March for the George Read Chapter: In like a Lion, out like a Lion shooting other Lions out of its mouth

Nearing the end of the Semester, George Read Chapter still roars along!

Hungry?  Grab a snack!

Thursday, March 3rd: Public House Networking Event.

Talk to any recent graduate, and they will all tell you - "getting a job these days is all about who you know."  Problem is, it seems the only people we know are those chained to the desk next to us in the Law Library.  Luckily, Phi Alpha Delta's Social Chairperson, Raymond Pinner, worked hard to break us out of the library, and get some local attornies to come and meet members of the George Read Chapter. 

Working with the Public House in Downtown Wilmington and Themis Bar Review, Ray put on an excellent networking event.  This was the George Read Chapter's first off-campus networking event, so Ray had no idea what to expect.  Will financial help from Themis, he got a great spread of food for attendees to dine one.  Public House offered great drink specials.  All he needed was for people to attend.  He worked the phone, shook a ton of hands, and sent tons of Facebook messages.  What he didn't account for was the 1hr back-up on I-95 southbound... the main artery all of his invited Attorneys would be using!

Jennifer Dean-Wilkins and Heather Stein

Co-Sponsor Themis

However, despite the traffic snarl, the event was a huge success!  Phil Cha (member of Archer & Greiner’s Litigation Department), Jennifer Lin (Assistant District Attorney at Philadelphia District Attorney's Office), Debra Hong (Partner at Stradley Ronon), and Sam Closic, (member of Potter, Anderson, & Corroon litigation department) were among the attorneys who managed to brave I-95 and met up with members of the George Read Chapter.  Professor Louise Hill, the chapter's Faculty Advisor, stopped by to see several of the Widener Alumni who came out.

Alicea Millbourne, Darya Natesova, Ray Pinner, and Kimberly Renner,
looking at something really interesting...

Friday, March 4th - Saturday, March 5th: Phi Alpha Delta's National Mock Trial Competition in Arlington, VA.

George Read's Power House Team:  Mike McNeil, Scott Frame, Dominic Carrera,
and Clint Orem

(Posted by Jim Lewis, Vice Justice)

Scott Frame, Dominic Carrera, Michael McNeil, and Clint Orem made the trip to the Washington, D.C. area after spending months preparing the Annual National Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial Competition.  The third degree murder case was based on a Turkish immigrant who had gone missing and is presumed to be dead. Having found blood on the carpet of the defendant’s office, the detective focused in on one and only one person. There were shady alibis, questionable murder weapons, multiple motives, and still no body.

For the defense, Clint and Dominic faced off against Touro in the morning on Friday the 4^th of March. Having a long debate with opposing counsel, Dominic lost valuable time for his closing argument. With only 9 seconds to close, he stood before the judge and quickly stressed the importance of what “beyond a reasonable doubt” means and lack of supporting evidence provided by the prosecution. This was perhaps the most impressive thing to happen all weekend. Inside sources tell us that marks were high for his closing.

In the afternoon, George Mason was paired up with our defense. After a superb opening and equally impressive cross-examination, the judges praised Clint during the post-trial commentary. Common words to describe his trial skills included “powerful presence,” “poise,” and “the best individual advocate I’ve seen all day.”

On Saturday, our prosecution team of Mike and Scott spent the morning challenging Hofstra. Starting with an exceptional opening, Scott was able to set the stage early on. At the end of the trial, Scott was able to complete their case with the moment everyone looks forward to… an intimidating cross of the defendant. With everything in place, it was Mikes closing that sealed the deal. The defense was given opportunity to close first and within their closing, they posed a question to the prosecution. When it was Mikes turn, he was able to carefully lay out the evidence as it applied to their theory of the case, he was able to take opposing counsels theme and turn it against them, and he was able to answer their question beautifully in a way that favored the prosecution.

All in all, it was an exciting weekend. All the competitors represented the Read Chapter and Widener University School of Law well and with great respect. Having competed with teams from around the country, we were all able to learn from one another in light of the competitive nature of the weekend.

A big congratulations to all the competitors for the Read Chapter, all the teams who competed, and to the teams who placed in the finals (William and Mary, Fordham, and the University of Tennessee). Special thanks to Professor Marlowe and Josh Inkell for donating their time and knowledge to helping the team prepare.


Monday, March14th - Monday, March 28th:  Jared Box Project

In its ongoing commitment to the community, the George Read Chapter spearheaded a toy drive on Widener Law's campus.  The goal was to benefit the Jared Box Project:  "lift the spirits of chronically ill children. The boxes symbolize the importance of play and are filled with well wishes, hope, and love."  These boxes were filled with toys, and were given to AI Children's Hospital here in Wilmington, DE.

Our donations for the Jared Box Project.

Tuesday, March 29th: "How to Network" Event 
(posted by Clint Orem)

Whenever having a discussion with a practicing attorney, the one thing that always comes up when asking for advice about getting a job....networking.  It is always considered the most important thing to do when trying to find a job after law school.  Once you land that job, the networking doesn’t stop there, it must be used to gain new clients and improve your reputation throughout the law community.  This was the thought behind the “How to Network” event put on by the Professional Development Committee for Phi Alpha Delta’s George Read Chapter.

