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Alumni Association
Past Recipients
Read about the accomplishments and service rendered by a past award recipient by
clicking on his or her name below, or scroll down to read about all of our award
recipients.
Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to Villanova School of
Law
1999 - Edward R. Murphy '67
2000 - Arthur J. Kania '56
2001 - Arthur M. Goldberg '66
2002 - Norman J. Shachoy '61 & Patrick J. O'Connor
'67
2003 - David F. Girard-diCarlo '73
Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service
1999 - J. Michael Nolan '75
2000 - Louis W. Fryman '62
2001 - Frank P. Cervone '82
2002 - Karen C. Buck '87
2003 - The Honorable Kathryn
S. Lewis '76
St. Thomas of Villanova Pro Bono Award
2003 -
Danielle E. Beckwith Lehman '01 & Jennifer J. Kramer
Law Alumni Association Award for Pro Bono Service
1999 - Alissa E. Halperin '99
2000 - Sara L. Woods '00
2001 - Matthew S. Heilman '01 & Kelly S. Urban '01
2002 - Jodi L. Cordeiro '02
2003 - Lauren J. Vidal '03
2004 - Sarah E. Cox '04
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Edward
R. Murphy '67
Recipient of the 1999 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to
Villanova University School of Law |
When
Edward Murphy, owner and senior partner of Murphy & O'Connor in
Haddonfield, New Jersey, joined the Law School's Board of Consultors in 1997
and learned that one of the school's most troublesome areas was the lack of
scholarship funds available to qualified students, he decided to take action. He
challenged members of his class to contribute to a class scholarship fund.
As a
result of his efforts and the enthusiasm of his classmates, the Class of 1967
established the first class scholarship fund (link to location on 4.2.2.1.A) at
Villanova Law, raising over $125,000 to fund a three-year scholarship of
approximately $6,250 to be awarded to a law student every three years. The first
Class of 1967 Scholarship
was awarded to a first year student in Spring 2002.
Additional
classes have been inspired by his efforts, with approximately ten having
initiated their own campaigns. Because of his vision and leadership, Villanova
Law has moved further towards beginning to meet its need for a broad-based
scholarship endowment to attract and retain outstanding law students.
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Arthur
J. Kania '56
Recipient of the 2000 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to
Villanova University School of Law |
As a
visionary leader and generous benefactor, Arthur Kania, of Kania, Lindner, Lasak
& Feeney in Bala Cynwyd, PA, has been instrumental in moving the law school
in two strategic directions over three decades.
He laid
the foundation upon which the law school now calls its scholarship program.
Since he established the law school's first scholarship fund in honor of Dean
Reuschlein
in
1972, nearly thirty deserving students have completed their third year
of law school with financial assistance, and fourteen additional scholarship
opportunities have been established by fellow alumni and friends.
In 1988,
he joined the Law School's Board of Consultors, on which he now serves as a life
member. As a member of the Board of Consultors, his leadership in assisting in
the establishment of the Reuschlein Fund, with friend Arthur M. Goldberg '66,
has enabled Villanova to invite world class scholars to teach and produce major
publishable work while visiting the law school. The Reuschlein Chair for
Distinguished Visiting Professors capitalizes on the accomplishments of the past
and brings Villanova Law to a new level of academic excellence and national
prominence.
Mr. Kania
has also served the University at large. He is a former member of the Villanova
University Board of Trustees and former chair of the Villanova University
Development Council.
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Arthur
M. Goldberg, Esq. '66
Recipient of the 2001 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to
Villanova University School of Law |
Arthur
Goldberg was the Law School's most generous benefactor, as well as one of our
most steadfast supporters. From his early years as a practicing attorney to his
great success in business as chief executive officer of Park Place
Entertainment-the world's largest casino company-until his untimely death in
October 2000, Mr. Goldberg remained a faithful friend to Villanova Law School.
As a
member of the Law School's Board of Consultors since 1983, he provided vision
and leadership for a future of great challenge and even greater opportunity. He
ensured access to a Villanova legal education by establishing the Albert W.
