INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1624, 'Law school bids farewell to Dean Ammons', '2014-05-21', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644676708332%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644676708332%2F&amp;set_id=72157644676708332&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644676708332%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644676708332%2F&amp;set_id=72157644676708332&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n<br><br><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644348573818%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644348573818%2F&amp;set_id=72157644348573818&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644348573818%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644348573818%2F&amp;set_id=72157644348573818&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe Widener Law community bid farewell recently to Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/AmmonsLinda.aspx\">Linda L. Ammons</a> with receptions in Delaware and Harrisburg, where she was honored as an intelligent leader who was a champion for the law school during her eight-year career as dean. Ammons announced last month she would retire as dean at the end of the academic year.<br><br>“I have never met anyone more committed to an institution than you, and you have worn your love for Widener on your sleeve,” Alumni Association President Renae Axelrod ‘91 said. <br><br>“You have indeed left your mark,” said Eugene D. McGurk Jr., ‘78, chairman of the law school Board of Overseers and secretary of the Widener University Board of Trustees, who spoke at both events. “Our institution has flourished under your nurturing.”<br><br>The Delaware campus honored Ammons with a reception Wednesday, May 14 in the Barristers’ Club. The Harrisburg campus hosted a reception Sunday, May 18 at the Hilton in Harrisburg.<br><br> Widener University President James T. Harris III attended both events and announced the creation of the Linda L. Ammons Diversity scholarship award. It will benefit students who are members of minority groups under-represented in the legal profession, who have financial need and display the qualities of scholarship, leadership and service to school or community.<br><br>“For me, the best words to describe her are advocate, champion and Godsend. She is someone I feel blessed to have had in my life and in the life of the university,” Harris said. Ammons has agreed to serve as counsel to the president for legal education in the upcoming academic year.<br><br>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/StraussAndrewL.aspx\">Andrew L. Strauss</a>, associate dean for faculty and strategic initiatives on the Delaware campus, presented Ammons with a stone paver engraved in tribute to her service. The gift, given on behalf of Delaware campus faculty and staff, will be installed on a walkway near the fountain she created. Harrisburg Interim Co-Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn L. Meadows</a> and Dean of Faculty <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/BarrosDBenjamin.aspx\">D. Benjamin Barros</a> presented her with a print of the Harrisburg skyline, on behalf of their campus faculty and staff.<br><br>Harrisburg campus alumnus Patrick Murphy ’99, former U.S. congressman and a personal friend of the dean, said she had been a breath of fresh air for Harrisburg.<br><br>“I know how many lives you’ve touched and how much hope you’ve given people,” Murphy said. “Thank you for all you’ve done for our Widener family.”<br><br>Strauss lauded Ammons for being an inclusive leader who was friendly but firm, never lost site of the big picture and inspired those around her.<br><br>“There’s a vitality to the law school that we didn’t have before she unleashed her creative energy,” Strauss said. “She created a tone that allowed people to grow and explore.”<br><br>Barros said Ammons is something of a ‘rock star’ in legal academic circles. Meadows thanked her for her leadership on the Harrisburg campus. “You have led us and nurtured us and you really prepared us to stand on our own. That’s something no other dean has done for us before,” she said.<br><br>Ammons said her deanship was a labor of love.<br><br>“I can’t begin to tell you all how much I appreciate my journey with all of you,” she said.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1625, 'Widener Law offers training for attorneys interested in pro bono work for veterans', '2014-05-22', '<div style=\"float: right; width:240px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/VetProBonoTraining235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"VetProBonoTraining235px\">\n</div>\nWidener Law will present a half-day training for attorneys interested in assisting veterans with appeals for compensation claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs.<br><br>The event, “Pro Bono Representation Before the Department of Veterans Affairs,” will take place Wednesday, May 28 from 1:30 to 5 p.m. in the clinic wing of the law school, at 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington.<br><br>The program will include an overview of the basics of representing veteran clients, including eligibility for benefits, pension and disability compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, claims procedures and appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeal and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. There will also be breakout sessions on topics like handling claims for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, other mental health issues, and more.<br><br>Attorneys already volunteering with a client’s case will have the opportunity to elicit feedback from one of the Veterans Law Clinic staff attorneys during the workshop sessions. <br><br>Attendance at the program is worth three continuing legal education credits for attorneys from Delaware, Pennsylvania and those accredited by Veterans Affairs. New Jersey attorneys may self report for credits with a certificate of attendance. <br><br>The registration fee is $75, but will be waived for attorneys who agree to take on a <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/VeteransLawClinic.aspx\">Veterans Law Clinic</a> client pro bono or who already volunteer their legal services through the clinic. <br><br>“There are more veterans who need legal assistance than we are able to serve,” Clinic Director Susan Saidel said. “This program is our way of training lawyers who want to give something back to deserving veterans. In the process of adding to their skillset and engaging in a worthwhile community service, they will help us provide much needed legal representation to veterans.”<br><br>To register, visit <a href=\"/go/VeteranProBono.aspx\">law.widener.edu/VeteranProBono</a>.<br><br>Widener University was among the first law schools in the United States to start a clinical program for disabled veterans. Through the Veterans Law Clinic, students work under the supervision of practicing attorneys to provide legal representation to disabled veterans and their dependents with Veterans Affairs compensation claim appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeals. First known as the Veterans Assistance Program, Widener students began the work in 1997, when the school co-sponsored a program with the pro bono arm of the Delaware State Bar Association. It became known as the Veterans Law Clinic in January 2006 and today serves veterans primarily in Pennsylvania and Delaware.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1626, 'Emeritus Professor Receives Zeiter Award for Contributions to Statutory Law in Pennsylvania', '2014-05-28', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644752543751%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644752543751%2F&amp;set_id=72157644752543751&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644752543751%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644752543751%2F&amp;set_id=72157644752543751&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe Pennsylvania Bar Association recently honored Emeritus Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/GedidJohnL.aspx\">John L. Gedid</a> with the Zeiter Award at the annual meeting.<br><br>Presented \"For exceptional contributions to statutory law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” the award is named in honor of William E. Zeiter, who was the founder of the PBA Statutory Law Committee and sponsored consolidation of the Pennsylvania statutes. The award is not presented on an annual basis and is instead given when the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statutory Law Committee deems an individual a worthy recipient.<br><br>Gedid served as chair of the PBA Statutory Law Committee for the last five years and participated in the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Statutory Law Conference during each of those years. He also served as Pennsylvania Commissioner to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.<br><br>“This is the Age of Statutory Law. I\'m happy to be able to make a contribution,” Gedid said of receiving the honor.<br><br>The Founder and former Director of the <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a> at Widener University School of Law\'s Harrisburg Campus, Gedid served as founding vice dean for the Harrisburg Campus from 1989 to 1995, and served again as vice dean from 2007 to 2009. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne Law School, Gedid also earned an LL.M from Yale Law School. He is an elected life member of the American Law Institute, a Master Emeritus of the Bowman Inn of Court in Harrisburg, a past chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Administrative Law Section, and served as Official Reporter of Decisions for the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 2005.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1627, 'Welcome Jurist Academy students!', '2014-05-29', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644496638850%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644496638850%2F&amp;set_id=72157644496638850&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644496638850%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644496638850%2F&amp;set_id=72157644496638850&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe School of Law is pleased to welcome the 2014 summer <a href=\"/Academics/JuristAcademyAdmissions.aspx\">Jurist Academy</a> classes to both law campuses.<br><br>The Delaware program, now in its seventh year, runs May 27 through June 6. Assistant Professor of Legal Methods <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HoweBarksdaleSydney.aspx\">Sydney Howe-Barksdale</a>, who also directs the Delaware campus Public Interest Resource Center, coordinates the Jurist Academy program. This year, 15 students from undergraduate programs in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Alabama and New York are participating.<br><br>The Harrisburg program, now in its fourth year, runs June 2 through 13.  <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/WilliamsStarla.aspx\">Starla Williams</a>, director of multicultural affairs, pro bono activities and externships coordinates that Jurist Academy program. This year 10 students, all hailing from Pennsylvania colleges and universities, are participating.<br><br>The Jurist Academy is a law school immersion program designed for students who come from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in the legal profession. The two-week experience includes LSAT prep classes, mini- law school courses and practice exams. Students also take field trips and hear from speakers on topics ranging from law school admissions to financial aid to succeeding in school to how lawyers can be leaders through civic engagement.<br><br>This summer’s Delaware class will visit the Court of Common Pleas at Philadelphia City Hall and the Richards Layton &amp; Finger firm in Wilmington. The students will present oral arguments before attorneys from Skadden Arps on the final day of the program.  The Harrisburg class will visit U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the Serratelli, Schiffman &amp; Brown, P.C. firm. in Harrisburg.<br><br>“Jurist Academy students have consistently reported to us over the life of this program that the experience has been a valuable investment of their time. We open their eyes to the rigors of law school and the rewards of a legal career,” Howe-Barksdale said.<br><br>“We look forward to welcoming the 2014 Jurist Academy class. The students are enthusiastic, and their promising credentials will make them exceptional candidates for law school admission in the next few years. We hope that this immersion experience will make Widener Law their first choice.”<br><br>The law school is grateful for financial support of this program from:<blockquote>\n<strong>Delaware</strong><br><br>DuPont<br>The Multicultural Lawyers Section of the Delaware State Bar Association<br>Ballard Spahr LLP<br>Morris James LLP<br>Richards Layton &amp; Finger, P.A.<br>Young Conaway Stargatt &amp; Taylor, LLP<br>Skadden Arps Slate Meagher &amp; Flom LLP<br>\n</blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<strong>Harrisburg</strong><br><br>Central Penn College<br>Eckert Seamans Cherin &amp; Mellott, LLC<br>The Pennsylvania Bar Association<br>Pepper Hamilton LLP<br>Harrisburg Black Attorneys Association of the Keystone Bar Association<br>and individuals</blockquote>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1628, 'Budding trial lawyers learn from legal veterans', '2014-06-03', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644972801751%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644972801751%2F&amp;set_id=72157644972801751&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644972801751%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644972801751%2F&amp;set_id=72157644972801751&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\r\n				<br><br><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644973979792%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644973979792%2F&amp;set_id=72157644973979792&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644973979792%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157644973979792%2F&amp;set_id=72157644973979792&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\r\n		</div>The next generation of trial lawyers heard some valuable advice about their profession of choice recently through Widener’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program. The seven-day program is one of only a handful nationwide that provides students with a foundation of skills necessary to succeed in a courtroom.<br><br>U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab ’92 told the 24 ITAP students enrolled in the <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/AdvocacyandTechnologyInstitute/IntensiveTrialAdvocacyProgramHarrisburg.aspx\">Harrisburg program</a> that everything they need to be successful lawyers they learned in first grade. Schwab delivered the campus’ 11th-annual E. John Wherry Jr. Distinguished Lecture in Trial Advocacy and Professionalism on May 21. The lecture is an annual part of ITAP and a highlight of the program.<br><br>Schwab, who was the valedictorian of the Harrisburg campus’ first graduating class, told students they need to be honest, be prepared and treat opponents with civility. She also told them to listen carefully, avoid legalese and “use your words.”<br><br>“Being a good writer is the number one tool in your toolbox as a lawyer,” Schwab said. “Go back to your basic grammar. I’m telling you, it will pay huge dividends in your writing.”<br><br>After they keep it to the basics, lawyers need to slow down and proofread their work, Schwab said. That crucial step should not be overlooked in our modern, fast-paced world.<br><br>Schwab gave the students ample time for questions, and their conversation ranged from whether attorneys should sit or stand during cross examination of witnesses (she prefers standing attorneys) to questions about her pet peeves as a judge (spelling errors, sloppy writing and motions seeking more time because lawyers have been ‘very busy’). <br><br>Schwab began her career as a middle school English teacher, and after law school entered private practice. She also spent time working in the government sector – at the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, at the Department of the Auditor General and in the House of Representatives – before she was tapped to serve on the federal bench in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2012. She has served on the Widener Law Board of Overseers and chaired the Harrisburg campus’ Diversity Advisory Board.<br><br>In <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/AdvocacyandTechnologyInstitute/CopyofIntensiveTrialAdvocacyProgramDelaware.aspx\">Delaware</a>, attorney Ellen C. Brotman, a graduate of Albany Law School and a partner at Montgomery McCracken in Philadelphia, gave the 15th-annual Wherry lecture to 84 ITAP students on May 20. Brotman’s remarks, “A View From the Trenches, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Law,” included several poignant stories about her coming of age as an attorney.<br><br>“Being a lawyer is such a hard job and very hard work,” Brotman said, “if you can find some part of it that fits your personality – your soul, like I did – you’re so lucky.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1629, 'Emeritus Professor Contributes to New International Law Journal', '2014-06-05', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 370px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/kellyPatrick356px.jpg\" width=\"365\" height=\"387\" alt=\"kellyPatrick356px\"><br><p><span class=\"Caption\">Emeritus Professor J. Patrick Kelly.</span></p>\n</div>\nEmeritus Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/KellyJPatrick.aspx\">J. Patrick Kelly</a> recently wrote “State Practice as Metaphor: A Reconciliation Approach,” the first article in the debut issue of the <em>State Practice and International Law Journal</em>. He also serves as an Editor for the new journal along with Professor Benedict Chigara of Brunel University in London and Professor Annika Rudman of Stellenbosch University in South Africa.<br><br>The purpose of the new law journal is to publish original scholarship examining what implications State practices might have on the legitimacy of law making in the international legal system. Beyond investigating international legal standards, the journal seeks to develop recommendations that could enhance the clarity and legitimacy of international law.<br><br>“This issue announces a new peer-reviewed truly international law journal devoted to the idea of greater legitimacy and more democratic processes in international law making. Why is such a journal needed at this time? First, international law and legal institutions increasingly matter,” writes Kelly in the opening of his article, echoing the new journal’s mission statement.<br><br><em>State Practice and International Law Journal</em> is published by Brunel University London. Read more about the new law journal on the <a href=\"http://www.brunel.ac.uk/law/news-and-events/news/CIPL/ne_305541\">Brunel University site</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1630, 'Summer Abroad Institutes Offer Exciting Opportunities', '2014-06-10', '<img width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"SwitzerlandFlagXSmall\" src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/SwitzerlandFlagXSmall.jpg\" class=\"FloatRight\">\nWidener Law’s 2014 Summer Abroad program in <a href=\"/Academics/SpecialProgramsandInitiatives/StudyAbroadOpportunities/GenevaSwitzerland.aspx\">Lausanne, Switzerland</a> is under way and will run until June 13th. The program, operated in conjunction with the University of Lausanne, takes students to a breathtakingly beautiful city and intellectual center that is home to the International Olympic Committee.<br><br>Widener students have been traveling to Switzerland for a unique and exciting summer program since 1991, and specifically to Lausanne since 2009. Course offered during this year’s program include International Criminal Law, Law and Practice of the World Trade Organization, and Trading In and With Europe.<br><br>The program in Lausanne affords students the opportunity to explore the surrounding lake and mountainside area or travel into other parts of Europe during downtime from classes. Popular destinations include Geneva and Montreux, home of the world famous Montreux Jazz Festival, or even trips into neighboring countries France, Germany, Austria, or Italy.<br><br>Widener Law is also offering a Summer Abroad program in <a href=\"/Academics/SpecialProgramsandInitiatives/StudyAbroadOpportunities/VeniceItaly.aspx\">Venice, Italy</a> that will run from June 16th to June 27th. Students participating in the Venice program this summer will have the opportunity to learn Comparative Corporate Law from Delaware Supreme Court Justice <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a>, one of America’s most distinguished jurists. Students in the course will compare what other countries are doing in areas of corporate law when confronted by similar issues that have already been decided by Delaware courts.<br><br>“It’s really interesting to learn about different approaches,” says Holland, adding, “Venice is a spectacular city and I look forward to again sharing this summer experience with students who are studying through the Widener program.”<br><br>Learn more about Widener Law’s <a href=\"/Academics/SpecialProgramsandInitiatives/StudyAbroadOpportunities.aspx\">study abroad programs</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1631, 'Professor Discusses Recent Pennsylvania Court Rulings on Witness Identification', '2014-06-16', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 305px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/epsteinaward300px.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"394\" alt=\"epsteinaward300px\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Professor Jules Epstein</span></p>\n</div>Two recent rulings in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court suggest very different interpretations of whether or not experts in human memory should be permitted to take the stand in criminal cases to discuss the limitations of eyewitness testimony.<br><br>A ruling last month last month that would allow experts in the fallibility of human memory to take the stand in criminal cases involving eyewitness identifications came on the same day that another ruling – decided by a different majority of the court – that such experts should not be permitted to take the stand. <br><br>Speaking to the <em>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</em> for an <a href=\"http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/06/15/Pennsylvania-court-rulings-differ-on-expert-witnesses/stories/201406150097\">article on the rulings</a>, Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/EpsteinJules.aspx\">Jules Epstein</a>, who serves as the Director of Widener Law’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/AdvocacyandTechnologyInstitute.aspx\">Taishoff Advocacy, Technology and Public Service Institute</a>, said, \"Either the science is good or it\'s not. Either jurors should know this stuff or they should not. I don\'t see any inherently logical distinction.\"<br><br>44 others states currently allow for expert testimony that questions the reliability of eyewitness identification. Scientific studies have suggested that witness identification during traumatic events is unreliable, and particularly so when cross-racial identifications or weapons are involved.<br><br>Professor Epstein researches and writes on capital cases, eyewitness identification, and forensic evidence. He has taught death penalty law nationally to judges and attorneys, and continues to handle capital cases at the appellate and post conviction stages. In the area of eyewitness evidence, he has lectured, authored both articles and book chapters, and served as an expert witness. He was recently named 2014 “Lawyer of the Year” for criminal defense, non-white collar in “Best Lawyers® 2014,” a special supplement published with <em>The Philadelphia Inquirer</em> and the <em>Wall Street Journal</em>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1632, 'Widener Law alumni sworn into U.S. Supreme Court Bar', '2014-06-18', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\"><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645222424415%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645222424415%2F&amp;set_id=72157645222424415&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645222424415%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645222424415%2F&amp;set_id=72157645222424415&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object></div>Widener Law celebrated the success of 20 distinguished alumni Monday as they were admitted to the Supreme Court bar at a hearing in Washington, D.C.<br><br>Alumna Cynthia Ryan ’79 stood before the nine justices of the Supreme Court and moved for the group’s admission. She named each Widener Law attorney individually as the alumni rose to their feet and were welcomed into the prestigious legal group. The court also announced decisions in three cases during the 20-minute proceeding. Later, during a reception at the court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made separate personal visits with them.<br><br>“I know that it’s an important milestone and I just wanted to stop by and wish you all congratulations,” Roberts said.<br><br>Both he and Ginsburg spent a few minutes discussing the history of the court, and the opulent surroundings of the reception room – complete with portraits of former justices. Ginsburg singled out a portrait of the late William H. Rehnquist, Roberts’ predecessor as chief justice before his death in 2005.The group moved on to the Loews Madison Hotel in Washington, for a luncheon where they heard brief remarks from Widener University President James T. Harris III and an address by alumnus William Doyle.<br><br>Doyle, a 2000 graduate of the Harrisburg campus and one of five presidentially appointed federal maritime commissioners, talked about the agency that regulates the U.S. international ocean transportation community. He also harkened back to his law school days, including his experience in Professor Emeritus John L. Gedid’s classroom. Doyle, who spent 10 years as a U.S. Merchant Marine officer, said he was surprised by the number of lawyers who work for the Federal Maritime Commission.<br><br> “I’m grateful for my Widener experience, which has served me well,” he said.<br><br>The School of Law congratulates the alumni admittees to the Supreme Court Bar:<blockquote>Jennifer D. Armstrong, ‘00, Delaware<br>John D. Cirrinicione, ‘07, Delaware<br>Lauren A. Pisapia Cirrinicione, ‘07, Delaware<br> Michael D’Agostino, ‘06, Delaware<br>Timothy W. Davenport, ‘01, Delaware<br>Shelley Dugan, 1987, ’87 JD, ‘88 LL.M, Delaware<br>Mary Jane E. Fitch, ‘96, Delaware<br>Carol L. Gallagher, ‘95, Delaware<br>Mary T. Hoang, ‘04, Delaware<br>Kelley Huff, ‘07, Delaware<br>Lisa C. Katterman, ‘92, Harrisburg<br>Michael Lettrich, ‘97, Harrisburg<br>Scott E. Maier, ‘98, Delaware<br>James Metka, ‘80, Delaware<br>Robert Morrow, ‘97, Harrisburg <br>      Thomas A. Rothermel, ‘04, Delaware<br>Todd D. Rothermel, ‘09, Harrisburg<br>Ryan Stark, ‘07, Harrisburg<br>Karen C. Yarrish, ‘92, Harrisburg<br>Francesca Zeltmann, ‘03, Delaware</blockquote>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1633, 'Widener Law alumnus becomes state supreme court justice', '2014-06-19', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 355px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/LeeSolomonBody.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"329\" alt=\"LeeSolomonBody\"><p>\r\n						<span class=\"Caption\">The Honorable Lee Solomon</span>\r\n				</p>\r\n		</div>The Widener Law community expressed pride Thursday at the news one of its own has reached the highest ranks of a state judiciary.<br><br>The New Jersey Senate confirmed Lee Solomon of Haddonfield, N.J. to a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. Solomon, a 1978 graduate of the Widener Law Delaware campus and member of the school Board of Overseers, was approved in a 34-2 vote. Solomon has most recently served as the Camden County, N.J. assignment judge.<br><br>He is the first Widener Law alumnus to reach the New Jersey Supreme Court bench. The position, which comes after appointment by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, is for a seven-year term.<br><br>“I am honored and humbled to have been selected by Gov. Christie, and confirmed by the Senate, to serve on the Supreme Court of New Jersey,” Solomon said. “For a lawyer, there is no higher calling than to help shape our system of justice. I am looking forward to participating in the work of this great institution and grateful to all those whose support has given me this opportunity.”<br><br>Solomon’s ’78 classmate Eugene D. McGurk, chairman of the law school Board of Overseers and secretary of the Widener University Board of Trustees, said the people of New Jersey will be well served by the appointment.<br><br>“He has done our Widener family proud,” McGurk said. “He stands apart, having obtained success in the trilogy of profession, public service and personal achievement.”<br><br>Solomon has previously served as a Superior Court judge and as president of the Board of Public Utilities. Then-Gov. Jim Florio appointed him to fill a vacancy in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1991. He served until 1995, then moved on to work as Camden County prosecutor. In 2002, Christie – then serving as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey – appointed Solomon first deputy attorney for southern New Jersey. He began serving as a Camden County Superior Court judge in 2005. He spent five years on the bench, then moved to the Board of Public Utilities, and finally returned to the Camden County Superior Court bench in 2011.<br><br>Solomon attended Widener Law when it was known as Delaware Law School of Widener College. He was external articles editor and a member of the <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/DelawareJournalofCorporateLaw.aspx\">Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</a>. He was the school alumnus of the year in 1996 and is a current member of the Board of Overseers. Solomon and his wife generously established the Lee and Dianne Solomon Scholarship Fund in 2011, to benefit a student active in the pro bono programming of the Widener’s <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/PublicInterestOpportunities/PublicInterestResourceCenter.aspx\">Public Interest Resource Center</a>.<br><br> “It is difficult to put into words the respect and admiration we all have for Lee as he reaches this pinnacle in his career. Both personally and professionally, it is such an honor and thrill to see one of our own attain this level of success and recognition. He has made all of us at Widener so proud, and we feel very lucky to have him as a fellow alumnus,” said Renae Axelrod ‘91, president of the law school Alumni Association.<br><br>Delaware campus Interim Co-Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> said Solomon will serve as an inspiration to students and alumni, as he demonstrates where a Widener Law education and strong work ethic can take a dedicated professional.<br><br>“We are proud of Judge Solomon’s accomplishment and we celebrate with him today. This is a tremendous moment in his life and career, and we are honored by the role Widener Law played in helping prepare him for the legal profession,” Daly said. “He is a role model for our students.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1634, 'Harrisburg Professor to Speak at 2015 AALS Annual Meeting Symposium', '2014-06-24', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/FamilyLondon500px.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"338\" alt=\"FamilyLondon500px\"><br><p>\n						<span class=\"Caption\">Associate Professor and Director of the Law and Government Institute Jill E. Family in London.</span>\n</p>\n</div>\nAssociate Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a> will be a speaker during the second Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting symposium, titled “Congressional Dysfunction and Executive Lawmaking during the Obama Administration.”<br><br>The 2015 AALS Annual Meeting is scheduled for January 2nd through January 5th in Washington, D.C. The symposium is scheduled for the final day, Monday, January 5th, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The AALS Committee on Special Programs at the Annual Meeting, which currently includes Widener Law Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/BarrosDBenjamin.aspx\">D. Benjamin Barros</a>, selected the topic from a strong pool of proposals citing its “broad appeal.”<br><br>The Director of the Law and Government Institute, Professor Family teaches and writes on immigration law and administrative law. Professor Family was a Visiting Scholar at Queen Mary School of Law in London, England in the Spring of 2012, where she studied the immigration courts for a comparative study of the immigration court systems of the United States and the United Kingdom.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1635, 'Professor Discusses Impact of Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act', '2014-06-30', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/MayJim235.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"266\" alt=\"MayJim235\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Professor James R. May</span></p>\n</div>\n<a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/envirolawcenter/\">Environmental Law Center</a> Co-Director <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/MayJamesR.aspx\">James R. May</a> called Delaware\'s Coastal Zone Act “a love letter to future generations” at a Wilmington press conference held on Friday, June 27th that kicked off a weeklong celebration in honor of the 43rd Anniversary of the Coastal Zone Act.<br><br>Professor May, a longtime Coastal Zone advocate and member of the 1999 committee to develop Coastal Zone indicators, joined new DNREC Secretary David Small, Delaware Nature Society Executive Director Brian Winslow, and Delaware Audubon Society Conservation Chair David Carter as speakers for the event held at the DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.<br><br>In 2011, Professor May organized a <a href=\"/NewsandEvents/Articles/2011/de100411czaclewrap.aspx\">daylong symposium</a> titled “The Delaware Coastal Zone Act at 40: Past, Present and Future,” on the Widener Law campus to mark the 40th anniversary of the act. He said at the time, “The law is a wonder. It was the first comprehensive coastal land use act here or anywhere in the world.”<br><br>Former Congressman Mike Castle, who served as the featured speaker during the 2011 symposium, said during his remarks, “It was unique legislation. I do not know of any other legislation like it at that time,” and he said of Peterson, “He was as fearless a politician as I have ever known.”<br><br>In addition to the kickoff conference, the weekend featured a number of celebratory events ranging from bird watching – a favorite pastime of Peterson – to canoeing and kayaking.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1636, 'Candidates for Delaware treasurer to debate on campus', '2014-07-01', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DETreasurerDebate070814.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"DETreasurerDebate070814\">\n</div>The Delaware chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will present a debate in the Democratic primary race for treasurer, hosted by Widener Law’s Delaware campus. <br><br>The event featuring incumbent Chip Flowers Jr. and challenger Sean Barney will take place Tuesday, July 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom of the Main Law Building.<br><br>The event is open to the public and parking is free. Members of the media should contact law school Public Relations Officer Mary Allen with any coverage questions, including those about audio/video needs, at 302.477.2175 or <a href=\"mailto:mallen@widener.edu\">mallen@widener.edu</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1637, 'Widener Law expands its Yellow Ribbon Program to serve more veterans', '2014-07-07', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/YellowRibbonNews235x200.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"YellowRibbonNews235x200\">\n</div>\nWidener Law will double the number of students it funds through its participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides financial benefits for veterans pursuing advanced degrees.<br><br>The school began participation in the program five years ago by funding up to five students on each of its law campuses. This fall, Widener Law will make the program available for up to 10 students on each campus. The increase comes after the school experienced a growing interest in the program during the 2013-14 academic year and recognized additional slots were necessary to accommodate more veterans.<br><br>“This is our way of giving back to veterans,” said Eleanor Kelly, director of the law school financial aid office. “These are individuals who have devoted a significant portion of their lives to promoting American ideals around the world and to keeping us safe at home. This is our chance to invest in them by expanding an already outstanding program.”<br><br>The Yellow Ribbon Program is part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. It allows universities to fund additional tuition expenses exceeding the amount of the core benefit provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which is capped at $20,235 for private institutions for the upcoming academic year. Institutions like Widener that participate in the program may contribute up to half the expenses that exceed that base benefit. The Department of Veterans Affairs then matches the amount provided by the institution, which ultimately covers 100 percent of tuition and mandatory fees. The program does not cover room and board or books and supplies.<br><br>There is no minimum number of credit hours required for participation and awards continue in subsequent years when students maintain satisfactory progress, conduct and attendance.<br><br>To be eligible, students must be enrolled for the 2014-15 academic year, pursuing a juris doctor degree. They must provide a copy of their certificate of eligibility approved for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the rate of 100 percent with at least five months of eligibility remaining. <br><br>The 10 slots on each campus are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The school takes applications for the program beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8. <a href=\"/Admissions/Discover/CostsandFinancialAid/TypesofAid/VeteransEducationBenefits/YellowRibbonProgramApplicationForm.aspx\">Applications are done online</a> to record a date stamp and reserve the applicants’ places in line for benefits. <br><br>Those interested also must <a href=\"http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/apply.asp\">apply to the VA for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits</a>. <br><br>For more information, visit the <a href=\"/Admissions/Discover/CostsandFinancialAid/TypesofAid/VeteransEducationBenefits/YellowRibbonProgram.aspx\">Yellow Ribbon Program</a> page on the Widener Law website.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1638, 'Widener Law names new associate dean for Delaware', '2014-07-09', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/StephenFriedman235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"StephenFriedman235px\"><p>\r\n						<span class=\"Caption\">New associate dean for academic affairs Stephen E. Friedman</span>\r\n				</p>\r\n		</div>Widener University School of Law has a new associate dean for academic affairs in Delaware.<br><br>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/FriedmanStephenE.aspx\">Stephen Friedman</a> was appointed to the administrative position beginning July 1. He will serve under Interim Co-Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, who oversees Widener Law Delaware.<br><br>Friedman joined the Widener Law faculty in 1998. He teaches contracts, sales and leases, arbitration, and secured transactions. Friedman has written extensively on the Federal Arbitration Act. He worked as an associate at Dechert, Price &amp; Rhoads in Philadelphia before coming to the law school.<br><br>As associate dean for academic affairs, Friedman will work with Daly and the faculty to ensure the school’s program of legal education remains strong and innovative, and that it continues to both engage students and meet the evolving needs of employers. He will also assist Daly in the day-to-day operation of the school. <br><br>Friedman holds a law degree, awarded cum laude, from Harvard Law School and a bachelor of arts degree, awarded summa cum laude, from Yale University. He co-chairs the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Annual Survey Subcommittee and co-edits the section’s annual uniform commercial code survey.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1639, 'New law firm incubator program is open to recent Harrisburg grads', '2014-07-10', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/HarrisburgCapitolEXTERIOR235.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"180\" alt=\"HarrisburgCapitolEXTERIOR235\">\n</div>\nThe Widener Law campus in Harrisburg, Pa. will partner with the Dauphin County Bar Association later this year to launch an incubator program for new attorneys who want to start their own solo or small law firms.<br><br>The program will provide new legal professionals with Harrisburg office space, computer and printing equipment, training in the work of building a law practice, mentoring, and networking support. Participants will be required to pay for their malpractice insurance and must commit to provide 100 hours of pro bono legal work while in the program. Mid Penn Legal Services will coordinate the pro bono work.<br><br>The American Bar Association has encouraged development of incubator programs as a way for new lawyers to secure work while helping to meet the legal needs of poor or moderate-income individuals who have difficulty affording an attorney. New attorneys who are gaining legal experience, while their significant business expenses are being offset by an incubator program, can bridge a gap. They can provide legal representation at a lower cost for a sector of the population that finds the fees of more established attorneys out of reach.<br><br>The opportunity is open to 2014 graduates of Widener Law in Harrisburg and will last one year, with new attorneys rotating in as previous participants transition to independence. Two to three lawyers will be accepted the first year. In addition to the pro bono requirement, participants will be encouraged to take on “low bono” work.<br><br>“This program is dynamic because it not only gives the new attorneys legal experience and business skills, but it adds affordable legal services to the community,” said Widener Law Interim Co-Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn L. Meadows</a>, who oversees the Harrisburg campus. “We hope it will build a lasting appreciation for the importance of assisting the underserved, no matter where their careers take them.”<br><br>The Dauphin County Bar Association will provide office space at its home on North Front Street in Harrisburg. The association also will coordinate networking opportunities. Widener Law Associate Clinical Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/LockardJPalmer.aspx\">J. Palmer Lockard II</a> will conduct training sessions for the new attorneys, serve as a mentor and coordinate the technology provided for the offices. He said he is pleased to introduce the law office incubator opportunity to central Pennsylvania.<br><br>“Recent graduates with new law degrees have a lot of enthusiasm, but may lack the experience of running a business,” Lockard said. “There is an art to building a law firm, from engaging clients to managing insurance needs and adhering to rules that govern the handling of client funds. This will be a valuable foundation in the budding careers of solo practitioners, and they, in turn, will be helping to serve the community’s unmet legal needs.”<br><br>“Managing your own law firm involves so much more than handling a client’s case,” added Elizabeth G. Simcox, executive director of the Dauphin County Bar Association. “Solo practitioners are specialists in their own right, with different needs and responsibilities than attorneys who join big firms, work in house for business clients, or prosecute or defend criminal cases for the Commonwealth. This program is targeted to new lawyers who have a strong desire to work for themselves, and who know there is much more to solo practice than hanging out a shingle.”<br><br>Those interested in participating must submit an application by Oct. 1. Applicants must have passed the Pennsylvania bar exam to qualify. Those selected to participate will undergo training sessions in November and December with plans for their law offices to open in January 2015. Participants will be responsible for marketing or advertising their firms.  <br><br>To learn more, or to obtain an application, contact Lockard at 717.541.3924 or <a href=\"mailto:jlockard@mail.widener.edu\">jlockard@mail.widener.edu</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1640, 'Widener’s Delaware Journal of Corporate Law leads national ranking', '2014-07-14', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 455px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DJCL2014RankingLarge.jpg\" width=\"380\" height=\"450\" alt=\"DJCL2014RankingLarge\">\n</div>\nThe <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/DelawareJournalofCorporateLaw.aspx\"><em>Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</em></a> recently took a distinguished top honor in a national ranking of law reviews.<br><br>The Journal ranked first among student-edited journals that specialize in “corporations and associations” and in “commercial law,” based upon citations in federal and state court opinions over the last eight years. The ranking, from data compiled by Washington &amp; Lee University School of Law, also placed the <em>Journal</em> seventh out of 372 specialized student-edited law reviews for citations overall. <br><br>This means that courts cite articles published by the <em>Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</em> more often than any other corporate and commercial journal in the country, and that only six other journals in any field are cited by courts more than the <em>Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</em>.<br><br>The ranking was based on printed law journals published in the United States.<br><br>Established in 1975 to keep business-law practitioners abreast of critical issues, the <em>Journal</em> has continually provided the nation’s legal community with well-researched and analytical articles. Its location at Widener Law in Wilmington, Del. puts the <em>Journal</em> in a unique position to maintain a corporate law focus. It is published three times each year. Subscribers include The United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Delaware Supreme Court, Delaware Court of Chancery, Time Warner Inc., DIRECTV Group and numerous national and local law firms.<br><br>The <em>Journal</em> editorial board also sponsors the Francis G. Pileggi Distinguished Lecture in Law, an annual event featuring a noted authority on corporate law. The makeup of the board and staff changes annually. During the most recent academic year, an administrative board of 13 students and a staff of 28 additional students oversaw the publication. <br><br>“This ranking reflects outstanding work over several years of students who comprise the Journal,” said Ruby R. Vale Professor of Corporate and Business Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HamermeshLawrenceA.aspx\">Lawrence A. Hamermesh</a>, who directs the school’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/InstituteofDelawareCorporateandBusinessLaw.aspx\">Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law</a> and is one of the faculty advisors to the <em>Journal</em>. “It is a measure of the valuable, respected contribution the <em>Journal</em> and these Widener students are making to the law. This is a position of national leadership.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1641, 'Harrisburg Professor Presents on Municipal Bankruptcy at Conference in London', '2014-07-16', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 375px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/MoringielloSum2013New365.jpg\" width=\"365\" height=\"456\" alt=\"MoringielloSum2013New365\">\n</div>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MoringielloJulietM.aspx\">Juliet Moringiello</a> recently traveled to the University of London’s Heythrop College for the Fordham Comparative Urban Law Conference on June 30, where she presented her paper, \"The Urban Law of Municipal Insolvency.\"<br><br>Professor Moringiello discussed the Bankruptcy Code standards for confirming a municipal debt adjustment plan, observing that they are “largely based on business bankruptcy concepts,” and “do not map well onto a municipal bankruptcy, in which the community itself is the debtor.”<br><br>The Urban Law Center at Fordham Law School in New York City sponsored the conference, which brought together experts in local government law, property and land use law, sociology, and urban affairs from the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. The conference examined the concept of urban law from an interdisciplinary perspective by exploring a variety of themes ranging from local authority and autonomy, to environmental sustainability and public health.<br><br>“Learning about the challenges facing cities around the world and how different countries handle them will inform and enhance my scholarship on US municipal bankruptcy law,” said Professor Moringiello of her experience at the conference.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1642, 'Widener Law plays key role in ethics and justice review of climate change policies worldwide', '2014-07-17', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 305px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/BrownDonald300px.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"271\" alt=\"BrownDonald300px\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Donald Brown, scholar in residence for sustainability and ethics</span></p>\n</div>\nThe Widener University School of Law campus in Harrisburg, Pa. is teaming up with the University of Auckland in New Zealand on an environmental research project designed to promote equity and justice in climate change policy around the world.<br><br>The Research Project on Ethics and Justice in Formulating National Climate Change Policies will have faculty from both schools working together to manage data generated by environmental lawyers and researchers. <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbgAdj/BrownDonaldA.aspx\">Donald Brown</a>, scholar in residence for sustainability ethics and law, based on Widener Law’s Harrisburg campus, will oversee the project for Widener, which is home to the <a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/envirolawcenter/\">Environmental Law Center</a>.<br><br>“This is a really high-level project,” Brown said. “We are trying to raise global awareness about the ethical and justice dimensions of climate change policies around the world.”<br><br>Brown and his New Zealand counterpart, Prue Taylor, are seeking environmental researchers from across the globe to volunteer their research skills and time, and analyze their countries’ policies on greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Researchers will be asked to investigate whether – and to what extent – their countries took into account the impact their emissions have on small or poor vulnerable nations, some of whose futures are dubious as climate change progresses. Researchers also will report on whether their countries have explained how and why their greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments represent their ethical fair share. <br><br>When ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, nations agreed to adopt policies and measures for reducing emissions based on equity. Brown said, however, most high-emitting nations are basing their climate policies on economic self-interest, rather than on their global responsibilities to those most vulnerable to climate change.<br><br>“There is something unique about the climate change problem,” Brown said. “Some countries with heavy emissions are putting others at greatest risk. The harms caused by the bigger nations aren’t just inconveniences; they are catastrophic to smaller, vulnerable countries. It’s clearly a justice issue in ways other environmental problems are not.”