Widener Law Spring 2015 Magazine

Widener Law Delaware

Launching the innovative Incubator Program.

Three Harrisburg alumni giving back through generous scholarships.

Events

Paying it Forward

Class Notes Harrisburg alumni on the move and making news.

FEATURING:

WIDENER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

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Portraits of a Successful Campaign

Successful Campaign of a

Portraits WIDENER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW FEATURING:

Framing Campaign Influence

Sustaining Core Values

Your generous gifts support our community advocacy efforts.

Holding firm even in changing times.

Class Notes Delaware alumni on the move and making news.

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Widener Law Harrisburg

Widener University School of Law Magazine CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Mary Allen, Megan Cantalupo, Erin Daly, Erika LaCon, Mary Lamb, Mary Marzolla PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Mary Allen, Nancy Ravert Ward, Robyn Ray EXECUTIVE EDITOR:

Erin Daly HEAD WRITER / EDITOR:

“Our donors and our students extend our reach, as we continue to evolve and build on our 45-year history.”

Interim Dean Erin Daly

We’d like to feature your story.

Write to us at nmravertward@widener.edu.

Robyn Ray

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

Where has Widener Law taken you?

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Board of Overseers

National Advisory Council

Alumni Association

Eugene D. McGurk Jr. ’78, Chair Interim Co-Dean Erin Daly, JD, Ex Officio Interim Co-Dean Robyn Meadows, JD, Ex Officio

Marc R. Abrams ’78, Emeritus Michael J. Aiello ’94 Howard K. Alperin ’90 Joseph M. Asher ’93 Miriam Benton Barish ’92 Carl W. Battle ’82 Kyle D. Bowser ’91 Charlene D. Davis ’84 Claire M. DeMatteis ’92 Cary L. Flitter ’81 Christopher R. Fromm ’99 Dr. Robert D. Gober, JD ’79 Ronald P. Goldfaden ’76, Emeritus Mitchell Gurwicz ’95 Brenda Alderman James ’92 Jeffrey B. Killino ’00 Wayne D. Kimmel ’95 Samuel A. Landy ’85 Hon. Alan B. Levin ’80, Emeritus Robert O. Lindefjeld ’93 Kenneth J. Lopez ’95 Harry Dillon Madonna ’97 James J. Maron ’85 Caroline B. Mazza, JD ’11 Eugene D. McGurk Jr. ’78 Patrick J. Murphy ’99 John L. Reed ’91 Cynthia R. Ryan ’79 Joseph J. Santarone ’85 John E. Savoth ’85 Leif R. Sigmond Jr. ’90 Timothy J. Snyder ’81 Douglas J. Steinhardt ’94 Alice W. Strine ’92 Leslee Silverman Tabas ’79 Andrea Beth Tinianow ’97 James J. Veneruso ’75 Richard P. Zaretsky ’75

Renae B. Axelrod ’91 President Charles W. Proctor III ’76 Vice President Anne M. Madonia ’94 Secretary Steven P. Barsamian ’75 Immediate Past President

Renae B. Axelrod ’91, Ex Officio Steven P. Barsamian ’75 Hon. Raymond A. Batten ’79 Scott E. Blissman ’97 C. Grainger Bowman, Vice Chair Theresa V. Brown-Edwards John T. Carroll III ’81 Vincent L. Champion ’01 Bonnie E. Copeland ’09 Michael G. DeFino ’75, Honorary Hon. Susan C. Del Pesco ’75 President James T. Harris III, DEd, Ex Officio Richard K. Herrmann Hon. Randy J. Holland Robert A. Honecker Jr. ’81 Bret D. Keisling ’05 George W. Kern V ’96 Kathleen W. McNicholas, MD, JD ’06, LLM ’10 Edward B. Micheletti ’97 George K. Miller Jr. ’81 Hon. Paul P. Panepinto ’76 Kathryn J. Peifer ’02 Scott W. Reid ’02 John F. Schmutz Bernard W. Smalley Sr. ’80 Hon. Lee A. Solomon ’78 Craig A. Styer ’90 P. Michael Walker John A. Wetzel ’75 Douglas M. Wolfberg ’96

Hon. Richard M. Cappelli ’81 Frank C. DePasquale, Jr. ’86 E. Douglas DiSandro ’81 Andrea Sasso Greco ’12 Liya Groysman ’14 Salvatore R. Guerriero ’97 Catherine N. Harrington ’88 John F. Kennedy ’01 F. Kevin Lynch ’79 Cecilia M. McCormick ’91 Hon. Maria C. McLaughlin ’92 James F. Metka ’80 Joseph W. Montgomery ‘08 Stephen J. Negro ’94 Arthur S. Novello ’86 Karen Ulmer Pendergast ’95 Stephen W. Ries ’07 Zachary M. Rubinich ’99 Mitchell J. Shore ’81 George R. Twardy ‘88 Vijaysen Yellareddigari ’13

Widener Law

Pictured left to right: Donors Chris, Philip, and Caroline Mazza; and student Andrew Rubin.

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Framing Campaign Influence Your generous gifts and the Taishoff Family Foundation support our community advancement efforts and civic engagement.

Sustaining Core Values Guiding, shared principles embody the law school— and set the stage for our next chapter.

contents 2 Interim Dean’s Message 3 President’s Message 10 Faculty News 15 Faculty Publications 16 Events 29 Honor Roll of Donors

Class Notes Delaware alumni on the move, reaching milestones, and making news.

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“We have seen a complete reorientation of the law school . . . to one that is smaller, more agile, and more focused on its immediate communities—within Delaware and beyond.”

A message from

A message from

the interim dean

the president

Dear Graduates, Parents, and Friends,

Dear Alumni and Friends of Delaware Law School,

I have greatly enjoyed my role as interim dean of Widener Law Delaware and will forever value the opportunity to work with such stellar faculty, administrators, and staff, as we shepherd the law school through these exciting times.

In the last two years, we have seen a complete reorientation of the law school from a large two-campus institution with a foothold in two states, to one that is smaller, more agile, and more focused on its immediate communities — within Delaware and beyond. Through all these changes, the faculty has redoubled its commitment to experiential education while maintaining the highest standards of research and scholarship.

the semester. Additionally, three first-year courses added small group Applied Learning Labs. We welcomed 39 international students, representing France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey, and Albania, who elected to pursue graduate studies at Widener Law Delaware. And, further expanding our global footprint, we hosted six leading scholars from across the nation and around the world to collaborate on how to implement constitutionally recognized environmental rights as part of our new Scholar in Residence Program for Global Environmental Constitutionalism.

Nearly 45 years ago, Delaware witnessed the birth of the state’s first law school — an institution that continues to proudly serve as its only law school. Although it has been known by different names over the years, it continues to produce outstanding legal professionals — lawyers with “grit” who practice the Delaware Way of solving problems in a civil and collaborative way.

That said, I am thrilled to welcome our new dean, Rodney A. Smolla, to the Law School as of July 1, 2015. Following a sabbatical next semester, I look forward to working with him to build a stronger institution that will only gain momentum as we move forward toward our bright future.

And our programs continue to gain attention. Our Veterans’ Law Clinic won the Delaware Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service (having succeeded our Wills for Heroes program which won the award last year).

Our Fall 2013 Alumni Magazine also won awards, including a “Silver” recognition from the College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals in the category of in-house magazine cover. Our innovative annual Supreme Court preview for the media was listed at the Bronze level in The Legal Intelligencer’s “Best of” readers’ poll in the Education section.

First, it is important to know that Widener University is making this transition from a position of strength, fresh off a successful ABA accreditation transformational campaign, increased rankings, and greater regional and national visibility.

Throughout this transitional period, as evidenced in the pages of this magazine, we have stayed active as an institution.

Among many other activities, we have launched a new website — delawarelaw.widener.edu.

This year saw important changes in our academic programs.

We launched two new institutes: one is a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary center focused on policy and law reform at the intersection of family and health law; the other brings our 25-year old environmental clinic into the fold of a new Global Environmental and Natural Resources Law Institute. Both offer students extraordinary practical experiences locally and globally. We incorporated into our required curriculum a new student assessment model which provides multiple opportunities for feedback throughout

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“The future has never been brighter for the Delaware Law School and I know we can count on your continued support in the exciting years ahead.”

Of course, the advent of spring means that we will soon say farewell to another group of wonderful students who have made a mark at the law school. We certainly wish them the best as they study for the bar and prepare to join the ranks of today’s legal work force. Congratulations!

ERIN DALY

For Delaware Law School, which has maintained accreditation for more than four decades, the separation of the Harrisburg campus marks a return to its roots. It’s a move that makes sense at this time for a variety of reasons.

A second reason for change is that each school can now recruit independently, marketing the distinctive programs that make each unique and attractive to top prospective students and faculty.

Another benefit of separate accreditation is that key administrative staff, most importantly the new deans, can now devote complete attention to the needs of their students and alumni rather than dividing time between the two campuses.

Finally, each school will cultivate relationships with its own constituents with support exclusively impacting that campus and its unique needs. This allows for more effective

messaging and more targeted development opportunities for law firms, community foundations, and government entities with vested interests in the success of a particular school due to its geography or specialization.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the appointment of Rod Smolla as the new dean of Delaware Law School. Rod Smolla brings an exceptional record of both law school and university leadership to Delaware Law School. Professor Smolla is a distinguished educator, scholar, and attorney.

Professor Smolla is currently a visiting professor of law at the University of Georgia Law School and has previously served as dean of University of Richmond School of Law and Washington and Lee School of Law, as well as president of Furman University. Professor Smolla has also authored and edited many books, and presented oral arguments in state and federal courts throughout the nation, including the U.S. Supreme Court. I’ve been comforted in knowing that Delaware Law School is in more than capable hands with Dean Smolla at its helm, and I know that the best is yet to come for Delaware Law School.

This is yet another exciting time in your history. Our past achievements were realized only through your full support, and this time will be no different. In my opinion, the future has never been brighter for the Delaware Law School and I know we can count on your continued support in the exciting years ahead.

DR. JAMES T. HARRIS III President, Widener University

Interim Dean

Widener Law

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FEATURE

A

t the core of this campaign are the people—deserving applicants and hard-working students, passionate professors, and community members, and others—who connect with Widener Law Delaware in a myriad of ways, and your influence is as important and as diverse as they are.

With your gifts, you are already making tangible differences in the lives of many. From the numerous instances of campaign impact, we have chosen to share a particularly timely and pressing example— one that is emblematic of our hands-on approach to advocacy, and our commitment to civic engagement and community collaboration— made possible by your generosity.

Framing Campaign Influence

JAGC, USN (ret.) CAPT Robert P. Taishoff ’89

Staying Current Last year, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, Missouri. Shortly thereafter, New York City police officers killed Eric Garner by placing him in a chokehold.

Garner’s “I can’t breathe!” plea became a rallying cry across the country as protesters took to the streets in the tension-filled months that followed. These incidents brought to the fore a debate about the scope of police authority during citizen stops, searches, and seizures, and the racial tensions that underlie interactions between police officers and citizens throughout the nation.

by Robyn Ray

With the generosity and support of our friends, Widener Law Delaware has successfully concluded Taking the Lead ~ The Campaign for Widener— a comprehensive fundraising initiative to support the law school as it continues to shape successful leaders.

At Widener Law Delaware, we regularly incorporate real-life cases such as these into our teachings, so as to illustrate how the law affects people’s lives in a myriad of ways and how lawyers must analyze all the facets of complex situations in their assessments of cases and representation of clients. As legal educators, we appreciate the profound impact of law on people and we are dedicated to helping others deepen their understanding of this dynamic

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as well – whether students earning legal degrees, lawyers continuing their legal education, or other professionals whose service can benefit from a more sophisticated understanding of legal principles.

Taishoff Family Foundation As part of the recently concluded campaign, the Taishoff Family Foundation, overseen by JAGC, USN (ret.) CAPT Robert P. Taishoff ’89, made a generous $1.2 million gift to Widener Law Delaware, which funded the creation of the Taishoff Institute. Among many other initiatives, the Institute provides funding for continuing legal education and support for students interested in advocacyrelated legal careers. Recently, the law school’s Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute played a significant role in educating local police officers about the laws governing police department and civilian interaction.

Advocacy in Action Last fall, the Wilmington City Solicitor’s Office sought to refresh local police officers on the law governing citizen interactions and Fourth Amendment Search and Seizure tactics. Members of the office knew just where to turn: with a proud tradition of civic engagement and a long-standing commitment to public service, Widener Law Delaware was the obvious choice.

