Civitas Fall 2019, vol. 3 no. 1

CIVITAS Magazine of the Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Fall 2019 vol. 3 no. 1

30

YEARS

then & now

Widener University Commonwealth Law School 3800 Vartan Way Harrisburg, PA 17110 Phone: 717-541-3900 commonwealthlaw.widener.edu Published by the Widener University Office of University Relations Executive Editor Gregory Potter

contents 1 DEAN’S MESSAGE 2

IN BRIEF

6 30TH ANNIVERSARY, THEN AND NOW A long look back, a law school romance, and Anniversary Weekend

Editor Corinna Wilson

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ALUMNI PROFILE: Doug Wolfberg ’96

Art Directors Melanie Franz Debbie Perreca

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ELDER LAW

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CENTRAL PA CIVIL LAW CLINICS

Photographers Cynthia Barger Melanie Franz Chris Hartlove Julie Sheldon Magazine Advisory Board Gregory Potter Mary Allen Angela Sepela Michael Hussey Christian A. Johnson Julie Sheldon Corinna Wilson Jeannine McKnight Jeremy Wingert Juliet Moringiello

16 WIDENER LAW COMMONWEALTH 2019 COMMENCEMENT 18

FACULTY NOTES

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CLASS NOTES

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HONOR ROLL

24 STUDENT AWARDS

DEAN’S MESSAGE

We recently hosted Anniversary Weekend at Widener Law Commonwealth, and it was fantastic to see so many alumni back on campus, enjoying each other’s company and catching up with faculty and staff. As we turn the corner on 30 years of legal education in Harrisburg, it is remarkable how many lives the law school has impacted.

When we were just a gleam in founding dean Tony Santoro’s eye, no one could have imagined our alumni ranks would grow to include 3,600 people in such a short time. Or that their careers would take them to the bench, Fortune 500 companies, and impactful nonprofits. Or that they would walk the halls of Congress, the White House, and statehouses.

Widener Law Commonwealth is proud of the careers our graduates have built for themselves and of the way they use their degrees to give back, through public service work, pro bono representation, financial support of the law school, and more.

We provide experiences for our law students that help accelerate their careers through our clinic opportunities, internships, and networking. Our faculty is laser-focused on student success, both on the bar exam and in securing fulfilling employment. Their role as mentors absolutely contributes to our alumni success stories. We are committed to the personal and professional success of each student.

Sadly, Tony Santoro passed away this fall. One word kept surfacing when people recounted his years of leadership at Widener: vision. He envisioned a law school that made juris doctor degrees accessible to all kinds of students, from day students just out of their undergraduate years to working professionals who study at night, to people in government looking to advance their knowledge of legislation and impact law and policy through appointed or elected positions.

Tony’s vision for a vibrant, successful law school serving the Pennsylvania capital is a modern-day reality. The value of our contributions to our city, the commonwealth, and the lives of our alumni are immeasurable. As we mark 30 years of transformative legal education, I am grateful for the roles each of you plays in our story, and for the differences you’ve made with your degrees.

Dean Christian A. Johnson

Partner with us to serve veterans, service members, and military families through the Widener Law Commonwealth Veterans Initiative. Our next Veteran's Initiative event is the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals appellate argument on January 23, 2020.

Visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu for more information.

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IN BRIEF Law Student Selected for Prestigious Diversity Clerkship For the second time in four years, a Widener Law Commonwealth student was chosen as a recipient of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Business Law Diversity Clerkship to clerk at the prestigious Delaware Court of Chancery.

Waleisha Moat, a third-year law student from Schuylkill County served her eightweek clerkship for Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights this summer. Moat was one of four students selected for the clerkship out of 50 applicants. She was the only law student from Pennsylvania to be selected

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and the only one that will clerk with the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Participants in the ABA Diversity Clerkship receive mentoring and guidance in the business law field and exposure to types of business law they may not see in the classroom.

“The clerkship will give me a better understanding of all aspects of business law,” Moat said. “It will also help me strengthen my writing to be able to

communicate more effectively and give me a better understanding of the legal process and how decisions are made in a case.”

Moat is working toward earning WLC's business advising certificate. The program provides students with a real-world approach to learning business law, with courses focusing on business organization and structure, taxation, financing transactions, employment relationships, and intellectual property.

Randi Teplitz Named Assistant Dean of Students

Alumna Awarded Fellowship in Immigration Law

Randi Teplitz joined the Widener Law Commonwealth team as assistant dean of students earlier this year.

Teplitz leads the Office of Student Affairs and develops and oversees the application of policies for students that relate to ongoing assessments. Teplitz works closely with students to enrich their law school experience, including advising and counseling students on a variety of academic issues. She is also responsible for reporting to regulatory organizations and ensuring that the law school is compliant with the educational requirements at the federal, state, and local levels.

Teplitz has been an adjunct faculty member at the law school since 2003 teaching legal methods, which she will continue to do in addition to her role as assistant dean of students.

Teplitz was appointed as the chair of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women by Governor Tom Wolf in 2015. In this role, she serves as a volunteer leader for a 34-member statewide commission that provides advocacy on public policy issues affecting women and girls. She plays an instrumental role in programs that include eliminating sexual violence on college campuses, honoring female veterans and glass-ceiling breakers, and empowering young women through leadership and STEM initiatives.

Teplitz received her juris doctorate degree from Widener University Delaware Law School and her bachelor of arts in political science from Temple University.

Marissa Mowery ’15 was awarded a two-year fellowship with Equal Justice Works where she is helping immigrant survivors of human trafficking. The fellowship is hosted by the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice in Los Angeles, California.

“It can be a challenging area because it’s difficult to find the survivors,” said Mowery. “They often don’t identify as survivors, so when I am able to help someone it is very rewarding.”

In her role as a fellow, she will provide free, culturally responsive, language-accessible legal services to immigrant survivors of human trafficking.

Mowery’s interest in immigration law began when she was volunteering at a refugee resettlement center as a language teacher in Erie, Pennsylvania. She noticed that the center did not have an immigration attorney on staff, which always left it seeking outside counsel for its clients. The desperate need for legal representation in the area of immigration law motivated her to apply to law school.

“I would encourage students looking to practice immigration law to gain as much practical experience as they can before they graduate,” she said. “A lot of places that are hiring are not equipped to train someone, so any types of internships or externships they can do while in law school are beneficial.”

DeLiberato Receives Zealous Advocate Award

From left: Award winner Vince DeLiberato, Professor Juliet Moringiello and Professor Emeritus John Gedid

Long-time adjunct professor Vincent C. DeLiberato Jr. was honored with Widener Law Commonwealth’s prestigious Zealous Advocate Award during the Alumni Awards reception.

The award is given to an individual who strongly advocates for students and alumni of the law school, working to connect them with influential leaders in the community.

DeLiberato has taught classes at the law school for 28 years, including state constitutional law, legislative drafting, and legislation.

He is the director of the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau and has served with the bureau for more than 40 years.

Professor Juliet Moringiello, associate dean for research and faculty development, said DeLiberato has earned the award many times over. “Vince has hired dozens of our students as externs and lawyers. He is also passionate about ensuring that our students

succeed on the bar exam,” she said. She noted that DeLiberato takes a special interest in the school’s evening students who have full-time jobs with Commonwealth agencies, frequently working with them on bar exam study plans.

“Vince is a key part of the Law and Government Institute,” said Professor Jill Family, director of the institute. “He has taught countless students the value of public service. He has done this by teaching the necessary skills and by leading by example.

Vince is an exemplary public official.”

Moringiello recognized DeLiberato for his role in her being named a Uniform Law Commissioner, a prestigious appointment that has distinguished her and Widener Law Commonwealth.

“Vince’s loyalty to the law school runs to the students and the faculty,” she said. “He is a true and devoted friend to Widener.”

Two Alumni Receive the Outstanding Service Award Trisha S. Springer ’13, president of the Alumni Association, recognized Jeremy S. Montgomery ’07 and Alaina C. Koltash ’10 (pictured right) with the Outstanding Service Award at the Alumni Awards reception.

Koltash is an inaugural member of the Alumni Association’s board of directors and its first secretary. She has served with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program since she was a student. She is currently the executive director and senior legal counsel to the Education Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Montgomery, a deputy attorney general in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, was president of the law school’s Moot Court program while a student and has volunteered with the program for the past four years, spending countless hours as a coach, adviser, and guest judge.

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IN BRIEF Professor and Student Present at High Impact Practices Fair Professor Amanda Sholtis knows the best way to keep students engaged is to use innovative teaching techniques.

Sholtis was selected to present her “live critique” method at the High Impact Practices Fair held at Widener University last spring, an event featuring student projects, service-learning activities, research, study abroad opportunities, and pre-professional experiences from all fields of study.

