Law Careers

We have a disproportionate number of alumni who are attorneys, prosecutors and judges. Many of our alumni also have pursued law degrees but are not working in the legal profession. We recently revived our mock trial program, which has attracted considerable interest from students. They already are competing successfully at tournaments. Our emphasis on writing and analysis prepares our students for law school. A recent graduate just won best research paper in his law program.

Aric and Megan Stano Aric Stano
Class of 2010
Attorney
Wadsworth, Ohio

Advice: "Explore options outside your comfort zone. Study abroad! Even if it delays graduation."

Betsy Carter
Class of 1973
Attorney
Plano, Texas

Robert Boester with daughters Robert Boester
Class of 1973
Prosecutor, Private Practice

I went on to law school at Boston University - which was then a top ten school, and 2/3 of my classmates came from the Ivy League or California equivalents. At Witt I had the highest LSAT score by a good margin: at BU I was in the bottom half. I was very nervous when I started. Most of my classmates looked longingly across the Charles River thinking secretly that only a horrible clerical error had kept them out of Harvard Law.

It took about a semester for me to realize that my Witt education had prepared me just as fully as my friends from Harvard, Dartmouth and Yale. I ended up doing well at BU, and was selected for a coveted spot as a law clerk at the BU Legal Assistance Project. In my last semester I took a course called Trial Tactics. It was taught by a local judge, and he also had a section at Harvard Law. After a semester of him riding me so hard that I thought I would not graduate he had me wait to speak with me after the last class. He then told me that I was his top student of sixty at both schools, and that I should pursue trial law as a career. I followed that advice.

After graduation I moved to Coastal Virginia, where I made a career in courtrooms all over the area. By my best estimate I made over 7,000 court appearances over the next forty years, and tried over four hundred cases to juries. At the outset I was a prosecutor, and handled rapes, robberies and murders: on one memorable day to a death verdict by a jury. That defendant was one of six inmates to later escape from death row. Happily for me, he was captured the next day. I then switched to private practice and handled both criminal and civil cases for the rest of my career. In my last major trial I successfully defended a police detective in a wrongful death case. That matter took four years to get to trial.

I highly value my time at Witt. I learned so much, and would make the same choice of school all over again. As for advice, I should have minored in theater: no kidding. I would strongly advise anyone who is considering a career in courtrooms to go that route. The great character actor James Rebhorn was a classmate and fraternity brother back then. I should have spent far more time with brother Jim.

I retired six years ago. I am now a pub trivia host at a friend's restaurant, and do volunteer work. I have two daughters: both proud graduates of the University of Virginia, and they have three masters degrees, a PBK key, and a Ph.D. between them. They are in this picture with me from my recent wedding.

Brian Reed
Class of 1997
Attorney
Newark, Ohio

After graduating from Witt in 1997 I attended The Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. I graduated from ONU in 2000. I am an attorney at Reese Pyle Meyer PLL in Newark, Ohio, where I practice general civil litigation and collection law. I am originally from Newark and live in Saint Louisville with my wife Shani.

Advice for college students: I would encourage students to take advantage of opportunities outside of the typical classroom setting. For those students interested in law, I would recommend seeking out an internship with the Clark County Prosecutor, a local attorney or the court. Getting hands on experience can be valuable.

Lynne Day
Class of 1990
Attorney
Bratenahl, Ohio

Lynne Day; 1990; Attorney and Principal of Lynne Day Law, LLC; primarily work from home in Bratenahl, Ohio; but represent clients in Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Lake Counties.

My practice focuses on collaborative dissolution, divorce, custody, and child support matters. I earned my law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1993. I spent more than 20 years with a firm in Chardon, Ohio, before starting my own practice in August 2014.

I would advise college students to focus on a major and/or classes that address topics and subjects that interest them. I would also advise them to explore the many opportunities that Wittenberg offers outside of just the classroom including but not limited to semester abroad and Urban terms (my Urban term in Philadelphia in the winter of 1989 was one of my most memorable college experiences.)

Dennis Eveleigh
Class of 1969
Attorney, Trial and Appellate Judge
Hartford, Connecticut

I have spent my career in the law for the past 50+ years in Connecticut. My first 25+ years were spent as a criminal and civil trial lawyer. Since that time I have spent almost 25 years as both a trial judge and Appellate Judge. For seven+ years I sat on the Connecticut Supreme Court until I reached age 70 when we are required by statute to step off the high court. However, I am still sitting part-time on our Appellate Court and I am in charge of a program which attempts to settle Appellate cases. For many years I was the chair of the Connecticut Rules Committee which governs the motion practice of all Connecticut lawyers. I was also in charge of the state's civil division and Appellate system.