<br><br>Brown said he will be researching the United States’ commitments on emissions reductions for the project. In addition, the project already has research volunteers from Great Britain, Australia, Brazil and Spain, as well as New Zealand. The University of Auckland will publish initial papers from the project and work with Widener University School of Law in creating a website to update the reports in the future. Brown said the goal is to have reports from the initial researchers in hand by September.<br><br>Those interested in the project should contact Brown at <a href=\"mailto:dabrown57@gmail.com\">dabrown57@gmail.com</a>. A more detailed description of the project is available at <a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/\">EthicsAndClimate.org</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1643, 'Orientation Materials Available Now for Incoming Law Students', '2014-07-22', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/WelcomeToSemesterNewsPromo.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"209\" alt=\"WelcomeToSemesterNewsPromo\">\n</div>Important documents for new students including orientation schedules and important student forms are available on the respective Orientation pages for both <a href=\"/Gateway/CurrentStudents/HarrisburgStudents/AcademicResources/Orientation.aspx\">Harrisburg</a> and <a href=\"/Gateway/CurrentStudents/DelawareStudents/AcademicResources/Orientation.aspx\">Delaware</a>. Additional resources will continue to be added to these pages all the way through Orientation.<br><br>“In order to be fully prepared for the Intro to Legal Process course that takes place during Orientation, students should view the posted information, which includes first assignments, course expectations, and required textbooks,” advises Harrisburg Registrar Molly Acri.<br><br>Orientation week begins on <b>Monday, August 11th on both campuses</b>. Incoming students should consult the schedules available on the respective Orientation pages for more information.<br><br>“Given the great variety in the experiences of our students before law school, we have designed the classes for all students to learn core concepts and skills essential to a successful performance in law school. While the week provides only an introduction to law school, we expect students to take seriously the opportunity to begin building habits that will be useful throughout law school,” says Delaware campus Assistant Dean for the Office of Student Affairs <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/JohnstonPatrickJ.aspx\">Patrick J. Johnston</a>.<br><br>“In my experience, the Orientation week provides a great opportunity for students to get to know the Widener Law community - including faculty, staff and fellow classmates. The scheduled activities really give students a good idea of what to expect as they embark on their law school career,” Acri says.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1644, 'Summer Institute on Advanced Corporate Law a Great Success', '2014-07-23', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n				<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645699818961%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645699818961%2F&amp;set_id=72157645699818961&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645699818961%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157645699818961%2F&amp;set_id=72157645699818961&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n		</div>Widener Law played host to 20 international students for a 3-week <a href=\"/Academics/GraduatePrograms/SummerInstitute.aspx\">Summer Corporate Institute</a>. The students enjoyed courses taught by Widener\'s distinguished corporate law faculty and also had the opportunity to learn from Vice Chancellor Donald F. Parsons, Jr. of Delaware\'s renowned Chancery Court.  <br><br>The program also offered participants the chance to visit the nation\'s capital in Washington, DC. as well as the city of Philadelphia, PA. The students also spent an afternoon visiting with the legal department of the DuPont company.<br><br>While in the United States, the students - who came from Australia, Israel, Russia, and Tanzania - also took time to visit attractions ranging from New York City to Delaware\'s beaches during their down time.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1645, 'Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognizes Law &amp; Government Institute', '2014-07-29', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 455px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/LGResolutionLarge.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"378\" alt=\"LGResolutionLarge\">\n</div>\nThe Pennsylvania Legislature recently recognized the signature program on Widener Law’s campus in Harrisburg.<br><br>A resolution passed unanimously on Sunday, June 29 honored the school’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a> and its contributions to Pennsylvania as the institute marks its 15th anniversary.<br><br>Pennsylvania Reps. Mark Cohen and Rep. Peter J. Daley, both 1993 Widener Law alumni, sponsored the resolution. It is signed by Rep. Samuel Smith, speaker of the House of Representatives.<br><br> The institute is dedicated to exploring law that defines the structure and operation of government and the relationship between individuals and government.  The resolution notes that the institute provides certificate programs that allow students to specialize in administrative law, environmental law and legislation, and that Widener students contribute to government law through externships at state agencies.<br><br>More than 150 law alumni have graduated with the certificate. The resolution mentions several alumni by name who are current or former members of the legislature, or who hold key positions in state government.<br><br>“The House of Representatives extend congratulations and appreciation to the Law &amp; Government Institute for the contributions provided by the institute to this Commonwealth, in general, and to the General Assembly in particular,” it reads.<br><br>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a>, director of the institute, said she was gratified to see the program recognized this way.<br><br>“I’m so proud of the contributions of our alumni and students to state government. It is wonderful to receive this recognition, and the Law &amp; Government Institute looks forward to continuing and expanding its efforts to improve government law,” Family said.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1646, 'Widener Law’s Legal Methods Professors Present at National Legal Writing Conference', '2014-08-01', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 355px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/LegalMethods2014SumConf350px.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"428\" alt=\"LegalMethods2014SumConf350px\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Professors David Raeker-Jordan, Anna Hemingway, Amanda Smith, and Dionne Anthon.</span></p>\n</div>\nThe Legal Writing Institute held its 16th Biennial Conference in Philadelphia, PA from June 29 to July 2, 2014. The 2014 Conference offered a collegial and collaborative setting for legal writing faculty and enthusiasts to share ideas about scholarship, teaching, and advancing the profession. The conference program provided opportunities for both new and veteran professors by offering presentations in a variety of formats and topics.<br><br>Widener Law faculty made several presentations at the Conference. <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/AnthonDionneE.aspx\">Dionne Anthon</a> and <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/SmithAmanda.aspx\">Amanda Smith</a> from the Harrisburg Campus presented “Judge for Yourself: Designing a Judicial Writing Course.” <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/RaekerJordanDavid.aspx\">David Raeker-Jordan</a> and Jennifer Lear, Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University School of Law, presented “Team-Based Learning 101.” <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/HemingwayAnnaP.aspx\">Anna Hemingway</a> facilitated “You are Already Writing an Article” on behalf of the LWI Scholarship Development and Outreach Committee and participated as a mentor in the Scholarship Speed Mentoring presentation.<br><br>Delaware Legal Writing faculty <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/FerrellIvaJohnson.aspx\">Iva Ferrell</a> and <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/KingSusanA.aspx\">Susan King</a> presented “Calibrated Peer Review” and <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/SbargeJeanK.aspx\">Jean Sbarge</a> presented “The Read Shoes: Stepping into the Reader’s Shoes through Video, Case Illustration, Drawing and a Model.”<br><br>The conference provided a spotlight session with Supreme Court advocates, hot topics in legal education, and a track for scholarship. Widener Law faculty contributed by providing innovative classroom ideas, guidance on scholarship, and assistance in developing new courses.<br><br>The Legal Writing Institute is a nonprofit corporation, and the 2014 Conference took place 30 years after the first conference was organized by the founders. The Institute’s purpose is to encourage the exchange of ideas about legal writing and to provide a forum for legal writing scholarship and discourse. It is the second largest organization of law professors in the United States and has over 2800 members representing ABA-accredited law schools.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1647, 'Widener Law welcomes new professor of business bankruptcy', '2014-08-04', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 370px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/GrohsgalBruce365px.jpg\" width=\"365\" height=\"351\" alt=\"GrohsgalBruce365px\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Bruce Grohsgal</span></p>\n</div>Widener University School of Law welcomes a new member to its <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/InstituteofDelawareCorporateandBusinessLaw.aspx\">Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law</a> faculty, whose work will stimulate and coordinate debate of issues in business bankruptcy law.<br><br>Long-time Wilmington, Del. and former Pachulski Stang Ziehl &amp; Jones attorney <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/GrohsgalBruce.aspx\">Bruce Grohsgal</a> has joined the faculty as the Helen S. Balick Visiting Professor in Business Bankruptcy Law. He will teach bankruptcy and secured transactions classes this fall.  <br><br>The newly created position honors retired U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Helen S. Balick, who played a pivotal role in the national development of business bankruptcy proceedings. She stepped down in 1999 after 25 years on the bench. She initially served as the Delaware bankruptcy court’s lone judge, and she presided over thousands of cases, including multi-billion-dollar bankruptcies involving airline industries and energy companies. Today the Delaware court, one of the preeminent bankruptcy courts in the United States, has six judges.<br><br>“I am honored to hold this position, founded in her name,” Grohsgal said. “Judge Balick was a great judge whose dynamic and intelligent approach to resolving bankruptcy cases set a high standard. Her procedural innovations maximized positive outcomes for all parties, and have been widely followed by courts in other jurisdictions.”<br><br>Grohsgal comes to the law school from the Wilmington, Del. office of the highly regarded boutique bankruptcy firm <a href=\"http://www.pszjlaw.com/\">Pachulski Stang Ziehl &amp; Jones</a>, where he was a partner and practiced since the founding of that office in early 2000.<br><br>“Bruce is a seasoned practitioner who will draw on his practical skills to enhance the academic experience for our students. That, coupled with his enthusiasm for teaching, will make for an engaging classroom experience. Our students have a great deal to look forward to this fall,” said <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, interim dean of Widener Law Delaware.<br><br>In addition to teaching, Grohsgal will work to strengthen Widener Law Delaware’s presence in the Wilmington bankruptcy practice. He will coordinate symposia on the topic and pursue externship and other opportunities for students in the legal community.<br><br>“I am excited to have been given the job of building the bankruptcy program at Widener Law Delaware,” Grohsgal said. “I want and hope to make a difference – by writing, by teaching and by working with students and the bench and bar outside the classroom. There are great opportunities ahead.”<br><br>Ruby R. Vale Professor of Corporate and Business Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HamermeshLawrenceA.aspx\">Lawrence A. Hamermesh</a>, who directs Widener’s Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law, said Grohsgal’s appointment is the culmination of a long effort to create a faculty position devoted to teaching and scholarship in the field of business bankruptcy law. His work will strengthen the institute, which already is known for its command of corporate governance, business organizations, contracts, corporate finance and securities regulation law.<br><br>“We are excited about the potential for synergies with the strong established business bankruptcy practice that has developed in the state of Delaware, originally under the leadership of Judge Balick,” Hamermesh said.<br><br>Grohsgal, a graduate of Brandeis University and Columbia Law School, lives in Merion, Pa. with his wife, Joan Weinryb. They have three children.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1648, 'Widener Law Welcomes New Students', '2014-08-07', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/WelcomeToSemesterNewsPromo.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"209\" alt=\"WelcomeToSemesterNewsPromo\">\n</div>Widener Law is pleased to welcome new students in both Delaware and Harrisburg! Orientation week events commence on <strong>Monday, August 11th</strong>.<br><br><strong>Registration and Welcome to the Profession</strong><br><br>On the Harrisburg campus, open registration for new students will run from <strong>10:00 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. in the Administration Building on Monday the 11th</strong>. The Harrisburg <strong>Welcome to the Profession will follow at 5:00 p.m</strong>. The Honorable Mary Hannah Leavitt of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania will deliver the affirmation and offer remarks, and Adam Santucci, Esq. ’09 will also speak.<br><br>On the Delaware campus, new students may register at the Admissions Office between <strong>10:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m</strong>. The <strong>Welcome to the Profession Ceremony</strong> will follow at 6:00 p.m. in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom. Kenneth M. Rothweiler, Esq. of the class of 1981 will speak to students about professionalism. Students should attend the mandatory ceremony in professional attire.<br><br>New students can find schedules and other pertinent resources on the respective orientation pages for <a href=\"/Gateway/CurrentStudents/DelawareStudents/AcademicResources/Orientation.aspx\">Delaware</a> or <a href=\"/Gateway/CurrentStudents/HarrisburgStudents/AcademicResources/Orientation.aspx\">Harrisburg</a>. Please note that attendance at all orientation events is mandatory.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1649, 'Widener Law Welcomes New Classes in Delaware and Harrisburg', '2014-08-13', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646417164451%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646417164451%2F&amp;set_id=72157646417164451&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646417164451%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646417164451%2F&amp;set_id=72157646417164451&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n<br><br><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646392732862%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646392732862%2F&amp;set_id=72157646392732862&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=143270\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646392732862%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646392732862%2F&amp;set_id=72157646392732862&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\n“Whatever you do in the law, let it have purpose for you,” Kenneth M. Rothweiler, Esq. ’81 charged new students at the Welcome to the Profession event held in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom on Monday, August 11th in Delaware.<br><br>Now an annual tradition in both Delaware and Harrisburg, the Welcome to the Profession ceremonies offer new students a valuable glimpse of their future as legal professionals. The respective events mark the beginning of a student’s legal career and kick off orientation week.<br><br>“This is the first day of your legal career, and we are so proud of you and your successes thus far,” Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn L. Meadows</a> told students in Harrisburg, but she also spoke to their future, saying, “You will make your impact in many areas of the profession and the profession will be better for it.” <br><br>Students in Harrisburg also heard from The Honorable <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbgAdj/LeavittMaryHannah.aspx\">Mary Hannah Leavitt</a> of Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court. Leavitt, who currently serves as the Visiting Scholar in Residence, delivered the affirmation. Alumnus Adam Santucci, Esq. ’09 also offered brief remarks.<br><br>In Delaware, Professor Arthur J. Schwartz, the Founding Executive Director of the Oskin Leadership Institute at Widener University challenged the students to become leaders during a brief but rousing talk. Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> welcomed the students and spoke about the vibrant intellectual atmosphere on campus, and Alumnus John Cirrinicione ’07 also welcomed the students to the Widener Law family.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1650, 'Law school mourns passing of two legal leaders', '2014-08-18', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 305px; margin: 10px;\"><img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/WalshYoung300px.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"255\" alt=\"WalshYoung300px\"></div>Widener Law is mourning the loss of two pillars of the Delaware legal community, who were dear friends of our school.<br><br>Both retired Delaware Supreme Court Justice and long-time adjunct professor Joseph T. Walsh and Stuart B. Young, whose family name is reflected in the law school’s most prestigious Fellowship, died Friday, Aug. 15.<br><br>“As an institution we have been fortunate to have had the support and encouragement of these two great men. Our students benefitted – and continue to benefit – from the commitments they made to the law school through their time, their wisdom and their boundless energies,” Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> said.<br><br>Justice Walsh volunteered as a judge for countless moot court competitions, including as a regular member of the final bench for our <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/MootCourtHonorSocietyDelaware/RubyRValeCompetition.aspx\">Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition</a>.  His presence contributed to the growth of that competition into a nationally recognized event. He was a member of the school’s Board of Overseers and was the Delaware commencement speaker at the May 1997 ceremony, where he was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.<br><br>Perhaps Justice Walsh’s biggest impact was in the classroom, where he shared his vast knowledge of Delaware corporate law with his students. He was a member of the adjunct faculty teaching for 43 semesters over 23 years, including two classes this spring. He joined his students in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom this April to watch the Delaware Supreme Court conduct oral arguments during its annual visit to campus, and he received public acknowledgement from the justices for his ongoing commitment to the court.<br><br>Stuart Young was a member of the Young family whose foundation funds Widener’s H. Albert Young Fellowship in Constitutional Law. The fellowship allows a professor to conduct and publish research in the area of Delaware or U.S. constitutional law. The current fellow, Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HodasDavidR.aspx\">David R. Hodas</a>, is the eighth since the position was endowed in 1998. <br><br>Young was a partner in the Young Conaway Stargatt &amp; Taylor, LLP law firm and was a leader in the Delaware arts community. He, along with his wife Toni, sister Ronell Douglass, and brother H. Alan Young, and their spouses, have regularly attended the law school’s biennial H. Albert Young Lecture in Constitutional Law. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Widener faculty and their scholarship.<br><br>Young and his family endowed the Widener fellowship to honor the memory of their father, the late H. Albert Young, a highly respected lawyer and former Delaware attorney general known for his unwavering dedication to upholding justice even in unpopular cases.<br><br>The School of Law sends its sincerest condolences to the relatives of these two great men. Each one helped enrich the intellectual life of our school. We considered them part of our Widener Law family and will miss them.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1651, 'Widener Law Offers LSAT Practice Exams in Delaware and Harrisburg', '2014-08-21', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"~/media/Images/admissions/MockLSAT/LSAT%20Mock%20News%20Promo%20235px%202012.ashx\" width=\"235\" height=\"244\" alt=\"LSAT Mock News Promo 235px 2012\">\n</div>Widener University School of Law will host two practice law school admissions tests, or LSAT, exams  during the academic year in both Delaware and Harrisburg. Both of the exams are scheduled two weeks before the actual test.<br><br>The LSAT is a half-day standardized exam administered by the Law School Admissions Council. It is a required part of the admissions process for all American Bar Association-accredited law schools.<br><br>The practice exams are scheduled for <b>Saturday, September 13th</b> and <b>Saturday, November 14th</b> beginning at 9:00 a.m. There is no cost associated with registration. The event is open to the public and is intended to assist those who are preparing to take the actual exam and want a practice run under conditions similar to those at a designated testing center.<br><br><a href=\"/Admissions/Connect/MockLSAT.aspx\">Find out more or register</a> for a practice exam.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1652, 'Widener Law Announces Information Sessions', '2014-08-27', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 235px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/columns.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"200\" alt=\"columns\">\n</div>Widener Law\'s Admissions Office will host information sessions on Saturday, October 25, 2014 and Saturday, January 10, 2015 for prospective applicants interested in hearing more about the benefits of a legal education at Widener.<br><br>The events, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in both Delaware and Harrisburg, give those interested in a legal education the opportunity to hear about the admissions process, financial aid, career development, and the wonderful experiential learning programs available at Widener Law. Attendees can even get a taste of what a law school class entails.<br><br>Read more about our upcoming <a href=\"/Admissions/Connect/InformationSessions.aspx\">Information Sessions</a> or <a href=\"/Admissions/Connect/InformationSessions/RegisterforOurInformationSession.aspx\">register to attend</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1653, 'Widener Law celebrates national recognition for Delaware Supreme Court Justice and Adjunct Professor Randy J. Holland', '2014-08-28', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 480px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/HollandCicoski470px.jpg\" width=\"470\" height=\"400\" alt=\"HollandCicoski470px\">\n</div>\nThe School of Law congratulates long-time adjunct professor and Delaware Supreme Court Justice <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a> on receiving the prestigious Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics.<br><br>Holland and Adjunct Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/CicoskiRyan.aspx\">Ryan Cicoski</a>, who graduated magna cum laude from the law school in 2010, will both be honored at The American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence on Oct. 25 at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington. Cicoski will be recognized for his role as a 2014 Pegasus Scholar.<br><br>Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will host the event. Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote a letter in support of Justice Holland’s nomination to the American Inns of Court. Based in Virginia, the organization fosters excellence in professionalism, ethics, civility and legal skills, and its membership includes more than 30,000 federal, state, and local judges, along with lawyers, law professors and law students.<br><br>The Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics is awarded each year to a lawyer or judge who has rendered exemplary service in the areas of legal excellence, professionalism and ethics. Previous recipients have included Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and former Delaware Chief Justice E. Norman Veasey, who will attend the October program as a guest of Holland.<br><br>“It’s just a remarkable award,” said American Inns of Court spokeswoman Cindy Dennis.<br><br>“There is no one more deserving of this recognition than Justice Holland,” added <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, interim dean of Widener Law Delaware. “Widener Law students are fortunate to have firsthand knowledge of Justice Holland’s deep commitment to professionalism, his ethical standards and his keen legal intellect. And he does it all with a kind demeanor and a respect for everyone around him. He is a role model for our students, both in and out of the classroom.”<br><br>Holland is teaching a seminar on appellate practice and procedure this fall. He began teaching at the law school in the fall of 1991 and has also taught for Widener’s summer program in Venice, Italy. He regularly serves as a judge of student competitions, including on the final-round bench of Widener’s nationally recognized <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/MootCourtHonorSocietyDelaware/RubyRValeCompetition.aspx\">Ruby R. Vale Interschool Corporate Moot Court Competition</a>. Each fall and spring semester he convenes a special session of the Delaware Supreme Court at the law school to swear Widener clinic students into the bar for the limited practice of law. He served as the Delaware commencement speaker in 2001, when he was presented with an honorary degree.<br><br>Long active in the American Inns of Court, Holland is the past national president. He is a founding member of the Terry-Carey American Inn of Court, which gives a professionalism award in his name. He is current co-chair of the National Advisory Committee to the American Judicature Society’s Center for Judicial Conduct. He chaired the American Bar Association National Joint Committee on Lawyer Regulation.  Holland has also served on the ABA Presidential Commission on Fair and Impartial Courts, the Standing Committee on Client Protection and the Judicial Division’s Ethics and Professionalism Committee. For more than two decades, he has chaired the Delaware Judges’ Code of Conduct Revision Committee and, in that capacity, was instrumental in establishing the Delaware Judges’ Ethics Advisory Committee.<br><br>Holland has been recognized as one of the top 100 persons who influence business ethics in the United States. He has traveled internationally to advance professionalism and judicial ethics, working closely with the chief justice of Taiwan and visiting there numerous times to speak on these topics to government officials, lawyers, judges, and law students. With his encouragement, Taiwan adopted the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Holland gave the annual COMBAR Lecture at Gray’s Inn in England and addressed the differences between the ethical obligations of an attorney in the European Union and the United States for protecting a client’s confidential communications. He also recently chaired a program on professionalism at the Qatar International Rule of Law Forum. Holland is an honorary Master of the Bench of Lincoln’s Inn in London, sharing that distinction with two other Americans: Ginsburg and her fellow Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.<br><br>He has written, co-authored or edited eight books and is currently editing a book for the Library of Congress about the Magna Carta that Thomson-Reuters will publish in November.<br><br>Cicoski will be recognized at the Washington event for his role as a 2014 American Inns of Court Pegasus Scholar. The program is an exchange that brings young English barristers to the United States for six weeks to learn about the American legal system, and young American Inn of Court members to London for six weeks to learn about the English legal system.  He traveled to London in March as one of only two U.S. attorneys selected for the program.<br><br>“Pegasus Scholars stand at the intersection of American and English law, and are offered a unique opportunity to explore the differences and similarities between both legal systems,” Cicoski has said. “The Pegasus Scholarship is the opportunity of a lifetime.”<br><br>Cicoski teaches advanced analytical applications to Delaware students this fall. He has been a member of the adjunct faculty since the fall of 2013.<br><br>While in law school, Cicoski served as a research editor for the <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/WidenerLawReview.aspx\">Widener Law Review</a> and was a <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Externships/WolcottFellowships.aspx\">Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellow</a>. He is an associate attorney at Womble Carlyle Sandridge &amp; Rice, LLP in Wilmington, where he represents clients in a variety of corporate and business litigation, ranging from commercial contract disputes to state-court dissolution proceedings. He is on the board of directors of the Delaware Bar Foundation and the National Advisory Council of the American Judicature Society.<br><br>“We congratulate Ryan on his experience as a Pegasus Scholar,” Daly said. “It is exciting to see him being recognized for international leadership this early in his career.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1654, 'Criminal law professor takes lessons from pro bono win back to class with him', '2014-09-01', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 305px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/epsteinaward300px.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"394\" alt=\"epsteinaward300px\">\n</div>One of Widener Law’s criminal law professors is taking lessons from a significant pro bono win over the summer into his classroom this fall, so his students can get a taste of where old-school, diligent lawyering can take a case.<br><br>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/EpsteinJules.aspx\">Jules Epstein</a>, who taught his first fall class last week in Delaware, spent several weeks working on a Pennsylvania Innocence Project case. His client, who maintained his innocence while serving life in prison, won a new trial and was released on bail. This June, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office elected to withdraw prosecution.<br><br>“It is emotionally powerful, meaningful and satisfying to help someone get out of prison who shouldn’t be there,” Epstein said. Today, his client, Lance Felder, has a new job working as a construction traffic flagger and is readjusting to a far more digitized society than the one he left for incarceration 15 years ago.<br><br>Felder was convicted in connection with the robbery and murder of a North Philadelphia man who operated a bar and seafood store. The victim, Thomas Keal, was shot in the head after he resisted two men who demanded money from him on a Philadelphia street. Felder and another man, Eugene Gilyard, were arrested three years later on an identification made by the victim’s daughter. Epstein said the daughter saw the shooting from above her father’s business, for about five seconds, and provided the only connection between his client and the crime. There was no physical evidence.<br><br>When another man confessed to the crime, Innocence Project efforts to get both Gilyard and Felder freed from prison gained steam. Epstein officially entered the case for Felder in June 2013 and hearings began in July, with the judge asked to determine whether new evidence was enough to call into question the fairness of the original trial.<br><br> Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi agreed, and ordered a new trial. One year later, prosecutors elected not to appeal the decision, and withdrew prosecution against Felder and Gilyard. <br><br>Epstein said lessons from the case were germane for his students.<br><br>“You never try a case without walking the scene. I was at the murder scene. I walked the street,” he said. Doing so showed Epstein the eyewitness’ vantage point was questionable – casting doubt on the identification of Felder.<br><br>Epstein, who has studied and written in the areas of mistaken witness identification, said the case was a classic example of just that.<br><br>“It’s a reminder that when I teach evidence and criminal law, I have to teach the lesson that sincere witnesses can make mistakes, and to do justice, attorneys have to investigate the heck out of a case,” he said.<br><br>Epstein is not alone in performing legal work for inmates who maintain their innocence. Both Professors <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/RitterJudithL.aspx\">Judith L. Ritter</a> and <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/SosnovLeonardN.aspx\">Leonard N. Sosnov</a> also have taken cases in which their clients have been released from prison or had their sentences converted from death to life in prison.<br><br>“It’s a reminder to me that at Widener Law, we don’t stay in the classroom and teach exclusively. Our students see us go out into the world and use what we teach. Hopefully that enriches their education,” Epstein said.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1655, 'Community Day Event Brings Students Together', '2014-09-03', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646740492277%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646740492277%2F&amp;set_id=72157646740492277&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646740492277%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646740492277%2F&amp;set_id=72157646740492277&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nLoosely defined as a group of people who live in the same area or share the same interests, the idea of community goes beyond merely occupying the same space or sharing like interests. In an effort to foster the shared sense of purpose and pride that defines a true community, Widener Law Delaware’s <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/StudentBarAssociationDelaware.aspx\">Student Bar Association</a> hosted a special Community Day event on Friday, August 29 in advance of the Labor Day Weekend.<br><br>Begun in 2012 as a way to socialize before the semester gets entrenched in papers, projects and studies, Community Day brings together students, faculty, and staff in a fun atmosphere. All of the groups on campus are represented at Community Day; new and returning students can get a feel for what the school has to offer in a relaxed environment.  While the student groups focus on their different areas of interest, they bring the law school together by hosting open events and sharing knowledge.<br><br>Some students brought along family to share in the fun, with a few children taking advantage of the bouncy house present on the campus lawn. There were lawn games and activities for all to enjoy as well as a lot of good food and music.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1656, 'Veterans Law Clinic to assist with records expungement', '2014-09-04', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/VLCExpungementClinic235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"VLCExpungementClinic235px\">\n</div>\nStaff and students of the Widener Law Veterans Law Clinic will host a Philadelphia County event for veterans who need help getting their records expunged.<br><br>The Expungement Clinic For Veterans will take place Saturday, Sept. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. It is presented in collaboration with the Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity and The Village of Arts &amp; Humanities, which will host the event at 2544 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. <br><br>Clinic staff and students will hold an intake and brief information session for veterans who have criminal records in Philadelphia County. They will share information about the expungement process and assistance available through the Veterans Law Clinic for those who qualify. Veterans are asked to bring a copy of their DD-214 paperwork.<br><br>Referrals will be available for those with records in other counties. Veterans will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis.<br><br>Those with questions should contact the clinic at 302.477.2090. There is no charge for the service.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1657, 'Delaware Journal of Corporate Law Announces New Website', '2014-09-08', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\"><a href=\"http://www.djcl.org/\"><img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DJCLLogo235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"DJCLLogo235px\"></a></div>The <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/DelawareJournalofCorporateLaw.aspx\">Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</a> seeks to expand its web presence, <a href=\"http://www.djcl.org/\">djcl.org</a>, with a redesigned website and an updated logo, both of which were released this week. Volume 40 External Managing Editor Tara Pakrouh and Volume 40 Styles Editor Gregory Flasser worked together on the Journal’s new website, and Ms. Pakrouh updated the logo. <br><br>“Both the website and logo needed to be updated. We hope the new web design will spur more traffic to the site,” Mr. Flasser said. The previous website was launched by the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law Administrative Board in 2009. “We’re law students, not web designers,” Ms. Pakrouh said. “We wanted to create a site that was easily navigable, and we hope we have done that.”<br><br>The new website boasts a completed “Archives” section that reaches back to 1975. “The Archives section was the most important aspect of the website to improve. We wanted to make sure authors, practitioners, and students could see the wealth of all the articles we have published since the beginning of the Journal’s existence,” Mr. Flasser said. The Archives section includes unreported cases, symposia transcripts, and legislation.<br><br>The new website also includes an “Alumni Spotlight” section that highlights the achievements of Journal alumni. “Our alumni have been described as ‘leaders in the business law world;’ we wanted to showcase their accomplishments as practicing attorneys,” Ms. Pakrouh explained. “The Alumni Spotlight will be a monthly segment, and the success of the program has been pleasantly surprising.”<br><br><div style=\"height: 170px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/TaraPakrouh144px.jpg\" width=\"144\" height=\"180\" class=\"FloatLeft\" alt=\"TaraPakrouh180px\">Tara Pakrouh is a Judicial Extern to The Honorable President Judge Susan Peikes Gantman of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She is in the process of completing the Business Organizations Law Certificate Program, and she intends to practice in either Pennsylvania or Delaware post-graduation.</div>\n<div style=\"height: 170px; margin: 10px; clear: both;\">\n<br><img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/GregFlasser144px.jpg\" width=\"144\" height=\"180\" class=\"FloatLeft\" alt=\"GregFlasser180px\">Mr. Flasser is the Internal Manager for the newly established Transactional Law Honor Society. He is also Judicial Extern to The Honorable Judge Kent A. Jordan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  He is in the process of completing the Business Organizations Law Certificate Program as well as the Business Advising Certificate Program.</div>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1658, 'Widener Law receives Delaware community service award', '2014-09-10', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/VeteransLawClinic235px.jpg\" class=\"FloatRight\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"VeteransLawClinic235px\">Widener University School of Law and its <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/VeteransLawClinic.aspx\">Veterans Law Clinic</a> are being honored with a 2014 Delaware Governor\'s Outstanding Volunteer Award for community service. It marks the second consecutive year a Widener Law program has been recognized. The school’s <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/PublicInterestOpportunities/WillsForHeroes.aspx\">Wills For Heroes</a> program was honored in 2013, also for community service.<br><br>The awards program, facilitated by the Delaware Office of Volunteerism,  honors adult individuals, groups, organizations or businesses who engage in volunteer activities that address community needs within the First State.<br><br>“The Veterans Law Clinic provides a tremendous service to our veterans and we are grateful for the recognition this honor brings,” said Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>. “This program is unique because it is an opportunity for our students to provide actual legal representation while they are enrolled in law school. It builds their professional skills within a framework that supports the Widener mission of service learning through civic engagement.” <br><br>The Outstanding Volunteer Award program is sponsored by the Office of Gov. Jack Markell, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the Division of State Service Centers, the state Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service. The honor will be formally given at a dinner next month in Dover.<br><br>“We thank the state of Delaware and Gov. Jack Markell for this award. It is an honor just to provide these services to veterans every day. We are humbled by the recognition and accept it with appreciation,” said Susan Saidel, the clinic director.<br><br>The Veterans Law Clinic, based at Widener Law Delaware, provides free legal aid to disabled veterans and their dependents with claims pending before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The clinic specializes in representing veterans’ cases on appeal from VA regional offices located throughout the United States to the Board of Veterans Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The clinic also assists veterans with other matters related to veterans law, including VA pension cases, VA overpayment cases and discharge upgrades, as well as legal issues that are impediments to financial security, such as expungement of certain criminal charges, collection of medical bills and obtaining Social Security.<br><br>The clinic does not charge veterans for its services, nor does it keep any portion of financial awards it wins for its clients. It also covers the costs of independent medical exams when they are needed for clients’ cases. In the 2013-14 academic year, the clinic provided representation to 302 clients. <br><br>In its 17 years, the clinic has recovered more than $6 million for its clients, with half of that coming in the last four years. The process is lengthy and cases take years to resolve. Currently 56 percent of clients are Delaware residents. Other clients hail from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Maryland.  <br><br>Cases are handled by approximately ten to 20 students each semester, who receive no monetary compensation, and approximately 80 attorneys from the community who serve in a pro bono capacity. Students spend up to 20 hours per week in the clinic, including office hours where they assist with completing intakes for new clients and other administrative tasks.<br><br>In addition, in the 2013-14 academic year, the clinic began providing social work assistance to clients, through two unpaid student interns working toward their Master of Social Work degrees from the Widener University main campus. They provide crisis, family and individual counseling and assist with referrals for mental health care, child care, food pantry services, substance abuse help, shelter and more.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1659, 'Wolcott Fellows report to work', '2014-09-11', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647403912442%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647403912442%2F&amp;set_id=72157647403912442&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647403912442%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647403912442%2F&amp;set_id=72157647403912442&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nFive outstanding Widener University School of Law students began working at the Delaware Supreme Court recently as <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Externships/WolcottFellowships.aspx\">Josiah Oliver Wolcott Fellows</a>. The prestigious program, now in its 26th year, provides unique opportunities for students at Widener Law Delaware.<br><br>Wolcott Fellows, who serve as law clerks in the state’s highest court, are chosen through a competitive application and interview process. Five students are selected to participate each year. They must present strong academic credentials, demonstrate outstanding research and writing skills, and have completed at least their second year of law school. <br><br>The 2014-15 group comprises:<blockquote><strong>Andrew Berni, assigned to Chief Justice Leo E. Strine Jr.<br>William Burton, assigned to Justice Karen L. Valihura<br>Olufunke Fagbami, assigned to Justice Randy J. Holland<br>Megan McGovern, assigned to Justice Karen L. Valihura<br>Michael Van Gorder, assigned to Justice Henry duPont Ridgely</strong></blockquote>The program is named for Wolcott, the Dover, Del.-born lawyer, politician and judge who died in 1938. He was elected Delaware attorney general in 1912, and then to the U.S. Senate four years later. He resigned from the Senate in 1921 to become Chancellor of Delaware’s renowned Delaware Court of Chancery, where he served until his death at age 61.<br><br>Wolcott fellows work about 20 hours per week during the school year and receive academic credit and either a cash grant or a tuition-remission scholarship grant, funded by the law school. For the students, however, some of the greatest rewards come through new connections.<br><br>“I’m looking forward to a mentoring relationship with my justice,” said Fagbami.<br><br>McGovern said she wants to practice law in Delaware, so the fellowship will provide her an especially valuable perspective.<br><br>“It’s seeing how everything works from the inside,” she said. McGovern is working for Valihura until a new justice is named later this year to replace retiring Justice Carolyn Berger. She will then become part of the new justice’s staff.<br><br>“We are extremely proud of these exceptional students,” Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> said. “They will learn a tremendous amount about the real-life work of justices and attorneys in Delaware. We are grateful to the Delaware Supreme Court for partnering with Widener Law Delaware and sustaining this extraordinary opportunity for these future lawyers.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1660, 'Pennsylvania Women’s Forum Event Looks at Cost of Higher Education', '2014-09-14', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647399208861%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647399208861%2F&amp;set_id=72157647399208861&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647399208861%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647399208861%2F&amp;set_id=72157647399208861&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe Pennsylvania Women’s Form held the most recent event in their solutions series at Widener Law Commonwealth on Monday, September 8th. Widener Law Commonwealth\'s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law and Government Institute</a> is a supporting sponsor of the PA Women\'s Forum and Institute Director <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a> is a member of the Pennsylvania Women\'s Forum\'s board of directors.<br><br>The panel discussion featured three Pennsylvania leaders in higher education, and an appearance by Pennsylvania’s First Lady Susan Corbett. The discussion focused on tuition cost at Pennsylvania colleges, and efforts to make college more accessible and affordable. The approaches taken by the different colleges in Pennsylvania were diverse, but the effort to keep the cost of higher education from rising was a common goal for all of the speakers.<br><br>To start the program, Mrs. Corbett detailed the efforts made by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in helping the state’s high school graduates have the foundation necessary to achieve success in college. Currently the statistics are troubling with 50 percent of students entering community colleges and 20 percent of students entering four-year institutions needing remedial assistance. Therefore, the Department has been targeting middle school students, using a software program to identify the high-risk students and address the problem at an early age, giving these students a greater chance for graduation.<br><br>Dr. Nancy Roseman, the President of Dickinson College – a small private liberal arts college in Carlisle – stated that college was expensive because running a school is labor intensive, so the challenge is how to lower costs in light of this reality. While the sticker price for all fees, room and board is over $40,000, the college discounts the cost for nearly every student at the school, and 68% of students receive some form of financial aid. To pay for the discounts, Roseman said fundraising is the major component, with solicitation for increased philanthropy being critical.<br><br>Chancellor Frank Brogan of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education stated that the challenge with keeping the cost of education at the state’s 14 Universities low was especially difficult in light of state funding being reduced to 24% in recent years. The average cost for full-time attendance was $18,500 per year – less than the national average, and even less than the average of the mid-Atlantic region for public universities. Perhaps the greatest way to keep costs down for students, Brogan said, was to keep in contact with their colleagues in the middle and high schools to ensure that the Pennsylvania public schools were graduating quality students who can stay on-track to graduate from college within four years.<br><br>Dr. Linnie Carter, the Vice President of College Advancement from the Harrisburg Area Community College, was proud of the fact that full-time attendance only cost $1,800 if a high school student came from a sponsoring school district. To help defray the cost of tuition, HACC has attempted to redefine the term scholarship so that potential students won’t be scared from applying for financial help, whether it be in the form of tuition-giveaway or HACC President John “Ski” Sygielski riding his bike around the commonwealth and handing out $1,000 scholarships.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1661, 'Thirteen Students Admitted to Limited Practice of the Law Under Rule 56', '2014-09-15', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647082482708%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647082482708%2F&amp;set_id=72157647082482708&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647082482708%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647082482708%2F&amp;set_id=72157647082482708&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nOn Monday, September 8, 2014, Delaware Supreme Court Justice <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a> presided over a special swearing-in ceremony that saw thirteen Widener Law Delaware students admitted to the limited practice of law under Delaware Supreme Court Rule 56.