Live critique is simple, Sholtis says. It is feedback she delivers verbally to students as she reads their work for the first time, out loud. She encourages her students to ask her clarifying questions, and they discuss ways the writing can be improved. Sholtis’s students say live critique builds confidence and helps them strengthen their writing skills.

In her university presentation, Sholtis explained that using live critique with her law students in their first-year legal writing classes has proven much more effective than writing comments on an assignment paper. Her presentation is based on her article for the Stetson Law Review fall of 2019 edition titled, “Say What?: A How-to Guide on Providing Formative Assessment to Law Students through Live Critique.”

Sarah Rothermel ’19 experienced the live critique method in Sholtis’s legal writing courses. She feels it enabled her to have breakthroughs in her writing and built her confidence.

“Live critique helped me strengthen my writing skills and helped me to establish and understand the expectations of legal writing,” Rothermel said.

WLC 1Ls Go to CAMP Four rising second-year Widener Law Commonwealth students were welcomed to the legal profession with summer internships in Harrisburg through the Capital Area Managing Partners (CAMP) diversity program, part of the Dauphin County Bar Association. Harrisburg firms have been sponsoring first-year law students for 15 years through the CAMP program.

Widener 1L Leah Bobula interned at the city of Harrisburg, sponsored by K & L Gates. Widener Law Commonwealth hosted Ebony Hammond, Ruben Rumbolo, and Shaivya Singh through sponsorships by JSDC, Stevens & Lee, and Eckert Seamans, respectively.

The summer program kicked off with a reception at the Dauphin County Bar Association.

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Widener Law Commonwealth Hosts Regional Transaction Competition Law students from Widener Law Commonwealth and Penn State Dickinson Law School got a chance to show off their transactional law skills in the Mid Penn Invitational Transactional Law Competition.

The competition, hosted last February by the Business Advising program at Widener Law Commonwealth, was the last stage in a two-month simulation designed to give law students a hands-on experience developing and honing transactional legal skills.

Each law school was represented by two teams that drafted and prepared documents negotiating the purchase of a fictional bottle company. Lawyers in Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre donated their time to give feedback on the documents and judge the final negotiations.

From left: Sarah Rothermel ’19, Kara (Kuntz) Eshenaur ’19, and Nicholas Platt ’19

The competition was generously sponsored by Mid Penn Bank.

Rory Ritrievi ’98, the president and CEO of Mid Penn Bank, is a member of the advisory board for Widener Law Commonwealth’s Business Advising program.

Members of one Widener Law Commonwealth transaction team included Kara (Kuntz) Eshenaur ’19 and Nicholas Platt ’19, both fourth-year extended division students, and Sarah Rothermel ’19.

The other team was comprised of Thomas Lopez and Natalie Potter, both second-year students, and Seth Perago, a third-year extended division student and Jerry Kincel, a third-year student.

The Widener Law Commonwealth students, all enrolled in the school’s Business Advising program, were coached by Julia Coelho ’08. Coelho is a practicing attorney at McNees Wallace & Nurick, LLC, with a focus in healthcare and corporate law.

Fond Farewell & Best Wishes to Sandy Graeff When Widener Law Commonwealth welcomed back students for the fall 2019 semester, someone important was missing.

Over the summer, Sandy Graeff, special programs liaison and administrative assistant at the law school for nearly 30 years, retired.

Among her many duties, Graeff supported the Law and Government Institute, the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, and the Business Advising program. Graeff was also a big supporter of the law school’s Veterans Initiative.

“Sandy just got things done. Everyone loved her, and she was so easy to work with,” said Professor Juliet Moringiello, associate dean for research and faculty development and Commonwealth professor of business law.

“As the director of the law school’s Business Advising program, I relied on Sandy and will miss her capable assistance and especially her cheerfulness.”

Professor John Dernbach, commonwealth professor of environmental law and sustainability and director of the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center,

agreed, adding that Graeff was a steadfast supporter and advisor for students, faculty, and administrators for nearly as long as the law school has existed in Harrisburg.

Commonwealth professor of law and government Jill Family, who also serves as the director of the Law and Government Institute, said that while she is happy Graeff now has more time for herself and her family, Graeff’s departure was bittersweet.

“Sandy was a constant for me and so many others at WLC,” said Family. “Things are very different without her. We appreciated her hard work and her love for the law school.

We miss her positive, can-do attitude and her dedication to the students.”

Graeff was also the school’s expert on Continuing Legal Education credits and was usually behind the registration table at events on campus. In addition, she was the only administrative assistant to the law review. There was a special dedication to her in the spring publication of the Widener Commonwealth Law Review.

“It will be impossible to replace Sandy,” said Dean Christian A. Johnson. “She understood how everything worked, knew everyone, and was the glue that held us together in so many ways. We all miss her.”

Graeff and her husband, Bob, who is retired from his Teamster’s job, plan to spend time with their three grown children and four grandchildren, ages 6 through 11. Graeff said her husband, an avid fly fisherman and river guide, wants her to fish with him but that her future plans run more toward arts and crafts.

She has been renovating a room in the family’s home in Newport to use as a studio. She also plans to do more volunteering with her parish, Snyder’s United Methodist Church.

Evening at the Capitol: York County District Attorney Honored Last November, the law school honored York County District Attorney David W. Sunday Jr. ’07 at the Widener Law Commonwealth Evening at the Capitol event with the 2018 Excellence in Public Service Award. The award is presented each fall to a graduate of the law school for dedication and contributions to government law.

Sunday was elected following 10 years of service as a prosecutor in From left: Professor Jill Family, Pennsylvania Senate Parliamentarian the District Attorney York County office, where he has supervised major Megan Martin '94, Professor John Gedid, Pennsylvania Auditor crime cases and the Felony Narcotics Unit. Sunday also served as the legal General Eugene DePasquale '02, President Julie Wollman, York advisor to the district attorney’s Drug Task Force and York County Quick County District Attorney David W. Sunday '07, Pennsylvania State Senator Rich Alloway '02, Dean Christian Johnson.

Response Team.

“Every day I go to work, and I am grateful,” he said. “I love what I do, and I love knowing that what I do, and what my team does, makes a difference in the lives of people every day.”

The event was co-hosted by Megan Martin ’94, secretary and parliamentarian for the Pennsylvania Senate, Richard L. Alloway II ’02, former state senator for the 33rd district, and Eugene A. DePasquale ’02, auditor general of Pennsylvania.

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Widener University Commonwealth Law School: Then and Now THEN Credit a father’s aspiration with the founding of Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

Then-representative Mark B. Cohen ’93 was a young state legislator when his father, long-time Philadelphia lawyer David Cohen, urged him to go to law school. The problem was that the Pennsylvania General Assembly meets full time and there were no part-time law schools near Harrisburg.

Cohen, now a Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas judge, knew there were many others around the capitol who were also unable to make a full-time commitment to law school but were interested in studying law.

Cohen asked Eric Fillman ’93, a legislative aide who is now the chief integrity officer in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, to research the subject. Fillman remembers responding, “If you get us a law school, I’ll go!”

Three years later, Cohen, Fillman, and four other state lawmakers enrolled in the first evening division class at the newly established Harrisburg campus of Widener University School of Law. “Rep. Cohen got the ball rolling by circulating a resolution calling for the establishment of a House Select Committee to undertake a feasibility study for a Harrisburg-based law school and whether the commonwealth could support it,” Fillman said.

While the measure establishing the select committee passed by only one vote — 102–101 — in the House chamber, all nine 6

committee members named to the panel were unanimous in their enthusiasm about the possibilities from the outset, according to Fillman.

“We had the chair of the House Education Committee [Rep. Ron Cowell, one of the five legislators who later enrolled in the first class with Fillman], the chair of the House Labor Relations Committee [Cohen], the local Harrisburg representative [Rep. Jeffrey Piccola, who later won a state Senate seat], and Rep. Paul McHale [a former U.S. Marine Corps colonel who was later elected to Congress and then named the assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense under President George W. Bush], Fillman said.

During the feasibility study, members took testimony about the market for attorneys, law school costs, and legal needs, and consulted with other law school deans, including Anthony Santoro of Widener University School of Law in Delaware.

Santoro was intrigued, seeing in a Harrisburg-based law school the possibility to recreate the successful symbiotic relationship between the law school and the state government that had been so effective in Delaware, according to Fillman. Santoro ran with it, and Widener soon submitted its own feasibility study of adding a second campus to its law school.

Meanwhile, according to Cohen, Harrisburg real estate developer and educational philanthropist John O. Vartan became interested in the law school after reading about it in The Patriot-News. He offered to donate land and $2 million toward the new school if the commonwealth would match funds.

“To leverage Vartan’s generosity, we introduced a bill to get $5 million in funding from the commonwealth to get things moving,” said Cohen.

But Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. quickly made it clear that he would not support any public funding for a law school, according to Cohen and Fillman.

