OFF THE RECORD - Seton Hall Law

Student Goal: a Career in Public Service After Earning a Law Degree

Posted by Dan Roman on 1/27/17 2:15 PM

My last semester of college I was fortunate enough to be able to Intern in the White House under President Obama. I worked for the Office of Presidential Personnel, which researched and selected the nearly 4,000 presidentially appointed positions. Unsurprisingly, this was a life changing experience for me. I worked with some of the most hardworking, intelligent people I have ever met. Additionally, Interns were given the opportunity to meet and hear from Senior White House officials including First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett.

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Topics: Internships/Jobs, Advice and Tips, Student Life

In Defense of Hope: Resolutions for Lawyers and Law Students in the New Year

Posted by Paula Franzese on 12/27/16 8:55 AM

These are uncertain times for the promise of equal access to justice for all. Particularly now, it is important that we the lawyers show up to do what we can do: wield our unique expertise to be instigators, catalysts and defenders of the rule of law, the power of reason and the promise of mercy.

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Topics: Advice and Tips, Student Life, Faculty

Law Schools Invested in the Community Foster Close Connections after Graduation

Posted by David Opderbeck on 12/1/16 2:00 PM

A few years ago I had the opportunity to lecture at a law school in Jérémie, Haiti. Seton Hall Law has a special partnership with this school in Haiti. One of Haiti’s ongoing problems is that its legal system, particularly at the local level, often functions poorly because of lack of resources and corruption. As the law school in Jérémie began to produce graduates who attained positions as judges and local political leaders, the situation in that city, though still very difficult, began to improve. Good lawyers, trained to live out core values of justice and respect for the rule of law, support good communities.

I share this story because it shows the unique value of a law school invested in giving back to its community.

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Topics: Admissions, Student Life, Faculty

Why I Study Alone (And the Exception to My Rule)

Posted by Sheena Shah on 11/23/16 10:33 AM

As a first year law student, the thought of one final exam determining 100% of my grade was daunting and I wanted to make sure I was prepared for what was to come. When I started law school, I asked many second and third year law students about their studying strategies. I noticed that study groups were pretty common, but decided that they were not for me and that was the best choice I ever made.

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Topics: Classes and Courses, Student Life

Navigating a Juvenile Detention Hearing Toward a Positive Outcome

Posted by Valisha Desir on 9/2/16 8:30 AM

When I walked into the Juvenile Justice Clinic at the start of the spring semester, I was excited for a change in my learning experience as a law student. I had grown accustomed to the classroom experience and was anticipating gaining an understanding of the judicial process from a hands-on perspective. To me, participating in the Juvenile Justice Clinic and working with the Public Defender’s Unit was an opportunity to learn the administrative processes of not just the courtroom but how each judge prefers to run their respective courts.

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Topics: Classes and Courses, Student Life, Clinics

Law School Clinic Experience Gave Me the Chance to Provide Hope

Posted by Timothy Ortolani on 7/5/16 11:00 AM

My participation in the Immigrants’ Rights/International Human Rights Clinic was by far my most memorable experience in law school. Professor Farrin Anello assigned my partner and I to a time-sensitive case. The client was a young woman who recently fled Guatemala and had entered the United States without a visa. After being apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, she was sent to Delaney Hall Detention Center right here in Newark, where she was being held when we met her. Her bond hearing was rapidly approaching, and Catholic Charities brought her case to the attention of the Center for Social Justice. After reviewing the documents from our client’s initial interview with an asylum officer, we believed that she had a strong domestic violence-based asylum claim.

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Topics: Classes and Courses, Student Life, Experiential Learning, Clinics

Students: You Can Do More than Study in Newark

Posted by Gisele Joachim on 4/14/16 2:30 PM

Newark? Yes! Newark!

Whether you work or study in Newark, it is always nice to be introduced to new places to go and things to do. To provide some inspiration for expanding your social horizons – I wanted to share some local favorites of students and faculty.

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Topics: Admissions, Student Life, Newark

What You Need to Know Before the Journal Competition

Posted by Benjamin Heller on 3/31/16 8:30 AM



One of the most sought-after credentials for students currently in Law School, is Journal membership. How many Journals a particular Law School may host varies considerably, but Seton Hall Law School is home to only three: The Seton Hall Law Review, Seton Hall Circuit Review, and the Seton Hall Legislative Journal. All three Journals are tremendously prestigious, and the small number ensures that only truly worthy members will be invited to join.

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Topics: Advice and Tips, Law Journals, Student Life, Writing

The Hardest Part About Law School isn't the Classes

Posted by Michelle C. Kuhns-Abrahim on 3/14/16 10:57 AM

Surviving law school while pregnant and raising three small children (two of them twins!) is by no means easy. How do I manage? How do I do it? Well, it’s truly a perfect storm, and it really comes down to a positive attitude, surrounding myself with those who love and believe in me, and wanting deep down inside, above all, to make a difference and a better world.

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Topics: Student Life

Will Non-Catholic Students Fit In at a Catholic Law School?

Posted by Father Nicholas Gengaro on 3/10/16 7:41 AM

Learning that Seton Hall University School of Law is a Catholic institution, prospective law students who are not Catholic may wonder what sort of welcome they might receive here. This may be particularly true for non-Christian students.

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Topics: Student Life

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OFF THE RECORD

Seton Hall Law professors, students, administrators and alumni share advice and experiences about law school and life beyond the bar exam.

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