<br><br>Delaware Supreme Court Rule 56 allows eligible students to appear in some Delaware courts under strict guidelines, and requires that a Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court administer the oath in person. A Delaware attorney must move for the admission of a student under the rule.<br><br>Catherine Kilian was the sponsoring attorney for the <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/DelawareCivilLawClinic.aspx\">Delaware Civil Law Clinic</a>; Christopher Parker represented the Attorney General’s Office and sponsored a single extern, and Director <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/KristlKennethT.aspx\">Kenneth Kristl</a> acted as the sponsoring attorney for the <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/EnvironmentalandNaturalResourcesLawClinic.aspx\">Environmental &amp; Natural Resources Law Clinic</a>. <br><br>Justice Holland lent an air of gravitas to the occasion while retaining a relatable and often humorous demeanor. This is a “paradigm shift in your life” Justice Holland told newly sworn in students. He added that although the oath they took was under the limited practice rule that it “is the same oath that lawyers in Delaware have been taking for over 300 years, simply modified to the extent that you have a limited right to practice rather than a complete right.”<br><br>Holland reminded the students that the clients they would be dealing with would seem them as a Delaware lawyer and that the idea of limited practice was not going to cross their minds, adding, “You’re an officer of the court and as an officer of the court you have to conduct yourself accordingly.” He told them that their role would be to promote respect for rule of law and to conduct themselves professionally and civilly.<br><br>Justice Holland wrapped up by telling the students they are getting an excellent education at Widener Law School, and he praised the staff and faculty involved with the clinical programs. He cited the example of Professor Kristl, who demonstrated his commitment to clinic students years ago by taking and passing the Delaware Bar so that he could supervise his students.<br><br>The students sworn in under Rule 56 were:<br><br><strong>Delaware Civil Law Clinic</strong><br>Daniel V. Cerone<br>Lauren D. Crump<br>Jennifer A. Fink<br>Kasi Gifford<br>Wilson A. Gualpa<br>Hayley J. Reese<br>Melanie A. Reynolds<br>Tyler J. Wilk<br><br><strong>Environmental &amp; Natural Resources Law Clinic</strong><br>Moses Bates<br>Patrick Dearmey<br>Ada Husten<br>Andrew Schmidt<br><br><strong>Office of the Attorney General - New Castle County</strong><br>Matthias C. Conaty', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1662, 'Widener Law’s U.S. Supreme Court preview is an opportunity to question professors about upcoming cases', '2014-09-16', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/SupremeCourtPreviewWebinar235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"SupremeCourtPreviewWebinar235px\">Widener Law’s popular faculty Supreme Court preview is back this fall with the valuable opportunity for media and friends of the school to question professors about cases of interest the court will be hearing in its new term.<br><br>The free “webinar style” online event takes place <b>Wednesday, Sept. 17 beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT</b>. Seven professors will present a variety of cases and take questions submitted from viewers. Topics range from dishonest jurors, to free speech and threats on the internet, to pregnancy discrimination, to income taxes for those who live in one state but work in another, and more.<br><br>Click <a href=\"/Spiffs/WidenerLawHighlights/SupremeCourtPreviewWebinar.aspx\">here</a> to participate. There is no registration process and we don’t collect lots of personal information about our participants. <br><br>The preview is organized in a spirit of public service by the Public Relations Office. It is intended to assist journalists in identifying pending cases that may have news value for their organizations, and in the process provide expert sources to question now or call on for future reporting. <em>We also welcome participation from students, alumni and the community</em>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1663, 'Former New York Governor Discusses Economic Regulation', '2014-09-17', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647480881152%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647480881152%2F&amp;set_id=72157647480881152&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647480881152%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647480881152%2F&amp;set_id=72157647480881152&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nOn Tuesday, September 9th, Eliot Spitzer, the former Attorney General and Governor of New York, was the Widener Law Delaware faculty development luncheon speaker. Drawing on his own experiences as Attorney General, political theory, and modern economic history, Spitzer spoke about the role of government in regulating the economy. <br><br>Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Strategic Initiatives <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/StraussAndrewL.aspx\">Andrew L. Strauss</a> introduced Eliot Spitzer, not simply as the former Attorney General and later Governor of New York, but rather as a friend and former classmate at Princeton University, where they both studied in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs as undergraduates.<br><br>Spitzer thanked Strauss for his \"spirited introduction,\" before engaging in a wide-ranging conversation that included several questions from the inquisitive audience. Referencing his own experiences taming corporate abuses as Attorney General, Spitzer made the case that a successfully functioning market economy requires effective regulation by the government.<br><br>Eliot Spitzer earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. After working in private practice, he joined the Manhattan District Attorney\'s office to pursue organized crime. He returned to private practice in 1994. In 1998, he was elected Attorney General for the State of New York, and he was subsequently reelected in 2002. In 2006, he ran for and was elected Governor of New York. He was Governor through March of 2008 and has since served as a political commentator and host of shows on CNN and later Current TV.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1664, 'Harrisburg event will instruct attorneys how to avoid being victims of fraud', '2014-09-19', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/HarrisburgFraud235px.jpg\" class=\"FloatRight\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"HarrisburgFraud235px\">The Harrisburg campus will host a one-hour event Tuesday, Sept. 23 for attorneys on how to protect against fraud.<br><br>“Protecting Yourself, Your Agency or Your Clients from Theft and Fraud” will take place at 4 p.m. in room A180 of the administration building at 3737 Vartan Way, Harrisburg.<br><br>Speaker Mary Dishong-VanEtten, vice president and director of corporate security for Metro Bank will speak. Dishong-VanEtten is a certified financial crimes investigator and has handled financial crime investigations for more than 25 years. She will speak about identity theft, recent data breaches, current fraud schemes and best practices in information security.<br><br>One substantive continuing legal education credit is available for Pennsylvania lawyers who attend. There is no cost.<br><br>To register, contact Sandra Graeff at <a href=\"mailto:slgraeff@widener.edu\">slgraeff@widener.edu</a> or 717.541.3965.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1665, 'Law School announces plans for debates', '2014-09-22', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/2014DEDebates.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"2014DEDebates\">The Public Relations Office announced today the law school will partner with two area media organizations and host a pair of Delaware debates in the public interest.<br><br>Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to get an in-person view of the candidates for two key First State elected positions: Delaware attorney general and U.S. Senate. The attorney general candidates are expected to remain on campus after the hour-long evening debate has concluded its live radio broadcast, in order to answer audience questions and engage with those who attend.<br><br>“Our 2014 debate lineup in Delaware presents a fantastic opportunity for the Widener community,” said Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>. “It is a unique experience for law students to be able to shake hands with attorney general candidates, and ask them questions about their platforms. The Attorney General’s Office employs a large number of our graduates, and it provides externship opportunities to our students. I highly recommend that everyone in the Widener Law community take advantage of this access to the next Delaware attorney general, as well as the candidates for U.S. Senate.”<br><br>The debates will be presented by WDEL 1150 AM and WHYY. Both will be held in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom. The radio station will broadcast them live; WHYY will record the events for later television broadcast. The candidates in both events will take questions from a panel of area journalists that includes members of the WDEL and WHYY news staffs, as well as other media outlets. WDEL will provide the event moderators.<br><br>The first debate on <b>Wednesday, Oct. 15</b> will be held in the evening, from <b>6 to 7 p.m</b>. Candidates are expected to stay until 7:30 p.m. to answer questions posed by the audience. <br><br>The candidates include Democrat <a href=\"http://mattdenn.com/\">Matt Denn</a>, who is the current lieutenant governor, and Republican <a href=\"http://www.ted4ag.com/\">Ted Kittila</a>. The media organizations have also invited Independent candidate <a href=\"http://grahamforag.org/\">David Graham</a>, Libertarian candidate <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/MachurekforDE\">John Machurek</a> and Green Party candidate <a href=\"http://www.catherine4ag.com/\">Catherine Damavandi</a>.<br><br>On <b>Wednesday, Oct. 29</b> the school will host the candidates for U.S. Senate in a morning debate that begins at <b>8 a.m.</b> and lasts one hour. Candidates include the incumbent, Democrat <a href=\"http://chriscoons.com/\">Chris Coons</a> and the Republican challenger <a href=\"http://wadefordelaware.com/\">Kevin Wade</a>. The media organizations have also invited Green candidate <a href=\"http://www.andrewgroffforsenate.us/\">Andrew Groff</a>.<br><br>The debates will be broadcast live on WDEL 1150 AM and at WDEL.com. WHYY will broadcast the attorney general debate Friday, Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. The U.S. Senate debate will air on WHYY on Friday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.<br><br>Both events are open to the public. <br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1666, 'Plans Announced for Annual DuPont Legal, Widener Law Intellectual Property Conference', '2014-09-23', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DuPontIPCLE235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"DuPontIPCLE235px\">Widener Law and DuPont Legal have announced plans for the daylong conference they co-sponsor each fall that focuses on developments in intellectual property law.<br><br>The conference will be held Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington and will feature speakers who are among the nation’s premier authorities on various intellectual property law topics. The event attracted more than 200 attendees in 2013 and this year’s program will feature discussions on due diligence in intellectual property cases, online enforcement and changing strategies for trademark infringement, updates to nontraditional intellectual property law involving things like 3D printing and scent marks, and more.<br><br>Among this year’s featured speakers are:<ul>\n<li>Chief Judge Leonard P. Stark of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis of the Eastern District of Texas, who, along with moderator Richard Horwitz of Potter Anderson, will serve as the event’s opening panel.</li>\n<li>Andrew Byrnes, chief of staff of the U.S. Patent &amp; Trademark Office.</li>\n<li>Intellectual property ethics expert Professor David Hricik of Mercer University School of Law in Georgia.</li>\n</ul>Attorneys from Pennsylvania and Delaware who attend the conference will be eligible for seven continuing legal education credits, including one ethics credit. Other states will be announced. Cost for the event is $625 and includes course materials, continental breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks. To register, or to see a conference brochure, see <a href=\"http://www.dupontlegalmodel.com/news/events/intellectual-property-continuing-legal-education-seminar/\">law.widener.edu/dupont2014</a>. <br><br>Continental breakfast and registration check-in will begin at 7 a.m. <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, interim dean of Widener Law Delaware will begin the program at 8 a.m. The seminar runs through 5 p.m. and will be followed by a reception hosted by DuPont executive legal leadership. <a href=\"http://www.dupont.com/corporate-functions/our-company/leadership/functional-leaders/articles/walker.html\">Michael Walker</a>, DuPont vice president and chief intellectual property counsel, and a member of the Widener Law Board of Overseers, will attend.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1667, 'Law and Government Students Pitch in At Capitol All Stars Game', '2014-09-24', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\"><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647572152867%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647572152867%2F&amp;set_id=72157647572152867&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647572152867%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647572152867%2F&amp;set_id=72157647572152867&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object></div>On Tuesday, September 23rd, students from Widener Law’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law and Government Institute</a> volunteered at the 2nd Annual Capitol All Stars game.<br><br>The game, which was played at Metro Bank Park, capped Hunger Action Month and benefited Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger Free PA. Legislators from both sides of the aisle played a full softball game in an effort to assist Pennsylvanians struggling with hunger. September is Hunger Action Month, when food banks across the nation unite to urge individuals to take action to fight hunger in their communities. <br><br>Six students under the leadership of Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a> – who serves as institute director – volunteered at the game. The students assisted players on the field. The participating students included:<ul>\n<li>Patrick Parsons</li> <li>Kayla Randall</li>\n<li>Jordan Wartman</li>\n<li>Nick Dalessio</li>\n<li>Doug Kozak</li>\n<li>Landa Porter</li>\n</ul>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1668, 'Harrisburg faculty to hear from noted legal scholar', '2014-09-25', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/BenjaminShmueli235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"BenjaminShmueli235px\">The Harrisburg faculty will hear a presentation from a noted scholar on tort law and domestic relations next month.<br><br>Benjamin Shmueli, who is currently senior research scholar in law at Yale Law School, will present one of his recent books, “Tort and Contract Law vs. Jewish and Shari’a Family Law: Legitimate Religious Practices Actionable Under Civil Law.”<br><br>Shmueli is on a two-year stint at Yale. He is also a senior lecturer and associate professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He served as a visiting professor at Duke Law School from 2006-2008. He holds a Ph.D. and an LL.M. from Bar-Ilan University.<br><br>He teaches courses and seminars on tort law, risks and chances, domestic torts, domestic violence, and government contracts. He has published more than 30 articles in the United States and Israel.<br><br>Shmueli will speak to the Harrisburg faculty Oct. 23.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1669, 'Widener Law Welcomes Visiting Scholar from Taiwan', '2014-09-26', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/JamesWu235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"JamesWu235px\"><br><p><span class=\"Caption\">Dr. James Wu with Professor John Culhane, and Interim Dean Erin Daly.</span></p>\n</div>Widener Law Delaware is pleased to welcome Dr. James Wu for a second visit. Dr Wu serves as the Clinical Associate Professor and Visiting Staff Member at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch. He is the Vice Chairman of the Commission of Legal System for the Taiwan Dental Association, the Commissioner in Dental Health Insurance of the Bureau of National Health Insurance, and the Directorate of Hsin-Chu Dental Association in charge of both legal system formulation and dispute resolution regarding medical affairs.<br><br>Dr. Wu\'s scholarly interests lie at the intersection of law and medicine, particularly issues of informed consent and medical malpractice. Following his previous visit, Dr. Wu authored an article with Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/CulhaneJohnG.aspx\">John Culhane</a>,“Toward a Mature Doctrine of Informed Consent: Lessons from a Comparative Law Analysis. Dr. Wu also authored an article on dental implant litigation, and liability as related to treatment, information, and documentation titled “Malpractice Considerations in Dental Implant Therapy -- A Western View Point” in 2012.<br><br>\"It\'s great to have James back at Widener. I enjoyed working on our earlier article together, and -- even better -- getting to spend some time with him,” says Professor Culhane, adding, “I\'m looking forward to this visit, and I know he\'s excited to get involved with what we\'re doing at Widener.”<br><br>Professor Wu looks forward to reconnecting with his friends at Widener, and immersing himself in the academic life of the law school. He will be staying on campus through December 9th.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1670, 'Law students bring home the “BLSA Bowl”', '2014-10-01', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647675469159%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647675469159%2F&amp;set_id=72157647675469159&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647675469159%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157647675469159%2F&amp;set_id=72157647675469159&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nMembers of the Delaware campus Black Law Students Association took their Widener pride to a Philadelphia athletic event and came out winners.\n<br><br>\nThe school contingent won the “BLSA Bowl,” a field-day-style competition for BLSA groups at Philadelphia-area law schools and other law organizations, held Saturday, Sept. 20. About 10 members of Widener Law Delaware’s BLSA organization took part in the competition, with another five attending as their cheering section. \n<br><br>\nThe competition, presented by the Philadelphia Sub Region of the Mid-Atlantic Region of BLSA, was held at Fairmount Park. It featured events like tug of war, obstacle courses, and three-legged and potato-sack races. Teams accrued points for their finishes throughout the day, and in the end, Widener Law Delaware bested the BLSA team from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in a final relay race that determined the winner of the entire competition.\n<br><br>\n“It was a lot of fun,” BLSA Treasurer Kendrick McLeod said. “We were continuously trying to prove ourselves and make sure we had a good showing.”\n<br><br>\nThe day wasn’t exclusively about athletics, although the team enjoyed showing its school pride.\n<br><br>\n“It was a time of socializing, networking and fellowship,” he said.\n<br><br>\nThe event also raised funds for the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.\n<br><br>\nWidener Law Delaware Participants included:\n<blockquote>\nAdedayo Adu<br>\nValerie Duarte<br>\nAndre Mason<br>\nKendrick McLeod<br>\nTiffany Allen<br>\nKernie Desir<br>\nShahirah Brown<br>\nRichona McKnight<br>\nRobert Holmes<br>\nAddie Brice\n</blockquote>\nCongratulations!', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1671, 'Widener Law welcomes U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III for talk on judicial independence', '2014-10-03', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/JudgeJones235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"JudgeJones235px\">Widener Law is pleased to welcome a distinguished federal judge to its Harrisburg campus for a talk on judicial independence.<br><br>The Tuesday, Oct. 7 event featuring U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III of the Middle District of Pennsylvania is open to the public. The media is welcome to attend. The program is presented by Widener’s Law &amp; Government Institute and will be held in room A180 of the school administration building at 3737 Vartan Way, Harrisburg beginning at 4:30 p.m.<br><br>Jones authored the May 2014 opinion in Whitewood v. Wolf, in which he struck down Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. He declared it unconstitutional after finding it violated rights to due process and equal protection. Jones also presided over the Kitzmiller v. Dover School District trial in 2005. He ruled in that emotionally charged case that it was unconstitutional to teach intelligent design within a public school science curriculum. <br><br>Time magazine named Jones to its Time 100, a list of most influential people in the world, in 2006. He also received the first John Marshall Judicial Independence Award given by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. <br><br>Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in February 2002. <br><br>“We are thrilled to welcome Judge Jones. We have so much to learn from him,” said Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a>, director of the <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a>. “He is an extraordinary and dedicated judge who goes out of his way to enhance public understanding of the role of the judiciary.”<br><br>Pennsylvania and Delaware attorneys who attend the talk will be eligible for one free hour of substantive continuing legal education credit. New Jersey attorneys may self report for credit with a Widener Law certificate of attendance. To register to attend for credit, contact Sandra L. Graeff at <a href=\"mailto:slgraeff@widener.edu\">slgraeff@widener.edu</a> or 717.541.3965.<br><br>For more information about the event, download the postcard and registration form as a pdf.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1672, 'Law School marks new Supreme Court term', '2014-10-07', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648466861965%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648466861965%2F&amp;set_id=72157648466861965&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648466861965%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648466861965%2F&amp;set_id=72157648466861965&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nWidener Law marked the long-standing legal tradition of the “First Monday” this week by presenting an event that is likely to become a tradition of its own.<br><br>Five members of the Delaware faculty gathered at the Rodney Square law firm of Young Conaway Stargatt &amp; Taylor, LLP for a breakfast event on Monday, Oct. 6, the first day of the Supreme Court’s 2014 term. The court, by tradition, always convenes its new term on the first Monday in October. <br><br>The program was coordinated by Widener Law Delaware Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, with Delaware Supreme Court Justice <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a> serving as the moderator. Holland is also a member of the school’s adjunct faculty and sits on the Board of Overseers.<br><br>About 50 people attended and heard presentations on cases of interest coming before the court this term.<br><br>“This event serves as another reminder of how fortunate we are to have Widener Law in Delaware,” Holland said.<br><br>Professors who presented included:<ul>\n<li>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/MayJamesR.aspx\">James R. May</a>, who discussed <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/elonis-v-united-states/\">Elonis v. United States</a>.  The case tests whether postings on Facebook constitute true threats.</li>\n<li>Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/McManamonMaryBrigid.aspx\">Mary Brigid McManamon</a>, who explained the legal and political background of <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/alabama-democratic-conference-v-alabama/\">Alabama Democratic Conference v. Alabama</a> and <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/alabama-legislative-black-caucus-v-alabama/\">Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama</a>, which involve majority-minority voting districts.</li>\n<li>Helen S. Balick Visiting Professor of Business Bankruptcy Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/GrohsgalBruce.aspx\">Bruce Grohsgal</a>, who explained the implications for federal courts in <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/wellness-international-network-limited-v-sharif/\">Wellness International Network Limited vs. Sharif</a>, which involves the constitutionality of bankruptcy courts.</li>\n<li>H. Albert Young Fellow in Constitutional Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HodasDavidR.aspx\">David R. Hodas</a>, who discussed separation of powers issues in <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/zivotofsky-v-kerry/\">Zivotofsky v. Kerry</a>, in the context of foreign affairs.</li> <li>Assistant Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/AllieChristineD.aspx\">Christine D. Allie</a>, who discussed the state income tax issues for people who live in one state but work in another, presented in <a href=\"http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/comptroller-v-wynne/\">Comptroller v. Wynne</a>.</li>\n</ul>In addition, members the faculty from both locations took part in a Constitution Day webcast that previewed the new Supreme Court term. That program can be viewed online <a href=\"http://bit.ly/1uKWc5j\">here</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1673, 'Professor to Present at Meeting of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee', '2014-10-08', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 185px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/LarryHamermesh2013.jpg\" width=\"179\" height=\"240\" alt=\"LarryHamermesh2013\"><p><span class=\"Caption\">Ruby R. Vale Professor of Corporate and Business Law Lawrence A. Hamermesh</span></p>\n</div>\nRuby R. Vale Professor of Corporate and Business Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HamermeshLawrenceA.aspx\">Lawrence A. Hamermesh</a> will speak on the subject of fee-shifting provisions in corporate charters and bylaws at a meeting of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee to be held on Thursday, October 9th. Columbia Law School Professor John C. Coffee Jr., the Adolf A. Berle Professor of Law, will join Professor Hamermesh for the presentation.<br><br>The presentation is open to the public. Established by Section 911 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Investor Advisory Committee provides the SEC with recommendations on a variety of matters ranging from regulatory priorities to trading strategies, and promotes initiatives intended to protect investor interests and confidence.<br><br>The Director of the <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/InstituteofDelawareCorporateandBusinessLaw.aspx\">Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law</a>, Professor Hamermesh served as senior special counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel of the Division of Corporation Finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC during 2010 and 2011. Since 1995 he has been a member of the Corporation Law Council of the Corporation Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association, which is responsible for the annual review and modernization of the Delaware General Corporation Law. He served as Chair of the Council from 2002 through 2004.<br><br>Learn more about the <a href=\"http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/investor-advisory-committee-2012.shtml\">Investor Advisory Committee</a> or <a href=\"http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/investor-advisory-committee-2012/iac100914-agenda.htm\">read the agenda</a> for the October 9th meeting on the <a href=\"http://www.sec.gov/\">SEC’s website</a>.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1674, 'Law school launches new Family Health Law and Policy Institute', '2014-10-09', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/FamilyHealthLawPolicyInstitute235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"FamilyHealthLawPolicyInstitute235px\">Widener University School of Law in Delaware has launched a new academic institute dedicated to education, and to the reform of laws and policies relating to the intersection of families and their health.<br><br>The Family Health Law and Policy Institute will focus on a range of critically important issues, including child welfare, intimate partner violence, family economic laws, elder law, human rights, reproductive justice, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and more. <br><br>The institute is co-directed by Professors <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/CulhaneJohnG.aspx\">John G. Culhane</a>, <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/KellyAliciaBrokars.aspx\">Alicia B. Kelly</a> and Associate Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HarringtonConnerDana.aspx\">Dana Harrington Conner</a>. It will serve as a collaborative think tank and reform and service organization, through innovative scholarship with real-world relevance. It will offer students specialized education and legal training as well as service learning opportunities through legal representation and abundant opportunities for community engagement. <br><br>“The institute is a force for policy development that will enhance the health and welfare of families,” Kelly said.<br><br>The institute will gather together leading thinkers, policymakers and practitioners in family health law and policy to work collectively on reforming the field and promoting family health. <br><br>“As in any area of law – or life – there’s a natural tendency for academics and practitioners in health or family law to focus on their specialties in silos,” Culhane said. “This institute will be a force for bringing these two dynamic disciplines together.”<br><br> “We are really focused on improving our community in a way that ensures better health outcomes for families,” Harrington Conner added.<br><br>The school will celebrate the institute launch with an event <b>Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.</b> in the Barristers’ Club on the Widener Law Delaware campus at 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington. The program, “Family Health Law and Economic Relationships Among Multiple Generations in Families,” will feature the three co-directors speaking about family health law as a field, followed by an in-depth program where Kelly will speak about intergenerational economic relationships.<br><br>Attorneys from Delaware and Pennsylvania who attend will be eligible for 1.5 continuing legal education credits. Attorneys from New Jersey may self report with a Widener Law Delaware certificate of attendance. There is no cost to attend. To register, contact Carol Perrupato at <a href=\"mailto:caperrupato@widener.edu\">caperrupato@widener.edu</a> or 302.477.2178.<br><br>The program is the first public function for the institute, whose ambitious agenda also includes convening a board of advisors, presenting a major symposium on intimate partner violence in the spring of 2015 and building a roster of affiliated scholars and activists who will be invited to collaborate on scholarly and community-related initiatives.<br><br> The institute also offers a certificate program for students who want concentrated legal training, including field experience, in areas relating to family law, health law and the intersection of these two fields. In addition to specific coursework, students will fulfill a required experiential learning component involving either Widener Law Delaware’s Medical-Legal Partnership, Delaware Civil Law Clinic, Veterans Law Clinic or another qualifying externship. <br><br>For more information about the institute, visit its <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/HealthLawInstitute.aspx\">web page</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1675, 'Widener Law’s annual Pileggi lecture considers Delaware’s impact on corporate governance', '2014-10-13', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/2014PileggiLecture235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"2014PileggiLecture235px\">Widener University School of Law is pleased to announce that <a href=\"http://www.llm.law.cam.ac.uk/about-the-cambridge-llm-programme/professor-brian-cheffins.html\">Brian R. Cheffins</a>, the S.J. Berwin Professor of Corporate Law at Cambridge University, will deliver the 2014 annual Francis G. Pileggi Distinguished Lecture in Law. <br><br>Cheffins’ lecture, “Delaware and the Development of Corporate Governance,” happens <b>Friday, Oct. 17</b> in the <b>du Barry room of the Hotel du Pont</b> at 11th and Market Streets in Wilmington. Breakfast begins at <b>8 a.m.</b> and the hour-long talk at the hotel begins at <b>8:45 a.m</b>. He will give an encore version of the lecture to Delaware students at <b>11 a.m.</b> in <b>Polishook Hall room 203</b>.<br><br>Cheffins is expected to assess Delaware’s contributions to a corporate governance transformation that U.S. public companies have experienced over the last 40 years. The functioning of boards of directors, the operation of the market for corporate control, the configuration of executive pay and the nature of shareholder activism have all changed substantially since the mid-1970s. Cheffins will evaluate observer suggestions that developments in Delaware substantially affected the trends.<br><br>Cheffins began his academic career at the University of British Columbia. He was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 2002 and has held visiting appointments at Duke University, Harvard University, Oxford University and Stanford University. He is a fellow of the European Corporate Governance Institute and has authored four books, and numerous articles and book chapters. <br><br>The annual Pileggi lecture is presented by Widener Law Delaware and the <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/DelawareJournalofCorporateLaw.aspx\">Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</a>. The series has attracted many renowned speakers in the area of corporate law since the first Pileggi lecture in 1986. This year’s program has been approved in Delaware for one continuing legal education credit (no ethics) and in Pennsylvania for one substantive continuing legal education credit (no ethics). <br><br>There is no cost to attend the breakfast or lecture. The event is made possible by the generosity of Francis G. Pileggi, a founding attorney of Pileggi &amp; Pileggi and father of Widener Law alumnus Francis G.X. Pileggi, who conceived of the idea through a desire to create a corporate law forum for practitioners, judges and academics.<br><br>Those interested in attending the breakfast lecture should <a href=\"/Spiffs/WidenerLawHighlights/Pileggi.aspx\">register online</a>. Call 302.477.2014 or email Rose Callahan at <a href=\"mailto:recallahan@widener.edu\">recallahan@widener.edu</a> with questions. Seating is limited.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard disclaimer for external links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1676, 'Delaware attorney general debate happens Wednesday evening', '2014-10-14', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DE2014AGDebate235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"DE2014AGDebate235px\">Candidates for Delaware attorney general will be on the Widener University School of Law campus this <b>Wednesday, Oct. 15</b> for a debate in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom.<br><br>The debate will run from <b>6 to 7 p.m.</b>, with candidates answering questions posed by a panel of journalists. Their answers will be broadcast live by 1150 AM WDEL, and recorded by WHYY for future television broadcast.<br><br>The candidates are expected to engage with the audience from 7 to 7:30 p.m., and answer questions posed from those in the Vale.<br><br>Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to get an in-person view of the candidates.<br><br>“Our 2014 debate lineup in Delaware presents a fantastic opportunity for the Widener community,” said Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>. “It is a unique experience for law students to be able to shake hands with attorney general candidates, and ask them questions about their platforms. The Attorney General’s Office employs a large number of our graduates, and it provides externship opportunities to our students. I highly recommend that everyone in the Widener Law community take advantage of this access to the next Delaware attorney general, as well as the candidates for U.S. Senate.”<br><br>The law school will host a debate in the race for U.S. Senate at <b>8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29</b>. That will also be in the Vale.<br><br>The debates are presented by WDEL 1150 AM and WHYY and are open to the public. <br><br>Attorney general candidates include Democrat <a href=\"http://mattdenn.com/\">Matt Denn</a>, who is the current lieutenant governor, and Republican <a href=\"http://www.ted4ag.com/\">Ted Kittila</a>. The media organizations have also invited Independent candidate <a href=\"http://grahamforag.org/\">David Graham</a>, Libertarian candidate <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/MachurekforDE\">John Machurek</a> and Green Party candidate <a href=\"http://www.catherine4ag.com/\">Catherine Damavandi</a>.<br><br>The Senate debate will feature the incumbent, <a href=\"http://chriscoons.com/\">Democrat Chris Coons</a> and the Republican challenger <a href=\"http://wadefordelaware.com/\">Kevin Wade</a>. Media organizations have also invited Green candidate <a href=\"http://www.andrewgroffforsenate.us/\">Andrew Groff</a>.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard disclaimer for external links</a>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1677, 'Widener Law plays key role in new ‘Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts’', '2014-10-15', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 455px; margin: 10px;\">\n<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/HBVolunteerLawyersfortheArts450px.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"370\" alt=\"HBVolunteerLawyersfortheArts450px\"><br><p><span class=\"Caption\">Seated, from left to right, are 4ED student Victoria Beard, Professor Juliet M. Moringiello, 3RD student Amanda Frantz. Standing from left to  right are DCBA member Steve O\'Neill, artist Liz Laribee, the Executive Director of the MakeSpace, and Assistant Professor Michael J. Hussey. </span></p>\n</div>Widener University School of Law’s Harrisburg campus will play a key role in a new pro bono effort that supports the arts in central Pennsylvania.<br><br>The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program is collaboration between the Dauphin County Bar Association and the law school. It will provide free representation to income-eligible artists and arts organizations with legal issues related to their art.<br><br>“This is an underserved community with unmet legal needs,” said Associate Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/HusseyMichaelJ.aspx\">Michael J. Hussey</a>, who joined Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MoringielloJulietM.aspx\">Juliet M. Moringiello</a> in helping to found the program with the bar association. “We are very excited for Widener to play a leadership role in such a progressive program, not only to help protect the artists and their creative work, but to assist them in avoiding legal troubles they may not foresee.”<br><br>Through the program, artists or arts organizations may contact the Dauphin County Bar Association, which will assess their financial eligibility for pro bono assistance. From there, the association will forward potential cases to Widener Law students who have been trained to flesh out the legal issues at hand. Students will research the matters, which could cover a broad range, from intellectual property to contract disputes to landlord-tenant disagreements, or the creation of corporations and more. Students will conduct client interviews and develop the necessary case files that will then get moved to licensed attorneys acting in a pro bono capacity. Some may stay on with the cases to assist the attorneys.<br><br>“As a student, this is a win-win situation,” said fourth-year law student Victoria Beard, whose mother has been a fiber artist for more than 30 years. “We can sharpen our skills as future attorneys – in the art of asking questions and eliciting information so we can help the artists – and we can provide a valuable service to people who lack the funds to hire an attorney for help they really need.”<br><br>Beard and seven other law students have undergone training for the program with Sandra Ballard, the pro bono coordinator for the Dauphin County Bar Association. Hussey and Moringiello have been reaching out to artists, speaking at The Midtown Scholar bookstore and the YWCA in Harrisburg about the new program.<br><br>“We are continuing to work with staff at the Dauphin County Bar Association to spread the word about the program and to train licensed attorneys who are interested in volunteering their legal services. It’s a great thing for arts in central Pennsylvania and we are excited to break this new ground,” Moringiello said. “We are also delighted to develop a program that enhances Widener Law’s longstanding commitment to providing students with experiential learning opportunities, which will help them build valuable skills for legal employment. This program also helps to further Widener University’s commitment to civic engagement in the Harrisburg area.” <br><br>For more information on the program, visit <a href=\"http://hbgmakespace.com/vla\">hbgmakespace.com/vla</a>. Interested students should contact Hussey or Moringiello.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard disclaimer for external links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1678, 'Welcome to “The Gallery”', '2014-10-16', '<div style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(128, 0, 0); width: 300px; float: right; padding: 10px; margin: 4px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); color: rgb(1, 48, 102); font-size: 87%;\">Widener Law Commonwealth cordially invites friends of the law school to a special Wine and Cheese Reception to celebrate the opening of \"The Gallery\" on Thursday, October 30, 2014 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. To RSVP, call 717-541-3955.</div>\nThe Harrisburg campus has rededicated one of its showpiece spaces to maximize its visual appeal for the School of Law community.<br><br>The large open gathering space inside the front door of the Administration Building, formerly known as the Reception Room, has been renamed The Gallery to reflect its newly added function as a showcase for artwork.<br><br>The change comes through a partnership between Widener Law and the Art Association of Harrisburg. For a nominal monthly fee, the association is supplying the school with artwork that will rotate every three months. The first group, oil paintings on wood planks, are by artist Kelly McGee Curran, who happens to be the wife of law alumnus Matthew J. Curran ‘13.\n<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646413744953%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646413744953%2F&amp;set_id=72157646413744953&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646413744953%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646413744953%2F&amp;set_id=72157646413744953&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\n<br><br>The school recently installed picture rails along the walls for displaying the pieces. New benches and an area rug were also added. The room, which is often used for post-event receptions and special programs that attract visitors, just looked empty when it wasn’t in use, Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn Meadows</a> said.<br><br>Now, the school will host these special kinds of functions in a space that truly is a showpiece. The art gives the room depth and atmosphere, she said.<br><br>“We are really amazed by the character this new purpose has added to the room,” Meadows said. “It is so much more appealing and inviting, and this partnership has proven to be a fantastic way to get art onto the campus.”<br><br>Meadows said she was especially pleased by the aspect of community involvement the repurposed room represents, and the way it offers visitors a feast for the eyes. The artwork is also available for purchase through the association.<br><br>“This is really a space to be proud of,” Meadows said.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1679, 'Environmental Law Center launches online Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate comparison on issues of sustainability', '2014-10-17', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/2014GreenElection235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"2014GreenElection235px\">The <a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/envirolawcenter/\">Environmental Law Center</a> has published an indepth comparison of the Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates’ positions on issues related to sustainability.<br><br>The information, presented online at <a href=\"/go/greenelection2014.aspx\">law.widener.edu/PaGovComparison2014</a>, is a side-by-side breakdown on 11 key issues like climate change, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, green jobs/green business and more.<br><br>Widener Law students Austin Langon and Mark Wendaur  researched the candidates’ views and wrote the comparison under the direction of  center Co-Director <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/DernbachJohnC.aspx\">John C. Dernbach</a>, a distinguished professor of law at Widener’s campus in Harrisburg, Pa. The result is a clear, succinct comparison of the two men vying for Pennsylvania’s highest office.<br><br>“Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf frequently mention these issues on the campaign trail, both about themselves and their views of their opponent. Voters also are exposed to significant advertising designed to position the candidates, and at times take aim at the opponent,” Dernbach said. “We tried to boil down the issues and present an unbiased view of the candidates with regard to sustainability, so voters can decide for themselves before Election Day.”<br><br>The Environmental Law Center does not endorse candidates and the online project cautions no endorsements should be implied.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1680, 'Dean’s Diversity Forum 2014: Hard Facts, Rarely Discussed Subject', '2014-10-21', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\"><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648491192458%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648491192458%2F&amp;set_id=72157648491192458&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648491192458%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648491192458%2F&amp;set_id=72157648491192458&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object></div>African American children comprise 15.1 percent of the child population in America, but 22% of the nation’s foster care rosters, according to <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/WilliamsStarla.aspx\">Starla J. Williams</a>, Widener Law Commonwealth’s Director of Multicultural Affairs, Pro Bono Activities and Externships.<br><br>Pennsylvania’s population is 11.5% African American. Pennsylvania’s Executive Deputy Corrections Secretary Shirley Moore Smeal added, however, that black women make up 30 percent of the state’s female prison population.<br><br>These facts and more were presented at the seventh annual Dean’s Diversity Forum, “Why Rachel Weeps: Violence Against Poor and Minority Women and the Wounding of the Heart” featuring two panels on subjects not often discussed robustly in public – why African American women disproportionately experience both the criminal justice and the foster care systems, and the long-term impact on the high rate of violence against women of color. <br><br>The half-day session took place on October 14 at Widener Law, Harrisburg and was moderated by Widener Harrisburg’s Interim Co-Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn L. Meadows</a> and Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/KearneyMaryKate.aspx\">Mary Kate Kearney</a>. <br><br>Discussing what she calls the “criminalization of black mothers,” panelist Professor Dorothy F. Roberts, George Weiss Professor of Law and Sociology and the Pace and Alexander Professor of Civil Rights at the University of Pennsylvania Law School said that “poor black mothers suffer from huge marginalizations, deprivations and disadvantages that we should be ending.” <br><br>Professor Williams built on Professor Roberts’s scholarship, highlighting that the growing rates of imprisonment of black women added to the disproportionate number of black children in foster care are a means to “control poor and low-income women by keeping them under intense state supervision.”<br><br>“This systematic state suppression of the parenting role of African-American women “naturalizes social inequality and obscures the need for social change” in their communities,” said Professor Williams, citing Professor Roberts. <br><br>In giving context to statistics on the state’s female prison population, Secretary Smeal pointed out that most women inmates committed nonviolent crimes and have untreated chemical dependency caused by history of abuse for which they do not seek help. <br><br>The panelists agreed that the social welfare system is quicker to remove black children from their parents than white children. As a result, black women are reluctant to seek help for their addiction and other problems. Secretary Smeal spoke about Pennsylvania’s recent efforts to reallocate resources in an effort to reduce incarceration for these kinds of offenders, saying that “women need to be able to reach out for help without fear of losing their children.”<br><br>The second panel focused on the high incidence of violence and abuse among women of color. Kelley Hodge, the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Advocate at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, said that black women are targets of violence because they are perceived to be at the lowest end of the value spectrum in our society. “The perpetrator feels he can treat the victim this way and society lets him get away with it,” she said.<br><br>Rebecca Balog, Project Manager from the Women of Color Network and an advocate for Native American women, said that the rate of violence against Native Women is two and a half times greater than that against other women. To make things worse, the criminal justice system on Indian land is structured heavily to women’s disadvantage. Not only do the tribes lack jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders, Balog said, there is a zero percent rate of prosecutions for abuse and rape on tribal land nationally.<br><br>Pennsylvania has a significant Native American population but no recognized tribal lands or reservations, according to Balog.<br><br>The forum was introduced by Pennsylvania State Representative Patty Kim, who recognized the social workers, social service providers and women’s advocates in attendance, thanking them for the critical role that they play in the lives of her constituents in Harrisburg.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1681, 'Harrisburg Relay For Life raises money to fight cancer', '2014-10-22', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648872475092%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648872475092%2F&amp;set_id=72157648872475092&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648872475092%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648872475092%2F&amp;set_id=72157648872475092&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe Harrisburg campus took a new approach with its student-run Relay for Life event this fall and presented the event in honor of one its own who was lost to cancer.