Drexel Docket

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.

Accepted Students Bring Home a Win

From the sportswriter’s point of view, it was the unstoppable staying power of veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer that earned the Philadelphia Phillies another win on June 16. But some anonymous pundits claim the incredible spirit of the Drexel Law community helped the home team beat the Detroit Tigers 6-3 during Accepted Students Day at the ballpark. Nearly 120 accepted students joined faculty and staff at Citizens Bank Park to root for the Phils and enjoy a day of summer camaraderie. Take a look at photos from the game and the tailgate party at McFadden’s!

Accreditation Team on the Way

As Drexel Law gets ready to welcome returning and new students, administrators are also looking forward to a visit from American Bar Association (ABA) representatives as the next step in the accreditation process – one designed to ensure that the law school is financially healthy and offers an academic program consistent with sound legal education principles.

During the required formal inspection (scheduled for September 30 to October 3), a team of professionals such as law school faculty members and private-practice attorneys will meet with Drexel Law administrators, faculty, and students; review plans and programs; and provide information and advice to the administration. If the team members and other ABA officials who review their report determine that the law school has satisfied most of the standards and all of the essential ones, it will receive “provisional accreditation” – a designation that means students can take the bar exam in any state and say they graduated from an accredited law school. The primary difference between being provisionally accredited and fully accredited is that Drexel Law will need to complete some requirements over a three- to five-year period to achieve full accreditation status.

This process should go even more smoothly with the recent appointment of Founding Dean Roger J. Dennis. Formerly a provost of the Camden campus of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and dean of its law school, Dean Dennis has worked extensively with the ABA on law school accreditation. As a top-tier doctoral university, Drexel intends to meet or exceed quality standards of law schools in its peer group and earn accreditation as soon as possible.

Dinner with the Deans

The evening of June 26 was all about community building as 16 incoming students had dinner and conversation with a Drexel Law dean. Students enjoyed meeting each other at area restaurants and talking with either Roger Dennis, dean and professor of law; Jennifer Rosato, senior associate dean for student affairs and professor of law; or Dan Filler, senior associate dean for academic and faculty affairs and professor of law.

“Many of the students had questions that we could answer, but this evening was more about showing the way in which our law school remains a small community characterized by very individual connections between faculty and administrators and the students,” said Dean Filler, who dined with several students at a restaurant near Rittenhouse Square. “It was a great opportunity to sit down with a small number of students and make personal connections.”

Faculty Focus — Lisa McElroy

New Drexel Law professor Lisa McElroy may give partial credit for her career evolution to “being in the right place at the right time,” but the humble educator, writer, legal commentator, and mother clearly has earned much of that success through hard work and a desire to make a difference in the world.

Her journey into the legal profession took somewhat of a circuitous path. As a drama and education major at Dartmouth College in the 1980s – the dawn of the AIDS crisis – she became involved with a student organization seeking to teach college students better decision-making and communication skills to help avoid the then-fatal syndrome. That experience led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan, where a course on AIDS and the law sparked an interest in the legal aspects of discrimination and individual rights.

“I realized that law is not so much about theory but how it really affects people,” says McElroy, who will be teaching legal methods and Supreme Court practice at Drexel. “Does it work? Does it make our society a better place? I was fascinated with that.”

After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School, McElroy quickly thrust herself into private practice, working at the Boston firms of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault and Gadsby & Hannah. Once she had her first child, she planned to take a break from practicing law when a professor friend asked if she would be interested in serving as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. It didn’t take long for the Rhode Island resident to be hooked on teaching, and the next year she was hired full-time. She was subsequently working as dean of skills training and assistant professor of law at Southern New England School of Law when the opportunity to join the Drexel Law faculty presented itself.

“It’s a very big step to move your family 300 miles away, but what really appeals to me about Drexel Law is the feeling that people are invested in learning and making those three years truly valuable,” she says, adding that she admires the sense of collegiality, common goals, and interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum. “I see my role in education as a great opportunity to talk to the next generation and help make changes. It’s a huge responsibility – one that I’m in awe of – but it’s also very exciting.”

Even her sideline interests have dovetailed perfectly with her original undergraduate majors. Her dramatic training has helped her feel comfortable in front of cameras and audiences as she has been called upon to comment on legal issues by such media outlets as CNN, Court TV, and NBC’s “Nightly News” program. She is also a regular legal commentator for Court TV Radio and the nationally syndicated radio show “Satellite Sisters,” for which she’s discussed such topics as domestic violence, immigration, the insanity defense, elder abuse, voter identification, the Duke Lacrosse rape case, and “laws moms should know.”