Cohen recounted that the state’s refusal to match funds only made Vartan more determined.

“I’m not going to let them stop my law school,” Cohen reported Vartan saying, adding that Vartan’s support was instrumental in acquiring the property on which the law school was built.

According to Fillman, Widener’s interest in establishing a private law school in Harrisburg could not have been better timed.

Fillman praised Cohen’s leadership on the law school despite all obstacles.

“Rep. Cohen used to say that we could spend the next 30 years planning the perfect law school, or we could move ahead with a practical model that would have lasting impact,” he said. “And here we are, celebrating Widener’s 30th anniversary.

FINDING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP John L. Gedid was Santoro's choice for associate dean of Widener's Harrisburg campus.

Gedid led the day-to-day operations in Harrisburg while Santoro split his time between the two law campuses.

Now an emeritus professor of law, Gedid remembers being at home with his family on a Sunday morning in July when an admitted student telephoned.

“Dean Gedid,” the student said, “you admitted me, but is there going to be a law school building for me to come to next month? This one is not finished.”

Gedid assured the student that the school would be ready. It was down to the wire, but the law school opened its doors on time at 8 a.m. to the inaugural class waiting outside.

The new law school had a few challenges and a great advantage, Gedid said. The advantage: The invaluable support Gedid and his staff received from Widener's Delaware campus, as well as the main campus in Chester, Pa. The challenges facing the new school were twofold. First, because it was a new institution, there was no school culture.

Gedid “In existing law schools, the first years absorb law school culture almost by osmosis, in part from the upperclassmen. Without upperclass students, the teachers and administrators had the task of building the culture of the school,” Gedid said.

This fresh start became, in Gedid’s opinion, the school’s greatest strength and his proudest legacy.

“Many law schools are highly competitive, formal places where there is not much contact between students and faculty outside of the classroom. We had the opportunity to improve on that model. We set out to be friendly, helpful, and available to the students so that they would be more successful in law school and beyond,” Gedid said.

“And it worked,” he added. “From day one, our students got an excellent legal education. And we supported them like family.”

Ann Elizabeth Fruth ’92, also a member of the inaugural class, agreed with Gedid.

Fruth joined the law school as an administrator in 1995 and held positions ranging from associate dean of students to associate professor of legal methods.

“It was quickly obvious to all of us in that class that we had made a good choice of law schools, primarily because of the quality of the faculty,” Fruth said. “We knew we were going to get a solid legal education.”

Eric Fillman '93 currently serves as the chief integrity officer in the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. He was the first to serve in the newly created position and was appointed to the job by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

He has previously worked in state Democratic labor relations, and Pennsylvania Democratic leadership positions as legal counsel, including counsel to the Pennsylvania House Committee on Ethics.

Judge Mark B. Cohen '93 served as a Pennsylvania House member for more than 42 years and is among the three longest-serving legislators in Pennsylvania history. He counts his work creating Widener Law Commonwealth among his proudest accomplishments, along with his legislative work improving organ donation, protecting veterans, raising the minimum wage, and laying the groundwork for Harrisburg University.

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The second challenge was its low profile. To address that, Gedid immediately set out to make the school’s mark on the world, joining local, state, and national legal organizations, including the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

“This was hard work,” he said. “But it paid off. By a few years in, everyone knew who we were.”

The law school had other opportunities that also helped put its name on the map, including one by Judge James Crumlish Jr., president judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

“Judge Crumlish was very interested in the relationship between his court and the new law school and what we had set out to do,” Gedid said. The judge asked Gedid to take on the high-profile and prestigious role of “court reporter” for the Commonwealth Court’s reported decisions.

“This literally put our name ‘on the books’ of the last 15 or so volumes of this reporter, visible in every law library in the state,” Gedid said. “We were on our way.”

What had caught Crumlish’s eye was that Gedid and his faculty set out to become leaders in training lawyers for both state government practice and traditional law practice. Unlike other law schools, Widener Law Commonwealth has always offered separate classes in state and federal constitutional law and state and federal administrative law.

“Our students can hit the ground running and move seamlessly into state government,” Gedid said proudly.

“And it wasn’t too long before we owned that space,” he added.

Santoro’s vision of a law school with close ties to state government had become a reality.

NOW Today, Widener Law Commonwealth is a competitive law school, a peer to the other eight law schools in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to its now separately accredited sister law school in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Professor James W. Diehm is the longest-tenured member of the WLC faculty. Hired by Santoro in 1986 in anticipation of the law school’s opening, Diehm, a Lancaster native, had left his position as the U.S. attorney in the Virgin Islands in 1986 to teach at the Delaware campus for two years.

“I met Dean Santoro at a judicial conference, and he started talking to me about his plans for the Harrisburg campus and the need to cultivate a faculty,” said Diehm. "After 13 years in the Virgin Islands as an assistant attorney general, a named partner in a law firm, and then as U.S. attorney, it was good to return home and teach."

In his 33 years at Widener University, Diehm said he has enjoyed working with students more than anything else.

“Teaching here has given me the opportunity to interact with thousands of students, in and outside of class,” he said. “Many arrive here still in college mode. But by the time they graduate, they’ve matured and are focused on their career goals. It is such a pleasure to keep up with them, run into them in various places, and see how successful they’ve become.”

Diehm said Widener’s close proximity and relationships with local, state, and federal government in Harrisburg have benefitted many of his pupils.

"Our students have a large number of internship and externship opportunities in state agencies and the federal government, as well as the district attorneys and public defenders’ offices in the counties that surround us," he said.

For Diehm, what really sets Widener Law Commonwealth apart is the law school’s attentiveness.

“There is a great deal of faculty-student communication,” he said.

“It is not like this everywhere. We’ve developed this closeness. I feel so fortunate to teach here. We have fine students and a fine faculty and administration.”

Over the years, Widener law students have expressed their deep appreciation of Diehm: They have voted him “Outstanding Faculty Member” 12 times.

STUDENTS ARE THE TOP PRIORITY Widener Law Commonwealth at age 30 continues to offer its signature extended-division program, in addition to a thriving fulltime day program. Reflecting the needs of its community, the law school has developed an array of specialized study and certificate programs and earned a reputation for placing its students in law firms and government jobs where they have left their marks for more than a generation.

The school now has more than 3,500 alumni, 15 full-time faculty members, 5 emeriti professors, and 40 adjunct instructors.

Erin Alleman, an aspiring prosecutor, is one of the 76 new graduates of Widener Law Commonwealth. Alleman, who is currently in a clerkship program at the Falls Church, Virginia Immigration Adjudication Center, a part of an honors program at the Justice Department, was born two years after members of the

first WLC class were awarded their diplomas. She said she knew the law school was still young when she decided to attend, but also knew it had a great network in the mid-state, where she was born and raised.

“Widener was a good place for me because the class sizes aren’t so large. I got a chance to connect with and develop quality relationships with my classmates,” Alleman said. “We spent a lot of time together out of class.”

She noted that the WLC faculty and staff were always available and generous with their time.

“The faculty members and staff are wonderful at Widener,” she said.

“They go out of their way to help with questions, advice for law school, career planning, job references, and resources, whatever we needed.”

Alleman said she valued above all else the practical nature of her legal education at Widener.

“The professors of course taught us the theoretical, case-law part of law school,” she said. “But the best part was that they pushed us to go out and do internships, participate in clinics, and gain real-world legal experience.”

Alleman said she particularly appreciated the skills she acquired in her legal methods course, taught by Professor Anna Hemingway, who is also the director of academic support. She said she feels well prepared for her law school’s work for the immigration judges because of the extensive range of writing she worked on in that class, which included judicial opinions, appellate briefs, and memoranda of law.

Fruth agreed, saying that in both her time as a student and as a member of the faculty and the administration, she experienced how focused the law school is on students and their education. She said she is not surprised at how many WLC alumni have done so well in the practice of law and otherwise.

“Widener has graduated so many excellent lawyers,” she said. “We’ve attracted ambitious people who have used their legal education to good purpose and to succeed.”

Judge Mark Cohen highlighted the law school’s flexibility to accommodate students of all ages and stages of life.

“Widener is pro student,” he said. “It also emanates a sense of justice.

We never felt like we were going to law school just to make money.

With professors like Randy Lee and his eloquent insistence that ethics is more than a series of rules but rather must be how we approach society and our lives, we felt we were going to improve society, and we have,” he added.

SEPARATE ACCREDITATION In July 2015, the Widener Commonwealth Law School was approved for separate accreditation from its sister school, now the Widener Delaware Law School, and Christian A. Johnson was installed as its first dean. Among the many things he has come to admire about the law school, Dean Johnson values is its family feel. He finds the culture created by Gedid and the original staff and faculty members is as strong as ever.

“With 30 years of alumni and history, Widener Law Commonwealth was no longer a start-up when I got here,” he said.