Goldberg Scholarship Fund,
our largest scholarship, and by generously supporting the Marcella Reuschlein
Scholarship Fund.
He also
helped Villanova Law rise to a new level of academic excellence and national
prominence by taking a lead role in initiating the Reuschlein Fund with friend
Arthur Kania '56. Since the campaign's fulfillment in 1997, the Reuschlein Fund
has enabled Villanova to invite world class scholars to visit the Law School
each year to teach and publish major scholarship in our Law Review.
His legacy of leadership will live on at Villanova Law.
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Norman
J. Shachoy '61
Recipient of the 2002 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to
Villanova University School of Law |
Norman
Shachoy's contributions have been made evident in the legal profession through
his achievements at Bingham Dana LLP
in Boston, Massachusetts, and at Villanova with his leadership and generous
support of the Law School's mission.
He began
his long and distinguished career at Bingham Dana upon graduation from the Law
School in 1961. He was named partner in 1969, and opened the firm's European
office in London, which is believed to be the first by any Boston firm, in 1973.
He worked on numerous international transactions, and fostered the firm's
growth to becoming one of the largest in New England. Although his career took
him far from Garey Hall, he maintained a close relationship with Villanova
throughout his career, strengthening its foundation and assisting in building a
strong reputation in the New England legal community.
He has
served the Law School as a Consultor since 1967, and provided vital leadership
as Chairman of the Board from 1986 to 1988. He helped Villanova Law rise to a
new level of academic excellence and national prominence by serving as a member
of the Reuschlein Fund Steering Committee and Chairperson of the New England
Regional Campaign Committee. Due to his leadership and generous contribution,
the Reuschlein Fund has enabled the Law School to bring world class scholars to
Villanova each year to teach and publish major scholarship in our Law Review.
Most importantly, he has encouraged fellow graduates to join him at Bingham Dana
or to practice in New England, increasing the Law School's visibility and
building a Villanova Law regional community.
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Patrick
J. O'Connor '67
Recipient of the 2002 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to
Villanova University School of Law |
Patrick O'Connor's
contributions have been made evident in the legal profession through the rapid
growth and strong reputation, both regionally and nationally, of Cozen
O'Connor, and at Villanova with his leadership and generous support of the
Law School's mission.
As former
managing partner and now President and CEO of Cozen O'Connor, his leadership
has been vital to the firm's growth from its initial four attorneys practicing
in Philadelphia to now over 440 attorneys practicing in 18 offices located
throughout the United States and in London. Due to the success of the firm and
his relationship with his alma mater, Cozen O'Connor now employs the largest
number of Villanova Law graduates, with 50 alumni currently among its ranks. In
addition, his involvement in numerous civic, professional and educational
organizations has demonstrated his commitment to the greater community, and
brought, by association, added prestige to the Law School.
His
efforts in strengthening Villanova Law's foundation and reputation have also
been successful. He has served the Law School as a Consultor since 1985, and
provided vital leadership as Chairman of the Board from 1990 to 1992. He helped
Villanova Law rise to a new level of academic excellence and national prominence
by serving as a member of the Steering Committee for the Reuschlein Fund, which
has enabled the Law School to bring world class scholars to Villanova each year
to teach and publish major scholarship in our Law Review. He has also provided access to a Villanova
legal education through the support of the Patrick J. O'Connor Scholarship and the
Class
of 1967 Scholarship Funds.
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| David F. Girard-diCarlo '73
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Recipient of the 2003 Gerald Abraham Alumni Association Award for Service to Villanova University School of Law
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For 50 years, Villanova University School of Law has prospered with the vision and leadership of individuals who share a commitment to its Augustinian and Catholic traditions, providing a foundation for a future of great challenge and even greater opportunity.
As a member and former chair of the Board of Consultors, David F. Girard-diCarlo has helped lay that foundation through his professional attainments and steadfast support, leading Villanova Law to a new level of national prominence.
