Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law Viewbook 2020
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VILLANO VA UNI VER SITY Charles Widger School of Law Mark C. aLexander, Jd is a recognized leader, scholar and teacher specializing in constitutional law. At the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, we are focused on preparing students Where Law Meets to be successful in a competitive and ever-changing legal market. Guided by our Business philosophy, we reimagined our legal education to provide you with the academic, professional and practical skills coveted by employers. Our robust externship and clinical programs provide hands-on experience tailored to your career interests. You will engage in individualized and active career exploration in our three-year, credit-bearing Professional Development course. You will also hone your advocacy and writing skills in our immersive, five-semester legal writing program, while connecting vital business principles to the everyday practice of law, whether you choose corporate law or public interest. Here at Villanova Law, teaching not only occurs in the classroom, but from and with members of the Law School community itself. Spontaneous intellectual conversations with your peers and professors on issues facing our world are the norm and will prepare you for life in practice and in the courtroom. At Villanova Law, our Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition inspires all that we do. Together, we seek truth through critical thinking and the rigorous debate of often opposing viewpoints. We challenge each other to consider the world and the law from different perspectives. Guided by our ethical principles, we foster a learning environment that is respectful, supportive and open-minded. We are dedicated to training the ethical lawyers and leaders our complex world needs. As you learn more about our school in the pages that follow, I hope you are inspired to join the Villanova Law community as a future leader and advocate. Sincerely, Mark C. Alexander The Arthur J. Kania Dean and Professor of Law 1 + 275When it comes to theExternships law, nothing can replace the knowledge and skills gained through hands-on experience. At Villanova, externships are handled like a class—an off-site, semester-long, real-world learning opportunity for each student. Rigorously supervised, you’ll be paired with and meet regularly with a Villanova faculty adviser who has expertise in the area of your placement. You also will work under the guidance of an on-site field instructor, who works with you and your adviser to meet your learning objectives. Externships are credit-earning and tailored to individual career interests—you can design your own learning experiences to gain expertise in specific areas of law. Placements expand beyond the Philadelphia region and across all areas of law so you can focus on where and what you most want to learn. ViLLanoVa haS pLaCed externS at top bUSineSSeS and goVernMent agenCieS inCLUding:* + LaW FirMS 80 DLA Piper externships with local, state Duane Morris LLP and federal judges in the Troutman Pepper 2019–2020 academic year Corporate Allied Universal Comcast Corporation GlaxoSmithKline PLC Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey Louis Vuitton Americas Saint-Gobain UGI-Corp.-AmeriGas Wawa Inc. 2 “I was lucky to have three externships, which solidified my passion. All stressed the value of practical, adaptable and results-oriented Christyan telech ’18 attorneys who are ready to go on day one. Villanova’s focus Undergrad: The Pennsylvania State University, BA in Criminology on business and law gave me the skills to communicate concepts instantly legitimizing me to my supervisors.” Current Work: Business and Finance Associate, Rosenn Jenkins & Greenwald, LLP nonproFit goVernMent ACLU of Pennsylvania Department of Homeland Security–ICE Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia District Attorney’s Offices Community Legal Services of Philadelphia Federal, State and Local Judges Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Defender Association of Philadelphia Internal Revenue Service Federal and State Public Defender Offices International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands Homeless Advocacy Project Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Military Assistance Project U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pennsylvania Health Law Project U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Pennsylvania Innocence Project U.S. Department of Justice Philadelphia Bar Association U.S. House Judiciary Committee Philadelphia Museum of Art U.S. Patent and Trademark Office U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission *This list includes only placements for academic credit. Many students find paid work opportunities with other corporations and law firms, but they are not counted as externship placements. 3 ClinicsSeVen on-Site CLiniCaL experienCeS while representing real clients with critical legal issues Villanova Law students earn credit under the direct supervision of a full-time faculty member in our six in-house law firms. Students have the option to expand their clinical experience with our Advanced Advocacy Clinic. As the primary advocates for their clients, students interview and counsel, negotiate agreements, structure deals, draft legal documents and appear in court. As a Clinic student, you will develop the legal and professional skills to become an effective attorney all while serving the community and changing lives. • Clinic for Law and entrepreneurship Counsel small businesses, nonprofits and community organizations on transactional legal matters. • Federal tax Clinic Advocate for low-income taxpayers in their disputes before the IRS and in federal courts. • Farmworker Legal aid Clinic Provide legal representation to agricultural workers and their families in civil matters, including immigration, employment and family law. • Clinic for asylum, refugee and emigrant Services Represent refugees who have fled human rights abuses in their home countries to seek asylum in the U.S. • interdisciplinary Mental and physical health Law Clinic Assert low-income clients’ rights within the legal and health care systems, working in collaboration with Villanova’s graduate nursing students. • Civil Justice Clinic Litigate in courts and administrative agencies in multiple areas of law, including family, housing, consumer and employment, on behalf of low-income clients. • advanced advocacy Clinic After completing a semester in a Clinic, students may expand their practice experiences by working on complex matters. 4 adViSing entrepreneUrS “Entrepreneurs are everywhere in Reece Cooke ’18 and David Hollander ’18 developed today’s global business market, trademark advice and bylaws for Sanctuary Farm— and the skills I’ve learned in the a nonprofit startup that develops community farm Clinic will be very transferable to spaces to engage the homeless population—as students the real work and the line of work in the Clinic for Law and Entrepreneurship. reece Cooke ’18 I want to do. I learned to be open, Undergrad: Villanova University, Through their work in the Clinic, the students learned consistent and focused in my BA in Criminology and Communication, the many pitfalls nonprofits can face, ultimately setting Master’s Certificate in Business business and legal communication, and the Law of Sports up a workable governance structure and gaining creating the best foundation to nonprofit federal exemption for the organization. Current Work: Legal Counsel, serve any client’s interest.” The Citco Group of Companies “The Clinic environment encouraged inSpiring adVoCaCy self-reflection, allowing for identification of strengths and areas As a student in the Interdisciplinary Mental and for improvement. The invaluable Physical Health Law Clinic, Gabrielle Weiss ’18 one-on-one client interaction taught honed her legal skills by managing real cases from me how to balance several clients interviewing potential clients, to gathering medical and to prioritize their individual records, to presenting a case to a judge. gabrielle Weiss ’18 needs. Having the experience Undergrad: Tulane University, The first-hand Clinic experience even inspired Weiss of presenting before a tribunal BSM in Legal Studies in Business to further her knowledge of the area by enrolling in an bolstered my confidence to Current Work: Associate, Advanced Health Care and the Law course, preparing persuasively discuss a case and Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick her for the next career step. & Raspanti, LLP argue for the best outcome.” 5 Focus on Your Future At Villanova Law, we are focused on preparing our students for professional success through our educational offerings and one-on-one career counseling. Our credit-bearing Professional Development program is one of the most robust of its kind among law schools and is a requirement in all three years of law school. More than a “one-size-fits-all” checklist of interactions with the School’s Career Strategy team, the program employs a personalized approach that encourages and engages students in active career exploration. Through lectures, individual and small group meetings, self-directed assignments and Career Strategy events, students are introduced to such topics as professionalism, networking, goal development and personal entrepreneurship. The program is structured to allow for individualization to each student’s interests, while also encouraging each student to learn about a variety of practice areas and settings. In addition to the coursework, our dedicated team of experienced attorney-advisers works with you to help you identify and achieve your own career goals. Our team