Announcements
Week of 16 September 2024
Environmental & Energy Law Society General Body Meeting
Monday, September 16, 12:30-1:30pm in Room 102
The event will include food, take-home succulents, and discussion of opportunities in environmental and energy law!
Constitution Day 2024鈥擧ow the Pursuit of Happiness Defines America
Monday, September 16, at 4:45pm in Driscoll Hall 134
Celebrate Constitution Day 2024 with the Matthew J. Ryan Center as we host Jeffrey Rosen (George Washington University). Professor Rosen will explore the classical moral philosophers who influenced the Founders鈥� understanding of the pursuit of happiness as a quest for being good rather than simply feeling good鈥攁 pursuit of lifelong virtue rather than short-term pleasure. Indeed, America鈥檚 Founders believed that political self-government required personal self-government. A Q&A session will follow. ACS-approved.
APALSA General Body Meeting
Tuesday, September 17, 12:30pm in Room 202
Join the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association for their first meeting of the semester. A catered lunch will be provided. Questions? Contact vlsapalsa@villanova.edu.
BLSA Law School 101 Series: Outlining
Wednesday, September 18, 12:30-1:30pm in Room 102
Kicking off our first Law School 101 Series of the year which is tailored to the 1L Class. Come join the Black Law Student Association to learn everything about outlining for finals! Lunch will be provided!
Clinical Program Information Fair
Wednesday, September 18, 12:30-1:15pm in the Blank Rome LLP Dining Room or outside the dining room if the weather cooperates.
Join the Clinical Program for an Information Fair for those interested in learning about the program鈥檚 eight Clinics. Clinic faculty and staff will be available to answer questions. Snacks will be available.
Weekly Mass and Worship Opportunities on Campus
Wednesdays at 12:30pm Chapel of Our Lady, Mirror of Justice, dedicated in memory of Helen A. O鈥機onnor
Mass will be held at the Law School when classes are in session. Further details and other opportunities for worship can be found on the Campus Ministry website. For other information, you may contact Fr. Aldo Potencio, OSA at aldo.potencio@villanova.edu.
Mike Pence on the Constitution, Faith and Public Life
Wednesday, September 18, 4鈥�5pm in the Arthur M. Goldberg '66 Commons
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy will host "A Conversation on the Constitution, Faith and Public Life" with Mike Pence, the 48th vice president of the United States. Space is limited to Villanova faculty, staff and students, and is required.
Democracy and the Rule of Law: Our Rights and Responsibilities
Monday, September 23 in the Arthur Goldberg Commons
This program is a collaboration between the Villanova Law Women鈥檚 Network, the 蜜桃TV Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women鈥檚 Leadership and the Villanova Law Building Bridges program.
1:15-2:15 | The Rule of Law
Jeffrey Rosen, President & CEO, National Constitution Center
Christopher Cooper, US District Judge for the District of Columbia
Marjorie O. Rendell, Senior Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
2:30-3:30 | The Canary in the Coal Mine
Teressa Ravenell, Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Professor of Law, CWSL
Emily Martin, Chief Program Officer, National Women鈥檚 Law Center
Steve Vladeck, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
4:00-5:00 | A Participatory Democracy
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean and Professor of Law, CWSL
Michael Luttig, Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; Board of Trustees, National Constitution Center
Melissa Murray, Frederick I and Grace Stokes Professor of Law, NYU Law; Faculty Director, Birnbaum Women鈥檚 Leadership Center
5:00-6:00 | Reception
How to attend: There will be rows of seating at the back of the Commons to accommodate students who can only pop in for a portion of the program. We鈥檙e mindful that sound travels to the Commons easily. To help assure our speakers are best heard, please make sure to use the student seating so that you can easily come and go without disruption. Additionally, please be mindful to minimize conversation in the stairwell and hallways this day.
Registration is not required. This is an in-person event only, and will not be live streamed or recorded.
Save the Date: Law Library Book Chat with Prof. Mitch Nathanson
Monday, September 30, 12:30-1:30pm in the Scarpa Center for Entrepreneurship and Law (Library Second Floor)
Celebrate the arrival of the post-season with Professor Mitch Nathanson, who will discuss his book, Under Jackie's Shadow: Voices of Black Minor Leaguers Baseball Left Behind, which was published this past spring and recounts his interviews with 13 Black baseball players who navigated life in the Minor Leagues in the 1960s and 1970s. Food will be served.
Red Mass
Friday, October 4, at 6pm in St. Thomas of Villanova Church
Mark your calendar to join the Villanova Law community for the annual Red Mass. Reception to follow at John F. Scarpa Hall.