<br><br>The 2014 relay, held Oct. 11 in the campus parking lot, honored the memory of Pamela Karpouzis, a Harrisburg law alumna who died of cancer not long after her law graduation in 1993.<br><br>Student Bar Association President Tommy Russo said organizers got the idea after hearing Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/LeeGregRandall.aspx\">G. Randall Lee</a> speak about Karpouzis, and how she was able to fulfill a dream of graduating from law school despite her life being cut short by the disease. Karpouzis, a Lancaster native, was a member of one of the earliest classes on the Harrisburg campus.<br><br>“He motivated us,” Russo said. “We dedicated this relay to her story.”<br><br>That motivation showed itself in the outcome, with nearly $13,000 raised through the walk. It was $3,000 more than the goal organizers set for the event. The money will be turned over to the Harrisburg Relay For Life organization and used to fight the disease. Karpouzis’ sister, Tina Georges, visited the relay and spoke to participants.<br><br> “That made the relay really mean something to this school,” Russo said. “It had that emotional connection that was unique and special to the campus.”<br><br>Russo credited the work of 30 volunteers, serving on eight subcommittees under the direction of chief organizer Benjy Lombard, for the event’s success. Students sent email messages to 3,000 Harrisburg campus alumni, members of the Harrisburg Young Professionals organization and the Dauphin County Bar Association, explaining their plans, the dedication, and asking for donations.<br><br>The event also raised money through a silent auction – fueled heavily by generous community donations – bake sales and a dunk tank feature at the 2014 dean’s picnic. <br><br>Ten teams of walkers participated, including a faculty team headed by Associate Professor of Legal Methods <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/AnthonDionneE.aspx\">Dionne E. Anthon</a>, a breast cancer survivor and generous supporter of the event.<br><br>Now in its sixth year, the Harrisburg relay has raised roughly $85,000 total to fight cancer.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1682, 'Adjunct Professor Alexander Murphy Jr. Coordinates Successful Pennsylvania Bar Institute CLE on Entertainment Law', '2014-10-24', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 240px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/AlexanderMurphy235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"AlexanderMurphy235px\"><br><p>\r\n						<span class=\"Caption\">Alexander Murphy Jr. at the 2013 Sports and Entertainment Law Association CLE in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom.</span>\r\n				</p>\r\n		</div>Widener Law Adjunct Professor and entertainment lawyer, <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/MurphyAlexander.aspx\">Alexander Murphy Jr.</a> \'76 served as the course planner, moderator, and a presenter for a Pennsylvania Bar Institute continuing legal education program titled Entertainment Law in the 21st Century that took place on Thursday, October 2 at the CLE Conference Center of the Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia.<br><br>The program faculty from the entertainment industry addressed and presented a real-world analysis of emerging issues and challenges in film, music, fair use, entertainment litigation, and entertainment ethics.<br><br>Mr. Murphy partnered with Timothy D. Chambers, film producer, writer and director, and reviewed the legal and business issues involved in the making of the motion-picture, “The Mighty Macs”. Other faculty presenters for the program included Julie A. Ahrens, Esq., Director of Copyright &amp; Fair Use Center for Internet &amp; Society at Stanford Law School, Stanford, CA; Steven T. Lowe, Esq., Lowe &amp; Associates, Los Angeles, CA; and Professor John P. Sahl, University of Akron, Akron, OH.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1683, 'U.S. Senate debate happens Wednesday morning', '2014-10-28', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/DE2014SenateDebate235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"DE2014SenateDebate235px\">Candidates for Delaware’s U.S. Senate seat will be on the Widener University School of Law campus this <strong>Wednesday, Oct. 29</strong> for a debate in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom.<br><br>The debate will run from <strong>8 to 9 a.m</strong>., with candidates answering questions posed by a panel of journalists. Their answers will be broadcast live by 1150 AM WDEL, and recorded by WHYY for future television broadcast.<br><br>Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to get an in-person view of the candidates or speak to them personally as they come and go from campus.<br><br>The debates are presented by WDEL 1150 AM and WHYY and are open to the public. <br><br>The Senate debate will feature the incumbent, Democrat <a href=\"http://chriscoons.com/\">Chris Coons</a>, and the Republican challenger <a href=\"http://wadefordelaware.com/\">Kevin Wade</a>. Media organizations have also invited Green candidate <a href=\"http://www.andrewgroffforsenate.us/\">Andrew Groff</a>.<br><br>“With about a week until Election Day, this event is a terrific opportunity to get a first-hand view of the Senate candidates and their platforms. I hope members of the Widener Law Delaware community will take advantage of this access and attend the debate,” Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> said.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1684, 'Widener Law issues call for volunteers to assist with upcoming Wills For Heroes event', '2014-10-29', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/Wills_for_Heroes_DelawareLOGO235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"288\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"Wills_for_Heroes_DelawareLOGO235px\">Widener Law is seeking law students and Delaware licensed attorneys to assist with its next <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/PublicInterestOpportunities/WillsForHeroes.aspx\">Wills For Heroes</a> estate-planning event for the First State.<br><br>The event will be held <strong>Saturday, Nov. 1</strong> at <strong>Elsmere Fire Co., 1107 Kirkwood Highway in Elsmere, Del.</strong> Attorney volunteers will have training from <strong>9 to 11 a.m.</strong> and then take appointments, which begin at <strong>11:30 a.m</strong>. The event is expected to conclude by <strong>5:30 p.m</strong>.<br><br>The morning training is mandatory for all first-time Wills For Heroes attorney volunteers. Those who participate will receive two free continuing legal education credits. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided to the volunteers and parking is free. Volunteers may serve for all or part of the event.<br><br>Law students are encouraged to volunteer to assist the attorneys as they prepare legal documents. They may also serve as document witnesses. <br><br>All volunteers will join Widener Law faculty, staff and alumni in presenting this valuable public service to Delaware’s first responders. The Wills For Heroes program provides free estate-planning documents, such as wills, durable personal powers of attorney and advance directives, to Delaware first responders and their spouses or partners. It is open to volunteer and paid, sworn and civilian members of the state, local, county and federal law enforcement, parole, probation, fire, EMS and other first-responder communities who live or serve in Delaware. The program was a recipient of the Delaware Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2013.<br><br>Those interested in volunteering should contact event coordinator Damiano \"Dom\" del Pino at <a href=\"mailto:wills4heroesde@mail.widener.edu\">wills4heroesde@mail.widener.edu</a> or call 302-477-2016 and leave contact information on the voice mail.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1685, 'Pileggi lecture marks 30th year', '2014-10-30', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648410813380%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648410813380%2F&amp;set_id=72157648410813380&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648410813380%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648410813380%2F&amp;set_id=72157648410813380&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nWidener Law recently marked the 30th anniversary of its popular Francis G. Pileggi Distinguished Lecture in Law. The breakfast event, held at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, annually draws practitioners, distinguished members of the judiciary, business law journalists and more to hear from leading scholars, practitioners and jurists.<br><br>The 2014 speaker, Brian R. Cheffins, the S.J. Berwin Professor of Corporate Law at Cambridge University, spoke about “Delaware and the Development of Corporate Governance.” <br><br>“Our relationship with the Delaware bar is profoundly important to the law school so I am truly indebted to the Pileggi family for its sponsorship of this event,” Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> said. <br><br>Daly noted Cheffins was the lecture’s first speaker from a foreign school, which reflects the impact Delaware law is having throughout the world.<br><br>“As the world gets smaller, the importance of Delaware corporate law is getting significantly larger day by day. And Widener is very proud to be a part of that development,” she said.<br><br>Cheffins assessed Delaware’s contributions to a corporate governance transformation that U.S. public companies have experienced over the last 40 years. In addition to speaking at the hotel, he gave an encore version of the lecture for students in Polishook Hall on the Delaware campus.<br><br>The event was organized by the <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/DelawareJournalofCorporateLaw.aspx\">Delaware Journal of Corporate Law</a>. It is made possible by the generosity of Francis G. Pileggi, a founding attorney of Pileggi &amp; Pileggi and father of Widener Law alumnus Francis G.X. Pileggi, who conceived of the idea through a desire to create a corporate law forum for practitioners, judges and academics.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1686, 'Harrisburg campus gives pro bono award to alumnus judge', '2014-11-04', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648950338255%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648950338255%2F&amp;set_id=72157648950338255&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648950338255%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648950338255%2F&amp;set_id=72157648950338255&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nA Harrisburg law alumnus who has worked to make pro bono opportunities available to Widener Law students received the school’s 2014 Pro Bono Service Provider Award at a recent gathering in The Gallery.<br><br>Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson ’95 was lauded for making internship and clerkship opportunities available to Widener Law Commonwealth students. These chances have allowed them to gain valuable skills, network and be exposed to a life in the law, all while volunteering in a spirit of public service.<br><br>In receiving the award, Brobson joked that he was the “pro bonoee” as his chambers has been lucky to work with “absolutely stellar people from Widener as clerks and interns.”<br><br>“The students are fantastic,” he said. “I’d put the top students from Widener against the top students from any law school in the country.”<br><br>“Widener Harrisburg has a bright future ahead of it,” he added. “It is turning out students that aren’t just book smart, but are prepared for the rigors of law and that’s what’s missing today. Widener is leading that.” <br><br>The honor was given as part of a series of events marking National Pro Bono Week, which occurs every year in October. The celebration was launched in 2009 by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service to spotlight pro bono efforts and encourage greater participation by lawyers nationwide.<br><br>In welcoming Brobson and others to the event, Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/MeadowsRobynL.aspx\">Robyn Meadows</a> noted members of the 2014 Harrisburg graduating class provided nearly 6,800 hours of pro bono service during their law school careers. <br><br>The audience also heard from student Melissa Toaltoan, who interned with Brobson over the summer. Toaltoan explained how she not only did legal research and helped write opinions, she was also exposed to valuable advice from Brobson and his staff about law school and job seeking.<br><br>“I learned that not only is he intelligent and funny, he is also caring and supportive too,” she said.<br><br>Student Bri Gaumer closed the event by highlighting upcoming public interest volunteer opportunities on the Harrisburg campus, including a November day of service at the Bethesda Mission.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1687, 'New Lawyers Join the Delaware Bar', '2014-11-05', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\r\n				<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646822867423%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646822867423%2F&amp;set_id=72157646822867423&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646822867423%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157646822867423%2F&amp;set_id=72157646822867423&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\r\n		</div>On Monday, November 3, 2014, Widener University School of Law held a reception congratulating graduates who passed the July 2014 Delaware State Bar Exam.<br><br>Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> welcomed the guests and commended the graduates on their accomplishments. She reminded them that they will always be part of the Widener family and invited them to attend future alumni events. <br><br><a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/TakvorianSavilleYvonne.aspx\">Yvonne Takvorian Saville</a> ’95, President of the Delaware State Bar Association, offered remarks and reminded the graduates that “getting involved in their community” is important to their overall success.  <br><br>The Honorable <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a>, Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and a member of Widener Law’s adjunct faculty provided keynote remarks.  Justice Holland conveyed to the group that they are joining a small, but elite group of attorneys and they should be very proud of their success.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1688, 'Professional Development Day Brings Distinguished Guest Speakers to Widener Law Commonwealth', '2014-11-07', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">				<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649086980986%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649086980986%2F&amp;set_id=72157649086980986&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649086980986%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649086980986%2F&amp;set_id=72157649086980986&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>		</div>Students and faculty at the Widener University School of Law Harrisburg campus took a break from their usual flurry of classes on Oct. 28. Instead, they spent the day immersed in a wide range of sessions designed to shed some light on the professional life of lawyers.<br><br>Professional Development Day 2014 had 14 separate sessions ranging from the immediate – planning for success on the bar exam – to subjects students won’t face for some time – media relations. The media relations session featured <a href=\"http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/?q=judge-john-e-jones-iii\">Judge John E. Jones, III</a> from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He has handled some high profile cases in recent years, including one in which he <a href=\"http://coop.pamd.uscourts.gov/13-1861.pdf\">found</a> that the teaching of creationism violated the Constitutional prohibition on mixing church and state. In 2014, he found that Pennsylvania’s so-called “mini defense of marriage” law was unconstitutional, as well, as it denied gay families equal protection and due process under the law.<br><br>There were other well-known speakers, including 1992 alumna U.S. Magistrate Judge <a href=\"http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/?q=judge-susan-e-schwab\">Susan Schwab</a> of the Middle District of Pennsylvania and Hershey Entertainment &amp; Resorts Co. Vice President <a href=\"http://www.eckertseamans.com/directory.aspx?View=Detail&amp;DirectoryID=661\">Frank Miles</a>. Schwab sat on a panel of Widener alumnae called “Women in the Profession” with <a href=\"http://www.eckertseamans.com/directory.aspx?View=Detail&amp;DirectoryID=661\">LaToya Winfield Bellamy</a>  ’05, a member at Eckert, Seamans  and Bonnie Hershberger ’08 from Highmark. This panel quickly turned into a lively group conversation on career goals and how to achieve them. Miles made the “Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion,” and suggested the inclusion rather than diversity should be the overarching goal of every organization.<br><br>“We design Professional Development Day to give students a nice balance between inspiration about what a law career can be and a shot of reality about the serious practical and ethical issues they will face soon,” said Associate Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/HusseyMichaelJ.aspx\">Michael J. Hussey</a>, who served as the chair of the planning committee. “Given the job market and the rapid rate of change in the legal field, new lawyers not only need the legal skills to hit the ground running, but also need a complete set of professional skills to maximize every opportunity.”<br><br>The day started with two sessions about writing. The first was a nuts and bolts look at how to write a good essay exam, designed to help first-year students early in their law school careers. The second focused on business writing and how bad writing can undermine your reputation.<br><br>In a hands-on session held during Happy Hour in the Gallery, students learned how to “work not lurk” a cocktail reception.<br><br>The last session of the day was conducted by alumnus <a href=\"http://www.reageradlerpc.com/attorneys/williams.aspx\">Tom Williams</a> ’93, who gave students pointers on advising small businesses based on his 21 years at the Reager &amp; Adler, P.C. in Camp Hill.<br><br>Four of the sessions were approved for continuing legal education credits and many practitioners were in attendance.<br><br><a href=\"/About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a><br>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1689, 'Harrisburg students plan Thanksgiving Day of Service', '2014-11-11', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/HBThanksgivingService235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"HBThanksgivingService235px\">Law students from the Harrisburg campus will be embarking on a new service project this holiday season that provides a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community.<br><br>Signups are now underway for students who will participate in a Thanksgiving Day of service at the Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg. The effort is a joint public service project of the Public Interest Law Society, the Black Law Students Association and the Latin American Law Students Association.<br><br>“This experience – the interpersonal skills and giving back – that’s what we are founded on,” said Bri Gaumer, president of the Public Interest Law Society, which formed just last year.<br><br>The organizations will volunteer at the mission from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving afternoon. Gaumer said they will be serving plates of food but also able to sit with residents and engage and connect with them. The students will also set up a table with access-to-justice information and resources for low-cost community legal services.<br><br>Bethesda Mission has a network of ministries. It operates Harrisburg’s primary homeless shelter for men, a women and children’s shelter, an inner-city youth center, a mobile mission that delivers blankets, warm clothing and food to people on the streets at night, medical and dental clinics for Harrisburg’s neediest families, help with transitional housing and outreach to combat hunger and poverty in rural areas. The shelters provide lodging, nutritious meals, hot showers, laundry facilities and clothing to those in need.<br><br>“This is an organization that provides an outstanding array of services,” Gaumer said. “It is our privilege to be a part of it. As Widener Law students, we hear a lot about giving back to the community and we couldn’t let Thanksgiving, of all days, pass without an opportunity to contribute in some way.”<br><br>Students who want to take part in the service project should visit the Harrisburg Public Interest Law Society TWEN page to sign up before the Friday, Nov. 14 deadline. The mission will do a training session with the volunteers before Thanksgiving.<br><br><a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/WilliamsStarla.aspx\">Starla Williams</a>, the director of multicultural affairs, pro bono services and externships on the Harrisburg campus, said the volunteer service is an approved pro bono activity on the official law school public service record for recognition of pro bono distinction at commencement.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, '');

INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1702, 'Harrisburg students working to form veteran group', '2014-12-12', '<p>A new student organization forming on the Harrisburg campus aims to be a resource for veteran students and students with connections to veterans.<br /><br />The budding Widener University Harrisburg Veterans Association is being met with enthusiastic support. Organized by first-year student and Iraq veteran Mary Jorgensen, the group is intended to serve veteran students, and students who have veterans in their families, or who are supporters of veterans. Its goal is to make sure veterans are aware of government benefits entitled to them, and ensure that they &ndash; or the ones they love &ndash; are using them properly.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an open law school group. It&rsquo;s not just for veteran students,&rdquo; Jorgensen said. &ldquo;There is room under our umbrella for many voices.&rdquo;<br /><br />Jorgensen is an Army second lieutenant, now in the National Guard. She did one tour in Iraq while her husband did two tours there and another in Afghanistan. She is an extended-division student and works in mobilization planning as a force integration readiness analyst at Fort Indiantown Gap. She is one of 13 veterans who study on the Harrisburg campus.<br /><br />Fellow students Mary Greenwood-Drumheller, a veteran, and Andrew Hollis, a veteran supporter, are working with her.<br /><br />The group is in the final stages of completing its paperwork to be an official organization through the Student Bar Association, and it is seeking a faculty advisor. For now, Jorgensen said, they are operating under the wing of the Public Interest Law Society. The idea for a student veterans association was met with immediate support. Jorgensen said the school required 25 signatures on new-organization paperwork, to demonstrate interest. The group obtained 76 signatures in about 90 minutes.<br /><br />&ldquo;This is a fantastic idea,&rdquo; Dean of Students Keith Sealing&nbsp;said. &ldquo;It makes sense on so many levels. Widener University began as Pennsylvania Military College, so we have a natural inclination, institutionally, to support our veterans. But it&rsquo;s also a terrific way for veteran students &ndash; or students who are closely related to veterans &ndash; to band together and support one another. They understand and appreciate the unique perspective that comes from a life involving military service.&rdquo;<br /><br />The group set up a table in The Pit on Veterans Day, where they served sandwiches, drinks and snacks and gave the entire school community an opportunity to say &lsquo;thank you&rsquo; to those who&rsquo;ve served our nation. &ldquo;We had a big outpouring from other students,&rdquo; Jorgensen said. <br /><br />Now, the group is coordinating a giving tree program with the Salvation Army. Volunteers hung angels in The Pit to encourage the school community to shop for the less fortunate and brighten the holiday season. Jorgensen said gifts are being accepted through Dec. 8. The project is a first step for a group that hopes to branch out with other service ideas, including volunteer work at the Lebanon VA Medical Center in Lebanon, Pa.<br /><br />&ldquo;We are a service driven people. As veterans we want to give back,&rdquo; Jorgensen said.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1703, 'Information Sessions Set for January 10th', '2014-12-16', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 235px; margin: 10px;\">				<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/columns.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"200\" alt=\"columns\">\n</div>Widener Law\'s Admissions Office will host information sessions on Saturday, January 10, 2015 for prospective applicants interested in hearing more about the benefits of a legal education at Widener.<br><br>The events, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in both Delaware and Harrisburg, give those interested in a legal education the opportunity to hear about the admissions process, financial aid, career development, and the wonderful experiential learning programs available at Widener Law. Attendees can even get a taste of what a law school class entails.<br><br>Read more about our upcoming <a href=\"/Admissions/Connect/InformationSessions.aspx\">Information Session</a> or <a href=\"/Admissions/Connect/InformationSessions/RegisterforOurInformationSession.aspx\">register to attend</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1704, 'Widener Law student recognized for public service work', '2014-12-22', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/StephanieStecklair235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" alt=\"StephanieStecklair235px\" class=\"FloatRight\">Widener University School of Law congratulates Delaware student Stephanie Stecklair, who recently received a 2014 Law Student Award, given by the Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Section.<br><br>The award is given to students from Philadelphia-area law schools who demonstrate a commitment to public service.<br><br>Stecklair, a third-year, extended-division student who will graduate with pro bono distinction in December 2015, resides in Philadelphia. During her time in law school she has dedicated herself to issues surrounding domestic violence, particularly indigent women and the legal conflicts they face. She has served as an advocate for Philadelphia Legal Assistance in the Custody and Support Assistance Clinic, which provides legal assistance to indigent Philadelphians, and worked at Women Against Abuse Inc., a Philadelphia nonprofit providing legal assistance to domestic violence victims.<br><br>For the past 18 months she has served as the Widener Law Delaware Domestic Violence Research and Advocacy Fellow. In that role she has served in a law clerk capacity to the director and staff attorney for the school’s <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/DelawareCivilLawClinic.aspx\">Delaware Civil Clinic</a>, and has assisted with the client intake process at the New Castle County, Del. courthouse.<br><br>Stecklair is a member of the law school’s <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/OtherDelawareOrganizations/PublicInterestLawAlliance.aspx\">Public Interest Law Alliance</a>, and will co-chair the spring 2015 annual auction to raise money for public-interest student scholarships. She is also vice president of the <a href=\"/CampusLife/ActivitiesandOrganizations/OtherDelawareOrganizations/WomensLawCaucus.aspx\">Women’s Law Caucus</a> and leads the annual campaign for the Martin Luther King Semester of Service.<br><br>In addition to her studies, she is a law clerk at Berner Klaw &amp; Watson LLP, a boutique family law firm in Philadelphia. <br><br>“Stephanie seizes new opportunities, readily accommodates them into her schedule, and utilizes them to reflect her principles.  She is a leader who welcomes the mentoring of those who have come before her, and who aspires to be a mentor for those who follow her,” said Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HoweBarksdaleSydney.aspx\">Sydney Howe-Barksdale</a>, who directs the school\'s <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/PublicInterestOpportunities/PublicInterestResourceCenter.aspx\">Public Interest Resource Center </a>and nominated Stecklair. “She is an exceptional person.”<br><br>Stecklair was honored Wednesday, Dec. 10 at an awards ceremony organized by the Philadelphia Bar Association Public Interest Section at the Philadelphia Marriott on Market Street.<br><br>“It was such an honor to receive this award in the presence of Philadelphia’s public interest community, including those I have been fortunate enough to work with and those I look up to,” she said. “I am humbled by this recognition and I thank Dr. Howe-Barksdale for her nomination.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1705, 'The Delaware Chapter of the Widener Women\'s Network Hears from Interim Dean Erin Daly', '2014-12-22', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649470483237%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649470483237%2F&amp;set_id=72157649470483237&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649470483237%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157649470483237%2F&amp;set_id=72157649470483237&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nThe Widener Women\'s Network Delaware Chapter welcomed Interim Dean and Professor of Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> as the guest speaker on December 15th at their networking luncheon.  As she did in Philadelphia earlier in the month, Dean Daly addressed the topic “Leadership by Choice,” contrasting her current position as Interim Dean.  Alumnae attended the complimentary luncheon which provides an opportunity for networking and making acquaintances with women in the legal profession.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1706, 'Veterans Law Clinic recovers record awards in 2014', '2015-01-05', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/VetLawClinic2014Promo235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"VetLawClinic2014Promo235px\">The Widener University School of Law <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/VeteransLawClinic.aspx\">Veterans Law Clinic</a> had a record year recovering medical disability benefits for veterans in 2014.<br><br>The clinic, which serves in a pro bono capacity, recovered $1,765,638 in calendar year 2014. It was the highest dollar amount recovered for veteran clients in a single calendar year since the clinic began operations in 1997.  <br><br>The Veterans Law Clinic, based at Widener Law Delaware, provides free legal aid to disabled veterans and their dependents with claims pending before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The clinic specializes in representing veterans’ cases on appeal from VA regional offices located throughout the United States to the Board of Veterans Appeals and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The clinic also assists veterans with other matters related to veterans law, including VA pension cases, VA overpayment cases and discharge upgrades, as well as legal issues that are impediments to financial security, such as expungement of certain criminal charges, collection of medical bills and obtaining Social Security.<br><br>The clinic does not charge veterans for its services, nor does it keep any portion of financial awards it wins for its clients. It also covers the costs of independent medical exams when they are needed for clients’ cases. <br><br>The $1.76 million in recovered benefits for 2014 represented combined awards on behalf of 35 veteran clients.  It brings the total benefits recovered by the clinic to more than $7 million, with $3.7 million – or 53 percent – of that recovered in the last three years.<br><br>The milestone comes in the same year the American Bar Association House of Delegates passed a resolution at its annual meeting, encouraging law schools to create veterans law clinics. Widener Law was highlighted in the resolution as one of several models for other schools to follow.<br><br>“The clinic has had an outstanding year,” Director Susan Saidel said. “It has been really rewarding to recover these benefits for our veteran clients, because they improve their lives and the lives of their family members. These awards can be the difference between hunger and homelessness and a warm, safe home with a stocked refrigerator. The work is also an eye-opening educational experience for our law students, as it demonstrates the impact of public interest work and hopefully ignites a passion for pro bono that stays with them during their legal careers.”<br><br>Currently more than half of all clinic clients are Delaware residents. Others hail from Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Maryland.  <br><br>Cases are handled by approximately ten students each semester, who receive no monetary compensation, and approximately 80 attorneys from the community who serve in a pro bono capacity. Students spend up to 20 hours per week in the clinic, including office hours where they assist with completing intakes for new clients and other administrative tasks.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1707, 'Harrisburg Professor Speaks about Executive Power at AALS Panel Featured on C-SPAN', '2015-01-09', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 245px; margin: 10px;\"><img src=\"{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/JillFamily235px.jpg\" alt=\"JillFamily235px\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" />\r\n<p><span class=\"Caption\">Professor Jill E. Family</span></p>\r\n</div>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We need to examine comprehensively the procedures that accompany executive power in immigration law, and I think as immigration law scholarship grows to separate out the constitutional roles of the President and Congress when it comes to immigration law, we will inevitably consider the extent of the President&rsquo;s inherent authority over immigration law,&rdquo; Professor and <a href=\"{staticroot}Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law and Government Institute</a>&nbsp;Director <a href=\"{staticroot}Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx\">Jill E. Family</a>&nbsp;said during a recent panel aired on C-SPAN that focused on President Obama&rsquo;s use of executive orders and the separation of power between the executive and legislative branches.<br /><br />Her remarks came during the first panel of the daylong American Association of Law Schools Academic Symposium held on January 5th. The symposium took place during the final day of the AALS Annual Meeting that took place from January 2nd through the 5th at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.<br /><br />Professor Family&rsquo;s talk, &ldquo;An Unexceptional Aspect of the Battle Between President Obama and Congress Over Immigration Law,&rdquo; highlighted the idea that the proper formulation of non-legislative rules did not seem an area ripe for arguing Presidential overreach.<br /><br />Family concluded her remarks by asking, &ldquo;If the President has inherent authority over immigration law, what is the source of any procedural restraint against the President&rsquo;s action? Does the Administrative Procedure Act become irrelevant if the President is exercising inherent authority? Those I think are newsworthy questions, but whether an agency properly formulated a non-legislative rule is not.&rdquo;<br /><br />Full video of the panel can be accessed on <a href=\"http://www.c-span.org/video/?323544-1/discussion-executive-action-separation-powers\">C-SPAN&rsquo;s website</a>.<br /><br /><a href=\"{staticroot}About/standarddisclaimer.aspx\">Standard Disclaimer for External Links</a></p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1708, 'School of Law announces plans for MLK observances', '2015-01-14', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 255px; margin: 10px;\"><img src=\"{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/2015MLKpromo235px.jpg\" alt=\"2015MLKpromo235px\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" />\r\n<p><span class=\"Caption\">Photo of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial courtesy of Keith Sealing.</span></p>\r\n</div>\r\n<p>Both Widener University School of Law locations will hold events commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The national observation takes place Jan. 19 and the school will be closed that day.<br /><br /><strong>Widener Law Delaware</strong> will hold its event at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom. The school will give its Martin Luther King Service Award to Youth Court programs developed at Bayard Middle School in Wilmington and Chester High School in Chester, Pa.<br /><br />This is the fifth year the school has given the award, which goes to a community member or organization that has brought life to King&rsquo;s dream, and whose work has manifested those commitments to community service and to social justice that the school of law seeks to realize in its annual Semester of Service project. <br /><br />Widener Law Delaware Youth Court program students, under the supervision of faculty, train public school students to act as attorneys, judges and jurors in matters involving their peers who are accused of minor school offenses. It is a model of restorative justice, where the emphasis is on repairing harm caused by wrongdoing.<br /><br />In addition, the program will feature remarks from Keith Reeves, associate professor of political science and faculty director of the Center for Social Policy Studies at Swarthmore College, and a kickoff of the Semester of Service project, now in its ninth year.<br /><br /><strong>Widener Law Commonwealth</strong> will hold its event at noon Thursday, Jan. 22 in The Pit in the classroom building. Food and drinks will be served.<br /><br />The event, titled &ldquo;The Growing Rift Between Civilians and Police: What Would Martin Luther King do to Bridge the Gap?&rdquo; will examine race relations in the United States given recent controversies about the use of force by white police officers on unarmed black citizens and demonstrations that have ensued after grand jury decisions in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, N.Y.<br /><br />Speakers will include Tracy Henry of the Keystone Bar Association and Trent Hargrove, diversity officer for the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Others may be added.<br /><br />The program is presented by the Dean of Students Office.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1709, 'Widener Law Jurist in Residence to give lecture on civil forfeiture', '2015-01-20', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/2015JuristinResidence235px.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"2015JuristinResidence235px\">Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt will give her second lecture at Widener Law’s Harrisburg campus since becoming the jurist in residence a year ago.<br><br>Leavitt will give the talk “Civil Forfeiture Redux: An Update and Focus on Constitutional Issues,” to the law school community Thursday, Jan. 22 at 4:30 p.m. in room A180 of the administration building at 3737 Vartan Way, Harrisburg. <br><br>The event is open to the public. Pennsylvania and Delaware attorneys who attend will be eligible for one free substantive continuing legal education credit. <br><br>Registration is not required but the law school asks those who plan to attend to RSVP with Sandra Graeff at 717.541.3965 or <a href=\"mailto:slgraeff@widener.edu\">slgraeff@widener.edu</a>.<br><br>As jurist in residence, Leavitt teaches a colloquium on special problems in government litigation, gives public lectures on important legal issues in Pennsylvania and is available for consultation and exchanges with faculty and law students. Her position is hosted by the school’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a>. The institute is a dynamic resource for students, government officials, legislators, judges, attorneys and the public that focuses on legislation, the intersection of law and policy, and administrative agencies. For students, the institute provides knowledge and insights about how government works, the skills lawyers use when representing clients before the government and skills lawyers use when representing the government itself.<br><br>Leavitt joined the Commonwealth Court in January 2002. Prior to that, she was a shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll, where she was a member of the firm’s litigation section and chair of the Insurance Regulatory Law Group. Her private practice focused on administrative law, appellate practice and insurance regulatory law. That legal specialty began with her appointment as an assistant attorney general in 1978 and her assignment to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. She worked at the department nearly 10 years, ending her service there as chief counsel, appointed by Gov. Dick Thornburgh. She holds a law degree from Dickinson School of Law.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1710, 'Global Environmental scholars to visit Widener Law', '2015-01-21', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/2015GECScholarProgram450px.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"402\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"2015GECScholarProgram450px\">Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Del. is hosting six leading scholars from across the nation and around the world during the spring 2015 semester to collaborate with professors and students on how to implement constitutionally recognized environmental rights.<br><br>The 2015 Scholar in Residence Program for Global Environmental Constitutionalism is bringing a new face to the Widener Law Delaware campus each month, and two in March. Most of the scholars will stay in Delaware about 10 days, live in school residence halls and use faculty office space for research. They will visit classes, give lectures and make a presentation to the faculty.<br><br>“We are very excited about this new program that highlights this cutting edge research that lies at the intersection of human rights, environmental rights, and Constitutional law. Their presence here will enrich the Widener community of students and scholars, and we expect that spending time at Widener will, in turn, lend added depth to the scholars’ work,” said Interim Co-Dean and Professor of Law <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a>, a global expert in comparative constitutionalism.<br><br>“This is a tremendous opportunity to expose our students and faculty to a group of legal professionals who are among the most respected voices in the international arena that connects Constitutions to environmental protection,” said Distinguished Professor <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/MayJamesR.aspx\">James R. May</a>, director of the school’s Global Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center. <br><br>The 2015 Scholars-in-Residence in Global Environmental Constitutionalism are:<br><br><strong>Jochen H. Sohnle</strong>, professor of public law at the Law School of Nancy, University of Lorraine, France, visiting Jan. 12-23. His work is titled “The Protection of the Environment and the French Constitution.” <br><br><strong>Maria Antonio Tigre</strong>, formerly the Helms Fellow at the Governance Center, World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., visiting Feb. 2-13. Her work is titled “Comparative Analysis of the Environmental Aspects of Amazonian Constitutions.” <br><br><a href=\"http://www.joshgellers.com/\">Josh Gellers</a>, LEED green associate and assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida, visiting March12-17. His work is titled “Environmental Rights, Environmental Justice, and Democracy.”<br><br><a href=\"http://christopherjeffords.com/\">Christopher Jeffords</a>, assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, visiting March 19-20. His work is titled “On the Effects of Constitutional Environmental Rights Provisions Across Space and Time.”<br><br><a href=\"http://gnhre.org/profiles/j-l/louis-kotze/\">Louis J. Kotze</a>, professor of law at North-West University in South Africa, visiting April 13-25. His work is titled “The Reconciliatory Role of Sustainable Development in Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism: The South African Example.”<br><br><a href=\"http://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/lecturers/pejan/\">Ramin Pejan</a>, consultant on human rights to the United Nations Environment Programme and adjunct professor of law at University of California, Irvine, visiting May 4-17. His work is titled “Exploring the Content of the Emerging International Right to a Healthy Environment.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1711, 'Incubator program launches in Harrisburg', '2015-01-27', '<p>A new incubator program for attorneys who want to start their own solo or small law firms has officially launched in Harrisburg.<br /><br />The collaboration between Widener Law and the Dauphin County Bar Association made the opportunity possible for three 2014 Widener Law Commonwealth graduates. Those accepted into the program include John Sweet, Mark Calore, and John Tabler. A ribbon cutting was held this month.<br /><br />The program provides the new legal professionals with Harrisburg office space at the Dauphin County Bar Association, computer and printing equipment, training in the work of building a law practice, mentoring, and networking support. Sweet, Calore and Tabler are required to pay for their malpractice insurance and must commit to provide 100 hours of pro bono legal work while in the program. Mid Penn Legal Services will coordinate the pro bono work. In addition, the new lawyers are being encouraged to take on &ldquo;low bono&rdquo; work.<br /><br />The American Bar Association has encouraged development of incubator programs as a way for new lawyers to secure work while helping to meet the legal needs of poor or moderate-income individuals who have difficulty affording an attorney. New attorneys who are gaining legal experience, while their significant business expenses are being offset by an incubator program, can bridge a gap. They can provide legal representation at a lower cost for a sector of the population that finds the fees of more established attorneys out of reach.<br /><br />In addition to providing office space, the Dauphin County Bar Association is coordinating networking opportunities for the participants. Widener Law Associate Clinical Professor <a href=\"{staticroot}Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/LockardJPalmer.aspx\">J. Palmer Lockard II</a>&nbsp;is conducting training sessions for the new attorneys, serving as a mentor and coordinating the technology provided for the offices. <br /><br />&ldquo;It is exciting to see the program up and running,&rdquo; Lockard said. &ldquo;After months of planning our new attorneys have begun to build their practices.&rdquo;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/hbincubatorprogram235px.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1712, 'MLK observances engage law school community', '2015-01-28', 'Both Widener University School of Law locations held events recently commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\n<br><br><div>\n<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650014000248%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650014000248%2F&amp;set_id=72157650014000248&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650014000248%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650014000248%2F&amp;set_id=72157650014000248&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\n<strong>Widener Law Delaware</strong> honored the Youth Court program at Bayard Middle School in Wilmington and Chester High School in Chester, Pa. by giving the program its Martin Luther King Service Award. Through the program students, under the supervision of faculty, train public school students to act as attorneys, judges and jurors in matters involving their peers who are accused of minor school offenses. “It is fundamentally a project that helps people get to know, and understand, people with different points of view,” Interim Dean Erin Daly said. “It does so by uniting people in a common purpose – students and faculty working together to bring restorative justice principles to local schools.” In addition, the program featured remarks from Keith Reeves, associate professor of political science and faculty director of the Center for Social Policy Studies at Swarthmore College.</div>\n<br><div>\n<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073288317%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073288317%2F&amp;set_id=72157650073288317&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073288317%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073288317%2F&amp;set_id=72157650073288317&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\n<strong>Widener Law Commonwealth</strong> gathered to hear a series of speakers examine race relations in the program, “The Growing Rift Between Civilians and Police: What Would Martin Luther King do to Bridge the Gap?”  Speakers included Harrisburg Police Chief Tom Carter and his department Community Policing Coordinator David Botero, Chief Administrative Law Judge Tracy Henry ’94, immediate past president of the Keystone Bar Association, Trent Hargrove, diversity officer for the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and 2014 alumni Morgan Davis and Stephen McLendon, former Black Law Students Association co-presidents. Carter said today the words “We the People” truly mean everyone. “When Dr. King was here, there was real hate in this country,” he said, adding later, “Today we have a kinder policing agency. Our philosophy has changed. We do believe in ‘We the People.’” The program was organized by Dean of Students Keith Sealing.</div>', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1713, 'Jurist in Residence Discusses Civil Forfeiture in Pennsylvania', '2015-02-03', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\"><object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073487447%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650073487447%2F&amp;set_id=72157650073487447&amp;jump_to=\" /><param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" /><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" />\r\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" /></object></div>\r\n<p>On Thursday, January 22, Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court delivered her second lecture since becoming the jurist in residence at Widener Law Commonwealth one year ago.<br /><br />The lecture, hosted by Widener\'s Law and Government Institute, focused on the current state of civil forfeiture law in Pennsylvania. Beginning with a brief recounting of the history of forfeiture laws, Leavitt explained to the audience that the concept of forfeiture began in biblical times, with criminal forfeiture dating to the Middle Ages and statutory forfeiture originating in admiralty law.<br /><br />In Pennsylvania, much of civil forfeiture arises from the war on drugs beginning in the 1970\'s. Currently, under the Controlled Substances Act, there does not need to be any property rights affected before authorities can initiate forfeiture proceedings, bringing up Constitutional questions about due process under the 5th Amendment and excessive fines under the 8th Amendment. Based on recent US Supreme Court decisions, the Pennsylvania courts have decided that civil forfeiture does in fact have limits, and the value of the forfeiture in question can trigger an 8th amendment analysis.<br /><br />The event was well-attended by law students, alumni, and members of the local bench and bar, and the tone of the presentation was kept light as Judge Leavitt inserted a clip from John Oliver\'s HBO series \'Last Week Tonight\' which poked fun at the sometimes ridiculous consequences of a government\'s civil forfeiture powers left unchecked.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, 'on', NULL, ''),
