from across the nation with the aim of increasing access to those who are often underrepresented in law school.
The program includes courses on legal writing as well as contracts and constitutional law. Dodge directs the PLSI, and about twenty faculty, students, and staff provide support. “I knew from my hiring process that Dean Conway wanted to usher in a new era at the Law School focused on diversity, and building a pipeline of new students was part of that plan,” said Dodge. “I let her know in 2019 that CLEO was looking for a partner for PLSI. She expressed enthusiasm and interest.” Last year’s program pivoted from inperson to online due to the pandemic. Jacqueline Stryker ‘21 served as a technical teaching assistant, helping to facilitate professors’ Zoom presentations and ensuring students could connect to and engage in class. A member of the LGBT community, Stryker said she has experienced her own challenges with systemic inequality but knew she still operated from a position of white privilege. She became a sounding board for students, answering their questions and listening to their concerns.
“We need more inclusion in the legal profession and in legal education,” said Stryker. “CLEO is much more than a preview of what law school is like because students gain skills to succeed that are not normally shared in any law school class. By the end of the summer, the CLEO pre-law students seemed more like 2Ls.”
Jeremy Garcia ‘23 participated in the 2020 PLSI. He said he learned many valuable lessons. “A lot of people spoke to the diversity aspect of law school. They were very blunt and honest about some of the things we may face in law school. I did need that wakeup call,” said Garcia.
Garcia and his classmates have stayed in touch via regular Zoom meetings postPLSI. They remind each other that seeking help is not just OK. It is encouraged. “Unfortunately, there are trends showing that students of color, in particular, are struggling academically and facing the wrath of dismissal,” said Dodge. “The PLSI tries to combat that by putting all these students in the best position possible. We talk about what resources look like, how to tap into them, navigating their relationships with their professors, and what academic support means.”
“Foundational change starts with the resources CLEO provides for academic success,” said Stryker. “And it continues when an institution throws its full support behind that change.”
LOOKING FORWARD: DICKINSON LAW EMBRACES A MORE DIVERSE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE
Foundational change is, ultimately, the goal at Dickinson Law. Through the efforts of faculty, alumni, staff, and students, it can be achieved.
“Good processes, good approaches, and good governance are supported by muscle memory. The more we practice those approaches to equity, the more we invest in it, the more we acknowledge the importance of equity, the more we will fl ex the muscle of equity,” said Conway.
Visit dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/race-and-the-equal-protection-of-the-laws to watch a video featuring Dean Conway, Professor Gaudion, Professor Groome, and Professor Mogill sharing more about how “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws” came to fruition. A second video, The First Look, explains the background and pedagogical methodology of the course, includes excerpts of presentations from course participants, and features testimonials about the curriculum from Dickinson Law students.
IN ATLANTA, A NETWORK OF DICKINSON LAW ALUMNI PROVIDE MENTORSHIP
It doesn’t matter what year someone graduated from Penn State Dickinson Law. When it comes to Carlisle, alumni and current students all speak the same language.
“When I connect with other Dickinson Law alumni, there are some things everyone knows about. The car shows, Pomfret Street, the Gingerbread Man,” said Ronni Michelle Bryant ‘09. “We all want to talk about these experiences when we get together.”
When Bryant connected with Cristine Huffi ne ‘96 a few years ago, they found that common ground quickly, discussing shared professors and the layout of the campus. Bryant, who was moving from New Jersey to Atlanta, sent her resume to Huffi ne, who passed it on to the hiring committee at Swift Currie, where Huffi ne is a partner. After Bryant joined Swift Currie, the two formed a mentorship relationship. “We automatically clicked. She’s a phenomenal person and so bright—all students are when they went to Dickinson Law. I made sure I could help her in any way I could after she started,” said Huffi ne.
The same easy rapport developed more recently when Samantha Jacques ‘21 reached out to Bryant on LinkedIn. Jacques wanted to learn more about legal opportunities in Atlanta, where she hoped to work after graduation. Again, despite the years between their time at Dickinson Law, the two women connected over shared experiences. Bryant became a mentor to Jacques.
“I was looking for mentorship and didn’t know it,” said Jacques. “I was getting great advice about different avenues to take to have the opportunity to practice in Georgia eventually, but I needed guidance on how to act on the advice.”
Mentorship has brought together different generations of Dickinson Law alumni in Atlanta, and those relationships continue to grow. Mentorship is a critical part of a young lawyer’s development. A mentor can offer advice on everything from the culture of an organization to determining a partner’s style preferences to even advising on the best daycare in the area (Huffi ne’s and Bryant’s children attend the same center, although Bryant has moved to a new job).
Attending a law school with smaller class sizes makes it easier to identify potential alumni mentors. The close relationships and shared experiences fostered at Dickinson Law help students as well as alumni feel comfortable reaching out.
“Mentorship has evolved over the years with the benefi t of the internet and social media to help things along,” said Robin Fulton Langhans, director of alumni relations, CLE & special events. “Students have empowered themselves to seek out mentors in the alumni community, and, of course, we’re still there to help make those connections. But students themselves are often the ones creating connections.”
