Kiera Flannery ’26

Finding Her Voice in the Law: How Kiera Flannery Turned Curiosity into Leadership and Purpose

By the time she reached her third year at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Kiera Flannery had already built the kind of law school career most students only imagine. She leads the Widener Commonwealth Law Review as its 2025-2026 editor-in-chief, mentors future students as vice president of student ambassadors, and works inside the federal courts, all while keeping one steady goal in mind: using the law to help others.

Flannery’s path to law school began long before she filled out her first application. A 2023 graduate of the University of Scranton, she studied political science and legal studies with a quiet sense that she belonged in a profession centered on service.

Choosing Widener Law Commonwealth felt natural from the start. She wanted a close-knit academic community, something smaller than a big-city campus but still connected to the kind of opportunities that can change a student’s career. Being steps from the Pennsylvania capitol and within the Middle District of Pennsylvania gave her exactly that.

“Your professors and your classmates truly want to see you succeed,” she said. “That is what makes a law school experience special.”

One of the most defining moments in her education arrived after her first year, when she began interning for U.S. District Court Judge Karoline Mehalchick. What started as a summer placement turned into years of mentorship, hands-on work, and eventually a federal clerkship that Flannery will begin after graduation with U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Phillip Caraballo.

“This experience changed the trajectory of my law school journey,” she said. “It solidified my passion for legal writing, which expanded into my coursework, my research assistantship with Professor (Michal) Buchhandler-Raphael, my time on law review, and now, a starting point for my career.”

Her resume only grew from there. She took on leadership roles in student organizations, became a research assistant, served as an academic success fellow for contracts, and worked in the admissions office. Yet the place she invested the most of her time was the law review.

Flannery knew she wanted to join before she even arrived on campus. “I knew how prestigious membership is and that it provides you with a valuable skillset for practicing law,” she said. Her affinity for writing, sharpened through her work in chambers, made the journal feel like home.

Leading the publication brought its own lessons. “It’s a unique organization because it is entirely student-run,” she said. “My fellow board members and staff are hardworking, dedicated, and kind. It has been rewarding to watch staff members grow in confidence each week.”

She has spent the year guiding edits, planning a symposium, communicating with authors and managing dozens of moving parts. But she also focused on something less technical: community. To make sure staff members felt connected, she hosted a happy hour and baked cookies as a semester-end thank-you. Little gestures matter, she said, especially in a high-pressure environment.

“It has truly been an honor and one of my biggest accomplishments to serve as editor-in-chief,” she said.

Her appreciation for the value of scholarship comes from more than her legal training. Flannery shared a story about her grandfather, a newspaper journalist who once published a letter from a Vietnam soldier that challenged public sentiment at the time. He faced criticism and threats, yet the letter later became a remembered piece of local history.

“If 50 years from now something groundbreaking that was published in our law review is remembered, I will be honored to have played a small role in getting those voices out into the world,” she said.

To students thinking about joining law review, she offers simple advice: have confidence. “The responsibility seems daunting at first,” she said. “But if you’re passionate about something, the hard work becomes easier. As much as you put into law review, you get out of it.”

As graduation approaches, Flannery says she hopes to stay in the public sector after her clerkship. She wants to advocate for others, especially within the federal government, where she sees meaningful opportunities to serve.
Whatever direction her career takes next, she knows what she’s gained during the last three years.

“Law school is challenging,” she said. “But the people you meet along the way and the opportunities Widener Law Commonwealth provides make it incredibly rewarding.”

Interview was conducted in Winter 2025.