Taishoff Institute Director, Professor Jules Epstein, and Professor Len Sosnov, in coordination with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the City Solicitor’s Office, led this unique collaboration and hosted a training course, offered over a period of three months, for members of the Wilmington Police Department (WPD). Professors Epstein and Sosnov reiterated applicable laws governing pedestrian stops, searches and seizures, investigations, and report writing. “This type of training is invaluable to officers. It helps us operate lawfully, and create accurately detailed reports which, in turn, can help support the prosecution, and help secure public safety,” explained Officer Andrea Janvier, WPD Chief Information Officer and training course attendee.

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The Michael J. Petrelia Memorial Scholarship When Widener Law Delaware Extended Division* student and Newark Police Department Sgt. Andrew Rubin received notification that he had been awarded The Michael J. Petrelia Memorial Scholarship for $20,000 for Academic Year 2014-15, he was elated.

“The scholarship relieves a huge financial burden,” said the husband, father of three children under the age of 10, full-time police officer, and part-time student at Widener Law Delaware. “It lifts the load a little; relieves one stressor that would otherwise be there for our family, who is supported solely by my salary.”

Awarded to an extended division second-year student, the scholarship was generously established by our first – and last – donors of the Taking the Lead ~ The Campaign for Widener, Alex Bratic, founder of the Mutual Fire Foundation, and his daughter, Caroline Mazza, now president of the Mutual Fire Foundation, on behalf of The Mutual Fire Foundation. The foundation supports four scholarships which are being used to help deserving law school students, like Andrew, attend Widener Law Delaware based on their financial need, academic merit, and service to the community.

Andrew not only serves his community as a Newark Police Department Shift Commander, frequently working a rotating shift and “lots of overtime” to make ends meet, he is also invested in serving the broader community and his fellow officers. Since 2005, Andrew has been the Delaware State Police Academy lead instructor for Fourth Amendment training, and has held a similar role for the New Castle, DE Police Academy since 2010.

When he graduates in 2016, Andrew hopes to continue his commitment to community by using his experience and education within the Delaware Attorney General’s Office.

*Extended Division students are part-time, day or evening, four-year degree program students.

Andrew Rubin pursues his law school studies.

“ Because, in this instance, we were actively seeking a different perspective for retraining the 300 members of our police department, working with Widener Law Delaware was ideal.”

Chief Bobby Cummings

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Clockwise from top left: Professor Jules Epstein, Wilmington Police Chief Bobby Cummings, Professor Leonard Sosnov, and members of the WPD.

Often humorous and engaging, Professor Epstein explained the black letter law of permitted actions and surrounding circumstances. “At the start of each session, I asked for a volunteer to frisk me and was able to point out the appropriate parameters of such an interaction. This broke the ice, set the stage for an interactive session, and opened the dialogue about the nuts and bolts of the main areas of Search and Seizure Law.” Professors Epstein and Sosnov also covered the laws of stop and frisk, and warrant execution. “We had an involved audience at each event.

The officers asked challenging questions – they were interactive and attentive,” remarked Professor Epstein.

“What about our safety?” was a common inquiry of the police officers. “My job,” Professor Epstein responded, “is to educate you about the law: to refresh your recollection of the basic rules of operation.

It is for you to take what you have learned and use it to strategize about how to operate within the legal parameters.”

The officers understood that while the law is clear, the factual circumstances in which it is applied are often less so. This tension was clear as the audience members engaged the professors, asked detailed questions, and posed real-life scenarios, challenging them to provide clear answers.

“Our training sessions are typically arranged by the City Solicitor’s Office and given from its members’ perspective.

Widener Law

Because, in this instance, we were actively seeking a different perspective for retraining the 300 members of our police department, working with Widener Law Delaware was ideal,” Wilmington Police Department Chief Bobby Cummings explained. “When the City Solicitor brought this opportunity to our attention, we were very interested, and the training itself was great!”

Reframing the Future The police officers left the training sessions enlightened, having added to their arsenal new ways to consider responding to suspicious or threatening activity; and better understanding how the law can empower them to do

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their job, ensure their safety, and write compelling incident reports. In fact, the WPD was so motivated that its members thereafter organized additional trainings on their own.

As Widener Law Delaware professors continue their community advocacy efforts, hosting similar trainings for forensics teams, members of the judiciary, and fellow advocates, our programs retain their flexibility to address real-world issues head-on, providing our students with the most relevant and applicable education possible. It is through the generosity of our supporters that we are able to continue this important work.

At Widener Law Delaware . . . our programs retain their flexibility to address real-world issues head-on. It is through the generosity of our supporters that we are able to continue this important work.

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INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP Widener Law Delaware values and supports the intellectual life of our faculty and students, and strives for leadership within this arena.

VIBRANT CAMPUS Vibrancy is our passion made manifest—our energy transformed into things that matter, and a purposeful commitment made real through hard work and passion.

W IDENER LAW DELAWARE has experienced many transitions in our history: recently, our leadership changed, our two campuses formally separated, two new institutes launched, our teaching model evolved, and a new branding campaign and website were launched.

Now, as we change our name to Delaware Law School, we are returning to our roots in the First State. Throughout these changing times, your many generous gifts and steadfast support have sustained us, and helped us forge the exciting new path ahead.

core values in changing times Defining Ourselves COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY Widener Law Delaware is committed to fostering engagement with the state of Delaware and our broader regional community. All within the Widener Law Delaware community are civically engaged.

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS The professional responsibility of lawyers is the foundation of every aspect of the law and legal education. As a law school community, we strive daily to ensure that we model and embody professionalism.

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APPLIED ACADEMICS We are at our best when we infuse our students with a feeling that they are on a learning adventure, and provide them with the skills needed for a career that involves changing the world for the better and a sense of belonging to a profession that makes this possible.

To help ensure that, as we evolve, we remain true to the essence of who we are, in 2013, our faculty and administration embarked on a two-year discovery process designed to identify and codify our essential values. Collecting input of the entire Widener Law Delaware population, we created a touchstone for the ages – five Core Values that will help guide us as we build on our strong 45-year old foundation.

Participants in this process— including faculty and administrators, alumni, advisory board members, students, and recent graduates—were asked to describe their long-term visions for Widener Law Delaware.

From this, several themes consistently emerged—a commitment to ensuring that students successfully

Widener Law

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pass the bar and are prepared for their careers, an emphasis on experiential and practical learning, and a strong attachment to the broader communities in which we live. These themes transcend time—they are as relevant now at this pivotal point in our history, as they were in years past, and will continue to be as we move forward.

Shifting from institutional values to our individual values, we then asked faculty and administrators two fundamental questions: Why

do you do what you do? What do you strive to give our students beyond teaching the law or providing basic services? The responses we received were thoughtful, often inspiring, and sometimes poetic. Those who teach described their passion for their students, the creativity and joy entailed in doing work of the

highest caliber, the importance of modeling professionalism, and a commitment to the greater good.

Remarkably, those who provide student services also tended to hold similar values—now encapsulated in a statement that hangs on the wall of each administrative office: “Widener Law Delaware is unified in its commitment to provide excellent and personalized guidance, service and information to students, alumni, and the greater legal community.

We achieve this commitment through collective expertise, integrity, and professionalism.”

Interested in learning more?

Copies of our faculty-authored Blueprint for the Future are available by request. Please contact Constance Sweeny at (302) 477-2177.

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Faculty News & Publications ANDRE SM I T H published a new book entitled Tax Law and Racial Economic Justice: Black Tax. Blending traditional legal theory, neoclassical economics,

and a pan-African view of history, the book explores the relationship between race, economic equality, and taxes. Using examples and stories from ancient Africa to the founding of the United States of America, to the civil rights movement, and into the chambers of the US Supreme Court, the book traverses a wide landscape to provide context and illuminate racial dynamics, the law, and the tax system.

JOHN CU L H A N E was a guest on the “Gil Gross” radio program, broadcast out of San Francisco, discussing the issue of parental obligation for children’s higher education. He was also invited to join the Marriage Opportunity Council, a new, nationwide initiative created by the Institute for American Values and he participated in the group’s inaugural roundtable event in Washington, D.C. He taped an episode entitled “Liberty, Justice... and Gay Marriage for All (States)?” for the the television show “American Law Journal.” The show was set to air shortly before the Supreme Court hears oral argument in a marriage equality case.

He spoke about the continuing relevance of legal statuses other than marriage, including civil unions and domestic partnerships at an LGBT-themed symposium at the University of South Dakota.

ER IN D A L Y was a delegate to the International Association of Law Schools Regional Law Deans’ Forum in Bogotá, Columbia and presented a paper on dignity rights at the University of the Andes.

JEAN E G G E N served as a guest blogger for the “HealthLawProf Blog.” In this role, she wrote the following articles: “Is Nanotech the Next Asbestos?”; “LowLevel Exposures to Chemicals in Drinking Water: Are They Actionable?”; “In Honor of Veterans Day: Resolving the Complex Legal Issues of the Iraq and Afghanistan Burn Pit Litigation;” and “Will the Neuroscience

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Revolution Change Tort Law?: Some Thoughts on the Mental Disabilities Rule in Negligence Law.” The articles are available at lawprofessors.typepad.com/ healthlawprof_blog.

She also gave an interview to Reuters Legal on the subject of neuroscience and tort law. A condensed version entitled, “Q&A: Widener University’s Jean Eggen on Neuroscience in Law,” appeared in the Reuters Legal Health News on WestlawNext.

J U LE S EPSTEIN continues to serve on the National Commission on Forensic Science and attended its quarterly meeting in Washington, D.C. He also planned and presented at a capital case CLE for the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He taught evidence to judges from the five branches of the United States military in his capacity as faculty for the National Judicial College; he planned and presented the “Establishing Innocence Or

Guilt: Causes Of And Solutions To Wrongful Convictions” program in Plano, Texas; and he taught evidence to the Pennsylvania judiciary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Professor Epstein has also served as pro bono co-counsel, helping the Defender Association of Philadelphia litigate the first Frye hearing in Pennsylvania, regarding the use of expert witnesses in eyewitness identification cases.

MICHAEL GOL DBERG filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Association for Union Democracy (AUD) that was discussed in a decision issued by the National Labor Relations Board.

L ARRY HAMERMESH was a panelist, along with Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster, on a panel on “Delaware Developments” at the Practising Law Institute program, “Corporate Governance – A Master Class 2015,” in New York, New York. Professor Hamermesh also spoke at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., at a roundtable on improving the proxy voting process. With Prof. John Coffee Jr. of Columbia Law School, Professor Hamermesh also addressed the Corporations, Finance and Securities Law Section of the Washington D.C. Bar at their nationally webcast program on fee shifting bylaws in shareholder litigation. He was also an invited commentator on a paper on “Shareholder Litigation by Contract,” presented by Prof. Verity Winship of the University of Illinois College of Law, at the Fifth Annual

T RAN S I T I O N A T T A I S H O FF

We would like to welcome J U D Y R I T T E R as the director of The Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute. Professor Ritter succeeds Jules Epstein, the Institute’s previous director. We are confident that the fantastic work being done at the Institute will continue under the leadership of Judy Ritter, and that exciting developments will be forthcoming as the Institute, and Widener Law Delaware, continues evolving.

Subscribe to the Widener Law Legal Studies Research Paper Series from Social Science Research Network (SSRN). This free email series delivers the latest articles by Widener Law faculty to your email inbox. Visit: ssrn.com/ link/Widener-LEG.html to subscribe.

Junior Faculty Business and Financial Law Workshop at George Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C. JAM ES R. M AY recently traveled to Beijing, China to speak with judges, advocates, government officials, and nongovernmental organizations about emerging legal issues in the implementation of newly enacted, progressive environmental laws in China. He was one of three Americans invited to speak, and the only one from academia. His presentations included, “Environmental Law and Participation, Information and Access to Information” at Beijing University, and “Natural Resources Damage Assessments in the United States” at Peking University. He also recently gave a presentation on major federal developments in environmental law at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 2015 Environmental Law Forum. He presented “Free Speech in the Age of the Emoticon: Elonis v. United States” at Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor. He also participated in the Widener Law Media Day Supreme Court Wrap-up and the Constitution Law Society Faculty Debate.

JUDY RI TTER published an article entitled, “After the Hurricane: The Legacy of the Rubin Carter Case,” in Volume 12 of the Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal.

Subsequently, Professor Ritter presented the article at the Delaware Valley Feminist Law Professors Conference at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

MICHAEL J. SLINGER delivered a lecture at the law school in honor of the Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War on the topic, “Could the American Civil War have become a World War?” LEONARD SOSNOV helped organize and presented at a CLE for Pennsylvania public defenders on campus. He also gave a presentation on recurring and novel trial evidentiary issues at the Advanced Litigation Skills CLE.

CULHANE, JOHN G., The Doomed Sandy Hook Lawsuit, SLATE (Dec. 16, 2014), http:// www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/ jurisprudence/2014/12/sandy_hook_lawsuit_ parents_of_school_shooting_victims_sue_ gun_manufacturer.html.