Two practicing litigators came to Widener on March 29th, 2011 to talk to current students about what to do when you’re put in situations where networking is your primary goal.  ’07 Widener Law graduate John Cirrincione started off the event.  John will tell you himself that he used what he talked about at the even to land him his position at the law firm Leonard Sciola in Philadelphia.  John told students about the important things to keep on your mind when going to an event that you will get the opportunity to speak with practicing attorneys and judges.  He discussed knowing your audience, having topics in mind, and how to end the conversation that will lead to follow up discussions.  He also told students to have a “30 second summary of you” prepared and ready. 

Miriam Barish (left) and John Cirrincione (right)

Miriam Barish, Widener Law class of “92, then took the opportunity to talk about what you need to do as an attorney to continue your networking to grow your client base.  She discussed different ideas that students could eventually use to become an invaluable asset to their firm.  She used these ideas to become a partner at the prestigious Anapol Schwartz law firm in Philadelphia.  She stressed the importance of keeping up good relationships with attorneys that refer clients to you, and even taking the extra step of hand delivering referral checks to them.  She made it very clear that networking did not stop at law school, but continued throughout your career.

Both John and Miriam even took the opportunity at the event to network with each other.  They exchanged specialties they currently practiced and invited referrals in the future.  They took that chance to let students know that each of them knew the motivation that the other had of getting clients and ultimately making money.  They said that it did not insult them, and would not insult attorneys that students would come into contact with in the future.

All students in attendance were very grateful to both John and Miriam for taking the time to educate them about networking and helping them to understand the skills that must be practiced to become better at it.  It was another great event professional development event put on by Phi Alpha Delta and will be on the calendar again next year.

Wednesday, March 30th: Fashion Show
(Post by Lori Edelman) (due to the low lighting levels, most pics came out too dark!  Sorry!  ~Andrew Quietmeyer)

You walk into an interview, nervous, excited, a bit sweaty, but confident, thinking, “I have nothing to worry about, my resume is top-notch, my cover letter is better than Hemingway, and I read through a book of interview questions 30+ times to prepare.” You walk out feeling like it couldn’t have gone better. A week later you receive a letter explaining that you were not chosen. What went wrong? I did everything right! Did you ever stop to consider your attire? Those cufflinks and electric blue tie may have been acceptable in undergrad, and perhaps if you were applying to a fashion magazine you would have landed the job. However, in law school it’s a whole different ball game.

On Wednesday, March 31 2011, Phi Alpha Delta with the help of the Career Development Office presented a “Professional Fashion Show,” to explain exactly what is appropriate for an interview, a day at the office, business casual, a day in court, and on the golf course.

Claudia Bustamonte, Clint Orem, AJ Viray, Mohammed Sherif, Kim Renner, Robert Schweiger,
Lori Eldelman, Melissa Caltabiano, and Professor Johnson

Property Professor and Fashionista Leslie Johnson and PAD member & Fashion Blogger Mohammad Sherif (Fame Appeal) judged each outfit as student models walked the runway. They explained to the students in attendance some of the less obvious things you should be thinking about when interviewing: amount of jewelry, how much cologne you are wearing, your purse, umbrella, travel mug of coffee, the height of your shoe, and many others that potential employers will notice instantly. In general keep your clothing plain, nothing too outlandish. “You are showing who you are through the interview, not though your outfit,” explained Mohammed. He suggested keeping the clothing simple with clean lines and to always make sure everything is ironed. The hair and the make-up for the models was done by Melissa Caltabiano, a titled pageant contestant, model, and first-year student; who made certain there would be no negative comments about hair or make-up.

The host of the event, current Justice Andrew Quietmeyer had a few pointers for the audience as well, such as: buying a large black umbrella, getting your hair cut a day or two before the interview, purchasing a black padfolio, having a thin wallet that will easily fit into your back pocket, eating a mint when you walk into the building but not right before the interview, and taking as little into the interview as possible. The students and faculty in attendance at the fashion show were involved as well, they were asked if there was anything they could see wrong or would do differently and many of them could identify obvious blunders but missed important details. Better to get it wrong at the fashion show than in an interview. After the fashion show, those in attendance will never need to ask themselves “What should I wear to a business casual event?” This was a successful event that will continue to be necessary for those who are serious about professional attire and want to stand out for all the right reasons.

Hitting the ground SPRINTING in February!

Members of the George Read Chapter start the 2011 Spring Semester off with a BANG!!!

It is hard to believe we're already in our spring semester of the 2010-2011 academic year!  Only 8 weeks in and already the George Read Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta has done a ton of events!

