Duquesne Lawyer magazine, fall/winter 2016

THE FALL/WINTER 2016

The Duquesne University School of Law Magazine for Alumni and Friends

The Spirit of Community:

Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green ALSO INSIDE: Following Their Own Drummer: Alumni on Non-traditional Paths Mark Yochum’s Next Act

M E S S AG E FROM T HE DEAN

Interim Dean’s Message Thank you for all that you do for Duquesne University School of Law! It’s a privilege to serve as your interim dean and to witness the many ways our alumni, faculty, administration, staff and friends serve our Law School community, day in and day out.

As alums, we have many achievements to applaud and opportunities to seize. When Duquesne posted a 91.96 percent first-time pass rate for the July 2016 Pennsylvania Bar Exam—the second highest in the state—we celebrated together. Our students work incredibly hard and these bar passage results reflect both that hard work and the amazing dedication of faculty and staff to students here at the School of Law. I’m blessed to be able to share, in this issue of The Duquesne Lawyer, stories of our students’ remarkable achievements, our faculty’s ever-growing body of scholarship, and our alumni’s selfless service to mentoring and coaching and creating opportunities for our graduates. We have much to celebrate and appreciate in so many other ways, too.

Our commitment—indeed, the Spiritan mission—is to serve students so that they may serve others. This commitment is reflected in three pillars here at the Law School: academic excellence, ethics and professionalism, and lifelong service.

Duquesne has a long and well-earned tradition of the highest academic standards, and these standards translate into academic and legal excellence. It’s a story that is important to share!

Our intense focus on ethics and professionalism threads through all that we do. How critical it is to “do the right thing right the first time.” Doing the “right thing” is not just about what we do; it is about how we do it. And, for their time here in this Law School, our students explore both “what is the right thing to do” and, as well, “how to do the right thing in accord with the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.”

And service—so many of our alumni willingly serve in all facets of our lives. Some have chosen public service in the executive, legislative or judicial parts of government. Others have chosen careers in the nonprofit sector, in law firms or in the corporate world. Regardless of the paths chosen, our alums are frequently seen volunteering time and efforts professionally both locally and globally because, frankly, that is who we are!

I know you join with me in encouraging this spirit of service in our students.

A word on service. Many of our fellow alumni have been instrumental in shaping our commitment to service. Our graduates serve as supervising lawyers in our law clinics, in externships, and in pro bono programs. Our students have a myriad of public service opportunities through the McGinley

Public Service and the Public Interest Law Association Fellowship programs, among others. It’s critical that we support our students by expanding their prospects for public service and by living Duquesne’s Spiritan mission ourselves. And, we are most grateful for all that each of you has done and continue to do.

This is an exciting time for the School of Law. We do have challenges. And we have marvelous opportunities. The practice of law is ever-changing. Financial issues are not insignificant.

Adaptation and change can be difficult.

As I write, the University has launched the search for a permanent dean. No doubt the next person to serve in the dean’s office will enjoy the support of this amazing School of Law community, along with President Ken Gormley, our School of Law Advisory Board, our Duquesne Law Alumni Association Board of Governors and you, our incredible alumni.

I am most grateful to you for the support you have given this Law School during my time as interim dean. It is a privilege to serve with you and to witness your generous support in so many ways for the School of Law and, indeed, for our next generation of Duquesne lawyers. Thank you most sincerely!

Maureen Lally-Green, L’74 Interim Dean

THE

DuquesneLawyer is published semi-annually by Duquesne University Office of Public Affairs

CONTACT US www.duq.edu/law lawalumni@duq.edu 412.396.5215 © 2016 by the Duquesne University School of Law Reproduction in whole or in part, without permission of the publisher, is prohibited.

INTERIM DEAN

Maureen Lally-Green EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF LAW ALUMNI RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT

Jeanine L. DeBor DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Colleen Derda CONTRIBUTORS

Maria Comas Robin Connors Samantha Coyne Jeanine DeBor Colleen Derda P. Michael Jones Andrew Kiger Mary Olson Nicole Prieto Rose Ravasio Phil Rice Jacob Rooksby DESIGN

Miller Creative Group

CONTENTS FEAT U RES

DEPART M ENTS

The Spirit of Community: Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green 6

News from The Bluff

2

Clinics

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Following Their Own Drummer: Alumni on Non-traditional Paths 10 Juris: Winter 2017 Issue Preview

14

Mark Yochum’s Next Act

18

Young Alumni Profile

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S TAY I N F O R M E D

Commencement 16 Faculty Achievements

21

DLAA Updates

27

Class Actions

30

In Memoriam

33

Student Briefs

34

Career Services

36

NE W S F ROM THE B LU FF

Duquesne Achieves 2nd Highest Result on Pennsylvania Bar Exam Duquesne University School of Law graduates achieved a 91.96 percent first-time pass rate on the July 2016 Pennsylvania Bar Examination, placing it second among 10 Pennsylvania-area law schools. This pass rate exceeded the Pennsylvania first-time average pass rate (75.35 percent) by 16.6 points, marking the 10th time in the last 11 years that Duquesne has exceeded the statewide average.

Duquesne placed ahead of Temple, Villanova, Drexel, the University of Pittsburgh and other law schools. Only the University of Pennsylvania and Duquesne had first-time pass rates exceeding 90 percent. The next highest rate was 10 points lower, placing Duquesne in an elite category among Pennsylvania law schools.

Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green attributed the strong results to the hard work of the students who graduated in 2016, the faculty’s dedication and the University’s unwavering support. “We are immensely proud of our students and the entire Duquesne law community for this outstanding performance,”

said Lally-Green. “Our law program is student-focused, and these results reflect the value of this approach.”

In addition, 103 of 112 Duquesne graduates passed the exam on their first attempt, and three additional applicants, who were taking the exam for the second or later time, also passed.

Duquesne offers law students academic excellence opportunities beginning with their first semester of studies. As they move toward their third year of full-time studies or fourth year of part-time evening studies, law students can take advantage of a range of special classes to prepare for the bar exam.

“This is a remarkable showing by a talented group of law students and faculty who remained focused and worked tirelessly to achieve the highest level of excellence on the bar exam and succeeded masterfully,” added Duquesne University President Ken Gormley, who served as law dean from 2010-15. “The entire University community is extremely proud of their efforts. These results demonstrate, once again, that Duquesne law students out-perform the usual metrics through hard work and dedication to the task at hand.”

Health Care Law Students Gain Lobbying Experience in Washington, D.C. Law students from visiting Professor Rhonda Gay Hartman’s health care law class joined students and faculty from the School of Pharmacy on Capitol Hill to lobby on behalf of pharmacists for a bill. They met with representatives of Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey and Congressmen Keith Rothfus and Tim Murphy, among others. The lobbying was persuasive and the students represented Duquesne University superbly. Alumni Nancy Pirt,

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L’79, David Kaleda, L’96, and Mary Frances Woods, L’14, joined the law students at a reception hosted by Hartman, where they provided advice and mentoring.

Law students who attended the event were Mohammed AlBidhawi, Taylor Brooks, Alyssa Brown, Alyssa Dedola, Angela Giglio, Ian Grecco, Cynthia Howell, Kathleen Hum, Chalyn Kaufman, Marissa Kohl, Susan Pickup, Emily Schimizzi and Anne Talarico.

Duquesne School of Law Welcomes Professor Seth Oranburg The School of Law welcomes Assistant Professor of Law Seth C. Oranburg. Oranburg received his B.A. from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

He studies the effect of law on innovation and the economy. His research includes internet shareholder activism, crowdfunding, venture capital and angel investing, smart contracts, network effects, information brokerage, and other commercial activities that relate to securities regulation, corporate finance, business associations, contracts, and related legal issues. He publishes his research in esteemed journals such as the Rutgers University Law Review, Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy, and Fordham Journal of Corporate Law, and he has been interviewed by popular publications such as the The Wall Street Journal, AboveTheLaw.com and CommPro.biz.

Oranburg teaches Contracts and Corporations at Duquesne Law. Before joining the Duquesne faculty, he taught legal writing courses at the Chicago-Kent College of Law and taught Corporations, Closely Held Business Organizations and Electronic Discovery of Digital Evidence at the Florida State University College of Law. Oranburg’s practice experience includes providing corporate counsel and managing venture capital transactions in Silicon Valley, Calif., and litigating antitrust matters in Washington, D.C.

Fishman Retires; Horvath Named Director for Lawyer Services Patricia Horvath is the new associate director for lawyer services at Allegheny County Law Library. Horvath’s appointment was formalized after the recent retirement of longtime Associate Director for Lawyer Services, Dr. Joel Fishman.

Fishman became the head law librarian at Allegheny County Law Library (March-November 1977) before joining Duquesne

University Center for Legal Information as the assistant, then associate, director for lawyer services (November 1999-June 2016).

A prolific author, he has written more than 250 publications, including more than 75 books/pamphlets, 75 articles and 80 book reviews in various library, history and law review periodicals.

Fishman’s impact on the legal community was noted in a recent article in The Lawyers Journal of the Allegheny County Bar Association. He will continue to teach at Duquesne as an adjunct professor.

Horvath served as the associate director for Resources and Finance at Duquesne University Center for Legal Information.

She brings many years of both academic and law firm library managerial experience to the position. Additionally, many in the local and national legal research communities are familiar with Horvath through her active participation in professional organizations like the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and the Western Pennsylvania Law Library Association (WPLLA).

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CL I NI C S

Clinical Legal Education Updates

Juvenile Defender Clinic and Housing Authority team up to serve public housing residents A $100,000 Juvenile Re-entry Assistance Program (JRAP) grant will enable the Duquesne University School of Law and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) to assist current and potential public housing residents with juvenile record expungements.

Under the guidance of Assistant Clinical Professor Tiffany Sizemore-Thompson, 10 student attorneys in the School of Law’s Juvenile Defender Clinic will visit each of the HACP housing sites, where they will conduct intake interviews and provide juvenile expungement consultation, advice and representation.

“We’ll do pro-bono expungement representation for people up to 24 years of age who are at risk for being evicted from public housing because of their juvenile record or who cannot get into public housing because they have a juvenile record, which excludes them from being eligible,” said Sizemore-Thompson.

“If we come across someone with an adult record, we will refer them to the Law School’s Civil Rights Clinic, which works with adult expungements.”

The Juvenile Defender Clinic—one of Allegheny County’s few no-cost providers for juvenile expungement representation— offers holistic representation to its clients in order to address as many needs (i.e., social work, mental health) as possible.

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Sizemore-Thompson said she hopes to begin the HACP site visits in November.

“This grant will help young people who have paid their debt to society to get back on the right track, to find stable housing and secure sustainable employment,” added HACP Chairwoman Valerie McDonald-Roberts.

Pittsburgh’s single-largest provider of affordable housing, HACP offers low-income public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers for approximately 20,000 residents. Their housing communities include Allegheny Dwellings, Arlington Heights, Bedford Dwellings, Glen Hazel, Hamilton-Larimer, Homewood North and Northview Heights.

“We are so happy about the opportunity to partner with HACP on this initiative,” said Sizemore-Thompson. “The ability to access quality, affordable housing like that offered by the housing authority is a great first step toward productive citizenship—we’re thrilled to be able to offer this service to the affected housing communities.”

The JRAP funding was presented through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Education Law Clinic participates in national event Students from the Education Law Clinic participated in the national “Lift Us Up!” conference in Pittsburgh in October.

Sponsored by the Dignity in Schools Campaign and the Education Rights Network, the event brought together local, state and federal policymakers to discuss solutions to ending “schoolto-prison pipelines” and new efforts to keep students in school by reducing the number of school suspensions.

KDKA-TV covered the event. To learn about Duquesne Law’s Education Law Clinic and how it serves Pittsburgh families, visit duq.edu/law/clinics.

Alumna and law student win pro bono awards

Numbers that matter Hours of legal service to the region through the clinics Hours of legal service to the region through externship placements Hours of legal service to the region through pro bono programs Academic Year 2015-16

Externship opportunities expand Thanks to the work of Professor Kate Norton and Clinical Legal Education Director Laurie Serafino, law students have new opportunities for externship placements. More than 300 partners now place Duquesne Law students in externships locally, nationally and internationally.

The Allegheny County Bar Foundation announced the 2016 Pro Bono Achievement Awards in October, and a Duquesne Law alumna and law student were among the recipients.

Beth A. Dodson, L’ 07, an attorney with BNY Mellon, won the Jane F. Hepting Individual Attorney Award for her work creating pro bono and community education projects. The award recognizes her work recruiting and training colleagues to provide free legal services, while also handling many cases herself.

Jason E. Piatt won the Law Student Award for volunteering his time in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, where he worked to defend Pennsylvania state police, and in the office of Judge R. Stanton Wettick in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

In addition to his pro bono activities, Piatt serves the public in Duquesne Law’s Family Law Clinic.