Shortly after seeking out Bryant, Jacques also met Peter Anderson ‘75, of counsel at Eversheds Sutherland in Atlanta. Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle Conway recognized the potential ties between the student and alumnus and introduced the two when Anderson, a member of the Dickinson Law Leadership Council Advisory Board, visited Carlisle.
“I think Dean Conway wanted us to meet for a couple of reasons,” said Anderson. “Obviously, there’s the Atlanta connection, but I’ve also done work down in Haiti to help form a not-for-profi t that operates a hospital, and Samantha’s from Haitian descent, so Dean Conway wanted to introduce her. I was immediately struck by her enthusiasm and confi dence. She reminded me so much of some of my law fi rm proteges over the years who have gone on to be very successful.”
Since then, Anderson and Jacques have remained in touch. Jacques wants to pursue corporate compliance, and Anderson spent much of his career defending companies in the government securities arena. He helped line up some job interviews for Jacques in Atlanta but made sure she was the one setting her own path.
“A mentor has to be careful when they have great thoughts about what a mentee should do with their professional lives. The path they suggest may not necessarily be what the future lawyer envisions for themselves. You have to be careful of prioritizing your views,” said Anderson.
Jacques appreciates how her mentors help her focus on what’s important. “Law school can be daunting, but a mentor can bring it all back into focus for you,” said Jacques. “Especially with a mentor who went to the same law school as you. They have been exactly where you have been before and can help with navigating classes to take, organizations to join, and other steps to take that will set you up for success.”
Bryant, who now works as assistant associate general counsel in the Offi ces of the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Morehouse College of Medicine, has seen the advantages of mentorship from both sides. “Mentorship instills confi dence, allows for candor in relationship and experience sharing, and, when done right, enhances the experience of professional growth and development,” said Bryant. She sees her relationship with Jacques as “a great opportunity to pay it forward.”
Mentors can also assist in unexpected areas, such as recognizing the folly of working too many hours early in a career. “My mentor came into my offi ce a few times and said, ‘OK, you have to go home. It can’t be all about the law all the time,’” said Huffi ne. She tries to impart similar insights about work-life balance to her mentees.
While Jacques wasn’t able to network in person in Atlanta last summer as she’d hoped because of COVID-19, she has stayed in close touch with Bryant, discussing general and very specifi c questions. “Recently, it’s been nice to have someone I can speak to candidly about my current internship role and adjusting to my new responsibilities,” said Jacques. “Her insight on deadlines and time management is incredibly valuable. Ronni’s openness about her legal journey as well as her ability to balance family and her career has also been inspiring.”
Providing mentorship is a commitment. “It takes a lot of time to be a mentor, but it is so worthwhile,” said Huffi ne. “Ronni and I spent so many times sitting in her offi ce or my offi ce talking about the law and family issues, and it’s so gratifying to see how she’s grown, the clients that she developed on her own. Though she’s not at our law fi rm anymore, I came out of it having a good friend.”
Anderson said a good mentor needs to listen carefully and be available. “Samantha is a rock star,” said Anderson. “Whatever advice and connections I can give and use to help her and others, that’s what I want to do. I’m at the age when I’m winding up my legal career. I’ve had a good, long run, and to the extent I can use Samantha Jacques ‘21
my connections to people and help others go on to success, that’s the best thing I can do.” ATLANTA-BASED ALUMNI CHAPTER IN THE WORKS TO FACILITATE NETWORKING, MENTORSHIP
When Ronni Michelle Bryant ‘09 reached out to fellow Penn State Dickinson Law alumni to see who wanted to get together for a networking Ronni Michelle Bryant ‘09 lunch with Samantha Jacques ‘21, she was struck by how many were located in the Atlanta area. She and two others met with Jacques. Later, after the pandemic hit, more from the area began gathering virtually. “Ronni is who really began to connect the dots and started an occasional Zoom catch-up that has grown into the group of alumni we now have and want to formalize into an Atlanta alumni chapter,” said Jacques. The Atlanta Chapter would join several others, including the Greater Pittsburgh Area Chapter headed by James G. McLean ‘82 and the Northeast Pennsylvania Alumni Chapter run by Jeffrey Yelen ‘97. Groups are chartered by the Dickinson Law Alumni Society, part of the Penn State Alumni Association, and are welcome to plan events and activities in concert with and independently of the Law School. “The group of alumni in Atlanta is very selfdirected, which is great. When it occurs naturally, it’s most successful,” said Robin Fulton Langhans, director of alumni relations, CLE & special events. Bryant has several goals for the group: “To create a network of alumni who value mentorship, sponsorship, and excellence and who are committed to making themselves available to reach back to current Dickinson Law students with an intent to contribute to the students’ success. Also, to create a community of local alumni who can avail themselves to support and encourage their fellow alumni in achieving excellence.” Anyone interested in joining the group can reach out to Bryant. You can reach her at 404-752-8699 or rmbryant@msm.edu.
FACULTY AND STUDENT COLLABORATION SUPPORTS THE ENERGY POLICY MISSION WITHIN PENN STATE
Asahel Church ‘22 lives in York County, Pennsylvania. During his commute to Penn State Dickinson Law, he sees recently built solar panels as well as land that appears primed for solar development. He has given those developments even more thought after researching the zoning ordinances that made them possible.