Wednesday, February 2nd
George Read's 3rd Annual, "Dining for Success" Etiquette Dinner

Jon Bassard (PAD Director of Law Operations), Jay Ross (former District XXII Justice and current
International Executive Board Member at Large), Andrew Quietmeyer (Justice), [back] John Breil
(International Etiquette Specialist from The Professional Edge), Lynne Breil (Owner and
Etiquette Specialist from The Professional Edge), [back, hiding for some reason] Darya
Natesova (Etiquette Dinner Committee Chairperson), Kimberly Renner (Clerk), [back]
Jim Lewis (Vice Justice), Justin Roberts (former Justice, current PAD Director of Alumni Services),
Alicea Milbourne (Marshal)

You can see the 2009 award here, among all the other awards we have won

In 2009, former Justice Josh Inkell, then a 1L, coordinated our first "Dinning for Success".  He did such an excellent job with it the George Read Chapter won the "Best Professional Development Event" award from Phi Alpha Delta.  In 2010, Kimberely Renner, our current over-worked Clerk, took the reins from Josh and delivered yet another fantastic dinner.  As a result, our chapter won "Best Student Group of the Year" award at Widener Law.  This year, Darya Natesova took on the daunting task of trying to build upon Josh and Kim's success.  And she knocked it out of the park!!!  Despite the weather working against us, close to 100 students came out to the Barristers' Club and dined on a four-course meal. 

M&Ms were used for the
chopstick practice.

As they have always done in the past, The Professional Edge provided an amazing seminar during the dinner, covering the proper way to dine with clients, hiring attorneys, and other professionals.  Lynne, owner and etiquette specialist, managed to blend her expertise with humor to make the meal as entertaining as it was informative.  This year Darya and Lynne worked to add a new component to our Etiquette Dinner - international dining etiquette tips.  In addition to learning what to do (and more importantly what not to do!) when meeting with clients from around the world, those in attendance learned the proper way to use chopsticks in a formal setting - a utensil used by over 1 billion people in the world. 


In addition to the professional development aspect of the dinner, Darya worked hard to turn the dinner into an amazing Alumni networking event!  She reached out to PAD and Widener Alumni, and invited them to come out to the dinner.  She worked to try to get an Alumna at each of the tables so that students had an opportunity to meet and dine with a practicing attorney.  Furthermore, somehow Darya managed to get a couple of our Deans and Professors to tear themselves away from their workloads to join us!

All in all, Darya put on perhaps the BEST Etiquette Dinner the George Read Chapter has had to date (thanks in part to the hard work Josh and Kim had done in previous years).  We can't wait to submit this event to Phi Alpha Delta for consideration for a hard earned award!

Thursday, February 10th
George Read's 35th Spring Initiation Ceremony

Our chapter has been around for 35 years (almost as long as our law school!).  On Thursday, February 10th, 10 more members officially took part in the sacred Phi Alpha Delta Ritual, and became full fledged members.  These new members join the ranks of over 500 George Read PAD members from the past 35 years.  They also become part of the over 160 members of George Read that are current students!  This year, thanks to everyone's hard work and dedication, we have DOUBLED our membership.  And we're only going to get bigger....

Kenneth Williams, Kimberly Renner, Nir Guy, Joe Greco, Scott F. Frame, Jennifer-Dean Wilkins, Andrew
Quietmeyer, Alex D Mills, Prema Roddam, Jim Shore, Alicea Milbourne

Monday, February 21st
Members of the George Read Chapter participate in Widener Law's Annual Fusion Celebration!

Asamahan Akam, (BLSA President and PAD Member), Dean Ammons, Brandy Ryan

Every year, Widener Law celebrates the diversity of its student body by having a week long event highlighting the many achievements, past struggles, and continuing battles faced by various cultural groups in our country.  This year's activities included: a panel discussion regarding the legal ramifications of the repeal of DADT; a lecture on the legal perspectives in African American history delivered by Professor Evans; and an awards ceremony honoring early African American Widener alumnae hosted by the Black Law Students Association President and Phi Alpha Delta Member Asmahan Akam.


The week was kicked off with the annual FUSION Dinner.  At this event, student groups serve ethnic dishes, perform cultural music, and display art from around the world.  This year's participants were joined by the two newest student groups on campus - SALSA (South Asian Law Students Association) and LALSA (Latin American Law Student Association).

Vijay Yellareddigari (PAD Member and 
SALSA Co-Foundedr)

Claudia Bustamante needs to hurry 
up and join PAD!

Andrew Quietmeyer, PAD Justice

Although not a cultural student group, the George Read Chapter was also there.  With a chapter that has well over 100 members, it was hard to vote on what kind of food we should serve.  So, we decided to fall back on every fraternity's roots and do Greek food!  Andrew Quietmeyer cooked up Gyros using a homemade marinade and tzatziki sauce.  Never having cooked Greek food before, he was a bit nervous that things would not turn out tasting good.  Luckily, Kenny Wan, PAD member and gourmet extraordinaire, gave his official seal of approval by eating multiple piping hot Gyros!

All in all, the week was an enormous success.  All the student groups who participated should feel proud that they helped Widener Law celebrate the cultural diversity that not only makes up our student body, but our entire profession as well.  And no, next year, we will not be wearing togas to serve our food.


Monday, February 28th
George Read Chapter visits A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital.

Phi Alpha Delta had another great experience at the Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children. The attendants were thrilled to see our group once again, and we were quick to join the children in some activities. Nathan Barnett was glued to the television for the duration as he got a lesson from one of the younger patients in a game of Spiderman. Peter Tsoflias, Roderick Thompson and Ben Chapple discussed high school life with one of the older patients over a couple games of pool. Unfortunately, they were unable to get a game off the young man but at least they learned not to pursue a career in billiards.

