News - Alumni

It wasn’t a lecture. It wasn’t a textbook exercise. At Widener University Commonwealth Law School, students found themselves negotiating a workplace dispute that could have come straight out of the headlines. Inside Professor Christian Johnson’s alternative dispute resolution class, third-year law…

When Donald Smith enrolled in Widener University Commonwealth Law School’s evening division program in the late 1990s, he was already serving as Pennsylvania’s deputy secretary of compensation and insurance under Gov. Tom Ridge. His days were filled with overseeing three bureaus and the state’s…

When the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania brought a special session of oral arguments to Widener University Commonwealth Law School, students didn’t just observe legal procedure. They gained a front-row seat to the kind of preparation, professionalism, and precision that will shape their future…

For Amanda LoPiccolo, a 2005 graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, family law is both challenging and deeply rewarding. For the past 18 years, she has served as an attorney with Dauphin County Domestic Relations, where her days are filled with everything from managing the court…

This summer, nine Widener University Commonwealth Law School students traded their Harrisburg classrooms for centuries-old piazzas, cobblestone streets, and a taste of Italian life. For four weeks, they participated in a study abroad program in Rome, earning five credits in international civil…

Kristen B. Hamilton ’05 walked into Widener Law Commonwealth as a nontraditional student balancing multiple jobs and walked out as an advocate who would one day rise to lead the Pennsylvania Bar Association, showing law students how determination and service can shape a remarkable career. The law…

Widener University Commonwealth Law School has named third-year student Brent Finkbeiner and second-year student Grant Villa-Rodriguez as Patrick J. Murphy Law and Government fellows for the 2025-26 academic year. The competitive fellowship, funded by Widener Law Commonwealth alumnus Patrick J.…

Kristi Thomas ’07 turned the opportunity she found at Widener University Commonwealth Law School into a career milestone, rising to partner at Sheppard Mullin, one of the nation’s top firms. A Pennsylvania native who grew up in the state and earned her undergraduate degree at the University of…

Kristen B. Hamilton, a 2005 graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, has been sworn in as the 131st president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, also known as the PBA. She is the youngest female president in the association’s history and only the eighth woman to hold the position.…

For several Widener University Commonwealth Law School students, the PLAN MLK Jr. Internship Program became more than just a summer opportunity; it became a personal and professional turning point. Rishi Nayee, a rising third-year student, chose to spend his summer working with the Community…

The next generation of Widener University Commonwealth Law School students is officially on its way. On Aug. 14, 160 first-year students gathered on campus for the annual Welcome to the Profession ceremony, a milestone moment marking the start of their legal education and the beginning of a career…

Widener University Commonwealth Law School has finalized a new 3+3 dual admissions agreement with Youngstown State University, opening a streamlined pathway for YSU students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a juris doctor in just six years. This is Widener Law Commonwealth’s first 3+3…