(1714, 'French students arrive to study, engage in American culture', '2015-02-06', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648234631763%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648234631763%2F&amp;set_id=72157648234631763&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648234631763%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157648234631763%2F&amp;set_id=72157648234631763&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nWidener Law has welcomed six new international students to Delaware this semester. They are the first to pursue LLM degrees under a dual-degree program the school has forged with Catholic University of Lille in northern France.<br><br>The students, who arrived in January, are living in Shipley Hall. They have already earned first-level legal master’s degrees in France. Now, they are simultaneously pursuing LLMs from Widener Law Delaware and additional French legal master’s degrees. Credits transfer under the agreement between the two schools and the students are able to earn a Widener LLM in one semester. They will be here until the end of May.<br><br>“Their school at home is very, very strong in corporate law and business,” said Eileen Grena, assistant dean for graduate and compliance programs, who traveled to Lille in 2013 to solidify the agreement with Catholic University. “In turn, our <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/InstituteofDelawareCorporateandBusinessLaw.aspx\">Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law</a> is highly attractive to them. Their coursework here will give them a global edge when they return to Europe.”<br><br>The students – Alexandre Flajollet, Marine Lutton, Samantha Zakka, Adelaide Taquet, Thibaut Lesure and Alexis Coquelle – are fluent in English and are enrolled in International Business Transactions, Business Organizations, Securities Regulation and Advanced Corporations classes.<br><br>They met with Interim Dean <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/DalyErin.aspx\">Erin Daly</a> recently over lunch and said they are enjoying their studies in Widener classrooms, where they’ve found professors to be much more engaging than they expected.<br><br>“Here the teacher is always up, always asking questions and it’s always interesting,” Taquet said.<br><br>They are also planning outings to Philadelphia, New York, Washington and maybe Boston. Several are interested in skiing and seeing a Flyers hockey game. They are also sharing their culture with their American counterparts. They cooked crepes for new friends in Shipley Hall and are hoping to partake in a graduate programs international cook off.<br><br>In addition to the fun and travel, the students are firm in their beliefs that they will take home valuable degrees from Widener Law. All of them are considering either business school or corporate internships, or both. Taquet said the experience will boost the students’ value on applications and in interviews.<br><br>“In France, you have to have a lot of diplomas,” she said, noting employers will see their records and know they’ve gained a unique world view of business from studying in Delaware. “We will know differences. We will know how to compare the systems,” she said.<br><br>Daly, who speaks fluent French, said she was pleased to have the students arrive and get the dual-degree program underway after years of work and planning. “Bringing these students into our school family enhances the atmosphere at Widener Law Delaware. We are happy to welcome them; I know our students and our faculty enjoy all that they contribute to our classroom discussions and the vibrancy of our campus.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1715, 'New group of law students takes oath for the limited practice of law', '2015-02-10', '<div style=\"float: right; width: 505px; margin: 10px;\">\n<object width=\"500\" height=\"375\"> <param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650261478380%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650261478380%2F&amp;set_id=72157650261478380&amp;jump_to=\">\n<param name=\"movie\" value=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\">\n<param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\">\n<embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650261478380%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fwidenerlaw%2Fsets%2F72157650261478380%2F&amp;set_id=72157650261478380&amp;jump_to=\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\"></embed></object>\n</div>\nDelaware Supreme Court Justice <a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDeAdj/HollandRandyJ.aspx\">Randy J. Holland</a> recently administered the oath for seven law students to join the Delaware Bar for the limited practice of law. The Feb. 2 court hearing was held in connection with the students’ work with the <a href=\"/Academics/ClinicalProgramsandProfessionalTraining/Clinics/DelawareCivilLawClinic.aspx\">Delaware Civil Clinic</a> and a public-service externship.<br><br>The Delaware Civil Clinic students are supervised by Associate Professor and Clinic Director Dana Harrington Conner and Catherine Zwolak Kilian, clinic staff attorney. They include:<blockquote><strong>Alexander T. Corbin<br>Bonnie S. Gladu<br>Neepa Patel<br>Lindsay L. Sewekow<br>Amanda K. Topor<br>Thomas H. Wing<br></strong></blockquote>Student <strong>Robert A. Gorkin</strong> was sworn in for his externship with the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., which will be supervised by attorney James G. McGiffin Jr. <br><br>Holland, who is a member of the adjunct faculty, told the students law is a calling, not just a job. <br><br>“When you have a law degree, responsibility transcends the accumulation of wealth. You have the keys to the courthouse door and it’s your responsibility to open it for the rich and poor alike,” he said. “Therefore, I congratulate you for recognizing the public service component of the law.”', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1716, 'Professor to join in financial round table discussion', '2015-02-16', '<img src=\"/site/files/oldnewsfiles/LarryHamermesh2013.jpg\" width=\"179\" height=\"240\" class=\"FloatRight\" alt=\"LarryHamermesh2013\">An important Securities and Exchange Commission round table discussion on ways to improve the proxy voting process will include a voice from Widener University School of Law.<br><br><a href=\"/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesDe/HamermeshLawrenceA.aspx\">Lawrence A. Hamermesh</a>, the Ruby R. Vale Professor of Corporate and Business Law, will take part in the Feb. 19 Washington, D.C. event, which will also be broadcast live online. The program begins at 9:30 a.m. with his panel starting at 11:30 a.m.<br><br>Hamermesh will take part in a discussion focused on strategies for increasing retail shareholder participation in the proxy process. Participants will be considering how technology – by providing better access to information or easier means of voting – might affect retail participation. The group is also expected to examine whether the format of disclosure could be improved to increase the engagement of shareholders, and how the mechanics of voting could be improved to affect retail shareholder participation.<br><br>Hamermesh, who directs Widener Law Delaware’s <a href=\"/Academics/Institutes/InstituteofDelawareCorporateandBusinessLaw.aspx\">Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law</a>, joined the faculty in 1994. He took a leave from teaching in 2010 and 2011 to serve as senior special counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel of the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC. He teaches and writes in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, business organizations, corporate takeovers and professional responsibility. <br><br>More information and a full list of participants is available <a href=\"http://1.usa.gov/17o1Tij\">here</a>. Watch the round table live at <a href=\"http://www.sec.gov\">www.sec.gov</a>.', NULL, NULL, '', NULL, 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1717, 'Widener Law announces lineup for Environmental Law Distinguished Speaker Series', '2015-02-17', '<p><img class=\"FloatRight\" src=\"{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/ELCDistinguishedSpeakers235px.jpg\" alt=\"ELCDistinguishedSpeakers235px\" width=\"235\" height=\"200\" />Widener Law and its Environmental Law Center will host a Distinguished Speaker Series with public events at both of its locations. <br /><br />The lineup includes:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Wednesday, Feb. 18, 4 p.m.</strong> &ndash; Villanova University School of Law Professor Todd S. Aagaard on &ldquo;Rethinking the Energy-Environment Divide,&rdquo; room A180 of the administration building at Widener Law Commonwealth, 3737 Vartan Way. This will be teleconferenced to the Alfred Avins Special Collection Library Room at Widener Law Delaware.</li>\r\n<li><strong>Monday, March 16, noon.</strong> &ndash; Joshua Gellers, LEED green associate and assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Florida on &ldquo;Environmental Rights, Environmental Justice, and Democracy,&rdquo; in the Alfred Avins Special Collection Library Room at Widener Law Delaware, 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington. This will be teleconferenced to room 101 in the library building at Widener Law Commonwealth.</li>\r\n<li><strong>Tuesday, April 14, noon. </strong>&ndash; Louis J. Kotze, professor of law at North-West University in South Africa on &ldquo;The Reconciliatory Role of Sustainable Development in Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism: The South African Example,&rdquo; in the Alfred Avins Special Collection Library Room at Widener Law Delaware, 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington. This will be teleconferenced to room 101 in the library building at Widener Law Commonwealth.</li>\r\n<li><strong>Thursday, April 16, 4 p.m.</strong> &ndash; Linda Malone, the Marshall-Wythe Foundation professor of law and the founding director of the Human Security Law Center at the College of William and Mary School of Law on &ldquo;The History and Potential Future of Ecofeminism,&rdquo; room A180 of the administration building at Widener Law Commonwealth, 3737 Vartan Way. This will be teleconferenced to the Alfred Avins Special Collection Library Room at Widener Law Delaware.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>Attorneys from Delaware and Pennsylvania who attend the in-person lectures with Aagaard and Malone on the Harrisburg campus will be eligible for one continuing legal education credit. All of the events are free and open to the public.<br /><br />To register for an in-person event at Widener Law Commonwealth contact Sandra Graeff at <a href=\"mailto:slgraeff@widener.edu\">slgraeff@widener.edu</a> or 717.541.3965. To register for the in-person event at Widener Law Delaware contact Carol Perrupato at <a href=\"mailto:caperrupato@widener.edu\">caperrupato@widener.edu</a> or 302.477.2178.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, 'off', NULL, ''),
(1718, 'Law professor and student will be guests on public radio show', '2015-02-18', '<p><img class=\"FloatRight\" src=\"{staticroot}site/files/oldnewsfiles/DernbachAward235px.jpg\" alt=\"DernbachAward235px\" width=\"235\" height=\"243\" />The Widener Law community is encouraged to tune in to &ldquo;<a href=\"http://www.witf.org/smart-talk/\">Smart Talk</a>&rdquo; on WITF, the Harrisburg NPR affiliate, Thursday morning, Feb. 19, for a show that will highlight a law school service learning project.<br /><br />Distinguished Professor <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxMSJd\">John C. Dernbach</a>&nbsp;will be a guest on the show with student Pia Aklian, along with Neil Grover, solicitor for the city of Harrisburg. They will be discussing a package of ordinances Dernbach and students in his Sustainability Law and Practice class drafted during the fall semester, which were submitted to the city for consideration.<br /><br />Students in the class spent the fall researching topics chosen by the city, then worked on crafting the ordinances. Their topics included permeable paving, green infrastructure, composting, recycling, green building and mobile food vendors. Class members appeared at a public meeting before the Harrisburg City Council in November, where they presented on their topics. The completed draft ordinances were delivered to the city last month and they are now under review.<br /><br />&ldquo;This whole experience has been a win-win,&rdquo; Dernbach said. &ldquo;Part of Widener University&rsquo;s mission is to contribute to the vitality and well-being of the communities we serve. It&rsquo;s a pleasure to be a part of a process that gives back, while building important and valuable skills in our students. To see it highlighted in this public forum is really gratifying.&rdquo;<br /><br />The show marks the second time Dernbach and a student have been guests on &ldquo;Smart Talk&rdquo; to discuss work produced in his classroom in benefit of the community. Alumna Elizabeth Marx joined Dernbach on the show in April 2011 to discuss a research project that examined the progress of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s recycling law as it marked its 20th anniversary.<br /><br />The show is broadcast at 89.5 FM in central Pennsylvania or live online at <a href=\"http://www.witf.org/smart-talk/\">witf.org</a>. It begins at 9 a.m.</p>', '', NULL, 'Law professor and student on public radio show', '', 0, 'off', NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1720, 'Widener Law Commonwealth Marks Historic 25th Anniversary  With Reception and Golf Outing', '2015-03-25', '<p>Widener Law School Harrisburg is putting a new twist on the concept of a silver anniversary. It&rsquo;s throwing a big party to celebrate its past but has also announced a brand-new profile for its future.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;This year, the Harrisburg-based law school celebrates its <a title=\"25th Anniversary Event\" href=\"ipl://12//WyIzMDkwIl0=\">25<sup>th</sup> anniversary</a>. To mark the historic occasion and the successful conclusion of the <em>Taking the Lead</em> fundraising campaign, the law school plans a reception on Saturday April 18 2015, starting with a golf outing at <a href=\"http://www.manadagolfclub.com/\">Manada Golf Club</a> in Grantville in the morning and ending with a celebration on the Harrisburg campus later that evening.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The 5 p.m. celebration will take place in The Pit in the upper level of the Library building. Other activities include a wine tasting in the newly renovated law school library sponsored by Spring Gate Vineyard of Harrisburg and music provided by Wave Trio. The student honor groups will host tables at the event. There will be an iPad mini raffle and gift bags for all attendees. Alumni, students, faculty, administration and staff are encouraged to attend. To register, click <a href=\"http://lawalumni.widener.edu/s/1507/law/index.aspx?sid=1507&amp;gid=2&amp;pgid=655\">here</a>.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The golf outing starts at 7 a.m. with registration and a light breakfast. The event will feature a four-person scramble format, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.&nbsp; To register, click <a href=\"http://lawalumni.widener.edu/s/1507/law/index.aspx?sid=1507&amp;gid=2&amp;pgid=655\">here</a>.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The celebration follows the announcement last week of an independent identity, new name and recent appointment of a dean for the school.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The American Bar Association last month approved the application to split the Widener University School of Law, which has campuses in Harrisburg, Pa. and Wilmington, Del., into separate law schools that will operate independently of each other, but remain part of the university.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The new name for the newly independent law school? <strong>Widener University Commonwealth Law School</strong>.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;And with its new identity comes a new dean.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Christian A. Johnson</strong> has been appointed to serve as dean of the Widener University Commonwealth School of Law. Johnson, is the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he has been on the faculty since 2008. He teaches and writes in the areas of business, banking and tax law.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The change in status and the new name will take effect July 1, the day Johnson begins his tenure as dean.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Widener Harrisburg alumni include United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab; Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson, Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas President Judge David W. Barron, former Congressman Patrick J. Murphy, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, Pennsylvania State Senator Richard Alloway, Pennsylvania Representative Mark Cohen, Pennsylvania Representative Peter J. Daley, II and many other familiar faces in Harrisburg and beyond.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;The president of <a href=\"http://www.widener.edu/about/\">Widener University</a>, parent institution to the law school, <strong>Dr. James T. Harris III</strong>, will speak at the 25<sup>th</sup> Anniversary celebration, as will the law school&rsquo;s <strong>Interim Dean Robyn L. Meadows</strong> and <strong>Dean Designate Johnson</strong>.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/25thlogo.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1721, 'Widener Law Students Help Artists in Creative Collaboration', '2015-03-25', '<p>Providing <em>pro bono</em> services to a nonprofit Harrisburg theater company this year made third-year law student Sarah Pregler realize how many legal issues people deal with in their everyday lives.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We helped our clients review contracts for a space they planned to renovate to put on their shows and hold rehearsals and classes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We dealt with contracts, insurance and local ordinances.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Pregler was among the first Widener law students to provide free legal services to artists as part of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program, which launched last fall.</p>\r\n<p>VLA is a collaboration between Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg and <a href=\"https://www.dcba-pa.org/\">Dauphin County Bar Association</a> and <a href=\"http://hbgmakespace.com/about/\">The MakeSpace Arts Collective</a> and is designed to pair artists in need with volunteer attorneys assisted by law students.</p>\r\n<p>The Dauphin County Bar Association, a professional organization with more than 1,450 lawyers actively engaged in various programs of public service, professional development and personal interaction, first came up with the idea of providing free legal services to income-qualified artists.</p>\r\n<p>Sandy Ballard, the Dauphin County Bar Association&rsquo;s public services coordinator, credits DCBA member Steven O&rsquo;Neill, who is an assistant counsel at the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in Harrisburg. She said that the DCBA saw the program as a &ldquo;win-win-win.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a win for the student who get much sought-after &lsquo;client contact.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a win for the artists whom we hope to help. And it&rsquo;s a win for lawyers who want to do good works but just need the opportunity,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>When Widener <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIyMiJd\">Professor Juliet Moringiello</a> heard about VLA, she thought, \"Wow, what a great opportunity to get our students some transactional lawyering experience!\"</p>\r\n<p>Professor Moringiello points to the current expectation in the legal job market that law schools produce \"practice-ready\" lawyers. She and Widener <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxNyJd\">Associate Professor Michael J. Hussey</a> immediately saw the value in the partnership.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;While the definition of practice-ready varies depending on the practice environment, we know that <em>every</em> lawyer needs to know how to interact with clients. We think that this program will help us train \"<em>client-ready</em>\" lawyers,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>Pregler agrees, saying that her matter gave her great experience in interviewing skills and with issue spotting.</p>\r\n<p>Fourth-year extended program student Victoria Beard said the VLA meant something even more personal and was well worth the extra time. Both of her parents were artists, she said.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;An artist may be a brilliant artist but as we all know,&nbsp;just being a good artist doesn\'t keep one out of needing business and legal advice,&rdquo; Beard explained. She said that providing services to artists through VLA allowed her to give back to the artistic community in a way she never thought possible.</p>\r\n<p>Beard said she would encourage law students &ndash;even busy, working students like her &ndash; to give VLA a try. She said while she works a full time job as an administrative law judge for the Department of Human Services, she was able to balance the VLA commitment and her studies.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I have very little time for myself or for other projects,&rdquo; Beard said. &ldquo;So what I do become involved in has to have a purpose.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Professor Moringiello said that the Dauphin County VLA is the only legal-assistance program designed for artists between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.</p>\r\n<p>Moringiello, who teaches municipal bankruptcy and is a leading expert on public finance, said that another positive aspect of the VLA collaboration is the impact it has on the city of Harrisburg. &ldquo;The arts community is deeply committed to making Harrisburg a fun and interesting place to live and visit,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;That\'s essential to Harrisburg\'s financial recovery, of course. And helping the arts community thrive fits in really well with Widener University\'s nationally-recognized focus on civic engagement.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Founding MakeSpace artist Liz Laribee agrees, saying that VLA will only help the City grow its creative community.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The potential impact on the artistic community here is huge,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Programs like this are crucial to helping a creative economies generate and sustain themselves.&nbsp; Artists have a valuable, risky vocation, and the headache of legal trouble can stop a project, or career, in its tracks. This is a great step forward to help, and I\'m so excited to be part of this initiative.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Pregler&rsquo;s matter was a case in point. &ldquo;It was great being able to help this non-profit group because they had gotten a space in an area where they were trying to revitalize the town,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It was also great to be able to help them because this was something that they were so passionate about.&rdquo;</p>', '', NULL, 'Widener Law Students Help Artists in Creative Collaboration', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1722, 'Jurist in Residence Discusses Civil Forfeiture in Pennsylvania ', '2015-03-05', '<p><a title=\"Email Brent Johnson\" href=\"mailto:bljohnson@widener.edu\">Brent Johnson</a></p>\r\n<p>On Thursday, January 22, Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court delivered her second lecture since becoming the jurist in residence at Widener Law Commonwealth one year ago.<br /><br />The lecture, hosted by Widener\'s<a href=\"ipl://391//W10=\"> Law and Government Institute</a>, focused on the current state of civil forfeiture law in Pennsylvania. Beginning with a brief recounting of the history of forfeiture laws, Leavitt explained to the audience that the concept of forfeiture began in biblical times, with criminal forfeiture dating to the Middle Ages and statutory forfeiture originating in admiralty law.<br /><br />In Pennsylvania, much of civil forfeiture arises from the war on drugs beginning in the 1970\'s. Currently, under the Controlled Substances Act, there does not need to be any property rights affected before authorities can initiate forfeiture proceedings, bringing up Constitutional questions about due process under the 5th Amendment and excessive fines under the 8th Amendment. Based on recent US Supreme Court decisions, the Pennsylvania courts have decided that civil forfeiture does in fact have limits, and the value of the forfeiture in question can trigger an 8th amendment analysis.<br /><br />The event was well-attended by law students, alumni, and members of the local bench and bar, and the tone of the presentation was kept light as Judge Leavitt inserted a clip from John Oliver\'s HBO series \'Last Week Tonight\' which poked fun at the sometimes ridiculous consequences of a government\'s civil forfeiture powers left unchecked.</p>', '', NULL, 'Civil Forfeiture in Pennsylvania', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1724, 'A Legal Leader', '2015-03-25', '<p>Widener Law Commonwealth congratulates Professor Juliet M. Moringiello on two recent high-profile professional accomplishments.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Moringiello was elected in March to membership in the prestigious American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. The college describes itself as a professional organization dedicated to promoting the field of commercial finance law through education, legislative reform and the recognition of distinguished practitioners, jurists and academics.</p>\r\n<p>College fellows nominate new members. Nominees must be lawyers, academics or jurists who have achieved preeminence in commercial finance law and made repeated, substantial contributions to the promotion of learning and scholarship in commercial financial law through teaching, lecturing, publishing and continuing legal education.</p>\r\n<p>Moringiello was also appointed recently as a uniform law commissioner for Pennsylvania. The Uniform Law Commission, also known as the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, provides states with nonpartisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law. She has taught Uniform Commercial Code courses since she began in legal education and she has been involved in the enactment of several Uniform Law Commission projects in Pennsylvania.</p>\r\n<p>Moringiello is one of the country&rsquo;s leading municipal bankruptcy scholars. She has been a frequent commentator in the national and international news media about Detroit&rsquo;s historic bankruptcy and the dismissed bankruptcy filing and subsequent state receivership of Harrisburg. She is a versatile scholar who writes in the areas of bankruptcy, secured credit and electronic commerce, and her articles have been published or are forthcoming in some of the nation&rsquo;s top law reviews. She served as the Robert M. Zinman Resident Scholar at the American Bankruptcy Institute in 2010.<br /> <br /> At Widener Law Commonwealth, Moringiello teaches property, bankruptcy, sales, secured transactions, and payment systems, and she has taught seminars on cities in crisis, the mortgage crisis, and electronic commerce. The class of 2014 honored her with the Outstanding Faculty Award for excellence in teaching, and she has received the Douglas E. Ray Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award twice.&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/moringielloj_6931-2.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1725, 'The Professor on Capitol Hill', '2015-03-26', '<p>An important United States Senate subcommittee got a taste recently of the quality education Widener Law Commonwealth students are exposed to in the classroom, when Professor Jill E. Family shared her expertise in immigration law at a government hearing.</p>\r\n<p>Family, director of the Law &amp; Government Institute at Widener Law Commonwealth, was invited to testify March 19 before the Senate Judiciary&rsquo;s Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts subcommittee chaired by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. She was one of three experts who discussed the immigration policy President Obama announced recently that would have provided temporary relief from deportation for some undocumented immigrants &ndash; and the ensuing court challenge that resulted in a federal judge blocking the new policy last month.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It was an invaluable experience, where I was in deep discussion with policymakers who were focused on my area of immigration law,&rdquo; Family said. &ldquo;It was gratifying to know my work was making a difference, and contributing to an important discourse on Capitol Hill.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Family&rsquo;s contributions already enrich the discourse in Harrisburg classrooms. Third-year law student Marissa Mowery, who has taken Family&rsquo;s civil procedure and immigration law classes and served as her research assistant, felt compelled to travel to Washington for the hearing.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It really drove home for me what we talked about in class,&rdquo; Mowery said, recalling a lesson on the importance of government administrative agencies, which provide critical information for Congress and the American people. &ldquo;It was so cool to see her answering questions about something that is cutting edge in immigration law right now.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Family was one of four law professors in the United States who authored <a href=\"https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/_file/LAWPROFLTRHANENFINAL.pdf\">an open letter</a> &ndash; signed by 104 legal scholars and law professors &ndash; that decried U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen&rsquo;s <a href=\"http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/texas_immigration_20150216.pdf\">decision to block Obama&rsquo;s immigration policy</a>. The letter was made public shortly before U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, the ranking subcommittee Democrat, invited Family to testify at the hearing.</p>\r\n<p>The subcommittee also heard from two witnesses who were invited by Republicans: Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and David B. Rivkin Jr., partner at BakerHostetler in Washington.</p>\r\n<p>Family had three days to draft written testimony for the subcommittee, which she submitted in advance of the hearing. The preparation was intense. &ldquo;It was a challenge to respond to all of the senators&rsquo; questions quickly,&rdquo; she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Despite that, Mowery said she was impressed with Family&rsquo;s delivery. The professor talked to the Senators with the same pace, tone and attention to detail that Mowery said she appreciates as a student.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I really solidified for me that she&rsquo;s very genuine and honest in what she has to say,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>Click here to <a href=\"http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/reining-in-amnesty_texas-v-united-states-and-its-implications\">view</a> Professor Family&rsquo;s testimony.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/family.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1726, 'Meet the Incoming Dean, Christian A. Johnson', '2015-03-27', '<p>Widener Law Commonwealth and its incoming dean, Christian A. Johnson, share an anniversary. Widener Law Commonwealth is celebrating the year-long silver anniversary of its founding with an event on April 18, the same day that Johnson is celebrating his 54<sup>th</sup> birthday.</p>\r\n<p>A coincidence? Certainly, but maybe fate, as well.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson, currently the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, was announced Friday as the first dean of the Widener University Commonwealth Law School effective July 1, the same day the Law School officially assumes its new moniker.</p>\r\n<p>What does seem to be fate is Johnson&rsquo;s legal career. He was born during his father&rsquo;s third year of law school. &ldquo;My father is a lawyer, one of my uncles was a lawyer, my father&rsquo;s friends were lawyers. I&rsquo;ve always been fascinated with the law since I was little,&rdquo; Johnson said.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson received his bachelor&rsquo;s and master&rsquo;s degrees in accounting from the University of Utah, and worked at Price Waterhouse as a CPA for a couple of years, becoming a lawyer was always his goal, he says.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I always believed that I would be a better lawyer if I understood accounting,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I wanted to do business law and tax law. I was an accountant for a couple years and got some good training and then applied to law school. I quickly discovered that the 10 percent of what I liked about accounting, lawyers did 100 percent of the time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Johnson attended Columbia University School of Law where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and executive editor of the <em>Columbia Law Review</em>. After graduating from law school, he worked as an associate for law firms in New York, Las Vegas and Chicago, focusing primarily on tax law, finance, bank lending and derivatives.</p>\r\n<p>After a few years of practice, Johnson decided to follow another passion &ndash; teaching.</p>\r\n<p>Working for Mayer, Brown and Platt in Chicago at the time, Johnson moved two miles up the road to Loyola University School of Law. As a member of the faculty at Loyola, he rose through the ranks to professor, and served as faculty director of the Corporate Law Center. While at Loyola, he also served as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.</p>\r\n<p>After 13 years at Loyola, Johnson, a Utah native, was drawn back to his home state, receiving a professorship at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law. He has served on the faculty since 2008, and was the associate dean of academic affairs from 2012 to 2014.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson said he immediately perceived the opportunity at Widener Law Commonwealth as a good fit. He was attracted to the position by the collegial faculty, strong alumni base, and renowned programs in law and government and environmental law.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The opportunity at Widener is very unique because a very fine law school is already in place,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a tremendous opportunity to help a fine faculty develop and strengthen the programs that they have, and the university is extremely supportive in helping the law school be successful. For someone who wants to be a dean, it is a very attractive situation.&rdquo;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/christianjohnson--high-resolution.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1727, 'A New Day', '2015-03-27', '<p>For a quarter century, Widener Law Commonwealth has built a solid reputation and unique identity in the Commonwealth and beyond with outstanding programs in government, environmental and business law, and the incomparable access students have to dedicated faculty. Today, Widener University announced that Widener Law Commonwealth will stand on that reputation and those strengths as its own law school.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>The university today announced</strong> the American Bar Association has approved its application to split its School of Law, which has campuses in Harrisburg, Pa. and Wilmington, Del., into separate law schools that will operate independently of each other, but remain part of the university.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Christian A. Johnson</strong> will serve as dean of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, the name for the school in Harrisburg, Pa. The change in status and the new name will take effect July 1, the day Johnson begins his tenure as dean.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;This is an exciting time for Widener University and its law schools,&rdquo; University President James T. Harris III said. &ldquo;The campuses have grown with their own unique identities, and are ready to stand apart from each another and showcase their strengths and individuality. Christian Johnson is an outstanding leader, and I am confident he will help provide a world-class legal education that graduates practice-ready lawyers and supports Widener&rsquo;s commitment to the communities we serve.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Widener University Commonwealth Law School was chosen for Harrisburg as a reflection of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s status as one of only four commonwealths. The university community liked the name for its sense of history, distinction and its allusion to state government. It also complements Widener&rsquo;s strong program in government law, which is a key component to the Harrisburg location&rsquo;s identity.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Johnson, is the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he has been on the faculty since 2008. He teaches and writes in the areas of business, banking and tax law.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Johnson earned his law degree at Columbia University School of Law where he was executive editor of the <em>Columbia Law Review</em> and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He earned his bachelor&rsquo;s and master&rsquo;s degrees from the University of Utah.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;It is an absolute privilege for me to serve as dean of Widener Law Commonwealth. The school plays such an important role for Pennsylvania&rsquo;s capital with its programs, lectures and signature Law &amp; Government Institute,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I look forward to sharing my vision for legal education with the school, including the importance of globalization and the need to balance legal theory with an education that prepares students for the practice of law. I am anxious to build on the positive relationships Widener has with the community and its many constituencies.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Widener University opened the law school campus in Harrisburg in 1989 and this year is celebrating 25 years of service the Commonwealth and beyond. The location is home to more than 240 law students pursuing Juris Doctor degrees in a three-year, full-time program, or part time in Widener&rsquo;s four-year, extended division.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/harrisburg-announcement-041.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1728, 'Widener Incubator Program Helps Launch New Lawyers in Harrisburg', '2015-04-02', '<p>Nerve wracking but exciting. This is how 2014 Widener Law Commonwealth graduate Mark Calore describes his first few months in the law school&rsquo;s innovative new incubator collaboration.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;My first few client interactions were intense,&rdquo; Calore said. &ldquo;I had experience in the civil clinic but this was different. There&rsquo;s no one watching over your shoulder here.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>He said that he&rsquo;s already been to court a number of times for his clients, which is something he&rsquo;d always wanted to do.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s exhilarating to be in a court room,&rdquo; Calore said. &ldquo;People have been really nice to me. I am open about being new &ndash; they can probably tell. But I&rsquo;m representing my clients; they are more nervous than I am, honestly.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The incubator, a concept supported by the American Bar Association and created by Widener Law Commonwealth together with the Dauphin County Bar Association, opened in January 2015 with three students including Calore, John Sweet, and Patrick Daniels.</p>\r\n<p>Supervised by Widener Law Associate Clinical Professor <a href=\"https://law.widener.edu/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/LockardJPalmer.aspx\">J. Palmer Lockard II</a>&nbsp;, the program provides the new legal professionals with office space at the Dauphin County Bar Association on Front Street in Harrisburg. In addition, the participating attorneys are given computers, printers, training in the work of building a law practice, mentoring, and networking support.</p>\r\n<p>Calore has already handled a number of matters, including a change in paternity action, a custody dispute, a breach of contract claim, and a private criminal complaint.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of responsibility that comes along with these cases,&rdquo; Calore said. &ldquo;But we have Professor Lockard and the DCBA, which helps.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Calore, Sweet, and Daniels are required to pay for their own malpractice insurance and must commit to provide 100 hours of pro bono legal work while in the program. MidPenn Legal Services, which is also housed at the Dauphin County Bar Association, provides the pro bono work. In addition, the new lawyers are being encouraged to take on &ldquo;low bono&rdquo; work. But the bulk of the incubator cases come from the Dauphin County referral program, according to Lockard.</p>\r\n<p>The concept behind the incubator, according to Professor Lockard, is to provide skills training in the type of small or solo law practice that about 30% of Widener graduates start after graduation.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The incubator also supports the value placed on public service by both Widener University and Widener Law Commonwealth,&rdquo; said Professor Lockard. &ldquo;This is a great way to help clients who can&rsquo;t afford big firms or big legal bills. They get a hard working lawyer for a reasonable price.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>There are some fee structures in place for the &ldquo;low bono,&rdquo; or &ldquo;modest means&rdquo; matters that come through a service offered by Dauphin County Bar Association, but the Widener grads in the incubator program are mostly own their own when negotiating their hourly rates, retainer amounts and the timing of payment.</p>\r\n<p>Calore said his sales experience prior to law school comes in handy. &ldquo;Closing the sale really is the hardest part,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Asking my clients whether they are prepared to pay today is tough. I am always making judgment calls, deciding my worth and assessing the value of legal matters.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Widener hopes to expand the incubator program to other areas outside of downtown Harrisburg. &ldquo;We want more students to serve more clients in more places,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d love to have a presence on Allison Hill, &ldquo;he said, referencing a low-income neighborhood east of downtown. &ldquo;We also know there is a need for low-cost services in places like Pottsville or Perry County.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>As for Calore, he hopes that his business just continues to grow. &ldquo;The wheels of justice turn slowly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am focused on ramping up my business and bringing more clients in,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But by far the most satisfying thing for me is that I&rsquo;m able to put my clients at ease. People fear the legal process, and I can help them with that.&rdquo;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/incubator.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1729, 'Annual John L. Gedid lecture considers scope of presidential authority', '2015-04-14', '<p>The ninth-annual John L. Gedid Lecture provided a history lesson and much thought-provoking comment on the amount of authority American presidents have when deciding whether and how to enforce U.S. laws.</p>\r\n<div>\r\n<div style=\"float: left; margin-right: 20px;\"><iframe src=\"//www.viddler.com/embed/f45bc578/?f=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;player=full&amp;secret=97367537&amp;disablebackwardseek=false&amp;disableseek=false&amp;disableforwardseek=false&amp;make_responsive=false&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false\" width=\"437\" height=\"392\"></iframe></div>\r\n<p>Tara Leigh Grove, associate professor of law at William &amp; Mary Law School, delivered the lecture. An expert on Constitutional law, federal courts and statutory interpretation, Grove began her talk asking the audience to imagine a new president taking office in 2017. What if that person announced the individual health insurance mandate built into the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional &ndash; in the new president&rsquo;s view, at least &ndash; and would not be enforced.</p>\r\n<p>While such an action seems impossible, Grove said, &ldquo;the issue is actually not that clear.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The Constitution says presidents shall take care that laws be faithfully executed, but what about laws presidents don&rsquo;t view as lawful, she asked. Grove pointed to Thomas Jefferson, who refused to uphold the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it illegal for citizens to speak against their elected officials. Or Abraham Lincoln who issued the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to slaves, six years after the U.S. Supreme Court declared slaves as property, not people, in Dred Scott v. Sandford. In 1968, Congress enacted a law that overturned the Miranda warning &ndash; which requires police to explain the right to an attorney at the time a person is being arrested. That law was still on the books in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, even though it was not enforced.</p>\r\n<p>There are ways to hold these authorities in check, Grove said. Congress could withhold funding from the executive branch if it viewed a president&rsquo;s discretionary authority moving out of line. Or, the public has opportunities to share its views with presidents through opinion polls, which presidents would be wise to watch. &ldquo;We the people ultimately judge whether a president did take care that the laws were faithfully executed,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>The Gedid Lecture is presented by Widener&rsquo;s <a title=\"Law &amp; Government Institute\" href=\"ipl://391//W10=\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a>, which Gedid founded. Grove joined the faculty at William &amp; Mary Law School in 2011.</p>\r\n</div>', '{staticroot}files/modules/gedidlecture2015cropped.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1730, 'Pizza and Policy in the Pit: Health Care Access and the Affordable Care Act', '2015-04-14', '<p><iframe src=\"//www.viddler.com/embed/376f355a/?f=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;player=arpeggio&amp;secret=95257053&amp;disablebackwardseek=false&amp;disableseek=false&amp;disableforwardseek=false&amp;make_responsive=false&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false\" width=\"437\" height=\"315\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p>On Tuesday, April 7 the Widener Journal of Law Economics and Race and the Dean of Students Office presented the Pizza and Policy in the Pit discussion: &ldquo;Health Care Access and the Affordable Care Act.&rdquo; Alumni speakers John Logan, Director at Pinnacle Health, and John DeLorenzo, Esquire,&nbsp;Director of Legal Affairs, Pinnacle Health System, spoke about health care access and how things have changed since the adoption of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The discussion highlighted:&nbsp; <br />1) Major changes in health care because of the ACA; <br />2) How the ACA has affected a person\'s access to health care; <br />3) The ACA\'s effect on who can obtain health care services and <br />4) Legal careers in the healthcare field. &nbsp;</p>', '', NULL, 'Pizza &amp; Policy', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1731, 'Widener Harrisburg Offers Unique Environmental, Sustainability Opportunities', '2015-04-22', '<p>For third-year law student and Harrisburg resident Pia Aklian, presenting proposed sustainability ordinances to the Harrisburg City Council last year was more than a routine class assignment.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I actually live here. Helping Harrisburg increase its residential recycling rates is very personal to me. Not only did this class take me out of the library, it gave me a chance to make a difference.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Aklian did this work as part of the Sustainability Law and Practice Class she took in 2014 with <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxMSJd\">Distinguished Professor of Law John C. Dernbach, </a>a nationally-recognized environmental law expert and a prominent Pennsylvania legal theorist whose work has been cited by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a ground-breaking <a href=\"http://johndernbach.com/2013/12/pennsylvania-supreme-courts-robinson-township-decision-step-back-marcellus-shale-step-forward-environmental-rights-public-trust/\" target=\"_blank\">environmental and constitutional case</a>.</p>\r\n<p>To reflect this emphasis on sustainable development, Widener Harrisburg&rsquo;s Environmental Law Center is being renamed as the Environmental Law and Sustainability Center.&nbsp;&nbsp; &ldquo;No other law school has our combination of environmental law, sustainability and climate change experience,&rdquo; said Interim Dean Robyn L. Meadows. &ldquo;And Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s location in the capital of the nation&rsquo;s sixth most populous state makes it an influential place for the development and implementation of environmental and sustainability laws.&rdquo; On July 1, Widener Harrisburg will be named Widener University Commonwealth Law School.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Dernbach has long been a vocal proponent of the concept of sustainable development, which, as he puts it, is a way of addressing environmental problems while also achieving social and economic goals.</p>\r\n<p>According to Dernbach, the principles of sustainability provide a framework for governments and companies to further development and environmental protection at the same time.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s entirely possible to consider the environment AND the economy,&rdquo; said Professor Dernbach. &ldquo;In fact, it&rsquo;s unacceptable NOT to consider them together.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Aklian praised Professor Dernbach&rsquo;s expertise and commitment to teaching.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;He makes sustainability and environmental law relevant; he&rsquo;s so far ahead of his time. In just that one class we presented sustainability regulations to Harrisburg City Council, we had guest speakers, we toured the City of Lancaster and even met with the mayor there to talk about sustainability and urban development,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>Aklian spoke proudly of her work for the City and the fact that she can count it among her clients.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Harrisburg has low rates of residential recycling,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I was able to present them not only with updated regulations but also with some creative education and outreach ideas like more visible recycling bins, re-routing trucks to incorporate more neighborhoods with multi-family housing units, and issuing more bins to families all over the City.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;This was more than handing in a paper. It was like moot court but on a much larger scale,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This was important public policy work; I presented real regulations to powerful people and I had to get them to believe in what I was saying. It was a unique opportunity.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Remarkably, Professor Dernbach isn&rsquo;t the only environmental scholar of national note at Widener Harrisburg. The law school is also the academic home to one of the country&rsquo;s few environmental ethics experts, <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxMCJd\">Professor Donald A. Brown, Scholar in Residence for Sustainability Ethics and Law</a>.