Amanda Tagliaferro, Peter Tsoflias, Roderick Thompson,
Ben Chapple, Melissa Caltabiano, and Nathan Barnett

Amanda Tagliaferro, and Melissa Caltabiano enjoyed some arts and crafts activities with a group of younger girls. Melissa’s bead-bracelet kit was a hit amongst the group as they created several friendship bracelets for each other. Melissa even gave some of the girls some beads and string to take back to their room to continue the activity throughout the night.

Spending time with the chronically ill children was truly a rewarding experience and was much appreciated by the children and staff. Before we left, Joann, the head-tech, reminded us that we were her favorite group and we told her that we look forward to coming back again soon.


-----

With only a few more weeks left in the semester, George Read members are keeping an eye on their fast approaching finals.  But, the chapter is still not showing signs of slowing down any time soon!

Coming up in March:
Thursday, March 4th:  Alumni Networking Event at the Public House
Friday, March 5th - Saturday, March 6th:  PAD's National Mock Trial Competition
March 14th - March 23rd:  Phi Alpha Delta's Jared Box toy drive
March 29th:  How to Network seminar with John Cirrincione

and finally,

Thursday, March 31st.... our second annual Professional Dress Fashion Show!!!

George Read's Fall Semester 2010 Recap

Our campus's chapter, the George Read Chapter, is the largest student group on campus, and our members comprise many of the student leaders at Widener Law.  Moreover, we are striving to become nationally recognized among the other 300 chapters as one of the premier chapters due to our commitment to the core values of the fraternity: Integrity, Compassion, Courage, Professionalism, Service, Diversity, and Innovation. 

Integrity

Phi Alpha Delta, George Read Chapter Executive Board.  From left to right:  
Jim Lewis (Vice Justice), Josh Inkell (former Justice and current Alumni 
Liaison), Danielle Strauch (Extended Division Liaison), Dan McDowell
(District XXXIII Justice), Kimberly Renner (Clerk), Dean Linda 
Ammons, Andrew Quietmeyer (Justice).  Not pictured due to class 
schedule:  Alicea Milbourne (Marshall), Jason Greenspon (Treasurer)

Jim Lewis, George Read Chapter's Vice Justice, and George Read member Shloka Joshi, coordinated “Professionalism Week” with several other student organizations in order to bring about numerous events. Phi Alpha Delta's own event, “Financial GPS”, was hosted by Dan McDowell, Phi Alpha Delta's District XXXIII's District Justice, and instructed students how to make appropriate decisions in regards to their own finances so that they can be better members of the bar. Sara Aslaleh, Phi Alpha Delta member, and founder of Widener Law's Food and Drug Law student organization, brought in Professor Roseann Termini, member of the PA Board of Ethics Committee, to speak regarding the importance of ethics in the legal profession. Finally, the Public Interest Law Association (PILA) held a toy drive to benefit needy children for the holiday season. Kelly Allegretti, member in both PAD and PILA, assisted in taking donations.

Lastly, the George Read Chapter assisted the school's administration with running Professionalism Day itself. Andrew Quietmeyer (Justice), Rachelle DeCinque, Nicole Stanzione (former Vice Justice), Jenna Kring, Alicea Milbourne (Marshal), Kimberly Renner (Clerk), Ashley Talley (Academic Chair), Edward Hughes, Darya Natesova (Etiquette Dinner Chair), Daniel Rapoport, Kaitlyn O'Neill, Robert Schweiger, Angie Kandil, Charles Glass, Clint Orem (Professional Development Chair), Ariel Viray, Natalie Missouri, Joseph Greco, Dominic Carrera, Melissa Caltabiano, and Prema Roddam all volunteered to work the event during its 14 hour duration. 

Compassion

(Pete passing out the goodies for the kids' Trick-or-Treat 

bags before we went to the hospital)

 As future lawyers, George Read Chapter members are in a unique and powerful position to reach out to those members of our society that truly need help. The George Read Chapter stepped up and demonstrated that its members are ready to take on that responsibility this past October. Pete Tsoflias, George Read Chapter's Community Service Chairperson, coordinated with A.I. DuPont's Children's Hospital to allow several members to visit with the hospital's patients. Caitlin Lutz, Rachael Kemmey, Natalie Missouri and other members were able to talk, play, and hang out with kids who really needed a chance to just be kids again, instead of worrying about the next round of medical tests, treatments, or surgery.

Furthermore, in conjunction with the Frelinghuysen Chapter of Camden-Rutgers Law, the George Read Chapter rolled up their sleeves and set out into the Philadelphia Community to lend a much needed hand. The two chapters participated in “Philly Cares Day”, one of the largest group community service events in the region, by going to J.F. Reynolds Elementary. Phi Alpha Delta members, including George Read's Aqua Etuk and Dan Ritterbeck, worked tirelessly for hours to bring much needed maintenance and repairs to the inner-city school.