“But I quickly saw that the professors, staff, and current and former students had a different take on it – for them, and now for me, Widener is like a family. This is very different than most law schools and couldn’t have happened by accident.”

“While we’ve gotten bigger and become more established in every way, our approach is still very personal,” Johnson said. “Alums drop by, I know many of the students by name, and the faculty goes the extra mile for students. We’ve been able to preserve that neat sense of ‘we’re all in this together.’ It’s a very special personality, one that certainly distinguishes us from other law schools.”

Accolades for Widener Law Commonwealth • Listed as a nationally ranked top law school by U.S. News & World Report in 2018 and 2019.

• Recognized as a top 20 law school nationally by National Jurist for government law and public service in 2017.

• WLC's environmental law program was given an A grade by preLaw magazine in March 2019, placing it among just 22 law schools nationally to achieve that rank.

• According to the American Bar Association, WLC is in the top 20 percent of law schools nationally for ultimate bar passage rate for 2016.

• Listed on The Princeton Review’s best law schools for 2019.

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ALUMNI CELEBRATE AT

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND “Anniversary Weekend” kicked off on Friday, September 27, with the Alumni Awards Reception and Silent Auction at the Colonial Golf and Tennis Club in Harrisburg.

The next day, Widener Law Commonwealth faculty members Professor Randy Lee, Professor Juliet M. Moringiello, and Professor Amanda Sholtis presented three Continuing Legal Education programs for visiting alumni.

To close the weekend, Dean Christian Johnson hosted a picnic on Saturday afternoon at the law school. More than 130 alumni and current students turned out on this beautiful day to eat, visit, and reminisce.

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From left: Steve Matthes, Paige Macdonald-Matthes, unidentified, and Scott Foulkrod

Programs at Widener Law Commonwealth • The Law and Government Institute • Environmental Law and Sustainability Center • Business Advising Program • Civil Clinics • Veterans Initiative

A LAW SCHOOL ROMANCE Paige Macdonald and Steve Matthes were among the members of the first full-time program at Widener Law Commonwealth.

When they arrived on campus in August 1989, they had no idea how much their lives were about to change.

The two met early in that first semester at a happy hour organized by classmates.

Each had different areas of law they wanted to study. Macdonald-Matthes was interested in civil litigation.

Matthes loved history and government and applied to the school when he learned it would have a concentration in government law.

While pursuing different legal careers, the couple would later marry.

Macdonald-Matthes, an equity partner at Obermayer, Rebmann Maxwell and Hipple, LLP, works in the firm’s Harrisburg office. She has the practice she always wanted, focusing on civil litigation, including real estate litigation and recent pipeline litigation in both state and federal court.

“I went into law school knowing what I wanted, to go into the courtroom and think creatively,” she said. “I enjoy thinking on my feet and love the

challenge of getting to know every new client and assignment that comes in.”

Steve Matthes has served as chief counsel with the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General for the past 13 years. Prior to his position in state government, he worked at several private general practice law firms in the Harrisburg and York areas.

The couple agreed that there was extra pressure on the first graduating class to set a high standard.

“There were unique opportunities that came with being a member of the first class,” Macdonald-Matthes said. “Many people worked in the legislature, and several classmates were state representatives. Along with being academically challenged, we were able to make connections for our careers and also many personal lifelong friendships.”

“It’s a tribute to the school that everywhere you turn in the capitol you’re running into a Widener Law grad,” Matthes said. “When I’m looking for a student for an internship, I look for Widener students. They work harder, have a better work ethic, and have a good, fundamental understanding of legal skills.”

Certificates • Administrative and Constitutional Law (offered by the Law and Government Institute) • Advocacy • Business Advising • Environmental Law (offered by the Law and Government Institute in conjunction with the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center) • Legislation (offered by the Law and Government Institute)

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Doug Wolfberg: A Life of Service

Doug Wolfberg '96 loved watching Emergency!—the iconic, 1970s-era television drama, which featured two paramedic-firefighters working for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“These were two all-American boys, pioneering the concept of paramedicine,” Wolfberg said. “They were laid back, but so expert and competent. When the bell rang, they got up and got the job done.”

Wolfberg might as well be describing his own life of service, which began at age 12 when he followed his older brother in joining the Northumberland Emergency Rescue Squad, his local emergency medical services (EMS) provider.

Wolfberg, 53, has had a lifelong commitment to professionalizing emergency services and helping its mostly small and nonprofit providers stay afloat in an increasingly difficult operational environment. His committment pervades all aspects of his life. He recently completed a five-day bike ride from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., done to raise awareness of EMS providers and to honor those who have passed away.

“EMS is noble work. Lots of people do it for no pay. And for those who get paid, it’s not much. They do it out of the desire to help,” he said.

“People go into EMS because they are compassionate; they stay in it because they find it fulfilling, as I have.”

With six years of EMS experience under his belt by the time he headed off to Penn State, Wolfberg continued to work as an EMT for the university’s ambulance service while earning his bachelor of science in health planning and administration. His love for emergency services led him back to the EMS field after college. He worked for several EMS providers in central Pennsylvania and later in Washington D.C. for the federal Department of Health and Human Services'

Division of Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems. After working at the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council in Harrisburg, he decided that law school was the next logical step.

“Widener was so generous with me,” said Wolfberg. “The school made it financially possible for me to think about getting a law degree despite all of the responsibilities I had.”

Wolfberg distinguished himself in law school. Among many other awards and achievements, he was awarded a halftuition scholarship in his first year and the Santoro Scholarship in his second year. He made the Dean’s Honor Roll all three years and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society upon graduating in 1996.

“This is why I always say 'yes' when Widener asks me to do something,” Wolfberg said. “The school and the professors were always so welcoming and helpful. I can’t imagine a school that does a better job for their students.”

In 2015, Wolfberg was asked to serve as a trustee of Widener University, and he currently chairs the board’s Advancement Committee. He is also a member of the Widener Law Commonwealth Board of Advisors.

In addition to his time and talent, Wolfberg has been a generous benefactor, recently making a $150,000 gift to Widener University, most of which is earmarked for Widener Law Commonwealth. He has also funded two scholarships: the “Page, Wolfberg, & Wirth Emergency Services Scholarship” and the “Douglas M. Wolfberg Scholarship.”

“I got so much from Widener Law Commonwealth,” Wolfberg said. “It is a no brainer to give back now that I can.”

Wolfberg lives in Camp Hill with his wife, Christina. He has three children— Joshua (25), Cayla (22), and Sophia (19).

Alumni and Student Happy Hour to Kick Off 2020!

The Widener Law Commonwealth Alumni Association Board invites you to kick off the new year with a happy hour.

Please come to eat, drink, and mingle with current students and one another. Complimentary beer and wine from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Visit the law school’s website at commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/events to register to attend.

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Lawyers and Entrepreneurs After law school, Wolfberg worked as a health care attorney at then Duane, Morris, and Heckscher, LLP. His EMS experience and public policy work gave him a broad knowledge base that enabled him to make connections early in his legal practice and quickly develop a niche practice.

He occasionally would meet up with his friend Steve Wirth, whom he had known since their days working in emergency services in central Pennsylvania. Wirth was working in the Harrisburg office of Buchanan Ingersoll, PC, at the time.

“Steve and I were friendly competitors,” Wolfberg said. “We’d have lunch regularly and pry intelligence from each other about who was doing what in the EMS world until one day we realized that we should just start a firm together.”

In 2000, the pair joined with highly regarded emergency services attorney and entrepreneur James O. Page to found Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLC, in Mechanicsburg.

The firm saw major opportunities in the increasingly regulated world of emergency medical services and focused first on professionalization and training.

Wolfberg noted that the EMS field did not have specific certifications for ambulance billing and compliance personnel. So the partners formed the National Academy of Ambulance Compliance to establish protocols and certify professionals. “We had doubters who couldn’t see the need for the programming,” he said. “But as industry professionals ourselves, we had a good sense of what EMS needed and the industry embraced us.”

Today, the training created by Wolfberg and Wirth through NAAC is considered the industry standard, and municipalities often write the certification into their contract requirements. Their legal practice has grown and now provides a wide range of legal services to its national client base.

With his expertise in high demand, Wolfberg lectures nationally, has authored and contributed to 13 books and hundreds of scholarly and trade publication articles, and produces training videos and presentations.

He serves as an adjunct law professor at both Widener Law Commonwealth and the University of Pittsburgh.

Wolfberg employs two Widener Law Commonwealth alumni­—Ryan Stark ’07 and Matt Konya ’17, both of whom took the Health Law class that Wolfberg teaches at Commonwealth Law. Wolfberg said he counts partnering with Wirth among his best professional decisions.

“We just get each other and have always helped keep the creative energy flowing. I could not have done any of this without Steve at every step of the way.”

