Monday, November 26, 2012

Attention DSL Grads: Consider Joining The Friends of the Dickinson School of Law" Movement

After posting yesterday's write-up on the status of Penn State's change of position from a plan to consolidate all first year students at the State College campus of the Law School to a new plan involving the maintaining of the original Carlisle campus as part of a dual campus Law School, I received a lot of positive feedback from other Dickinson Law Alumni.  All of the feedback was against any movement by Penn State to shift the focus away from the Carlisle campus any more than it already has been.
In addition to positive feedback in favor of maintaining the Carlisle campus of the Dickinson School of Law, I also received an email from Shandra Kisailus a current third-year law student at the Carlisle campus, who advised me that a group has been created by concerned students, alumni and community members called "The Friends of the Dickinson School of Law."
I have agreed to support this group and would encourage other DSL alumni to consider doing the same so that our voices in favor of the original, Carlisle campus of the Dickinson School of Law can be heard loud and clear.  Below is an excerpt of the email, along with a copy of the Position Statement by the group that I received from Ms. Kisailus, who gave me her permission to reprint it.
I am hoping other DSL alumni interested in the preservation of the Carlisle campus of the Dickinson School of Law will also agree to join this group and support its efforts.  Please contact Ms. Kisailus at her contact info below for more information. 
What follows is Ms. Kisailus' email to me and the Position Statement of The Friends of the Dickinson School of Law:  
My name is Shandra Kisailus and I am a third-year law student at the Dickinson School of Law. I attend the Carlisle campus. I am a subscribing member of your Tort Talk blog and enjoy the truly educational posts. However, the reason I am emailing you is related to your post about the attempt by Penn State to consolidate all first-year law students at the State College Campus.
I, along with other concerned students, alumni, and community members, have formed a group aimed at promoting an open dialogue regarding the various proposals presented by Dean McConnaughay. We call the group "Friends of the Dickinson School of Law". Upon receiving details of the first proposal from the dean (to consolidate first-year classes at State College), we gathered our group to discuss the ramifications of the plan on the greater Carlisle community and voiced our disapproval of the plan in a Position Statement, which I have attached for your review. Now that it appears that the first plan will be foregone in favor of a new proposal (two separately accredited law schools under the Penn State Dickinson School of Law name), Friends of Dickinson will continue to meet to actively investigate and discuss this new proposal and to seek to effectively guide the transition process, if necessary.

My purpose in contacting you is to make you aware of the existence of the Friends of Dickinson and ask you to please spread the word of our group in the legal community of Northeast Pennsylvania. As a native of Wilkes-Barre, I took the initiative to send copies of our position statement to various alumni in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. Anything you can do to let others know of our group would only help us to achieve our goal of promoting the history and future prosperity of the Carlisle campus. Additionally, if you are so moved by your dedication to your alma mater, you can sign our position statement as a supporting signatory. As you have said, Dickinson was the oldest independent law school in Pennsylvania and it would truly be a shame to see its tremendous history lost. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our group, any of the dean's proposals, or to add your name to the signatory list of Friends of Dickinson.

Best,





Shandra S. Kisailus











Juris Doctor Candidate 2013
Dickinson School of Law
The Pennsylvania State University
Student Work Editor, The Pennsylvania State University Journal of Law and International Affairs
Vice President, Speaker's Trust Fund
Co-Chair, Mock Trial Committee
p: 717-701-8186 or 570-592-5598

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