</p>\r\n<p>Professors Dernbach and Brown worked for many years at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources/Department of Environmental Protection, and have extensive experience drafting, implementing, and litigating environmental laws.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Brown has made it his life&rsquo;s work in both public and private law practice as well as his academic teaching and scholarship to demonstrate that it is impossible to think clearly about how a nation or state should respond to climate change until the government responds to the ethical and moral dimensions of this enormous threat.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;There are features of climate change that scream for attention as seeing it fundamentally as an ethics and justice problem,&rdquo; said Professor Brown.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Not talking about the ethics of climate change is like unilaterally taking the goalie out of a hockey game,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;This is true because the strongest arguments against those who oppose climate policies are ethical and moral responses. Yet the public discourse on climate change is ignoring the ethical and moral responses to opponents of climate change policies.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>At the invitation of the United Nations, Professor Brown will be heading to Paris in November to participate in the &ldquo;21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11), otherwise known as &ldquo;<a href=\"http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en/cop21-cmp11\" target=\"_blank\">Paris 2015</a>.&rdquo; He is currently conducting a <a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/ncj/#sthash.xRyX89Sx.dpbs\" target=\"_blank\">research project</a> with the University of Auckland in New Zealand on the extent to which some two dozen countries are using ethical considerations in developing and implementing their climate policies.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Dernbach leads <a href=\"http://johndernbach.com/biography/\">Sustaining America</a>, the only national project assessing U.S. sustainable development efforts and making recommendations for future activities. The project involves approximately 50 experts from a variety of sustainability disciplines and has produced three books, all published by the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C.</p>\r\n<p>On Twitter, you can follow Professor Dernbach at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/johndernbach\" target=\"_blank\">@johndernbach</a>&nbsp;and Professor Brown at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/climateethics\" target=\"_blank\">@ClimateEthics</a>.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Dernbach&rsquo;s website offers a wealth of resources on the legal principles of environmental sustainability at <a href=\"http://johndernbach.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://johndernbach.com/</a>.</p>\r\n<p>You can read more of Professor Brown&rsquo;s work on his <a href=\"http://blogs.law.widener.edu/climate/\" target=\"_blank\">Ethics and Climate</a> blog.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/earth-day.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1732, 'Widener Law Commonwealth Celebrates its Silver Anniversary ', '2015-04-18', '<p>Kenn Robinson, Class of 2009, traveled from his home in Templeton, Massachusetts, to celebrate Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s 25<sup>th</sup> anniversary at a party that featured a live band, lots of food and a wine tasting in the library held by nearby Spring Gate Vineyard.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s great that Widener has become such a force in Harrisburg,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It continues to produce leaders. I put so much of what I learned here to good use in my practice and my community service.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Robinson and about 100 other alumni, current students, faculty and staff gathered in the Pit to reconnect and remember their time in law school.</p>\r\n<p>Earlier in the day, 35 golfers kicked off the festivities at the Manada Golf Course in a shot gun format tournament. Prizes were awarded to Todd Rothermel, Class of 2009, for the longest drive, and Matthew Sembach, Class of 2010, for closest to the hole. The winning foursome consisted of Daniel Jameson, Corey Mowery, Todd Rothermel, and Adam Santucci, all from the Class of 2009.</p>\r\n<p>2009 graduate Jason Gottesman also praised his alma mater, saying that he thinks his Widener legal education made him more versatile, which helps him in his career as a legislative affairs expert and reporter.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Widener produces practical professionals,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are ready to practice on day one, but can transition to other careers, too, as I did. Widener students come out not only with academic and professional skills but also with life skills that are useful in the real job landscape.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Gottesman also spoke about the extensive Widener alumni network. &ldquo;No matter where you go in Harrisburg, someone went to Widener. This places gives you &lsquo;street cred,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>Widener University President James T. Harris, III spoke at the reception, recognizing the law school&rsquo;s impressive stats. It has graduated 3,334 students and there are 3,285 Widener Law Commonwealth alumni practicing in 45 states plus Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands.</p>\r\n<p>Today, Widener Law Commonwealth has 245 students, 19 full-time faculty members, 30 adjunct professors, and three <em>emeriti</em> professors.</p>\r\n<p>President Harris warmly recognized the first vice dean of the Harrisburg campus, Professor <em>Emeritus</em> John L. Gedid, who was in attendance, calling him the &ldquo;Ben Franklin&rdquo; of the law school for his many years of visionary leadership during Widener&rsquo;s start-up phase. Among other innovations, Dean Gedid founded the Law &amp; Government Institute, now the Harrisburg campus&rsquo; signature program.</p>\r\n<p>Other notable programs at Widener Law Commonwealth include:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>The Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, which brings nationally recognized experts on environmental law and policy, climate change, and sustainability to central Pennsylvania. Participating students make real-world contributions working alongside faculty on projects ranging from developing a report card on Pennsylvania&rsquo;s performance on the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the state&rsquo;s recycling law to drafting a series of ordinances promoting sustainability for the Harrisburg City Council.</li>\r\n<li>The Harrisburg Civil Clinic, which has has helped approximately 4,600 clients with the assistance of over 690 Widener Law students and three full-time faculty members since 1992. Students assist clients on a range of matters including divorce, bankruptcy, criminal defense, and veteran&rsquo;s assistance benefits.</li>\r\n<li>The Widener Incubator Program, a concept supported by the American Bar Association, was created by Widener Law Commonwealth together with the Dauphin County Bar Association and launched this year. The incubator provides skills training geared for small or solo law practice and participating attorneys are given office space, computers, printers, and mentoring and networking support.</li>\r\n<li>The Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program, which debuted last fall as a collaboration between Widener, the Dauphin County Bar Association and the MakeSpace Arts Collective. This program, the only one of its kind between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is designed to pair artists in need with volunteer attorneys assisted by law students.</li>\r\n<li>Many partnerships with influential organizations that support Widener&rsquo;s commitment to service, such as the tax preparation work done in conjunction with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, the Law &amp; Government Institute&rsquo;s sponsorship and hosting of the Pennsylvania Women&rsquo;s Forum, student volunteer efforts to support Pennsylvania&rsquo;s Wills For Heroes project, and student-founded Relay For Life charity walk events that have raised roughly $85,000.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>Last month, Widener Law Commonwealth announced a series of changes taking effect July 1.&nbsp; The law school will formally split from Widener University Law School&rsquo;s Delaware campus and change its name to the Widener University Commonwealth Law School. In addition<strong>, </strong><strong>Christian A. Johnson</strong> has been appointed to serve as dean.&nbsp; Johnson is currently the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law at the University of Utah&rsquo;s S.J. Quinney College of Law.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Professor Johnson, the dean designate, also attended Saturday&rsquo;s celebration and expressed his eagerness to move to Harrisburg and get started on his new job.</p>\r\n<p>University Provost and Senior Vice President Stephen Wilhite thanked Interim Dean Robyn L. Meadows. He joked that she paused &ldquo;only briefly&rdquo; before agreeing to serve as interim dean after the retirement of Dean Linda L. Ammons in 2014. He commended her in particular for her leadership in the negotiations with the American Bar Association for Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s independent status.</p>\r\n<p>Current SBA Secretary Nicole Danner manned the student governing body table during the celebration and was enthusiastic about Widener&rsquo;s future. &ldquo;I am excited to have a new dean and an independent Widener Law Commonwealth. I think we have a big opportunity here,&rdquo; she said as she campaigned for SBA president in advance of the April 22-23 election.</p>\r\n<p>State Senator Rob Teplitz, in whose senatorial district Widener is located, attended the reception with his wife, Randi Blackman-Teplitz, an adjunct professor at the law school in the legal methods program.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It is an honor to have an educational institution of this caliber in my district,&rdquo; said Senator Teplitz. &ldquo;I also work and interact with many Widener graduates at the Capitol. This school provides a personalized, hands-on, quality legal education, and I expect it will continue to be a fixture in our community for another 25 years.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Two current state legislators who are Widener Law Commonwealth alumni &ndash; Senator Richard Alloway, Class of 2002, and Representative Peter Daley, Class of 1993 &ndash; sponsored resolutions from their respective chambers recognizing Widener&rsquo;s many accomplishments. Senator Teplitz and Representative Sue Helm, whose district encompasses Widener&rsquo;s campus, were co-sponsors of those resolutions. &nbsp;Governor Tom Wolf also sent a proclamation to mark the school&rsquo;s milestone.</p>\r\n<p>Other Widener Law Commonwealth alumni of merit include United State Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab, former Congressman Patrick J. Murphy, Commonwealth Court Judge P. Kevin Brobson, Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas President Judge David W. Barron, Pennsylvania Representative Mark Cohen, Pennsylvania Senate Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel Drew Crompton, Pennsylvania Senate Secretary-Parliamentarian Megan Consedine Totino and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Prothonotary Irene Bizzoso</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/happy-birthday.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1733, 'WIDENER CIVIL LAW CLINIC: An Opportunity and an Institution', '2015-04-30', '<p>Recent Widener Law Commonwealth graduate Peter Kay thinks his experience representing clients in the school&rsquo;s civil law clinic helped him answers several questions on the essay portion of the bar exam.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Some students might question the value of the clinic beyond giving them a slight resume advantage,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Things I learned in the clinic and nowhere else likely gave me an extra 10 points on the essays that I wouldn\'t have scored if I was relying solely on the courses I took in law school and my Barbri class, and I can\'t place a point value on having the confidence to quickly answer those questions&nbsp;knowing that I was correct.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Started in 1992 for the first class of third-year law students at Widener Law Commonwealth, the <a href=\"ipl://263//W10=\">Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic</a> has helped approximately 4,600 clients with the assistance of over 690 Widener Law students and three fulltime faculty members.</p>\r\n<p>Clients are referred to the clinic from <a href=\"http://www.midpenn.org/\">Mid-Penn Legal Services</a>, the <a href=\"http://www.dauphincounty.org/government/Human-Services/area-agency-on-aging/Pages/default.aspx\">Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging</a>, the <a href=\"http://www.ywcahbg.org/programs/domestic-violence-legal-center#.VP3lM-FRJss\">YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Center</a> and the <a href=\"http://www.puc.state.pa.us/\">Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission</a>. Under Pennsylvania Supreme Court student practice rules, the clinic can only represent low income clients, who typically seek help on issues such as divorce, bankruptcy, criminal defense, and veterans assistance benefits.</p>\r\n<p>Headed by Widener Law Commonwealth <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIyMCJd\">Associate Professor and Clinic Director J. Palmer Lockard, II</a>, the Civil Clinic was founded with an emphasis on general practice to best serve the needs of both the students and the legal community.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Lockard is proud of the legal work his students do and the difference they make in the community. He says the hallmark of the clinic is that it allows students to do more than &ldquo;carry briefcases.&rdquo; &ldquo;They act like real lawyers,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The supervising faculty is always there for our clinical students,&rdquo; said Professor Lockard. &ldquo;But our program is unique because it allows Widener Law students a great deal of latitude. It also imposes a great deal of responsibility.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Professor Lockard recounts the clinic&rsquo;s highest profile cases, matters resulting from riots in 1989 at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution, Camp Hill.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Judge Sylvia Rambo [of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania] called us and asked the Clinic to take three cases brought by prisoners who were not implicated in the riots themselves but who claimed injuries from the riot suppression by prison guards.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Two of these cases went all the way up to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and our students actually made those appellate arguments,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The judges and court personnel told us that we were the only law school to have had students making appearances up until that time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>After one of the arguments, said Professor Lockard, the panel of judges thanked and commended the student lawyer, <a href=\"http://www.elliottgreenleaf.com/index.php/our-attorneys/melissa-murphy-weber/\">Melissa Murphy Weber</a>, Class of 1995. &ldquo;We won one and lost one, and that was pretty good.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Other Widener graduates of note who participated in the Civil Law Clinic include former <a href=\"http://www.foxrothschild.com/attorneys/patrick-murphy.html\">Congressman Patrick J. Murphy</a>, Class of 1999, and current Widener Law Adjunct Professor Ann Fruth.</p>\r\n<p>Click here for more information on the Widener Law <a href=\"ipl://263//W10=\">Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic</a>.</p>', '', NULL, 'Practical Learning Opportunity ', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1734, 'Widener Professor and Alumni Volunteer Their Time at Ask a Lawyer Event', '2015-05-05', '<p>On April 28, <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxNiJd\">Professor Anna Hemingway</a>&nbsp;joined Widener alumni Patricia Romano and James Demmel to participate in the Dauphin County Bar Association&rsquo;s <em>Ask a Lawyer</em> event.&nbsp; As part of the 2015 Dauphin County Bar Association&rsquo;s Law Week celebration, they volunteered their time to answer legal questions and concerns from the public at the <em>Ask a Lawyer</em> booth that was set-up in downtown Harrisburg&rsquo;s Strawberry Square Atrium. &nbsp;They offered free legal advice on custody issues, tax planning, and even getting ready for law school. &nbsp;Over 250 people stopped in at the event.&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/askalawyercropped1.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1735, '2015 Pizza &amp; Professors', '2015-05-11', '<p>On April 23, students, faculty, and staff gathered in The Pit for Pizza and Professors. Those in attendance found out the winners of the class-voted Professor Awards and heard a&nbsp;motivational speech by Professor Lee.&nbsp; The event was organized by the Yearbook Committee.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><iframe src=\"//www.viddler.com/embed/122670cd/?f=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;player=full&amp;secret=23151208&amp;disablebackwardseek=false&amp;disableseek=false&amp;disableforwardseek=false&amp;make_responsive=false&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false\" width=\"437\" height=\"315\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Award Winners</strong></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor that is the best dressed:&nbsp; Professor Kearney</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor you spent the most time with during office hours:&nbsp; Professor Smith</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor you wish you knew better:&nbsp; Professor Robinette</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor you would most like to read their biography:&nbsp; Professor Diehm</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor that is most&nbsp;likely to retire because they are famous:&nbsp; Professor Dimino</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Biggest impact on your life:&nbsp; Professor Kearney</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor with the most intimidating cold call:&nbsp; Professor Evans</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Professor you would most like to have a drink with:&nbsp; Dean Barros</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Most helpful professor:&nbsp; Professor Anthon</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Most inspirational professor:&nbsp; Professor Lee</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/professorawardscropped2.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1736, 'Pomp and Circumstance', '2015-05-18', '<p>The 80 graduates who received their law degrees in a Sunday morning ceremony were advised to use their education and skills to make a better world.</p>\r\n<p>New Jersey lawyer, educator and social media influencer Glen Gilmore advised Widener Law Commonwealth graduates to never forget the people who helped them reach their graduation day, and to always try their best. Gilmore told a story of his decision years ago to leave law firm life and run for mayor of Hamilton, N.J. A firm colleague advised him there was more money in firm lawyering. But he chose differently, and found a fulfilling path.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">&ldquo;It is in the service of others that we as lawyers have the greatest ability to help our communities,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>The <a title=\"2015 Harrisburg Commencement Flickr Album\" href=\"https://flic.kr/s/aHskbMWg7A\" target=\"_blank\">commencement ceremony</a>, held at The Forum in the Capitol Complex, also featured remarks from valedictorian Richard Sgrignoli. In remarks that were equal parts humor and sentiment, he said the class had Widener and its faculty &ldquo;to blame&rdquo; for everything from why the grass wasn&rsquo;t cut at his house, to how he went from a nervous 1L to a confident graduate.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The true value of this school falls on our professors,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We owe them a great deal of gratitude.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Graduate Thomas Russo, who served as president of the Student Bar Association, spoke briefly to announce the class gift, a stone monument marking the school name to be placed in front of the classroom building.</p>\r\n<p>Interim Dean Robyn Meadows gave the Outstanding Faculty Award to Professors D. Benjamin Barros and James W. Diehm. She gave the Douglas E. Ray Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award to Professor Christopher J. Robinette.</p>\r\n<p>Widener University President James T. Harris III told the graduates they should use their degrees to confront injustice in society. He quoted a 1966 speech by then-Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in Cape Town, South Africa, where Kennedy said every time a person stands up for an inequality, it sends out a ripple of hope.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;You will be the next generation of attorneys who are ripples of hope,&rdquo; Harris said.</p>\r\n<p>Meadows told the graduates that the Widener Law tradition includes being passionate about service and she expressed pride at their level of civic engagement. She commended the class spirit, with 31 graduates donating 4,870 pro bono hours of service since the first year of law school.</p>\r\n<p>As the Harrisburg campus transitions toward a new future as its own, independent school that is still a part of Widener University, she thanked the students for choosing it and being part of its success.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Because of you, Widener Law Commonwealth is a better place,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You are the foundation on which Widener Law Commonwealth will continue to grow and thrive.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<h5>Event Photos</h5>\r\n<p><a title=\"2015/05 Commencement\" href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157654058928328\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img src=\"https://farm1.staticflickr.com/494/18124794323_db26715786_z.jpg\" alt=\"2015/05 Commencement\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a></p>\r\n<p>\r\n<script src=\"//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js\"></script>\r\n</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/graduationcropped2015.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1737, 'Innovation, honored', '2015-05-15', '<p>A charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association has honored an innovative new program at Widener Law that benefits recent graduates and helps to fill an unmet legal need.</p>\r\n<p>The <a href=\"ipl://256//W10=\">law firm incubator project</a>, collaboration between the law school and the Dauphin County Bar Association, also based in Harrisburg, has been recognized with the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Louis J. Goffman Award. The award honors people or organizations whose commitments to pro bono have enhanced the delivery of legal services to Pennsylvania&rsquo;s poor or disadvantaged, making a critical difference in the lives of those in need of legal representation.</p>\r\n<p>The award was presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Association awards luncheon in Philadelphia.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It was incredibly gratifying to see the incubator project get this recognition,&rdquo; said Interim Dean Robyn Meadows. &ldquo;It is an outstanding example of community collaboration that provides valuable opportunities to our graduates in a way that complements our institutional commitment to public service.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The program kicked off early this year as the first based entirely in Pennsylvania. It provides new legal professionals with Harrisburg office space, computer and printing equipment, training in the work of building a law practice, mentoring and networking support. Rent-free office space is located in the bar association building, which also provides furniture, utilities and services like internet access.</p>\r\n<p>The three inaugural participants are recent Widener Law Commonwealth graduates who, in exchange for their acceptance into the one-year program, agreed to pay for their malpractice insurance and commit to providing 100 hours of pro bono legal work through MidPenn Legal Services, a nonprofit firm that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income families in crisis. Participants are also encouraged to take on &ldquo;low bono&rdquo; clients.</p>\r\n<p>The law school wasn&rsquo;t the only award recipient at the luncheon. Alumna Kimberly K. Moraski received the Michael K. Smith Excellence in Service Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. It is given to a young lawyer who, through her exemplary personal and professional conduct, reminds lawyers of their professional and community responsibilities.</p>\r\n<p>Moraski is an associate attorney at The Chartwell Law Offices, LLP in Scranton, Pa. She graduated magna cum laude from Widener Law Commonwealth in 2007.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/palmeratpbaawardscropped.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1738, 'Persuasion in trial advocacy', '2015-05-28', '<p>Law students looking to build courtroom trial skills heard a valuable hour-long talk on the art of persuasion recently from one of the top prosecutors in central Pennsylvania.</p>\r\n<p>Dauphin County District Attorney Edward M. Marsico Jr. gave the E. John Wherry Jr. Trial Advocacy Lecture as part of the <a href=\"ipl://333//W10=\">Intensive Trial Advocacy Program</a>. Known as ITAP, the program is a two-week, boot-camp-style summer course that teaches law students skills they need to succeed in the courtroom, such as how to admit evidence, how to cross examine a witness and how to deliver a powerful closing argument.</p>\r\n<p>Marsico followed a theme of persuasion and offered useful advice &ndash; &ldquo;the more prepared you are, the more you&rsquo;re going to relax&rdquo; &ndash; from the jury selection process right through closing arguments. He touched on everything from how to move around a courtroom to get a witness to connect audibly with a jury, to when it is appropriate for a trial attorney to show emotion in court. He amplified his points with anecdotes from real cases in his career.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It was mind opening,&rdquo; student Dwight Quichua said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s strategy to everything.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Marsico lauded the students for enrolling in ITAP and working to build the skills necessary to succeed as trial attorneys.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;As someone who looks at resumes, cover letters and hires people, ITAP stands out. Widener has developed a great reputation with this program,&rdquo; Marsico said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to give you a leg up.&rdquo;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/itapwherrycropped2015.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1739, '2015 Staff Appreciation Award Winner Announced ', '2015-06-02', '<p><br />Congratulation to Stephanie Engerer, the winner of the 2015 Staff Appreciation Award. &nbsp;The award was presented by Interim-Dean Robyn Meadows on May 12th at the Staff Appreciation Luncheon</p>\r\n<p>Steph started at Widener in August 22, 2007 as a Library&nbsp;Technical Services Assistant.</p>\r\n<p>She worked on her Master in Library and Information Science through Wayne State University and received her M.L.I.S. degree in 2012.</p>\r\n<p>Steph is our problem solver for an array of computer issues. She helps everyone throughout the law school with their software and database questions.</p>\r\n<p>She is also an avid do it yourself crafter and a terrific cook, though she refuses to share the secret Engerer cookie recipe with us.</p>', '{wwwroot}files/modules/engererstephanieaward2015-2.jpg', '', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, '<p><strong>Formatting Test</strong></p>\r\n<p>Paragraph</p>\r\n<p><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu.edu\">Paragraph Link</a></p>\r\n<h1>H1</h1>\r\n<h1><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H1 Link</a></h1>\r\n<h2>H2</h2>\r\n<h2><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H2 Link</a></h2>\r\n<h3>H3</h3>\r\n<h3><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H3 Link</a></h3>\r\n<h4>H4</h4>\r\n<h4><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H4 Link</a></h4>\r\n<h5>H5</h5>\r\n<h5><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H5 Link</a></h5>\r\n<h6>H6</h6>\r\n<h6><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\">H6 Link</a></h6>\r\n<p><strong>Bold</strong></p>\r\n<p><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\"><strong>Bold Link</strong></a></p>\r\n<p><em>Italics</em></p>\r\n<p><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\"><em>Italics Link</em></a></p>\r\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Underline</span></p>\r\n<p><a href=\"//commonwealthlaw.widener.edu\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Underline Link</span></a></p>'),
(1740, 'Tax preparation makes an impact', '2015-06-08', '<p>Final tabulations on the number of people Widener Law students, alumni, faculty and staff assisted with pro bono tax preparation this year are in, and the results are impressive.</p>\r\n<p>The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, overseen by Associate Professor&nbsp;<a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxNyJd\">Michael J. Hussey</a>, served 243 clients preparing federal, state and local 2014 tax returns. Clients who were seen through the law school received federal refunds totaling about $358,000.</p>\r\n<p>Hussey said the volunteer service saved those clients roughly $60,000 to $73,000 in preparer fees, at a rate of $250 to $300 a return.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;This is a tremendous public service,&rdquo; Hussey said. &ldquo;The clients we see qualify because they are income-eligible, so it means a great deal to them to obtain this service at no cost. It&rsquo;s an excellent way for the law school to give back to the community and our students who volunteer get an opportunity to build client-relations skills.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The program covers three counties and is coordinated by the Money in Your Pocket campaign, a coalition of social service agencies, financial institutions and Widener Law. Overall, with Widener Law&rsquo;s contributions, the VITA program prepared returns for about 5,200 clients and generated more than $5.2 million in federal refunds.</p>\r\n<p>Five student volunteers took part at the law school, along with eight alumni volunteers and seven community volunteers who connected with Widener Law through the United Way. Appointments were done on Saturdays during tax season. The students completed an intensive Internal Revenue Service certification before volunteering.</p>\r\n<p>Hussey said Widener Law staff and faculty also supported the effort, with everything from appointment scheduling assistance to technical support. The school hosted a statewide Pennsylvania tax law training in November attended by about 90 people and live-streamed to 95 sites in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, California, Washington, Washington D.C. and Ontario, Canada.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/husseycroppedpicture.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1741, 'Law professor headed to Scotland', '2015-06-09', '<p>The director of the <a href=\"ipl://391//W10=\">Law &amp; Government Institute</a>&nbsp;will travel to the United Kingdom this month to take part in an international festival that celebrates diversity in Scotland.</p>\r\n<p>Professor <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxNSJd\">Jill E. Family</a>&nbsp;will speak June 18 at the Refugee Festival Scotland on &ldquo;The Power of Procedure and Moving Across Borders.&rdquo; Her talk, at the University of Glasgow, will focus on access to justice for refugees both in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as barriers to access in both countries and why access is so important. The talk is presented by the Glasgow Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network.</p>\r\n<p>Family teaches and writes in the areas of immigration law and administrative law. The Law &amp; Government Institute she directs is dedicated to exploring law that defines the structure and operation of government and the relationship between individuals and government.</p>\r\n<p>The Refugee Festival Scotland is &ldquo;an annual celebration of the contribution refugees make to the richness and vibrancy of life in Scotland,&rdquo; according to program materials.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I am pleased to be a part of this culturally significant event,&rdquo; Family said. &ldquo;It will broaden my view of immigration issues in the United Kingdom, which will enhance my teaching at home. An international perspective on law is crucial today.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Family has had other speaking engagements in the UK. She lectured last year at an event in association with Birkbeck College School of Law, presented by the Migration and Law Network. She spent the spring 2012 semester in London serving as a visiting scholar at the Queen Mary School of Law.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/familycroppedpicture.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1742, 'Getting to know the dean', '2015-07-01', '<p><a title=\"View the Dean\'s faculty profile\" href=\"ipl://35//WyIxMTIiXQ==\">Dean Christian Johnson</a>&nbsp;officially takes the helm of Widener Law Commonwealth today.</p>\r\n<p>He comes to the school from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he was the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law. He graduated from Columbia University School of Law, where he was executive director of the Columbia Law Review and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson is the author or co-author of eight books and portfolios and more than 50 legal publications, book chapters, book reviews and more. In an effort to get to know him better, we asked Johnson for 10 things we don&rsquo;t already know about him. Here are his responses:</p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>I was born in the last month of my father&rsquo;s third year of law school.</li>\r\n<li>I spent two years as a missionary in Ecuador.</li>\r\n<li>My wife and I just celebrated our 31<sup>st</sup>wedding anniversary, have three children and three grandchildren.</li>\r\n<li>I spent a week in Harrisburg when I was 12 years old, my last visit since interviewing with Widener Law Commonwealth.</li>\r\n<li>I have spoken on capital markets in more than 15 different countries including Brunei, Latvia, Sweden, Colombia, Australia and Saudi Arabia.</li>\r\n<li>I look at the Wall Street Journal before I get up in the morning.</li>\r\n<li>I spend a half hour in the evening reading or studying Spanish.</li>\r\n<li>I could live on calamari, sushi and brownies.</li>\r\n<li>I have taught Federal Income Tax more than 30 times.</li>\r\n<li>I am a huge fan of Bob Newhart, the Beatles and Roger Federer.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p>Welcome, Dean Johnson.&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/img_8938croppednews.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1743, 'Widener University and Cabrini College Partner on Law School Early and Express Admissions Programs', '2015-07-27', '<p>Cabrini College students can now receive express admission to law school or earn their undergraduate and law degrees in just six years thanks to agreements Cabrini signed Wednesday with Widener University and its two law schools.</p>\r\n<p>Jeff Gingerich, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cabrini College, signed the agreements at a ceremony at Widener joined by Widener representatives Stephen C. Wilhite, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Christian Johnson, dean of Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg, Pa., and Rodney Smolla, dean of Widener University Delaware Law School in Wilmington, Del.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Cabrini and Widener share a common mission that is about civic engagement and social justice,&rdquo; Gingerich said. &ldquo;There is the justice system and there is social justice. A lot of the time, we may think that the justice system is not working for people. This partnership joins those two concepts.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The 3+3 Early Admission Program allows qualified Cabrini students to begin their studies at either Commonwealth Law School or Delaware Law School in what would normally be their senior year of undergraduate studies. Students must complete all major and core courses and 75 percent of their bachelor&rsquo;s degree with a 3.0 grade point average before enrolling at Widener. They must also fulfill all other admissions requirements.</p>\r\n<p>Through the Express Admission Program, Cabrini students with a 3.0 grade point average will be admitted to Widener upon completion of all undergraduate degree requirements. Students must also meet or exceed the median LSAT score of the current law school entering class and fulfill other admissions requirements.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson touted externship opportunities available to Cabrini students who come to Commonwealth Law School, and invited students and faculty to visit the law school when they come to Harrisburg. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited about this agreement,&rdquo; Johnson said.</p>\r\n<p>Smolla echoed Johnson&rsquo;s sentiment about the partnership with Cabrini and said he was looking forward to working with the college. He said Cabrini students who earn degrees from Delaware Law School will be &ldquo;entering a profession with enormous opportunities for meaningful lives.\"</p>\r\n<p>Since 2008, 19 Cabrini graduates have matriculated at Widener for law school. Cabrini also has articulation agreements with Widener for graduate studies in human sexuality and social work, and tourism and hospitality. Widener has similar articulation agreements for its law schools with The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Elizabethtown College, and for its own undergraduate students. &nbsp;Find out more about these agreements <a title=\"Widener Law Commonwealth Partnership Programs\" href=\"ipl://111//W10=\">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1744, 'Federal Judge Cites Professor Juliet Moringiello in Electronic Contracting Decision', '2015-07-28', '<p>Professor Juliet Moringiello, a leading expert on electronic contracting, had four of her law review publications cited in an opinion authored by Judge Jack B. Weinstein of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.&nbsp; The case is <a href=\"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/USCOURTS-nyed-1_14-cv-01199/USCOURTS-nyed-1_14-cv-01199-0\">Berkson v. Gogo LLC</a> which was decided in April and is now on appeal to the Second Circuit. &nbsp;The opinion addresses the question of assent to online terms of use and questions whether a person who simply clicks &ldquo;I agree&rdquo; when purchasing goods or services online truly agrees to terms presented via hyperlink.</p>\r\n<p>Judge Weinstein noted that the case raised several policy considerations for the court to consider, the first of which was&nbsp;how courts should deal with electronic contracts of adhesion that do not provide internet users with a compelling reason to examine terms favoring defendant.&nbsp; He recognized, as Professor Moringiello argued in two of her articles, <em>Signals, Assent, and Internet Contracting</em>, and <em>Notice, Assent, and Form in a 140 Character World, </em>that individuals may perceive electronic terms differently than they perceive paper terms, and that more studies are required to gauge whether the average internet user understands that she should read terms to which she clicks her agreement.</p>\r\n<p>In the opinion, Judge Weinstein discussed recommendations made by an ABA Working Group, in an article co-authored by Professor Moringiello, that recommended best practices for online agreements.&nbsp; The court noted that the best practices were still valid but often ignored.&nbsp; Professor Moringiello is currently the Chair of the Electronic Contracting Subcommittee of the Cyberspace Committee of the ABA Business Law Section, the successor to that initial working group. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/moringielloj_cropped.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1745, 'White House Nominates Alumnus Patrick Murphy as Under Secretary of the Army', '2015-08-06', '<p><img style=\"float: left;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/large_patrick-murphy-commencement.jpg\" alt=\"Murphy delivering the commencement address at The Forum at the Capitol Complex in May 2009. If confirmed, he will be the Army&rsquo;s second-highest civilian leader.\" width=\"250\" height=\"350\" />The White House on Wednesday nominated Widener University Commonwealth Law School alumnus Patrick J. Murphy as under secretary of the Army, its second highest-ranking civilian leader. The appointment adds to an already impressive list of public service accomplishments for the 1999 graduate.</p>\r\n<p>Murphy, 41, was the first Iraq war veteran to be elected to U.S. House of Representatives, serving Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 8<sup>th </sup>Congressional District for two terms from 2007 to 2011. During his time in Congress, Murphy served on the Armed Services Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Appropriations Committee. In 2010, he was the author and chief sponsor of the bill to repeal the Department of Defense&rsquo;s Don&rsquo;t Ask, Don&rsquo;t Tell policy.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Patrick Murphy is an outstanding leader who is dedicated to public service,&rdquo; Widener Law Commonwealth Dean Christian Johnson said. &ldquo;We congratulate Patrick on this honor and know that he will represent Widener Law Commonwealth, the U.S. Army and the nation admirably in this role.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>If confirmed, Murphy will replace Erik Fanning who has served as acting under secretary since June. In this capacity, Murphy will be responsible for the Army\'s budget, diversity in the ranks, business transformation and energy efficiency initiatives.</p>\r\n<p>After serving in Congress, Murphy became a partner with the national law firm Fox Rothschild, LLP, serving as general counsel for small businesses, including several that are veteran-owned. He also serves as the anchor of <em>Taking the Hill</em>, the MSNBC show dedicated to leadership, public service and breaking down the civil-military divide in the country. In addition, he is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans.</p>\r\n<p>Murphy served in the Army from 1993 to 2004. After September 11, 2001, he volunteered for deployment, serving in Bosnia in 2002 and in Baghdad during the Iraq War. While in Baghdad, he was a captain in the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne Division and earned a Bronze Star. He penned an autobiography about his life and experiences titled <em>Taking the Hill: From Philly to Bagdad to the United States Congress</em> which was published by Henry Holt and Company in 2008.</p>\r\n<p>An active alumnus, Murphy has served as an adjunct professor for the Widener Law Commonwealth and as a member of the law school&rsquo;s National Advisory Committee since 2007. He was the speaker for the 2009 commencement ceremony, during which he received an honorary doctor of law degree. As a law student, Murphy participated in the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic and helped to revive the Widener chapter of the St. Thomas More Society, a national organization of Catholic lawyers dedicated to public service.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1746, 'Widener Law Commonwealth Students Begin Journey to Becoming Lawyers', '2015-08-12', '<p>First year Widener University Commonwealth Law School student Cassie Semler wants to focus on advocacy, especially prisoner reform. Her husband, Tyler, has a passion for environmental issues. The husband and wife team chose to attend Widener Law Commonwealth after graduating from the University of West Virginia for the same reason &ndash; the school&rsquo;s focus on the common good.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It seemed like the right fit for us,&rdquo; said Cassie at Monday&rsquo;s Welcome to the Profession event, kicking off the 2015-16 academic year.&nbsp; The school welcomed 75 new students from nine different states and Jamaica. They hold degrees from 49 different colleges and universities and range in age from 21 to 40.</p>\r\n<p><img style=\"float: right;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/large_welcometoprofessioncropped.jpg\" alt=\"Dean Johnson speaking at 2015 Welcome to the Profession event.\" width=\"500\" height=\"239\" />&ldquo;The word &lsquo;commonwealth&rsquo; in our name was chosen carefully. The name is symbolic of our historical connection with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,&rdquo; Dean Christian Johnson said.&nbsp; &ldquo;The word commonwealth is probably even more important because its historical meaning connotes individuals coming together for the common good of society. At Widener Law Commonwealth, students, faculty, staff, and alumni all come together united in serving the common good of our local community, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States of America.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Eric Kniskern, director of admissions for the school, said he has a really good feeling about this class. &ldquo;The vibe is extraordinarily positive,&rdquo; Kniskern said. &ldquo;They are all very excited about what&rsquo;s coming.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Alumna Rachel Hadrick &rsquo;13, an associate with the Harrisburg-based law firm of McNees Wallace and Nurick, LLC, welcomed the class and imparted words of wisdom to the eager students. One of the most important suggestions was to take advantage of the opportunities the school has to offer.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I took every opportunity that was presented to me,&rdquo; Hadrick said &ldquo;The more opportunities you take, the more opportunities that will be presented to you in the future.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The Hon. Susan E. Schwab, U.S. magistrate judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and a graduate of the first class of the school in 1992, administered the Affirmation of Professionalism to the class, and spoke about her own experiences as a law student at Widener. She pointed out several faculty members in the audience who were her professors as a student.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;When you graduate, you will leave this place feeling connected to the people in this room,&rdquo; Judge Schwab said, &ldquo;and you will be better lawyers for having known them.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<h5>Event Photos</h5>\r\n<p><a title=\"2015/08 Welcome to the Profession\" href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157656668686548\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img src=\"https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/20283420608_f69464633d_z.jpg\" alt=\"2015/08 Welcome to the Profession\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a></p>\r\n<p>\r\n<script src=\"//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js\"></script>\r\n</p>', '', NULL, 'From Commonwealth to Common Good', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1747, 'Professor speaks at ABA Homeland Law Security Institute', '2015-09-16', '<p>In August, Professor Jill E. Family, Director of the Law and Government Institute at Widener Law Commonwealth, participated on a panel at the American Bar Association&rsquo;s Homeland Security Institute held in Washington D.C.</p>\r\n<p>The panel focused on President Obama&rsquo;s immigration initiatives. Specifically, Family spoke about the litigation over President Obama&rsquo;s proposal to exercise his prosecutorial discretion to grant a temporary reprieve from deportation to parents of American citizen children.</p>\r\n<p>Family, with several other attorneys and advocates, discussed the debate over the President&rsquo;s immigration proposal and what the public should expect as the administration enters its final year.</p>\r\n<p>Click <a href=\"http://www.c-span.org/video/?327824-4/us-immigration-agenda\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to view the full panel that was broadcast on CSPAN.</p>', '', NULL, 'The Future of Immigration', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1748, 'A New Dean For A New Day', '2015-09-17', '<p>On July 1, Dean Christian Johnson&rsquo;s first day on the job, the name Widener University Commonwealth Law School became official and its administration separated from the Delaware-based campus (now known as the Widener University Delaware Law School).</p>\r\n<p>A native of Utah, Johnson, 54, earned bachelor&rsquo;s and master&rsquo;s degrees in accounting from the University of Utah. He worked as a CPA for Price Waterhouse before attending Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and executive editor of the <em>Columbia Law Review</em>. After graduating from Columbia in 1990, he worked as an associate for law firms in New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago, focusing primarily on tax law, finance, bank lending, and derivatives.</p>\r\n<p>He began his teaching career in Chicago at Loyola University School of Law in 1995. As a member of the faculty at Loyola, he rose through the ranks to professor, and served as faculty director of the Corporate Law Center. After 13 years at Loyola, Johnson returned to his home state for a professorship at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law, where he was named the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law.</p>\r\n<p>Johnson is a frequent commentator, consultant, and scholar focusing primarily on over-the-counter derivatives and global capital markets. He has coauthored five books and written more than three dozen articles on the derivative and repo capital markets and central banks. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on OTC derivative reforms and made presen&shy;tations to the staffs at the U.S. Commodity Future Trading Commission and the National Futures Association. In addition, Johnson has spoken and lectured at such institutions as the International Monetary Fund, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the London School of Economics, and the University of Oxford. His speeches on capital markets have taken him to Australia, the Caribbean, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Singapore, Sweden, and throughout Europe.</p>\r\n<p><img style=\"float: right;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/medium_dean-qa-civitas.jpg\" alt=\"Dean Civitas\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" /></p>\r\n<p><strong><u>Question and Answer</u></strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>What is your highest priority as the new dean? </strong></p>\r\n<p>To continue to support and sustain the student-focused emphasis and environment at the law school while gradually and thoughtfully increasing student enrollment. We have an extraordinary record of placing teaching and student concerns first and that will continue to be the top priority.