(From left to right) George Read Chapter: Pete Tsoflias, Ashley Talley, Akwa Etuk, Andrew Quietmeyer, Dan Ritterbeck.  Frelinghuysen Chapter:  Lexi Gee, Ellen Roberts, Kio Chapesh, Clint Atkins, Gillian Cooper, Jennifer Kim, Elizabeth Keith-Olsen.  (Not pictured - Kirsten Samantha Rønholt)

Courage

Courage

Courage means different things to many people. Courage to stand up for what's right. Courage to be wrong. Courage to risk failure. Members of the George Read Chapter showed the strength of their courage this semester by participating in AAJ's fall Mock Trial competition. With increasing workloads, stress of school, and life's responsibilities, members took on yet another challenge and competed against other Widener Students in this year's criminal trial problem. 1Ls were invited to participate as well as 2Ls and 3Ls. And despite not having the basic classes of Evidence, CrimLaw, or CrimPro, our chapter's 1Ls signed up and competed in droves!

Our members took home more awards than anyone else:

Upper Classmen Awards

Best overall advocate: James Lewis

Best opening: Traci Cosby

Best closing: Michael McNeil

Best direct: James D. Doyle

Best cross: Brian Legum

Best overall team: James Lewis & Michael McNeil

1L Awards

Best overall advocate: Clint Orem

Best closing: Dominic Carrera

Best cross: Erie Coney, Jr.

Best direct: Scott Frame

Best overall team: Vijaysen Yellareddigari & Roberto Rosales

Of these winners, the following are building up their courage and competing in the national Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial competition this spring in Arlington, VA:

Josh Inkell (former Phi Alpha Delta Justice and team liaison), Jim Lewis, Michael McNeil, Clint Orem, Vijaysen Yellareddigari, Dominic Carrera, Scott Frame, and Brian Legum

Professionalism

The George Read Chapter has won several awards for our Professional Development events from both Widener Law and from the national Fraternity. Our annual “Etiquette Dinner” is widely popular at Widener Law, and has been implemented by other chapters nationwide. This year, our Professional Development committee, chaired by Clint Orem, delivered two excellent events designed to meet the needs of 1, 2, and 3Ls.

From Left to Right: Damien Tacredi (panelist), Heather Levandoski 

(panelist, George Read Alumnus), William Newman (panelist, George 

Read Alumnus), Kristi Krasowski (panelist), and Andrew 

Quietmeyer (moderator)

“3L + 1” brought seven Alumni to speak to students about the realities of the transition from Law Student to Law Professional: John D. Cirrinicione (class of '07), Heather Levandoski (George Read Chapter Alumna and class of '09), William Newman (George Read Chapter Alumnae and class of '09), Damien Tancredi (class of '09), Kristy Krasowski (class of '08), Evan T. Miller (class of '09), and Justin Alberto (class of '08).

The panel discussion, moderated by Andrew Quietmeyer, discussed a wide array of topics, including the unexpected realities they faced during the first year out of law school; how to approach other members of the firm including non-lawyers; and what mistakes they made in that transition period. The panel discussion lasted 90 minutes, and several Alumni remained for another hour or so just to talk to the students about other topics.

"What I did over my summer vacation" Panelists and George Read 

Chapter's Professional Development committee (from Left to Right): 

Josh Inkel (Panelist and former PAD Justice), Ashley Talley (Panelist 

and PAD Academic Chairperson), David Walker (Panelist and PAD 

member), Matthew Bilker (Panelist),  Robert Schweiger, Danielle 

Strauch (Panelist and PAD Extended Division Liaison Executive 

Board Member),  Aaron Stullman (Panelist), Charles Glass, Chris 

Goldschmidt (Panelist), Kate O'Neil, Clint Orem, AJ Viray, Dan 

Rapoport, and Joe Greco

"What I did over my summer vacation" gave 1Ls and 2Ls amazing advice about exploring the different options of what to do during summer break. Dan Rapoport, Professional Development committee member, got seven amazing 2Ls and 3Ls to lead the discussion:

Chris Goldschmidt: Associate at a personal injury firm.

David Walker: Internship with the World Health Organization.

Ashley Talley: Studying Abroad in Switzerland.

Danielle Strauch: Judicial Clerkship

Matthew Bilker: Prosecutor's Office

Aaron Stullman: Bankruptcy Court Clerkship

Josh Inkell: JAG program

With Clint Orem moderating the panel, students in attendance learned how to look employment or internships, what to say to potential employers, and what exactly a day's work entails. 

Service

Reaching out to those who need the law's protection the most is but one aspect of a lawyer servicing his/her community. Stepping up and being the one to lead the charge of improving the community is a key component of what makes a lawyer a true superhero. The George Read Chapter had several events that serviced the community at large, and demonstrated the power of giving back.

On one sunny, crisp autumn Saturday morning, members of the George Read Chapter, including Ed Hughes, Benjamin Chapple, Staci Pesin, and Carrie Ann Young, as well as the Environmental Law Society participated in the annual “Tree Planting Day” at Natural Lands Trust (NLT) in Media, PA.  NLT is the region’s largest conservation organization, saving thousands of acres of forests, fields, wetlands, and streams each year. Together, each group planted well over 200 young trees!