Elizabeth DeLosa, L’10, began to manage the work of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project this academic year in Duquesne Law’s Tribone Center for Clinical Legal Education. DeLosa currently supervises six law students, two from Pitt Law and four from Duquesne Law, and eventually will oversee eight students with the help of volunteer attorneys. DeLosa spoke about her students’ work at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project’s Pittsburgh launch on Sept. 27, in downtown Pittsburgh.

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THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY:

Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green Phil Rice, Contributing Writer

Duquesne University boasts many attributes that draw students from around the world. Academic excellence, the prioritizing of moral and spiritual values, the fostering of an ecumenical atmosphere, and an emphasis on service to the Catholic Church and to society are some of the loftier attractions. But each student ultimately builds a personal relationship with Duquesne that is as important as the University’s greater mission. For Judge Maureen Lally-Green, L’74, new interim dean of the Law School, the spiritual essence of Duquesne University is inseparable from the physical and worldly aspects that garner worldwide attention. For Lally-Green, who is the first female graduate of the Law School to be named a dean, the whole is greater than its parts. The community is the spiritual foundation upon which Duquesne continues to build. In her words, “The way we support each other demonstrates the magic of that spirit.”

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The eldest of eight children, Lally-Green was born in Sharpsville, Pa., near the Ohio border. When she was 12, the family moved nearby to the slightly larger town of Hermitage.

Small-town values permeated the Lallys, as did a solid Catholic upbringing. “We all went to Kennedy Christian, which is now called Kennedy Catholic High School,” she recalls. When it came time to consider colleges, that devotion to Catholic education was a primary concern, along with geographical considerations.

“My father said, ‘It has to be Catholic,’ and he added, ‘You’re the oldest. I don’t want to have to drive too far to the school,’ and he actually gave me a radius to choose within.” While her father’s methods may seem restrictive, Lally-Green fully embraced his reasoning and his motivations. She had already set her sights on a particular school that met the criteria anyway. “My uncle, Pat Lally, was a graduate of Duquesne, plus Duquesne was one of the few co-ed Catholic universities at that time. It was really the obvious choice.”

For Lally-Green, entering college in 1967 meant becoming part of an emerging youth movement for which there had been no precedent. The number of college students in the U.S. was reaching record highs with each year of the 1960s, a trend that would continue through 1975. The Vietnam War, civil rights and other issues were now dominating the activities of students all over the country. Duquesne navigated the era with common sense and faith. “Father McAnulty was president of the University at that time. We cannot ignore the incredible presence of Father Mac,” Lally-Green says. The Rev. Henry J. McAnulty served as the ninth president of Duquesne from 1959 until 1980, and afterwards as University chancellor until his death in 1995. He cultivated an image of accessibility and community involvement during his 21 years as University president, and his nonconfrontational personality and ability to relate to students would prove invaluable in the face of the student unrest that characterized many college campuses of the time. “He was bigger than life, and just so kind and so wonderful. Not just for me—for everyone. He listened to the students, and he instilled ethics and professionalism by example.”

The future Pennsylvania Superior Court judge did not take a common academic path to law school. “I went into the college of arts and was a math major for a couple of years. My mathematics teachers were very influential, not just through teaching but in taking an interest in the students. When I decided I really wanted to teach, I went to the education school and got secondary education training. I was going to be a math teacher.”

In the midst of this process her academic proficiency and knack for teaching led her to tutor other students, including some with designs on law school. “I was helping some friends prepare for the LSAT, and along the way they challenged me to take the test.

I did, and I did fairly well on it. I was now presented with a new option.”

Her introduction to the possibility of attending law school may seem impulsive, but Lally-Green was genuinely interested.

She gave the matter serious thought and consulted trusted friends

and advisors. This was not a decision to take lightly, and the contemplation period included valuable time in her hometown.

“Growing up I had only known one lawyer, a friend of my parents. I spoke with him and he was extremely supportive. I was fortunate to receive some scholarship help, and I chose to come to Duquesne.”

There really wasn’t any doubt as to which law school she would attend. Unlike many students, Lally-Green was following the lead of the University rather than being guided strictly by career goals. She was quickly absorbing the possibilities of a career in law, and in so doing she was finding a clear sense of self—she was identifying with the concept. But the foundation of these personal ambitions was firmly provided by the University.

“The attraction was the spirit of Duquesne. Simply stated, here people are treated with respect—and I give the Spiritans a lot of credit on that.”

In the 1960s and early 1970s, women law students at Duquesne were rare, but toward the end of the decade trailblazers such as Carol Los Mansmann, L’67, Donetta Ambrose, L’67, and Joy Conti Flowers, L’73, had not only demonstrated superb academic talents, but each would go on to forge impressive paths in the legal profession. “My class had around 10 percent women, but I felt very much a part of a community here. And because of that community I didn’t encounter some of the problems that women in other law schools faced. This is directly attributable to the women who preceded me. The four of us—all “Double Duqers”—became close friends, and Carol Los Mansmann was a particularly valuable mentor.”

Law school proved to be a good fit for Lally-Green. She excelled as a student and reveled in the time and experience shared with professors and colleagues. “Professor Robert Broughton was a property professor—so kind to all of us, always giving his time. Professor Aaron Twersky, our torts professor, was simply terrific. Those are just two—I have a litany of professors who guided me then and who continue to influence my life and career. Truly my time at the Law School was a wonderful experience. Great professors, great classmates, great friends.”

Upon earning her J.D., Lally-Green practiced with a private law firm in Pittsburgh that dissolved after just a few months.

She then went to Washington, D.C., where she served as counsel to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for almost three years before returning to western Pennsylvania. Back in Pittsburgh, she was counsel to the former Westinghouse Electric Corp. for six years before taking a moment to re-evaluate her life and her career. “By that time I was married and had two children, so I decided to slow it down a little bit and spend more time with my family. With the help and guidance of Dean John Sciullo, a special friend and mentor to me, I began teaching at the Law School in an adjunct capacity before becoming full-time.” Joining the full-time faculty in 1987, she became a full professor in 1992 and served in that capacity until 1998, when she was appointed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, a statewide appellate court,

by Governor Tom Ridge. In 1999, she was elected to the court for

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a term of 10 years. After retiring in 2009, she worked with Bishop David Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh as associate general secretary, a position she held until the end of August 2015.

Lally-Green’s service to the commonwealth and the judiciary is impressive. Her roles include being chair of the Supreme Court’s Gender Fairness Implementation Committee (2002) and co-chair of the Children’s Fast Track subcommittee that recommended recent substantial changes to the appellate rules involving children and family matters (2008-09). She was secretary and member of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Commission on Race, Gender and Ethnic Fairness (appointed by the Supreme Court, 2004-07). During her tenure, she chaired the committee that developed and proposed to the Supreme Court a nondiscrimination policy and procedures for the judicial branch of government, a proposal that was adopted and made effective in January 2008. She served as chair, vice-chair and member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Appellate Court Procedural Rules Committee (2005-11). She recently served the Court of Judicial Discipline in its Diversion Program (2015-16).

Dedication to nonprofits remains a priority for Lally-Green.

Her positions include chair and member of the board of directors for UPMC Mercy Hospital and chair and a member of the board of directors of Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School.

She is vice chair and member of the board of directors of Our Campaign for the Church Alive!, Inc., and a member of the board of directors of Saint Vincent College and the board of regents of Saint Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa. She also serves on the board of directors of two for-profit entities.

Not surprisingly, Lally-Green has received awards and official recognition throughout her career. Some of the many honors include Helping Hands Judge Mansmann Award (2011); membership in Century Club, Duquesne University (2010); Presidents’ Award from Saint Francis University and Duquesne University (2009); Anne X. Alpern Award (2006); St. Thomas More Award, St. Thomas More Society (2002); and Duquesne

University Law School Distinguished Alumna Award (2001).

Whether in the public or private sector, Duquesne and Duquesne alumni have always been an essential part of LallyGreen’s professional landscape. The sense of fellowship she treasured as a student continues to grow. “When I ran for office I traveled from county to county. The network of alums was a great opportunity to connect the dots, yet another derivative of the Spiritans and their philosophy of lifelong community. We help each other out without asking for anything in return. And that’s special.”

Given Lally-Green’s strong connection to her alma mater, her selection to serve as interim dean of the Law School seems like a natural development. “I’ve always stayed close to Duquesne throughout my adult life. When this opportunity came up, I thought, ‘What a marvelous privilege!’ And everyone has been terrific.”

Former dean and current University president Ken Gormley has expressed supreme confidence in the selection. “She is widely respected throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and nationally, and has enormous credibility in all circles,” Gormley says. “It is hard to imagine a person more qualified and prepared to serve as dean of the Law School than Judge Lally-Green.”

Interim Dean Lally-Green eloquently accepts the baton from Gormley with characteristic optimism and vision. “The Law School has wonderful talent and we have a wonderful program.

Our faculty is committed to ethics, professionalism and academic excellence while maintaining a keen focus on the welfare of the students. When students leave this place they have a good sense of doing the right thing the first time. And they have a lifelong commitment to service, whether that means serving clients, serving community, serving society—or all of the above.”

The spirit of the Duquesne School of Law has a worthy standard bearer, though she deflects the spotlight. “Duquesne is student-centered, and through the marvelous students of Duquesne the spirit carries forward.”

“It is hard to imagine a person more qualified and prepared to serve as dean of the Law School than Judge Lally-Green.”

— Former dean and current University president Ken Gormley

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The Presidents and the Constitution

More than 300 people attended a panel discussion of the book, The Presidents and the Constitution: A Living History, written by Duquesne University President Ken Gormley, on Nov. 7. Some of the country’s leading presidential historians gathered to discuss the power of the presidency and its role in the United States’ constitutional system.

Gormley was joined by several experts who wrote chapters on specific presidents for his book: James D. Robenalt, a lawyer, writer and expert on presidents from Ohio, who wrote about President Warren G. Harding (pictured above right); David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and syndicated

columnist, who wrote about President William Henry Harrison (pictured above middle); and Lori Cox Han, a scholar and professor of political science at Chapman University, who moderated the event (inset). She wrote the chapter on George H. W. Bush for Gormley’s book. Senator Gary Hart, previously scheduled to appear, was unable to attend due to illness.

The panelists joined Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green earlier in the day at a luncheon discussion attended by pre-law and undergraduate students and their advisors from 12 local colleges and universities.

Also participating were former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, Professor Joseph Sabino Mistick and James R. Burn, Esq.

Second Annual Career Coaching for Future Women Lawyers The offices of Career Services, Law Alumni and Student Organizations hosted the Career Coaching for Future Women Lawyers event on Nov. 2. Forty students attended the “speed dating” type session, garnering important career advice from nine attorneys in the Pittsburgh legal community: Hon. Maureen Lally-Green, L’74, Madelyn Reilly, L’85, Wendy Williams, L’87, Carol Hesz, L’90, Jessica Jurasko, L’04, Ayanna Lee-Davis, L’04, Stephanie Solomon, L’ 08, Shayna Raver, L’14, and Alysia Keating.

Topics covered were find a mentor, become a leader, build your network, how to negotiate, big firm perspective, junior lawyer’s perspective, in-house counsel perspective, interviewing considerations and small firm perspective. Said first-year student Megan Rothermel, “I found this event extremely enjoyable and very informative, as did many of my classmates. I am grateful that I go to a school where it is clear that the administration and faculty truly care about us and our futures.”

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Following Their Own Drummer:

Alumni on Non-traditional Paths Phil Rice, Contributing Writer

As all graduates of Duquesne School of Law understand, a career in law offers a wide selection of career possibilities. Private practice is the most common route, whether as a sole practitioner, a member of a boutique firm or as part of a nationwide full-service firm. There are opportunities for government lawyers at the local, state and federal levels. Public interest lawyers work for nonprofit agencies designed to serve economically disadvantaged people. In-house attorneys advise companies and corporations on legal matters. The variations are endless. But some step off these traditional paths to forge their own trail with their law degree proudly in tow. Led by drive and ingenuity, the territory available to these inspired attorneys is truly boundless.

Lisa Sciullo:

Letting the Heart Take the Lead For Lisa Sciullo, L’91, attending Duquesne as an undergraduate was a natural step, and her continuing on to law school seemed almost predestined. Her father, John J. Sciullo, had been on the faculty at the Duquesne School of Law since 1963, and by the time Lisa began her freshman year in 1984, her father was the dean of the Law School. Immensely popular and effective as both dean and professor, Sciullo cast a considerable shadow.

But daughter Lisa was not deterred. “Although his being dean of the Law School while I was attending made it a little more challenging, my years as an undergrad and as a law student were wonderful and rewarding.”