“It’s so much fun because it’s all about making the law relevant to people who are not lawyers,” she says. “Lawyers and judges are often seen as somewhat removed, so I love getting to go on the radio and explain how things like recent Supreme Court decisions affect people’s everyday lives and why it should matter to them.”

McElroy has made a name for herself as an author who specializes in writing youth-oriented biographies that profile public figures in law and politics. After hearing a speech by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and finding out she was an avid golfer, Native American art collector, and doting grandmother, McElroy realized that not many people really see the human side of those who hold such lofty positions. Justice O’Connor agreed to be interviewed for the book, which was followed by biographies of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. – the first such authorized biography. Her profile of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi comes out in October. “I think these books have been warmly received because there’s interest in the everyday lives of people who often seem inaccessible,” says McElroy.

Between handling her many responsibilities and acclimating to suburban Philadelphia with her husband and two children, the newly minted Drexel Law professor’s daily juggling act doesn’t leave much time for sleep or jaunts to the gym – but she says she prioritizes to make life creative and interesting for herself, her family, and her students.

Welcome to New Faculty

Joining Prof. McElroy and 21 other full-time, visiting, and co-op faculty for the new academic year are Assistant Professors Thomas Brennan and Bret Asbury.

Prof. Brennan, who will teach courses in tax and corporate law, comes to Drexel Law after serving as a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Business. A summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. His professional experience includes stints in the tax department of Cravath, Swain & Moore and as a strategist at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he advised corporate clients on risk management, cash flow modeling, and capital structure-related decisions.

Prof. Asbury, formerly with the Philadelphia law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, will teach courses in civil procedure and law and literature. The cum laude graduate of Princeton University earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was managing editor of the Yale Law Journal. He clerked for Judge Julio M. Fuentes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and worked as an associate at Dechert LLP.

Co-op Spotlight: Philadelphia District Attorney's Office

Opportunity is knocking for the five Drexel Law students who have been chosen to participate in a co-op experience with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. Beginning in September, Gary Battista, Jason Gromley, Alissa Mann, Colleen McIntyre, and Carlos Ramirez – five of nearly 70 students who have been placed with 55 organizations – will begin a six-month co-op at the D.A.’s offices in Center City.

“Oftentimes students don’t know what a big-city D.A.’s office really does,” says Kathleen McDonnell, an assistant district attorney who serves as chief of the Legislation Unit and chair of the Hiring Committee. “This is such a great proving ground that offers students a wonderful opportunity to learn about us, plus it gives us the chance to see what they can do. The candidates we saw were very energized and seemed committed. I was very impressed with them.”

The Drexel Law Co-op experience is distinct from the D.A. Office’s Legal Internship Program, which hires students from such area law schools as Temple, Penn, Villanova, and Rutgers. “Drexel co-op students will handle more support work, legal research, and writing,” says McDonnell. “It will be pretty hands-on. They’ll get a good look at us, and we can get a good look at them.”

Most Drexel co-op students will work in Municipal Court, which fields more than 40,000 cases per year. They will likely deal with less complex cases such as high-volume street crime, felony preliminary hearings, and quality-of-life issues.

“It’s a great learning experience that gives students the ability to see what dedicated lawyers working for the good of the community can do,” says McDonnell, a social work and mental health undergraduate major and Temple Law grad who has served under three district attorneys since 1986. “A career in public service is something to aspire to.”

“Get as much clinical experience as you can,” she says. “Learn criminal procedure and go to courtrooms and observe. It’s a free and completely interesting way to see good lawyering on the prosecution and defendant sides.”

Learn more about the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office at their recently revamped website, http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/.

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2Ls Hold a Variety of Summer Jobs

With the start of school looming for the inaugural class, the last few weeks of summer might find some students squeezing out some fun at the beach. But for many 2Ls, this summer has represented less of a time for sand and sun and more of an opportunity to get work experience before the second year of classes – and upcoming co-op experiences – begin.

A full 91 percent of the students in the inaugural class are working in legal jobs, participating in study abroad programs, or taking summer classes at the College of Law, says Amy Montemarano, assistant dean of career and professional development.

One of eight students interning with a federal judge is Lauren Katz. She has been working for the Honorable William K. Sessions III, Chief U.S. District Judge for the District of Vermont, who is well-known for the impact he’s had on criminal federal sentencing guidelines.

“I LOVE my summer job,” says Katz, who has worked on writing and research projects and observed a wide array of courtroom proceedings including sentencings, changes of plea, jury selections, pre-trial motion hearings, and pre-trial conferences. “Judge Sessions is an incredibly good teacher, and getting to know him has been the best part of this experience. I have also been exposed to a variety of lawyering styles and strategy, and seeing how a federal courtroom runs has gotten me more comfortable with the idea of actually practicing in one someday. Thanks to my amazing professors I feel incredibly well prepared and up for the tasks required.”

