Program Information

The Leadership Fellows Program, under the direction of Prof. Paula Franzese, is comprised of second, third and fourth year law students, who are selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership ability and leadership potential. Applicants must be in good academic standing at the Law School. Students selected to be Fellows must be enrolled in the Leadership, Ethics, and Decision-Making (PRMD8200) course the fall and spring semesters of their second year and in addition commit to one leadership project in the community for the year, to be determined in consultation with the Program’s director Professor Paula Franzese. The course meets on every other Wednesday from 4–6:00pm.

Twenty Leadership Fellows are selected each year, on the basis of demonstrated service, character, and leadership potential. Interested students now in their first year are invited to apply by 4:00pm on Monday, April 1st, 2019.

About the Course

The Leadership, Ethics and Decision-Making course is a two credit yearlong offering (one credit per semester) as the curricular component of the Leadership Fellows Program. The class meets for two hours every other week over the course of the fall and spring semesters. The course features a distinguished speakers series, mentoring component and opportunities for experiential learning.

Students receive a grade on a Pass/Fail basis on the completion of the two semesters, and are evaluated on the basis of (1) several short writing assignments, (2) class participation in skills-building exercises and (3) contributions to their leadership project.

This year's class of Leadership Fellows implemented initiatives in partnership with various public and private sector constituencies to de-stigmatize mental health in the legal community, create academic success programs for first-time youth offenders, guide local immigrants toward new work opportunities, work toward increasing empowerment and improving self-esteem of Newark's vulnerable youth, and heighten awareness of human trafficking.

Eligibility / How to Apply

To be eligible, students must be in good academic standing at Seton Hall Law. First year law students may apply for admission to the 2019-20 Program by Monday, April 4th, 2019. Completed application and supporting materials, as described below, must be submitted via email to Mary Malfitano at [email protected] no later than 4:00pm on April 4th, 2019. An interview will follow.

Application requirements to be submitted via email to [email protected]

Name:
E-mail address:
Phone number:
Address:
In no more than 500 words, please indicate why you are interested in serving as a Leadership Fellow, how you have or would like to demonstrate your leadership potential, what you deem to be your strengths.

Admitted Students

Students admitted to the Program must take the Leadership, Ethics, and Decision-Making (PRMD8200) course in the fall and spring semesters of their second year and commit to one leadership project each semester, to be determined in consultation with the Executive Mentors. The Leadership project will be executed in the local community and aims to promote service, education, and civic responsibility.

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop enhanced abilities to

1. apply the ethical imperative in the workplace
2. effectively work with media outlets
3. enhance communication skills as applied to both law-related and non-law related constituencies
4. work toward appointments to boards, commissions, panels and professional committees
5. navigate social communication in professional settings/“work the room”
6. become involved with the organized bar
7. garner an understanding of financial literacy
8. cultivate strategies to effectively integrate work and family
9. put vision into action
10. make effective decisions
11. cultivate self-awareness and self-assessment skills
12. seek, take and foster responsibility
13. prioritize competing demands
14. understand market controls
15. appreciate the mechanisms of corporate social responsibility
16. build and mend relationships
17. manage people and projects
18. weather change
19. accept and learn from failure
20. build confidence in self and others
21. appreciate the virtues of humility and perseverance