Introduction to Lawyering

Your Professional Career Begins Here

This year you will take a six-credit year-long course called Introduction to Lawyering. The course will provide you with opportunities to exercise and receive intensive feedback on a broad range of practical lawyering skills including research, writing, interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and oral advocacy. It will be taught in small groups by professors who will work closely with you to hone your skills and build critical professional habits.

The course will begin with a full day orientation for all students where we will introduce you to your Introduction to Lawyering professors and classmates. We will also discuss the building blocks of legal interpretation, and the importance of collaborating across differences and cultural competency for attorneys.

"From the very first class, the lawyering program provided an opportunity to get comfortable with being a law student. Not only were we trained to think like a lawyer, but my classmates and I all quickly developed a tight bond that has lasted throughout my time at seton hall. The small class sizes allows for the professors to give tailored, in-depth feedback on assignments and the professors are always more than happy to meet outside of class hours for additional support. The practical exercises in the class provide the most important takeaways. Students learn brief writing, oral arguments, and how to work carefully with clients or partners through simulations. Employers are regularly impressed with the quality of work from seton hall students, and I have no doubt this directly results from the lawyering program."

Timothy O’Connor '25
Law Student

Meet the 2023-24 Lawyering Professors

Pablo N. Blanco, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Pablo N. Blanco

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
BA, MA, JD, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

Pablo N. Blanco is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. Professor Blanco was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1965. He is head of a general practice law firm in Montclair, NJ, concentrating his practice in family law, workers compensation, social security disability, civil appeals and trials. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Essex County Bar Association, the Passaic County Bar Association and the New Jersey Hispanic Bar Association. Mr. Blanco argued Rowe v. Mazel Thirty before the New Jersey Supreme Court and has appeared numerous times before the Superior Court, Appellate Division. Published cases: Rowe v. Mazel Thirty, 209 N.J. 35 (2012); Kocanowski v. Township of Bridgewater, 237 N.J. 3 (2019); Lechler v. 303 Sunset Avenue Codo. Assoc. 452 N.J. Super 574 (App. Div. 2017); Moran v. Board of Trs. of the Police & Firemen's Ret. Sys., 438 N.J. Super. 346 (App. Div. 2014); Bellino v. Verizon Wireless, 435 N.J. Super. 85 (App. Div. 2014); Chiarello v. Board of Trs. of the Public Employees Ret. Sys., 429 N.J. Super. 194 (App. Div. 2012); Sellers v. Board of Trs. of the Police & Firemen's Ret. Sys., 399 N.J. Super. 51 (App. Div. 2008).

Sarah Connelly, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Sarah Connelly

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., American University Washington | B.A., Binghamton University

Professor Connelly is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. She is Counsel at the law firm Littler Mendelson, and practices labor and employment law with a focus on wage and hour class action work. Professor Connelly graduated from American University, Washington College of Law, where she served as a member of the International Law Review and was an active participant in the International Human Rights Law Clinic. Professor Connelly earned her Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University.

Carla Lee Cornwell, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Lee Larson Cornwell

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., Yale Law School 

Professor Cornwell earned her J.D. at Yale Law School where she was an Articles Editor for the Yale Journal of International Law and a Co-Director of the Lowenstein Human Rights Program. She clerked for Hon. J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Distinction from the University Virginia with a B.A. in English Literature. In her career as a litigator, she worked as a Trial Attorney in the Honors Program at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and as a Senior Trial Attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She also worked in private practice at the law firm Donovan, Leisure, Rogovin & Schiller. Professor Cornwell is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering course, and has also taught Appellate Advocacy and Legal Writing in the LEO Program. In addition, she teaches a variety of online courses including Introduction to Legal Writing and Reasoning and substantive courses in the areas of Corporate and Securities Law.

Daniel A. Edelson, Associate Professor of Legal Practice

Daniel A. Edelson

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., Fordham University | B.A., Brandeis University
| Rm 409

Professor Edelson is an Assistant Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. Professor Edelson is an attorney admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York. He graduated from Fordham University School of Law where he was a Notes and Articles Editor for the Fordham International Law Journal and was selected as a Crowley Scholar in International Human Rights. After graduating from law school, Professor Edelson practiced with two international law firms in New York City. He currently manages his own practice where he represents clients in business litigation matters in state and federal courts. Before joining Seton Hall, Professor Edelson taught at a law school in New York City and has also taught US law to students overseas and online.