A Villanova tradition for over 60 years, Red Mass provides an opportunity for faculty, alumni, students, families and guests to celebrate the beginning of the Law School鈥檚 academic year. The first Red Mass was offered in 1310 during the reign of King Edward I in Westminster Abbey to mark the opening of the judicial year. In the United States, the tradition began in 1928 at St. Andrew's Church in New York City. Since then, Red Mass has been celebrated to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit for all those who seek justice. The ceremony鈥檚 traditional name is derived from the color of vestments worn by the celebrant and concelebrants, the scarlet robes of judges in attendance, and the scarlet gowns of the members of the law faculty. Villanova has held Red Mass since 1957.
Villanova Mock Trial Wildcat Classic Invitational Judge Outreach
Villanova's undergraduate mock trial team is hosting their first-ever invitational tournament this year, set for November 9th-10th on Villanova's main campus, and is seeking Villanova Law professors and students interested in judging this event. Please contact Clare Vogt to volunteer or if you have any questions or concerns.
Fall Bird Migration is Underway!
Please close blinds and turn off office lights at the end of each day. Small efforts on our part make a big difference to traveling birds by helping them to avoid window collisions and reducing other hazards such as the disorientation caused by reflective light. For those interested in reading more about this problem, please visit:
If you find an injured or dead bird, email birds@law.villanova.edu.
If you see a bird hit a window or door at the Law School during the weekend or after 5pm during the weekday, and it does not fly away within a few minutes, it may be dazed, injured, or deceased. If the bird is alive, it is important to protect it from predators. Place the bird in a ventilated box with a lid and place the box in a warm, quiet place away from humans or predatory animals. Boxes are available at the lobby desk. After 30 minutes, release the bird back into the wild, unless it still remains dazed or appears injured, then you may contact the Philadelphia Metro Wildlife Center in King of Prussia at 267-416-9453 or the Tri-State Bird Rescue at (302) 737-9543. If you find a deceased bird, please email birds@law.villanova.edu so that the bird can be transferred to the Biology department for documentation. Thank you for your help.
Let鈥檚 Vote Nova
The General Election is November 5, 2024, and any student who is a US citizen is encouraged to register to vote. Let鈥檚 Vote Nova provides information to promote voter registration and voter mobilization on campus. Please check the website for PA Voter registration information, information for Delaware county voting centers and drop off boxes for mail in ballots. Note: The Pennsylvania deadline for registering to vote is October 21st for the November 5th election. For students who wish to register in other states, and vote via absentee ballot, additional information on all states and territories can be found by visiting . Please contact SBA or Student Affairs with any questions.
Gazette Submissions
Please send items for next week鈥檚 Gavel Gazette to gavelgazette@law.villanova.edu by 3pm on Friday.
Absence Reporting Form
If you have missed or know you will miss a class session and believe the absence may be excused, please use to record the absence and have it excused where applicable. Please note that individual faculty members DO NOT receive submitted forms, so you must still notify your professors independently of any absences.
Embedded Counselor at the Law School Resumes 9/9
Beginning September 9th, Dr Allison Kosloff, counselor from University Counseling Center, will be at the Law School in Room 138 from 12:30-4:30pm on Mondays through fall semester for appointments with Law Students. Students should schedule an appointment in advance (in-person or telehealth). To make an appointment or for more information about groups and other counseling information, see the form on the Counseling Center鈥檚 website or call 610 519-4050.
DEI LibGuide
The includes information about the law school and university Offices of DEI, the DEI Committee list, processing DEI environmental complaints, student organizations, and affinity groups, a glossary of DEI terms, and details about the Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas Community Award. Refer any questions, suggestions, and recommendations about the LibGuide content to the Office of DEI.
Wellness Resources for Students
蜜桃TV School of Law faculty and staff care about you. We remind all law students to prioritize your physical, emotional, and mental health. It is important to reach out if you are going through a challenge, feeling overwhelmed, need to talk or want to find ways to maintain balance in your life.
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers: LCL is fully operational during this time of uncertainty. They have one staff rotating in the office each day to ensure every helpline call will be thoroughly handled. Their volunteer base of 295 law students, attorneys, and judges are ready, willing, and able to assist any student, staff or faculty member that may be struggling LCL鈥檚 24/7 helpline is 888-999-1941 and their website is also a wealth of information
University Counseling Center: Please see the Counseling Center鈥檚 website regarding their message for continuity of care, on-line appointment request form, local referrals or prescription refill if you have been seeing the University psychiatrist. Law Students have full access to the University Counseling center M-F, 9-5 610 519- 4050 and UWill 24/7 Telehealth Counseling
痴颈濒濒补苍辞惫补鈥檚 Health and Well-Being website
Nancy Whalen, Director of Student Affairs and Wellbeing can help you if you need to connect to resources, want a wellness check-in or need to discuss a specific concern. Email her at whalen@law.villanova.edu or schedule a time to meet with Nancy.
In an emergency, call Villanova Public Safety at 610-519-4444.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 160 crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