(from left to right) Andrew Quietmeyer, Carrie Anne Young, Stacy Pecin, Ed 

Hughes, Alicea Milbourne, Benjamin Chapple, and Pete Tsoflias

Moreover, the George Read Chapter came together, and raised well over 300 items of food to donate to Widener's Alternative Dispute Resolution Society's and Food and Drug Law's fall food drive. Members such as Ed Waldron and Sarah Filippi led the charge and rallied fellow members to dig deep and help out. These items, combined with the donations of other Widener Law students, will be donated to Ministry of Caring to feed families in need during the holiday season.

Andrew Quietmeyer turning in all the PAD food donations

Service, in our chapter's opinion, also means service to our school. We know that the success of our school, and in turn the reputation of our degree, can be greatly increased by active student participation in the school's events. At the beginning of the semester, members of the George Read chapter volunteered to be tour guides to the incoming 1L class. Moreover, many George Read members participated in panel discussions during the 1L orientation. A great many of our older members, like Brittany Kale, have donated their time to be official mentors for members of the 1L class. Lastly, Andrew Quietmeyer will be assisting the school's Admissions department with a mock LSAT exam in December for interested law school applicants.

Finally, service also means service to other members of Phi Alpha Delta. Alicea Milbourne, George Read Chapter's Marshal, has done an amazing job of wrangling all the new members and current members of the chapter. She has been instrumental in making sure everyone receives their Phi Alpha Delta initiation materials. Members of the George Read Chapter attended the Mifflin Chapter's and the Frelinghuysen Chapter's Initiation ceremonies. George Read Chapter will also be attending the Frelinghuysen Chapter's holiday party this weekend.

Ashley Talley, George Read's Academic Chairperson, has also served our members by revamping the chapter's coveted Online Outline Bank, and brought in a tremendous amount of new upper-class level outlines for 2L and 3L members. Furthermore, Ashley coordinated with Themis Bar Review to offer members a review session for both Civil Procedure and Evidence. She arranged for breakfast, rooms, and materials for these reviews so that our members can excel in their studies.

Additionally, all of the Chapter's 1Ls undertook their first challenge of their legal career – Midterms. At Widener Law, midterms are given to 1Ls in one class as a teaching tool in order to demonstrate what a law school exam looks like. More importantly, it is a chance for 1Ls to work out any mistakes they might have made on a final early on in the semester, and learn from the experience. Obviously, this is a scary prospect for students who have never witnessed a law school final, and naturally, our 1Ls were nervous. However, the older members of the chapter proactively sought out their 1Ls brothers and sisters, and worked with them so that they could do well on their midterms.

Speaking of finals, this year the George Read chapter will be doing its first “BYOCC” during the finals season.  We will be brewing up fresh coffee in the student lounge for all Phi Alpha Delta members during those late night study sessions. The only caveat is that members need to BYOCC – bring your own coffee cup!

Diversity

One of Phi Alpha Delta's strengths, and indeed one of Widener Law's strengths, is the diversity of our members and student body. The Executive Board comprises of 4 men and 3 women. Our membership has Muslims, Jews, and Christians. We have members from Sudan, Russia, and India. Vegetarians, Gluten Allergies, and religious dietary restrictions all add variety to any menu we serve. No matter what the member's pedigree, the George Read Chapter only cares about two colors: Purple and Gold. The friendships that have been made among members prove that there are no real boundaries to being friends.

And thanks to Ray Pinner, George Read's Social Chair, those friendships were strengthened at our chapter's Thanksgiving Party. Ray not only hosted the chapter at his apartment for the Sunday meal, but he even cooked for us all! We had a wide variety of dishes and delights so no matter what your dietary preference is, there was something to feast on. Our chapter celebrated the holiday of thanks by coming together and being thankful we all have such wonderful friends that will last us our entire lives.

Dominic and Ray in the kitchen

Kim and Ray

Innovation

Innovation can mean a variety of things: New ideas, new members, new events. Whatever the meaning, the George Read Chapter lived up to all of it. This year the chapter saw its largest inductee class ever – well over 60 new members have joined the chapter, which virtually doubled our roster. We even had new members, like Traci Cosby, who had transferred from another law school. Glenn Milgraum of the fraternity's International Tribune, and Justin Roberts, George Read Alumni helped the chapter deliver an amazing Fall Initiation Ceremony. And our sights are already on ensuring the Spring Initiation Ceremony is a huge success. Kimberly Renner, George Read's Clerk and all around go-to-woman, is trying to get honorary membership granted to a member of the Delaware Legal community who has demonstrated incredible service to our great state. This person, if granted Honorary Membership into our fraternity, will take the oath of the fraternity along side those members who have joined the chapter since the last initiation.

Furthermore, the chapter has done new things this year to increase the benefits of membership in Phi Alpha Delta. Jason Greenspon, George Read Treasurer, worked with VistaPrint.com to get an amazing deal on business cards for the chapter. Our members received 250 business cards to use when they network with Alumni, students, and professors.

The procedure in which basic general meetings are conducted has also been changed. Justice Andrew Quietmeyer creates each meeting's agenda to provide information for all members of the chapter. At each meeting, a member of the school's faculty or staff comes in to speak with George Read members about various topics. We have had Dean Ruffin from the Career Development Office, Dr. Howe-Barksdale from the Public Interest Resource Center, and Professor Nichols from Widener Law Clinics to discuss the available options, resources, and activities their respective offices provide for 1L, 2L, and 3L students. Additionally, Andrew Quietmeyer conducted a how-to seminar on Networking at the October meeting. His main focus was how to actually go out and develop contacts, as well as how to use Phi Alpha Delta's network of 300,000 people to increase members' career contacts.