Are Parents Obliged to Pay for College?, Slate

(Dec. 4, 2014), http://www.slate.com/articles/ news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/12/ caitlyn_ricci_tuition_lawsuit_divorced_ parents_are_obliged_to_pay.html.

After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Slate

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Ownership of Law Firms: Protecting the Interest of Clients or Protecting the Interest of Lawyers?, 42 Cap. U. L. Rev. 907 (2014).

HODAS, DAVID R., State Initiatives, Global Climate Change and U.S. Law, (M. Gerrard and J. Freeman eds. 2ND ed. ABA 2014).

The Constitution and Pollution: Federalism at Work, The News Journal (16 Sep 2014)

A9, Wilmington_News_Journal_20140916_ A09_0.pdf.

(Nov. 11, 2014), http://www.slate.com/articles/ news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2014/11/ the_great_invisible_movie_review_victims_ of_the_bp_deepwater_horizon_oil.html.

Panelist, First Monday: Preview of 2014 Supreme Court Term, Wilmington, DE (6 Oct. 2015).

Sperm Donors Are Winning Visitation Rights, Slate

IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Annual Colloquium, Tarragona, Spain (3 July 2014).

(Feb 20, 2015), http://www.slate.com/articles/ news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/02/ sperm_donor_parental_rights_new_jersey_ lesbian_couple_is_losing_visitation.html.

DALY, ERIN & James R. May, Global Environmental Constitutionalism (Cambridge 2014).

EPSTEIN, JULES, Op-Ed., Casting Reasonable Doubt on Eyewitness Testimony, Phil. Inq., Oct. 10, 2014, at A23.

GARFIELD, ALAN E., Op-Ed., All Signs Point to a Headache When Court Hears This Case, The News J. (Wilmington, DE), Jan. 12, 2015, at A7.

Op-Ed., Should Musicians be Jailed for Their Threatening Lyrics?, The News J. (Wilmington, DE), Dec. 1, 2014, at A9.

Op-Ed., Who Speaks for the ‘People’ on Policy?, The News J. (Wilmington, DE), Nov. 3, 2014, at A9.

GOLDBERG, MICHAEL J., Chap. 13, Election of Union Officers, National Lawyer’s Guild, Employee and Union Member Guide to Labor Law (Thomson-West, 2014 revisions).

GROHSGAL, BRUCE, Why Recent SPOE Bills for SIFIs Fail, 33 Am. Bankr. Inst. J., Dec. 2014, at 105.

Sections 542 and 543 – Turnover of Property of the Estate, in Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law (Thomson Reuters 2014). & Peter Keane, Sections 363 and 364 – Use, Sale, or Lease of Property and Obtaining Credit, in Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law (Thomson Reuters 2014).

HAMERMESH, LAWRENCE A., Consent in Corporate Law, 70 Bus., Law. 161 (2014).

Justice Joseph T. Walsh: Teacher, 39 Del. J. Corp.

L. 373 (2014).

How Long Do We Have to Play the “Great” Game?, 100 Iowa L. Rev. Bull. 31 (2015).

Widener Law

HILL, LOUISE L., The Preclusion of Nonlawyer

Sustainable Energy Law and Zero-Emission Vehicles: The Solar and Wind Energy Storage Solution, Moderator, Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Panel, IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Annual Colloquium, Tarragona, Spain (2 July 2014).

Legal Risk and Ecosystem Services, University of

Otago Faculty of Law, Dunedin, New Zealand (2 April 2014).

Sustainable Energy Law in New Zealand, University

of Auckland, Auckland NZ (1 March 2014), Waikato University Law School, Hamilton NZ (15 March 2014) and University of Otago Law School, Dunedin, NZ (3 April 2014).

Science and the Constitution, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand (18 Feb. 2014).

KRISTL, KENNETH T., (Principal Author) & The Widener University School of Law’s Environmnetal and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Assessing the Legal Toolbox for Sea Level Rise

Adaption in Delaware: Options and Challenges for Regulators, Policymakers, Property Owners, and the Public (State of DE’s Dept. of Natural Res. & Envt’l Control DE Coastal Programs 2014).

MAY, JAMES R., & John C. Dernbach,

Can Shale Gas Help Accelerate the Transition to Sustainability?, 57 ENV’T 4 (2015). & Erin Daly, Global Environmental Constitutionalism (Cambridge 2014). & Erin Daly, Modern First Amendment Law. SCHEUER, LUKE, Op-Ed., Save our Elections from the Secret Money People, The News J. (Wilmington, DE), Jan. 20, 2015, at A7.

SMITH, ANDRE L., Tax Law and Racial Economic Justice: Black Tax (Lexington Books, 2015).

SOSNOV, LEONARD N., Brady Reconstructed: An Overdue Expansion of Rights and Remedies, 45 N.M. L. Rev. 171 (2014).

11

Events

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

On Campus and Beyond law.widener.edu/events

Pioneers and Trailblazers

Networking Events T

hroughout the fall, a series of events that provided students with alumni networking opportunities were offered through collaborations among the Office of Development & Alumni Engagement, the Office of Career Development, and several student organizations. Included was an event for all students, faculty, and alumni in Wilmington, Delaware, co-hosted by members of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law. Right: A few attendees enjoying the opportunity to network and connect with each other.

T

he offices of Development & Alumni Engagement and Career Development hosted an evening of networking for alumni and students following a presentation by renowned guest speaker Ari Kaplan (pictured), author of The Opportunity Maker. Kaplan explained cutting-edge techniques and the art of standing out in the legal job arena.

T

T

he Black Law Students Association (BLSA) honored Samantha Wilson ’02 at its fifth-annual Pioneers and Trailblazers Awards Banquet. Wilson is a member of GlaxoSmithKline legal department’s Inclusion & Diversity Steering Team. She also co-chairs the company’s North American Inclusion & Diversity Sub-team, is a member of the African American Alliance – Navy Yard Steering Committee, and sits on the Leadership Council for KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) Philadelphia Charter School. She serves as a mentor to students and a job coach for professionals. The event also featured a keynote address

by Assistant Dean and Multicultural Affairs Officer Nicole Barkley ’04, and a dance performance accompanying a spoken word presentation of poet Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.”

he Phi Alpha Delta fraternity hosted a meet and greet event for alumni and students in Philadelphia.

Honoree Samantha Wilson ’02 chats with Carl Battle ’82.

T

he Philadelphia Chapter of the Widener Women’s Network welcomed Interim Dean and Professor of Law Erin Daly as the guest speaker at a networking luncheon.

Above: Interim Dean Daly (left), and event sponsor Miriam Barish ‘92, partner at Anapol Schwartz.

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T

he Delaware Chapter of the Widener Women’s Network hosted a networking event in Wilmington, Delaware.

Above: Alumnae listen intently to remarks from host Laura Beth Taylor ’00 of DuPont Legal.

Going Global

T

he Office of Development & Alumni Engagement hosted international LLM students at Geesey House to introduce them to professors, alumni, and administrators. The lively reception included local Philadelphia fare.

ifteen Widener Law Delaware graduates were inducted into the Pennsylvania Bar Association at the Hon. Charles P. Mirarchi Jr. Pennsylvania Bar Induction Ceremony. The ceremony, conducted exclusively for Widener Law Delaware graduates, welcomed new bar members and featured remarks from four alumni judges.

An LLM student mingles with a professor at Geesey House.

T

his year, the 2015 Scholar in Residence Program for Global Environmental Constitutionalism brought six leading scholars from around the world to Widener Law Delaware. Scholars stayed in residence halls, used faculty office space for research, visited classes, and made presentations to the faculty on how to implement constitutionally recognized environmental rights.

New Widener Law Delaware inductees to the Pennsylvania Bar pose with four alumni judges, faculty, and fellow alumni. (Interim Dean Daly pictured center).

In March, Josh Gellers (pictured), LEED Green Associate and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida presented at “Environmental Rights, Environmental Justice, and Democracy” on campus.

Law students, alumni, and faculty socialize at a banquet following the award ceremony and performance.

Widener Law

Pennsylvania Bar Association Induction F

Judge Johnson speaks with new admittees.

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13

Events

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

On Campus and Beyond

MLK Service Awards D

Fierce Competitions

uring a program celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King, Widener Law Delaware presented the Martin Luther King (MLK) Service Award to members of the Youth Court programs at Bayard Middle School, Wilmington, and Chester High School.

Through Youth Court, law school students, under the supervision of faculty, train public school students to act as attorneys, judges, and jurors in matters involving their peers who are accused of minor school offenses.

W

idener Law Delaware welcomed high school students from Penncrest High School and Springfield High School in Pennsylvania, along with students from the Youth Angels Scholar Program, who took part in Widener Law Delaware’s annual Diversity Law Day. The high school students participated in a mock law class, taught by Widener Law students, debated the merits of a fictitious search-and-seizure case, and made oral arguments before a panel of law students acting as Supreme Court justices.

Above: Assistant Dean and Multicultural Affairs Officer Nicole Barkley ’04, standing, speaks with attendees from the Youth Angels Scholar program.

Top: Public Interest Resource Center Director Sydney Howe-Barksdale (center) and Helen S. Balick Visiting Professor of Law, Kenneth Kristl (right) present Widener Law Delaware’s MLK Service Award to Greg Voltz (left) for his leadership with the Youth Court Program.

Left: Tanasia Evans of Springfield High School addresses the “court” during the mock trial.

T

he 27th Annual Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition was held in March, attracting teams from 17 schools.

Donna M. Nagy, Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the C. Ben Dutton Professor of Business Law at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, gave the competition’s distinguished scholar lecture. The team from the University of Oklahoma College of Law prevailed over the team from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in the final round of competition.

Above: The final round bench posed with the competition winners.

From left, Court of Chancery Vice Chancellors J. Travis Laster and Donald F. Parsons Jr.; three Ohio State Moritz College of Law team members; Executive Associate Dean and C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Donna M. Nagg; and Delaware Supreme Court Justices Karen L. Valihura and James T. Vaughn Jr.

Above: Associate Professor Bruce Grohsgal, pictured left, mingles with Kendrick McLeod.

Left: Presentation of the Service Award.

D

elaware Supreme Court Justice Randy J. Holland administered the attorney’s oath for the limited practice of law to students working at the Delaware Civil Law Clinic and at the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.

T I

n late February, alumni gathered in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate the appointment of fellow alumnus, Justice Lee Solomon, to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Above: Jennifer Stonerod ’05 with Justice Solomon.

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Widener Law

V ol ume 22, Number 1

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he Widener Law Delaware Transactional Law Honor Society team won the 2015 Transactional LawMeets Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist title and advanced to the national competition. Justin Forcier, President of the Transactional Law Honor Society, remarked, “Just three years after establishing our program, we’re proud to have achieved so much. It’s been a great learning experience.”

Above: Members of the winning team pose with their award.

15

Events

law.widener.edu/events

W

idener Law Delaware and its Taishoff Advocacy, Technology, and Public Service Institute hosted the second-annual Advanced Litigation Skills program this spring with a focus on crossexamination. Participants enjoyed Irving Younger’s “10 Commandments” lecture and discussed critical techniques for trial advocates during the daylong event.

Vale Speaker Series W

idener Law Delaware continued its Ruby R. Vale Distinguished Speaker Series this spring with a talk by Delaware Court of Chancery Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard. The series began in 2013 to shine a spotlight on nationally known Delaware legal leaders, showcase their work and strengthen their connections with the law school community.

T

he Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, the Widener Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law, and the Ruby R. Vale Foundation collaborated on a symposium as a part of the Ruby R. Vale Distinguished Speaker Series on April 24, 2015, entitled, “Law Professors as Expert Witnesses.”

S

tephanie Stecklair 3L, received one of the Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Section’s Annual Law Student Awards, which recognized her commitment to public service. Stecklair has dedicated herself to domestic violence issues, particularly to indigent women and the legal conflicts they face.

T

he Food and Drug Law Association presented its fifth annual CLE program with a focus on the Food and Drug Administration’s biggest accomplishments in the legal field this year. Topics included medical devices, Ebola, e-cigarettes, ethics, and criminal enforcement of food and drug law.

Above: Food and Drug Law Association CLE program director Roseann B. Termini (far left) and CLE attendees.

W

idener Law Delaware students gathered at the Chase Center on the Riverfront to celebrate another year of successful study and, for some, the conclusion of their law school careers.

The Barristers’ Ball, hosted by the Student Bar Association (SBA) featured dinner and dancing.