The first in his family to graduate college, Mr. Girard-diCarlo was the recipient of the Harold Reuschlein Scholarship and served as editor-in-chief of the Villanova Law Review before graduating law school in 1973. He was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in 1979 by Governor Richard
Thornburgh. In 1982, he joined the Philadelphia-based law firm Blank Rome LLP, where he served as managing partner and CEO for 15 years before being named Chairman in January 2003. He now also serves as chairman of Blank Rome Government Relations
LLC, headquartered in Washington, DC.
Mr. Girard-diCarlo has chaired or served on the boards of numerous educational, civic, corporate, cultural, political and professional organizations. Most notably, he co-chaired the bi-partisan Host Committee of the 2000 Republican National Convention, held in Philadelphia. Currently he is the Pennsylvania State Finance Chairman for the
Bush-Cheyney 2004 Campaign, and serves as an executive committee member of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
Throughout his career, Mr. Girard-diCarlo has maintained a close relationship with his alma mater. In addition to his leadership on the Board, he marshaled the Law School through its first capital campaign, the Reuschlein Campaign, with his wife Constance ’72, as chair. The completion of the campaign has enabled Villanova Law to invite world class scholars to teach and produce major, publishable scholarship at the Law School each year.
His law firm is among the top employers of Villanova Law graduates, and he has strengthened the Law School’s Scholarship Program with the creation of a scholarship named in honor of his mentor and friend Arthur J. Kania ’56, as well as with his support of the Reuschlein and Class of 1973 Scholarship Funds.
Michael
Nolan, a member of Lowenstein Sandler PC
in Roseland, New Jersey, is committed to making a difference in the lives of
young people. As founder and president of Kids
Corporation, he is reforming education in Newark and, in turn, ensuring a
brighter future for the city and its children.
Kids
Corporation is a non-profit organization, which provides educational support
programs for children in grades one through eight. The Corporation distributes
educational resources to public and private community groups and operates after
school programs and a summer camp to enhance curriculum in the schools and
assist children in developing self-confidence.
Born and
raised in Newark, New Jersey, Nolan became interested in community service while
a student at St. Vincent College in Latrobe. He founded Kids Corporation during
his senior year, and continued to lead the organization while in law school.
Since the first class of 100, Kids Corporation has grown exponentially. In the
summer of 1999 alone, the Corporation assisted in the education of 3,500
children. More than 300 volunteers, 200 of which were college students
representing 47 different universities, served on the staff.
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Louis
W. Fryman '62
Recipient of the 2000 Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service |
Louis
Fryman's business and legal acumen, as managing partner of Fox,
Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel LLP, is complemented by his generous
spirit and life-long commitment to Big Brothers
Big Sisters of America.
His
resume of involvement with the oldest mentoring program in the country beginning
as a Big Brother soon after his law school graduation to becoming a visionary
leader for the organization while managing a Center City law firm spans over 35
years, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to providing guidance, friendship
and service to children in need.
As a Big
Brother, he served eight years as a mentor to his Little Brother Randy, who is
now a model parent and grandparent. As a visionary leader for the Philadelphia
chapter, he lead the expansion of its services to girls in the 1970s,
established new fund raising events which now raise close to $85,000 annually
for the general operating budget, and chaired its first endowment campaign
raising over 1.5 million dollars to stabilize and increase the chapter's funding
base.
He now
serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
America, helping millions of children reach their full potential and realize
their dreams.
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Frank
P. Cervone '82
Recipient
of the 2001 Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service
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Frank
Cervone's record of community service is a tangible statement of his lifelong
commitment to helping abused and neglected children achieve justice, a sense of
self-worth, and a chance for a brighter future.
After
graduating in 1982, Mr. Cervone began his public interest law career serving as
counsel for Saint Gabriel's System, an agency providing treatment for juvenile
offenders. He then worked as a staff attorney for Delaware County Legal
Assistance Association, and instructed law students in domestic abuse and child
support litigation as an adjunct clinical professor at Villanova.
