Top 10 Penn State Law news stories of 2013

The Law School students, alumni, and faculty worked hard to make 2013 a year rich in scholarship, achievement, advocacy, and learning. Collected here are the ten most-read news stories on our website in 2013.

10. Clinic files Supreme Court brief on housing discrimination case

The Civil Rights Appellate Clinic filed an amici curiae brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in Township of Mount Holly v. Mt. Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, Inc. (No. 11-1507).

9. Michael James '14 named to Lawyers of Color's Inaugural Hot List

Third-year student Michael James Jr. is one of the only two law students recently named to the Lawyers of Color's Inaugural Hot List for the Eastern Region.

8.  Speakers urge Law School graduates to value relationships and integrity  

The Law School celebrated 198 juris doctorate and 43 master of law graduates at its 134th commencement on Saturday, May 11.

7.  Prestigious law reviews to publish the work of 3Ls Anthony Rallo and Thomas Robins

Rallo’s article, “The Veil of Acquiescence,” will be published in Volume 24, Issue 4 of The American Review of International Arbitration, a journal published by Columbia Law School, while Robins' article “The Peculiar Case of the ARA Libertad: Provisional Measures and Prejudice to the Arbitral Tribunal’s Final Result," will appear in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. 

6. Samantha Devine Jallah navigates law school and motherhood

Jallah gave birth to her first child just before her first final exams. She constantly questioned her decision to be in law school until her second year. “As I studied for exams and applied my past work and life experiences, I began to grasp concepts in ways I’d never done before. It was in that moment that I realized this was exactly where I was meant to be.”

5. Federal courts choose 4 Penn State Law students for clerkships

Four members of the Class of 2013 received prestigious post-graduation federal clerkships. Sarah Hyser, Mark McCormick-Goodhart, and Christopher Polchin are three of the students that began their clerkships in 2013.

4. New Report calls for improvements to DHS Notice to Appear procedure

The Center for Immigrants’ Rights released “To File or Not to File,” a report highlighting the rate and circumstances surrounding Notice to Appear (NTA) filings at the immigration court. The report is available to the public online.

3. PA students eligible for commonwealth scholars program

In 2014, a renewable grant of $20,000 is available to Pennsylvania residents applying to the Law School through the Commonwealth Scholars program. The grant is renewable for all three years of study, resulting in a $60,000 savings for Commonwealth Scholars.

2. Bar prep pays off for class of 2013

The Class of 2013 passed the Pennsylvania bar exam at a rate of 93.83%, surpassing all other Pennsylvania law schools.

  1. Students reap benefits of oil and gas boom

Penn State Law students are taking advantage of classes in oil and gas law, shale gas development policy, and energy law to prepare for careers in the rapidly expanding energy business in Pennsylvania.