“There were a number of events that stirred my conscience—my dad passed away, I had some relationship changes, and I started to think, what am I doing? What do I really enjoy doing with my life?”

— Lisa Sciullo, L’91

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The faculty of the Law School left a profound imprint on Sciullo. “There were many influential professors. Professor Barker particularly stands out in my memory. His dedication to the profession and to the Catholic way of life has really impacted me throughout my career.” Another notable influence, perhaps not surprisingly, was her father. “He was an estates and trusts attorney and expert; in my current position I do planned giving and I talk to people about putting Pitt or UPMC in their estate or setting up a trust. There is a genuine connection.”

After graduation Sciullo entered the work force and began successfully plying her trade. The problem, though, was a lack of passion for her chosen profession. “I practiced law for about 13 years, mostly municipal and school law. I kept waiting to fall in love with the law, just like my dad was in love with the law.

I also have a sister who is a tax attorney—and she loves it. I kept thinking, ‘I just need to hang in there and I will love it as much as they do.’ But that just didn’t happen.”

Confronted with the realization that a passion for the law was not going to materialize, Sciullo found herself reflecting on her life and looking for redirection in her career. “There were a number of events that stirred my conscience—my dad passed away, I had some relationship changes, and I started to think, what am I doing? What do I really enjoy doing with my life?”

This period of reflection allowed her to bring her life into clearer focus—to see how she could use her law degree in a manner that she would find personally meaningful. Her love of volunteer work provided the first hint of a new direction for her career. “I had sat on a few boards as a legal counsel or as a voting member, and I was president of a group called Vectors Pittsburgh, which was the successor organization to the Pittsburgh Jaycees. I really enjoyed doing that. When a friend of mine introduced me to the idea of professional fundraising, I realized this was a great way to connect the practice of law with my nonprofit work.”

When an opening was announced in the Planned Giving Office of the University of Pittsburgh, Sciullo submitted her resume. While she certainly had qualifications, she was initially considered an unlikely candidate. “I interviewed with another Duquesne alum, David Dalessandro, and he said to me, ‘Why in the hell would a lawyer want this job? You can make five times as much practicing law than doing this.’ I said, ‘Well, you are not going to find somebody who wants to do this job more than me. I’m going to take advantage of you because you are going to let me learn on the job, and you’re going to take advantage of me because you’re going to have a lawyer on your staff.’ And it worked out well.”

Sciullo took to the work, finding the passion that had previously been missing. She quickly progressed to major gift fundraising, which is key for any organization. Initially she kept a hand on her law career, but her heart had clearly found a home.

Serving in a number of positions along the way, Sciullo ultimately became the director of planned giving at the Medical and Health Sciences Foundation for Pitt and UPMC. While it may not appear to bear much resemblance to her legal background, the skill set in her executive position is familiar.

“I look for someone who can spot the issue, identify the problem, and help identify solutions to problems. Spot the issue was one of the things all the professors wanted to teach you in the first and second year of law school. Spot the issue, identify the problem, figure out what you need to do. The formula still works.”

Sciullo had sought a path that would allow her to use her legal skills in a manner that nurtured a greater sense of

fulfillment, and she has achieved that goal. “Every day I get to talk to people who are dedicated to the work that is done at UPMC or to happy Pitt alums who want to give back to research or student scholarships. It’s a wonderful way to bridge that gap between my law degree and nonprofit work.”

As with all professions, fundraising offers a steady ladder for career climbing. There are always higher rungs for those who seek them, but for a fortunate few there are greater rewards in recognizing the contentment of a perfect fit. Lisa Sciullo is comfortably in the latter category. “For a while I thought I wanted to ‘move up.’ Then I realized that I work for the two largest nonprofit organizations in Western Pennsylvania, and I’m the director of planned giving for both—it’s hard to get better than that.”

Jonathan Flickinger: The Value of Versatility

For athletes in the early years of professional team sports, versatility was in high demand. Honus Wagner is remembered as the hall-of-fame shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading his team to the World Series in 1903 and 1909. What is less well-known is that Wagner played every position in the outfield and the infield, and he played every position well. Despite his hitting prowess, that defensive versatility may have been his most valuable asset for the team. He could fill any need on a moment’s notice. While the comparison may seem far-fetched at first glance, Jonathan Flickinger, L’11, brings a comparable versatility to his law career.

Born and raised in Washington, Pa., Flickinger stayed in his hometown to attend Washington & Jefferson College. After earning his undergraduate degree, he sought and received admission to the Law School. “Duquesne was a fantastic choice for me, not just because of the education it provides but because it allowed to me get the degree via the evening program. This meant I could work full time, which gave me exposure to three different career environments while I was still in law school.” Flickinger worked as a law clerk with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, moved on to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, and finished with Peacock Keller. These work experiences introduced him, in order, to the big corporate firm atmosphere, a law and order environment, and a small boutique firm setting. His versatility was beginning to take shape.

In addition to his employment and academic studies, Flickinger pursued another passion during law school that would set the stage for post-graduate endeavors of a non-traditional sort.

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“I started a letter writing campaign to the world of combat sports, primarily the Ultimate Fighting Championship. By the end of law school in 2011, I had written about 500 letters to industry insiders.” He had taken aim at a goal and was not going to give up without satisfaction. The dedication paid off. “After graduation I had success finding a position with an agency called Star PR Las Vegas run by Jen Wenk, the former PR director for the UFC. The agency handled everything from contracts, endorsements and sponsorships—overseeing all the elements of a fighter’s career so that they can do what they do best.”

Flickinger joined the agency in 2012 and worked full-time for about a year. Even with his eclectic background, his new position presented scenarios not often envisioned by the typical

law student entering the work force. “It was not a traditional full-time job. It was contract work, which meant we could be real busy for three months and then off for several weeks. That’s a tough way to make a living.” The versatility of a law degree was front and center during this time even if the environment was not exactly conventional. “I was representing and advocating for a client, using my law degree for the individual and for the organization, work for which I was very well prepared.”

Returning to Pittsburgh, Flickinger continued to work with combat sports promotions and other organizations on a parttime basis, but he had his eyes set on new career paths that would offer long-term opportunities. Already possessing an advanced certificate in strategic human resources management from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Flickinger transitioned into a human resources executive. “As an HR director I use my labor and employment foundation, my contract and compliance understanding, my benefits and compensation, my risk management—essentially every aspect of my law school education. The alphabet soup of labor and employment law is an evolving, ever-changing landscape. The keen awareness acquired from a legal background helps me stay on top of regulations. I can use the law to protect the company or advocate for the employee, depending on the situation.”

His prowess in the field has not gone unrecognized. In 2016 he was named an “HR Rising Star” by Human Resource Executive Magazine and a “2016 Game Changer” by Workforce magazine.

As he continues to forge his own unique career path, Flickinger does not hesitate to reflect positively on his alma mater. “Duquesne provides a great foundation for success no matter what path you take, whether a traditional path as an attorney or a non-traditional path being a human resources executive. A Duquesne Law education allows you to evolve as a person—personally and professionally. If you welcome that evolution into your world, the potential is limitless.”

“Duquesne was a fantastic choice for me, not just because of the education it provides but because it allowed to me get the degree via the evening program.”

— Jonathan Flickinger, L’11 12

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

“I’m very grateful to Duquesne Law for the fun times I had there and for the school’s flexibility to allow me to obtain my degree in such an unusual way.”

— Linda O. Johnston, L’80

Dan Irvin Photography

Linda O. Johnston:

Authoring Her Own Path For Linda O. Johnston, L’80, the idea of attending law school was originally influenced more by Cupid than career ambitions. “I didn’t start out wanting to be a lawyer,” she recalls.

“I’d gone to Penn State for undergraduate school and gotten a degree in journalism with an advertising emphasis. But then I met my husband, Fred, and while we were still dating he told me he intended to take the LSAT. That got me thinking about the possibility of my becoming a lawyer, so I took it, too, and by then had made the decision: I did want to be a lawyer. My husband, on the other hand, chose not to go to law school.”

Looking into law schools in the Pittsburgh area, Johnston was quickly drawn to Duquesne’s reputation and flexibility. “I started in Duquesne Law’s night school program since I was working during the day for my father’s public relations firm. However, Fred and I married toward the end of my first year, so I transferred into the full-time day program.” When her husband received a job offer in Los Angeles, the newlyweds moved to the West Coast before Johnston was able to complete her law degree. “Since I would have lost a year’s worth of credits had I transferred to one of the L.A. law schools, I became a visiting student at the University of Southern California School of Law. This allowed me to receive my J.D. degree from Duquesne.”

After graduation, Johnston briefly held a position with a law firm in L.A. before being presented with a special career opportunity. “My time at Duquesne helped make it clear to me that I wanted to become a transactional attorney and not a litigator, and I landed my dream job as an in-house transactional real estate attorney with Union Oil Company of California (Unocal).”

Simultaneous with her career advancement as an attorney came success in another passionate pursuit. “My first fiction was published while I was still with Unocal, and I continued to write while practicing law.” Johnston’s first published short story, “Different Drummers,” won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for best first mystery short story of 1988. She began to build an audience with her flair for mystery and romance stories, and the pull of the writing life became stronger with each success.

When Unocal sold off its various assets, Johnston found herself having to drive 50 miles to work each day. “I did that difficult commute for two years, heading there very early in the morning. By then, my coworkers knew I was also a published writer and I wasn’t there for them until the company’s official starting time. This gave me an hour of writing time each weekday morning. When the company began winding down its business and requesting people to be ‘redeployed’ rather unemployed—I took advantage of their program and left.”

Although her full-time status had changed, Johnston continued to engage in projects for the company and for other attorneys on a contractual basis. This allowed her to continue practicing law as a transactional real estate attorney—and to write.

Then another opportunity presented itself, though of a slightly different nature. “When the country’s economy tanked in 2008, I wasn’t able to find more law projects the way I wanted to conduct them, so I became a full-time writer.”

Johnston no longer maintains her license in Pennsylvania, and her California license is officially inactive. But that doesn’t mean her legal background doesn’t play a role in her literary career. “In my first Cozy Mystery series, the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries, Kendra was an attorney who lived in the Hollywood Hills with her tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie. I was a practicing attorney then, I live in the Hollywood Hills and my older Cavalier is a tricolor named Lexie. Fortunately, though, I was never accused of an ethics violation, as Kendra was, which caused her to become a petsitter. Nor, fortunately, do I trip over dead bodies as she did.”

The prolific author has over 40 novels to her credit, and her pen doesn’t look to be silenced anytime soon. “At the moment, I’m writing two mystery series: the Superstition Mysteries and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, both for Midnight Ink. I also write romances for two Harlequin series: paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne and romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.”

Linda Johnston travels a career path that is not exactly typical of graduates of the Law School, but she carries a fond appreciation for her academic foundation. “I’m very grateful to Duquesne Law for the fun times I had there and for the school’s flexibility to allow me to obtain my degree in such an unusual way. Although I really miss practicing law, I intend to remain a full-time writer as long as I can.”

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Winter 2017 Issue Preview From the Editor:

Juris—The Duquesne Law School Magazine is an ABA awardwinning, student-run publication with a rich history. The first issue, released in 1967, was published in traditional newspaper format. Over the years, the publication evolved from a newspaper to a newsmagazine, and now we include a blog. Juris has a unique character that grants students the ability to incorporate traditional legal citations and graphics into substantial legal news articles. In addition, the Juris blog features numerous posts a week, where students focus on timely and current legal issues. Facebook and Twitter pages allow student articles in Juris to be read around the world.

The Juris staff hopes you will enjoy the following article previews and read the full versions along with other excellent student pieces on the Juris website, jurismagazine.com.

P. Michael Jones, a 2017 J.D. candidate, is the editor-in-chief of Juris and treasurer of the Duquesne Intellectual Property Law Association. He has written at length about liquor law in the United States and Pennsylvania, and he has diligently worked to make medical marijuana available to Pennsylvania residents. He is interested in pursuing a career in policy for either of those fields.

jurismagazine.com @jurisduqlaw

Juris Magazine

Juris Magazine – The Duquesne Law School Magazine

Contact us at jurisduqlaw@gmail.com

Life or Debt

Lights, Camera, Fashion!

Should Pharmaceutical Companies Have the Right to Hike Prices of Life-saving Medications?

Or a Legal Cause of Action?

By Julie Williams, Associate Editor Witnessing a loved one experience an allergic reaction, no matter how severe, is scary for us all. However, thanks to modern medicine and technology, comfort is often close by—typically in the form of an EpiPen. This past summer though, the highly criticized decision by Mylan to increase the price of the life-saving medication brought our comforts into question. The astronomical price hike outraged consumers and lawmakers alike. And worse, high-deductible insurance plans forced those in need to pay for much of the medication out-of-pocket. Together, these pharmaceutical price hikes create a crisis for the families in need of highly necessary medications. What can be done to fix this clearly flawed system? Lawmakers are pursuing an answer.