Professor Karla Y Foy

Karla Y. Foy

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of Bar Support
J.D., Harvard Law School | B.A., American University
| 973-642-8715 | Rm 427

Professor Foy teaches the Introduction to Lawyering course to first year students. She is an Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and the Associate Director of the Academic Success program. Professor Foy has practiced Education Law in various contexts. She has also managed and maintained a general law practice in Hackensack, New Jersey since 2005. Prior to coming to Seton Hall Law School, Professor Foy served in the Office of the General Counsel of the United States Department of Education. She also worked for the New York University, Equity Assistance Center providing technical assistance to school districts on race, gender and national origin issues. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. in Criminal Justice, cum laude, from American University.

Headshot for Jamie Furia

Jamie Gottlieb Furia

Adjunct Professor & Director of Persuasion & Advocacy
J.D., Seton Hall University | B.A., New York University
 

Jamie Gottlieb Furia is the Director of both Persuasion & Advocacy and Deposition Skills at Seton Hall University School of Law, as well as a professor of Lawyering.  Prior to joining the Law School, Professor Furia was a partner at Lowenstein Sandler LLP.  In her practice, Professor Furia represented corporations, government entities, and individuals in white collar criminal defense matters, internal and external investigations, regulatory compliance matters, and commercial litigation.

Adrian Newall, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Adrian D. Newall

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of Lawyering
J.D., The Catholic University of America | B.A., The Catholic University of America
| 973-642-8082 | Rm 401

Professor Newall serves as Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of Lawyering. She teaches Introduction to Lawyering and Appellate Advocacy.

Professor Newall’s law career began as a law clerk to Administrative Law Judge Jerome Nelson at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Professor Newall was an associate for LeBoeuf, Greene and MacRae in Washington, D.C, and then continued her energy practice as Assistant General Counsel at Exelon Corporation in Philadelphia. Most recently, Professor Newall was Associate Counsel in the Federal Regulatory group at PSEG in Newark, NJ.

Lara B. Pennington

Lara B. Pennington

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of Appellate Advocacy
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law 
| 973-642-8783 | Rm 510

Professor Pennington teaches Introduction to Lawyering and directs the Appellate Advocacy Program and Gressman Competition at Seton Hall Law. Professor Pennington began teaching Appellate Advocacy and Legal Research & Writing at Seton Hall in 2004. Professor Pennington also served as a private legal writing consultant, conducting seminars on writing content, style, and organization, and she provided individualized writing counseling to attorneys and paralegals at law firms in New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C. Before teaching, Professor Pennington spent eight years in private practice, at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP and Dillon, Bitar & Luther, LLC, specializing in general litigation matters at both the trial and appellate levels. Professor Pennington earned her J.D. with High Honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law where she was elected to the Order of the Coif, and she earned her B.A. in Psychology magna cum laude from Lafayette College.

Melanie Perez Vellios

Melanie J. Perez-Vellios

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of LEO Program
J.D., B.A., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
| 973-642-8478 | Rm 423

Professor Perez-Vellios serves as Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of the LEO Program. She teaches Introduction to Lawyering, Appellate Advocacy, and Becoming a Lawyer for the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) program. Prior to joining Seton Hall Law School, Professor Perez-Vellios practiced employment and education law, serving as Of Counsel to a New Jersey law firm. She also conducted anti-harassment training and other workplace seminars. Prior to that, Professor Perez-Vellios was an Associate at Reed Smith LLP where she practiced complex commercial litigation. Professor Perez-Vellios has also served as contributing author for XpertHR. Professor Perez-Vellios graduated from Rutgers School of Law – Newark, where she served as Senior Managing Editor of the Rutgers Law Review. She earned her B.A. from Rutgers University.

Beth Liss Shuman, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Beth Liss Shuman

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
LL.M. Georgetown University Law Center | J.D., Marquette University Law School | B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara

Professor Shuman teaches Introduction to Lawyering. She previously served as a Supervisory Attorney with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. She litigated waste and water quality cases in state and federal courts.