“I get up every day, excited to get to do what I love,” he said. “If I could have written the perfect job description for myself, this would be it.”

Wolfberg said he values the nimbleness that he and Wirth have created in their practice.

“Our clients value us because we keep them compliant and solvent by giving them training and strategies to succeed,” he said.

These days, the partners are looking at the next phase: building a succession plan for the nine-lawyer practice and related businesses.

Wolfberg looked back on his career and said he’s lucky. “I get up every day, excited to get to do what I love,” he said. “If I could have written the perfect job description for myself, this would be it.”

“I took what I loved as a kid and use it to help EMS services across the country and, by extension, help their patients in thousands of communities,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.”

Advice to Law Students Wolfberg tells his law students that it is important to get a solid academic and legal foundation.

“You never know what each day will bring, and you have to be ready. There isn’t time to wish you’d paid more attention in law school.”

He also credits the high quality training he got practicing law at Duane Morris, LLP. “It’s hard to imagine starting a practice without seeing how it’s done, getting involved in the local community, and gaining that confidence that comes with experience.”

LAW PRACTICE AND RELATED BUSINESSES Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLP The law/consulting firm specializes in emergency medical services (EMS), ambulance, mobile health care, and medical transportation industry issues. It provides counsel and representation to clients throughout the United States in matters of health care fraud, compliance, business transactions, reimbursement, HIPAA privacy/security, and employment law. The practice also involves litigation and negotiations with state and federal agencies—including the Office of Inspector General and the Department of Health and Human Services—in investigations, administrative agency actions, federal false claims/qui tam actions, and in licensure and certification matters. In addition, the firm provides EMS system design, assessment, operational, and financial consulting to EMS, ambulance, and mobile health care organizations and related entities.

PWW Media, Inc. Founded in 2015, this company provides education and information to ambulance industry professionals through conferences, webinars, publications, videos, and other media. Offerings include abc360 – the Ambulance Billing, and Coding annual conference; XI – the PWW Executive Institute; the Ambulance Service Guide to HIPAA Compliance, and the HIPAA TV video training program.

National Academy of Ambulance Compliance This training company, founded by Wolfberg and Wirth in 2008, provides four educational content and certification programs for ambulance industry professionals through a mix of online and in-classroom trainings: • Certified Ambulance Coder • Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer • Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer • Certified Ambulance Document Specialist

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Elder Justice

Protecting Pennsylvanians in their Golden Years

by Julie Sheldon

Pennsylvania has one of the largest aging populations in the United States.

Almost 16 percent of its population, or nearly 1 in 10 residents, are over the age of 65.

With the increased number of seniors, there has been a corresponding increase in cases of elder abuse—physical, emotional, and financial. In response, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court formed the Elder Law Task Force in 2014, which has now made more than 130 recommendations to the Court’s Advisory Council on Elder Justice.

Two Widener Law Commonwealth alumni serve on the council, Mary Catherine Scott ’94 and Judge George Zanic ’92, both of whom have extensive experience working with older Pennsylvanians.

Zanic is currently the president judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Huntingdon County. He became sensitized to the vulnerability of older people when he served as solicitor to his county's Area Agency on Aging. He established an elder law task force in Huntingdon County while serving as that county’s district attorney from 2008 to 2014.

“We had significant success with the local task force and had a large impact in the county,” said Zanic. “It was seeing that impact that made it imperative [for me] that we launch a task force statewide.”

The council, which meets quarterly, is made up of 25 individuals, including lawyers, judges, medical professionals, and educators. Its mission is to address elder law issues in the state and educate agencies about abuse prevention.

Scott, interim director of the Central Pennsylvania Law Clinics at Widener Law Commonwealth, is the only representative of a law school appointed to serve on the council.

“It’s a huge honor to be asked to be a part of the council which helps prevent elder abuse and educates state and local leaders about the risks that the elderly face every day,” she said.

Kayla Kormanik '19 and Paige Parker '19

Last year, more than 58 percent of the law school clinic’s case load focused on helping senior clients. The clinic receives client referrals from the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging, the YWCA Domestic Violence Clinic, MidPenn Legal Services, and other service providers in the community.

Scott says she has a twofold goal in her clinical work. “Not only am I supervising and training young lawyers, but I am also teaching them about the need to serve those in the community who may not have a voice for themselves,” she said. “At the end of the day, I want them to remember their experiences and who they are helping.”

Zanic and Scott agree that elder abuse prevention starts with education and that elder abuse can take many forms.

“The conversations with your family are important,” Zanic said.

“We have found that there is no cookie cutter formula for seniors who may suffer from abuse. Victims come from all walks of life and are doctors, lawyers, and members of the military. So educating families through churches, senior centers, and long-term care facilities and agencies with the message of preventing elder abuse has been really effective.”

Elder Justice Courses Last spring, Widener Law Commonwealth offered elder justice courses, as well as a two-day intensive immersion course about the growing field of elder law. In addition, the 2019 Dean’s Diversity Forum focused on serving an aging minority population. Stay tuned for future elder justice courses.

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George Mitchell '18 and Interim WLC Clinic Director Mary Catherine Scott '94

Central Pennsylvania Civil Law Clinics Since 1991, the Central Pennsylvania Civil Law Clinics have provided legal services to low-income individuals in the community.

Through the clinics, Widener Law Commonwealth students gain valuable legal experience providing service to clients under the supervision of licensed attorneys. They offer high-quality legal representation to residents in Dauphin County and nearby counties who might otherwise be unable to obtain legal assistance.

Last year, the clinic closed 115 cases, ranging from domestic relations to bankruptcy and unemployment matters.

“Law firms are looking to hire new attorneys who are practiceready from day one,” said Mary Catherine Scott ’94, acting director of the Central Pennsylvania Civil Law Clinics. “One of the primary goals in the clinic is to help students gain the skills they need to hit the ground running upon graduation,” she added.

Equally as important, Scott noted, is to instill in Widener Law Commonwealth students a sense of public service.

“Our clients are either indigent or elderly — ­ two populations that generally do not have immediate access to legal help,” Scott said. “Students coming through the clinic see firsthand just how important it is to provide help to these groups. Hopefully the practice of providing pro bono services will stick with them when they graduate,” she added.

In addition to clinical work, students take an active role in making connections with clients and teaching charitable organizations about the clinic’s mission and services. This helps students hone their soft skills: developing presentations, networking, and making long-lasting contacts in the community.

“The clinical experience teaches students not only how to apply the classroom skills they learned, but also how to engage the organizations and give them a true understanding of the services that the clinics provide,” Scott said.

The clinics also enable law students to assist at events that provide legal information about divorce, wills, and power-ofattorney document preparation at various locations in the state.

For example, several times a year, students and faculty take part in Wills for Heroes, which, under the supervision of an attorney, provides will preparation services for active military, veterans, and first responders.

Clinic offices are located within walking distance of the campus and set up like a small, general practice law firm wherein the interns are the young associates and the clinic faculty are the senior partners. Students interview clients, maintain case files, negotiate with opposing counsel, and often find themselves representing clients and trying cases in court.

Widener Law Commonwealth

2019 COMMENCEMENT The 76 graduates who received degrees at the Widener Law

of Harrisburg, a U.S. Navy veteran. She recalled being a 12-year-

Commonwealth commencement ceremony on May 19 were

old girl, watching her mother give a similar speech as she graduated

advised to use their skills and experiences to improve the world.

from nursing school. With her own son watching in the audience,

Alumna and former Pennsylvania Bar Association President

Eichinger chose the same Nelson Mandela quote her mother had

Sharon López, who was given an honorary doctor of laws degree,

cited as she summed up the challenge of her law school experience,

highlighted her message with three Cs: competency, compassion, and

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

connectedness. Competency requires attorneys to prioritize and do

“We now have the opportunity–and the privilege–to give back to

their due diligence, compassion requires the emotional intelligence to

our communities wherever we go in new and meaningful ways,”

appreciate a client’s experience, and connectedness cultivates networks

Eichinger added.

of contacts who can help reach goals, she said.

“If you remember and practice these Cs, you will be successful as a lawyer, no matter how you use your JD,” López said.

The commencement ceremony, held at The Forum in the Capitol Complex, also featured remarks by valedictorian Lindsay Eichinger

Dean Christian Johnson gave the outstanding faculty award, decided by a vote of the graduating class, to Professor James W. Diehm. Prior to the ceremony, the dean gave the Douglas E. Ray Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award to Commonwealth Professor of Law and Sustainability John C. Dernbach.

FACULTY NOTES Professor Emeritus John J. Capowski was awarded the Thaddeus Stevens Award by the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia last October for his role as a petitioner in League of Women Voters v. Commonwealth. In that case, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found Pennsylvania unconstitutionally gerrymandered congressional districts. For this same effort, he also received the Common Cause of Pennsylvania’s Defender of Democracy 2018 Award.