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THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

By Melissa Sarnicke, Staff Writer As one of the most luxurious shoe brands in the world, Aquazzura’s fame has skyrocketed. Due to the company’s success and popularity, other shoe designers have manufactured and marketed copycat designs that are confusingly similar. Lowend shoe brands such as Charlotte Russe, Nasty Gal and Express have produced their own versions of the designs. This past June, Aquazzura filed a lawsuit against the Steve Madden brand alleging trade dress infringement, design patent infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. That same month, Aquazzura filed a complaint against the Ivanka Trump brand. The production of knock-offs is “trending” in the fashion world right now, especially for footwear, and Aquazzura has taken legal action to stop other brands from walking all over its designs.

How The Media Has Changed Post-9/11

Modern Lawyering Challenges in an Era of Exponential Change

An Emphasis on Terrorism

By Nicole Prieto, Web Editor

By Ian Grecco, Executive Editor

Americans will never forget the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, nor will the media. Americans experienced an inexplicable limbo and grappled with the question: Why? Without an answer, Americans could only watch endless reporters and commentators attempt to explain the complex idea of terrorism. After the attacks, Americans became more interested in foreign powers, and the media outlets began to give great attention to terrorism and corruption. They tuned in to their preferential news station coverage to learn about new developments related to national security, ultimately driving news ratings to new heights. From that point on, the media would never be the same. The American desire for real-time coverage and onthe-scene reporting has not slowed since that fateful day.

Now, Americans demand immediate coverage, specifically real-life footage, to understand most news events.

“The witness in this case is a computer,” defense lawyer Ken Haber said. “You can’t cross-examine a computer. The Constitution demands, and justice requires, we be permitted to find out what the computer is doing to come up with its answer.”

Thus reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Michael Robinson’s homicide case in August—and his attorneys’ demand for the source code of a computer program making it “5.7 billion times more likely” that DNA recovered from the crime scene was his.

From e-Discovery rules to the intellectual property implications of 3D printing, technology has dramatically changed the face of law schools and the legal profession in the last two decades. How we evaluate evidence, conduct research, comport ourselves online or compete in the marketplace seem to be at the mercy of endless innovation. This article makes no prediction about what will happen in the future but rather surveys the legal issues and practical challenges we are contending with today in an era of adaptation.

Brexit

Hidden Costs

Stage Right

Potential Effects of the Fight for Fifteen

By Kady Enright, Staff Writer

By Joseph Baublitz, Staff Writer

The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union was only the 11th referendum ever held in the U.K. After a propaganda-filled campaign to exit was successful, many U.K. citizens are rethinking the decision. Yet a referendum in the U.K. is not constitutionally binding. As Edmund Burke elucidated in 1774, “Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.” British members of Parliament have the ability to block the Brexit if they so choose. However, such a course of action may be politically difficult. With that in mind, it is important to examine the many potential legal ramifications of the Brexit on the world—particularly within the United States and Europe.

“The Fight for $15” is a campaign popularized by former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and later adopted by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, which calls for a $15-per-hour federal minimum wage for all employees. This beckon is for a “living wage,” a wage designed for American workers to live comfortably. The raise in the minimum wage would improve the quality of life of many employees, yet the proposal would increase the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 by 107 percent. The United States has never experienced a hike in the minimum wage as dramatic as this proposition. Will an unprecedented increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour likely hurt the people it purports to help?

Tecato Gusano The Insatiable Worm

By Mike Jones, Editor-In-Chief Addiction exists whether we are aware of it or not, malignant or benign. Many of the malignant addictions, those that take the lives of loved ones and attempt to unravel society’s thread, transform the addict from law-abiding citizen to law-offender.

Yet the established national and state laws attempt to punish the addict for the symptoms stemming from illness, instead of pursuing rehabilitation of the afflicted.

From 2000 through 2014, the number of hospital visits in Pennsylvania from pain medication and heroin overdoses

increased 225 percent and 162 percent, respectively. Onethird of the prison population is incarcerated for drugrelated offenses. Once free, the prisoner recidivism rate in Pennsylvania after one year is 35.1 percent, while the national recidivism rate for drug offenders is 76.9 percent within three years. The U.S. and Pennsylvania must ask why they are eschewing addiction treatment, and consequently clogging up prisons and creating career criminals from the mentally ill.

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COM M E NCEMENT

102nd Commencement Ceremonies On June 5, 124 students were conferred the degree of Juris Doctor while one received the degree of Master of Laws for Foreign Lawyers. Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was the keynote speaker. Special recognition for service to the School of Law was given to former dean and now president Ken Gormley, along with Nancy Perkins, who finished her term as interim dean. As is the tradition, the Dr. John and Liz Murray Excellence in Scholarship Award was presented to professors Robert S. Barker and Jane Campbell Moriarty and graduate Maria Sasinoski.

Then-Interim Dean Nancy Perkins with Governor Tom Ridge and then-President-elect Ken Gormley

2016 graduate Adam Tragone speaks on behalf of his class

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THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

Duquesne University School of Law Class of 2016

Mark Gregory Adams

Brandon Michael Eberle

Justin DeWayne Norris

Jessica Lynn Altobelli

Alyssa R. Federoff

Anthony J. Owen

Christian Anthony Angotti

Devon Francesca Ferris

Alison R. Palmeri

Ryan David Balbierz

Kristine Ann Grega

Danielle Marie Parks

Nicholas Adam Barone

Morgan S. Hays

Joseph John Peluso Jr.

Amanda S. Barr

Elisabeth Rather Healey

Ana Lisa Petrella

Nicholas R. Basara

Joseph Andrew Heisler

Thomas More PiĂŠ Jr.

Connor Alan Battin

Courtney Chandler Hower

Alexandria Marie Popovnak

Elizabeth Ann Tuttle

Justin A. Bernard

Matthew N. Korenoski

Anthony Nicholas Pugliese

Tallie R. Van Vuren

Brendan Kenneth Birmingham

Allison Kowalewski

Susan Qin

Kathryn Anne VanDeveer

Morgan Taylor Boccio

Danielle L. Kowalkowski

Christopher C. Quinn

Eric G. VanKirk

Cassandra D. Bodkin

Vincent James Krawiec

Casey Rankin

Erika Lynne Vasques

Kyle D. Boker

Joseph David Krebs

Alexa Leigh Veselic

Robert J. Bosilovic III

Jeanmarie C. Larkin

Alexander Christopher Reading

Rebecca Lee Canterbury

Justin Nicholas Leonelli

Sabrina Rachele Rearick

Luke William Watterson

Megan Elizabeth Carben

Marcus A. Lipinski

David Stewart Richards IV

Hillary M. Weaver

Cynthia Valerie Lose

Meredith Joanne Risati

Sarah Kimberly Weikart

Anthony John Chiappetta

Tami Lanell Mack

Anna F. Robosson

Jonathan Russell Williams

Tambria Mae Chinchor

Zane Aubrey Madden

Jorge M. Rojas

Tynishia Williams

Chelsea M. Mague

Eric Benjamin Rudel

Leah Marie Wilson

James A. Clayton

Valerie Anna Mahoney

Rhoda Ann Ruple

Rebekah Erin Woolner

Andrew W. Clifford

Scott Andrew Martin

Maria Lynn Sasinoski

Corey Scott Young

Thomas Francis Cocchi Jr.

Nina Martinelli

Alexis Katherine Schaming

Matthew David Zagorski

Meghan L. Collins

Lauren Lynn Mathews

Kayla Schindler

George Samuel Zavadak

Curtis M. Corson Jr.

Quinn Anthony McCall

Emily Elizabeth Seelman

Chloe Christine Zidian

Hillary Cullen Cox

Raymond A. Setaro III

G. David Zimmermann

Annamarie Danylo

Margaret Elizabeth McGannon

Tyler S. Setcavage

John Christopher Zozula

David Michael DelGreco

Shiann Brooke McGovern

Brandon M. Shields

Matthew John Bolewitz

Jillian Marie Denicola

Paul S. McGrath

Joseph Silko

Kevin Brian Lorello

Robert J. Dobkin

Nicholis Salvatore Joseph Milardo

Nichole Elizabeth Sisk Carlo Joseph Spagnolo

LL.M.

Emma Rose Donahey

Katelin J. Montgomery

Brandon Scott Sprecher

Tongtong Zhou

Danielle Marie Donivan

Sarah Elizabeth Morrison

Alyssa Renee Sweeney

Emily Claire Downing

Abigail Rae Nath

Samantha C. Tamburro

Christina Marie Dubosky

Kevin Neumar

Adam Joseph Tragone

Joseph Caulfield

Rachael Dawn Clark

Brook Thomas Dirlam

Noah James Walstrom

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Mark Yochum’s Next Act Jacob Rooksby, Associate Dean of Administration and Assistant Professor of Law

Prof. Yochum outside Duquesne’s new Genesius black box theater

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” Seven, to be exact. So wrote William Shakespeare in his comedy, “As You Like It.” At Duquesne Law School’s center stage, it’s curtain call for one of our most talented and colorful actors. Professor Mark Yochum turned in his Equity card this fall, after 33 years of service on the full-time faculty. He is anything but out of central casting.

Yochum’s starring roles have been many: engaging professor; well-read scholar; cheerful and supportive colleague; jocular emcee at events for alumni and students; omnipresent force in the bankruptcy bar; renowned local thespian, writer and director; and master of the continuing legal education (CLE) seminar.

His famous lines are perhaps even more numerous. Only Yochum could tell a room full of people, in the politest of ways, to

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“shut up,” and they would listen. Intoned in a distinctive guttural drawl, his seemingly unrehearsed quips in front of students, staff and professors alike forever drew hearty guffaws, no matter how well-worn the joke. Take, for example, his regular aside at the annual public-interest law auction, that Dean Emeritus Cafardi’s favorite Italian food restaurant was actually the Olive Garden.

His witticisms had zing without the sting. Blessed with an actor’s sense of timing and delivery, he reminded generations of students that “income is income, from whatever source derived.”

This leading man joined the Law School as an assistant professor in the fall of 1983, after working as in-house counsel for the Koppers Corporation for two years, and practicing law for five years before that with Berkman Ruslander Pohl Lieber & Engel, a predecessor firm to Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney.

Professor Ronald Ricci, L’76, who has known Yochum since the third grade, when they both attended the same grade school in

“When the critics write their final reviews, and understudies reflect on his years of performance at Duquesne Law, there will be no disputing: Yochum was theater at its best.”

Pleasant Hills, helped recruit him to the Law School. “We came through when Kingsfield from The Paper Chase was seen as the model professor,” Ricci said. “Mark, with his acting background, showed that the study of law can actually be very entertaining.

I think that was his strength as a teacher: You didn’t have to be Kingsfield, you could actually make an effort to entertain, to make it fun, and a lot of us started to emulate what he did. I’ve never seen a professor who has a better rapport with the students.

That’s the reason the students enjoyed him so much. The students know where his heart is. He had a demanding nature, but at the same time, he would do anything for them.”

Yochum was a history major at Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 1974. He credits CMU with cultivating his interest in theater. There he participated in Scotch’n’Soda Theatre, an independent student group that puts on student-written musicals, some of which, like Pippin, have gone on to receive national acclaim.

Yochum attended law school at Georgetown University Law Center directly after graduation from CMU, but not because he had any master plan for becoming a lawyer or law professor.

“I was an idiot,” Yochum told me, in his typical self-deprecating fashion, “but I always thought I had a facility with yakking.

Law was an opportunity for me to do that.” He honed an interest in federal income tax law during his time at Georgetown, and began practice in the area after graduation in 1977. Marriage to his wife Kathleen came in 1986, and the birth of his daughter Molly in 1992.

Down-to-earth is a quality that permeates most aspects of Yochum’s life, despite his vast success, illustrious credentials, and estimable family provenance (his father retired in 1988 as chief financial officer of Westinghouse). No fan of pretension, he embodies the notion that one can be both a law professor and a regular, congenial person. He met his wife at the Red Dog Saloon in an old hotel where the Mellon Bank Center is now located.

Some of their favorite hobbies together include bowling, drinking beer and visiting casinos.

Yochum’s colloquial approach to teaching made otherwise inaccessible topics relatable and fun for students. His passion

and enthusiasm for life conveyed to students a sense that, with the right attitude, any legal subject can be exciting. Like many students, Pittsburgh attorney and Duquesne Law graduate Jon R. Perry, L’91, remembers Yochum’s legendary teaching of tax.

“Mark had the terrible misfortune of trying to teach us tax,” he said. “I don’t think anybody in the class liked the subject. But Mark is such a dynamic individual, he actually made it fun for us.

