Penn State Law

Law school applicants get advice from admissions experts, tonight at 8:30 ETOn Nov. 27 at 8:30 P.M. EST a panel of experts from law schools across the nation, including Penn State Law's Director of Admissions Grant Keener, will discuss findings from a national survey of admissions officers and answer prospective student questions.

Focus on bar exam prep pays off for Class of 2012Bar prep is a notoriously difficult time for a new law grad, a process that begins just after Memorial Day and ends, hopefully for good, in an air-conditioning hotel convention center sometime in July. Last summer the Penn State Law Class of 2012 sat for bar exams in 25 states. Ninety-one percent of them passed on the first attempt and have joined the ranks of those licensed to practice law. In addition to many happy students, their families, and employers, another person who is pleased about the higher-than-average Penn State Law bar pass rate is Keith Elkin, Dean of Students, who organizes an annual bar preparation program for Penn State Law graduates.

Lewis Katz Building named one of the world's best academic buildingsArchitizier, a blog dedicated to architecture, named Lewis Katz Building to its list of “Top 10 University Buildings that Actually Make You Want to go to Class.” Lewis Katz Building is in the company of Centro Tecnologico San Joaquin in Santiago Chile, Library Technical University in Delft, Netherlands, and the Deichmann Center for Social Interaction & Spitzer-Salant School of Social Work at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Students work to ensure a better future for tomorrow’s people and planet

Wilmer Hale ADR advocate to discuss dispute resolution in AfricaA unique twist on international arbitration will be covered in a lecture to be given by Tom Snider a lawyer who represented the government of Ethiopia in binding arbitration proceedings meant to resolve differences arising from the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Snider will be on campus on November 14 for "The Role of International Arbitral Tribunals in Post-Conflict Dispute Resolution."

Supreme Court of Ukraine awards Professor Butler highest medalThe Supreme Court of Ukraine awarded Professor William E. Butler its highest medal “For Fidelity to Law” on October 26 at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. The citation reads “for high professionalism, significant contributions to the development of the system of court organization and proceedings, ensuring the protection of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, and in commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the legal journal Law of Ukraine.

Marcellus Shale boom sparks student's interest in oil and gas law fieldThird-year law student Zach Morahan has been awarded one of only ten scholarships granted nationwide by the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF). "I was very excited to hear about winning an EMLF scholarship,” Morahan said. “Being selected as a recipient has helped to affirm my study of oil and gas law, and reinforced my interest in all aspects of the oil and gas sector." The scholarship amount is $3,000.

International Judicial Academy appoints Professor Rogers to board of directorsThe International Judicial Academy (IJA), a non-profit organization which provides education programs for judges, court administrators, ministry of justice officials, and other legal professionals from countries around the world, recently appointed Professor Catherine Rogers to its board of directors.

Festival of the Arts elects Colleen Toomey to BoardThe Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts elected Colleen Toomey, associate dean for policy, planning, and strategic relations for the Law School to its Board of Directors. In 2012, the Arts Festival was ranked by Sunshine Artist magazine as number two in its list of the one hundred best outdoor fine art and fine craft fairs in the United States. In addition to producing the summer festival, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts also produces First Night State College, an alcohol-free, family-oriented New Year's festival.

Professor Houck Urges U.S. to Join Law of the Sea TreatyVice Admiral (Retired) James W. Houck, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Penn State Law and School of International Affairs, appeared before the Board of Directors of the Navy League of the United States on Friday, October 19th, to urge U.S. accession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.