Now the
Executive Director of the Support Center for
Child Advocates, the lawyer's pro bono program for abused and neglected
children in Philadelphia, Mr. Cervone leads the way in systematic reform of
juvenile justice services and inspires his peers, by example and encouragement,
to use their own skills and intellect in advocating for children. Since he
joined the Support Center in 1990, the organization and its services have grown
exponentially. Each year the Center recruits 200 volunteer attorneys and
advocates for 600 children. In addition, Mr. Cervone's fundraising efforts have
led to a million dollar operating budget, enabling the Support Center to double
its staff of attorneys and social workers, as well as the purchase of a new
building, located at 1900 Cherry Street.
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Karen
C. Buck ‘87
Recipient of the 2002 Donald W. Dowd Alumni Association Award for Public Service |
As the
Executive Director of SeniorLAW Center
(formerly known as Senior Citizen Judicare), Karen Buck has faced the challenges
of Philadelphia's burgeoning aged population with compassion and keen insight,
protecting their legal rights and interests through a combination of legal
services, community outreach, education and advocacy.
Her
unwavering desire to serve those in need was made evident when she chose to
forego a lucrative private practice and pursue a career in public interest.
During her tenure as Executive Director of Senior Citizen Judicare, she has
increased the number of clients that it serves and developed new programs in the
Latino and Asian communities. Of equal importance, by her example and
enthusiasm, she has awakened a similar commitment from members of the private
bar, recruiting hundreds of attorneys to serve as advocates for the elderly each
year. This year alone the Center will serve over 9,000 elders.
In
addition, as Judicare approaches its 25th Anniversary, Ms. Buck's leadership
has led to a name change for the organization-SeniorLAW Center, as well as to a
new office location with larger quarters, located on the 18th Floor of the Land
Title Building in Philadelphia, providing more room to expand its programs and
services.
A true mentor is one who commits to reaching outside him or herself to inspire another to scale to perhaps otherwise unrealized heights of achievement. This inspiration is best exemplified through the life of The Honorable Kathryn S. Lewis, whose gifts of intellect, passion and generosity have enriched the lives of generations of young people, from underserved inner city youth to minority law students.
A native of the Strawberry Mansion section of Philadelphia, Judge Lewis graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 1969 as the class valedictorian. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, and graduated from Villanova Law in 1976.
After clerking for The Honorable Doris M. Harris of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, she worked as a staff attorney for the Philadelphia Council for Community Advancement, an organization engaged in developing housing for low and moderate income families. In 1978, she became counsel to the chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, and two years later joined the City of Philadelphia Law Department, rising from Assistant City Solicitor to First Deputy City Solicitor.
In 1988, Governor Casey appointed her judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. She was elected to a full-term in 1989, and was retained in 1999. Currently assigned to the Trial Division to preside over homicide and major felony trials, Judge Lewis continually strives to improve life in the city where she grew up and to promote diversity within the profession she works.
She has served on the boards of several organizations, including the Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent, the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, and the New Freedom Theater. A former president of the Barristers Association of Philadelphia, she initiated a mentoring program with Philadelphia Futures called Barristers’ Options for Opportunity to provide role models for youngsters facing delinquency proceedings at the Philadelphia Youth Study Center.
She currently serves as co-chair of the Juvenile Justice Alliance, and often speaks at local high schools and churches about her experiences on the bench in an effort to make a difference in the life of one child.
She also maintains a close relationship with Villanova Law, serving as an adjunct faculty member, a member of the Board of
Consultors, and president of the Minority Alumni Society, a group she helped form, dedicated to supporting and promoting diversity at Villanova Law and within the legal profession.
From the bench to the classroom, Judge Lewis fills each day with purpose and still makes time to offer an empathetic ear and expressions of support to colleagues and
mentees. More importantly, her efforts to inspire others and effect change awaken a similar commitment from those in positions of privilege.
Loyalty, service to others, and the capacity to persist in the face of great challenge are qualities that define men and women of exemplary character. In Danielle E. Beckwith Lehman and Jennifer J. Kramer, these qualities come to the fore, and their pro bono service exemplifies their unwavering commitment to the Villanova ideals of service to the poor and respect for human dignity.