Commonwealth Professor of Environmental Law and Sustainability John C. Dernbach co-edited (with Professor Michael Gerrard of Columbia Law School) Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States (Environmental Law Institute 2019), a compendium of recommendations from more than 50 authors proposing a myriad of options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Professor Dernbach discussed some of the book’s recommendations at the United States­–European Union Environmental Law Colloquium hosted by the Center for American Studies in Rome, Italy, on May 30, 2019. Professor Dernbach was also awarded the law school’s Douglas E. Ray Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship at Commencement on May 19, 2019.

Professor James W. Diehm was the recipient of the 2019 Widener Law Commonwealth Outstanding Faculty Award, which was given at Commencement on May 19, 2019.

In addition, on June 7, 2019, the Iowa Supreme Court cited Professor Diehm’s article “Impeachment of Jury Verdicts: Tanner v.

United States and Beyond,” published in St. John’s Law Review in 1991, in its decision in State v. Christensen.

Professor Michael R. Dimino’s article, “A Foolish Inconsistency: Religiously and Ideologically Expressive Conduct,” was published in the Italian Law Journal. Professor Dimino also participated on four panels at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools in Boca Raton, Florida, from July 28 to August 3, 2019, discussing “Election Law in 2018 and 2020,” “The Limits of Expressive Conduct,” “Designing a Teaching Package,” and “Justice Kavanaugh’s Confirmation and His Impact on the Court.”

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Commonwealth Professor of Law and Government Jill E. Family is chair of the Section on Immigration Law of the Association of American Law Schools for 2019 and the 2019 chair of the Government Lawyers Committee of the Dauphin County Bar Association. Professor Family’s article “Immigration Adjudication Bankruptcy” was published in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, and her article “The Executive Power of Political Emergency: The Travel Ban” was published in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Review.

Professor Anna P. Hemingway presented (with Professor Amanda Sholtis and Visiting Professor Dionne Anthon) “Practice-Ready Millennials: Technology Training for Efficient and Effective Communication” at the Duquesne University School of Law Symposium “Artificial Intelligence: Thinking about Law, Law Practice, and Legal Education” on April 27, 2019. Professor Hemingway also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Legal Writing Institute.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Michael J. Hussey supervised the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic in serving 250 clients during the 2019 tax season, preparing federal, state, and local tax returns. Eight students and seven alumni participated in the clinic.

Dean Christian A. Johnson’s article “From Fire Hose to Garden Hose: Section 13 (3) of the Federal Reserve Act” was published by the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal. He wrote the article as part of a symposium at Loyola on “Lehman Ten Years Later: Lessons Learned?” In addition, in June 2019, Dean Johnson traveled to Australia to teach a one-week course on international lending to LLM students at the University of Melbourne.

Professor G. Randy Lee presented “Reflections on Jewish and American Disabilities Law and on the God Who Makes All Things Good” at the Touro Law Center conference on “Jewish Law and American Law: A Comparative Study” on April 1, 2019. The article he wrote in connection with the symposium, “Endrew F.’s Journey to a Free Public Education: What Can We Learn from Love?”, was published in the Touro Law Review.

Professor Lee also presented “Bob Dylan and the Art of Taking Ethics Seriously” at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Essential Ethics seminar in December 2018.

Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development Juliet M. Moringiello was appointed to the Uniform Law Commission– American Law Institute Joint Study Committee on the Uniform Commercial Code and Emerging Technologies, which will review the Official Text of the UCC with a view toward drafting amendments to accommodate emerged and emerging technological developments. Also, Professor Moringiello’s co-authored article “The Faulty Foundation of the Draft Restatement of Consumer Contracts” was published in the Yale Journal on Regulation.

Professor David Raeker-Jordan presented (with Professor Amanda Sholtis) “Carrots and Sticks: Motivating Students to Learn Without Grading Everything They Do” at the New England Conference of Legal Writing Teachers at the University of Maine School of Law on May 2, 2019.

Professor Christopher J. Robinette was named as the U.S. representative to the European Group on Tort Law on April 25, 2019. He attended the group’s meeting in Vienna, Austria, in April to discuss liability issues raised by autonomous vehicles, an issue on which the group is advising the European Union. Professor Robinette also published “Professor William Prosser” in Private Law Scholars: Tort (Hart Publishing 2019).

Professor Amanda Sholtis presented “We Need to Talk: Providing Formative Assessment through Live Critique” at the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning’s conference on “Teaching Today’s Law Students” on June 3, 2019, at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas. Professor Sholtis was also a presenter at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel’s Writing Skills course on June 11, 2019. Since February 2019, Professor Sholtis has also been a regular blogger on the Appellate Advocacy Blog, where she shares her thoughts on how lawyers and law students can become better persuasive writers.

Dean Christian Johnson presents Professor James Diehm with the outstanding faculty award.

Dean’s Board of Advisors Scott B. Cooper ’93, Chair C. Grainger Bowman, Emeritus Chair Michael S. Bectold ’06 Hon. P. Kevin Bobson ’95 Vincent L. Champion ’01 Ann E. Fruth ’92 Jonathan L. Koltash ’07 Christopher Marzzacco ’96 Tara J. Schellhorn ’07 Jill M. Spot ’02 Tricia S. Springer ’13 Douglas J. Steinhardt ’94 Douglas M. Wolfberg ’96 Sarah C. Yerger ’93

Alumni Association Board of Directors Tricia S. Springer ’13, President Paul D. Edger ’11, President Elect Anthony D. Cox ’17, Vice President Katherine L. Dixon ’14, Secretary Nicole E. Carter ’08, Past President Tanya C. Blissman ’97 Andrew J. Conaboy ’10 John R. Dixon ’14 Catherine M. Dotto ’09 Clarissa L. Freeman ’08 Amy Jo Gregory ’19 Annmarie Kaiser ’93 Alaina C. Koltash ’10 Jonathan L. Koltash ’07 Maryanne M. Lewis ’98 Keli M. Neary ’06 Linda J. Randby ’93 William A. Rozier ’04 Liana E. Walters ’13 19

CLASS NOTES

These class notes reflect information received through June 1, 2019. Please send news/photos of yourself or other alumni for these pages to Class Notes Editor, Widener Law Commonwealth, 3737 Vartan Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110 or cwalumni@widener.edu.

CLASS OF 1993

CLASS OF 1999

John Pietrzak ’96 and his wife Deborah Schwartz ’93 adopted a baby girl, Hayden Cherie Pietrzak, born on February 26, 2018. John was appointed as an administrative law judge for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board in February 2019.

Zachary Rubinich, a partner in the Philadelphia office of Rawle & Henderson, LLP, has been selected as a 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers honoree. Rubinich is certified as a specialist in the practice of workers' compensation law.

CLASS OF 2005

CLASS OF 1993 Annmarie Kaiser joined the firm of Spilman, Thomas and Battle, PLLC, in January 2019 with a focus on government relations.

Sarah Yerger has joined Barley Snyder, LLP, in Harrisburg, where she practices employment law and commercial litigation.

CLASS OF 1996 Christopher Marzzacco, owner of Marzzacco Niven & Associates, has for the third consecutive year been selected by his peers as a 2019 Super Lawyer in Harrisburg.

CLASS OF 1997 Amy Rothermel was named paralegal program director and criminal justice instructor at Berks Technical Institute in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

She also has a private practice in Reading.

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Michael Dennin is the new president of the Camden County Bar Association in New Jersey.

Dennin has been a trustee and officer of the CCBA for 10 years, where he has been involved in charity, networking, and other events with the courts and lawyers.

Vanessa (Overland) McEvoy was promoted to deputy bureau chief of the School Advocacy Bureau in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, New York. She previously served as a senior assistant district attorney in the Human Trafficking Unit in Kings County and as an assistant district attorney for the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. Earlier she worked as executive agency counsel for a New York City agency.

CLASS OF 2008 Clarissa LeeAnne Freeman married Harrisburg City Councilman Westburn S.T. Majors on April 14, 2018. The happy couple are expecting their first child this fall.

Keli M. Neary was selected as the new executive deputy attorney general of the Civil Division in July 2019.

CLASS OF 2007 Christopher Falcon joined the board of directors of Edu-Futuro, a Virginiabased nonprofit focusing on mentorship and leadership training for immigrant and firstgeneration American students.

CLASS OF 2010 Alaina Koltash joined the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as executive director and senior legal counsel to the Education Committee. She also served as the 2018-19 chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and now serves as the immediate past chair.

Scott M. McPherson has become a partner at Escandon, Fernicola, Anderson, Covelli & McPherson located in Allenhurst, New Jersey.

Scott focuses on civil litigation including personal injury and employment law.

