Nicole Boland

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Nicole Boland still has the elementary school newspaper where she confidently declared, as a third grader, that she wanted to become a lawyer.

It wasn't a childhood phase. It was the beginning of a career that has taken the Widener University Commonwealth Law School graduate from the classroom to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and now to the Pennsylvania State Police, where she oversees significant civil litigation and helps guide legal strategy for one of the commonwealth's largest law enforcement agencies.

As assistant chief counsel for litigation with the Pennsylvania State Police, Boland manages lawsuits filed against the agency in partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, while maintaining her own caseload of significant litigation. She also advises the agency on employment matters, policy and risk management and serves as commission counsel to the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission.

"I find it meaningful representing and advising first responders who have to contend with society's most dangerous and horrific situations," Boland said.

Her path to that role began long before law school.

Growing up in Pottsville, Boland loved standing up for others and was fascinated by courtroom advocacy. She watched Law & Order with her mother, followed nationally televised trials and developed an interest in the legal system through her father, a member of the Pennsylvania State Police. By the time she graduated from Kutztown University with a degree in political science and completed a full-time internship with the Pennsylvania Department of State's Prosecution Division, she knew law school was the next step.

Widener Law Commonwealth stood out because of its location in the heart of Pennsylvania's legal and government community.

"It was the right fit for me for a multitude of reasons," Boland said. "I was able to network with the strong alumni community, leading to public service internships and job opportunities."

Those opportunities quickly became hands-on experience.

As a student in the Civil Law Clinic, Boland drafted court filings, conducted her first deposition and worked directly with clients, experiences that confirmed litigation was exactly where she belonged. Outside the clinic, she immersed herself in campus life, serving in the Student Bar Association all three years before being elected as its president as a third-year law student. She also volunteered through the Wills for Heroes program, helping prepare estate-planning documents for first responders.

Boland credits several professors with shaping the lawyer she would become. Professor Jill Family built a strong foundation in civil procedure. Professor Amanda Sholtis instilled the precision and discipline litigation demands. In the Civil Law Clinic, Professor Mary Catherine Scott guided her through working with clients and handling real cases for the first time.

She also found an early mentor in alumnus and adjunct professor Todd Shill ‘93, whose guidance and example reinforced that there are many ways to build a meaningful legal career.

That foundation carried Boland into the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, where she spent seven years in the Civil Litigation Unit, eventually serving as senior deputy attorney general. She handled cases from inception through trial on behalf of the commonwealth, including litigation involving the Pennsylvania State Police, making the transition to her current role a natural one.

"I spent years practicing civil litigation, which has placed me in a position to effectively manage litigation," she said.

Looking back, Boland encourages today's law students to seek every opportunity to gain practical experience. Watch trials. Find internships or shadowing opportunities. Step into the courtroom whenever possible. Government practice, she said, offers young attorneys the chance to sharpen their advocacy skills while making a meaningful contribution through public service.

She also believes one quality has never gone out of style.

"Tenacity, which is a timeless skill," Boland said. "Becoming a litigator takes time, practice and sacrifice. Civil litigation cases often take years to resolve, so you have to have patience and grit, but seeing a case through to its end is greatly rewarding."

Interview conducted in Summer 2026.