My advice to students would be to be honest in all dealings and never misrepresent yourself to anyone. In the law, your credibility is everything both to judges and other lawyers and clients. If you lose it, you will have a tough time in your career. There are tough decisions down the road. However, if a boss or associate asks you to do anything which you feel is not right or unethical you must decline even if that results in the loss of a job. You must align yourself with ethical people. Further, there is no substitute for preparation and hard work. This applies both to school and career. Never take the easy path just to complete a project. Explore all possibilities and be complete.

Also, be forthright in your responses to a superior. I have hired many clerks and the best ones were those who told me that I was wrong on an issue and why. If you have good reasons a good supervisor will always appreciate another point of view.

Finally, if you should reach a management position and a mistake is made, never blame a subordinate. The ultimate responsibility is yours, and it is your job to submit subordinates' work only after you have reviewed it. As Harry Truman said The buck stops here! Live by those words! I would also avoid all office politics as you proceed in your career. There will be those who love to talk about other people in a negative manner. If you say anything about someone it will soon be reported against you. If you are in a management position always talk first with anyone who experiences problems. Give them plenty of notice and time to correct mistakes. Never use a group meeting to denigrate a fellow employee.

Dawn (Reinhardt) Holland
Class of 1999
Chief Legal Officer for a Commercial Real Estate Tech company
Charlotte, NC

Advice for college students: Take classes that interest you and don't feel pressured to over specialize in any one area. For most people, it is the skills you learn in college (writing, analytical thinking, public speaking, reading comprehension, etc.) not the specific knowledge that benefits you in your future career path. Get to know your professors as people, they are great resources and lovely individuals. Stop by their office hours to discuss a class you are taking, current events happening in the world, or life on campus. Enjoy every minute of your Wittenberg experience!

Randy Kilbride
Class of 1993
Lawyer
Columbus, Ohio

After Witt, I attended Syracuse Law School and moved to Columbus after graduation. I have been here since ‘96.

I can’t say that I have any particularly sage advice for students, but I will say that Wittenberg prepared me well for grad school and my career. From time to time it seems as though liberal arts education is denigrated and college is seen as some pre-carer training. It shouldn’t be. Witt taught me how to write, count, and think analytically. Both my wife (Witt ‘96) and my brother (Witt ‘87) feel similarly.

In addition, if I were to do it again, my advanced degrees might be in politics rather than law! I always liked the political components of my job a bit more than I liked the practice of law.

R. Lamar Kilgore
Class of 1955
Attorney, Memoirist, Podcaster, Artist, Animal Rights and Social Justice Activist
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lamar Kilgore U.of Pennsylvania Law School, class of 1959. Practiced law in suburban Philadelphia for 50+ years. Eighty-year golfer from first round ever, May 10, 1943 at Snyder Park to present.

Advice: Don’t sweat the small stuff - and do not forget, it is ALL small stuff.

Aixa (Alex) Maldonado
Class of 1988
Federal Prosecutor, Private Practice, Government Legal Counsel
Washington, D.C.

In my career, I have been a federal prosecutor (22+ yrs); private practice (6+ yrs.); government legal counsel (1+ yrs.); adjunct prof (1 yrs.); training and public speaking (25+ yrs).

Advice: Make the most of your summers through internships, courses, and job opportunities that will allow you to test different career fields and find what you like; keep up with current news developments; think beyond law school; become a problem solving "outside of the box" thinker; participate in a debate club that will enable you to debate with college students in Ohio or around the nation; where available, jump at the opportunity to become a public speaker and lose the fear of speaking before audiences; take accounting, tax and business law courses regardless of whether you plan to pursue career in law; if no longer required, a statistics course is a must.

Beverly McBride
Class of 1963
Attorney

Each year makes me happier that I majored in political science at Wittenberg. It not only gave me a wonderful foundation to obtain a law degree, it has served as a fine background for understanding the politics of today - locally, nationally and internationally. In fact, the political science background has furthered my interest in current events.