“I think we are going to continue to see solar panels built at a rapid pace. There is a lot of open land in Pennsylvania and relatively good access to transmission lines. But if you build a solar installation in the middle of nowhere, getting the electricity to people is prohibitive,” said Church. “It is a great intersection of public, private, and local interests.”
Church and another Dickinson Law student, Andrea Prisco ‘22, spent last summer tracking down local zoning ordinances related to solar project development from the roughly 2,500 municipalities across the Commonwealth.
Their work supported a project undertaken by Dickinson Law Assistant Professor of Law Mohamed Rali Badissy in collaboration with Penn State’s Center for Energy Law and Policy. It began after the Penn State Extension in the College of Agricultural Sciences noted concerns brought forward by local offi cials across the state who were witnessing solar projects in their communities for the fi rst time.
“There were questions that kept popping up within these communities. Farmers were seeing proposals for solar projects on their land. Some were excited to make money; some were angry and did not want panels staring at them from agricultural lands. But the questions posed were the same—what can we do, and how do we regulate it?” said Badissy.
Local governments, too, were eager to know their zoning options for solar installations. “Those offi cials do not have time to become experts. They needed advice they could use now,” said Badissy.
Penn State Extension reached out to Badissy to conduct that research knowing his background in assisting governments with regulating energy projects around the world. Badissy partnered with the Center for Energy Law and Policy to support the energy policy mission within Penn State. He has since conducted several webinars through Penn State Extension on solar development, regulations, and investment strategies.
“Because of Penn State’s breadth of expertise and our collaborative culture across the University, the Center for Energy Law and Policy is in a unique position to bring in all sorts of different expertise,” said Seth Blumsack, professor of Energy Policy and Economics and International Affairs in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy. “At this stage, Professor Badissy’s research is still very much focused on the legal dimensions, but I think eventually it is going to inform a much more interdisciplinary effort around solar energy in Pennsylvania.”
A GROWING ISSUE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania has entered a period of booming investment in solar projects. The Commonwealth’s alternative energy portfolio standard (AEPS), enacted in 2004, calls for 0.5 percent of all retail electricity sold in the state to be generated by solar energy this year.
In 2019, solar energy produced about 6 percent of Pennsylvania’s renewable energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. While there is room for growth, farmers and local governments fi elding proposals for solar projects have struggled to determine what is and is not permitted since there is no state zoning guidance. It is all left to the local regulation, and there is very little uniformity in the presentation or availability of that information.
So, Badissy set out to compile it himself with the assistance of students like Church and Prisco. “Researching local zoning ordinances is diffi cult. Not all are online, so we had to dig up every ordinance to fi gure out what is on the books about solar,” said Badissy. “That is classic on-the-ground research.”
“We had to start from ground zero,” said Prisco. “We began by listing all the townships in Pennsylvania and seeing what provisions they have in their ordinances for solar energy.”
If they were lucky, sometimes it just took a quick Google search. Once they found the policy, they categorized it as accessory (covering mostly residential properties) or nonaccessory (commercial properties). “We became pretty good at determining the difference,” said Prisco. “If the township had a non-accessory ordinance, they would usually also have an accessory one but not the other way around. But sometimes a Google search did not bring the ordinance to light.”
VALUE FOR STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY
Blumsack said the interdisciplinary nature of the research project allows students to see fi rsthand what a difference their efforts can make in creating policy.
“I have found students across the University system, including law students, are eager to get their hands dirty and perform research that actually could matter,” said Blumsack. “They are very passionate people, and so I think efforts like this are a really great opportunity.”
While neither Church nor Prisco plans to pursue energy law, they found the research experience useful as they move through their 2L year. “The experience taught me to be very thorough in my research,” said Prisco. “The project also grew, changed, and continued to evolve as it progressed. I did not realize how fl exible a project like this could be.”
“I am very interested in institutions and how laws interact with local governments,” said Church. “The solar industry is changing signifi cantly. Townships need to think about, ‘Will this requirement actually make sense down the road? Maybe we made it too narrow and specifi c to the way it is now.’ There are a lot of secondary questions coming out of compiling what exists now.”
Badissy’s goal for the project is to provide aid to the townships that need it. He hopes to compile best practices and practical information related to solar ordinances that townships could reference, such as how to address common concerns like the glare from panels, noise from the solar-plus batteries installation, and impact on the natural environment. Some answers to questions are still being explored, such as whether solar limits the ability of wildlife to migrate on previously open agricultural land and the impact on soil quality.
“We want the project to stay very neutral. We are not telling communities what they should do. We are sharing the common elements of an effective solar ordinance,” said Badissy. “We want to help folks make decisions in the most informed way possible. That is our mandate as a public university. We should produce smart research in the energy space that meets community needs at multiple levels.”
Mohamed Rali Badissy is a scholar, advisor and international development advocate in the fi eld of energy and climate fi nance.