CLASS OF 2006 Anthony Bowser has formed the firm of Krevsky Bowser located in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, with a focus on employment law.

represent the home health, home care, and hospice industry before the legislature and the executive branch in Harrisburg. She also is charged with overseeing HomePAC, the political arm of the association.

Niki Carter was recently promoted to Commercial Legal Counsel for the Aerospace, Defense & Marine business unit of TE Connectivity Corporation in Middletown, Pa. TE Connectivity Corporation is part of the TE Connectivity, Ltd., family of companies, which is a $14bn global electrical connectivity and sensors technology company.

CLASS OF 2009 Katie Dotto has been named government relations director for the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. Dotto will

CLASS OF 2011 Paul Edger was promoted within MidPenn Legal Services. In addition to being managing attorney of Cumberland County, he now is also the managing attorney of Adams, Franklin, and Fulton Counties. He was named a Rising Star for 2019

by Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Magazine in the field of "Legal Aid/Pro Bono." He was one of two named for 2019 in Pennsylvania, and only one of ten in the history of PA Super Lawyer.

CLASS OF 2012 Nicole Boland and her husband Michael celebrated the birth of their son Michael Lee Boland Jr. last year.

Peter T. Ruth of Stock and Leader, LLP, has been selected to the 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Stars list.

CLASS OF 2014 Katie Costlow and Daniel Bardo ’13 were married in October 2016 and welcomed their daughter Elizabeth in July 2017. Dan recently moved to Pyfer, Reese, Straub, Gray, and Farhat in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he focuses on criminal law and appeals. Katie has been with the Dauphin County Public Defender's Office since December 2017.

John Dixon joined the law firm of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr in April 2018. He is primarily practicing environmental and energy law as a member of the real estate practice group.

Jason Staloski is a judge advocate for the U.S. Army stationed in El Paso, Texas.

CLASS OF 2015 Ryan Gonder won the primary election in May for a seat on the Central Dauphin (PA) School Board and is running unopposed in the November general election. He is a tax attorney at Van Allen, LLC. Richard Sgrignoli has a new position as hospital operations attorney at Select Medical in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

CLASS OF 2016 Zhao (Ruby) Liu has been named as a 2019-21 ABA Business Law Section Fellow.

FY19 VOLUNTEERS (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019) Widener Law Commonwealth offers a variety of ways to be involved, ranging from speaking at a Career Development Office lunch-and-learn event to coaching a moot court team. We are extremely thankful for all of the volunteer hours these dedicated individuals gave over the last year.

Robert C. Altenberg ’08 H on. William “Skip” Arbuckle, III Sara A. Austin George A. Bibikos ’03 Jonathan P. Bigley ’95 Patrick S. Beck ’19 Eric L. Brossman Jan L. Budman ’06 Susan L. Bucknum ’98 Josh J.T. Byrne Judith D. Cassel Johelys M. Cecala ’15 William J. Cluck Timothy J. Colgan ’96 Anthony D. Cox ’17 Jonathan W. Crisp Matthew J. Curran ’13 Vincent DeLiberato Robert J. DeSousa Louis J. DiRienzo ’14 Katherine L. Dixon ’14 Katie Dotto ’09 William J. Dunn, Jr. ’06 Paul D. Edger ’11 Alixandra Eichelberger Jennifer Ellis Maria Engles T’rese M. Evancho ’13 Christina Jane Fletcher Megan E. Fritsch ’12 Timothy A. Fritsch Seth Frotman Claire L. Gargiulo ’11 Breese Gindlesperger ’18 Hon. Kuyomars Q. Golparvar Ryan T. Gonder ’15 Jack L. Graybill, II ’12 Amy Jo Gregory ’19 Amy L. Groff ’04 C.J. Hafner, II Tameka Hatcher Richard A. Heeter Deryck Henry ’95 Virginia Hobbs ’05 Megan L. Hoffman Jessica Holst Lisa M. Hopkins ’08 Timothy A. Hoy Daniel R. Jameson ’09 Brandon Jordan ’17 Nicole Stezar Kaylor

Michael Hussey and Jack Graybill '12 James A. King, Jr. R. Shannon Kite ’03 Marija Krpan Kuren ’04 Alaina C. Koltash ’10 Jonathan D. Koltash ’07 Michelle Koons Mark Kovalcin ’17 Jonathan W. Kunkel Alexander D. Langan ’12 Catherine H. Law Marisa G. Lehr ’12 Richard D. Leigh Kim L. Lengert William E. Lore Angela B. Lucci ’17 Victoria S. Madden ’95 D. Matthew Mandrell Christina Martin Elizabeth R. Marx ’10 Chris McCabe Angela McGowan ’07 Ryan P. Mellinger ’11 Kevin Mills Dr. Alexandra Milspaw Phillip M. Mintz ’18 Bridget E. Montgomery Jeremy S. Montgomery ’07 Peggy L. Morningstar ’12 Emir Morais Adam Morris Judge Royce Morris Keli Knapp Neary ’06 Thea A. Paolini Inder Deep Paul ’16 Col. Paul J. Perrone, Jr. ’93 Sarah M. Phillips ’14 Lee S. Piatt John H. Pietrzak ’96

Matthew W. Ponzar ’03 Landa L. Porter ’16 Amy Putnam John Rampulla Linda J. Randby ’93 Rory G. Ritrievi ’98 Kayla Rosencrans ’15 Catherine E. Rowe William “Ski” Rozier ’04 Adam L. Santucci ’09 Daniel R. Schramm ’17 Salvatore Sciacca ’20 Anthony B. Seitz ’08 Craig R. Shagin Tara Schellhorn ’07 Kathryn Simpson Nick Smyth Seth E. Springer Gary N. Stewart ’92 Aniela Szymanski Martin Toth Erica R. Townes ’17 Kenneth J. Tozzi Henry W. Van Eck ’98 Catherine E. Walters Jordan P. Wartman ’16 Maureen Hopkins Weigl Mark G. Wendaur, IV ’15 D avid E. Wenger, III (Del.) ’11 Matthew B. Werner ’12 Sharon M. Williams ’08 L aToya C. Winfield Bellamy ’05 21

HONOR ROLL

July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019

INDIVIDUALS Chancellor’s Club, $20,000–$49,999 Douglas Wolfberg '96*+ Ambassadors’ Club, $10,000–$19,999 Vito Verni '61W Partner’s Club, $5,000–$9,999 Patrick Murphy '99, '09H Benefactors, $2,500–$4,999 Jonathan Bigley '95 Christian Johnson & Cori Johnson Bret Keisling '05 Bruce '96 & Elizabeth Monroe Dean’s Council, $1,500–$2,499 James '96 & Gina Bohorad John & Carol Gedid Kathryn Peifer '02 Ronald '96 & Kim Reybitz Law School Associates, $1,000–$1,499 Jack Graybill II '12 George & Nancy Hassel Michael & Julie Hussey James King Christopher '96 & Jennifer Marzzacco Bench and Bar Club, $500–$999 G eorge '03 & Kristen Opdenhoff '03 Bibikos S cott '97 & Tanya Colbert '97 Blissman C hester Grainger* & Sandra Leanna Bowman H on. P. Kevin Brobson '95* & Lauren Brobson Scott Cooper Esq. '93* Christopher Craig '92 John Dernbach James & Cathleen Hohmeier Diehm F rank Emmerich Jr. '95 & Angela Corbo, PhD Nicholas Stapp & Jill Family Ann Hively Fruth '92* J onathan '07* & Alaina Schroeder '10 Koltash Alexander Langan ’12 P rofessor Robyn L. Meadows & Richard Meadows Juliet Moringiello Matthew Schelkopf '02 C hristopher Schellhorn Jr. '07 & Tara Mondelli Schellhorn '07*

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Century Club, $250–$499 Richard Burridge '93 Vincent '01* & Heather Champion F . James Christie III '96 & Tamara Bill Christie '96 Thomas Cometa Esq. '93L B enjamin Del Vento Jr. '94 & Karen Del Vento Barbara Kern '97L Dietrich Louis DiRienzo '14 Albert Evans '93 C. Blair & Jeanne '06 Gibson Sandy & Bob Graeff Jason & Amy '04 Groff Christian Hugel '93 Amir Raminpour '09 Linda Randby '93 P eter Yochum & Nicole Santo Yochum '10 Adam '09 & Lauren Santucci Anthony Seitz '08 Justin Shedron '17 Donald '00 & Dorothea Croteau Smith G erald Strubinger Jr. '92 & Carolyn Strubinger S enator Robert Teplitz & Randi Blackman Teplitz '95 Donors Anonymous (4) Molly Acri Michael Aegbuniwe '19 Erin Alleman '19 Mary Allen Paul Alpaugh Harold Anderson '96 Caroline Aprahamian '19 Thomas Au Justin Baran '19 Patrick Beck '19 Sierrah Beeler '19 Kathryn Beers John Benfield Leah Blumenfeld Anthony Boak '19 Chris Bonifanti Jennifer Breneman '19 Glory Brown '19 Kadin Brown '19 Susan Bucknum '98 Rebeka Buczeskie '19 Alexis Bunt '22 Brian '08 & Sylvia Cagle Jacalyn Caldwell Speaks

