The Elder Justice Consortium of Pennsylvania Law Schools (EJC) met for their 3rd annual meeting with the Justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on November 19 in Hershey, Pa. The group includes deans from all Pennsylvania law schools, faculty and administrative representatives of each school’s experiential programming.
The EJC unites Pennsylvania law schools around the goal of providing stronger, critical support for older Pennsylvanians. Advice, advocacy, and education are cornerstones of the consortium, with the goal to inspire law students to continue elder justice work after the transition from law student to attorney.
“We are so fortunate to have this group of caring individuals in the law profession who are committed to elder justice service and the continuation of this important cause for future legal generations,” said Dean April Barton of the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
Barton co-hosted the meeting and the subsequent dinner alongside Dean Danielle Conway of Penn State Dickinson Law, and Dean andré douglas pond cummings of Widener Commonwealth Law School.
EJC Co-Chairs Grace Orsatti, Assistant Professor of Law at Duquesne Kline School of Law, and Mary Catherine Scott, Associate Clinical Professor at Widener Commonwealth Law, led discussions at the November meeting. These focused on the EJC’s work from the past year and highlights of the work individual law schools performed in the elder justice area, including the National Healthcare Directive Day event and community resource events. The group also planned new initiatives for the upcoming year as well as highlighting the initiatives within the individual law schools.
EJC member Kate Norton, Co-Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship, Director of Clinical and International Programs, and Associate Professor of Law at Duquesne Kline School of Law, was in attendance. She helped to coordinate a lunch and learn last spring for Duquesne Kline School of Law students in honor of National Healthcare Decision Day, an EJC sponsored event for students throughout Pennsylvania. This EJC event and others are critical to helping students understand elder law and justice.
“By having our students partake in these types of events through the EJC, we are hoping they appreciate issues surrounding elder justice and support it in their careers,” said Norton.
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