And we ended up enjoying the class—not the subject matter— but the class, because of him, and his teaching style and his humor, and his laidback attitude.” Despite the friendly distance that all professors must erect with students, Perry recalls that “we knew Professor Yochum cared about us as people, and he was one of the few professors who was willing to give that feeling to us.”

Alumnus Raymond C. Vogliano, L’92, agrees. Now practicing with Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, where he chairs the firm’s tax and estates and trust group, Vogliano recalls that Yochum “gave me the confidence to look at myself and say, ‘If you push yourself hard enough, you can do this.’ That meant the world to me. Without him, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Vogliano continues: “He taught tax on Friday night. There are very few people who can make that damn Internal Revenue Code interesting, but I could not imagine a more enjoyable Friday night! I looked forward to that Friday night class. It was almost like a breath of fresh air. We had fun. He made the code fun.”

In addition to tax, through the years Yochum also taught professional responsibility, estate planning, legal writing, debtors’ and creditors’ rights, and bankruptcy law. He even taught criminal law to the Hon. Dwayne Woodruff, L’88, formerly a cornerback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, now a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

Indeed, Yochum made his mark on many judges during his time at Duquesne. Judge Rita Hathaway, L’88, of the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, credits Yochum with influencing her career on the bench. “He is the one who influenced me the most in wanting to be a trial attorney,” she said. “Because of the enthusiasm he had, and after working with him on moot court and being one of his students, I just felt like I wanted to be in the courtroom.”

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The professor at work, circa 2000

Jeffrey A. Deller, L’96, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, says that Yochum “was always approachable to all the students, whether he actually taught them or not.” He remembers that Yochum “made tax exciting, and he brought that to the classroom, and the bankruptcy class, and everyone I talked to who had him for tax said the same thing. He taught it in a fashion that was cogent, understandable and actually entertaining, and there is no better way to learn than being taught by somebody like that.”

Deller also recalls Yochum’s lasting influence outside the classroom, as a frequent contributor to CLE and other programming. As he reflected, “I have been in the bankruptcy community for 20 years, and I cannot remember a bench-bar conference, a bankruptcy symposium or an event sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute where Mark wasn’t one of the featured speakers. He has taught professional responsibility to lawyers at large and to the bankruptcy bar for the past 20 years, not only locally but nationally. Not many people can say that they have that type of a specialty. No one else has been able to mesh bankruptcy and professional responsibility like Professor Yochum has done.”

Yochum’s interest in CLE programming began when Pennsylvania instituted mandatory continuing legal education in 1993. He went to the Law School’s dean at that time, John J. Sciullo, and said, to Yochum’s recollection, “I know show business. Let me do this. I know how to produce events. But it would be better if I can be the performer as well.” There was a content gap for CLE programming, and Yochum aimed to fill it.

Sciullo gave him $500 in seed money to start a CLE series.

Yochum never asked for any additional money after that, as the series grew into a widely successful offering for alumni and practicing attorneys, at one point hosting 12 CLEs a year at the Law School. Yochum was the master organizer—he determined presentation topics, recruited presenters and, of course, performed. Some of his original and timeless offerings include “Fred Merkle’s Bonehead Play” (a tear-jerker that analyzes how we deal with error), “The 1911 Bar Exam” (a look at the evolving

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conceptions of professionalism) and a perpetual crowd favorite, “Sex with Clients” (no description necessary). Of the origin of the latter’s cheeky title, Yochum remarked that “With a title like that, I thought it would sell. It continues to sell, although the speech changes over the years.” Like any good actor, Yochum always knew his audience.

What he likes about acting is the discipline and devotion to text that it requires. “Almost half of my preparation for any play is reading words, over and over and over again, and thinking about their meaning,” he said. “I can be more spontaneous in class, which I never do in theater.” He also enjoys getting to work with people from all walks of life. Yochum performed in his first play, Same Time, Next Year, while a practicing attorney. Since then, by his count, he’s performed in over 60 plays and musicals, including Glengarry Glen Ross, The Diary of Anne Frank and Angels in America. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called his 2002 performance in A Tuna Christmas, a comedy about life in a fictional Texas town, “critic proof.” Even though he’s performed in venues of all sizes, large and small, Yochum prefers the latter, because they offer what he calls “close-up magic.”

Of his theater days of past, Yochum downplays his stardom, but does reflect that he “got to play all the great parts of American theater for a guy who looks like me.” He says he never remembers being on stage, “only standing in the dark, waiting to go on.

That’s the exciting part.” As he reflects on his life in law and the classroom, his reminiscence is touched, predictably, with humor.

“It’s all about the kids,” he told me. “I’ll miss class, but not the faculty meetings.”

Back to Shakespeare. Man’s fifth part in life is the justice phase, where he is “full of wise saws, and modern instances”—in other words, shrewd sayings and fresh thoughts. It is in this role that Yochum has enjoyed such a long and storied run. When the critics write their final reviews, and understudies reflect on his years of performance at Duquesne Law, there will be no disputing: Yochum was theater at its best.

Prof. Yochum, left, as Willy Loman in the Red Masquers’ Death of a Salesman, with student Nathaniel Yost, center, and Curt Wootten (aka The Pittsburgh Dad)

FAC U LT Y ACHIEVEM ENTS

Steven Baicker-McKee PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES

HONOR

• Invited to serve as a consultant for the American Law Institute’s Restatement Project on Children and the Law.

• Federal Litigator (newsletter) (May-Oct. 2016).

• A student’s guide to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 2016-2017 (with Janssen, W.M.). St. Paul, Minn.: West Academic (2016).

• Mastering Multiple Choice for Federal Civil Procedure (with Janssen, W. M.). 2d Ed. St. Paul, Minn.: West Academic (April 2016).

Robert S. Barker HONORS

• Named Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Law by his colleagues and Duquesne University.

• Inducted into the Century Club, the highest honor given by Duquesne University to alumni for exemplary professional achievement and service.

Julia M. Glencer PUBLICATION/ARTICLE

• “Seek Out Different Learning Experiences to Inspire Your Teaching: Vignettes from Flute Camp.” Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research & Writing, 24(36-40) (July 2016).

PRESENTATIONS

• “We Don’t Need No Or-Ee-En-Tay-Shun”: Why An Early Start to Legal Research & Writing is the Best Way for Students to Begin Law Study (with Levine, J.M.). Legal Writing Institute Conference, Hilton Portland, Portland, Ore. (July 10-13, 2016).

• Appreciating the Law as a Literary Profession. Continuing Legal Education, Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pa. (April 23, 2016).

Maryann Herman PRESENTATION

• Presented at the Association of Academic Support Educators National Conference. City University of New York Law School, New York, N.Y. (May 24-26, 2016).

Martha Jordan APPOINTMENT

• Appointed Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Howard Katz (Visiting Professor) PRESENTATIONS

• Two Speaking Sessions at Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Conference. Amelia Island, Fla. (Aug. 3-8, 2016).

• What course, experience, or activity do you want students to have more available to them in law school? Third Annual Wolters Kluwer Legal Education Leading Edge Conference (July 2016).

• What Law School Curriculum Committees Can Learn from Architecture Schools. Third Biennial Transactional Law Conference, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Ga. (June 11, 2016).

Rona Kaufman Kitchen HONOR

• Alumni Awardee at the University of Pittsburgh’s Chabad House on Campus 28th Anniversary Celebration, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Bruce Ledewitz

AWARD

PRESENTATIONS

• Received the Duquesne Law Student Bar Association’s 2016 Excellence in Teaching Award.

• The Role of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools in the Renewal of American Democracy. 22nd Annual Conference of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools, Challenges and Opportunities for Faith Based Legal Education. Virginia Beach, Va. (Sept. 30, 2016).

Rhonda Gay Hartman (Visiting Professor) PRESENTATION

• Invited participant and led a discussion about state antibullying laws for the Roundtable on the Biological and Psychosocial Effects of Peer Victimization: Lessons for Bullying Prevention for the Project on Preventing Bullying Through Science, Law, and Practices. National Research Council and the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

National Academy of Science Building, Washington, D.C. (June 9-10, 2016).

• The Crisis in Pennsylvania Government. Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Aug. 26, 2016).

Jan Levine PRESENTATION

• “We Don’t Need No Or-Ee-En-Tay-Shun”: Why An Early Start to Legal Research & Writing is the Best Way for Students to Begin Law Study (with Glencer, J.M.). Legal Writing Institute Conference, Hilton Portland, Portland, Ore. (July 10-13, 2016).

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FACU LT Y ACHIEVEM ENTS

Tracey McCants Lewis

Jane Campbell Moriarty PRESENTATIONS

• Distinguished lecturer. Prosecutor, Ethics, and Promoting Justice.

Miller-Becker Center for Professional Responsibility’s Lecture Series, Turning a Blind Eye: Prosecutorial Ethics and Expert Evidence. University of Akron School of Law, Akron, Ohio (Oct. 28, 2016).

• From Out of the Shadows: Illuminating the Intersection of Mental Health and the Law. Lecture on Seeing Voices: Potential Neuroscience Contributions to a Reconstruction of Legal Insanity.

The 16th Annual Forensic Science and Law Symposium, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Oct. 21, 2016).

• Seeing Voices: Are You Lying Now? Neursocience, Law, and The Obsession with Deception. Panel on Creativity, Science, and the Brain. Writer’s Center, Bethesda, Md. (Sept. 15, 2016).

• Second Annual Presidential Conference on The Integrity of Creation (final day program facilitator). Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Sept. 28-30, 2016).

PRESENTATIONS

• Presenter, Community Expungement Presentation with Pennsylvania State Representative Jake Wheatley. Youth Places, Pittsburgh, Pa. (July 5, 2016).

• Presenter, Allegheny County Anchored Re-Entry Consortium (ACAR) at The Nuts and Bolts of Hiring Re-Entrants!

Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny Campus, Pittsburgh, Pa. (June 10, 2016).

• Keynote speaker, Manchester Charter School Restorative Justice Program, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pittsburgh, Pa. (May 2016).

• TEDx Pittsburgh TED Presenter, “Activate Forgiveness.”

Soldiers and Sailors Hall, Pittsburgh, Pa. (May 22, 2016).

APPOINTMENT

• Appointed third permanent member of Board of Directors of The August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Frank Yining Liu AWARD

• Recognized by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) with the prestigious “Hall of Fame” award on July 18 in Chicago. Liu helped build and improve Duquesne School of Law’s research facilities, specifically the Duquesne University Center for Legal Information (DCLI) and Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL).

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THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

• Panelist. Re-imagining the ideal role of prosecutors. Workshop on Criminal Law & Procedure, Southeastern Association of Law Schools Annual Conference. Amelia Island, Fla. (Aug. 3-8, 2016).

• Courtroom knowledge of forensic technology and the impact on Frye and Daubert standards. Workshop hosted by M.S. Forensic Science and Law Program at Duquesne University and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence at RTI International. Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Aug. 9-10, 2016).

• Stream Chair and Speaker. The Ethics & Regulation of Lawyers Worldwide: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Perspectives.

2016 International Legal Ethics Conference VII, Fordham Law School, New York, N.Y. (July 14-16, 2016).

• Patients, Doctors, and Chronic Pain: Preliminary Thoughts About Legal Issues Arising from the CDC Guidelines.

Chronic Pain Research Consortium Annual Retreat and 5th Anniversary. Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa. (June 14, 2016).

• Seeing Voices: Neuroscience Contributions to a Legal Reconstruction of the Insanity Defense. Fordham Law Review Symposium on Criminal Law and Neuroscience, Akron University School of Law, Akron, Ohio (April 13, 2016).

PUBLICATION/ARTICLE

• Scientific Evidence (with Giannelli, Imwinkelried, and Roth).

5th Ed, 2012 (Two Volumes) and Supplement (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, ---) (Sept. 2016).

Katherine L. W. Norton PRESENTATION

• Intellectual Property Law and Policy in the United States (seminar course). University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany (June 8-17, 2016).

• Encouraged not Prohibited – Should the Academically Underperforming Law Student Be Encouraged—Rather Than Prohibited—From Participating in Externships. Presented at the Association of Academic Support Educators National Conference at CUNY New York, N.Y. (May 24, 2016).

• Book talk. The Branding of the American Mind. Pre-law Society, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa. (April 7, 2016)

Wesley M. Oliver

APPOINTMENT

PUBLICATION/ARTICLE

• Appointed Associate Dean of Administration.

• Bill Cosby, The Lustful Disposition Exception and the Doctrine of Chances, 93 Wash. L. Rev. 1131-1141 (2016).

Ann Marie Schiavone

MEDIA

• Interviewed for Essential Pittsburgh, 90.5 WESA FM re: technology and study abroad programs (April 22, 2016).

PRESENTATION

Seth Oranburg PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES

• A Place of Their Own: Crowds in the New Market for Equity Crowdfunding. Minnesota Law Review Headnotes, 100(2), 147-166 (2016).