Andrew Quietmeyer, covered in SpongeBob Square Pants temporary 

tattoos and dressed to psyche out his competitors. Taken about 

3 hours before he realized what “Pyrrhic Victory” really means...

(background – AJ Viray)

 Lastly, Phi Alpha Delta linked up with Widener Law's Student Bar Association, to bring about the first annual, “Widener Law v. Johnnie's Dog House” Hot Dog eating contest. This event raised over $650 dollars for the class of 2011 class gift, and had well over 100 students in attendance! Phi Alpha Delta fielded its own team: Andrew Quietmeyer and AJ Viray. Each team had to eat a 13” jumbo hot dog as fast as possible in order to claim victory. Despite competing against 15 other student organization teams, these two came in second place! This event, despite a few administrative hiccups, was a tremendous success, and students are already talking about attending NEXT YEAR!

All in all, our chapter is actually looking forward to finals so that we actually have time to relax! It has been a wonderful semester. But, if you think we're going to slow down in the spring semester, you ain't seen nothing yet:

Our Etiquette Dinner, run by George Read's Darya Natesova, will be held February 2^nd, 2011.

Clint's professional development committee is already working on the Professional Dress Fashion Show will be in early April

Brian Legum, George Read's Alumni Relations Committee Chairperson, will be reaching out to the Widener Alumni who created the George Read Chapter in 1975 and 1976. These members will be invited to be “re-initiated” so to speak at the spring Initiation ceremony on Thursday, January 27^th to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of the George Read Chapter.

Danielle Strauch, George Read's Executive in charge of Extended Students, is working with Delaware's Supreme Court to host a Widener Law day at the court house in March.

Brittany Kale, George Read Chapter's Intra-Pad Liaison, along with Ray Pinner will be coordinating with the other Phi Alpha Delta Chapters in the region to have a sports tournament in the spring at Widener Law when the weather finally gets warm again.

Pete Tsoflias is scouring the community to find people and organizations in need of assistance so our chapter can continue its commitment to service to our community throughout the entire semester.

And finally, the George Read Chapter will be all over Widener Law's campus, participating in events, helping other student organizations with programming, and assisting the school in whatever they need to make our investment in law school a tremendous asset in our legal career.

George Read Chapter's bragging table...

Inside information about getting that summer position

George Read Chapter hosts its first, "What I did over my summer vacation" discussion with 2L and 3L panelists.

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"What I did over my summer vacation" Panelists and George Read Chapter's Professional Development committee (from Left to Right): Josh Inkel (Panelist and former PAD Justice), Ashley Talley (Panelist and PAD Academic Chairperson), David Walker (Panelist and PAD member), Matthew Bilker (Panelist),  Robert Schweiger (PAD member), Danielle Strauch (Panelist and PAD Extended Division Liaison Executive Board Member),  Aaron Stullman (Panelist), Charles Glass (PAD member), Chris Goldschmidt (Panelist), Kaitlyn O'Neil (PAD member), Clint Orem (PAD Professional Development Chairperson and Panel Moderator), AJ Viray (PAD member), Dan Rapoport (PAD member), and Joe Greco (PAD member)

Halloween is over, midterms have been graded, and finals are looming.  On top of all that, 1Ls are finally allowed to begin to search for summer positions.  However, where should a 1L start looking?  What positions should they think about applying to?  What options are even available to them?

With these questions in mind, the George Read chapter hosted the first annual, "What I did over my summer vacation" discussion with 2L and 3L panelists.  This discussion was primarily geared to a 1L audience, however, the information was still relevant for upperclassmen.

The professional development committee picked a panel of 7 students who all had different summer experiences:

Chris Goldschmidt: Associate at a personal injury firm.

David Walker: Internship with the World Health Organization.

Ashley Talley: Studying Abroad in Switzerland.

Danielle Strauch: Judicial Clerkship

Matthew Bilker: Prosecutor's Office

Aaron Stullman: Bankruptcy Court Clerkship

Josh Inkell: JAG program

The entire panel gave incredibly important information to the crowd of 30+ students. One of their main points seemed to center around networking. Many of the panelists discussed how important using your network is in order to get your foot in the door for a summer position. Speaking with Alumni, professors, and fellow students about your goals for your legal career can really set up great conversations that lead to getting your resume' in front of the right person.

From Left to Right: Chris Goldschmidt, David Walker, Ashley Talley, Clint Orem, Danielle Strauch, Matthew Bilker, Aaron Stullman, and Josh Inkell

Moreover, the panel discussed the importance of a properly written resume', and a customized, individual cover letter for every position a student applies for. Having many sets of eyes looking over your resume' to help polish it and make your strengths shine may mean the difference between the trash bin and the “call back” pile. Furthermore, your application is initially mixed in with dozens and dozens of other students'. Making your cover letter personal towards that particular firm instead of having one general “form” letter makes you stand out from the crowd.