Mark Calore '14 Geraldine Carreon '19 Niki Carter '08* Kathryn Cerulli Joyce Kelly Clegg Jonathan Clymer '19 Jeffrey Conrad '99 Jacqueline Cook Anthony Cox Jr. '17 Angela Coxe '06 Kristy Darby '19 Gregory Darr '19 Vincent DeLiberato Jr. Heather DeLoe '19 Jordan Dempsey '19 Stephen DeNaro '98 Michael Dimino Sr. Katherine '14 & John Dixon '14 Robert & Angela Dolbin Matthew Domines '01 Catherine Dotto '09 Edward Dougherty '19 Coulter Ebbert '19 Queenette Echefu '19 Paul '11 & Katelynn Edger Lindsay Eichinger '19 Janet Ekerovich '97 Stephanie Engerer Ashley Esposito '19 Carlene Farabaugh Brian Fearnbaugh Sandy Feliz '19 Joy Fetterhoff Allen Fiechuk '19 Thomas Foley Kristina Free '19 David Gaspar '19 Kevin '92 & Andrea Geary Bridgette Gillman '19 Susan Giusti Jason Gottesman '09 Amy Gregory '19 Kaitlin Gross '19 Douglas Harrigan '19 Janelle Hawthorne '19 Paula Heider Anna Hemingway Alexis Holderman '19 Drusilla Irvis C hristopher & Christina Huffman '07 Israel Brent Johnson Christopher Jones '08 Hon. David Judy '94 & Karen Judy

Thank You For Your Support!

Hon. Wade Kagarise '98 Annmarie Kaiser '93 Gloria Kaplan Akifa Khattak '19 Gerald Kincel '19 Steven & Dorothy Koncar Kayla Kormanik '19 Kara Kuntz '19 Steve Kwon '08 Jennifer Langan '02 Greg & Brenda Lee Lauren Linsenbach '19 Thomas Lovecchio '19 Chunsheng Lu '03 Chuong Ly '19 Brandylynn Macierowski '19 Kathryn Malpezzi '19 Katelyn Maltais '19 Eden Mandrell Monica Marker '19 Julie Massing Michael Mays '19 Colt McKelvey '19 T homas '13 & Alicia Glasser '13 McQuillan Jason Miller '19 Jacob Mills '19 Brittany Misitano '19 Eyad Mizian '08 Todd Mordos '19 Wendell & Betty Mortenson Robert Munley '96 Kevin & Keli Knapp '06 Neary Katharine Nelson James Nixon '19 Dan Noon '19 S tephen Cunicelli '94 & Linda Cunicelli Novosel '93 Michele O'Dowd '04 Jacob Oldaker '19 Ed Palmer Paige Parker '19 Paige Perrucci '19 Patti Pfeffer Supriya Philips '19 S pencer Phillips MD & Andrea Phillips Nicholas Platt '19 Donald Presutti '19 Andrea Quigley David & Susan Raeker-Jordan Tiffany Raker '16 Kyle Reuter '19 Christopher Robinette

Cynthia Romberger Justin Rosenberg '19 Sarah Rothermel '19 William Rozier '04 Jacqueline Rucker '95 Jonathan Schnaars '19 Daniel Schramm '17 D aniel Schuckers & Sara LeCleire-Schuckers Jessica Schuller H. Susan Schulze K evin & Mary Catherine Woodman '94 Scott Barbara Seaton '08 Angela Sepela Richard Sgrignoli '15 Heather Shaffer Natalie Sheer '19 Amanda Sholtis Irwin Siegel '96 Mark Simkovic Varsha Sonawane Edmund Sonnenberg Tricia Springer '13 Liana Stinson '19 Kelly Klimkiewicz '97 Swartz Ryan Sypniewski '19 Karen Taylor '19 Ronald Thompson '19 Scott Thompson Patrick Tighe Mariah Turner '19 Danielle Vayda '11 Adriana Vukmanic '19 Liana Walters '13 Sharon Webb Andrew Webber '19 Larry Weisberg '99 Ann Weitzel Fuhrman Keith Welks Jacob Wertz '19 Geoffrey White '06 Dominique Williams-Harrington '19 Mary Willis Sarah Yerger '93* Scott Zeigler '19 Ruth Zimmerman

W denotes graduates of Widener University

ORGANIZATIONS Leadership Circle, $1,000,000+ Pennsylvania IOLTA Chancellor’s Club, $20,000–$49,999 Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, LLC Ambassadors’ Club, $10,000–$19,999 The Verni Foundation Benefactors, $2,500–$4,999 Members 1st Federal Credit Union Mid Penn Bank Pennsylvania Bar Association Dean’s Council, $1,500–$2,499 Mette, Evans & Woodside Law School Associates, $1,000–$1,499 Marzzacco Niven & Associates Bench and Bar Club, $500–$999 Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC Donors James S. Bowman American Inn of Court Matching Gift Companies The Hershey Company Pennsylvania Power & Light Company Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. We deeply apologize for any inaccuracies. Please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement at 717-541-3974 with your changes.

*Widener Law Commonwealth Board of Advisors

+ Widener University Trustee

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STUDENT AWARDS AND IN THE COMMUNITY Robert & Audrey Dernbach Memorial Award for Environmental Law & Sustainability Coulter Ebbert John A. Fillion Memorial Award Jennifer Breneman International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocacy Award Alexis Holderman Legal Research & Writing Awards Katelyn Maltais Nicholas Platt

Outstanding Clinical Advocacy Award Mariah Turner Outstanding Law and Government Student Award Natalie Sheer Craig Schwartz Memorial Award Gregory Darr

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Widener Commonwealth Law Review Award for Distinguished Legal Scholarship Sarah Rothermel

Widener Law Commonwealth Outstanding Service Awards Queenette Echefu Ashley Esposito Kayla Kormanik Monica Marker Paige Parker Paige Perrucci Sarah Rothermel Liana Stinson Karen Taylor Ronald Thompson Distinguished Service Award Amy Gregory Valedictorian Award Lindsay Eichinger Dean's Award Ryan Sypniewski

Dean Anthony J. Santoro Outstanding Service Award Mariah Turner

President's Award Kathryn Paradise

Moot Court Honor Society Outstanding Executive Board Member Katelyn Maltais

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS The Michael J. Aiello Scholarship Jasmine Butler

Trial Advocacy Honor Society Outstanding Executive Board Member Jacob Mills

The Linda L. Ammons Diversity Scholarship Waleisha Moat Ronald Thompson

The Pamela K. Karpouzis Memorial Scholarship Mary Anodide The Captain Shane R. M. Mahaffee Scholarship for Excellence Stephanie Patton The General Carl E. Mundy USMC (Ret.) and Linda Sloan Mundy Marine Scholarship Salvatore Sciacca The Page, Wolfberg, & Wirth Emergency Services Scholarship Derek Hartman The Douglas M. Wolfberg Scholarship Kathryn Paradise

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS ALI CLE Scholarship & Leadership Award Ryan Sypniewski American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Eric D. Turner Award Ashley Esposito American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence Gregory Darr

James S. Bowman American Inn of Court Award Allen Fiechuk

Commonwealth Court Historical Society– Judge Alexander F. Barbieri Award Sarah Rothermel

Every gift makes a difference!

Giving to the Widener Law Commonwealth Fund helps meet the direct and immediate needs of the law school. Your support provides students with the opportunity to participate in competitions and programs that provide real-world legal experience.

Gifts can be targeted to one of the law school’s outstanding programs: • Business Advising Program • Civil Law Clinics • Environmental Law and Sustainability Center • Law and Government Institute • Moot Court Program • Trial Advocacy Program • Veterans Programs Visit our website commomnwealthlaw.widener.edu or contact Michael Hussey at 717-541-3921 or mhussey@widener.edu.

3800 Vartan Way Harrisburg, PA 17110 Address Service Requested

POINTS OF

Widener University Commonwealth Law School

Widener Law Commonwealth is the only law school located in the capital of Pennsylvania providing easy access within minutes to political leaders and lawmakers. Our campus is situated on more than 20 beautifully manicured acres, nestled in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania. It is easy driving distance to major metropolitan cities of Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York.

NAMED TO THE

ONE OF THE

LISTED AS A

2019 LIST OF BEST LAW SCHOOLS

NATION’S TOP SCHOOLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

TOP LAW SCHOOL

by The Princeton Review

on pre-Law Magazine’s 2019 list

by U.S. News & World Report

commonwealthlaw.widener.edu