H

undreds of alumni, law students and legal professionals attended the annual Philadelphia Alumni Reception at the Down Town Club. Award recipients included Paul D. Edger ’11, who was awarded the Outstanding Recent Alumnus Award; Jonathan E. Peri ’99, who was awarded the Outstanding Service Award; and Renae B. Axelrod ’91, who was awarded the Alumna of the Year Award.

Tara L. Miller ’12 (pictured), was also awarded the Alumna of the Year Award, posthumously.

Morgan Madden and Lauren Ritter.

Honoring a Beloved Father by Giving Back

J

ames (Jim) McEldrew, III ’82 has long been engaged with Widener Law Delaware – and long had a desire to honor his father’s memory. A former U.S. Navy Sea Bee in the South Pacific and then attorney, James McEldrew, was a mentor and friend to his son.

“He was a Philly lawyer for over 40 years—among the best malpractice attorneys in the area,” Jim explained. Over the course of his distinguished career, his father hired 20 to 25 Widener Law Delaware graduates. When his father passed away, Jim wanted to pay tribute to him – and the values for which he stood.

Jim had been searching for a way to properly honor his father’s name and memory, and continue his legacy of helping others. Now at the point in his career when he can give back in the tradition of his father, Jim established a generous scholarship: today, the James J. McEldrew Endowed Scholarship is available to help fulltime Juris Doctorate candidates who are currently serving in, or have been honorably discharged from, the United States Navy and/or Marines. Surely, Jim’s father would approve.

Paige Valeski, Gianna Silverman, and Carrie Krantz.

If you are interested in learning more about establishing an endowed scholarship, please contact the Office of Development & Alumni Engagement at (302) 477-2172.

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Widener Law

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17

Class Notes A message from

the alumni board president

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

November–April 2015

1981

Tell us about your achievements.

Email your class notes to: law_alumni@mail.widener.edu

AN D REW E. D IPIERO

celebrated his 30th year as a member of the Board of Directors of Quaint Oak Bank in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Or send them to: Office of Development & Alumni Engagement Widener Law Delaware, Attn: Class Notes 4601 Concord Pike Wilmington, DE 19803

IR V IN J. S NY DER ’ 78, AND JOS EP H J. M C GR OR Y , JR . ’ 83

1983 JO SEPH J. MCG RO RY JR. was elected to the

Dear Fellow Graduates of Widener Law Delaware: This is an exciting time for all of us at Widener Law Delaware. With the appointment of Rod Smolla as the new dean for the Delaware campus, a singlecampus mission to recruit and educate tomorrow’s lawyers, and a beautiful new website, what better time than now to show the region, and beyond, how proud we are to be alumni?

Just for a moment, I ask you to think of a college or law school that you perceive to be successful, prominent, well-respected – and then look at that institution’s level of alumni participation. I bet it’s a high percentage – a percentage which is critical for us to attain. Now is the time for us to rally together to let others know what Widener Law Delaware is about! I ask each of you to re-engage with your alma mater. Let’s show our new dean what a terrific body of graduates he has to call upon for support and service.

One of the easiest ways to make an impact is through philanthropic support. I’ve learned that it’s true that every single dollar counts because the public level of our investment, exhibited thorough our donations to Widener Law Delaware, often bears on grantmakers’ decisions to award us funding for special projects. As we move forward while law school enrollment across the nation continues to recover, it is more important for each of us to show support to the law school. Here are some easy ways to stay connected and get involved: Thank you in advance for your increased involvement as we move into this new and exciting time in our institution. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event. Feel free to contact me with questions, ideas, or feedback at lawalumnipresident@mail.widener.edu.

Please visit our updated website – delawarelaw.widener.edu – for more ways to stay connected and get involved.

• GIVE BACK! Don’t hesitate to make a gift—no matter how large or small—because every dollar counts! Every single gift makes a difference.

• Support Students: Hire one of our graduates, attend an event to help them network, or allow a student to conduct an informational interview with you. This means the world to our newest alumni, and I am sure you remember how critical it was to us at that stage of our careers.

• Include Us: Be sure that your bio/attorney profile includes your degree from Widener Law Delaware.

• Mention Us: When you author an article, or are otherwise publicly recognized, mention your school.

• BRAG! We want to know what fellow graduates are doing! Email personal and professional updates to law_alumni@widener.edu.

Sincerely,

1977

ALEX ANDER M UR P HY JR . , an entertain-

M AR GAR ET T. M UR P HY is the

TH O MA S D U RL ING was appointed as the

ment lawyer, served as the course planner, moderator, and a presenter for a Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI) continuing legal education program entitled, “Entertainment Law in the 21st Century,” in Philadelphia, PA. The program addressed and presented a real-world analysis of emerging issues and challenges in film, music, fair use, entertainment litigation, and entertainment ethics.

administrative judge of the trial division of Common Pleas Court for the Family Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Murphy will direct the assignment of judges and other court personnel involved with juvenile and domestic relations cases.

2015 chair of Flaster Greenberg’s Intellectual Property department.

1978

JA NET R. G ERSH EN-SIEG EL published her

C HAR LES P . M IR AR C HI III was inducted

Judge IR V IN J. S NY DER , of the New Jersey Superior Court, joined Greenblatt, Pierce, Engle, Funt & Flores, LLC, as special counsel.

He will offer mediation, arbitration, and arbitration neutral services to attorneys throughout New Jersey.

1987

into Psi Chi, the National Honor Society of Psychology.

K ENNETH GILBER G was selected by

Primepoint LLC, a payroll processing and HR information system technology company, to present a seminar for human resources professionals entitled, “Avoiding Legal Landmines: How to Effectively Discipline and Discharge Employees.”

S TEV EN HAR Z was appointed to the Palisades

Interstate Park Commission by Governor Chris Christie and confirmed by the Senate.

The commission’s mission is to preserve natural, historic, and cultural resources, and provide for their use by the public for recreational and educational purposes.

W ILLIAM P . FEDULLO , Philadelphia

Renae B. Axelrod ’91

Bar Association immediate past chancellor, presented at the association’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

President, Widener Law Delaware Alumni Association

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1976

Berks County Home Builders Association Board of Directors in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

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1979 ER IC L. GR AY S ON started a firm with

Kenneth Roseman, P.A. and will serve in an “Of Counsel” capacity, where he will continue focusing his practice on plaintiffs’ personal injury matters.

BR AD INGER M AN , president and CEO

of Ingerman, which develops, builds, and manages award-winning multi-family communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, relocated his company’s headquarters, to Collingswood, New Jersey, where the company occupies the ground floor of a recently completed building project.

1986 first novel, Untrustworthy, which tackles gender politics and gender oppression in a dystopian society.

LARRY B END ESKY co-authored an article,

“Deposing a Corporate Designee in Products Cases,” published in The Legal Intelligencer.

S H A RO N L . CA F F REY co-authored an article,

“PA Justices Adopt New Standards for Strict Liability Claims,” published in The Legal Intelligencer.

JO A NNE PH IL L IPS was named the chair

of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate. The organization produces educational programs, events, and publications for its members and the real estate community at large.

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Class Notes

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

November–April 2015

1993 JOHN A. LIV INGOOD JR . was elected as

president of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel.

R AFAEL ZAHR ALDDIN- AR AV ENA received

DER EK L. L AYSE R ’8 8 , M ARI A A. M OF F A ’8 8 , R A FA E L Z A H R A LD D I N - A R A V E N A ’ 93, A N D H E A T H E R L. T U R N E R ’ 98

1988 D ERE K L. LAYS ER was named, for the

third consecutive year, to “Best Lawyers in America” for his work in personal injury litigation.

JEA N M. HADLEY joined Flaster

Greenberg as the firm’s new director of recruitment and professional development.

She is responsible for attorney recruitment initiatives, identifying professional development and practice needs, and strategic growth for all six office locations.

MA RIA A. MOFFA was named vice

president of client services for Continuum Health Alliance, an ambulatory care services company. She oversees management services designed to assure customer satisfaction, ensure performance objectives, and promote overall business growth for Continuum’s healthcare clients.

1989 TIMOTHY R . LAW N of Raynes McCarty

was a co-course planner and speaker at the Pennsylvania Association for Justice’s ninth annual medical malpractice seminar, where he spoke about surgical errors.

RONAL D J . P A T T E R S O N was appointed to

the Board of Directors of the Philadelphiabased ALS Hope Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to the care and cure of people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases.

1990 CRAI G A . S T Y E R was elected president

of the Chester County Bar Association (CCBA). A long-standing active participant in the organization, Styer will collaborate with fellow CCBA members and will lead efforts to provide education and access to the legal system for Chester County residents.

DOM E N I C K C . D I C I C C O Jr., has been

promoted to the head of global litigation management for AIG. In his new role, Mr. DiCicco will oversee more than 500 professionals around the globe.

GI NO BE N E D E T T I , SEPTA’s general counsel,

represented the transportation authority along with lawyers from his former firm, Dilworth Paxson.

Fox Rothschild named SHARON M O R G A N co-chair of its women’s

initiative steering committee, which helps to advance the professional growth of the firm’s female associates by providing them with support and guidance as they determine the direction of their legal careers.

20

1991 Carlton, Fields, Jorden, & Burt named A M Y FU R N E S S a co-managing shareholder of the firm’s Miami office. Furness chairs the firm’s national Products and Toxic Tort Liability Practice Group and her practice focuses primarily on commercial, environmental, and product liability litigation.

1992 A LFR E D C A R LS O N presented at the 13th

Annual Worker’s Compensation Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

A M A LI A V . R O M A N O WI C Z , a principal at

Post & Schell, wrote a piece in the special “Alternative Dispute Resolution” section of The Legal Intelligencer, entitled, “Arbitrating a Medical Malpractice Case in PA.” LI S A S H E A R M A N , an attorney with

Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin, spoke at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Legal Professionals on the Wills for Heroes program. Shearman is the national affiliate director of the Wills for Heroes Foundation and one of the statewide coordinators of the Pennsylvania program.

Widener Law

the Large Transaction of the Year Award for his work with AgFeed Industries, Inc. He is the chair of Elliott Greenleaf ’s National Commercial Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice and a founding shareholder of its Delaware office.

1994 GINA F. R UBEL , president and CEO of

Furia Rubel Communications, Inc., has been elected secretary and treasurer of The Justinian Foundation, an affiliate of The Justinian Society of Philadelphia.

K Y LE N. THOM P S ON has been named a

partner of the firm Kilcoyne & Nesbitt, LLC. Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge C HR IS TINE FIZZANO C ANNON was appointed to the 12-member Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania.

1995

JULIA S W AIN , a partner in the family

law group at Fox Rothschild, joined the Supervision to Aid Reentry Family Court Initiative Program, an initiative developed through the federal courts to help exoffenders reenter society.

K IM BER LY A. LAP W OR TH was elected a

partner at Rawle and Henderson, LLP. She concentrates her practice in the areas of toxic and mass torts; products liability; drug and medical device litigation; and transportation law.

The National Board of Trial Advocacy announced that TIM OTHY R AY NE , of the law firm of MacElree Harvey, Ltd., has successfully achieved Board Certification as a civil trial advocate.

1996 K IM V ENZIE of Unruh, Turner, Burke &

Frees was appointed by the Chester County Commissioners to serve on the board of Chester County Solid Waste Authority.

M ELIS S A GUIDDY was named as the

C HR IS TIAN P ETR UC C I authored a column

published in The Legal Intelligencer entitled, “Determining When Maximum Medical Improvement Is Reached.”

Wilmington Trust hired DAV ID J. BLOOM , J.D., CFP® as managing director and senior private client advisor in the firm’s Wealth Advisory division to serve its growing base of high-net-worth clients in the Greater Philadelphia region.

DENA B. C ALO joined Saul Ewing as a

partner in the labor, employment, and employee benefits practice.

JAM ES A. R OC C O III was named

December’s Philadelphia VIP Volunteer

V ol ume 22, Number 1

of the Month. Rocco focuses on family law and personal injury cases, with experience in divorce, custody, and support cases.

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new solicitor for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

1997 C AR L M INS TER was interviewed by The

Philadelphia Gay News on his legal work in the LGBT community with his husband and partner, David Facciolo, Esq. JUS TIN W INEBUR GH presented at the

ABA Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries’ 26th North American Law Summit in Costa Rica in November and served as the moderator for the session, “Is TV the New Indie Film Business?” He also hosted the Sports Insurance Workshop sponsored by Philadelphia Insurance Companies in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

S TEVEN R. KO ENSE was a guest speaker at

the public education seminar hosted by the Delaware County Bar Association entitled, “Custody and Protection From Abuse.” The seminar helped citizens better understand custody and custody court proceedings as well as protection from abuse proceedings and their legal underpinnings.

1998 HEATH ER L . TU RNER celebrated the two-year

anniversary of her law firm, The Law Office of Heather L. Turner, located in Narberth, PA. She offers estate planning services to help clients protect their families and assets.