</p>\r\n<p><strong>What is a new initiative you plan to introduce? </strong></p>\r\n<p>We are very excited about a new online mentoring program for students that we will introduce this fall. It will enable our students to connect with alumni not only here in Harrisburg, but across the country. The new system will allow students to search for mentors based on the location of our participating alumni. It will also provide a concrete opportunity for alumni to help mentor students with career counsel and guidance.</p>\r\n<p><strong>What motivated you to develop an expertise in financial markets? </strong></p>\r\n<p>I have been fascinated since college by the ability of investment banks to raise billions of dollars through the under&shy;writing of stocks and bonds, derivatives, and repos. These transactions require extensive legal documentation and analysis. After law school, I worked on Wall Street where I was a first-year associate helping to analyze the tax consequences of very large debt offerings. In Chicago, I worked in the LaSalle Street &ldquo;canyon&rdquo; where I was an associate working on bank lending and on over-the-counter derivatives. As a law professor, I have had an opportunity to write about the documentation of these financial market transactions and speak before Congress and across the globe. I look forward to sharing what I&rsquo;ve learned about financial markets in Harrisburg and involving our students in these issues.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Tell us about your move to Harrisburg. </strong></p>\r\n<p>My wife, 16-year-old son, and I are very excited to come to Harrisburg. We live in Lower Paxton Township, about 10 minutes from the law school, which I guess makes me an East Shore person. We hope to host many law school events for both alumni and the school at our home. I also have a daughter who is starting college in Utah and an older daughter and son-in-law who have three wonderful children. I was excited to see that there is a tennis court on the law school campus.</p>\r\n<p><strong>What&rsquo;s a favorite book and why? </strong></p>\r\n<p>One of my favorites is a small book by Jerzy Kosinski entitled <em>Being There </em>that was also made into a movie starring Peter Sellers, a favorite actor of mine. Besides being wonderfully entertaining, the book is a sophisticated satire on the role of television and the media in modern society. I am also a business junkie and regularly read the latest accounts of business misadventures, one of the best books probably being <em>When Genius Failed</em>, a story about the failure of Long- Term Capital Management hedge fund. Michael Lewis, Roger Lowenstein, and Paul Erdman (who writes fiction) are also favorite authors.</p>\r\n<p><strong>What do you like to do when you are not working? </strong></p>\r\n<p>My wife and I very much enjoy driving through the countryside and learning about the area. I am sure Harrisburg and the surrounding region will keep us busy visiting all of the historical sites and beautiful scenery. We look forward to sampling all types of local cuisine in the region.</p>\r\n<p>We also enjoy participating in commu&shy;nity organizations. Last year, my wife was the PTA president for my son&rsquo;s school and I was the faithful secretary. We also stay busy serving in our local church congregation and in the local community. I am sure that my new position at the law school will open up more opportunities for us to get involved.</p>', '', NULL, 'Question and Answer with Dean Johnson', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1749, 'Professor Publishes Property Law Textbook', '2015-09-18', '<p>Professor <a href=\"ipl://35//WyIxNiJd\">Anna Hemingway</a> and University of Toledo Law School Dean, D. Benjamin Barros have co-authored a book that provides students with a creative approach to presenting the major topics included in a first-year property course.</p>\r\n<p>The book, <em>Property Law,</em> presents concepts simply and builds the complexity of the material as students work through the publication. Also included in the text is a unique presentation of sidebars, illustrations and other creative designs to present material clearly.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We designed the book based on learning objectives. The book provides extensive context for students to help them grasp the material on their own, and then build upon their knowledge in the classroom&rdquo; Hemingway said. &ldquo;The feedback from the book has been overwhelmingly positive. Students stop me in the hall to tell me it is their favorite case book.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Included in the publication are problems and exercises that students can complete on their own and sample documents to help them understand core concepts.</p>\r\n<p>The book has been adopted by several law professors to be used as their 1L property course case book.</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1750, 'A Life or Death Case – With a Law Student by Her Side', '2015-09-18', '<p><strong>By Sam Starnes</strong></p>\r\n<p>The timid, young African woman in the yellow prison garb facing immediate deportation from the United States looked like a teenager. &ldquo;She was terrified,&rdquo; said Marissa Mowery, then a second-year law student on a class visit to observe federal immigration hearings. &ldquo;It was clear that she could have benefited from help.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Mowery was in Widener Law Commonwealth Professor Jill E. Family&rsquo;s immigration law survey course when she saw the young woman appear before the immigration court judge. &ldquo;She really made an impression on our class,&rdquo; said Mowery, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Grove City College north of Pittsburgh.</p>\r\n<p>The young woman had escaped her home country after facing a life-threating situation involving a militant terrorist organization (the specific details of her story are being withheld to ensure her safety). She fled to South America, found her way to the U.S. border in Mexico where she presented her identification and asked for help. She was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency more commonly known as ICE.</p>\r\n<p>When Mowery first saw her on the class trip in November 2013, the young woman was being held behind bars in the York County Prison in Pennsylvania, awaiting a decision on whether she would get the opportunity for a political asylum hearing to stay in the United States or be sent back to her home country.</p>\r\n<p>The judge granted her right to a hearing that day. Mowery assumed she would never see her again.</p>\r\n<p>Mowery, an undergraduate Spanish major who before coming to law school in fall 2012 had taught English in the Dominican Republic, was cultivating an interest in immigration law. With Family&rsquo;s help, she started an internship the following semester in 2014 with the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) based in York.</p>\r\n<p>Family, a faculty member in Harrisburg for ten years who now directs the school&rsquo;s Law and Government Institute, is renown for her immigration law expertise. In March, she testified on Capitol Hill regarding immigration policy before a U.S. Senate subcom&shy;mittee. She also shares her insight on immigration law with her students, regularly taking classes to observe immigration court hearings. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so hard to get a sense of a hearing unless you see it,&rdquo; said Family, who served as a board member for PIRC.</p>\r\n<p>The nonprofit agency based in York provides legal advocacy to immigrants fleeing persecution, to those challenged by mental health diagnoses, and to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The agency, which has 11 staff members, attorneys, provides legal orientation and education to thousands of detained immigrants, and handles immigration cases. &ldquo;Our mission is to provide access to justice for vulnerable immigrants,&rdquo; said Mary Weaver, executive director of PIRC. Widener Law Commonwealth students from Harris&shy;burg frequently fulfill internships with PIRC.</p>\r\n<p>The agency offered Mowery the opportu&shy;nity to assist with a political asylum hearing. She jumped at the opportunity, not knowing whose case she would handle. She was in for a surprise. &ldquo;She came walking in the door and it was the same girl we had seen,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>Mowery began meeting with the young woman in the York County Prison, prepar&shy;ing to represent her in an asylum hearing scheduled for February 2014. &ldquo;A lot of it at first was basically establishing rapport,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>She took a detailed statement from the client and worked with PIRC staff to write a brief for the court. The young woman, who is in her early twenties, faced serious danger if she lost her asylum case and was returned to her African home. &ldquo;ICE detainees can be immediately deported,&rdquo; Mowery said. &ldquo;She could have been deported because she didn&rsquo;t have the means to be here.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Mowery said the young woman&rsquo;s case fits an insightful description of immigration cases she has heard: &ldquo;Every immigration case is like a death penalty case with the resources of traffic court.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Mowery helped her prepare for the polit&shy;ical asylum hearing, going over the details of her life and making sure there were no incon&shy;sistencies, a red flag for ICE attorneys. &ldquo;Her story was complete&mdash;and it was horrific,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>The hearing lasted 45 minutes, with the judge, Mowery, and the young woman exploring in detail her request for political asylum. &ldquo;It was the scariest thing I&rsquo;ve ever done,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>At the end, the judge granted the young woman political asylum in the United States. &ldquo;I was thrilled,&rdquo; Mowery said. &ldquo;I had put so much time and worry into this young woman&rsquo;s case.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The young woman was released that day. PIRC had arranged for a host family for her, and Mowery picked her up at the jail and drove her to the new home. &ldquo;She was in shock a little bit,&rdquo; Mowery said. &ldquo;She kept saying, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t believe I&rsquo;m sitting in this car with you.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Mowery, who later worked in the summer and then on a part-time basis at PIRC, remained in touch with the young woman. The young woman is trying to build a life in America and also trying to reconnect with family who are scattered in refugee camps. &ldquo;It was amazing to see the process all the way through,&rdquo; Mowery said.</p>\r\n<p>Mowery graduated with her juris doctorate in May and has relocated to San Diego with her husband, a Navy doctor. In July, she started a position with the American Bar Association&rsquo;s Immigration Justice Project.</p>\r\n<p>She plans on taking the bar in California and, inspired by her experience with the young woman and her coursework, hopes to work in immigration law, a field she finds to be very fulfilling.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;You can make a huge impact on some&shy;body&rsquo;s life,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It has global impact.&rdquo;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/wideneryork_immigration108resized.jpg', NULL, 'Harrisburg Law Student Aids Woman Facing Deportation in Dangerous Political Asylum Case', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1751, 'Clinic a &quot;Godsend&quot; in Grandparent Custody Case', '2015-09-18', '<p><strong>Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s Civil Law Clinics have been assisting Dauphin County residents and providing students with experience for more than two decades.</strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>By Sam Starnes</strong></p>\r\n<p>Faye Youmans didn&rsquo;t know where to turn.</p>\r\n<p>She wanted to file the legal paperwork to win custody of her 13-year-old grandson from a troubled daughter, but the attorneys she called were too expensive. &ldquo;One attorney wanted $1,000 up front just for paperwork, and then $95 an hour,&rdquo; said Youmans, a Halifax, Pennsylvania, resident who works in bill collection. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t afford that.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>She worried about her grandson who had come to live with her being forced to return to a threatening environment of drug abuse he&rsquo;d survived while living with his mother. &ldquo;He came to me in 2013,&rdquo; Youmans said of an arrangement that initially was supposed to be only a few weeks. &ldquo;He didn&rsquo;t want to go back home. He told us about things that would make you cry.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Without custody, she could not get health insurance for him, enroll him in school, and tend to other matters that required a legal guardian.</p>\r\n<p>She also worried about her daughter coming to reclaim her son and insisting on taking him back into a perilous environ&shy;ment against his will. At one point Youmans considered taking her grandson and hiding him from her daughter. &ldquo;I wanted to protect my grandson any way I could,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>Instead of running away, however, she found the Central Pennsylvania Law Clinics, staffed by Harrisburg law students and faculty. Two students and a supervising attorney handled her case pro bono, helping her win full custody of her grandson. &ldquo;They were a godsend,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They have no idea what they did for us.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p><strong>More than Two Decades of Service</strong></p>\r\n<p>The Central Pennsylvania Civil Law Clinics, founded in 1991 by J. Palmer Lockard, an associate clinical professor who continues to direct the program, until recently were known collectively as the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic. The clinics now consist of the Administrative Law Clinic, the Consumer Law Clinic, the Elder Law Clinic, and the Family Justice Clinic. The clinics serve two main purposes: providing free legal services to residents of Dauphin County in need of representation in civil cases and giving law students hands-on training and experience.</p>\r\n<p>Alexis Miloszewski, a 2008 graduate of Widener Law Harrisburg, said her experience as a student working in the clinic helped her to choose a career in family law. &ldquo;I was exposed to various areas of law, and I had an opportunity to get a sense of what I enjoyed,&rdquo; said Miloszewski, now a family law attorney for JSDC Law Offices in Hummelstown, near Hershey.</p>\r\n<p>She said her practical experience in the clinic gave her confidence when she began her career. &ldquo;When I started in a small firm, it was sink or swim,&rdquo; Miloszewski said. &ldquo;I already had experience handling cases at the clinic. It relieved my anxiety. That experience was invaluable.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Miloszewski said she also found the mission of helping those who could not afford legal services very rewarding. She said she often refers prospective clients who can&rsquo;t afford legal fees to the clinics. &ldquo;I know that they will be well represented,&rdquo; she said.</p>\r\n<p>Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeannine Turgeon, managing judge for Dauphin County&rsquo;s Family Law Court, said that about 80 percent of custody cases in her court involve people who don&rsquo;t have legal representation. The clinics, she said, help to offset this high number of unrepresented litigants. &ldquo;They provide a great service,&rdquo; said Turgeon, who also teaches at Widener Law Commonwealth as an adjunct faculty member. &ldquo;Their work is very important. It&rsquo;s certainly essential for us to meet the needs of those who can&rsquo;t afford attorneys.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p><strong>Grandparent Custody Cases</strong></p>\r\n<p>The Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging and MidPenn Legal Services often refers those in need of legal services to the clinics. In the past year, the clinics have handled five cases involving grandparents seeking full custody of grandchildren. &ldquo;The need is there to help indigent clients with as many custody cases as we can,&rdquo; said Mary Catherine Scott, a supervising attorney for the clinics who also teaches as an adjunct faculty member. &ldquo;Grandparent cases are a rarity, but very rewarding to students when we can assist them.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Two law students who graduated in May 2015&mdash;Johelys Cecala of Frederick, Maryland, and Kosta Patsiopoulos of Harrisburg&mdash;helped Youmans file her request for custody and present it in the Dauphin County Family Law Court.</p>\r\n<p>The case began with Cecala, who met with Youmans in the fall 2014 semester and began preparing her paperwork. &ldquo;She really wanted to do this for her grandson,&rdquo; Cecala said. &ldquo;She wanted to give him a better life.&rdquo;<img style=\"float: right;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/medium_youmansresized.jpg\" alt=\"youmans\" width=\"170\" height=\"200\" /></p>\r\n<p>She worked with Youmans until the case carried over to the spring semester, where it was picked up by Patsiopoulos. &ldquo;It was my first case,&rdquo; Patsiopoulos said. &ldquo;I realized how important this was&mdash;this is dealing with a young child that has been brought up in unimaginable circumstances.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>He read through the inch-thick file, met with Youmans, and then successfully presented Youman&rsquo;s request for custody before a judge. &ldquo;It was an eye-opening experience,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can read so much about a case, but you see the human emotion in person.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Youmans was thrilled with the full custody result Patsiopoulos and Cecala achieved for her and her grandson in March. Her grandson now lives with her without fear of having to leave. He is enrolled in middle school and enjoys playing soccer, going fishing, and working on cars with his uncle, especially a 1995 Chevy S-10 pickup that they have been restoring. He also plays with his younger cousins who live next door to him and his grandmother.</p>\r\n<p>Youmans shudders at what might have happened to him had she not found the clinics. &ldquo;If I had to pay a regular lawyer, I could not have done it,&rdquo; she said.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/lawclinic.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1752, 'Student Chosen to Participate in Prestigious ABA Diversity Clerkship', '2015-10-05', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img src=\"irl://660//medium_\" alt=\"Ruby Liu and Juliet Moringiello\" height=\"200\" width=\"150\" />Zhao &ldquo;Ruby&rdquo; Liu, a 3L at Widener Law Commonwealth, was chosen for one of only nine highly-sought after spots for the Diversity Clerkship offered by the ABA Business Law Section. Liu is a student in the law school&rsquo;s Business Advising Certificate Program.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Liu was selected to participate in the Diversity Clerkship Program, and assigned to work over the summer under Vice Chancellor Donald Parsons in the Delaware Court of Chancery, the nation&rsquo;s preeminent business court.. Participants receive mentoring and guidance in the business law field and exposure to all types of business law that they may not see in the classroom.</p>\r\n<p>Liu said one of the main things she learned from her clerkship was the amount of attention and detail that must paid when writing and reading legal documents.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It is important to know how much to write and how much detail to include,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;You need to be careful about every word and look at it through the chancellor&rsquo;s eyes. I learned to really look at the detail and how things are written.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>As a participant in the Diversity Clerkship Program, Liu was invited to attend the ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting that was held in Chicago this year, which allowed her to participate in networking opportunities and substantive committee meetings.</p>\r\n<p>Liu said her clerkship and the experience at the conference really drove home the importance for students to be involved in professional organizations and to really get out into the market to learn more about professional opportunities.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Juliet Moringiello, of Widener Law Commonwealth, a long-time leader in the ABA Business Law Section, also attended the Section Meeting and had strongly encouraged Liu to apply for the Diversity Clerkship.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The Business Law Section members are eager to get the students involved and leadership feels very strongly about getting law students engaged in Section activities because such involvement provides tremendous professional development opportunities,&rdquo; said Moringiello.</p>\r\n<p>Events at the annual meeting included a speed networking event and a panel that addressed the topic of how young lawyers can balance their work and professional lives. This topic was especially interesting to Liu, who owns a business and is the primary financial support of her family.</p>', '', '', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1753, 'Widener Law Commonwealth Hosts Two Days of Judicial Debates', '2015-10-19', '<p>Widener Law Commonwealth was the proud host of two days of debates between candidates for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and also the Superior and Commonwealth Courts.</p>\r\n<p>All seven of the candidates vying for the three open seats on the PA Supreme Court, the highest court in the state, answered questions on hot topics ranging from current and past scandals to campaign funding and ethics. Three seats are open on the PA Supreme Court, with two of the seats open because the judges left in disgrace.</p>\r\n<p>The candidates were questioned over 90-mintes by a panel of three journalists, and moderated by Lynn Marks, of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts.</p>\r\n<p>On the second day of debates three candidates for the PA Superior Court and Commonwealth Court were asked questions by a three journalists and several Widener law Commonwealth students.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Democratic nominee for the Commonwealth Court, Michael Wojcik, was not able to attend the forum due to scheduling conflict. There is one seat open on both the PA Superior Court and the Commonwealth Court.</p>\r\n<p>The candidates answered questions pertaining to various topics including campaign funding conflicts, politics in the courtroom and ethics.</p>\r\n<p>Click <a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157659937977591\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to view pictures from the PA Supreme Court Debate.</p>\r\n<p>Click <a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157659520149660\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to view pictures from the PA Appellate Court Debate.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/debate29.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1754, 'Professor from Madrid visits Widener Law Commonwealth', '2015-11-05', '<p>Dr. Ana F. Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez, from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, is visiting Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s campus through the end of the semester.&nbsp; A professor since 1992 in several universities and currently at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos since 1998, Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez, who lives in Madrid, Spain, will be working on her stock market research and hopes to do some teaching while here.</p>\r\n<p>Along with her teaching duties at the university in Spain, Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez also collaborates with law firms and provides opinions in the area of company law and the stock market.</p>\r\n<p>During her time on campus, Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez hopes to learn more about how the American higher education is structured.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited to be here and have the chance to interact with students and professors to learn how the American (education) system works,&rdquo; Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez said. &ldquo;Because it is a smaller campus it is a perfect opportunity to get in touch and to be involved.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Also, while here she plans to do research about stock market issues, in particular in REPO agreements, an area of knowledge in which Dean Christian Johnson has recently published a book.</p>\r\n<p>Also her plan includes in short time research how the American Stock Market could be a model to improve the European <a href=\"http://ec.europa.eu/finance/capital-markets-union/index_en.htm\">Capital Market Union</a> (CMU) Currently, she has organized a group of individuals in Europe from different fields to analyze how a CMU may benefit the economy and make it stronger. Her hope is to also organize a similar team of individuals in America to exchange ideas and thoughts with the European counterpart of professionals.</p>\r\n<p>Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez believes that a CMU would be beneficial for European markets, but there may be hesitancy to change how the market has been run historically. She emphasizes that in everything balance is the key.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I like to think of it like a tree. For a tree to live you need the balance between the roots, the trunk and the leaves&rdquo; said Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez. &ldquo;If the roots get to be too large, you can fall out of balance. In general, in Europe may be resistant to the change because they have such large roots in tradition.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Originally from La Mancha, an area in central Spain, Mu&ntilde;oz P&eacute;rez has four children and lives in Madrid with her husband. She hopes to enjoy some traveling while she is here and has plans to hike the mountains around the area and visit large surrounding cities as Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/munoz-perez.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1755, 'Vince DeLiberato honored at Evening at the Capitol', '2015-11-19', '<p>This year Widener Law Commonwealth honored Vince DeLiberato, director of the Legislative Reference Bureau at the annual Evening at the Capitol. DeLiberato, who also serves as an adjunct faculty member for the law school, earned the Government Leadership Award for his dedication to students who wish to pursue a career in state government. The award, which was presented by Rep. Ron Marsico &ndash; R, was the first of its kind to ever be given.</p>\r\n<p>Each year the annual Evening at the Capitol event brings students, faculty, alumni and friends together for a night of networking and conversation.</p>\r\n<p>Dean Christian Johnson thanked DeLiberato for his dedication to helping Widener Law Commonwealth students study for the Bar, as well as for the excellent job he does when teaching the legislative drafting courses that are an important for students seeking the certificate in Law and Government from the school.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We are very thankful for all of the help and guidance that Vince provides to our students,&rdquo; Dean Johnson said. &ldquo;He dedicates his own time and resources to helping our students succeed and we see the results of that by looking at our graduates who have gone on to successful jobs in government.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<h5>Event Photos</h5>\r\n<p><a title=\"2015/11  Evening at the Capital\" href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157659084576864\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img src=\"https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5742/22731665848_d6ca18d8c1_z.jpg\" alt=\"2015/11  Evening at the Capital\" width=\"640\" height=\"424\" /></a></p>\r\n<script src=\"//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js\"></script>', '{staticroot}files/modules/night5.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1756, 'Professor and Scholar in Residence attend UN Climate Conference', '2015-12-09', '<p>Professor John Dernbach and Scholar in Residence Don Brown attended the UN Climate Talks in Paris, France held November 30 - December 11, 2015. Both Dernbach and Brown presented research and moderated discussions that were held at the event.</p>\r\n<p>Presented at the conference was research that was conducted in conjunction with the University of Auckland and Widener Law Commonwealth which concluded that when most nations have formulated national climate change policies not only the nations, but also the NGOs and media in most nations, have failed to seriously consider the equity, ethical, and justice considerations that should guide national climate change policy.</p>\r\n<p>The \"lessons learned\" from this research are the basis for 21 recommendations on how national climate commitments under the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change should be reformed. The project\'s \'lessons learned\" and \"recommendations\"&nbsp;are&nbsp;summarized on Brown&rsquo;s blog <a href=\"http://ethicsandclimte.org/\">ethicsandclimate.org</a>.</p>\r\n<p>The reports on the 26 countries involved in the research, as well as the \"lessons learned\" and \"recommendations\'&nbsp;can also be found on the project website <a href=\"http://nationalclimatejustice.org/\">nationalclimatejustice.org. <br /> </a></p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/paris-climate-change-conference.png', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1757, 'Law student wins writing contest', '2015-12-09', '<p>Marc Prokopchak, a third year law student, from Elizabethtown, Pa. won the Texas A&amp;M Journal of Property Law 2015 National Writing Contest Student Edition.</p>\r\n<p>His submission titled &ldquo;Renewing Respect for Record Notice: Cleaning up the Pennsylvania Title Wash&rdquo; was the winning entry and will be published in the Texas A&amp;M Journal of Property Law.</p>\r\n<p>Prokopchak became interested in the topic when he was interning at the US Middle District Court for Chief Judge Christopher Conner and a case with a quiet title action raised a title wash argument. &ldquo;The concept immediately grabbed my interest because it is so peculiar and also seems anathema to modern property law concepts,&rdquo; Prokopchak said.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/marc2.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1758, 'Alumnus confirmed as under secretary of the US Army', '2015-12-22', '<p>Patrick Murphy, 1999 alumnus of Widener Law Commonwealth, was confirmed as under secretary of the Army. The nomination was confirmed by a voice vote of the Senate late Friday and is the second-highest ranking civilian leader position.</p>\r\n<p>Murphy, 42, was nominated by President Barack Obama in August for the under secretary position, which is responsible for the Army&rsquo;s budget, diversity in the ranks, business transformation and energy efficiency initiatives. Murphy will replace Eric Fanning who has served as acting under secretary since June.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Patrick Murphy is an exemplary leader, and he will do an outstanding job in his new role as under secretary,&rdquo; Widener Law Commonwealth Dean Christian Johnson, said. &ldquo;We are very proud of his accomplishments and the leadership he has displayed as an alum, a veteran and in his civic roles. He will have great success in his new appointment as under secretary of the U.S. Army.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy was the first veteran from the second Iraq war to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 8<sup>th</sup> Congressional District for two terms from 2007-2011. During his time in congress, he was the author and chief sponsor of the bill to repeal the Department of Defense&rsquo;s Don&rsquo;t Ask Don&rsquo;t Tell Policy. After 2011, Murphy became a partner with the national law firm Fox Rothschild LLP, serving as general counsel for small businesses, including several that are veteran-owned. He also served as an anchor on the former MSNBC show, <em>Taking the Hill.</em></p>\r\n<p>His military resume includes service from 1993 to 2004, when after the events of September 11, 2001 he volunteered for deployment, serving in Bosnia in 2002 and Baghdad during the second Iraq War. Murphy earned a bronze star for his service while in Baghdad <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">serving</span> as Captain in the 82<sup>nd</sup> Airborne Division.</p>\r\n<p>As an alumnus, Murphy has been an adjunct professor for the Widener University Commonwealth Law School and has served on the law school&rsquo;s National Advisory Committee from 2007 to 2015.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/patrick-murphy-commencement.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1759, 'Widener Law Commonwealth faculty and staff ring in the holidays ', '2015-12-22', '<p>We all know that familiar sound of the bell ringing can only mean one thing. The holidays are here. And members of our faculty and staff made sure to spread holiday cheer as they raised money for local families ringing the bell for The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region.</p>\r\n<p>This year our bell ringers raised $1,335.09 in The Salvation Army kettle. The funds raised roughly translate into 534 hot breakfasts for people or a new set of school clothes for 66 kids. All of the funds raised will stay local to help families of the mid-state.</p>\r\n<p>Ten members of the law school&rsquo;s faculty and staff helped to raise the funds that can be applied to numerous programs provided by The Salvation Army, which include food subsistence, educational programs for children, toys at Christmas and services for the elderly. Last year the organization helped more than 22,236 people.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Christopher Robinette has served on the advisory board of The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region for more than 10 years, including two years as the chair.</p>\r\n<p>Bell Ringers from our faculty and staff for the 2015 season are: Pat Fox, Karen Durkin, Mike Dimino, Tiffany Depaoli, Sandy Graeff, Juliet Moringiello, Anna Hemingway, Palmer Lockard, Amanda Smith, and Chris Robinette.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/anna-hemmingway.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1760, 'Faculty to Participate at Annual AALS Meeting', '2016-01-04', '<p>The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) will hold the 2016 Annual Meeting in New York City in January. Several members of the Widener Law Commonwealth faculty will be presenting, moderating discussions or have helped to organize sessions at the meeting.</p>\r\n<p>This year the following faculty will be participating in the annual meeting:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Associate Professor Anna Hemingway will be part of a panel presentation titled \"Impossible Realities,&nbsp;Infinite Loops and Movable Staircases: &nbsp;The Impact of Institutional Marginalization on the Tricky, Unpredictable, and Inconsistent Trajectory of the Non-Tenured Track Career.\" &nbsp;The presentation is part of the new ARC of Career Programs at this year\'s meeting. She will be discussing the different professional development needs of professors&nbsp;at different stages of their careers.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Professor Jill Family, Director of the Law and Government Center, organized the panel &ldquo;Is Immigration Law Administrative Law.&rdquo; Professor Family will also be moderating the panel that will be held on January 7. The panel will focus on the most recent executive actions of President Obama to establish a process for certain immigrant populations to apply for deferred action and the legal challenges of those actions that has renewed interest in the intersection of immigration law and administrative law.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Professor Christopher Robinette acted as the chair elect of the Torts and Compensation Systems section of the event.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Professor John Capowski served as chair of the American Association of Law School\'s Evidence Section, organized and will moderate for the section\'s AALS annual meeting program.&nbsp; At the annual meeting, he will&nbsp;host a joint luncheon of the Evidence and Criminal Justice Sections. The Evidence Section\'s program will focus on reform of the hearsay rule and its exceptions.&nbsp; While the&nbsp;rule against admitting hearsay and the hearsay exceptions have been evolving for hundreds of years,&nbsp;the area is one of continuing controversy.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>For more information about the AALS Annual Meeting and presentations please click here: <a href=\"https://www.aals.org/am2016/\">https://www.aals.org/am2016/</a></p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '', NULL, '110th Annual Meeting of AALS', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1761, 'Getting to Know Us: Meet the Team', '2015-12-28', '<p>One of the many strengths of Widener Law Commonwealth is the amazing faculty and staff who are dedicated to the education of our students in and out of the classroom. After officially becoming Widener Law Commonwealth in July 2015, we added a few new members to our Widener team and want to get to know them a little better.</p>\r\n<p>For the first installment, we turned the tables and interviewed Julie Massing, who serves as the law school&rsquo;s Communications Manager. Massing joined the Widener Law Commonwealth team in September.&nbsp; Originally from Edinboro, Massing received a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in English Writing and a master&rsquo;s degree in Communications Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.</p>\r\n<div><img style=\"float: right;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/massingjulienews.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></div>\r\n<h5>TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR JOB AT WIDENER LAW COMMONWEALTH.</h5>\r\n<p>I am responsible for the public and media relations at the school, as well as the creation and management of social media posts. Part of my job is to also work with faculty and staff to&nbsp;find the news stories on campus and promote them to our local and national media contacts. I also help oversee the law school&rsquo;s website, including posting news and events.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<h5>WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WORKING AT WIDENER LAW COMMONWEALTH?</h5>\r\n<p>I love all of the people I have met! Everybody has been so nice, and willing to help with any questions that I have when I am developing stories, social media posts and media pitches. I also enjoy the fact that there are so many different aspects to my job that there is always something fun and interesting to do or write about.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<h5>DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MUSICIAN OR BAND?</h5>\r\n<p>Chris Cornell</p>\r\n<h5>WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?</h5>\r\n<p>I am currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman.</p>\r\n<h5>TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR HOBBIES.</h5>\r\n<p>I&rsquo;ve been riding horses since I was about six, and currently compete in low level dressage and trail ride all over the state with my Percheron mare, Rosie. &nbsp;My other passion is music, and I love to attend concerts and music festivals.</p>\r\n<h5>SHARE ONE FUN FACT ABOUT YOURSELF WITH US.</h5>\r\n<p>I have competed at the PA Farm Show in the draft horse driving and riding competitions.</p>\r\n<p>We are thrilled to have Julie as part of our Widener team.</p>\r\n<p><a title=\"Rough Coat Photography\" href=\"http://roughcoatphoto.smugmug.com\" target=\"_blank\">Photo Credit</a></p>', '', NULL, 'Meet Julie Massing', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1762, 'Jurist in Residence gives final lecture', '2016-02-25', '<p>Jurist in Residence Hon. Mary H. Leavitt gave her last of three lectures as Jurist in Residence in January. She has served as the Jurist in Residence since January 2014 and will finish out her post in June.</p>\r\n<p>Her lecture in January focused on the unique aspects of appellate judging in Pennsylvania as compared to other states and the federal appellate system.</p>\r\n<p>Judge Leavitt also spoke about her personal experience as an appellate judge and said, &ldquo;The cases are much closer than I realized. I have described the judicial conference after a panel argument as a group of dedicated, hardworking, intelligent people arguing over whether the color teal is really the color blue or the color green - and there is no exact right answer. And, you would be amazed at how fired up people can get about these questions. Personally, I think teal is green.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Judge Leavitt was recently elected as the president judge of the Commonwealth Court.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/leavitt-pose-_65_robe_5x7.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1763, 'Alumnus sworn in as 32nd Under Secretary of the Army', '2016-02-29', '<p>The Honorable Patrick Murphy, 1999 alumnus of Widener Law Commonwealth, was sworn in as the 32<sup>nd</sup>&nbsp;Under Secretary of the U.S. Army. The position is the second-highest ranking civilian leadership position.</p>\r\n<p>In his comments at the ceremony, Murphy thanked his family, especially his parents, for all of their support and for being role models as he was growing up. He also noted that now is a very defining moment in our nation&rsquo;s history, and to be asked back to be on the leadership team of the Army is not only an incredible responsibility, but also an honor.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We are asking much of our soldiers,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;And, I am so grateful to be on the Army team and to do what I can to fight for them, because they are doing so much for all of us.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy, 42, was nominated in August by President Barack Obama for the Under Secretary position and confirmed in December.&nbsp; The position is responsible for the Army&rsquo;s budget, diversity in the ranks, business transformation and energy efficiency initiatives. Murphy replaces Eric Fanning, Acting Under Secretary since June.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The leadership and service that Patrick has given to the country is truly commendable, and we are proud to call him an alum,&rdquo; Dean Christian Johnson said. &ldquo;I know that Patrick will be an effective and transformative leader for the Army. We all look forward to watching his service unfold.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy was the first veteran from the second Iraq war to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 8<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;Congressional District for two terms from 2007-2011. During his time in Congress, he was the author and chief sponsor of the bill to repeal the Department of Defense&rsquo;s Don&rsquo;t Ask Don&rsquo;t Tell Policy. After 2011, Murphy became a partner with the national law firm Fox Rothschild LLP, serving as general counsel for small businesses, including several that are veteran-owned. He also served as an anchor on the former MSNBC show,&nbsp;<em>Taking the Hill.</em></p>\r\n<p>His military resume includes service from 1993 to 2004<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">,</span> when, after the events of September 11, 2001, he volunteered for deployment, serving in Bosnia and Baghdad. Murphy earned a bronze star for his service while in Baghdad, serving as Captain in the 82<sup>nd</sup>&nbsp;Airborne Division.</p>\r\n<p>As an alumnus, Murphy has been an adjunct professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and has served on the law school&rsquo;s National Advisory Committee from 2007 to 2015.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/under_secretary_of_the_army_patrick_murphy.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1764, 'Transaction Team Wins Regional Best Draft Award', '2016-03-01', '<p>The Widener Law Commonwealth Transactional LawMeets team returned to Harrisburg with an award for Best Draft at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Transactional LawMeet, held at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia, on February 26.</p>\r\n<p>The Transactional LawMeet is a live, interactive, educational competition designed to give law students a hands-on experience in developing and honing transactional lawyering skills.</p>\r\n<p><img src=\"irl://1311//\" alt=\"\" style=\"float: right;\" height=\"200\" width=\"283\" /></p>\r\n<p>This year, Widener Law Commonwealth 3Ls Bridget Hendrick, James Kane, Zhao (Ruby) Liu, and Nick Marinelli, &ldquo;represented&rdquo; an emerging technology company in a joint venture with a subsidiary of a large corporate conglomerate. All four students are in the Widener Commonwealth Business Advising Certificate Program.</p>\r\n<p>Twelve teams compete in each of the seven regional competitions, and each team was required to write and negotiate a Term Sheet for the deal. One team for each side in each region was recognized with a Best Draft Award.</p>\r\n<p>The other competitors in the Mid-Atlantic Regional LawMeet were teams from American University Washington College of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Duke University School of Law, New York Law School, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the University of Richmond School of Law, the University of Virginia Law School, Villanova University School of Law, Western New England University School of Law, and the Delaware Law School of Widener University.</p>\r\n<p>The University of Virginia won the Best Draft award for the opposing side. This is the second time in three years that a team from Widener Commonwealth was recognized for superior drafting.</p>\r\n<p>Widener University Commonwealth Law School is grateful for Mid Penn Bank&rsquo;s generous sponsorship of the Transactional LawMeets team. Rory Ritrievi (&rsquo;97), the President and CEO of Mid Penn Bank, is a member of the Advisory Board for Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s Business Advising Certificate Program.</p>\r\n<p>Top Photo from left: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Michael Hussey; Zhao (Ruby) Liu; James Kane; Prof. Juliet Moringiello; Nick Marinelli. Prof. Moringiello and Assoc. Dean Hussey served as the faculty advisers for the team.</p>\r\n<p>Bottom photo from left: Nick Marinelli; James Kane; Zhao (Ruby) Liu, members of the Transactional LawMeets team.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/transactional-teamcropped.jpg', '', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1765, 'Widener Law Commonwealth only law school in Pennsylvania to earn Top 20 ranking for Government Law', '2016-03-07', '<p>When <em>preLaw</em> magazine &ldquo;sought to identify law schools that do the best job of preparing students for careers in public service,&rdquo; Widener Law Commonwealth was the only school from Pennsylvania making the list of the nation&rsquo;s top 20 schools for government law.</p>\r\n<p>The magazine, a publication of the <em>National Jurist</em>, a leading news source about issues in legal education released the rankings in its winter issue. Widener Law Commonwealth placed 17<sup>th</sup> nationwide on the government list.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s rewarding that our 27-year history of offering superb legal education in the state capitol is being recognized,&rdquo; said Jill Family, a professor and director of the school&rsquo;s Law and Government Institute. &ldquo;Our commitment to excellence in government law is a foundation of the legal education we provide.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The list, which comes out every two years, is based on curriculum, employment placement, student debt, salary, and loan repayment assistance programs offered by the school.</p>\r\n<p>Widener Law Commonwealth received an A grade from the magazine in the employment category, which is based on the percentage of alumni who have landed jobs in government.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/national-jurist-logo.png', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1766, 'Widener Law Journal hosts annual symposium', '2016-03-09', '<p>Recently the Widener Law Journal held the annual Law Journal Symposium, <em>Ruling the Courts: The Future of Local Rules of Civil Procedure in Pennsylvania</em>. Each year, the Widener Law Journal chooses a timely topic for discussion at the Symposium, which serves as an opportunity for students to learn about real-world issues in the legal profession.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The program sought to bring stakeholders together to understand the history of the local county rules, their current role in Pennsylvania&rsquo;s unified judicial system, and to question whether local rules should remain a prominent feature,&rdquo; said Prof. Tonya Evans, who served as a faculty advisor for the Symposium.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>The all-day event featured a panel of legal academics, practitioners and government attorneys.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The Symposium provides legal professionals the opportunity to raise awareness about the chosen issue and hopefully, find a path for change, &ldquo;said Editor-in-Chief of the Widener Law Journal, Bridget Hendrick.</p>\r\n<p>The event also offers many benefits to students, including the opportunity to learn more about timely legal issues and the chance to network with practitioners and judges from different areas of the state.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The Widener Law Journal strives each year to choose a Symposium topic that is timely and contentious,&rdquo; said Hendrick. &ldquo;The Symposium provides an educational forum for students to become aware of current \"real world\" legal issues, and proposed solutions.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Prof. Jill Family, Director of the Law and Government Institute, added that one of the main take away messages this year was that procedure is important and fair procedure matter.</p>\r\n<p>\"The symposium highlighted an important message:&nbsp; that the transparency of rules is essential.&nbsp; If the rules are unknown or not known to all, the game is not fair,\" said Prof. Family</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/law-journal-photo.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1767, 'Law students visit maximum security prison as part of Legal Methods III class', '2016-03-14', '<p>Most law school students will learn about the incarceration process, but few actually get to experience it first hand and have an understanding from both an inmate and a guard&rsquo;s perspective. Prof. Amanda Smith wanted her Legal Methods III class to have the real-life experience and learn first-hand about inmates and correctional guards. &nbsp;So, she took them to prison.</p>\r\n<p>Seven students from the Legal Methods III class participated in a tour of the State Correctional Institution in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The prison visit dovetailed with an assignment that Prof. Smith gave to her students, which was to write a legal brief based on a hypothetical case they were working on in which a prison guard is their client. In the scenario, the prison guard is being sued by an inmate.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I got a sense that a lot of students went in to the tour feeling sympathetic to the inmate, said Prof. Smith. &ldquo;But in the case I gave them in class, the prison guard was their client. I think when they were finished with the tour their eyes were open to the correctional side and the dangers and risks that correctional officers take each day to keep the community safe.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>She added that the main purpose of the trip was to help students understand the views of both correctional guards and inmates and learn the importance of understanding all positions when representing clients.</p>\r\n<p>The SCI Camp Hill prison holds approximately 5,500 inmates and is a maximum security facility. Some of the inmates are permanent residents of the facility, while others are there for a short amount of time before being sent to their permanent prison location.</p>\r\n<p>The tour was conducted by Lt. Robert Williams and Unit Manager Chris Srebro. During the tour the students visited various building on the prison campus complex including the housing cell block, psychiatric unit, and the central processing area. While on the tour Williams and Srebro explained the many different tasks that are required by all of the prison personnel to make sure things run smoothly, including organizing individual inmate schedules every day.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;Having read many cases in which the term prison official and inmate are used frequently, the tour provided a human element to it,&rdquo; said Vipul Patel, a 3L law student. &ldquo;Between the stories of keeping the community safe, and stories told by the lieutenant and the psychiatrist, we do not fully appreciate how difficult their jobs are.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Other students noticed the relationship that the guards built with the inmates to help build trust and diffuse a crisis situation before it happens.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;&ldquo;I learned a lot about the prisoner&rsquo;s interactions with each other and the guards. In addition, I noted all of the precautions and safety measures that the guards need to be concerned about in order to protect themselves and the public,&rdquo; Jason Caplan, 2L law student, said. &ldquo;Included in this are the quality and upkeep of the facilities that are used to keep in the inmates incarcerated.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Based on the reflection papers students were required to write after the tour, each student seemed to take something different away from the experience. Some focused on the civil rights of the prisoners, while others mentioned that they were surprised how inmates lived and the relationships they had with other inmates and guards.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I honestly don&rsquo;t know specifically what I was expecting from this experience. But it wasn&rsquo;t what I expected at all,&rdquo; said Andrea Fitzsimmons in her paper. &ldquo;So many people only know about prison from what they hear or what they see on TV, and it was nice to get the chance to either prove or disprove much of that.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, '');