Being an avid reader, the wealth of books on the subject provides both continued learning and entertainment. Travel at home and abroad has also been more enjoyable. Putting stories and places together is enlightening.

Many fine majors are available and should be pursued. I'm glad I chose one of them.

Lawrence Newton
Class of 1970
U.S. Department of Justice, private practice
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

After graduating from Wittenberg in 1970, I then attended law school at Case Western Reserve University, graduating in 1973. There, I was a member of the National Moot Team and served on the Editorial Board of the Law Review. I passed the PA bar exam and was employed as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington. D. C. from 1973 thru 1977. I began private practice in 1977 in Huntingdon, PA. where I am still working. This is my 50th year at the bar. My education at Witt prepared me very well for my career.

Hal Ostrow
Class of 1996
Attorney
Grand Rapids, Michigan

I served on the State Bar of Michigan’s “Building a 21st Century Practice” Task Force and have presented to numerous other groups on the intersection of law and technology. I am a member of Rhoades McKee’s Information Technology committee, where I advise my colleagues on matters ranging from new privacy regulations to the software and services we use on a day to day basis.

Advice: Take advantage of internship opportunities. I can pretty much trace every job I've ever had and almost every relationship I have in politics (politics/public policy plays a part in what I do for clients and is a large part of what I do outside of my day job) back to an internship I did between sophomore and junior years at Witt (almost 30 years ago). Develop relationships doing internships and maintain them, and your professional and avocational networks will grow organically - which will open doors for you and lead to opportunities you might not otherwise have.

A. John Pelander
Class of 1973
Arizona Supreme Court Judge

Hon. John Pelander was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court by Governor Janice Brewer in July 2009 after 14 years with Division Two of the Court of Appeals, where he served as that court’s chief judge from July 2004 through June 2009. In July 2014, he became Vice Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and served in that role until January 2018.

Justice Pelander retired from the bench March 1, 2019. Since then, pursuant to Chief Justice administrative orders, he has continued to periodically sit with the Court on a call-back, active duty status. From 2020 to date, Justice Pelander has taught a one-semester course at the University of Arizona College of Law and done some private consulting work in various law-related areas. He also serves as a Christian Legal Society volunteer lawyer, assisting Tucson Gospel Rescue Mission residents in identifying and resolving legal issues; and he serves as a member of the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy governing board.

Justice Pelander received his bachelor of arts degree from Wittenberg University (1973, cum laude), a J.D. degree from the University of Arizona (1976, with high distinction and Order of the Coif), and his Master of Laws in Judicial Process from the University of Virginia in 1998. Justice Pelander is a former shareholder with Slutes, Sakrison, Grant & Pelander, P.C., where his practice from 1977 to 1995 focused on insurance defense, employment law, commercial litigation, and appeals.

Before beginning his law practice, he served as Executive Editor of the Arizona Law Review and as a law clerk to the Hon. Richard H. Chambers of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1976-77. Before joining the bench, Justice Pelander was a certified specialist in the field of personal injury and wrongful death. He was an associate with the American Board of Trial Advocates, has taught at numerous state and county bar association programs, and has served as a faculty member of the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy. Justice Pelander also has served on the Arizona Commission for Judicial Performance Review, the Arizona Judicial Council, as chair of Arizona’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, and as an officer of the national Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal. In 2015, Justice Pelander was elected to membership in the American Law Institute.

Justice Pelander and his wife Mary have two adult sons and five grandchildren. They are members of the Catalina Foothills Church, PCA, where he has served as a ruling elder.

Ann Ultsch
Class of 2014
Attorney
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Managing Counsel at Everest Infrastructure Partners in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advice for college students: Take advantage of all of the programs and opportunities the department provides. I strongly recommend the Washington Semester!

Robert Weible
Class of 1975
Attorney
Cleveland, Ohio

Graduated from Wittenberg in 1975 and from The Ohio State University College of Law in 1978. Practiced securities, mergers and acquisitions, general corporate and corporate governance law at Baker & Hostetler LLP in Cleveland, Ohio, from June 1978 through December 2022, and spent half of my time in the firm's Chicago, Illinois office from 2009 through 2016.

Stay tethered to objective, physical reality. Learn to think critically, particularly about conventional and widely-held popular opinion, don't be afraid of your own questions and conclusions, and keep your mind open for new information and thoughtful analyses. Never stop thinking.