Professor of Law Emeritus Thomas Place at the Class of 2017 commencement ceremony; Dean Emeritus Peter G. Glenn at Dickinson Law’s 185th anniversary gala in 2019; H. Laddie Montague Chair in Law and Professor of Law Emerita Laurel Terry with Dean Emeritus Gary Gildin and H. Laddie Montague Jr. ‘63 in 2016; Associate Dean for Library and Information Services Emerita Gail Partin in 2011.
DICKINSON LAW BIDS FAREWELL TO FOUR RETIRING FACULTY
Dean Emeritus Peter G. Glenn, Associate Dean for Library and Information Services Emerita Gail A. Partin ‘93, Professor of Law Emeritus Thomas Place, and H. Laddie Montague Chair in Law and Professor of Law Emerita Laurel Terry shared many unforgettable years together as longtime members of the Penn State Dickinson Law faculty. From their teaching and research excellence to their mentorship of students and collective leadership, the impactful contributions they have made to the Dickinson Law community, the legal academy, and beyond during their years of service have been remarkable. Before joining the esteemed ranks of the emeriti faculty, each refl ected on their journeys to and time spent at Dickinson Law and shared what lies ahead.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PATH TO DICKINSON LAW.
GLENN: “In 1992, two law school deans and the American Bar Association Consultant on Legal Education suggested to me that I seek to become a law school dean. I was nominated and applied for several deanships in the eastern United States, became a fi nalist for a couple of positions, and was invited to Carlisle to meet members of the faculty and the Board of Trustees. I was impressed with the commitment of Dickinson Law to the practice of law and was lucky enough to be invited to become the ninth dean of the Law School.”
PARTIN: “While working at Penn State College of Medicine’s Harrell Health Sciences Library, a colleague convinced me to join her in a new program offered by Clarion University to pursue a Master’s in Library Science. Upon earning my degree in spring 1985, there were no open librarian positions at the Harrell Health Sciences Library, but there was a reference librarian position open at the Law School. I interviewed for the position, received an offer, and began work on July 1, 1985.”
PLACE: “I joined the Law School faculty in 1974 after serving for fi ve years as a public interest lawyer in eastern Kentucky, where I co-founded Mountain Legal Rights—the fi rst legal service program in that region of the country to provide free legal assistance to clients in need in a wide range of civil matters. I also spent a few years in private practice focusing on environmental matters and criminal law.”
TERRY: “I came to Carlisle in 1985 from Portland, Oregon. I had moved to Portland after law school for a judicial clerkship and stayed to practice with a large fi rm. Moving to a new part of the country had been a very positive experience, so I was willing to relocate once I decided that I wanted to become an academic. I got a big map of the United States and put colored dots on all the schools I interviewed with at the Association of American Law Schools Recruitment Conference. I had immediately liked the Dickinson Law group during the screening interview, and my callback experience made me feel like my colleagues, the students, and Carlisle would be a great fi t. My intuition turned out to be right!”
HOW DID YOUR ROLES EVOLVE AT DICKINSON LAW OVER THE YEARS?
GLENN: “I served as dean from July 1, 1994, to June 30, 2002. My role evolved from administrator to law professor for two years (2005-2006) following service as executive deputy counsel and acting general counsel with the Governor’s Offi ce of General Counsel. I returned to the faculty as adjunct professor of law for fi ve years (2015-2020) following a career chapter as general counsel and shareholder at Stevens and Lee in Harrisburg, PA.”
PARTIN: “I provided research and reference assistance to faculty, law students, and the public while earning my J.D. at Dickinson Law. By 1999, I was teaching a credit course in Legal Research to fi rst-year law students. In 2005, I was named interim law library director and
went on to serve in associate director and director roles before being promoted to associate dean for library and information services, H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library at Dickinson Law.”
PLACE: “I have served as a professor of law for almost forty-seven years. During my tenure, I founded the Law School’s in-house legal clinic program in 1979 and taught a variety of required and elective courses. I also served as chair of the faculty and chair of the Promotion and Tenure, Admissions, Academic Rules, Honor Code, Faculty Rights and Responsibilities, Faculty Development, and Curriculum committees.”
TERRY: “One great thing about being a professor is that even though the role itself may not change, what you do in that role can change and evolve. I’ve taught Professional Responsibility and Civil Procedure since my fi rst and third years here, but I am constantly tweaking my teaching and the content. It is also possible to branch out in an entirely new direction. I recently spent a lot of energy creating the required fi rst-year law student course that is currently called ‘Law Practice II: Contexts & Competencies’, and I’m proud of the way that course helps our students.”
WHAT HAVE YOU ENJOYED MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME AT DICKINSON LAW?
GLENN: “I have greatly enjoyed teaching our students, but my greatest enjoyment has been working together with all members of the Dickinson Law community, students, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
PARTIN: “Over the years, I have enjoyed building relationships with and getting to know the students and colleagues I met as they passed through the halls of the Law School, whether fl eetingly in three years or for decades as colleagues. Students bring a freshness and earnestness with them (and certainly youthfulness, now that I am getting older!) that energizes and amazes me and revitalizes my perspective on the future. On the other hand, building lasting friendships with faculty and staff colleagues over the years has been a true gift to be treasured.”