• Bridgefunding: Crowdfunding and the market for entrepreneurial finance. Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, 25(2), 397-452 (2015).

• Beyond Legal Writing: Teaching Seminars & Casebook Courses Panel. Legal Writing Institute Biennial Conference, Hilton Portland, Portland, Ore. (July 2016).

Laurie Serafino PRESENTATION

• Access to Justice. Continuing Legal Education, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board Education Program, Omni Bedford Springs Resort, Bedford, Pa. (July 22, 2016).

John T. Rago PRESENTATION

Tiffany Sizemore-Thompson

• Police body cams deployment and evidence-based practices…

Pennsylvania police and prosecutors belatedly acknowledge the public owns the criminal justice system. Faculty exchange program presentation. University of Akron School of Law, Akron, Ohio (April 1, 2016).

PRESENTATIONS

MEDIA

• Interviewed by Slate (Slate.com) on conviction integrity and criminal justice reforms in Pennsylvania for article, “Pennsylvania’s Shame,” by Lara Bazelon (Oct. 12, 2016).

Jacob H. Rooksby

• Co-presenter. Avoiding the Abuse-to-Prison Pipeline: Legal Advocacy and Trauma-Informed Services for Our Most Vulnerable Youth. Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network 2016 Summer Statewide Meeting, Kalahari Resorts, Pocono Manor, Pa. (June 13-14, 2016).

• Suppression of Statements, Cross-Examination, & Transfer to Adult Court. National Juvenile Defender Center Summer Academy Faculty Member, Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C. (June 19-25, 2016).

MEDIA

PUBLICATIONS/ARTICLES

• “Community Gathers at Restorative Justice Meeting.”

The New Pittsburgh Courier (April 15, 2016).

• The Branding of the American Mind: How Universities Capture, Manage, and Monetize Intellectual Property and Why It Matters (Johns Hopkins University Press) (Sept. 2016).

Tara L. Willke

• A Fresh Look at Copyright on Campus. 81(3) Missouri Law Review 769-810 (2016).

PRESENTATIONS

• Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) 2016: The New Federal Private Cause of Action for Trade Secret Misappropriation. Continuing Legal Education presented by Western District of Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association and Duquesne University School of Law. Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh, Pa. (June 22, 2016).

PUBLICATION

• Three Wrongs Do Not Make a Right: Federal Sovereign Immunity, the Feres Doctrine, and the Denial of Claims Brought

by Military Mothers and Their Children for Injuries Sustained Pre-Birth. 2016 Wis. L. Rev. 263 (May 2016).

PRESENTATION

• Adult Learning Theory Applied to Legal Research. Legal Writing Institute Biennial Conference, Hilton Portland, Portland, Ore. (July 13, 2016).

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23

Development Update Jeanine L. DeBor Director, Law Alumni Relations & Development

Centennial Campaign Wrap-up On Sept. 30, the Centennial Fellows Wall was dedicated. The 84 names of alumni and friends on the wall represent those who donated in excess of $10,000 during the Centennial Campaign, which we kicked off in September 2010 in anticipation of our Centennial Celebration in 2011. The campaign ended at the end of 2014, the centennial celebration of the first graduating class.

Total funds raised exceeded $3.2 million.

The campaign supported major initiatives in the School of Law, including student scholarships and resource funds, clinical legal education, bar exam preparation, and technological upgrades. The following endowed funds were established:

Centennial Fellows at the Sept. 30 event

• The Honorable Donetta Ambrose Scholarship

• Student Bar Association Centennial Fund

• Mary R. Grealy Scholarship

• Class of 1976 Fund

• Reginald P. Robosson Law Scholarship (for a woman’s first year academic achievement)

• Second Century Distinguished Speakers Fund

• R. Elliot Katherman Scholarship • Varrenti Hernandez Family Resource Fund • Law Alumni Association Career Services Fund • Law Alumni Association Bar Prep Fund • John F. Naughton Student Resource Fund

Additionally, the Tribone Center for Clinical Legal Education was named as a result of the generosity of Thomas and Michele Tribone. Within the clinic building, the August Damian Courtroom and Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote Classroom were named. Public Service Law Fellowship Funds were enhanced, including establishing the McGinley Public Service Fellows program.

Call to Excellence Fund Progressing to its Goal In the fall of 2014, then-Dean Ken Gormley announced a critical source of bridge funding to weather the national downturn in legal education. The Call to Excellence Fund addresses the current trend and provides funding for key initiatives:

• Expanding and intensifying our Bar Exam Preparation programs to give every student the chance to excel.

• Launching a new Wills and Estates Clinic to provide experiential education while offering low-income and elderly individuals much-needed legal services at no charge.

• Creating full-semester externships for students to work in Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and other cities to gain experience in public service law positions in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Jim and Gretchen Haggerty with President Gormley at the June tribute

• Increasing scholarships to allow highly qualified students who wish to attend Duquesne University School of Law—including those from diverse backgrounds—to do so during difficult economic times.

• Establishing the John E. Murray, Jr. Endowed Visiting Professorship to forever honor the life and legacy of a true Duquesne Law School and Pittsburgh legend.

Our goal of $2 million by Dec. 31 is within reach: As of Oct. 31, nearly $1,950,000 has been raised. A Tribute to Ken Gormley on June 23 raised over $105,000 toward the fund. We are grateful to everyone who attended and supported this initiative, with special thanks to our Gold Sponsors: Gretchen, L’80, and Jim, L’79, Haggerty, KGA Partners, LLC, and Kline & Specter, P.C.

To learn more about donating to the School of Law, please contact Jeanine DeBor at deborj@duq.edu. To make a donation online, please visit duq.edu/law/alumni/support-duquesne-law.

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THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

Centennial Fellows Sciullo Thomas A. & Michele Tribone August C. and Clema Damian Estate of Edythe R. Fingold John R. McGinley, Jr. R. Elliot Katherman John G. Rangos, Sr. Estate of Dorothy Avins

Manderino

James P. McArdle Charitable Fund Duquesne Law Alumni Association Gwendolyn M. Robosson Robert N. Peirce, Jr. Linda Varrenti Hernandez Estate of Mary J. Cadigan Mary R. Grealy Bridget and Alfred Peláez Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote Hal A. Kestler

Quinn

Estate of Gretchen G. Donaldson Duquesne Student Bar Association John E. Quinn E. Kears Pollock Col. John F. Naughton Dr. John E. Murray, Jr. John P. and MaryAdele Krolikowski Marie Milie Jones Patsy Popivchak McKinney

David S. and Rita L. Pollock William J. and Patricia M. McKim H. Arnold and Adrien B. Gefsky Burns White The Family of Judith A. Kasdan

Brophy

Manning J. and Rebecca C. O’Connor Jack J. Kessler Hon. Joseph L. Cosetti Louis Bader F. Christopher Spina Ellen Perlow Kessler Charitable Foundation Hon. Michael E. and Janice McCarthy Theodore M. Trbovich Robert S. Barker Janice G. Barone Bonnie L. Kift Arnold L. Schulberg James B. Cummings William Campbell Ries Ken and Laura Gormley Paul J. Gitnik Anna & Ed Dunlap Joseph Sabino Mistick Arthur J. Rooney, Jr. Rodney W. Fink Jon R. Perry Andrew M. Roman Edward J. Krug Louis P. Vitti

Ira Weiss Estate of Mark L. Glosser Alcoa Foundation Hon Donetta W. Ambrose Alan N. Braverman Eckert Seamans Cherin Mellott National Institute for Trial Advocacy Thomas N. Silverman Gail Balph Gordon Joan Ellenbogen and George Handelsman James F. Glunt Duquesne University Women’s Advisory Board Hon. Maureen Lally-Green Louis S. Gold Kenneth P. Davie Mark A. Bartholic William B. Grant In Honor of Professors Alfred Peláez and Kenneth Hirsch Hon. Joseph A. Del Sole Michael J. Foley and Karen Lynn Foley Tina O. Miller In Memory of Ivanette M. Calderone Hon. Wayne L. Dietrich Brian L. Leinhauser Dana Baiocco Many Emamzadeh and Catherine M. Duckett Hon. Terrence F. McVerry Edward L. Graf Constance B. Sciullo Robert I. Fragasso

The Hon. Donetta Ambrose, L’70, Portrait Unveiling On Oct. 17, the School of Law unveiled the portrait of the Hon. Donetta Ambrose, L’70, painted by artist Joe Routon.

Ambrose was the first woman elected to the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas in 1981. After serving on that court for 12 years, she was the second woman nominated to serve on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, following in the footsteps of her friend, Carol Los Mansmann. In

2002, Ambrose was named chief judge of the court, the first woman to receive that honor. Then-Dean Ken Gormley commissioned the portrait in 2015 to commemorate the endowment of the Honorable Donetta Ambrose Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to a law student from Westmoreland County. Pictured here, from left: President Gormley, J.R. Ambrose (son), Judge Ambrose, Routon and Interim Dean Maureen Lally-Green.

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Young Alumni Profile: Justin Ring, L’14 “...the list of practical experiences I had accumulated set me apart from the crowd when I was searching for my first job. I can’t speak highly enough of the legal education I received at Duquesne.”

— Justin Ring

Home: New York, N.Y. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience, University of Southern California Experience: Currently a Contracts & Licensing / Patent Fellow at Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, the Office of Technology Commercialization for the Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Previously Clerk at Ronald Law Group, a boutique intellectual property law firm, and Legal Intern at Blue Belt Technologies, a medical device startup company.

Honors: Invited Lecturer on Patent Law and Technology Commercialization at both the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Member of the Louis L. Manderino Appellate Moot Court Honor Society at the Duquesne University School of Law. Favorite Quote: “Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”—Terry Pratchett What’s in your briefcase? I often only carry my laptop—doing my part to save paper in the legal profession.

What are your passions? Always trying something new. That was the greatest impetus for moving to New York after law school, and it’s tied directly to my interest in patent law as well. I have to stay at the forefront of both the ever-changing patent laws and the science underlying an invention to foster a new technology from its earliest stages all the way through potentially becoming a product.

You completed numerous internships in Pittsburgh while in law school. Tell us about that.

I took every opportunity during law school to work as an intern or law clerk—and there were many opportunities through Duquesne. My first internships were recommended by my intellectual property professor, Jacob Rooksby, who introduced me to patent law as a possible career path. In just my second 26

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

year of law school, I saw first-hand what the position I aspired to actually looked like by working at a boutique patent law practice and a medical device company. I also spent three semesters enrolled in law clinics and externships through the Duquesne Clinical Legal Education office. While those semesters were some of the most challenging because of overlapping coursework and internship time commitments, I was motivated by the fact that the material covered in class became immediately meaningful and applicable to my work. The opportunity to divide my time between learning in a lecture hall and in a law practice made my legal education much more dynamic.

What was the benefit of your summer abroad studying law in Beijing?

I enrolled in the Beijing summer study abroad program as a unique way to experience a new culture, and it delivered that and more. Through lectures focused on Chinese legal history and recent sweeping changes to Chinese intellectual property laws, I developed a deep understanding of the dual role that a country’s legal system plays: both in defining relationships and transactions within that country’s borders, and in establishing the country’s reputation on a global stage. Additionally, on a more practical note, I participate in discussions about patent protection in China that arise in my current work, which involves licensing technology to companies that commercialize products globally.

What would you say about the value of your Duquesne Law education?

I chose to attend Duquesne Law because I wanted a significant portion of my legal education to focus on practical lawyering skills. For me, Duquesne’s value was in the opportunities, resources and network it provided to make that happen. I trained in trial and appellate advocacy with local judges, counseled nonprofit organizations benefitting the greater Pittsburgh area, and much more, all within the short three-year timeframe of law school. When I graduated I felt prepared to enter the legal profession, and the list of practical experiences I had accumulated set me apart from the crowd when I was searching for my first job. I can’t speak highly enough of the legal education I received at Duquesne.

D L AA U PDAT ES

Message from the DLAA President Dear Friends, “May we live in interesting times” is an English expression also known as “the Chinese Curse.”* The phrase presents itself as a good wish but is more of a curse in that “interesting times” is meant as existing in a worrisome world.

Duquesne University School of Law has just survived some interesting times in the legal educational area and has done so in an exemplary manner. We are not yet through this rough spot but our school has weathered this storm in good nick.

Ken Gormley, who led us through these trying times, has moved his office to the top of the hill to become the president of the University, and Maureen Lally-Green is serving as the interim dean. I am excited to watch both of my friends excel in their new positions.

Our Law School continues to shine in national recognition, being ranked with the nation’s best law schools in the following areas: One of America’s Best Graduate Schools, Best Value Among Private Law Schools, great Part-Time Programs. To cap this good news, Duquesne achieved a 91.96 percent first-time pass rate on the July 2016 Pennsylvania Bar Examination, second in our state and leading the other law schools by many points.

