Widener Law appreciates competition just as much as the next school. Still, “cutthroat” isn’t a term that applies here. We’d rather focus on teamwork and supporting one another’s efforts.
Gaetano “Guy” D’Andrea ‘08, Vice President External Competitions of Widener’s
Trial Advocacy Society, knows a thing or two about the importance of competing.
“Competitions teach you to think on your feet and instill the appropriate candor for court,” D’Andrea says. “I cannot stress enough the importance of confidence in the courtroom and being able to keep your cool when things aren’t going as planned.”
Not only does he coordinate external competitions, he’s also had great success competing in them.
As a member of the
Harrisburg Campus team that competed in the March 2006 National Trial Competition in Philadelphia, D’Andrea and his teammates went head to head with law schools such as Temple, Villanova, and Rutgers. They had eight weeks to prepare for one case. Sixteen schools competed, and only four moved on to the finals. D’Andrea’s team was one of them.
Coming from a blue-collar family, the third-year student didn’t know what to expect from law school. After two years of great experiences such as competitions, learning in a strong academic environment, and living in an opportunity-rich capital city, Widener Law has far surpassed his expectations.