Ms. Lehman and Ms. Kramer met as Third Year Law Students enrolled in the Law School’s Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES). They were assigned to represent Bernard
Lukwago, a former child soldier from Uganda seeking political asylum in the United States. In 1997, at the age of 15, Mr. Lukwago was kidnapped by the Lord Resistance Army, a rebel group in Uganda for which he was forced to fight until fleeing the country.
While cramming through their final semester, they worked around the clock in order to present Mr. Lukwago’s case before the Immigration Court in April 2001. The Court denied Mr. Lukwago asylum, but granted him a narrow form of protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. CARES appealed, but so did the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the Immigration Court’s denial of asylum, reversed the protection order, and prepared to deport Mr.
Lukwago.
Compelled by their humanitarian convictions, Ms. Lehman and Ms. Kramer agreed to take over Mr. Lukwago’s representation pro bono. Within a few months after graduating and passing the bar, they were handling their first case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit versus Attorney General
Ashcroft, balancing their jobs and working together from across the Country.
Their efforts led to Mr. Lukwago’s parole from detention on August 13, 2002, and on December 17, 2002, they argued before the Third Circuit. They received a favorable, precedent-setting opinion in May from the Court, who remanded the case to the Board of Immigration Appeals to reconsider Mr. Lukwago’s claim for asylum based on his well-founded fear of future persecution by the Lord Resistance Army. On August 25, they received word that the Board of Immigration Appeals granted asylum to Mr.
Lukwago.
Danielle E. Beckwith Lehman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Davis, and is a member of the Villanova Law Class of 2001. She relinquished a job opportunity with the Immigration and Naturalization Service after graduation and delayed her job search in California in order to continue her representation of Bernard
Lukwago. She is currently pursuing a position in public interest, and resides in Sausalito, California.
Jennifer J. Kramer holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Florida, and is a member of the Villanova Law Class of 2001. After graduation, she served as a law clerk to The Honorable Juan R. Sanchez of the Chester County Court of Common Pleas. In August, she joined the law firm of Kurzban Kurzban Weigner and Tetzelli in Miami, Florida.
Alissa
Halperin's leadership, energy and organizational skills have challenged the
Law School and its students to fully commit to serving the community.
While a
law student, Alissa played a significant leadership role in reviving the Pro
Bono Society,
which had become inactive for several years. She helped organize the Society to
tap into the students' best volunteer instincts, to connect it with various
pro bono organizations, to provide training in a broad range of areas, and to
connect student volunteers with opportunities to serve. She also instituted the Public
Interest Fellowship Program at the Law School, which now raises approximately $40,000 each year for summer
stipends to be awarded to Villanova Law students working in public interest
positions. The very existence of the program and the auction, which serves as
the program's primary fundraiser, has heightened student's interest in
serving the legal needs of the poor.
As
a result of her hard work and commitment to public service, Alissa became the
first Villanova Law School recipient of an Independence
Fellowship, and currently works as an attorney with the Pennsylvania
Health Law Project in Philadelphia. As an alumna, Alissa continues to lead
the way in pro bono activities at the Law School by founding Lawyering Together, a program which partners students with alumni mentors to
work on a pro bono case in Philadelphia.
Sara
Woods came to law school to be a public interest lawyer, after working as a rape
counselor. She saw firsthand how the legal system worked for her and her
clients, and wanted to teach women how to use the system to empower themselves.
As a
second year law student at Villanova, Ms. Woods was awarded the Alissa Eden
Halperin Fellowship in 1999, named to honor the Law School's Public Interest
Fellowship Program (PIFP) founder and awarded to the first-ranked student of the PIFP applicants. She
spent the summer working at the Women's
Law Project of Philadelphia, researching and writing on various projects;
such as a brief for the Fourth Circuit, a brochure for teenagers and a project
tracking the TANF felony drug ban. She also helped educate women about their
rights.
As a
third year law student, Ms. Woods served as the Director of the 1999-2000 Public
Interest Fellowship Program. With her leadership, the PIFP auction, an annual
fundraiser for the program, raised over $43,000, enabling eleven student fellows
to receive summer stipends to work in unpaid public interest positions over the
summer.