It is an honor and a great time to be the president of our Law Alumni Association. I am proud to follow in the steps of all of the prior presidents who have set a high bar for my involvement.

I first became involved in the Law Alumni Association as a way to give back to the school that gave me so much. My graduation from law school changed the trajectory of my life.

That would not have happened without the help that I received from my professors and fellow students.

Our Law Alumni Association has established many endowed funds that assist the Law School in maintaining its level of excellence. These established funds support the Law Alumni Scholarship, the writing program, the Career Services office and bar preparation. We are always working with the administration to recognize new areas where we can be of assistance.

I can speak on behalf of the DLAA Board of Governors in that we hope that you look back on how Duquesne Law has altered your life’s direction, join the Duquesne Law Alumni Association, and, as a member, help the administration with its needs. I thank all of our members, and I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Sincerely,

Garry A. Nelson, L’82

Garry Nelson with immediate past-president, Jessica M. Jurasko, L’04

*Wikipedia FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6

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D L A A U PDAT ES

64th Annual Reunion Dinner Moving reunion dinner to fall did not impact the success of the event as over 250 alumni and friends were in attendance on Oct. 21. Proceeds from the event once again benefited the Public Interest Law Association (PILA), which is dedicated to increasing awareness of public interest issues as well as providing opportunities for students to gain experience in the public interest field. KDKA-TV personality Jon Delano regaled the crowd with stories from both of the summer’s political conventions.

Gregory W. Kirstein, L’82, was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Kirstein is the senior vice president and general counsel for the Columbus Blue Jackets and oversees the club’s legal matters and human resources department. He also teaches Sports Law as an adjunct professor at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, serves as secretary of the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and is a board member of Duquesne’s University Athletic Fund.

Tracey McCants Lewis, L’00, received the Outstanding Achievement Award. McCants Lewis is assistant clinical professor and pro bono program coordinator at Duquesne University School of Law. She teaches in the Civil Rights Clinic and Unemployment Compensation Clinic and focuses her scholarship on critical race theory, feminist legal theory and the application of legal storytelling in clinical legal education.

In 2015, the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh named her as a Racial Justice Award honoree during the 24th annual event.

The Meritorious Service Award was presented to Gino F. Peluso, L’80, a past president of the Law Alumni Association and past member of the School of Law Advisory Board. A practicing attorney for more than 35 years in Westmoreland County, Peluso remains active in the DLAA and represents the Duquesne Law community wherever he goes.

Class of 1993 28

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

Tracey McCants Lewis with her son, Marcelius

L-R, Greg Kirstein, second from left, with friends Greg Brown, Dave White, L’82, and Rob Marino, L’79

L-R, PILA students Adrienne Box, Natalie Tupta and Rachel Wenger

Emcee Joseph Sabino Mistick, L’79, left, with special guest Jon Delano

Gino Peluso received his award from Interim Dean Lally-Green and President Gormley

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CL A S S ACTIO NS

1974

Patsy Iezzi Jr., attorney and CPA, authored the fictional novel Celimin.

1977 Lettieri ‘83, second from left, with Greg Monaco, FBA Officer, Chief Judge Joy Flowers Conti, L’73, and Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

Brian J. Cali was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to a second three-year term as a member of the Diciplinary Board.

1978

Thomas R. Kline has been awarded the 2016 Justice Michael A. Musmanno Award for his skill and achievements in the courtroom, as well as his commitment to trial advocacy.

Rothey ’84

1962

Peter F. Vaira has been named a recipient of The Legal Intelligencer’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

1969

Francis E. Pipak Jr. has been honored with an Alumni of Distinction award from Saint Vincent College in recognition of his meritorious service and commitment to the school.

Edward J. Abes was awarded the Irvin Stander Memorial Award by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Law Section.

Larry A. Silverman has opened the Law Office of Larry A. Silverman, Esq., primarily focused on representing small businesses and nonprofits.

1970

1980

David Millstein received the 2016 Louis J. Goffman Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation for outstanding pro bono service.

Kenneth Horoho Jr. has been appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to chair the Continuing Legal Education Board.

1971

Richard J. Schubert has been elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association Judicary Committee.

Stanley M. Stein has been elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association Judicary Committee. He has also been selected as a member of the Civil Procedural Rules Committee for a three-year term.

1973

Warren D. Ferry received the first annual Champion of Justice Award from the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA) at the annual judiciary dinner on May 13, 2016.

30

John W. McTiernan, attorney and administrative partner of Caroselli, Beachler, McTiernan & Coleman, was appointed a workers’ compensation judge by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

1982

Mark V. Santo has joined the law firm of Fox Rothschild LLP as a partner based in its Pittsburgh office.

1983

Carol A. Behers has been elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association Board of Governors.

Richard Lettieri was the recipient of an award presented by the U.S. Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, for his

efforts to educate and inform the local bar and the judiciary regarding e-discovery over the past decade through the creation and execution of the “E-Discovery Series”.

Suzanne Belot Norton has joined the practice of Rohrbachers, Cron, Manahan, Trimble & Zimmerman Co., LPA as a shareholder/partner.

1984

Rhoda Shear Neft has been appointed by ABA Chair of the House of Delegates to the House Committee on Issues of Concern to the Legal Profession.

Melaine S. Rothey has been elected the 108th President of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Timothy P. Ryan was honored by Saint Vincent College with an Alumni of Distinction Award.

June Swanson, a partner of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, has been named to the board of directors of South Hills Interfaith Movement.

1985

Megan Harmon has been named to the board of directors of the Association for Corporate Growth, Pittsburgh.

Deborah A. Iwanyshyn has been appointed as the chair of the Taxation Committee of the American Bar Association.

Thomas A. Tribone was named a finalist for the Platts Global Energy Awards. The 2016 finalists were chosen from over 170 nominees from 30 nominating countries.

1987

John Cerilli was named Co-chair of Littler Mendelson P.C.’s Energy Industry Practice Group.

Valerie Faeth has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Pittsburgh Opera’s board.

John P. Goodrich was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to a threeyear term as a member of the Diciplinary Board.

Marie Milie Jones has been elected to membership in the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys.

The Hon. Maureen Kelly was inducted into the Century Club, the highest honor given

by Duquesne University to alumni for exemplary professional achievement and service.

1988

Kathryn M. Kenyon has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board.

1999

Dean Geibel has been named Chief Patent Counsel & Associate General Counsel at Samtec Inc.

Craig Cochenour, a 1981 pharmacy school graduate, delivered the address at the Mylan School of Pharmacy Commencement ceremony on May 21, 2016.

Chrystal Tinstman has been elected to directorship at Strassburger McKenna Gutnik & Gefsky.

1991

2000

Christopher Lee has been named the Shareholder-In-Charge of Dickey McCamey & Chilcote PC’s Pittsburgh office.

1993

Debbie M. Lestitian has been named Chief of Human Resources and Administration for the City of Pittsburgh.

1994

Daniel A. Pepper has joined Comcast as VP, Deputy General Counsel for Data Security and Privacy.

1995

James C. Conley and Jack R. Owen announced the formation of Owen & Conley LLC, a firm focusing on nonprofit organizations, churches, taxes, employee benefits, estates and trusts, and health law.

Martin L. Ryan has been named Chief Executive Officer of Montauk Energy Holdings, LLC.

1996

David L. Spurgeon has been appointed to the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.

Nicola Y. Henry-Taylor has joined Myers Law Group LLC.

1998

Robert Daley, of Robert Peirce & Associates, was awarded the 2016 Appellate Advocacy Award by the national Pound Civil Justice Institute.

Laura Beth Gutnick has been re-elected to Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gesky’s executive committee.

Leslie A. Dutchcot joined PNC’s Wealth Management Group.

Jennifer R. Minter is the first woman to be appointed co-chair of the corporate section at Burchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.

2001

Julian Neiser has joined Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC, concentrating his practice on commercial and construction litigation, contract negotiations, private arbitration, and trials in state and federal court.

Alka A. Patel has been elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association as its Women in Law Division Vice-Chair.

2002

Daniel W. Kunz has been named President of the board of directors for Foundation of HOPE. Doneld G. Shelkey was recognized as a 2016 “Fast Tracker” by Pittsburgh Business Times.

2003

Christopher Apessos has join the Smith Apessos Law Firm, LLC, focusing primarily on Personal Injury—General Workers’ Compensation and Business Litigation.

David Cardone has been named a partner of the newly formed Dunn DeSantis Walt & Kendrick, LLP. Elisabeth W. Molnar has been selected as one of the 2016 Lawyers on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer.

2004

Dean F. Falavolito has joined Jackson Lewis, P.C. as a principal.

Jessica M. Jurasko has joined Burns White LLC.

Daley ’98

Tinstman ’99

Cardone ’03

Gribbin ’06

2005

Matthew M. Mohn has been elected to the Carnegie Lilbrary of Pittsburgh’s board of trustees for a second three-year term. He has also been named Reed Smith LLP’s head of the firm’s emerging growth/venture capital practice.

Tyra M. Oliver has been elected to the Allegheny County Bar Association Board of Governors.

Susan A. Ott has joined Owen & Conley LLC.

2006

Thomas M. Gribbin has joined Willig, Williams & Davidson in their Philadelphia office.

Michelle Mantine has been selected as one of the 2016 Lawyers on the Fast Track

by The Legal Intelligencer.

Charles D. Scholz has joined Houston Harbaugh as a senior associate in its business law group.

2007

Bradley J. Breslin is now Vice President, Advisory Operations for Exiger.

Beth A. Dodson has been awarded the Jane F. Hepting Individual Attorney Award by the Allegheny County Bar Foundation.

Eleanor Vaida Gerhards has been elevated to partner at Fox Rothschild LLP. FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6

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CL A S S ACTIO NS

2008

Michael Herald is Director for the firm Major, Lindsey & Africa in Washington, D.C.

Petrunya ’10

Platt ’11

Amie M. Mihalko has been elevated to partner at Gordon & Rees, LLP. Michael J. Moyer has joined PNC Wealth Management as Senior Wealth Strategist and Vice President.

Jessica C. Tully has joined Dudley, Topper & Feuerzeig, LLP as of counsel.

2009

Tara E. Hansen has joined Cafardi Ferguson Wyrick Weis + Stotler, concentrating her practice in the areas of commerical litigation and real estate law.

Michael L. Ihrig is now an associate attorney at Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C. in New York City.

Rose ’10

Donald M. Lewinski has been named Senior Attorney of Litigation at Crown Castle.

Mazzarese ’12

Knafelc ’13

Justin T. Romano has been selected as a Board Member for the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE) and as an OnBoard Member for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

Lara Shipkovitz has rejoined BernsteinBurkley, P.C. as an associate with the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice.

Brett Warren has joined Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl LLC.

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

Andria M. Krupa has joined the law firm of Cordell & Cordell as an associate.

Katharine L. Platt has joined Steptoe & Johnson PLLC’s labor and employment law practice.

David E. Renner, has joined Post & Schell, P.C.

2012

Peter J. Bicontini has joined Distasio & Kowalski, LLC, a Wilkes-Barre, Pa., law firm that handles medical malpractice, products of liability and other personal injury matters.

Amee L. Mazzarese is the recipient of Dickie McCamey & Chilcote’s Annual David B. Fawcett Pro Bono Service Award, recognizing Mazzarese for her significant number of volunteer hours.

Matthew C. Pilsner has joined Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC as an associate.

Robert D. Raver and Shayna A. (Petrella) Raver, L’14, were married in August.

Kate Stoy has joined Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, LLP concentrating her practice in the areas of litigation and dispute resolution.

2013

Jonathan J. Ehret has joined Robb Leonard Mulvihill LLP. Christy Gamble is now the Director of Health Policy & Legislative Affairs for Black Women’s Health Imperative. She was a panelist at the Millennial Outreach and Engagement Summit hosted at the White House.

Max Petrunya of Robert Peirce & Associates, has been inducted into the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County.

John J. Heurich joins the Pittsburgh office of Rawle & Henderson LLP as an associate.

Michaelene E. (Weimer) Rose married Jason J. Rose, MD in a ceremony at the Chapel at Duquesne University on Aug. 6, 2016. Michaelene is a legal risk and commercial affairs counsel at Westinghoue Electric Co.

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2011

2010

Joseph V. Balestrino is now associate general counsel of labor & employment for Construction & Healthcare Consultants, an affiliate of Grane Healthcare.

Raver ’12 and ’14

Aaron W. Smith is now an associate attorney at Peacock Keller & Ecker, LLP.

Edward A. Knafelc has been selected as member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Bar Leadership Institute Class of 2016-17.

Mary L. O’Rourke has joined Robb Leonard Mulvihill LLP as an associate focusing on commercial litigation, complex insurance coverage and extra-contractual litigation.