PLACE: “I have particularly enjoyed working with our in-house legal clinic students one-on-one, accompanying them during their fi rst court appearance, and working with students involved in independent study projects.”
TERRY: “That’s a hard question to answer. Can I say, ‘what they said?’ Seriously, Gail, Tom, and Peter have captured so much about what’s wonderful in this job. I would just add that when I work one-on-one with a student and see a light bulb go off, or when I get an email from a student or an alum saying that something I did had an impact, that makes my day (and sometimes my week)!”
WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
GLENN: “The challenge of the deanship and the special challenge of the Penn State merger.”
PARTIN: “After decades of working in groups and on committees to identify and articulate the skills necessary to be a competent legal researcher, a task force that I chaired fi nalized the Principles and Standards for Legal Research Competency, which were adopted and approved by the Executive Board of the American Association of Law Libraries in 2013. It was widely adopted by law librarians, lawyers, scholars, and professors as the gold standard to assess the research competence of newly minted lawyers and is still the preeminent legal research competency assessment tool to this day.” PLACE: “Working with lawyers throughout the state in lawsuits challenging the conditions of confi nement in Pennsylvania’s prisons.”
TERRY: “I’m proud of the work I’ve done to facilitate global networks and relationships. With respect to concrete projects, I am proud that my work on proactive regulation and regulatory objectives has had a realworld impact. I hope it has helped make things better for clients and easier for lawyers.”
WHAT SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE DURING RETIREMENT?
GLENN: “I plan to complete a law review article arguing that the supervisory relationship in law practice is the result of the fulfi llment of obligations by supervising lawyers and the persons being supervised and the managers of the law fi rm. I also want to continue my research about the best practices involved in facilitating the job mobility of experienced attorneys and to decide whether there is a worthwhile article to be written about lateral lawyer hiring. I also intend to reorganize 300 pages of course materials I wrote for the fall 2020 semester Seminar in Law Practice Management and prepare what might become a coursebook useful in law schools. These research and writing projects will enable me to blend my deep interest in legal education with my law practice experience and my interest in the relationships that make organized law practice enjoyable in ways that are fulfi lling for lawyers.”
PLACE: “During retirement, I plan to continue to update my book, PostConviction Relief Act-Practice and Procedure, now in its 13th edition. I also hope to complete a history of habeas corpus in Pennsylvania.”
TERRY: “I hope to continue working on many of the same issues that I’ve been working on before retirement, such as extra-legal competencies, cross-border legal practice, how money-laundering rules should apply to lawyers, and various international trade in legal services issues. But there are a lot of new (to me) issues that committees I serve on are looking at, such as whether and how to regulate artifi cial intelligence’s use in the delivery of legal services and the role of climate change in international trade in legal services.”
WHAT DO THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF RETIREMENT LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
GLENN: “I will spend my winters in Florida, spend more time exercising and golfi ng, and spend more time with my adult children and stepchildren.”
PARTIN: “Over the years, I have spent a lot of time thinking about stories of my childhood and hope to write a series of illustrated children’s books. I also want to visit every national park in the United States. I have traveled to most of the fi fty states (except Alaska and Hawaii, which I hope to do sometime soon) and always make a point of visiting national parks.”
PLACE: “In the short term, most of my time will be spent building a new home close to the farm where our children were raised. I am also looking forward to spending more time with my children and grandkids.”
TERRY: “The fi rst thing I plan to do is some major pruning and organization at both home and work; I’m hoping this doesn’t take years! I don’t have a clear vision yet of exactly how retirement will unfold, but I know that I would like to spend a signifi cant amount of time dealing with family photos and memorabilia I have inherited. I feel like I am a custodian for future generations, and I don’t want the valuable items I have to get lost in a sea of papers. I am also looking forward to exercising more regularly.”
WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT THE DICKINSON LAW COMMUNITY?
GLENN: “I am very grateful for the support and friendship of many Dickinson Law people, especially members of the Law School staff who make it possible for administrators, faculty, and students to accomplish their goals.”
PARTIN: “While I will miss my friends and colleagues, I will most miss the excitement of building a better future for Dickinson Law and seeing their collective efforts come to fruition. Helping to enhance the prestige and status of our law school and preserving its tradition of excellence has truly been an honor.”
PLACE: “I will miss the day-to-day interactions with my remarkable colleagues and the many opportunities a faculty position offers to help students accomplish their goal of becoming excellent lawyers and leaders in their commmunity.”
TERRY: “I will miss the opportunity to have one-on-one interactions with students and feel that I have helped them. I will also miss the challenge of classroom teaching and trying to think about how best to present an idea so that it is memorable and understandable. Since I live close to the Law School, I am hoping that I won’t in fact miss my faculty and staff colleagues—I will just see them at times other than faculty meetings.”
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE DICKINSON LAW COMMUNITY MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?
GLENN: “I love the music of the Modern Jazz Quartet.”
