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August 2006

Welcome to The Drexel Docket – Drexel Law's e-newsletter. The Docket brings you updates about the college; stories about what the faculty and students are doing; and news we think will be of interest to current and prospective students, pre-law advisors, co-op sponsors, alumni of the University, and friends of the law school. If you have comments or suggestions, please send them to us using the link at the end of this issue. We invite you to visit us at http://www.drexel.edu/law.

ABA President, Third Circuit Chief Judge to “Charge” Drexel Law
In every jury trial, after all the evidence is in and the lawyers have given their last arguments, the judge turns to the jury members and gives them “the charge” – essentially explaining what their jobs are and how they have to do them. On September 26 the Trustees of Drexel University will be hosting a gala dinner to celebrate the opening of Drexel Law. Among the dignitaries who will fill Behrakis Grand Hall to applaud those who have produced such an excellent law school will be ABA President Karen Mathis (pictured at left) and Third Circuit Chief Judge Anthony Scirica. Chief Judge Scirica is expected to speak to the judiciary’s expectations for America’s newest law school, and President Mathis is expected to share her vision for the role law schools must play in preserving the core tradition of public service and shaping the legal profession of tomorrow.

Meet the College of Law Student Ambassadors
Even before the doors of Drexel Law are officially open, five members of the inaugural class are serving as student ambassadors to represent the college to the broader community. Throughout the summer, the group has been working on various projects to help their classmates prepare for the transition into law school. Currently they are developing the "Insider's Guide to Drexel," which will be given to students at Orientation as a resource to help them acclimate to the University.

In preparation for the fall recruiting season, the ambassadors are reviewing materials that will be given to prospective applicants. In the fall they will be attending information sessions to talk about their experiences as first-year law students to prospective students.

The Drexel Docket caught up with these students to get a better sense of who they are and where they’re headed.

New Co-op Opportunities Being Added
Drexel Law is the only law school in the country that offers all of its students the opportunity to spend two academic quarters in the field working under the supervision of experienced lawyers. The list of co-op partners includes nonprofits, for-profits, government agencies, public interest law projects, and judicial offices, as well as law firms specially selected for their areas of expertise. As of March, Drexel Law had received so many requests for its students that it had to close the list and say, “No more!”

But the demand from students and other exciting employers continued to grow, so we've decided to add more to the list. In particular, students said they wanted opportunities in such areas as sports law, environmental law, health law, and banking, so that is what we have been developing. The new list will be posted in September 2006. The first wave of Drexel Law students will be going out on their co-ops in September 2007, after they have completed a training program introducing them to the practical and ethical considerations of law practice.

Drexel Law Sponsors National Sentencing Conference
In criminal law, perhaps nothing is as complex as deciding what the punishments should be. In some jurisdictions there are guidelines; in others, mandatory minimums; and in most, total discretion. Commissions have been established in most states (including Pennsylvania) to train judges in how to exercise that discretion.

Drexel Law is one of the major sponsors of the 2006 National Association of State Sentencing Commissions Annual Conference, which takes place this month in Philadelphia. Our own Professor Dan Filler (criminal law and procedure) has been invited to speak about the particular issues involved in the sentencing of juvenile offenders. As invited conference guests hosted by several members of the Philadelphia judiciary, 15 Drexel Law students will have the opportunity to listen to judicial and community leaders from across the country discuss the challenges of sentencing.

Orientation to “Begin at the Very Beginning”
If law school orientation is meant to introduce students to the foundations of law, why not do it in a setting that illustrates the centerpiece of America’s legal system and does so in the center of American history?

That is why Drexel chose the National Constitution Center as the place to start the education of its first law students. From the outset, the college’s leaders thought that the Constitution Center, located on Philadelphia’s historically rich Independence Mall, would be a logically symbolic place to welcome students and familiarize them with the underpinnings of U.S. law.

For a few days beginning August 16, all students in the inaugural class will meet at the Constitution Center for Orientation. The program there will feature:

• an overview of the college
• details about the curriculum
• a welcome from the faculty
• an introduction to sources of law
• talks on civil and criminal litigation, professionalism, government, and the law

During that time students will also view the film, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and take part in small- and large-group discussions on legal ethics. In addition to enjoying lunch with their faculty advisors, they will have the chance to explore the city and the Constitution Center thanks to the free tickets provided by the college. Students will also hear from preeminent members of the bar and attend a welcoming reception at City Hall.

If you’re a member of the inaugural class and haven’t yet looked for all of the details about Orientation, make sure you do so by visiting http://www.drexel.edu/law/. Directions, parking information, and a schedule of events are all posted there, along with the recently uploaded academic calendar. Please keep an eye out for additional mailings and updated information as we approach Orientation and the beginning of classes.

Drexel Law Students Touch Base At Citizens Bank Park
The majority of the inaugural class was seeing red last month – but in a good way! No matter which sports teams classmates had been loyal to in the past, they all came together July 30 to root for the Philadelphia Phillies, their new home team in their newly adopted hometown.
 
About 200 students, faculty, and staff met at Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies take on the Florida Marlins. It was a fun opportunity for everyone to get to know each other before the start of classes, and a great time was had by all! View pictures from this event.

Pre-Law Advisors to Gather at Drexel
The American Political Science Association will be holding its annual meeting in Philadelphia in August with a session on the Drexel and Penn campuses. This year’s topic is “The Political Scientist as Pre-Law Advisor.” Drexel Law Admissions Dean Helen Albertson-Ploucha and Drexel Pre-Law Advisor Grant Keener will be participating in the program. Some of the conference attendees will take this oppportunity to don hard hats and tour the new Drexel Law building.

Read More!
For additional news, press releases, and archived articles about Drexel Law (including articles published in The Triangle, Drexel’s student newspaper), please visit our newsroom at http://www.drexel.edu/law/news.asp.

If you have comments, questions, or suggestions about The Drexel Docket, please contact us.

New law schools are eligible to apply for ABA accreditation following their first year of operation. Drexel University is committed to achieving ABA accreditation at the earliest possible time. Visit http://www.drexel.edu/law/accreditation.asp for more information about the ABA accreditation process.