INSERT INTO `news` (`id`, `headline`, `date`, `body`, `image`, `image_alt`, `blue-box-text`, `link`, `is_featured`, `alumni`, `faculty`, `box_content`) VALUES
(1768, 'Sustainability and the City: Taking Lessons Learned on Maintaining and Improving Quality of Life from the Classroom into the Real World ', '2016-03-15', '<p>By John C. Dernbach Distinguished Professor of Law</p>\r\n<p>Sustainable development is the internationally and nationally recognized framework for reconciling environmental protection with economic and social development. Most of us tend to think that we have to choose between development and environment&mdash;as if we were picking which team to cheer for&mdash;development or environment. Sustainable development offers another alternative&mdash;development and environment. Its overall objective is maintaining and improving human quality of life for this and future generations.</p>\r\n<p>In the United States, sustainability has been embraced in a growing number of contexts. These include green building, local and organic food, sustainable forestry, and energy efficiency. Colleges and universities, local governments, and corporations (Microsoft aims to make its operations carbon neutral) are among the most active practitioners.</p>\r\n<p>They all understand that the global economy, population, and environmental degradation are growing, and that there are huge unmet human needs throughout the world. They all see that we have no choice but to make economic development, job creation, and environmental protection work together rather than against each other. And they seek to translate those basic realities into reduced risks and greater opportunities.</p>\r\n<p>Sustainable development will be enormously important to the careers of students now in law school, regardless of where they practice law or what kind of legal work they do. As the July 30, 2015 Final Report of the Sustainable Development Task Force of the American Bar Association states: \"Going forward, lawyers will need to become involved in a broad range of sustainability issues. Younger lawyers, who represent the future of the legal profession, often understand these issues better than the lawyers who would hire them. The transition to sustainability in both governmental and private sector decision making is inevitable and will profoundly affect the legal profession.\"</p>\r\n<p>Sustainable development is a growing part of law practice in nearly every practice area and involves many different skills. As corporate, governmental, and nongovernmental clients embrace sustainability, they expect their attorneys to have the necessary knowledge and skills, including, of course, an understanding of what sustainability means. As the ABA Task Force stated:</p>\r\n<p>Sustainability is affecting, or will affect, tax law, insurance, banking, finance, real estate development, environmental and energy law, among other fields. It also involves a wide range of knowledge and skills, including commercial transactions, client counseling, litigation, advocacy before governmental agencies and other bodies, and legislative drafting.</p>\r\n<p>As clients increasingly demand legal work that addresses sustainable development issues, lawyers are responding to that demand. Law schools are increasingly doing the same&mdash;across the entire range of their activities, including courses, scholarship, facilities, and community service.</p>\r\n<p><strong>In the Real World</strong></p>\r\n<p>My Sustainability Law and Practice class provides students with skills they will need to help clients meet their sustainability goals. These skills include application of the principles of sustainable development in specific contexts; researching local government law; legislative/ordinance drafting; giving short presentations; and client counseling. Many of these skills are essential to the practice of law in general. I adapted the class from one taught by Professor Jonathan Rosenbloom at Drake Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.</p>\r\n<p>Each year, the class focuses on a local government client. Communities are an excellent place to study and practice sustainability. In addition to the reality that they already provide a rich source of experience on sustainability, the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of issues are easier to identify and experience at the local level.</p>\r\n<p>In the fall of 2014, our client was the city of Harrisburg, in no small part because Mayor Eric Papenfuse campaigned on a sustainability platform. Students drafted proposed amendments to city ordinances, as well as justifications for their proposals. This gave them the opportunity to translate the conceptual framework of sustainability into a real-world proposal that might actually become law.</p>\r\n<p>Their proposals were based on topics chosen by the city. At the end of the semester, they presented their proposals at a special meeting of City Council. &ldquo;This is a wonderful idea to incorporate what you are learning in class in such a real world way,&rdquo; Papenfuse said. &ldquo;You now have the ears of the city&rsquo;s movers and shakers.&rdquo; Since that time, Harrisburg has upgraded its recycling program and adopted a new food truck ordinance that is similar in scope, emphasis, and administration to that proposed by Matt Fine \'15, a student in the class. In fall 2015, the primary client of the class was the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, which has more than 1,400 member municipalities representing more than five million people and covering 95 percent of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s land area. The class researched and drafted model sustainability ordinances and wrote a narrative explaining and justifying them. The topics, chosen by the association after consultation with its members, were blight, community housing, walkability, natural gas pipeline setbacks, stormwater mitigation, rain gardens, permeable paving, and green roofs.</p>\r\n<p>Before Thanksgiving, the students presented their draft model ordinances to two dozen municipal solicitors at the association&rsquo;s Fall Solicitors Seminar. The solicitors were uniformly positive in their praise of the professionalism and thoughtfulness of the student presentations. Many had specific suggestions for how the students could improve their ordinances.</p>\r\n<p>The association plans to post the final narratives and model ordinances on its website, so that they can be considered and adopted by any of its member municipalities. In addition, the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and the Pennsylvania Municipalities League have expressed an interest in doing so.</p>\r\n<p>The plan is to use this and future classes to create a bank of model sustainability ordinances that municipalities can consider and adopt.</p>\r\n<p>For the students, this is a law skills class, but it is much more than that. It is a course that gives them the opportunity to make a contribution, and to see themselves as lawyers capable of continuing to make a contribution after they graduate.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1769, 'Writing the City Financial Crisis Playbook ', '2016-03-15', '<p><em>Professor Juliet Moringiello, a widely recognized expert on municipal bankruptcy, is a frequent commentator on the topic in the national and international news media. She developed and teaches a Cities in Crisis seminar and has published several law review articles on the role of the state in the Chapter 9 process.</em></p>\r\n<p><br /> By Juliet Moringiello, Professor of Law</p>\r\n<p>The eyes of Pennsylvania are often on Harrisburg, the seat of government for the Commonwealth, but five years ago the world turned its attention to this capital city&mdash;and not for a good reason.</p>\r\n<p>Cited by CNN Money as one of &ldquo;America&rsquo;s 7 Junkiest Cities,&rdquo; and featured in Britain&rsquo;s Economist for its &ldquo;hellish financial state,&rdquo; the city of Harrisburg was suffocating under $400 million in debt, much of it incurred to retrofit a trash-to-energy incinerator that had fallen out of compliance with federal environmental regulations.</p>\r\n<p>The incinerator transactions had the hallmarks of a juicy story: an untested contractor who filed for bankruptcy without having provided a performance bond to the city; financial and legal maneuvers designed to evade statutory limits on municipal debt; and a complicated debt structure that included multiple interest rate swaps. Late in the evening of October 11, 2011, the city took a step that a minuscule number of cities had ever taken: It filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code.</p>\r\n<p><br /> Although the incinerator financing grabbed most of the headlines, Harrisburg&rsquo;s financial distress was precipitated by many of the typical pressures on urban areas. Municipalities provide necessary services to their residents and fund these services by collecting property and other taxes. Harrisburg is a small city with about 50,000 residents, 32 percent of whom live below the poverty line. As the state capital, almost 50 percent of the land in Harrisburg is tax exempt, much of it occupied by government buildings. Like many core cities, Harrisburg is surrounded by relatively prosperous suburbs, yet the city and its suburbs do not share municipal services and their costs. Pennsylvania, with more than 2,500 municipalities, is notable for the extent of its municipal fragmentation.</p>\r\n<p>Harrisburg is now on the mend. After the bankruptcy court dismissed the city&rsquo;s petition for lack of state authorization, Harrisburg began the painful process of negotiating with its creditors under state supervision. Those efforts produced the &ldquo;Harrisburg Strong Plan,&rdquo; which restructured the city&rsquo;s debts and stabilized its budget by selling the incinerator and monetizing the city&rsquo;s parking system.</p>\r\n<p><br /> Harrisburg&rsquo;s downfall and ongoing recovery provide several lessons to policymakers working to address municipal financial distress around the country. In Pennsylvania alone, 20 cities are designated as &ldquo;distressed&rdquo; by the state pursuant to the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, known as &ldquo;Act 47.&rdquo; Chester and Scranton have been in the Act 47 program for more than two decades. Outside the state&rsquo;s borders, Atlantic City, New Jersey, is reeling from the collapse of its tourism base, Chicago struggles with its pension obligations, and Puerto Rico and its public entities owe more than $70 billion to creditors.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Lesson No. 1</strong>: Authorizing Chapter 9 can speed the recovery process.</p>\r\n<p>Before the 1930s, there was no federal municipal bankruptcy law. Because municipalities are creations of their states, any federal debt adjustment process raises the specter of unconstitutional interference in state affairs. Under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, all powers &ldquo;not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>This limits the extent to which the federal government can interfere in state affairs. To alleviate constitutional concerns, the Bankruptcy Code prohibits a municipality from filing for bankruptcy unless its state authorizes it to do so. Anticipating that the city of Harrisburg might file for bankruptcy and fearing the effect of such a filing on the credit ratings of other cities in the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania General Assembly prohibited certain cities from filing for bankruptcy in June 2011. Six weeks after Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy, the court rejected the City Council&rsquo;s challenge to this prohibition and dismissed the city&rsquo;s petition.</p>\r\n<p>A state can choose whether to authorize its municipalities to file for bankruptcy and only about half of the states grant this permission. Cities that cannot file for bankruptcy lack an important tool to force creditors to the negotiating table. The Contracts Clause of the Constitution prohibits a state from impairing contracts, and Chapter 9 preempts state laws that purport to bind non-consenting creditors to a collective debt adjustment proceeding. Seventeen months after prohibiting Pennsylvania cities from filing for Chapter 9, the legislature restored authorization. By all accounts, this was key to the acceptance of the Harrisburg Strong Plan.</p>\r\n<p>It is often hard to obtain Harrisburg&rsquo;s downfall and ongoing recovery provide several lessons to policymakers working to address municipal financial distress around the country. Consensus without the threat of compulsion, and Chapter 9 bankruptcy provides a city with the ability to force creditors to take less than what they are owed. If the state had not restored Harrisburg&rsquo;s ability to file for bankruptcy, the creditors might still be holding out for more money.</p>\r\n<p><br /> <strong>Lesson No. 2</strong>: It is necessary to strike the right balance between strong state<br /> supervision and democracy.</p>\r\n<p>When a city is in financial distress, someone must make difficult choices about how to resolve that distress. Sometimes a state finds it necessary to step in to make those choices. In Pennsylvania, the state does so through Act 47. Passed in the 1980s to address the hardships faced by cities and towns after the collapse of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s steel industry, Act 47 allows the state to exercise varying levels of oversight over municipal finances. Harrisburg entered the Act 47 program in December 2010 and the Department of Community and Economic Development appointed a coordinator to develop a plan to assist the city in managing its financial distress. The law provided that once the city adopted the plan, the coordinator would be responsible for implementing it. It was not so simple in Harrisburg. The majority of the City Council was at war with the mayor, making it impossible for the city&rsquo;s leaders to agree on anything. As a result, the city never accepted the plan. Because the architects of Act 47 had never anticipated that a city would refuse to adopt a plan, the law contained no mechanism to deal with such a refusal.</p>\r\n<p><br /> Nine days after Harrisburg filed for bankruptcy, Gov. Tom Corbett signed a bill amending Act 47 to provide for the appointment of a receiver to manage a distressed city&rsquo;s finances. A week after the dismissal of Harrisburg&rsquo;s bankruptcy petition, bond lawyer David Unkovic was appointed as the first receiver for any Pennsylvania city.</p>\r\n<p>He and his successor, Gen. William Lynch, remain the only municipal receivers ever appointed in Pennsylvania. Receiverships are often denounced as state takeovers of cities. The reality is more nuanced than that. A Pennsylvania constitutional provision prohibits the legislature from appointing any special commission to &ldquo;perform any municipal function whatsoever.&rdquo; This &ldquo;Ripper Clause&rdquo; likely prohibits a state-appointed receiver from usurping the authority of a municipality&rsquo;s elected officials. As a result, neither Harrisburg receiver had the power to force the mayor or City Council to do anything, necessitating a collaborative approach to address the city&rsquo;s financial problems.</p>\r\n<p><br /> In other states, such as Michigan, a state appointed receiver like the emergency manager appointed for Detroit displaces the city&rsquo;s elected officials. As states decide how to assist their distressed cities, the powers and even the name assigned to the person appointed to help the city get on firm financial footing matter. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ignited a firestorm when he appointed an &ldquo;emergency manager&rdquo; for Atlantic City. New Jersey has long been known for its robust oversight of its municipalities, and no municipality in New Jersey has ever filed for bankruptcy. By giving his appointee the title emergency manager (a title absent from New Jersey&rsquo;s oversight statute), Gov. Christie sent a signal to the bond markets that Atlantic City might follow in Detroit&rsquo;s footsteps and file for Chapter 9, an impression reinforced by the emergency manager&rsquo;s appointment of Kevyn Orr, the emergency manager for Detroit, as an adviser.</p>\r\n<p><br /> Harrisburg and its creditors were able to agree to the Strong Plan because both receivers worked hard to gain the trust of the city&rsquo;s elected officials and residents. This was no small feat, having been appointed by a white Republican governor to<br /> manage the finances of a predominantly minority Democratic city. The fact that the receivers did not displace elected officials may have been a blessing.<br /> <br /> <strong>Lesson No. 3:</strong> There is no true recovery without addressing the underlying causes of distress Debt adjustment alone cannot revive a city.</p>\r\n<p>Shrinking cities nationwide are being crushed by pension obligations incurred at a time when their populations and workforces were much larger. Many of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s municipalities provide their own police protection and other public services. Municipal elected officials around the country tend to serve on a volunteer or part-time basis and are often unsophisticated in financial matters yet they sometimes enter into the kind of complex financial transactions more typical of large corporations.</p>\r\n<p><br /> These structural problems are more difficult to address. Most municipal pensions are not large, and retirees depend on them to sustain a minimum standard of living. Although the most recent amendments to Act 47 allow the state to dissolve a non-viable municipality, the law cannot compel municipalities to merge or share responsibility for services. As a result, distressed core cities will remain so unless they can somehow attract development. The state legislature is considering several proposals to restrict the kinds of debt that can be incurred by a municipality and only time will tell whether they become law. Harrisburg&rsquo;s story illustrates that multiple factors drive a municipality into financial distress and that a multifaceted approach to preventing and alleviating such distress is imperative. Harrisburg&rsquo;s problems revealed flaws in the Act 47 program, which the legislature moved to correct.</p>\r\n<p><br /> As Puerto Rico, Atlantic City, and 20 distressed Pennsylvania municipalities deal with their financial problems, all eyes are on Harrisburg again&mdash;this time to learn how Pennsylvania worked with the city of Harrisburg to pull it from the brink of bankruptcy and how state lawmakers continue to work to address shortcomings in its laws governing pensions, local government debt, and municipal financial distress generally.</p>', '', NULL, 'How Harrisburg Has Influenced Discussions about Municipal Insolvency Nationwide', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1770, 'U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Schwab to speak at Widener Law Commonwealth Commencement', '2016-03-28', '<p>Widener University Commonwealth Law School announced today that alumna and Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania will serve as speaker for the school&rsquo;s 25<sup>th</sup> commencement.</p>\r\n<p>Judge Schwab will address approximately 50 graduates at the 11 a.m. ceremony set for May 22 at The Forum in the Harrisburg State Capitol Complex. She will also be presented with an honorary doctor of law degree.</p>\r\n<p>Judge Schwab was appointed to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2012, after serving 11 years with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Auditor General, Deputy Chief Counsel, and Deputy State Treasurer for Administration for Treasury and Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Deputy Chief Counsel for the Democratic Caucus of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Judge Schwab was also in private law practice with Rhoads &amp; Sinon, LLP in Harrisburg and Semanoff, Orsmby, Greenberg and Torchia, LLC in Huntingdon Valley. A member of the Board of Overseers of Widener University School of Law and Chair of the Widener University School of Law Harrisburg Campus Diversity Advisory Board, Judge Schwab also served as Chair of Wilkes University&rsquo;s Law School Planning Initiative. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association&rsquo;s Commission on Women in the Profession.</p>\r\n<p>A native of Wilkes-Barre, Judge Schwab graduated <em>summa cum laude</em> from Wilkes College. She is a member of the inaugural class of Widener University School of Law. As a law student, she served as Internal Editor of the Widener Journal of Public Law. Judge Schwab graduated <em>magna cum laude</em> and was the law school&rsquo;s first valedictorian in 1992.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We are delighted Judge Schwab has agreed to speak at our commencement this May,&rdquo; Law Dean Christian Johnson said. &ldquo;We are honored as a law school to welcome such a successful alumna to speak about her successes and provide words of wisdom and guidance at such an important event for our graduates.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/schwab-headshotcropped.jpg', '', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1772, 'Auditor General and legislators comment on state of Pennsylvania government', '2016-04-07', '<p>Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, &lsquo;02 gave a keynote address titled The State of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s Government at Widener Law Commonwealth last week.</p>\r\n<p>The Auditor General spoke about the good aspects of Pennsylvania government, but also about the improvements that could be made to make processes more efficient and our government more effective.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We need to not worry about who we are going to blame, but how we ourselves are going to make it better,&rdquo; DePasquale said.</p>\r\n<p>He added that the job of a democracy is to ask hard questions and hold leaders accountable for their actions.</p>\r\n<p>He cited several challenges facing Pennsylvania&rsquo;s government, including the gerrymandering of the legislative districts, campaign funding and different sides not working together to resolve issues.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We the voters elect those who serve,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So all of us have to take a look in the mirror and see what each of us can do to improve the situation.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>He added that another hurdle is that too much emphasis is put on what each side is doing wrong, and not trying to work as a whole for the common good of the constituents in the Commonwealth.</p>\r\n<p>After Auditor General DePasquale concluded his keynote address, a panel of legislators provided commentary about the topics addressed in the speech, including campaign fundraising, gerrymandering of districts, electing a part-time legislature, and the limit set on gifts.</p>\r\n<p>The following legislators participated on the panel: Senator Daylin Leach, 17th District; Senator Rob Teplitz, 15th District; Senator Patricia H. Vance, 31st District; Representative Bryan Cutler, 100th Legislative District; and Representative Patty Kim, 103rd Legislative District. Professor Jill E. Family, Director of Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s Law and Government Institute, served as the moderator for the panel discussion.</p>\r\n<p>The legislators shared the sentiments of the auditor general and agreed that change is needed. When Professor Family asked the legislators what they believe to be the biggest challenge to state government several topics bubbled to the top, including voter apathy, budget troubles, and the dying breed of moderates.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Everybody thinks all of us are bad,&rdquo; said Sen. Vance. &ldquo;And, that is absolutely not true. However, we do have legislators who posture, or say one thing and do another, and that is affecting us all.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Rep. Kim noted that it could be helpful to have more female lawmakers in the Capitol, and it could have an effect on the outcomes and efficiency of the process.</p>\r\n<p>\"The top leaders from all of the chambers are all males and I like to think if more women were at the table we be able to get this done a little faster. But, I don&rsquo;t have proof of that,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I think we need more women in elected office. Men, when they look at success, they look at it like climbing a ladder, women look at it as linking arms, working together and pushing forward; and are not really into getting the credit.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<hr />\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/o1aM1Rdmls4?rel=0\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<hr />', '{staticroot}files/modules/depasquale1-2.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1773, 'Lecture addresses the relationship between law and technology', '2016-04-11', '<p><img style=\"float: left;\" src=\"{staticroot}files/resources/gedid-lecture.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"393\" />&nbsp;&ldquo;Is all law technology law?&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>This was a question recently posed by Professor Joshua Fairfield, a speaker at the John Gedid Lecture Series at Widener Law Commonwealth. Professor Fairfield, of Washington and Lee University School of Law, presented <em>DELTA: The Law of Technological Change</em>.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Fairfield noted that the law has a complicated relationship with technology, since technology can make some laws seem obsolete, or even at odds with modern society.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We still use the oldest rules to determine the newest cases,&rdquo; Fairfield said. &ldquo;What law is, is adapting human behavior to technology change.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Fairfield used the term delta, or a mathematical concept for the rate of change, to describe that law is not just a system for the past, but one that grows and is flexible to help guide technological change for the future.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The law is a system for guiding legal change,&rdquo; said Fairfield. &ldquo;Sometimes we think that law is supposed to slow down technology but not really, it is supposed to keep it on the rails,&rdquo; he said.</p>\r\n<p>He added that older case laws are well positioned to determine the outcome of recent cases involving technology, because the core legal issues translate.&nbsp; Professor Fairfield compared good law with building a solid Lego system.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;A good Lego structure will be solid, but you will be able to replace a piece if needed, since the new piece is interchangeable with the other piece,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A good legal structure is interactive. It repeats and improves over time.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p><em>***This lecture series honors John Gedid, one of the founders of Widener Law Commonwealth, the school&rsquo;s first Vice Dean and the founder of the Law and Government Institute. Prof. Gedid has served as a wonderful mentor to every faculty member the school has hired. The series showcases the work of nationally recognized young scholars much the same way Professor Gedid has fostered, encouraged and applauded the work of those who joined the school he helped to found.</em></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/HEtErdcA-kA?rel=0\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"></iframe></p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1774, 'Widener Law Commonwealth only law school in PA to achieve 100% bar pass', '2016-04-12', '<p>Widener Law Commonwealth&rsquo;s first-time bar test takers recently earned a 100 percent bar passage rate on the bar exam that was given in February. The law school was the only Pennsylvania law school to achieve this success rate among first-time test takers.</p>\r\n<p>\"We&nbsp;are very&nbsp;excited about the perfect&nbsp;bar pass rate for first-time&nbsp;takers, as well as the overall bar pass rate,&rdquo; said Anna Hemingway, associate professor of law and director of the legal methods program. &nbsp;&ldquo;This achievement&nbsp;reflects our school\'s&nbsp;commitment to help our law students do their very&nbsp;best.\"&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>The Pennsylvania Bar Exam is given twice a year in February and July. The state average bar pass for first-time test takers in February was 74.14%.</p>\r\n<p>The law school also had an overall bar passage rate of 67.74%. The state bar passage rate for February was 56. 39%.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/mocklsat2015cropped-3.jpg', '', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1775, 'Law Students Observe Immigration Court Hearings', '2016-04-18', '<p>The federal immigration court is located in a large cinder block building tucked away on a side road, in a quiet industrial park off Route 30 in York, PA.&nbsp; A person looking at the building would have a hard time distinguishing it from the York County Prison.&nbsp; The immigration court is housed, in fact, in the York County Prison.</p>\r\n<p>Inside the cinder block walls of the prison, immigrants are detained and federal immigration judges make decisions that will change the course of an immigrant&rsquo;s life.</p>\r\n<p>Professor Jill Family regularly takes her immigration law class to sessions at the court to help them gain a real-life perspective about immigration court proceedings.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Visiting an immigration detention center is often a transformative experience for my students,&rdquo; Professor Family said. &ldquo;Seeing the reality of immigration detention- that it really is no different than criminal incarceration- informs my students that representing detained foreign nationals provides for a lifetime of meaningful work.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The students watched a handful of cases where the U.S. government has charged a foreign national as removable (deportable) from the United States.&nbsp; The students saw &ldquo;master calendar hearings,&rdquo; which are shorter, preliminary hearings when the immigration judge decides what issues in the case need more in depth attention and whether a foreign national will be detained while he or she waits for a longer &ldquo;individual hearing.&rdquo; &nbsp;The students watched the proceedings from an observation room in the court. The observation room is separated from the court room by a glass partition and seats in the observation room face the judge&rsquo;s bench. The detained foreign nationals appeared in court in orange prison jumpsuits, often without an attorney.&nbsp; Immigration Judge Walter Durling presided over the docket and an attorney from the Department of Homeland Security represented the government. &nbsp;.</p>\r\n<p>Judge Durling&rsquo;s legal assistant, who is a law student at Widener Law Commonwealth, is Dwight Quichua.&nbsp; Quichua is an extended division student who attends law school in the evenings, and is a candidate for graduation in the spring.</p>\r\n<p>Quichua said that he does have an interest in pursuing immigration law after graduation, and his experiences as a legal assistant in the immigration court have helped him to focus his interests and to gain a greater understanding of immigration law.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have a passion for immigration law,&rdquo; he said. &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>For some of the law students, this was their first experience with immigration court, and it proved to be an eye-opening and moving experience.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;It was surprising and somewhat difficult to watch some of the more sympathetic deportation proceedings, one of which stuck with me even on the drive home.&nbsp; This case&nbsp;involved a young lady&nbsp;who was ordered to be deported and had come to&nbsp;America&nbsp;for opportunity, as her family back home was very poor and opportunity was limited,&rdquo; said 2L law student Gregory Seiders. &ldquo;The judge was sympathetic and even told her he wished there was something he could do.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Margaret Nollau, a 2L law student, found that observing the immigration proceedings helped the material she was studying in class come to life.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I understand the material better now because I have seen the proceedings play out in court. Instead of visualizing what the process looks like, I now have memories to attach to the information,&rdquo; said Nollau. &nbsp;&ldquo;It will help me in the future as a lawyer because I will know exactly what to expect in an immigration proceeding and can prepare accordingly.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Professor Family makes it a point to remind her students that law is more than just theory; that it also makes huge real-world impacts.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Immigration law is all about people, so it is important to inject humanity into the course,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp; &ldquo;Part of that happens in the classroom, where we consistently discuss the law&rsquo;s effect on individuals, but a field trip to immigration court is an even more powerful way to observe the interaction between law and people&rsquo;s lives.&rdquo;</p>', '', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1776, 'Widener Law Commonwealth Law Fraternity Raises $2,200 for Legal Aid Organizations', '2016-04-22', '<p>More than 85 runners recently took to the pavement for the inaugural Speedy Trial 5k held on the Widener Law Commonwealth campus.&nbsp; The event was organized by the Phi Alpha Delta &ndash; Pepper Chapter, a law fraternity.</p>\r\n<p>The beneficiary of the race proceeds was MidPenn Legal Services and the Volunteer Income Tax Programs (VITA). The race raised $2,200 that will be donated to the organizations.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We know that the organizations take on a great financial burden when helping individuals in our community that can&rsquo;t afford legal aid that they so desperately need,&rdquo; said Landa Porter, a member of Phi Alpha Delta and a 3L at Widener Law Commonwealth. &ldquo;This was the way we felt we could help the organizations as much as they help the community.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>The course was designed by the law fraternity, which started and ended on the campus. Runners and walkers started at the campus book store and ran through several neighborhoods around the law school, before finishing the 3-mile race. A one-mile fun run was also held.</p>\r\n<p>The race was sponsored by the following individuals and organizations: Berks County Bar Association, Widener Law Commonwealth Alumni Association, Metzger Wickersham, McNees, Gavin P. Holihan Law Firm, Dauphin County Bar Association, Society for the Prevention of Conviction, LexisNexis, Themis Bar Review, Bagel Lover&rsquo;s, Starbucks, Ruby&rsquo;s Massage Therapy, and Mind&rsquo;s Eye Tattoo.</p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157667218669425\" target=\"_blank\">View the photo album on Flickr.</a></p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/26438189646_acdf2e9b85_z.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1777, 'Attorney General Candidates debate issues at Widener Law Commonwealth', '2016-04-25', '<p>Widener Law Commonwealth hosted a forum organized by the Pennsylvania Women&rsquo;s Forum featuring all five of the candidates running for the office of Attorney General. &nbsp;The office will be open because current Attorney General Kathleen Kane has decided not to run for re-election.&nbsp; The two Republican candidates appearing at Widener Law Commonwealth were Senator John C. Rafferty and Joe Peters.&nbsp; The three Democratic candidates were John Morganelli, Josh Shapiro, and Stephen Zappala.&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Corinna Wilson, President of Wilson500, Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Women&rsquo;s Forum, moderated the debate. The candidates fielded questions from the following journalists:&nbsp; Brad Bumstead, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; John Micek, Patriot News; and Angela Couloumbis, Philadelphia Inquirer.</p>\r\n<p>Questions asked by the panel of journalists included inquiries about the experience of the candidates and what they could offer if elected to the position, changes they would like to make to the office of attorney general, and if any of them had hopes of becoming the state&rsquo;s governor in the future.</p>\r\n<p>This event was covered live by <a href=\"https://pcntv.com/\">PCN TV</a>.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/ag-debate.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1778, 'Law Students go to the Dogs (and Cat) During Final Exams', '2016-05-05', '<p>Boots, the therapy cat, lounged casually between two students as they studied for final exams on Monday in the Pit.</p>\r\n<p>Other dogs mingled with law students and faculty making sure to position themselves at the best vantage points for ear scratches and tummy rubs.</p>\r\n<p>Law school is tough. So, to help make final exams a little more bearable, 10 dogs and a cat from Caring Hearts Pet Therapy spent time with law students during the first day of final exams providing some much-needed stress relief and a study break.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Dogs are always happy to see you. They are energetic and upbeat and that energy rubs off on you,&rdquo; said Tiffany Raker, a third-year law student from Northumberland. &ldquo;When you are tired and spending hours studying, having the dogs here is calming.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Landa Porter, of Allentown, who plans to graduate this year, agreed that having the animals come provides respite from her studies.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I just like seeing their unconditionally loving faces,&rdquo; Porter said as she was petting Boots. &ldquo;They make it all OK and are a happy reminder that there are other things in life.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Mary Catherine Scott, Director of Student Organizations, added that each time the dogs come for a visit on campus she can see the positive effect they have on the students.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The therapy dogs came on campus for the first time several weeks ago for the Mental Health Awareness Day sponsored by the American Bar Association and the feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive,&rdquo; Scott said. &ldquo;We knew that having the dogs on campus several times during final exams would help the students get through this stressful period at the end of the semester.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Caring Hearts Pet Therapy will be on the law school campus <a href=\"ipl://12//WyIzMjA2Il0=\">May 9</a> and <a href=\"ipl://12//WyIzMjA3Il0=\">May 14</a> to visit with students.</p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157667653556562\">Click to view the Flickr album from this event.</a></p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/puppies.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1779, 'Military Law Symposium Tackles Critical Veteran’s Issues', '2016-05-16', '<p>Nearly 100 active duty soldiers, veterans and lawyers gathered at Widener Law Commonwealth to discuss critical military law issues affecting soldiers and veterans.</p>\r\n<p>Panel participants included high-ranking military leaders, renowned military law experts and administrators of organizations offering services to veterans.</p>\r\n<p>The symposium, titled <em>The Military, the Law and the Constitution</em>, featured three panels: <em>Ethics in Military Law</em>; <em>Constitution and the War on Terror</em> and <em>Taking Care of Our Servicemembers and Veterans.</em></p>\r\n<p>The<a href=\"ipl://13//WyIxNzgwIl0=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> keynote address of the symposium was given by the Honorable Patrick J. Murphy, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Army</a>. Murphy is a 1999 alumnus of Widener Law Commonwealth and the first veteran from the second Iraq war to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 8<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;Congressional District from 2007-2011.&nbsp;<a id=\"videos\"></a>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<h4>Military Symposium Videos</h4>\r\n<p>Click on the links below to watch the panel presentations.</p>\r\n<p><strong>Panel 1: </strong><a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/700a5e53\"><strong>Ethics in Military La</strong>w</a><br /> <strong>Panelists</strong>: Dr. Lance Betros, Provost, U.S. Army War College; James W. Houck, VADM, JAGC,USN (Ret.), Interim Dean, Penn State Law; Kerry E. Maloney, Lt. Col., Command Judge Advocate, U.S. Army War College<br /> <strong><br /> Panel 2: </strong><a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/75558fa9\"><strong>Constitution and the War on Terror</strong></a><br /> <strong>Panelists:</strong> Victor M. Hansen, Professor of Law, New England Law; Harrold J. McCracken, Col., Faculty Instructor, U.S. Army War College; The Honorable Alissa Starzak, General Counsel, U.S. Army; Hina Shamsi, Director, National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union<br /> <br /> <strong>Panel 3: </strong><a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/df1010f\"><strong>Taking Care of Our Servicemembers and Veterans</strong></a><br /> <strong>Panelists:</strong> David McLenachen, Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance, Veterans Benefits Administration; Hollister Petraeus, Assistant Director<br /> for Servicemember Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Jeremiah J. Underhill, Esq., Disabled Veterans Law Referral Service</p>\r\n<p><strong>Keynote Address: <a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/77effcb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Patrick J. Murphy</a></strong></p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157667543800080\">View photos from the Military Law Symposium</a>.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/symposiumcroppedlee.jpg', 'Photo of speakers at a symposium', '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1780, 'Acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy ’99 Praises Soldiers, Veterans at Military Law Symposium', '2016-05-16', '<p>Passion. Dedication. Perseverance.</p>\r\n<p>These are the values the Honorable Patrick J. Murphy used to describe today&rsquo;s soldiers and veterans at the Military Law Symposium held at the Commonwealth Law School.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;If you want to look at something good in America, look at the American soldier,&rdquo; said Murphy, who currently serves as the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Army. &ldquo;You look at the American soldier who is going out into harm&rsquo;s way on our behalf. Look at the American soldier who believes in core values like duty, honor and country.&rdquo; &nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy, a 1999 alumnus of Widener Law Commonwealth, spoke on a variety of topics during his keynote address at the Military Law Symposium, but the take-away message was one of pride and support for American servicemembers.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;The American veteran is a civil asset in our country,&rdquo; Murphy said. &ldquo;The American veteran is more likely to be employed than civilians. The American veteran is more likely to vote in any election, no matter their political persuasion. The American veteran is more likely to start a small business, and for that business to be successful. The American veteran is more likely to be the head of a Fortune 500 company and a C-suite executive. We have a lot to be proud of as veterans.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy joined the Army at the age of 19 because he felt the need to serve and make a difference. He volunteered for deployment after the events of September 11, 2001 and was deployed to both Bosnia and Baghdad, serving as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;We are America&rsquo;s varsity team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are the ones that will put ourselves in harm&rsquo;s way,&rdquo; Murphy said in speaking about why he joined the US Army.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>Murphy was the first veteran from the Iraq War to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Pennsylvania&rsquo;s 8<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;Congressional District. After serving two terms from 2007 to 2011, he became a partner with the national law firm Fox Rothschild, LLP, serving as general counsel to small businesses, including several veteran owned businesses. He also served as an anchor on the former MSNBC show <em>Taking the Hill</em>.</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p><a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/77effcb\">Watch the keynote address.</a></p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/26899102636_b4c5989a69_z.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, ''),
(1781, 'Law Students Graduate at 25th Annual Commencement Ceremony', '2016-05-24', '<p>Twenty-five years ago, Judge Susan E. Schwab stood on the stage of the Forum in the Capitol Complex for the first time and gave her valedictorian speech to the inaugural graduating class of the Widener University Law School Harrisburg Campus.</p>\r\n<p>On Sunday, a quarter-century later, as the Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, she took the stage again as commencement speaker for her alma mater. The accomplished alumna left the 53 graduating law students with solid advice based on her time as a judge, lawyer, breast cancer survivor, mother and wife.</p>\r\n<p>She encouraged the graduates to never quit, never stop learning, and to trust themselves and their skills. She also counseled them to seek balance in their careers and family lives.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;I had recently recovered from breast cancer and gave birth to our son. My husband was working out of town and my life was filled with taking care of an infant and managing a fast-paced litigation caseload. It struck me that making a career move to state government, while perhaps resulting in a salary decrease, may be just what I needed to achieve some balance in my life, so I applied and got the job&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And, for a while it was exactly what I needed: a welcomed change of pace that gave me meaningful opportunity to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. And, that move also turned out to be a pivotal step in my personal journey. Without that public service experience, it is less likely that I would be where I am today.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Marc Prokopchak, the 2016 class valedictorian, echoed the advice of Judge Schwab in his address and asked the graduates to take time to reflect on the opportunities law school provided.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Being mindful of our good fortune is just the first step.&nbsp; We must also take action.&nbsp; We must use our education and our talents to help those who cannot help themselves,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We all have a responsibility to use our legal education for more than just creating a comfortable lifestyle.&nbsp; Each one of us must find a way to give back from the abundance we&rsquo;ve been given.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>Widener University President Julie E. Wollman, presiding over her first Widener Law Commonwealth commencement, gave the students one more assignment to complete after graduation.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Do more. Challenge yourself. Ask the hard questions and continue showing the same grit and determination you&rsquo;ve already demonstrated,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always more to do, more to learn, more to achieve.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p>During the ceremony, Dean Christian Johnson presented the annual awards to faculty. Professor Christopher Robinette was given the Outstanding Faculty Award, and Distinguished Professor John Dernbach was presented with the Douglas E. Ray Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award.</p>\r\n<p>In his closing remarks to the graduates, Dean Johnson expressed the importance of becoming lawyers, and filling a critical role in maintaining government and society.</p>\r\n<p>&ldquo;Let me say that no profession is more honorable than that of the law,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Lawyers champion the rights of the weak and the powerless, they protect the rule of law that is a cornerstone of our democracy, they guide citizens through the legal process that can seem byzantine to the layperson, they draft laws, and they advise businesses large and small. They represent the rich and the poor, the innocent and the guilty, because no one else can. It is really a noble profession.&rdquo;</p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157668028217140\" target=\"_blank\">View the Flickr album from Commencement.<br /></a></p>\r\n<hr />\r\n<h4>Commencement Ceremony Video</h4>\r\n<p><iframe src=\"//www.viddler.com/embed/8cbe1e11/?f=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;player=full&amp;secret=27808272&amp;disablebackwardseek=false&amp;disableseek=false&amp;disableforwardseek=false&amp;make_responsive=false&amp;loop=false&amp;nologo=false&amp;hd=false\" width=\"800\" height=\"492\"></iframe></p>\r\n<p>You may also view this video directly on <a href=\"http://www.viddler.com/v/8cbe1e11\" target=\"_blank\">Widener Law Commonwealth\'s Viddler page</a>.</p>', '{staticroot}files/modules/forum-w-grads.jpg', NULL, '', '', 0, NULL, NULL, '');