She also
served as president of the Pro
Bono Society, during which time she helped organize a
women's clothing drive to benefit the Working Wardrobe-an organization which
provides women on welfare seeking jobs with clothes for interviews and work.
Villanova Law School contributed the largest donation to the drive. Ms. Woods
also worked with another student to create a program to help Chester high school
students fill out college applications.
After
graduation, she joined the legal center of Women
Against Abuse in Philadelphia - the largest and most comprehensive domestic
violence program in Pennsylvania, serving some 15,000 survivors of domestic
violence and their children each year.
The
Alumni Association Awards Committee selected two recipients, whose records of
volunteer community and pro bono service are tangible statements of Villanova's
Augustinian heritage and commitment to the community, for the 2001 Law Alumni
Award for Pro Bono Service.
After his first year of law school, Matthew Heilman received a Public Interest
Fellowship and spent his summer working with the AIDS
Law Project of Pennsylvania, a non-profit, public interest law firm
providing legal services without charge to persons affected by the AIDS
epidemic. He spent the following summer working with the Public Defender
Association of Philadelphia, and accepted a position to work there after
graduation.
Matt
served as president of the law school's Pro
Bono Society, an organization that provides
students with the opportunity to volunteer their time and unique skills as law
students for members of our community who need legal assistance. With his
leadership, the Society encouraged students to volunteer for community
service-oriented programs, such as the AIDS Walk, Special Olympics, Philadelphia
Cares Day and Habitat for Humanity.
In addition, Matt played a major role in the creation of the Lawyering Together program, serving as a member of the Steering Committee.
Lawyering Together is one way the Pro Bono Society and the Alumni Association
are working together to blend learning and service to help students develop
leadership qualities that will serve them and their communities throughout their
career. By partnering students with alumni mentors to work on a pro bono case,
the Society and the Alumni Association hope to assist students in developing a
fuller understanding of the practice of law, as well as, the awesome
responsibilities of leadership that accompany a lawyer's vocation. After
her first year of law school, Kelly Urban also received a Public Interest
Fellowship and spent her summer working with the appeals division of the
Delaware County District Attorney's Office. She continued to work there
part-time during her second and third year of law school, as well as full-time
the summer before her third year of law school. She accepted a position to work
there after graduation in the pre-trial division. She was also a student in the
Villanova Community Legal Services Clinic, assigned to work on family law and disability cases.
Kelly
dedicated her law school career to supporting the Law School's Public Interest
Fellowship Program.
Founded in 1998, the Program provides financial support to students who commit
their summers to public service work. These fellowships have enabled students to
work at public interest organizations; such as, the Philadelphia Women's Law
Project, the Philadelphia AIDS Law Project, the Homeless Advocacy Project and
the Disabilities Law Project of Philadelphia; when they otherwise would not have
been able to due to financial constraints.
As a
first year student, she volunteered to work at the Public Interest Fellowship
auction-the program's largest fundraiser. As a second year student, she served
as solicitation coordinator for the auction. And as a third year student, she
served as the Director of the overall Public Interest Fellowship Program,
overseeing the auction and the distribution of fellowships. Her leadership as
the director this year was instrumental in raising $40,000 at the 2001 Auction,
which enabled ten student fellows to work in otherwise unpaid public interest
positions over the summer.
Jodi
Cordeiro made evident her commitment to pro bono service through her work in
creating Lawyering Together,
Villanova's new student/alumni pro bono initiative, as well as for her
leadership of the Pro
Bono Society.
Jodi's
student leadership of Lawyering Together is one of her greatest contributions to
the Law School's public service mission. The first program of its kind,
Lawyering Together blends service and learning by partnering Villanova students
with alumni mentors to work on a pro bono case in Philadelphia. The program
would not have been launched without Jodi's leadership. The program was
officially kicked-off the 2002 Spring Semester, and approximately 20
alumni/student teams were assigned to cases. She participated as the student
representative on the steering committee, which created the program;
energetically recruited student volunteers to take cases; and worked with the
alumni office to monitor the program and troubleshoot where necessary.