Another 18 students are interning with state judges. One of those is Jerome Aquino, who was selected in a competitive process to work in the 4th Judicial District of Colorado with Judge Jan Patrice DuBois and Judge Kirk Samuelson. In that position he has been writing draft orders and performing legal research on topics such as admissibility of prior criminal acts, inspection of criminal justice records, and the constitutionality of Colorado’s sexual assault statute.

“What I like best about the job is the behind-the-scenes interaction I get to have with the judges about the decisions that have to be made about a particular issue, trial, or hearing,” says Aquino. “The internship has also made me realize my passion for the very human aspect of criminal and family law.”

The largest number of students, 30, are working in law firms. After spending five weeks studying in Barcelona, Allison Wagner began a clerkship at the Philadelphia law firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, where she had completed an undergraduate internship years before and served as a paralegal assistant last summer.

“Most of the work I do is pre-trial preparation, including indexing documents, preparing trial binders, reviewing depositions and documents filed with the court, and pretty much any other work that the attorneys need for trial,” she reports.

Ten other students working at corporations include Jennifer Branch, who has been with the in-house counsel’s office of Bristol-Myers Squibb in New Jersey.

But perhaps the widest variety of job responsibilities can be found in the government and public interest jobs being held by 24 Drexel Law students. Jim Rosica, a former reporter who was featured on national television with Greta Van Susteren while reporting for the Tallahassee Democrat on the 2000 presidential election balloting controversy, is enjoying his internship in the Office of Policy Counsel for New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine.

“It’s said there are two things that you don’t want to know how they’re made – sausage and legislation – but for me, it’s been fascinating to see the process from the inside,” says Rosica, who has researched the legal and policy implications of proposed laws on energy conservation, telecommunication regulation, and criminal pardons, as well as sat in on legislative committee meetings held to debate the state budget and confirm a new state supreme court chief justice and attorney general.

He says that his journalism training, which enabled him to research and write about a variety of topics in a short amount of time, has been helpful in class and at his summer job. More importantly, he adds, the internship is helping him use the skills he’s learned so far at Drexel Law, including spotting issues and evaluating court decisions.

“It’s been great to be able to practice what I learned in Professor Oates’ Legal Methods class,” he says. “Thanks to him, I find myself thinking and writing more like a lawyer now, rather than a newsman.”

Amanda Harris is at the legal department of the Catholic Social Services’ Immigrant and Refugee Services Department, working with asylees and trafficking victims on visa applications and related issues such as border crossing conflicts, fraudulent documents, and credible fear issues. She also gets to help refugee resettlement workers with home visits, case management, and client services.

“The best part is that I actually get to work in person with trafficking victims and asylees, so it’s really an ‘instant gratification’ kind of job,” says Harris, who is also researching the use of foreign precedent in U.S. courts for Drexel Law Professor Rex Glensy while he is in Europe. She claims the two jobs already have helped clarify her career options.

“My research has completely changed my outlook on the future,” she says. “It has made an idea I had from my college years – to work for international aid organizations and the United Nations – seem actually possible. I’d really like to be a prosecutor for a future international conflict tribunal.” Andrew Hodlofski is holding a similar job to Harris’, working with the refugee resettlement program at the Lutheran Family and Children Services’ Immigration Department. He says, “It may be the most amazing job I’ve ever had.”

Orientation Just a Few Weeks Away!

Feedback from students, faculty, and staff on last year’s Orientation was so positive that administrators have decided to recapture the magic and again hold the first few days of Orientation at the National Constitution Center.

Beginning August 20, Drexel Law’s new incoming class will enjoy several presentations, including an overview of Drexel University, an introduction to the law, and talks about ethics in the profession. Before beginning their Legal Methods course (which begins during the first week of Orientation), incoming students will participate in small-group lunch discussions with faculty advisors in the neighborhood around the National Constitution Center.

Plans are in the works for other community-building events, including a student organization fair, a happy hour and scavenger hunt in Old City, and a reception with judges and lawyers in Conversation Hall.

After this whirlwind of activities, students will be treated to a picnic at Belmont Grove in Fairmount Park on the last day of Orientation. Incoming students should check their mail for all the details!

Upcoming Events for the Class of 2010

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

The Dean is fully informed as to the Standards and Rules of Procedure for the Approval of Law Schools by the American Bar Association. The Administration and the Dean are determined to devote all necessary resources and in other respects to take all necessary steps to present a program of legal education that will qualify for approval by the American Bar Association. The Law School makes no representation to any applicant that it will be approved by the American Bar Association prior to the graduation of any matriculating student. Visit http://www.drexel.edu/law/accreditation.asp for more information about the ABA accreditation process.