PARTIN: “My fi rst car was a cherry red 1966 Austin Healey Sprite convertible that my parents ‘inherited’ when my older brother joined the Marine Corps—a car so small it could probably drive underneath an 18-wheeler tractor trailer. I loved that car! I love to play cards, any kind of game—pinocle, spades, gin rummy, blackjack, and more. Most family gatherings end up with a card game going on in one of the rooms of our house.”
PLACE: “I enlisted in the Army when I was 17; having been raised in northern Minnesota, I enjoy wilderness canoeing and have made multiple trips in the Boundary Waters and in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.”
TERRY: “Because I’ve used my Civil Procedure exams to create a diary of my life, people know quite a bit about me. But they may not know that I’m thinking about taking singing lessons in my retirement. I am a terrible singer, but I’d like to learn to be a little less terrible because I enjoy singing with a couple of the ukulele groups I’m involved in.”
MAKING THEIR MARK
Penn State Dickinson Law’s recent alumni are spread out across the country and improve the world around them using the skills they learned at the Law School.
When Dickinson Law graduates leave Carlisle, they often have lofty goals. They may want to help make laws, assist children in the foster system, or use their education to push for systemic reforms. Wherever they go and whatever they do, they can rely on the solid legal foundation built over three years at Dickinson Law to help guide them.
We caught up with ten recent graduates of Dickinson Law to learn more about their careers, their aspirations, and the way their legal education has helped them navigate life beyond law school. From victims advocates to courtroom litigators to Marine offi cers, this group represents just a fraction of the many exciting stories of Dickinson Law alumni.
ANISHA REDDY
(CLASS OF 2019)
Anisha Reddy works with concepts. As policy counsel at Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a nonprofi t based in Washington D.C., she analyzes issues so cutting edge, in some cases, the laws governing them have not even been contemplated, much less drafted.
“I’m constantly learning new concepts and analyzing new issues, and every day I’m challenged to think outside of the box,” said Reddy.
For her work examining how emerging technologies and legal frameworks impact youth and education privacy, Reddy collaborates with privacy and data protection experts, academics, chief privacy offi cers, and practitioners. She initially joined FPF as a postgraduate fellow, an opportunity shared with her by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Lawyering Skills Amy Gaudion and Anne Toomey McKenna, Esq. Reddy credits Dickinson Law for helping refi ne her career focus, too. Entering law school, she held an interest in intellectual property law, but after taking classes on internet law and international human rights, she realized her interests had shifted to the intersection of technology, human rights, and the law. She built on that interest with in-house summer internships at Blockchain and Udacity, and then she discovered another passion.
“A really formative experience at Dickinson Law was my time at the Children’s Advocacy Clinic with Professor of Clinical Law and Children’s Advocacy Clinic Director Lucy Johnston-Walsh ’97, where I realized my passion for youth advocacy,” said Reddy. “My current position brings together all of my interests in a unique way. At FPF, I have the opportunity to engage deeply with and impact privacy and children’s rights through scholarship and policy.”
MARK ARMSTRONG
(CLASS OF 2014)
“Litigation is exciting and stressful and fun.”
Just before the pandemic hit, Mark Armstrong, a senior associate at Murtaugh Treglia Stern & Deily LLP in Irvine, California, was wrapping up a month-long trial related to the construction of a $10 million home in Malibu. An expert for the other side claimed that the framing for the house had been constructed wrong, basing the opinion on one photo.
Armstrong, who has a background in photography, realized that the photo the expert was looking at was upside down. “When you looked at it right-side up, the entire opinion fell apart. The witness lost all credibility on that one point, and we got a unanimous verdict,” said Armstrong. “That’s one of my few Legally Blonde experiences.”
These are the moments he treasures, the ones he became a lawyer to experience. Armstrong compares litigation to being on stage. “It’s a lot of preparation, gaming everything. It’s creative, too. You help people and solve problems on the fl y,” said Armstrong.
Being an effective communicator, reading jurors well, and having a sharp memory have all served Armstrong well as a litigator. So has his hands-on experience at Dickinson Law. “I had already done a mock deposition, something a lot of my colleagues had never done in practice, let alone a real one. I found learning how it all fi ts together before I hit the street immensely helpful,” said Armstrong. “Practice Greatness is not just a motto at Dickinson Law—everything we did and learned fi ts together now.”
ZACHARY K. GIHORSKI
(CLASS OF 2020)
Every day at 5:30 a.m., Zachary K. Gihorski talks to his mom on the phone as she works on the family farm. Later each morning, when he goes to work, Gihorski thinks about how he can use his position to act as a voice for farmers like his mother.
“I’m the proud son of a fi rst-generation woman farmer,” said Gihorski. “I can infl uence policy at the national level that impacts her life and the lives of a lot of my friends who own family farms. For me, it’s like being able to give back to my tribe.”
He serves as associate director, public policy, at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., a nonprofi t that represents state agricultural offi cials, to support the creation of sound agricultural policy. Gihorski worked as a public servant in government before applying to law school, and he attended Dickinson Law hoping to return to that arena after graduation.
“I knew from day one that I wasn’t going to be a lawyer, but I also felt I could leverage my relationships and education for a great experience that would help me in my next role. It was by far one of the best decisions I have made. I received a world-class education,” said Gihorski, who became the fi rst person in his family to attend graduate school.