In her
second year leading the student-run Pro Bono Society, Jodi tirelessly encouraged
her peers to volunteer their time and skills to helping the disadvantaged. Her
efforts have contributed to Villanova's mission to teach students early in
their careers to incorporate pro bono legal service into their professional
lives. The Villanova Pro Bono Society, for example, focuses on individuals and
community groups that traditionally lack access to the legal system. At the same
time, the Pro Bono Society has provided invigorating and enjoyable events that
build community at Villanova Law. With Jodi's leadership, the Pro Bono Society
sponsored the following projects: Volunteer Recruitment for “Women Organized
Against Rape”, Tenant's Rights Seminar, Philadelphia Academy E-mail
Mentoring Program, Support of Special Service Projects (Philadelphia Aids Walk,
Special Olympics, and other causes), and the compilation of a Public Interest
Job Search Guide.
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Lauren J. Vidal
2003 Recipient of the Law Alumni Association Award for Pro Bono Service
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Throughout her law school career, Lauren J. Vidal made evident her personal commitment to reaching outside herself to help others. She assisted in the creation of Lawyering Together, the Law School’s novel, service-learning program which partners students with alumni to work on pro bono cases in Philadelphia. As a participant in the program’s pilot phase, she agreed to speak at an orientation in the Fall of 2002 to encourage student participation. She then eagerly signed up once it was formally launched, and worked diligently on drafting a will for an elderly client. At the completion of the case, she happily signed up for another assignment. Ms. Vidal has also provided pro bono service to homeless women through the Law School’s Adopt-A-Shelter program with the Homeless Advocacy Project in Philadelphia.
In addition to her pro bono activities, Ms. Vidal participated in numerous community service projects, including the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. She also provided leadership as a member of the Public Interest Fellowship Program Leadership Board, holding the position of Volunteer Coordinator during her second year and Publicity Coordinator her third year. The Public Interest Fellowship Program provides financial support to students who commit their summers to working in otherwise unpaid public interest positions. Her involvement on the leadership board over the two year period helped raise over $75,000 in fellowship money for students committed to serving the community.
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| Sarah E. Cox '04
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| Pictured from l to r.: Presenter Sara Woods ’00
(Villanova Law Director of Public Service Careers and Pro Bono Programs
& VLAA Board Member), Recipient Sarah Cox ’04, Bernard McLafferty,
Sr. ’61 (Chairperson of the VLAA Awards Committee) and Dean Mark A.
Sargent.
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Recipient of the 2004 Law Alumni Award for Pro Bono Service
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Sarah E. Cox has provided significant pro bono service to the community, in addition to her work with the Public Interest Fellowship Program.
She has provided over 70 hours of pro bono service at the Support Center for Child Advocates. She initially began her service as part of Villanova’s Externship program. However, when her externship concluded, she stayed through an additional semester, without any compensation or credit, to assist on two children’s cases. She also converted the SCCA volunteer attorney training to power point and updated all of the volunteer attorney information.
She spent last summer at Children’s Legal Services in Massachusetts. She did not receive any compensation for her work, which amounted to approximately 480 hours of pro bono service to indigent children. She has also participated in numerous service projects, most recently the Martin Luther King Day of Service.
Finally, she has been involved with the Public Interest Fellowship Program since her first year at Villanova Law, serving as the Solicitation Coordinator during her second year and the Director during her third year. With her leadership, the PIFP Board
raised in excess of $48,000 during the 2004-2005 academic year (the largest amount of money raised for the program in one year), funding 12 public interest fellows for summer 2004.
In addition to her service, Sarah also excels academically. She is in the top 15% of her class, and this year, became the first Villanova student to compete as a finalist for the prestigious Skadden Arps public interest fellowship. She continues to search for public interest work in the Massachusetts area, because she is committed to working in the public sector on behalf of children. She also won third place in the coveted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pursuit of Justice Legal Writing Competition.
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