Dickinson Law Featured Alumni

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Robert N. Michaels, class of 2005, was featured in the October issue of The Army Lawyer. With his permission, Penn State Dickinson Law is sharing that Q&A, which has been adapted to include his reflections on his time at Penn State Dickinson Law and the impact of the Law School on his career path. Full story

Every day at 5:30 a.m., Zachary K. Gihorski talks to his mom on the phone as she works on the family farm. Later each morning, when he goes to work, Gihorski thinks about how he can use his position to act as a voice for farmers like his mother. “I’m the proud son of a first-generation woman farmer,” said Gihorski. “I can influence policy at the national level that impacts her life and the lives of a lot of my friends who own family farms. For me, it’s like being able to give back to my tribe.” Full story

Last year, at the request of his boss, Shawn Baldwin took a detour from his position as an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, PA, to work for the Philadelphia City Council. Baldwin embraced the opportunity to learn by doing something new. He spent eight months drafting legislation related to issues such as police reform. Full story

As a staff attorney for KidsVoice, a Pittsburgh, PA, organization representing those in the child-welfare system in Allegheny County’s Juvenile Court, Marcus Spisso encounters many challenging situations related to abuse, drugs, and mental health disorders. That made one recent case notable because Spisso’s client received a happy resolution. Full story

Anisha Reddy works with concepts. As a Policy Counsel at Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a non-profit based in Washington D.C., she analyzes issues so cutting edge, in some cases, the laws governing them have not even been contemplated, much less drafted. “I’m constantly learning new concepts and analyzing new issues, and every day challenges me to think outside of the box,” said Reddy. Full story

Lucia Cuenca felt drawn to immigration law from a young age because she saw what a huge impact it could have on someone’s life. Her parents both immigrated from Spain, and many of her friends’ parents were also immigrants. Full story

Courtney Lewis applied to Dickinson Law after volunteering at a juvenile hall writing program. “No one ever asked these kids what was going on in their lives or what they needed to become successful,” said Lewis. She spent her years at the Law School focused on “dismantling the privilege in the court system,” serving an internship with the Innocence Project in Philadelphia, PA. Full story

Ann Roche’s superpower is listening. As a staff attorney for Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, Roche serves clients facing difficult circumstances, such as an eviction or criminal record. Full story

Just before the pandemic hit, Mark Armstrong, a senior associate at Murtaugh Treglia Stern & Deily LLP in Irvine, CA, was wrapping up a month-long trial related to the construction of a $10 million home in Malibu. An expert for the other side claimed that the framing for the house had been constructed wrong, basing the opinion on one photo. Full story

Upon graduating from Dickinson Law, Capt. Nicole Anderson Rimal became a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps. Within weeks of becoming a defense counsel, she was defending complex felony-level cases that, had she been on the civilian side, she probably would not have touched until she was years out of law school. Full story