Widener Law Commonwealth's Environmental Law Distinguished Speaker Series Presented: Earth in Trust: Inalienable Rights for a Collective Ecological Future on November 19, 2020.
Mary Christina Wood is a Philip H.Knight Professor of Law at University of Oregon and Faculty Director of the law school’s nationally acclaimed Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program. Her research focuses on a fundamental rights approach to ecological restoration and distribution of resources. She is one of the foremost authorities in the world on the pubic trust principle and is widely credited with originating the approach used in youth-led litigation across the U.S. and in other countries around the world invoking the principle to hold government accountable for promoting the fossil fuel energy system. She is a frequent speaker on global warming issues and has received national and international attention for her sovereign trust approach to global climate policy. Professor Wood is author of Nature’s Trust, Environmental Law for a New Ecological Age (Cambridge University Press), as well as textbooks, book chapters, monographs, and articles spanning environmental and natural resources law, tribal sovereignty, and climate crisis.
Widener University Commonwealth Law School is the Pennsylvania capital’s only law school, with three specialized centers of legal scholarship through its Law & Government Institute, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, and Business Advising Program. Widener Law Commonwealth offers an exceptional learning experience that is personal, practical, and professional. Visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu for more information.
This is a recording of the 2020 Annual John Gedid Lecture Series: The President and the Rise of Partisan Administration of the Law hosted by Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Law and Government Institute.
This lecture series honors John Gedid, one of the founders of Widener Law Commonwealth, the school’s first vice-dean and the founder of Widener’s Law and Government Institute. Professor 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.
Speaker Kevin M. Stack is Lee S. & Charles A. Speir Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School. He writes and teaches in the areas of administrative law, separation of powers, and statutory interpretation. In 2019, he was appointed as a Public Member of the Administrative Conference of the United States. In 2013, he received the American Bar Association’s Annual Scholarship Award in 2013. He is co-author (with Lisa S. Bressman and Edward L. Rubin) of The Regulatory State, a casebook on statutes and administrative lawmaking. He served as law clerk for the Honorable Kimba N. Wood (S.D.N.Y) and the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima (Ninth Circuit). Before his J.D at Yale Law School, he earned a master’s degree in philosophy at Oxford University, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship, and a B.A. from Brown University.
Widener University Commonwealth Law School is the Pennsylvania capital’s only law school, with three specialized centers of legal scholarship through its Law & Government Institute, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, and Business Advising Program. Widener Law Commonwealth offers an exceptional learning experience that is personal, practical, and professional. Visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu for more information.
Follow the Law and Government Institute on Twitter @WidenerLG.
Music Credit: LeChuckz
One of the joys of being a Widener Law Commonwealth student is meeting alumni. Gabriella Romeo ’21, Student Bar Association President, interviewed alumnus Steve Ryan ’07. In-person restrictions did not keep them from a fun and engaging interview. Steve, a Brooklyn, NY native turned Central Pennsylvanian, shared his legal journey beginning from his first days at Widener to his well-established career in Workers’ Compensation Law. Keeps your eyes out for a special appearance of Gabriella’s cat Mia and your ears open for Steve’s favorite Harrisburg Pizza joint.
Steve Ryan is an associate with Martin Law LLC who practices workers’ compensation law. The primary focus of his practice is on injured workers. He found a passion for this area of the law after observing the difficulties that many workers faced in the workers’ compensation system. In the Spring of 2015, Mr. Ryan became a certified specialist in Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation by the PA Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation Law as authorized by the PA Supreme Court.
Mr. Ryan is an active member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Dauphin County Bar Association, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is an avid writer and has written on numerous topics from workers’ compensation in newspapers to fictional short stories.
Mr. Ryan received his law degree from Widener University School of Law in 2007. He received his undergraduate degree in English from Brooklyn College in 2002. During law school, he was a Senior Staff Member of the Widener Law Journal and highly involved in the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP).
Widener University Commonwealth Law School is the Pennsylvania capital’s only law school, with three specialized centers of legal scholarship through its Law & Government Institute, Environmental Law and Sustainability Center, and Business Advising Program. Widener Law Commonwealth offers an exceptional learning experience that is personal, practical, and professional. Visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu for more information.
You can also view the interview on our YouTube Channel.