JEF F REY CA MPO L O NG O contributed a piece

in the Employment Law section of The Legal Intelligencer entitled, “Use of Implicit Bias Evidence to Prove Discrimination.”

1999 ANDREW S. D A SH EVSKY was selected by

the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Board of Governors to serve as the co-chair of the association’s state civil litigation’s compulsory arbitration committee. Dashevsky is a personal injury attorney practicing in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and he concentrates his practice on motor vehicle accidents, premises liability cases, and other personal injury matters.

ER IC L . YO U NG presented “Lessons From

Whistleblowers for FCPA Compliance” as part of the Anti-Corruption Information Series to the Anti-Corruption and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in India.

JENNIF ER RINA L D I ’s invention, Garden

Stamp, a pegged garden tool that makes it easier to plant vegetable, herb and flower seeds with consistent spacing, won the Fresh Ideas/Best New Product Award at Cultivate 2014, the largest horticultural trade show in North America. Garden Stamp is now being manufactured for purchase.

21

Class Notes

WIDENER LAW DELAWARE

November–April 2015

2006

RECONNECT: We’d like to know where you are and what you’re doing

M AUR EEN M . FAR R ELL was appointed

as an associate editor for the Philadelphia Bar Reporter, monthly newspaper of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

VISIT OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY WEBSITE lawalumni.widener.edu

JUS TIN L. GR OEN joined Mess & Associates

WI LLI A M P . D O Y LE ’ 00, C H R I S T O P H E R E . B A LLO D ’ 02, A N D M A R I A BER M UDEZ ’ 07

2000

2002

The United States Senate confirmed WI LL IAM P. DOY LE to another term in office as a Federal Maritime Commissioner.

Commissioner Doyle has spent his professional career in the transportation sector. He is a Coast Guard-licensed engineer and also previously served as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marines.

CHRI ST O P H E R E . B A LLO D joined

B RI AN MC TEAR has joined Preferred as the

vice president of business and legal affairs.

Brian is responsible for all legal affairs including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, intellectual property protection, customer and vendor contracts, litigation, and regulatory compliance.

RO B E RT W . SULLIVAN published his

book, The Royal Arch of Enoch: The Impact of Masonic Ritual, Philosophy, and Symbolism. This is his first published work and is the result of 20 years of research.

2001 Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union appointed PATR ICK M. M CKE NNA to its supervisory committee, which helps ensure the integrity of its financial and operational information, maintains the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations, and oversees the performance of internal audits.

22

Y UANY OU Y ANG joined Duane Morris

Pietragallo, Gordon, Alfano, Bosick, & Raspanti, LLP, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as special counsel in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Practice Groups.

HE RCULE S W. G R I G O S presented,

“Handling Environmental Opportunities and Challenges With Local Municipalities in a Post-Robinson World,” live at the Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell, and Hippel, LLC., Philadelphia office and via web to remote locations.

CHARL E S LA N Z A LO T T I moved to the

Marlton, New Jersey office of Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg after working in the firm’s special investigation and fraud team in the Philadelphia office.

J AM E S M E R K I N S was sworn in as district

judge for Magisterial District Court 32-2-54.

He was nominated by former Governor Tom Corbett and unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate.

SCOT T R E I D will be honored by the

Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia with the 2014 J. Austin Norris Award at its annual gala on May 17, 2015. The award recognizes an attorney who has demonstrated distinguished service to the association, the legal profession, and the community at large.

and concentrates his practice on catastrophic injury litigation, medical malpractice, products liability, and other complex personal injury cases.

K IM BER LY TAK AC S of ACE Group

R I K I R E D E N T E S T R O S S ER has been

practicing at the Philadelphia law firm Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler for 11 years handling plaintiff’s asbestos litigation claims as well as medical malpractice, and other plaintiff ’s personal injury cases.

2003 J O N A T H A N B O U G H R U M was named

partner at Montgomery, McCracken, Walker, & Rhoads, LLP. He concentrates his practice in the areas of products liability defense, government investigations, and business litigation.

J A M E S S . G R E E N J R . was elected partner

at Landis Rath & Cobb LLP. The firm specializes in commercial bankruptcy and business litigation.

D A V I D P A I N T E R co-presented the

program “2014 Legal Institute for School Psychologists” at the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania. In his presentation, he reviewed statutory, regulatory, and case law foundations of special education in Pennsylvania.

2005

received the Craig M. Perry Service Award at The Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division holiday party.

2007

vice chair of the Environmental and Energy Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Widener Law

2010 ELIS A ADV ANI was appointed to the

BR IAN O. P HILLIP S joined Timoney

Knox, LLP, along with three other attorneys, to comprise the firm’s new Insurance Industry Group. He concentrates his practice on defending insurers in insurance coverage disputes with a special emphasis on first-party property coverage, litigation, and advice.

M AR IA BER M UDEZ serves as the first Latina

chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Charles A. Constanzo ’75 Marc L. Vergillo ’75 Thomas W. Andrews ’76 Thomas C. Moorhead ’76

Philadelphia Bar Reporter editorial board.

John J. Swaim ’76

JENNIFER P OP ELAC K , an associate at

Kenneth J. Slomienski ’77

Mattioni Ltd., was elected as a member of the board of the Justinian Society M AR K M . V AK IL was a guest speaker at

the seminar “Custody and Protection from Abuse” presented by the Delaware County Bar Association. and Schwartz, Attorneys at Law and is committed to representing people who have sustained significant injury as a result of car accidents, motorcycle and bicycle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, and other incidents.

2011 C HAD R . LINGENFELDER was granted

membership into the American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys in Laurel, Delaware.

2008

M AR IA C . JANOS K I is an associate at

JENNIE P HILIP published an article

as an associate concentrating in the areas of commercial motor vehicle defense, and casualty and premises liability matters.

Hornstine Pelloni & Hornstine, LLC.

in The Legal Intelligencer entitled, “Working to Advance Your Career While Raising a Family.”

M IC HAEL J. V IS C US O became the policy

director for Lynne Abraham’s campaign to be mayor of Philadelphia. the National Business Institute’s seminar “Advanced Issues in Real Estate Law” in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

V ol ume 22, Number 1

In Memoriam

Donald Nasshorn ’78 Charles J. Shoaf ’80 Kathleen A. Palubinsky ’87 John B. Quinn ’87 Gregory A. Brown ’82

R ODNEY M . TANEY HILL joined Schwartz

THOM AS M . BR ODOW S K I presented at

S A R A H B . S I LV E R has been appointed

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and works on obtaining H1B Employment Visas for skilled immigrants.

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M ELIS S A P AR IS joined Rawle & Henderson

2012 ANTHONY S . C OTTONE joined Burns White

as an associate in its Health Care and LongTerm Care Group.

IAN T. BAX TER joined Post &Schell to

K A TEL YN MCEL MO YL joined Parker

McCay as an associate in the municipal and government practice area.

LAU REN B ERENA TO is working on

receiving a Master of Science in Patent Law at Notre Dame University.

K ENNETH R. O ’NEIL JR. joined

Rawle & Henderson as an associate in the firm’s Philadelphia office. He concentrates his practice in the area of catastrophic loss litigation.

2014 The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning named SU ZETTE N. B ENNETT as one of their four “Learners of the Year” in Chicago, Illinois.

Pond, Lehocky, Stern, & Giordano added NIKITA K. D ESA I as an associate in its social security disability department.

represent clients in civil litigation before state and federal agencies and courts.

23

Honor Roll

Widener Law +Widener University Trustee

~Deceased

Class Notes

*Widener Law Overseer

SH EL B Y G . H O STETTER ’1 1 , CA THER INE J. M ALY C K E ’ 11, JOLEE M . V AN HOR N ’ 13, AND S TEP HEN I. M C LENDON ’ 14

^Member, National Advisory Council

Partners’ Club

2013

Steven Barsamian ‘75* John Carroll III ‘81* & Barbara Carroll

In Memoriam

$10,000 - $19,999

2011

Ambassadors’ Club

R OM A P ATEL is now special counsel at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Linda Ammons, JD J. Clayton & Shannon Athey Bank of America Ronald ‘76^ & Cindy Goldfaden Herrmann Family Foundation James ‘85^ & Elizabeth Daniello ‘87 Maron Maron Marvel Bradley & Anderson, P.A. Elizabeth McGeever Raynes McCarty Thomas+ & Nancy Sager

STEPH EN M. B IL L Y was promoted to legislative director after serving as the lead staffer for the Congressional Taskforce on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare under Congressman Robert Pittenger, NC.

$20,000 - $24,999

JOLEE M . V AN HOR N is now associate attorney at Rawle & Henderson. Jolee is engaged to marry alumnus Joshua Bovender ’12 in May 2015.

Class years indicate Widener Law class only.

Chancellors’ Club

2014

Marc ‘78^ & Robyn Abrams Ashby & Geddes, P.A. Hon. Bernard Balick & Hon. Helen Balick Bayard, P.A. Delaware State Bar Association Estate of June D. MacArtor Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial Fund Joel ‘93 & Kim Shubin Feller Harry & Louise Hill James & Jonnie Holzman Samuel ‘85^ & Laurie Landy Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman &

R OBER T (BOB) W . BR ADLEY

$25,000 - $49,999

SH EL B Y G . H O STETTER is now a solo practitioner at her firm, Shelby G. Hostetter Law Offices, in Schuylkill Haven, PA. Shelby practices in business law, elder care, estate planning, and estate administration.

She has a two-year-old son, Booker, and seven-month-old daughter, Reynolds.

Jurists’ Society

M ELIS S A A. C HAP AS K A joined Hawke McKeon & Sniscak, LLP, a Harrisburg, PA firm focusing on administrative litigation.

She represents clients in various energy sectors including petroleum, natural gas, and electricity.

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Barra Foundation, Inc. Carl Battle ‘82^ Ronald Alva Brown Jr. ‘90 & Cecily Brown Corporate Counsel Technology Michael ‘75+* & Valerie DeFino E. Wallace Chadwick Memorial Fund Equal Justice Works Paul Fioravanti Jr. & Shannon Fioravanti Robert Gober DO ‘79^ & Karen Gober Michael Hanrahan Richard* & Eileen Herrmann Bruce & Traci Jameson Hon. Alan Levin ‘80^ & Ellen Levin James McEldrew III ‘82 Bruce ‘96 &

CA TH ERINE J. MA L YCKE joined the law firm of Hale Ball Carlson Baumgartner & Murphy, PLC, in Fairfax, Virginia, as an associate attorney. Ms. Malycke practices in the areas of family law, estate litigation, guardianship, and other civil litigation matters, in Loudoun and Fairfax County, Virginia. She is licensed to practice in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

$50,000-$99,000

Goggin, P.C. Thomas & Elizabeth Mullen John & Linda Paradee Polsinelli PC Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP John Small Hon. Lee Solomon ‘78* & Dianne Solomon Gary Traynor ‘82 & Kathleen Andrus UMH Properties, Inc. Hon. Joseph Walsh ‘97H~ Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP

V IC TOR M . FR EDER IC K IV , district judge in Oley Township, PA, was featured in an article by the “Reading Eagle” for lending his tenor voice to the St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Pottstown, PA. The article, entitled, “The Verdict Is In: Oley Judge Can Sing,” highlighted his love of music.

24

Founders’ Club

Elizabeth Monroe Morris James LLP Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP Chris Mourse Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. Thomas Russo John+* & Eileen~ Schmutz The Young Foundation, Inc. John ‘75* & Donna Wetzel Leon ‘82 & Judy Williams Stuart~ & Toni Young

S TEP HEN I. M C LENDON is now the deputy district attorney for the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.