Through the relationships built at Dickinson Law, he met people working in the environmental law fi eld, in government affairs, and for the private sector. He gained greater insights into how legislation is drafted and how it impacts the daily lives of citizens.
“My professors really made themselves available to me to help me not just to discuss the law but, more importantly, how to make a difference, and it has created dividends that have paid off in my life every single day,” said Gihorski.
ANN ROCHE
(CLASS OF 2018)
Ann Roche’s superpower is listening. As a staff attorney for Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, Roche serves clients facing diffi cult circumstances, such as an eviction or a criminal record.
“When people come to an attorney, especially to legal aid, they are not at a high point. It is rarely a good thing for them,” said Roche. “I try to take the time to build a rapport and really listen, even if much of what they’re saying isn’t really relevant to the legal aspects of the case.
COURTNEY LEWIS
(CLASS OF 2019)
Courtney Lewis applied to Dickinson Law after volunteering at a juvenile hall writing program.
“No one ever asked these kids what was going on in their lives or what they needed to become successful,” said Lewis. She spent her years at the Law School focused on “dismantling the privilege in the court system,” serving an internship with the Innocence Project in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Now, as a staff attorney at the Offi ce of Capital & Forensic Writs (OCFW) in Austin, Texas, she is a public defender representing clients pursuing post-conviction litigation, often trying to get life sentences or death penalty cases overturned.
Lewis learns everything she can about her clients, investigating up to three generations back.
“I go wherever people are willing to tell stories,” Lewis said. “We have the opportunity to give the humanity back to our clients in a way that the state wants to strip away.”
She credits her time on the Dickinson Law Review for strengthening her legal writing and research skills. She also appreciates the school’s fl exibility. During the second semester of her 3L year, Lewis worked at OCFW in Austin for school credit, assisting on a case the court fi nally decided in her client’s favor last year.
“The moment we got the news that he would not be put to death by the state of Texas, that was amazing,” said Lewis. “I know it can feel impossible sometimes to challenge a narrative about who someone is or what they have done, but I encourage lawyers not to be afraid to question.”
For so many clients, this is the fi rst time they have been listened to in years.”
Through their legal services, Roche and her colleagues give their clients a voice.
“Allowing people to be heard is one of the greatest benefi ts you can give,” said Roche.
Listening, she said, is a skill she honed at Dickinson Law in the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Clinic with Dickinson Law Assistant Professor of Law Medha D. Makhlouf, in the Children’s Advocacy Clinic with Professor of Clinical Law and Clinic Director Lucy Johnston-Walsh ’97, and in Poverty Law class with Adjunct Professor of Law Rhodia Thomas.
Roche said listening creates a trust that is imperative to many cases, and it can lead to rewarding outcomes.
“There’s nothing quite like clients’ tears of joy when you can help. Most often after a win it’s a simple sigh of relief, but that’s something that reminds you the work matters,” said Roche.
CAPT. NICOLE ANDERSON RIMAL
(CLASS OF 2014)
Upon graduating from Dickinson Law, Capt. Nicole Anderson Rimal became a judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps. Within weeks of becoming a defense counsel, she was defending complex felony-level cases that, had she been on the civilian side, she probably would not have touched until she was years out of law school.
“I was defending Marines accused of terrible crimes like murder and rape,” said Rimal. “I remember sitting there in awe, realizing these were not the sort of opportunities most of my classmates were going to get, but I had the chance and duty to help these Marines. It made me appreciate the path I had taken.”
In the years since, Rimal has traveled the world as a Marine, including serving in Japan before taking her most recent assignment as appellate government counsel in Washington, D.C.
Rimal felt well prepared for living abroad after studying in Taiwan on a Boren Fellowship during her second year of law school. In addition to loving her study abroad experience, Rimal appreciated the way Dickinson Law professors cared for students on a personal level.
“At Dickinson Law, like the Marine Corps, the focus is brilliance in the basics,” said Rimal. “The general education of law courses enabled me to have the legal research and writing skills I needed to fl ourish wherever the Marine Corps sent me.”
Last year, at the request of his boss, Shawn Baldwin took a detour from his position as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to work for the Philadelphia City Council. Baldwin embraced the opportunity to learn by doing something new. He spent eight months drafting legislation related to issues such as police reform.
“It is as important to fi gure out what type of work you do want to do as to fi gure out what you do not want to do,” said Baldwin. “I always thought I wanted to go into
SHAWN BALDWIN
(CLASS OF 2018)
LUCIA CUENCA
(CLASS OF 2020)
Lucia Cuenca felt drawn to immigration law from a young age because she saw what a huge impact it could have on someone’s life. Her parents both immigrated from Spain, and many of her friends’ parents were also immigrants.
As Cuenca became better versed in critical race and intersectionality theory, that passion grew. She wanted to help people living in poverty and escaping abuse and persecution.
“I was taught a lot about what is going on around the world that made people need to leave their homes. I saw how they were treated when they came here and how the laws and rules are harsher against immigrants of color,” said Cuenca.