#lawschool #lawstudents #alumni #WidenerLawCW #WidenerPride #WidenerInsideTrack
Music Credit: LeChuckz
Welcome to the seventh episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In this episode, the three hosts discuss what life has been like for them since the school transitioned to online learning in March 2020.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students. For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
***This Podcast was recorded in February.***
Welcome to the sixth episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In this episode, host Jonathan interviews new Dean of Admissions Matthew Kerns. They discuss Matt's background and the law school application process.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students. For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Due to the global pandemic, the Widener Law Commonwealth podcast has been on hiatus since March 2020. We recently recorded our first episode since our break and have one previously recorded episode ready to be released. Check back on Monday, September 21, 2020 to hear the first episode of the semester.
If you have any topic suggestions, please email them to webcwlaw@widener.edu.
Welcome to the fifth episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In this episode, host Jonathan and cohost Connor interview fellow law student Derek Hartman about his nontraditional path to law school. All three cohosts discuss their opinions on school breaks during the 5 minutes of unsolicited advice segment. Finally, host Jonathan and cohost Mark interview Melissa Barnes, another nontraditional law student with a unique journey to share.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students. For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Welcome to episode six of Widener Wordsmith, a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast.
In this episode, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with Associate Professor of Legal Methods David Raeker-Jordan to discuss how and why 1L students should construct the counterargument portion of their brief.
Music by runfirestop (Pond5)
Welcome to episode five of Widener Wordsmith, a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast.
In this episode, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with two Widener Law Commonwealth students who have published articles. They discuss the benefits to students who choose to pursue having something published.
Appellate Advocacy Blog:
https://lawprofessors.typepad.
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Welcome to episode four of Widener Wordsmith, a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast.
In this episode, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with Director of Academic Success Professor Amanda Sholtis. The two discuss the legal writing process.
Read the transcript from this episode. (PDF)
Music by runfirestop (Pond5)
Welcome to episode three of Widener Wordsmith, a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast.
In this episode, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with Director of Legal Methods Professor Anna Hemingway. The two review what 1L students should have learned in Legal Methods I and what they can expect to learn in Legal Methods II.
Read the transcript for this episode. (PDF)
Music by runfirestop (Pond5)
Welcome to the fourth episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte. In this episode, host Jonathan interviews Rebecca Ross, director of student accessibility services at Widener University, and Molly Acri, Assistant Dean of Administration and Registrar at Widener Law Commonwealth. They discuss the process of requesting academic accommodations. All three cohosts discuss their opinions on brief writing in the 5 minutes of unsolicited advice segment.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students. For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Welcome to the third episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In this special Veterans Day episode, hosts Jonathan and Connor interview Emily Ishler and Michael Bradley about the annual Wills for Heroes event held on campus each spring and is organized by the Public Interest Law Society student organization. Next, Jonathan speaks with veteran students Tadd Turczyn and Michael Cooper as they reflect on their military experience and their journeys to law school.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students.
For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Happy Halloween!
Welcome to the second episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In this special Halloween episode, hosts Jonathan and Mark interview Professor Robyn Meadows about how to write an essay answer for a law school exam. Among other tips, they review the acronym I.R.A.C. (Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion) as a method to follow when answering exam questions. Next, all three cohosts discuss their opinions on and experiences with study groups in law school in the 5 minutes of unsolicited advice segment. Finally, hosts Jonathan and Mark recap what listeners should take away from the interview with Professor Meadows.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss an episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students.
For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Mentioned in This Episode
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Welcome to the first episode of Things I Wish I Knew (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
In the first half of this episode, hosts Jonathan and Connor interview fellow student Matt Bugli about how to present yourself on social media. Next, all three cohosts discuss sleep in the 5 minutes of unsolicited advice segment. Finally, hosts Jonathan and Mark interview fellow students Deanna Wagner and Eric Quiroz about how to dress for class, externships, and interviews.
Things I Wish I Knew podcast subseries is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss the first episode. We hope you enjoy hearing about law school from the people who know best - law students.
For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Coming Monday, October 21, 2019...
Things I Wish I Knew Podcast (a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast) hosted by students Jonathan Nace along with cohosts Connor Behrend and Mark Uriarte.
This podcast series is about learning from your mistakes and progressing in your law school careers. The hosts and guests will be having candid discussions about many topics including anxiety, test taking strategies, technical difficulties, and much more.
Subscribe to the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, and other third-party podcast players so you don't miss the first episode. Looking forward to sharing Things I Wish I Knew with all of you!
For more information about the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music: Bob Birthisel (Pond5)
Welcome to a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast called Widener Wordsmith.
