News - The Dean's Brief

For the Widener University Commonwealth Law School graduates gathered in Harrisburg in mid-October, giving back meant helping someone else get to the career they had worked so hard to build.That connection ran through the law school’s inaugural alumni appreciation luncheon at the Hilton Harrisburg,…

The U.S. Supreme Court’s history, constitutional responsibilities and relationship with the public took center stage Oct. 6 as legal scholar Stephen I. Vladeck addressed about 250 people at the John Gedid Lecture at Widener University Commonwealth Law School.Students, attorneys and other guests…

When Owen Dougherty and Enzo Fetsko arrived at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, they found a community willing to help them through the unfamiliar demands of their first year. Now they’re extending that same welcome through a podcast episode filled with the advice and encouragement they…

Law students can spend a whole day thinking about the next reading, assignment or exam. Brielle Kimmins wanted to give them a place where they could put all of that down for a little while. Image Kimmins, a second-year student and the Student Bar…

For first-year law students staring at weeks of class notes, case briefs and legal rules, creating an outline can feel like one more problem to solve. At a Widener Law Commonwealth Student Success Series program, five upperclassmen offered a reassuring message: There’s no single right way to do it…

For the first time in its history, Widener University Commonwealth Law School became the setting where 35 people completed their journeys to U.S. citizenship, raising their right hands inside the Douglas M. Wolfberg Courtroom and taking the Oath of Allegiance.The Sept. 18 naturalization ceremony…

Brooke Anderson, a third-year student at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, has been named the 2026-27 Reybitz Fellow, an opportunity that will help her build on her interest in business law through mentorship and practical experience.Anderson will receive a $1,250 stipend during both the…

Cold calls can make even a well-prepared law student’s mind go blank. But according to a panel of third-year students at Widener University Commonwealth Law School, an imperfect answer is neither a disaster nor a measure of a student’s ability to succeed.It is simply part of learning how to think…

Learning the law will consume plenty of time over the next three to four years. Widener University Commonwealth Law School’s newest students were reminded Thursday that learning what kind of lawyer they want to be matters just as much. Image More…

Widener University Commonwealth Law School and York College of Pennsylvania have entered into a new 3+3 dual admissions agreement, creating an accelerated pathway for qualified students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a juris doctor in just six years instead of the traditional seven.The…

Three years of law school taught them the law. The weeks leading up to the bar exam taught them something else entirely: how to trust themselves under pressure, lean on community and keep moving forward even when exhaustion and doubt crept in. For members of the class of 2025 at Widener University…

Widener University Commonwealth Law School closed out the 2025–2026 academic year by recognizing the faculty and staff whose scholarship, teaching and service shaped the student experience well beyond the classroom.Dean andré douglas pond cummings presented the law school's 2026 faculty and staff…