Professor Shuman also worked at a Philadelphia law firm where she focused on complex civil litigation and toxic tort cases. She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Theodore O. Rogers of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Before joining Seton Hall, Professor Shuman taught legal writing and research at a Pennsylvania law school.

Elizabeth Reichard, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Libby Reichard Sims

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., Case Western Reserve University | B.A., College of the Holy Cross

Professor Reichard is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. She graduated from Case Western Reserve School of Law, where she was the Editor-in-Chief of its Journal of International Law. Prof. Reichard practices in the area of immigration and nationality law at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy in New York, NY where she provides guidance on complex legal issues, monitors and analyzes federal and state immigration law developments, and liaises with government agencies and Congress on cases and policy matters. Prof. Reichard earned her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.

Allison Sigmund

Allison Sigmund

Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and Director of Externships
J.D., New York University 
| 973-642-8082 | Rm 508

Professor Sigmund serves as an Assistant Professor of Legal Practice and is the Director of Externships at Seton Hall Law School. In her capacity as Director of Externships, Professor Sigmund administers all aspects of the externships program, including designing the curriculum and teaching the General Externship Course, the Judicial Externship Course, the Advanced General Externship Course, and the Advanced Judicial Externship Course. Additionally, Professor Sigmund supervises all Seton Hall Law students who enroll in the externship program. Professor Sigmund also teaches Introduction to Lawyering I & II. Previously, Professor Sigmund taught Introduction to Law and Legal Writing, Torts, Fundamentals of Business Law, Managing Legal Issues in the Workplace, and Conducting Internal Investigations in Seton Hall Law’s masters in legal studies program.

Samuel M. Silver, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Samuel M. Silver

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., American University – Washington College of Law | B.A., University of Wisconsin – Madison | LL.M., Stetson University College of Law
 

Professor Silver is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice teaching Introduction to Lawyering to first year students. Professor Silver serves as a Deputy Ethics Counsel with the Office of Attorney Ethics. Professor Silver previously served as the Deputy Director of the New Jersey Law Revision Commission. Prior to joining the Law Revision Commission, he was a solo practitioner who engaged in civil and criminal litigation as well as appellate practice. He has litigated matters before the New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, Appellate Division, the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the United States District Court. In 2018, he was appointed as a panelist to the District VIII Fee Arbitration Committee. In 2022, he was appointed to the District VIII Ethics Committee. Professor Silver graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, cum laude, with a B.A. in Political Science. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the Washington College of Law – American University, and a LL.M. in Advocacy, with distinction, from Stetson University College of Law.

Laura Stuart, Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice

Laura B. Stuart

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., Rutgers University School of Law | B.S., Rutgers University
 

Professor Stuart is an Assistant Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. Professor Stuart began her legal career serving as a law clerk in federal court in the District of New Jersey. After her judicial clerkship, Professor Stuart was an associate for a number of years at a large New York City law firm where she focused mainly on securities law litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Following that, she transitioned to a suburban New Jersey firm where she practiced general commercial litigation and employment law. Over time, employment law became the main focus of her practice. Professor Stuart graduated from Rutgers School of Law – Newark, where she served as Senior Managing Editor of the Rutgers Law Review and was a student teaching associate for Legal Research and Writing. She earned her B.S. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, majoring in Finance and Political Science.

Headshot for Andy Weinstein

Andrew L. Weinstein

Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice
J.D., University of Maine School of Law | M.S.W., University of Southern Maine | B.A., Colby College

Professor Weinstein is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Practice, teaching Introduction to Lawyering. Professor Weinstein began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted blue collar crime. Thereafter, Professor Weinstein was an Assistant Attorney General in the Public Integrity Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office where he handled long-term white collar investigations and prosecutions involving public officials and State funds. Subsequently, Professor Weinstein moved to the private sector and opened a boutique practice that focuses on criminal defense and real estate transactions. Professor Weinstein earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Maine School of Law where he served as a Legal Writing Teaching Assistant while also overseeing the Maine Law Review as Editor-in-Chief.


This legal writing class enables 1L students to acquire comprehensive lawyering skills in their first year.

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