Andrew D. Shannon has joined Robb Leonard Mulvihill LLP as an associate focusing on general civil litigation and complex insurance coverage.

2014

Daniel C. Conlon has joined Tucker Arensberg, P.C as an attorney focusing on municipal law, real estate and zoning.

Lauren Gailey has begun a clerkship with Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, U.S. Court of Appeals for Sixth Circuit.

Trisha Longenette has joined Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.

Brittany Kriebel has joined Hertiage Elder Law & Estate Planning, LLC. Daniel Sodroski has joined Borah Goldstein Altschuler Nahins & Goidel, P.C.

2016

Robert J. Bosilovic III is now an associate attorney at Gordon & Rees LLP. Rebecca Canterbury has joined Spivak Law Firm in Dormont, Pa., as an associate.

Hillary Cox is now an associate attorney at Steele Schneider.

Lori B. Love has joined The Law Firm of Fenters Ward as an associate.

Jillian M. Denicola has been named an associate at Thomson, Rhodes & Cowie P.C.

Maggie Lewis McHugh and Robert McHugh, L’12, were married on Aug. 15, 2016.

Danielle Donivan has joined Evey Black Attorneys, LLC as an associate.

Molly A. Myers joined Leech Tishman’s real estate and corporate practice groups.

Alyssa Federoff is now the Title IX Coordinator for Bethany College.

Autumn L. Pividori has joined Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, P.C.

Kristine Grega has joined Andracki, Sysak & Artman, P.C. as an associate attorney.

Justin N. Leonelli is now an associate attorney at Meyer Unkovic & Scott, LLP.

2015

Matthew B. Andersen has joined Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus.

Salah Blaik has joined Gusty A.E. Sunseri and Associates.

David Frantz has joined Dell, Moser, Lane & Loughney LLC.

Nicholis S. Milardo has joined the Warren County Courthouse as an Assistant Public Defender.

Katelin J. Montgomery has joined Dickie, McCarney & Chilcote, P.C. as an associate focusing on general civil litigation and complex insurance coverage.

McHugh ‘12 &‘14

Conlon ’14

Sabrina Rearick has joined K&L Gates LLP as an associate.

Emily Seelman has been named an associate at Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl LLC. Samantha Tamburro has joined Rogers and Rogers, PC.

In Memoriam It is with deep sadness that we list the following School of Law alumni who passed away: June E. Bandemer, L’83 James W. Baumbach, L’77 August C. Damian, L’60 Ronald D. DelCotto, L’71 Harvey J. Eger, L’70 Frederick B. Gieg, L’71

Bruce M. Johnson, L’72 Bonnie J. Karsten, L’78 Marvin Kirshner, L’64 Kenneth B. Kutzer, L’74 Philip P. Mancini, L’88

Bernard J. McAuley, L’62 The Hon. Debra A. Pezze, L’79 Edward T. Rowe Jr., L’73 Francis X. Scheidel, L’69 June S. Schulberg, L’69

Albert H. Slater III, L’68 William G. Sutter, L’65 Janet N. Valentine, L’70 Charles J. Weyandt, L’67

This list is provided through Duquesne University’s Advancement Records Office and may not be complete. If you have information about an alumnus who passed away this past year and is not listed, please contact the Law Alumni Office at 412.396.5215 so we may update our records.

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ST U D E N T B RIEFS

DIPLA Welcomes Alum Viccaro Nicole Prieto, 2D On Oct. 6, Duquesne University School of Law alumnus Pat Viccaro, L’74, visited the School of Law to present “In-House Corporate Practice, Intellectual Property, and Law in a Global Setting.” The event was hosted by the Duquesne Intellectual Property Law Association (DIPLA) and consisted of an open dialogue between Viccaro and several law students interested in IP. Before going to law school, Viccaro graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in aerospace engineering and worked for Grumman Aerospace Corporation as a flight test engineer. After becoming a patent attorney, he broadened his experience into areas touching on a variety of fields, such as trademarks, corporate matters and international business. He would go on to work for Alcoa, Inc., and Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), and is currently primary counsel for the first U.S.-China joint venture in the steel industry—a position he has held since 1996.

During his presentation, he emphasized how there is no doubt that we are in a global economy. “You don’t need as much infrastructure,” he said, stressing the need to be business-minded.

“Without IP, your company has nothing to offer anyone. You have bricks and mortar, but you have a lot of technology.”

From a company’s publications to its website’s functionality and branding efforts, Viccaro emphasized the need to think of all of the corporate functions involved in a business—not only for the benefit of IP matters, but for the company as a whole. “You want to be a business lawyer,” he said. “You give a legal opinion on things, but you have to have your business hat on. . . . (As in-house counsel) you’re now a bridge between executive management and

L-R, Michael Jones, Ryan Naumann, Nicole Prieto, Patrick Viccaro and Prof. Jacob Rooksby

the rest of the workers. The issues you deal with in-house will affect them directly. You’re that bridge to make sure everything keeps going in the right direction.”

Viccaro considered patent law something he always thought he could do. He said that going into the field allows you to be a specialist, but he also cautioned against pigeonholing yourself too soon into your career.

“Allow yourself the opportunity to have a broader experience,” he said. “If (an issue) wasn’t IP, I could still handle it.

You know enough to spot an issue and deal with it. Broadening your experience is more exciting than writing patent applications all day!”

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Wins Unprecedented 7 Awards Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, or PAD, is a professional law fraternity advancing integrity, compassion and courage through service to the student, the school, the profession and the community The PAD Egan Chapter has earned bragging rights, as they were the recipients of seven awards at the 2016 Phi Alpha Delta National Convention. This is a testament to the leadership, dedication and hard work of the 2015-16 Executive Board and the members. Congratulations to the awardees and the PAD membership for their tremendous and unprecedented achievement: • 1st Place Outstanding Justice, Sarah Weikart • 1st Place Outstanding Marshal, Eric Rudel • 2nd Place Outstanding Vice Justice, Cynthia Lose • 2nd Place Outstanding Treasurer, Curtis Corson • 3rd Place Academic Program, Cynthia Howell • 3rd Place Outstanding Alumni Program, Emma Donahey • Chapter Merit Award 34

THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

L-R, Courtney Brennan, Benjamin Ferris, Allison Erndl, Adam Duh, Patricia Shoenberger, Elizabeth Ranger, Stephanie Shriver-Byrne, Brazitte Poole and Emily Masotto

This year’s annual initiation ceremony was held on Oct. 6. Over 45 law school students were initiated into the chapter this year.

This was an exciting moment for the Egan Chapter here at Duquesne University, but it is only the starting point to their exciting and eventful year ahead. The Executive Board, along with their brothers and sisters, will continue advancing the principles of integrity, compassion and courage throughout the school year with more exciting news to come.

The Story Behind ‘Death By Cyanide’ by Paula Reed Ward Andrew Kiger, 3D Dr. Autumn Klein died from cyanide poisoning. The police said that her husband, Dr. Robert Ferrante, had poisoned her. Ferrante was later found guilty for the murder of Klein.

This case was shrouded with mystery and intrigue for a number of reasons, and with this buzz around the city of Pittsburgh to understand how this could happen, Paula Reed Ward decided she would be the one to tell the full story of this trial. Duquesne’s Criminal Justice Program and the Criminal Law Association hosted a book talk with Ward on Oct. 4.

Ward had been covering trials in Allegheny County for several years, but once she heard about Klein’s death, she knew she needed to go further than any other case she had ever followed; thus, Death by Cyanide was written.

It became more than a story for Ward; she said there was an immediate connection with Klein and that connection is what really made the book. She even said she thought she and Klein would have made great friends. Ward spoke with friends, family

and co-workers to see what kind of person Klein was. It was clear that she was an amazing person. However, the toughest people to interview were the ones who tried to save Autumn’s life by performing over 20 minutes of CPR. Ward also spoke with Ferrante multiple times, and he sent 30-plus pages of handwritten answers to her questions while in jail. He is still adamant that he did not kill his wife and is currently trying to prove that the cyanide test the doctors performed was in fact a false positive. Ward found him personable, and from her interviews she learned he was a good father to their daughter.

Throughout this whole process Ward made it clear that she would not come to any conclusions about what she thought happened and whether Ferrante actually did kill Klein. The book is complete and fair, and discusses the trial and the couple’s life together. Death by Cyanide really dives into the lives of two people that seemed happy to everyone on the outside but ended in a tragedy that still has some mystery about it.

Katie Westbrook 5K Race and Dog Walk An event truly celebrating the spirit of Duquesne Law is the 15th Annual Katie Westbrook 5K & Dog Walk on Oct. 1, 2016.

Hosted annually by the Duquesne University School of Law Student Bar Association, the race is dedicated to the memory of Katie Westbrook, whose dream at age 13 was to become a lawyer.

Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer that took her life at age 15, just before she was to receive an honorary degree from Duquesne University School of Law. This year, The Dog Stop generously agreed to be the sponsor of the dog walk. Other race sponsors included the Duquesne University Law Alumni Association, Women’s Bar Association, Ms. Tallulah’s Boutique and True Runner of Shadyside. Joining in memory of Katie this year were 75 runners and walkers, along with over 30 furry friends. We were thrilled to welcome Kerry and Andy Westbrook, Katie’s sister and brother, who spoke of their gratitude to the students and alumni for their continued support and for keeping Katie’s memory alive.

We want to thank all of our race supporters for their generous donations and continued support, which yielded proceeds of $3,100 for the Student Bar Association Endowed Fund. The scholarship provides awards for current law students who demonstrate the same “courage, charisma and compassion” as Katie for the law profession. It is easy to see why this race is in its 15th year and is one of our most important student events.

Erin Curran, L’14, with her husband, Michael Maass, and Winston and Swayze

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Career Services Update Maria D. Comas, L’00, Director of Career Services Samantha H. Coyne, Employer Outreach Manager

Judicial, Government and Public Interest Law Reception Salus Populi Suprema Lex: The Welfare of the People is the Highest Law. Our School of Law’s motto was lived in full at the Sixth Annual Judicial, Government and Public Interest Law Reception held on Oct. 18. This event was our biggest yet, with more than 80 judges and attorneys in attendance, along with nearly 150 students. The Career Services Office and Office of Clinical Legal Education created this program in order to bring the bench and public service bar together with our students so they may learn about externships, pro bono and post-graduate opportunities in our region. The ability to talk with members of the judiciary and attorneys who work in various government agencies and public interest organizations is a great benefit to our students. Many of them would not have the chance, for example, to speak uninterrupted with a judge for a prolonged period of time. Similarly, they might not otherwise be in front of nonprofit organizations, such as the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, that provide much needed service to our community and offer

externship, fellowship and pro bono activities in which they may participate.

Students appreciate everyone’s collective efforts to make receptions like this possible. According to Natalie Tupta, 2D student, “[t]his is one of the most valuable events we host at Duquesne Law because our students are able to meet with attorneys who are practicing law for the most admirable reasons —to serve the public and to provide legal services to those who may otherwise be unable to afford legal representation. The event allows for networking with local public interest attorneys who can offer our students opportunities to develop their legal skills through public service.” We are committed to providing our students with avenues for exploring these important ways to contribute in public service and public interest, and we look forward to having this event again next year.

Lawyers on Location: Pittsburgh Penguins Travis Williams, L’96, (fourth from right, above), Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at the Pittsburgh Penguins, recently hosted a “Lawyers on Location” luncheon for students. During the luncheon, which was held in the Lexus Club at the newly-named PPG Paints Arena, Williams shared his path to the Penguins and offered his advice and perspective to our students. He encouraged the students to take advantage of opportunities they are presented with, because they may lead to additional ones they “couldn’t have imagined at the time.” After lunch, students were given a private tour of PPG Paints Arena.

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THE DUQUESNE LAWYER

The School of Law is fortunate to have the support of generous alumni like Williams who offer their time and hospitality. Our students were thrilled to have this opportunity.

“Lawyers on Location” is a program designed to allow students to meet alumni, network and learn about the various ways they can use their Duquesne Law degree. These connections are invaluable to our students as they start their careers. If you would like to host a “Lawyers on Location” luncheon, please contact Samantha Coyne at coynes1@duq.edu.

School of Law 600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15282

NO VARNISH ON BACK PAGE

SAVE THE DATE

The Call to Excellence Fund

Members of the Class of 2016 at this year’s Pennsylvania Bar Admissions Ceremony

Donating to the Call to Excellence fund helps expand and intensify our Bar Exam Preparation programs to give every student the chance to excel.

Won’t you answer the call today?

Please send donations to the Call to Excellence Fund to: Duquesne University School of Law c/o Jeanine DeBor, Director of Law Alumni Relations 600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15282 Donate online at duq.edu/law/alumni/support-duquesne-law