American College of Bankruptcy Alexander & Ann Bratic Christopher & Caroline Bratic ‘11^ Mazza Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Crozer Keystone Health Systems E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company FHA Holding Company Harriette S. & Charles L. Tabas Foundation Longwood Foundation, Inc. Mid-Atlantic Environmental Law Center, Inc. George Miller Jr. ‘81* & Debra Miller Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP Prickett, Jones & Elliott Ruby R. Vale Foundation Richard & Leslee Silverman ‘79^ Tabas Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP State of Delaware Walter Strine Jr. & Alice Washco ‘92 Strine^ Taishoff Family Foundation, Inc. CAPT Robert Taishoff, JAGC, USN (Ret.) ‘89 & Laurie Taishoff The Bank of America

Charitable Foundation, Inc. The Mutual Fire Foundation Inc. The Mutual Fire, Marine, and Inland Insurance Company The Walter M. Strine and Alice Washco Strine Foundation Welfare Foundation, Inc. Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP

Robert ‘78 & Patricia Adochio American College of Bankruptcy Foundation Ballard Spahr LLP Hon. Raymond Batten ‘79* & Mary Batten Michael ‘90 & Alice Brown Eileen Caplan Seaman ‘94 ChesPenn Health Services, Inc. Vincent Ciecka ‘75 John Clark Jr.~ & Esther Clark~ Todd Clark ‘02 Robert DeLong Jr. ‘99 & Susan DeLong Michael Marquardt & Claire DeMatteis ‘92^ Arthur Dent ‘86 Charles & Bonnie Eagan ‘09* Copeland Cary ‘81^ & Nancy Flitter Paula Garrison George B. Lindsay Foundation Jay ‘88 & Sherry Ginsburg Jay Goffman Michael & Anne Goldberg Mitchell ‘95^ & Diana Gurwicz Gary Gremminger ‘83 Selma Hayman ‘86 W. Bruce ‘83 & Dorothy Hemphill Robert Honecker Jr. ‘81* & Kim Roberts Leslie Johnson ‘92 George Kern V ‘96* & Evangeline Kern Jeffrey Killino ‘00^ Wayne Kimmel ‘95^ Kenneth ‘95^ & Kira Lopez F. Kevin Lynch ‘79 Robert ‘92 & Eileen McCann John & Cecilia ‘91 McCormick Kevin & Deborah McCreery The Montejo Family Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP

JR . ’ 07 passed away on February 9, 2015. Bob was an evening division student who worked a full-time job 90 miles from campus. Bob was a gifted student. For 19 years, Bob served as a Police Officer for State College Borough and taught at both Kaplan University and the University of Phoenix.

He opened his firm, The Law Office of Robert W. Bradley in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania in 2007. Bob is remembered at Widener Law for his dedication and work ethic, and sharing his passion for the legal system with others. Bob serves as an inspiration to Widener Law and his legacy continues.

$100,000.00+

$5,000.00 - $9,999

2012

S AR AH J. W ILLETTS passed the Maryland bar and is an associate attorney at Noonan & Noonan, LLC, in Cumberland, Maryland.

We have made every effort to ensure that the honor roll is accurate and complete. If, however, you discover an error or omission, please contact Megan Cantalupo at mccantalupo@widener.edu.

Hon. Ida Chen Claneil Foundation Anthony Clark Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, P.A. Compliance Certification Board Thomas Del Pesco & Hon. Susan Del Pesco ‘75* Eugene W. and Gloria Landy Family Foundation Ferry, Joseph & Pearce, P.A. Gregg Galardi Walter & Jayne Garrison Generoso Pope Foundation GreenWatch Institute Robert Hayman Jr. & Alice Eakin Brenda Alderman James ‘92^ Laffey-McHugh Foundation Landis Rath & Cobb LLP Eugene & Gloria Landy Harry Dillon Madonna ‘97^ M. Jane Mahoney ‘76 Eugene McGurk Jr. ‘78+*^ Kathleen McNicholas MD ‘06, ‘10M+* Edward ‘97* & Melissa Micheletti Charles Modica ‘75 Hon. Nathaniel Nichols & Cheryl Nichols John Pachkowski ‘88 & Mary Alice Peeling ‘91 Hon. Paul Panepinto ‘76* & Nancy Panepinto Parcels, Inc. Pennsylvania Bar Association Alexander~ & Nancy Sarcione Saul Ewing LLP Andrew Schaeffer ‘87 Nancy Stanford ‘03 The Gilliam Foundation Christopher & Karen Ulmer ‘95 Pendergast Edward & Noreen Welch Matthew Zencey

G A B RIEL A G . RA F U L , an attorney at Galfand Berger, was selected as co-chair of the Berks County Bar Association’s minority bar and joined the Public Notary Task Force Workshop with the Berks County Bar Association. She practices in the area of employment and labor law, workers’ compensation, and personal injury.

Every donation made to the Taking the Lead ~ The Campaign for Widener is making a difference in the lives of many: With your generosity, we established new scholarships and fellowships, making legal education more accessible. While the list of all who contributed is long, the names of Widener Law Delaware donors whose campaign gifts total $5,000 or more are listed below.

Leadership Circle

16

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

18

Class Notes MI CH A EL C. MO NGI EL LO ’01 , RI CHA RD L. ALL OWA Y II ’ 02, SA RAH J . BR OWN ’ 05, AND AR LE NE A . MARS HALL-H OC K ENS M ITH ’ 06

2001 MI CHA EL C. MO NGI EL LO has been elected a shareholder of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, in Harrisburg, PA. He is a member of the health care department and focuses his practice on the defense of medical professionals, hospitals, and long-term care facilities, as well as correctional health care providers in prisoner civil rights and medical negligence claims.

2002 Senator RI CHA RD L . A LL O WAY II was elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Majority Caucus Secretary for the 201516 legislative session. In his new position as a member of the Senate Republican leadership team, he will oversee all executive nominations submitted to the Senate for confirmation. He will also coordinate the review of the background and experience of nominees, and ensure that proper documentation is submitted.

EU GE NE A. D EPASQ UAL E , Pennsylvania Auditor General, was unanimously elected as the new chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority board.

JI LL M. S POTT was featured in an article in “The Times-Tribune” that highlighted her volunteer efforts in her Benton Township, PA community. An attorney at Shiels Law Associates, Ms. Spott also serves on the board of Meals on Wheels doing pro bono work, coordinates and judges mock trial competitions for high school students, and serves on the board of Griffin Pond Animal Shelter.

2003 K AR EN E . CO MER Y is hoping to return to working in York County’s Judicial Center after announcing her bid for judgeship in January 2015.

2004 Major FR AN K E . KOS TIK was recently awarded an LLM in military law with a criminal law specialty from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School and has a military skill identifier of Senior Military Justice Practitioner. As a senior defense counsel, he both represents soldiers and supervises counsel doing the same. Major Kostik serves as senior defense counsel in the Fort Leavenworth/Fort Leonard Wood Great Plains Region, United States Army Trial Defense Service.

2005 S AR AH J. B ROW N was named a 2014 Pennsylvania Rising Star by “Super Lawyers.”

She also recently celebrated four years as an associate with Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin.

TH OM AS L. J ONE S was sworn into the Carbon County Bar Association and has begun duties as a public defender.

2006 ARL ENE A. MA RSH AL L- HOC K ENS M ITH

has joined the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network as administrative officer. She provides administrative oversight to the statewide network of nonprofit legal aid and legal resources programs.

JE RE M IA H J . UND ER HI LL was honored as Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by The Dauphin County Bar Association. The association honored Underhill for his commitment to advancing the rights of veterans and their families. Underhill was the director of the Veteran’s Law Clinic on the Widener Law Harrisburg campus from 2007–2010 and is currently a contract analyst in the aerospace, defense, and marine section of TE Connectivity.

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WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG

November–April 2015

ANGELA C . DAV I S P A LLO ZZI ’ 08 , M A R C I E P . EA TO N ’ 08, A ND S TEP H EN M . B I LLY ’ 11

2007 DAV ID S . K ELLER announced he will seek another term as Franklin County commissioner. David was first elected commissioner in 2007 and reelected in 2011.

He has served as chairman of the board of commissioners since 2010. He also serves on the Franklin County Criminal Justice Advisory Board.

GEOFFR EY S . LOC K Y ER , a Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapelton Fires & Newby associate, was a speaker at the National Business Institute’s Advanced Workers’ Compensation CLE seminar in Dover, Delaware. His presentation, entitled, “Medical Issues and Their Role in the Complex Workers’ Compensation Claim,” covered issues including psychiatric and medical injuries, occupational stress claims, cumulative trauma, and vocational rehabilitation. In his practice, Lockyer represents insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation and subrogation matters in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

2008 ANGELA C . DAV I S P A LLO ZZI celebrated three years with Offit Kurman as a litigation attorney focusing in commercial litigation, and labor and employment litigation in the

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Baltimore, Maryland office. Ms. Pallozzi was named a Rising Star by “Super Lawyers” for the third consecutive year.

M A R C I E P . EA TO N is now managing partner for Troy & Eaton, LLP, a boutique law firm dedicated primarily to workers’ compensation cases. Marcie and her husband, Phil, live with their two daughters, Sarena and Victoria, three dogs, and six Morgan show horses in Binghamton, New York.

K EV I N G . M C K A NNA N was elected as city council member for the city of Winchester, Virginia.

He also serves as managing attorney of the Winchester branch for Booth & McCarthy.

In addition, Kevin is a certified judge advocate with the Virginia Army National Guard.

2010 A ND R EW C O NA B O Y was elected to Court Counsel for the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Andrew also recently passed the Florida bar and is now licensed in both Florida and Pennsylvania.

P

ICTUR E D : D I ANA C . SCHI M

M E L ’1 0

M ATTH EW J. L A ND IS joined Russell, Krafft & Gruber, LLP. He concentrates his practice in business law, information technology, privacy and data security, real estate and banking, and finance. Matt is a member of the Lancaster and Dauphin County Bar Associations and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

DI A NA C . S C H IMMEL was featured in the March edition of Philadelphia Life Magazine.

The feature, titled, “Fierce Advocacy, Compassionate Counsel” included a two-page article about Diana’s efforts in family law. In the article, she stated, “There’s a nice quality to practicing law when it involves people and their family. It’s much more personal and it’s an opportunity to make a difference.”

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Class Notes Tell us about your achievements.

Email your class notes to: trdepaoli@widener.edu

Help us build

a new alumni association

Or mail them to: Widener Law Harrisburg, Attn: Class Notes Office of Development & Alumni Engagement 3737 Vartan Way Harrisburg, PA 17106

ANDR EW J. O S TR O W S K I ’ 92

Dear Alumni of Widener Law Harrisburg: The American Bar Association (ABA) has granted its acquiescence to separate the two campuses of Widener University School of Law into two independent and fully approved law schools. In July 2015, we will formally become an independent law school—Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

This time of new beginnings is bittersweet for the law school and for the alumni association. For the past six years, I have had the distinction of serving on Widener University School of Law’s Alumni Association Board. In that time, I have formed great relationships with alumni from both campuses. Many, I am happy to call friend. While change is always difficult, I am proud to be a part of the creation of the Harrisburg campus’ alumni association.

Since October 2014, I have worked with several alumni and law school staff on building the foundation of the alumni association for our newly independent law school. We are crafting the by-laws and creating a distinct voice for Harrisburg alumni. The alumni association will officially launch in Fall 2015, when we will also debut our new alumni magazine, Civitas. This new magazine will provide a unique and exclusive view of issues relevant to Harrisburg campus alumni. I am excited about the positive direction our campus is headed, from the selection of our new dean to our new independence, and I hope you are too.

Until June 30, we remain one law school and one alumni association. But we still need the full support of our alumni as we move forward. I hope you will consider volunteering your time and talents to our efforts. Opportunities to get involved with the soon-to-be-created alumni association are still available. Please contact Natasha Lewis in the Office of Development & Alumni Engagement at (717) 541-3974 or nclewis@widener.edu.

Best wishes,

Tanya E. Colbert Blissman ’97

1992

C HR IST IAN A. D AV IS , a partner at Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, spoke at the National Business Institute Anatomy and Physiology 101 for Attorneys seminar in Philadelphia, PA. His program, “Hand and Wrist Injuries,” covered topics including how trauma occurs, how it affects function, and what to look for in medical records and diagnostic tests. Davis defends insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators in workers’ compensation claims.

MA RT IN T . DU RKI N presented “Telemedicine: Overcoming Regulatory, Licensing & Other Legal Hurdles” at the American Law Institute CLE Program.

He is a partner at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP. Martin concentrates his practice in the areas of health law, white collar criminal law, corporate law, and health care transactions.

S HA RON L . FR EE M AN was appointed chairperson of the Morris County Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Law Section. She has been a partner at Nusbaum, Stein, Goldstein, Bronstein & Kron in Succasunna, New Jersey since 2010.

She continues to focus her practice in the representation of injured workers

Widener Law

12

in the New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation. Sharon is bilingual in English and Spanish and represents workers in 12 counties throughout New Jersey.

K EV IN M . GEAR Y has been promoted to assistant vice president in the litigation group at United Services Automobile Association (USAA). Kevin works at USAA’s home office in San Antonio, Texas.

ANDR EW J. OS TR O W S K I was the Democratic nominee for United States Congress in the Pennsylvania Eleventh Congressional District against the incumbent Lou Barletta.

K ATHLEEN K . R Y A N is now general counsel and chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.

She is a featured speaker and legal advisor to the funeral industry.

EUGENE M . TALER I C O , JR . , president of the Board of Marley’s Mission (recognized in 2011 as the Best New Charity in the United States at the CLASSY Awards) welcomed more than 450 guests at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center to celebrate Marley’s Mission’s 5th Annual Blue Ribbon Gala.

