Deanna Sablich ‘27

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Deanna Sablich ’27 had never taken an evidence course or set foot in a courtroom when she entered her first trial competition at Widener University Commonwealth Law School. She was up against students with more coursework behind them, and first had to learn how a trial worked.

“I spent a lot of time preparing, learning the structure of direct and cross-examinations, understanding how objections worked, and practicing until I felt comfortable enough to walk into the courtroom and advocate for my side,” Sablich said.

That first competition taught her she could make a mistake, keep going and still learn from the experience. Now president of the Trial Advocacy Honor Society, Sablich remembers how intimidating it felt. She draws on that experience when students worry they aren’t ready to try out.

Trial work may never be the focus of her career. Sablich, a juris doctor candidate in the class of 2027, hopes to practice elder law. But the society has helped her grow more confident speaking in public and thinking on her feet. It has also changed how she thinks about representing a client.

“Knowing your case allows you to advocate confidently, but understanding the person behind the case allows you to tell their story in a way that is thoughtful, persuasive and authentic,” she said.

Sablich came to law school after several years as a paralegal at an elder law firm. An Allentown native and Kutztown University graduate, she enjoyed helping clients but wanted to take greater responsibility for their cases and, one day, give them legal advice herself.

She wasn’t certain she wanted to stay in elder law. Classes and an externship as a certified legal intern at the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office gave her a chance to explore other work. The more she explored, the more she found herself drawn back to the relationships she had built with elder law clients and their families.

Sablich now has an externship at Vasiliadis Pappas Associates LLC in Bethlehem, where she worked as a paralegal before law school. She credits attorney Dionysios C. Pappas and law clerk Athanasia Pappas with encouraging her to understand the reasoning behind their work and grow more independent as her legal education progressed.

The people she met at Widener Law Commonwealth have mattered just as much. Sablich commutes from the Allentown area and, as the only daytime student in the extended division when she began, worried about finding friends. She met recent graduate Abigail Hoben during programming for new students and their friendship bloomed.

“Abby sat next to me during 1L orientation and hasn’t been able to get rid of me since,” Sablich said.

That friendship, along with support from professors during a particularly difficult semester, helped make the law school feel like a community. Sablich has carried that support into her role with the Trial Advocacy Honor Society, where she served as secretary before becoming president.

After graduation, she hopes to become the attorney clients can turn to when a decision feels confusing or overwhelming. For students just starting law school, her advice comes from having faced plenty of uncertainty herself.

“You don’t need to know how your law school story is going to end when you’re just starting it,” Sablich said. “Give yourself the opportunity to figure it out along the way.”

Interview was conducted in Fall 2026.