News Archive

Honoring 35 years of impact in law, government, and public service while continuing to build a bold future together for the next generation of legal professionals. In the capital city where policy takes shape, Widener University Commonwealth Law School has spent 35 years giving determined students…

When Harrisburg grandmother Deborah Myers wanted to adopt her two young grandchildren, she turned to the Central Pennsylvania Law Clinic at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Through the clinic, Myers received free legal help that guided her through each step of the adoption process. It…

Widener University Commonwealth Law School has awarded the 2025–26 Reybitz Business Advising Program Fellowship to third-year student Elizabeth Wenger. The fellowship was established through a gift from Ronald Reybitz, a 1996 graduate of the law school who serves as special counsel to Fitzpatrick…

When Guy D’Andrea, a 2008 graduate of Widener University Commonwealth Law School, steps into a courtroom, his mission is clear: to be the voice and the shield for those who’ve been silenced. As co-managing partner at Laffey, Bucci, D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, he has built a career representing…

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…

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Joseph F. Bianco visited Widener University Commonwealth Law School recently for a talk that offered an inside look at the federal courts and judicial decision making. What began as a professional development event quickly turned into an interactive civics class that put…

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.…