Finally, the panel discussed the minor little things that always seem to weigh on students' minds as they apply for positions. First, get used to rejection. If you dwell on one “no”, you lose valuable time in searching out another position to apply for. Second, do not be scared to do follow-up calls to those firms/offices you have submitted your resumes to. Ideally, you should wait a few weeks, and keep on being persistent. Lastly, if you have to settle on something that is not ideal for you and your legal career goals, still try to get as much out of your experience as possible. You never know when someone you meet at that position can help you out in the future in getting the dream position you want.

All in all, the discussion among the panelists and the audience was an incredible way to get inside knowledge about the summer position searching process. It was great that these 2Ls and 3Ls took time out of their day to reach out to their 1L brethren, and gave amazing advice.

Posted by:  Andrew Quietmeyer

"3L + 1" brings Alumni and Students together

George Read's "3L + 1" was a tremendous success.

George Read Chapter Professional Development Committee and 3L + 1 Alumni Panelists

 From Left to Right: AJ Viray, Melissa Caltabiano, Joe Greco, John D. Cirrinicione, Kristy Krasowski, William Newman, Andrew Quietmeyer, Justin Alberto, Damien Tancredi, Charles Glass, Evan Miller, Dan Rapoport, Clint Orem, Rob Schweiger, Kate O'Neill, and Danielle Dipillo

 Widener Law does an excellent job of teaching students not only the law, but also how to apply it. Moreover, with events like Professionalism Day, the school teaches students what it means to be a member of the legal field. However, what actually happens when a person goes from being a law student, to a law professional? What are the realities of that transition period? Sadly, no book, canned brief, or upperclassman outline exists that can tell a student what to expect in his/her first year out of law school. That information only comes from actually experiencing it first hand.

And thankfully, Widener Law has Alumni who are eager to tell their stories and share their experiences about the year after 3L.

On Tuesday, November 2^nd in the Barristers' Club, the George Read Chapter's Professional Development Committee, headed by Chairperson Clint Orem, put on its annual “3L + 1”. This panel discussion gives Alumni a chance to speak to students about what really happens once the ink is dry on the diploma. This year, 1L brother Dan Rapoport put together a panel that contained some amazing Alumni: John D. Cirrinicione (class of '07), Heather Levandoski (George Read Chapter Alumna and class of '09), William Newman (George Read Chapter Alumnae and class of '09), Damien Tancredi (class of '09), Kristy Krasowski (class of '08), Evan T. Miller (class of '09), and Justin Alberto (class of '08).

The seven panelists covered a wide array of topics. They discussed that one of the unexpected realities they faced during your first year out of law school was that it is ok to say, “I don't know” to a senior partner. Often times, senior attorneys will give new associates a task that is beyond their skill set. It does not happen as a cruel joke, but to test the associates on how they react to situations where they are “over their head” either in terms of knowledge or workload. “Better to figure out early on if you can react ethically and professionally, or just be a malpractice liability” one panelist said.

From Left to Right:  Kristi Krasowski (panelist), Andrew Quietmeyer (moderator), John D. Cirrinicione (panelist), Justin Alberto (panelist), and Evan Miller (panelist)

Another topic that provided a lot of discussion was how to approach other members of the firm. Widener enjoys more of a teamwork-focused campus culture than other law schools, and the panelists indicated that among the younger associates they work with, that mentality exists among them as well. However, much like with any office setting, always be cognizant of who you are working with, and how they deal with his/her own work. While you don't need to keep checking your back for Brutus' knife, you should be friendly yet guarded with your associates. More importantly, the panelists said, always treat non-lawyers with the same respect you would want for yourself. Often times the secretaries and para-legals know more about how the firm works than the senior partners. Moreover, these are the people who you will rely on to get your work done. Therefore, never miss a chance to say “thank-you” to them, and never take your loss in court out on them. You may have a bad day today, but you're still going to need them tomorrow!

From Left to Right: Damien Tacredi (panelist), Heather Levandoski (panelist, George Read Alumnus), William Newman (panelist, George Read Alumnus), Kristi Krasowski (panelist), and Andrew Quietmeyer (moderator)

Lastly, the panelists were very frank with admitting to their own mistakes they made in the transition period so that the 30+ students in attendance could learn from them. Besides the usual advice of proof-reading, thinking then speaking, etc., the Alumni gave insight to the little things that often get over looked. “Always keep a spare shirt and tie in your office. Coffee spills!” was one panelist's statement. “Never bad mouth a former employer in an interview” said another. Finally, the best advice gleaned from a mistake: “Be confident, no matter what your grades were, or not being on Review, Moot, or whatever. If you're called in for an interview, there is something about you that they like. Walk in and own your skin”.

All in all, these Alumni were fantastic. For 90 minutes, they related their experiences, advice, and candor to those in attendance, and gave those students a major advantage in tackling the transition period from law student to law professional. In fact, the conversations the Alumni and students were having were so engaging, that three Alumni, John D. Cirrinicione, William Newman, and Kristy Krasowski stayed for an extra hour just to talk to the students. It feels good to know that no matter how difficult that elusive first year after graduation may be, there are Widener Alumni out there who will help you out, and be there for support and advice. 

Posted by:  Andrew Quietmeyer