Marley’s Mission provides equine-assisted psychotherapy—free of charge—to children who have experienced emotional trauma.

Aside from his work at Marley’s Mission, Mr. Talerico is the 1st Assistant District Attorney in Lackawanna County, Scranton, PA.

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Major W I LLI A M S . W H I TM A N has been awarded the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, signifying his completion of over 10 years of commissioned service.

William was an active duty judge advocate during the attacks of September 11, 2001, and participated in planning and conducting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1993 J. A ND R EW C R O M P TO N serves as general counsel to the majority caucus, in addition to remaining chief of staff to the Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore. As general counsel, he is responsible for managing all litigation for the caucus, working on advancing priority issues, and overseeing day-to-day legal matters. Andrew joined the Pennsylvania Senate in 1993 as a policy advisor and has played a major role in the development of legislation relating to state taxes, healthcare, and lobbyist disclosure.

1994 TH O M A S R . B EV ER I D G E opened his own law firm, Beveridge Law Offices, LLC, in Pottstown, PA. Mr. Beveridge is certified as a specialist in workers’ compensation law by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and his practice focuses on representing disabled individuals in workers’ compensation and Social Security disability claims. In addition, his firm also practices small business development, tattoo law, and fish and game law.

V I NC ENT M . C A TA NZA R O presented “Beyond Basics” through e-Discovery Intelligence at Reed Smith in Philadelphia, PA. The CLE discussed tools to make real change in e-discovery business, and the most current information and developments in the world of e-discovery.

WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG

November–April 2015

1996 C A R Y N M. G R EEN is now a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

C H R IS TO P H ER J. MA R ZZA C C O wrote an article in the litigation section of The Legal Integlligencer entitled, “Ethical Pitfalls for Lawyers to Avoid in Personal Injury Cases.”

1997 JA S O N D . S H A R P served on the judging panel for the 2014 “Lawyers on the Fast Track” list in The Legal Integlligencer. He is the executive deputy chief counsel for PennDOT’s Office of Chief Counsel. He serves as chief administrator for the King of Prussia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton regional offices, which provide litigation and legal support services for 45 counties.

1998 R O R Y G . R ITR IEV I recently began his third term as president and CEO of Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. and Mid Penn Bank. He has held these positions since 2009. Mr. Ritrievi was also appointed to The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. He will serve a three-year term.

1999 P A TR IC K J. MU R P H Y was a guest speaker at a career skills seminar supporting veterans, transitioning military personnel, and their families, hosted by The Union League of Philadelphia. He also served as master of ceremonies at the SeniorLAW Center’s gala, “Honoring Our Older Veterans: Stories of Liberation, Diversity, and Courage.”

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Events P

rofessor Jill E. Family was one of three expert witnesses to testify before the Judiciary subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts subcommittee, which is chaired

by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The hearing convened to consider the nexus of administrative law

Honor Roll THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG’S HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

Every donation made to the Taking the Lead ~ The Campaign for Widener is making a difference in the lives of many.

We are especially grateful to those donors who elected to designate gifts to the Harrisburg campus, contributing to such initiatives as the John L. Gedid Fellowship. While the list of all who generously supported the law school is long, below are the names of Widener Law Harrisburg donors whose campaign gifts total $5,000 or more.

Our staff has made every effort to ensure that the honor roll is accurate and complete.

If, however, you discover an error or omission, please contact Natasha Lewis at nclewis@widener.edu.

Field Trip P

rofessor John Dernbach and students from his “Sustainability Law and Practice” class presented sustainability resolutions to the Harrisburg City Council. Students researched environmental topics, crafted applicable new ordinances, and then presented their findings at a public meeting before the Harrisburg City Council. Topics included how to incorporate permeable paving, green infrastructure, composting, recycling, green building, and regulation of mobile food vendors into the city’s laws.

Professor Family shakes hands with Senator Ted Cruz following her remarks to the US Senate.

Leadership Circle

Top, left to right: Student Myer Messinger; Distinguished Professor John C. Dernbach; Harrisburg City Council Member Susan Brown-Wilson; student Kayla Rosencrans; Harrisburg City Council Vice President Sandra Reid; students Travis Petty, Matthew Fine, Pia Aklian, and Mark Wendaur.

Jurists’ Society Christopher & Caroline Bratic ‘11^ Mazza

Pennsylvania IOLTA The Mutual Fire Foundation Inc.

$25,000 - $49,999

$100,000 +

Founders’ Club $50,000 - $99,999

Inset: Professor John C. Dernbach addresses the Harrisburg City Council.

Michael ‘94, ‘11H^ & Catherine Aiello Alexander & Ann Bratic Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLC Sierra Club Douglas ‘94, ‘13H^ & Trudy Steinhardt Stephen Wirth Douglas Wolfberg ‘96*

T

he Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic partnered with Pennsylvania State Representative Patty Kim to present a free legal consulting session at the Martin Luther King Baptist Church in Harrisburg. Students consulted on matters involving custody, bankruptcy, wills, consumer transactions, and landlord and tenant disputes. Representative Kim provided outreach on Pennsylvania programs, services, and assistance available through her constituent service office.

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Ambassadors’ Club $10,000 - $19,999

Jonathan Bigley ‘95 Scott ‘97* & Tanya Colbert ‘97 Blissman James ‘96 & Gina Bohorad Central Penn College John & Carol Gedid Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Partners’ Club $5,000.00 +

Aspen Publishers, Inc. Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt & Fader, L.L.C. George & Nancy Hassel Highmark Inc. Bret Keisling ‘05* Keystone Biofuels, Inc. Interim Co-Dean Robyn Meadows* & Richard Meadows Kathryn Peifer ‘02* Pennsylvania Bar Association Rhoads & Sinon LLP

Professor Family testifies before the US Senate.

Class years indicate Widener Law class only. ^Member, National Advisory Council *Widener Law Overseer +Widener University Trustee

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Events Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration

WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG

On Campus and Beyond

New Lecture Series

S T

Pictured: Mutchler answers questions from the audience following discussions about her memoir.

Pictured: Harrisburg Police Chief Tom Carter addresses race relations between civilians and the police.

erry Mutchler, former AP reporter and current executive director of the PA Office of Open Records, shared her memoir: Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist and the Politics of Gay Love in America.

Students, faculty, and alumni gathered in the Pit for an informal examination of race relations and the law. The program featured remarks by Harrisburg Community Policing Coordinator, David Botero; Chief Administrative Law Judge, Tracy Henry ’94; Diversity Officer of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Trent Hargrove; and former Black Law Students Association co-presidents, Morgan Davis ’14 and Stephen McLendon ’14.

tudents from the newly formed Widener Law Harrisburg Veterans Association, a group formed to help ensure veterans and their families are aware of government benefits to which they are entitled, celebrated Veterans Day with a lunch table in the Pit. Pictured: Michael Farley; Student Bar Association President Thomas Russo; and students Hanan Khalil, Mary Jorgensen, Michael Schultz, and Tracy Murray.

Widener Law Harrisburg’s first Environmental Law Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series kicked off this year with a thought-provoking discussion on “Rethinking the Energy Divide” presented by Villanova University School of Law Professor Todd Aagaard.

Pictured: Professor Todd Aagaard (left) discusses energy and the law with Distinguished Professor John C. Dernbach (right).

A

new incubator program for attorneys who want to start their own solo or small law firms was launched through a partnership between Widener Law Harrisburg and the Dauphin County Bar Association. The program, the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, provides new legal professionals with office space at the bar association, computer equipment, training, mentoring, and networking support. Participants John Sweet ’14, Patrick Daniels ’13, Mark Calore ’14, and John Tabler ’14 will provide 100 hours of pro bono legal work while in the program.

C

ommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt addressed civil forfeiture and the war on drugs in Pennsylvania’s jurisprudence during the 2014 Distinguished Jurist in Residence Lecture.

Pictured from left to right: Professor J. Palmer Lockard, John Sweet ’14, Patrick Daniels ’13, Mark Calore ’14, Dauphin County Bar Executive Director Elizabeth Simcox, and John Tabler ‘14, kick-off the program.

Right: Judge Leavitt chats with event attendees at the reception following her lecture (above).

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FEATURE

Doug Steinhardt Following in the footsteps of his parents led Doug Steinhardt ’94 to a career as an attorney and into public service.

“My father had a law degree and my mother is a nurse. She was actually one of the founding trustees of our county’s community college and she just retired from the New Jersey (NJ) board of nurses,” explains Steinhardt, who was born and raised in Warren County, NJ. Steinhardt always planned to go to law school and found Widener Law Harrisburg had “a workable environment, where you get to know your professors and they get to know you,” he says.

After law school, Steinhardt and his father, Joseph, ran their own law firm together for 10 years. When his father decided to retire in 2005, Steinhardt took his extensive experience in family law, land use, and general litigation and joined the firm of Florio & Petrucci. At the time, there were six attorneys in the firm. Today, the firm is known as Florio, Petrucci, Steinhardt & Fader, and boasts 48 attorneys with offices in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Steinhardt has also succeeded in the political arena.

He served five terms as the mayor of Lopatcong, NJ and is the current chairman of the Republican Party in Warren County, NJ. “But for my education, I wouldn’t be sitting where I am,” he says. “I got an excellent education at Widener Law

“If you have the ability to give something back, you have a moral and professional responsibility to do it.”

Doug Steinhardt

and it certainly gave me the tools that I needed to be successful. If you have the ability to give something back, you have a moral and professional responsibility to do it.”

Taking that responsibility to heart, Steinhardt hopes that the scholarship he funded will go to “the person who would benefit from it the most, for whatever reason that may be.” He explains, “If it will make it easier for someone to obtain his or her goal, it will serve its purpose.”

“If there are returning students like me, who are rolling the dice and taking that leap, and the scholarship can make that landing a little softer—it would be nice to see a student benefit that way.”

Doug Wolfberg

South Carolina House of Representative’s

program committee for the 2016 Association

M I C H A EL D I M I NO testified before the

BEN BAR R OS was named chair of the

the constitutionality of a bill forbidding the

JOHN C AP OW S K I spoke at the

Wolfberg went on to become a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, regarded as the nation’s leading Emergency Medical Services (EMS) law firm, specializing in law associated with emergency medical services.

(Ironically, another founding partner, the late Jim Page, was a technical advisor and the inspiration for a main character on the TV show “Emergency.”)

With the success of his firm and in gratitude for the scholarship he received, Wolfberg felt that establishing a new scholarship is a fitting tribute to Widener Law. “It was so instrumental for me. I know how much of a difference it made,” he says. “Not only did I receive assistance, but I got the education at Widener that put me in a position to be able to give back to the school.”

As he pays it forward, Wolfberg has a vision for the type of student who may benefit from the Doug Wolfberg Scholarship. He explains, “If there are returning students like me, who are rolling the dice and taking that leap, and the scholarship can make that landing a little softer – it would be nice to see a student benefit that way.”

For more information on how you can “Pay it Forward” please contact Widener Law Harrisburg’s director of development, Natasha Lewis at nclewis@widener.edu or (717) 541-3974.

WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG

Faculty News & Publications

Subcommittee on Insurance concerning

of American Law Schools’ (AALS) Annual Meeting.

Doug Wolfberg A scholarship was pivotal in helping Doug Wolfberg ’96, attain his goals.

“I was so fortunate to receive scholarships when I was in school,” says Wolfberg, who was a young father when he left a flourishing career to attend law school full-time.

Wolfberg’s professional journey actually began at the age of 16 when he (like Mike Aiello) became an EMT. Following in the footsteps of his older brother and fueled by a love for the TV show, “Emergency,” being an EMT was a lifelong passion for Wolfberg. Working as an EMT through high school and college, he went on to a thriving a career in EMT administration. “I worked at the county, region, state, and federal levels,” he explains. “I punched all the tickets I wanted to punch and then I decided it was time to head to law school.”

Beginning law school part-time at Widener Law, Wolfberg soon became a full-time student. Then, he received a fateful phone call. “I was giving my son a bath and my wife answered the phone.

She said, ‘It’s the dean of the law school.’

I thought, ‘Great, I’m expelled,’” he laughs. But, the dean actually offered him a scholarship. “At the time, having a baby and living on only my wife’s income, it was a godsend. It was a game-changer and it really helped me to be able to start my law career with little to no debt.”

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Northwestern University School of Law conference on “The Foundations of the

use of state resources for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. JO H N D ER NB A C H spoke about the

Institute. He also spoke on one panel and

chair of the evidence section for the AALS.

Township decision at the Pennsylvania Bar

Developing Countries.” He was also elected

Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Robinson

Law of Evidence and their Implications for

JI L L F A MIL Y presented a paper titled

“An Unexceptional Aspect of President Obama’s Immigration Actions” at a symposium held at the AALS Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C. JUL IET MO R ING IEL L O was named

a peer reviewer for the American

Bankruptcy Journal.

moderated another at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Lima, Peru.