She served an internship with the Community Justice Project (CJP) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, during her fi rst year at Dickinson Law and kept in touch with one of the attorneys. Upon graduation, she accepted a CJP fellowship funded by the CARES Act and recently became an immigration staff attorney. Cuenca learned the value of helping clients advocate for themselves while participating in Dickinson Law’s MedicalLegal Partnership (MLP) Clinic. She has embraced that approach with her clients now.
“Sometimes when clients come to us, their confi dence is low. We work with them instead of pitying them. We help them get their self-confi dence back,” said Cuenca. “It is really cool when they start advocating for themselves and seeing things differently.”
“Lucia has consulted with the MLP Clinic on several matters following graduation and even gave a guest lecture,” said Dickinson Law Assistant Professor of Law Medha Makhlouf, founding director of the MLP. “She certainly hit the ground running at CJP and is already giving back to the Law School in important ways.”
politics, but I realized that while I like the work, I do not want the spotlight that goes with it. I would not have known that if I did not leave a job I liked to try something new.”
Happily ensconced once again at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Offi ce, Baldwin has returned to working on appellate advocacy and added legislative matters to his plate.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is getting to make case law. Sometimes you get a published decision that can actually change the law for the entire Commonwealth, such as last year when the court ruled on one of my briefs that a statute was unconstitutional,” said Baldwin.
Baldwin felt well prepared when he began his job after law school. He credits classes he took at Dickinson Law that readied him to make oral arguments in the appellate court as well as the mentorship he received from Professor of Law and Harvey A. Feldman Distinguished Faculty Scholar Dermot Groome. “Legal writing is one of the main focuses of my job. My advocacy class during my 3L year, along with my internship at the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Offi ce, put me ahead of my peers. I pumped out briefs a lot faster than others who had not had that experience,” said Baldwin.
REBEKAH LUTTRELL
(CLASS OF 2012)
When Rebekah Luttrell’s husband accepted a new job that moved their family from South Carolina to Virginia last year, Luttrell fi gured she would take the bar exam in July and have a new job soon after. Then the pandemic hit, and, like so many well-laid plans in 2020, Luttrell’s had to be redrawn.
Instead, she took the bar in February 2021 after six months at home with her three children, helping them navigate virtual school. Now, with in-person school back in session, Luttrell looks forward to continuing her focus on victim services. In South Carolina, as an assistant solicitor in the Special Victims Unit, 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Offi ce in Bluffton, she helped start a fi rst-of-its-kind victim services program, building partnerships between victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and the solicitor’s offi ce, where she prosecuted child abuse and sex crimes.
“Among other things, we used a grant to hire a nurse to do in-house sexual assault exams instead of having to send victims to the emergency room where they had to wait,” said Luttrell. She credits her semester in Washington, D.C., during law school with crystalizing her career goals. While she had wanted to be a prosecutor since high school, her interest in victim crimes grew out of her work on cases involving gang-related killings.
“I was really lucky I was put on the homicide team for my assignment at the U.S. Attorney’s Offi ce (12th Judicial Circuit of Florida). It focused my interest in helping victims and their families,” said Luttrell.
That was one of many Dickinson Law experiences, such as going to Vienna, Austria, for an international moot court and participating in the Women’s Law Caucus, that she appreciates even more now, as she searches for her next opportunity in Virginia.
MARCUS SPISSO
(CLASS OF 2019)
As a staff attorney for KidsVoice, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, organization representing those in the child-welfare system in Allegheny County’s Juvenile Court, Marcus Spisso encounters many challenging situations related to abuse, drugs, and mental health disorders. That made one recent case notable because Spisso’s client received a happy resolution.
Five-year-old Noah has arthrogryposis, which means his limbs stay in a permanently bent position. He spent 1,275 days in foster care before being adopted in late 2020. Spisso had a bit of fun with his young client’s adoption hearing. Noah had informed Spisso that he wished to be adopted alongside his best friend—his dog. Spisso put his arts and craft skills to the test and drew up an adoption certifi cate for Noah’s dog, which the judge in the case signed during the adoption hearing. The family was thrilled. “I was glad we could make the day even happier. That was really special,” said Spisso.
He felt drawn to working with children before starting law school, serving as a camp counselor for the YMCA as an undergraduate. He selected Dickinson Law to work in the Children’s Advocacy Clinic, where law students collaborate with graduate social work students to represent children in the legal system. The CAC is modeled after KidsVoice.
“Marcus came to Dickinson Law intent on doing this type of work. He was so driven and focused,” said Professor of Clinical Law Lucy Johnston-Walsh ’97, director of the Children’s Advocacy Clinic and Center on Children and the Law. “He reached out to judges and hearing offi cers, which is very unusual. He took advantage of every opportunity he had as a student.”
Dickinson Law helped Spisso establish a connection at KidsVoice, too. “I got my foot in the door thanks to a Dickinson Law alumna,” said Spisso.
He interned at the organization before his third year of law school and later volunteered there while studying for the bar. “Representing this population of clients while at the Children’s Advocacy Clinic gave me a sense of confi dence going into my position at KidsVoice,” said Spisso. “I love being able to give a voice to a client who would not otherwise have one.”