In episode two, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with Professor John Dernbach. The two discuss the story behind how Dernbach wrote and published A Practical Guide to Legal Writing and Legal Method and Writing Essay Exams to Succeed in Law School: Not Just to Survive.
Read the transcript for this episode. (PDF)
Music by runfirestop (Pond5)
Welcome to a subseries of the Widener Law Commonwealth Podcast called Widener Wordsmith.
In episode one, Widener Wordsmith host and Adjunct Professor Pam DeMartino sits down with Visiting Professor Dionne Anthon. The two discuss the story behind how Anthon wrote and published The Bluebook Uncovered: A Practical Guide to Mastering Legal Citation.
Read the transcript for this episode. (PDF)
Music by runfirestop (Pond5)
Host Julie Sheldon sat down with podcast producer Steph Engerer on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, to discuss the changes that are coming to the Widener Law Commonwealth podcast.
Music Credit: LeChuckz
2019 John Gedid Lecture Series
The speaker this year was Gillian Metzger of the Columbia Law School. She will present, 1930s Redux: The Administrative State Under Siege, which was recently published in Harvard Law Review.
In the article, she addresses the fact that the national administrative state is under attack today to an extent not witnessed since the New Deal. In particular, constitutional challenges to key features of administrative governance are surfacing in the Supreme Court. Taking a historical perspective, the lecture will argue that the current constitutional challenges are fundamentally misguided. These challenges not only risk the institutional legitimacy of the Court, but also they ignore the extent to which the national administrative state is constitutionally beneficial and even obligatory.
Gillian Metzger is the Stanley H. Fuld Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, where she is also a faculty co-director of Columbia’s Center for Constitutional Governance. She writes and teaches in the areas of federal courts, administrative law, and constitutional law, specializing on separation of powers, federalism, and privatization. Click here to read more about Metzger.
Music Credit: LeChuckz
Host Julie Shelton sits down with Professor of Legal Methods Amanda Sholtis and 3L student Sarah Rothermel to discuss the live critique method. The two recently presented on the topic at the high impact practices fair on main campus in Chester, PA.
Music Credit: LeChuckz
This lecture entitled, Bail: Risk Release & Reform, was be presented by Chief Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab, United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The following individuals served as experts on the lecture panel:
Hon. Richard A. Lewis
President Judge
Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas
Heidi Freese
Federal Public Defender
Middle District of Pennsylvania
David J. Freed
United States Attorney
The United States Attorney's Office
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Nyssa Taylor, Esquire
Criminal Justice Policy Counsel
ACLU of Pennsylvania
Judge Susan E. Schwab was appointed Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2012. She assumed the role of Chief Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 2017.
She spent 11 years in public service 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.
Prior to that, Judge Schwab was in private law practice with Rhoads & Sinon, LLP in Harrisburg and Semanoff, Orsmby, Greenberg and Torchia, LLC in Huntingdon Valley.
Judge Schwab is from Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and graduated summa cum laude from Wilkes College. She was a member of the inaugural class of the Harrisburg campus of Widener University School of Law, where she served as an Internal Editor of the Widener Journal of Public Law. She graduated magna cum laude and was the law school’s first valedictorian.
Judge Schwab has been a member of the Board of Overseers of Widener University School of Law and the Chair of the Widener University School of Law Harrisburg Campus Diversity Advisory Board.
For more information about Widener Law Commonwealth's podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener.edu/podcast.
Music Credit: LeChuckz
Host Julie Sheldon sits down with Widener Law Commonwealth's Assistant Dean of Students Randi Teplitz and students Gabriella Romeo and Shannon Costa to discuss what to expect during the first year of law school. They provide some tips on how to not only survive but thrive as a 1L. This episode is helpful for anyone considering applying to law school or who is already in the process of preparing for law school.
Mentioned in this Episode
Student Life and Wellness at Widener Law Commonwealth
Music Credit: LeChuckz
Host Julie Sheldon sits down with Widener Law Commonwealth's Associate Dean of Admissions and Administration John Benfield and Director of Admissions Tom Foley to review helpful tips and information for accepted applicants.
Mentioned in this Episode
Music Credit: LeChuckz
Host Julie Sheldon talks with Associate Professor of Legal Methods David Raeker-Jordan about evidence based study tips for law students. Research suggests the various ways students studied in undergrad may not be effective in law school.
For more information about the podcast, visit commonwealthlaw.widener/podcast.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Music Credit: LeChuckz