Keep up with Widener Law Harrisburg faculty scholarship by subscribing to the Widener Law Legal Studies Research Paper Series from the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). This free email series delivers the latest articles by Widener Law faculty to your email inbox. Visit: ssrn.com/ link/Widener-LEG.html to subscribe.

DERNBACH, JOHN C. & James May, Can Shale Gas Help Accelerate the Transition to Sustainability?, 57 Environment 4 (Jan.-Feb. 2015), available at http://www. environmentmagazine.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/2015/ January-February%202015/shale-gas-full.html. et al., A Response to the IPCC Fifth Assessment, 45 Envtl. L. Rep. News & Analysis 10027 (Jan. 2015). et al., Committee on Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Ecosystems: 2013 Annual Report, in Env’t, Energy, and Resources L.: The Year in Review 310 (2014), http://www.americanbar.org/tools/digitalassetabstract.html/ content/dam/aba/publications/yir/2013/YIR2013_27_ ccsde.pdf.

Facing Down the So-Called Agenda 21 ‘Conspiracy:’ Lessons for Planners, 81 Planning 20, (Feb. 2015).

DIMINO, SR., MICHAEL R., Tort Liability for Game Officials, 40 Referee 80 (Feb. 2015).

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FAMILY, JILL E., Citizenship for the Worthy Children, Jotwell (November 17, 2014) (reviewing Elizabeth Keyes,

Defining American: The DREAM Act, Immigration Reform and

Citizenship, 14 Nev L. J. 101 (2014)), http://lex.jotwell.com/ citizenship-for-the-worthy-children/.

Commentary, An Unexceptional Aspect of President Obama’s Immigration Executive Actions, Jurist, (Jan.15, 2015), http://jurist.org/academic/2015/01/jill-family-executiveactions.php.

Removing the Distraction of Delay, 64 Cath. U. L. Rev. 99 (2015).

MORINGIELLO, JULIET M., Chapter 9 Plan Confirmation Standards and the Role of State Choices, 37 Campbell L. Rev. 1 (2015).

When Does Some Federal Interest Require a Different Result?: An Essay on the Use and Misuse of Butner v. United States, 2015 U. Ill. L. Rev. 657.

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FEATURE

Paying it Forward

Michael Aiello ’94

Doug Steinhardt ’94

Doug Wolfberg ’96

by Mary Lamb

What does it mean to pay it forward?

It is more than returning a favor—it is taking good fortune and passing it along to the next person, to the next group, even to the next generation. Inspired by gratitude and fueled by hope, it creates a domino effect of generosity.

Michael Aiello ’94, Doug Steinhardt ’94, and Doug Wolfberg ’96 are all paying it forward at Widener Law Harrisburg.

During the historic Taking the Lead ~

The Campaign for Widener comprehensive fundraising campaign, they led the way by creating generous new scholarships for the school. Though from different backgrounds, with varied motivations and goals, they are united by a shared appreciation for their Widener Law education, their ability to translate that education into great success, and their passion for giving back— and for paying it forward.

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Michael Aiello is a purely American success story.

His father immigrated to America from Italy in the 1960s.

His mother was born and raised in Brooklyn. Together, they raised Michael and his two brothers with little material wealth, but with deep resources of wisdom, kindness, and grit. With their guidance, Aiello was the first in his family to attend college, then law school, and today is one of the most successful and charitable attorneys in New York City.

Aiello credits his father with urging him toward higher education. As a teen, Aiello was an emergency medical technician (EMT) and was considering a career with the New York City Fire or Police departments when his father pulled him aside. “He said, ‘Go to college first; there’s no such thing as wasting a college degree,’” Aiello explains.

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That commitment was reciprocated. “The school really cared about me,” he shares. “I ended up getting a clerkship in the Third Circuit, in my view, because of the recommendation from a Widener professor. Widener Law bent over backwards to help me. They were consumed with my success.”

In turn, Aiello used his law degree to become a great success story. Today, he is a board member and chairman of the corporate department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He represents companies in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, and was recently named the 2014 Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer. He explains, “I run the global corporate practice, 650 lawyers report to me. I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but I credit Widener Law with a lot of this.”

“I believe in giving back.

I grew up with nothing and my parents were incredibly charitable in whatever way they could be, whether it was to give people a place to stay or a meal.”

Michael Aiello

So, Aiello earned his undergraduate degree at New York University, while working full time as an EMT. When he decided to attend law school, Widener Law in Harrisburg provided a change of pace. “It was different from any place I’ve ever lived,” he says. “My decision to go to Widener Law was probably one of the best decisions of my life. It was perfect. It was small, rural, and felt intimate.

I really committed myself to the school.”

V ol ume 22, Number 1

Therefore, “To donate money to Widener Law was a no-brainer,” Aiello says. “I believe in giving back. I grew up with nothing and my parents were incredibly charitable in whatever way they could be, whether it was to give people a place to stay or a meal.” Inspired by their example, Aiello hopes that his scholarship will “encourage people and show them that they can do anything.”

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“We stand strong on the reputation we have built in Central Pennsylvania and beyond over the past 25 years, and I look forward to seeing what we accomplish over the next 25 years.”

A message from

the interim dean Dear Alumni and Friends,

“Congratulations! . . .We couldn’t be more proud of your accomplishments as you now celebrate your independence as Commonwealth Law School.”

A message from

the president Dear Alumni and Friends of Widener Law Harrisburg,

It’s been my honor and privilege to serve as interim dean of Widener Law Harrisburg for the past year. Leading our campus and guiding faculty, staff, and students through the process of separation has been an incredible experience, and I am excited about our future. Spring is always an electrifying time at the law school — first year law students are becoming more confident, second years are settling in, and third years are inching closer to the finish line as commencement approaches.

This year spring is even more exciting, bringing with it many positive changes on deck:  We launched a new website. If you haven’t seen it, take a look at harrisburglaw.widener.edu.  In July 2015, we will welcome a new dean, Christian Johnson, formerly the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law and Professor, College of Law, University of Utah. We are excited to welcome him as the first dean exclusive to Harrisburg, and I am sure he is eager to connect with you, and will welcome your feedback and suggestions.  The American Bar Association has granted its acquiescence to separate the two campuses of Widener University School of Law into two independent and fully approved law schools. In July 2015, the Harrisburg campus will formally become an independent law school, Widener University Commonwealth Law School. We will be informally known as Widener Law Commonwealth.

In addition to highlighting recent events and the achievements of our alumni and faculty, this issue of the magazine celebrates the success of Taking the Lead ~ The Campaign for Widener and the generous alumni supporters that made that success possible. I am very proud of Harrisburg graduates — Michael Aiello ’94, Douglas Steinhardt ’94, and Douglas Wolfberg ’96 — who all made significant commitments to establish endowed scholarships at the law school. Their stories are unique and touching, and I am thrilled to share them with you. We are grateful for their dedication, and the dedication of so many alumni who play an active role in our day-to-day activities, whether through serving on advisory committees or working directly with students. We are fortunate to have alumni who are committed to our mission, and fully believe in our commitment to legal education.

We stand strong on the reputation we have built in Central Pennsylvania and beyond over the past 25 years, and I look forward to seeing what we accomplish over the next 25 years.

ROBYN L. MEADOWS Interim Dean and Professor, Widener Law Harrisburg

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Congratulations! Widener University has long been proud of its law school, and of our graduates who continue to make their marks in the pages of American legal history.

As a mid-sized institution, Widener University highly values the fact that, since your founding 25 years ago, we have maintained not just one, but two excellent law school campuses. We couldn’t be more proud of your accomplishments as you now celebrate your independence as Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

You’ve earned it.

This move toward separation was not a change made suddenly, nor was it made without conscientious and scrupulous attention to implications on enrollment, finances, and operations. Several very important factors should be noted: This transition was made from a position of strength, as the university is fresh-off of a successful ABA accreditation, an historic and successful transformational campaign, increased rankings, and greater regional and national visibility.

Administrative staff, including your new dean, will devote full attention to the needs of your students and faculty, and advancing your law school. Harrisburg staff will now cultivate and fundraise from its own constituents, with tailored support that directly impacts the most immediate campus needs and priorities. Alumni events and messaging will be crafted by Harrisburg’s development staff with the needs of its graduates in mind.

Moving forward as Widener Law Commonwealth on July 1, your new dean, Christian Johnson, has a challenging, but exciting, task ahead. I’ve been comforted in knowing that Widener Law Commonwealth is in more than capable hands with Dean Johnson at its helm, and I know that the best is yet to come.

DR. JAMES T. HARRIS III President, Widener University

In its recruiting efforts, Harrisburg will now have the ability to market the characteristics, faculty, and programs that make the law school unique and attractive to top prospective students.

V ol ume 22, Number 1

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Widener University School of Law Magazine CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Mary Allen, Megan Cantalupo, Patricia Fox, Mary Lamb, Natasha Lewis, Robyn Meadows, Ed Sonnenberg PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Mary Allen, Natasha Lewis, Nancy Ravert Ward, Diana Robinson, Corrina Vecsey Wilson EXECUTIVE EDITOR:

Robyn Meadows HEAD WRITER / CO-EDITOR:

Robyn Ray, Natasha Lewis

WIDENER LAW HARRISBURG

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Volume 22, Num ber 1

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Eugene D. McGurk Jr. ’78, Chair Interim Co-Dean Erin Daly, JD, Ex Officio Interim Co-Dean Robyn Meadows, JD, Ex Officio

National Advisory Council

Board of Overseers

Renae B. Axelrod ’91, Ex Officio Steven P. Barsamian ’75 Hon. Raymond A. Batten ’79 Scott E. Blissman ’97 C. Grainger Bowman, Vice Chair Theresa V. Brown-Edwards John T. Carroll III ’81 Vincent L. Champion ’01 Bonnie E. Copeland ’09 Michael G. DeFino ’75, Honorary Hon. Susan C. Del Pesco ’75 President James T. Harris III, DEd, Ex Officio Richard K. Herrmann Hon. Randy J. Holland Robert A. Honecker Jr. ’81 Bret D. Keisling ’05 George W. Kern V ’96 Kathleen W. McNicholas, MD, JD ’06, LLM ’10 Edward B. Micheletti ’97 George K. Miller Jr. ’81 Hon. Paul P. Panepinto ’76 Kathryn J. Peifer ’02 Scott W. Reid ’02 John F. Schmutz Bernard W. Smalley Sr. ’80 Hon. Lee A. Solomon ’78 Craig A. Styer ’90 P. Michael Walker John A. Wetzel ’75 Douglas M. Wolfberg ’96

Where has Widener Law taken you?

We’d like to feature your story.

Write to us at trdepaoli@widener.edu.

S PRIN G 2015

Marc R. Abrams ’78, Emeritus Michael J. Aiello ’94 Howard K. Alperin ’90 Joseph M. Asher ’93 Miriam Benton Barish ’92 Carl W. Battle ’82 Kyle D. Bowser ’91 Charlene D. Davis ’84 Claire M. DeMatteis ’92 Cary L. Flitter ’81 Christopher R. Fromm ’99 Dr. Robert D. Gober, JD ’79 Ronald P. Goldfaden ’76, Emeritus Mitchell Gurwicz ’95 Brenda Alderman James ’92 Jeffrey B. Killino ’00 Wayne D. Kimmel ’95 Samuel A. Landy ’85 Hon. Alan B. Levin ’80, Emeritus Robert O. Lindefjeld ’93 Kenneth J. Lopez ’95 Harry Dillon Madonna ’97 James J. Maron ’85 Caroline B. Mazza, JD ’11 Eugene D. McGurk Jr. ’78 Patrick J. Murphy ’99 John L. Reed ’91 Cynthia R. Ryan ’79 Joseph J. Santarone ’85 John E. Savoth ’85 Leif R. Sigmond Jr. ’90 Timothy J. Snyder ’81 Douglas J. Steinhardt ’94 Alice W. Strine ’92 Leslee Silverman Tabas ’79 Andrea Beth Tinianow ’97 James J. Veneruso ’75 Richard P. Zaretsky ’75

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V ol ume 22, Number 1

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Paying it Forward Stories of three alumni giving back to future generations of lawyers.

Events Launching a partnership with the Dauphin County Bar Association.

“We are immeasurably grateful for the generosity of our alumni, many of whom have given back to those following in their footsteps.”

Interim Dean Robyn Meadows

contents 2 Interim Dean’s Message 3 President’s Message 7 Faculty News & Publications 11 Honor Roll of Campaign Donors

Class Notes Harrisburg alumni reaching milestones and making news.

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