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Pifer ’95 named director of the Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center
Ross Pifer ‘95, an experienced agricultural law attorney, has been named director of the Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center at Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law. Pifer, who was born and raised on a fifth-generation farm near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, assumed his new duties on March 3.
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In his capacity as director, Pifer will utilize his extensive knowledge about agriculture and the law to manage the center, providing resources and support through outreach, and the development of educational materials and programs, including the center’s Web site.
“Having received my B.S. degree in agricultural business management from Penn State as well as my J.D. degree from the Dickinson School of Law, accepting the position as director of the Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center is a double homecoming for me,” said Pifer. “This current position brings together all aspects of my professional experience – agriculture and the law. It is rewarding to me that I am able to utilize my experience for the benefit of the institution that provided me with my educational foundation.”
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Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff is pleased about Pifer’s appointment. “The Agricultural Law Center is a unique resource, and Pennsylvania will benefit from Ross’s experience and understanding of our state, our agriculture industry, and our laws,” said Wolff. “Ross brings a wealth of knowledge gained through his lifelong involvement and experience in agriculture, bringing a keen understanding of the issues confronting the industry, like intellectual property, land use and zoning, economic development, environmental issues, and Pennsylvania’s Agriculture, Communities, and Rural Environment (ACRE) regulations.”
Philip McConnaughay, dean of the law school, explained that in addition to the traditional services that the center has provided since its inception in 1997, Pifer will be broadening the scope and range of activities of the Center considerably, exploring new synergies with the College of Agricultural Sciences and new projects and initiatives involving intellectual property, land use regulation, economic development, environmental issues, and local government.
“This promises to be an exciting period of expansion for the center,” McConnaughay added.
“With the strong agricultural tradition at Penn State University, I believe that the Dickinson School of Law is uniquely positioned to become a leader in the study of agricultural law nationally,” Pifer explained. “Furthermore, the establishment of the School of International Affairs within the Law School and the existing international programs within the College of Agricultural Sciences present opportunities to expand the scope of the center to include an international focus. As director of the Center, I intend to harness the many resources of the Law School and the College of Agricultural Sciences to accomplish these goals."
Pifer earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business management from Penn State University, a juris doctor from The Dickinson School of Law, and a master of laws (LL.M) degree in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. While completing coursework for his LL.M. degree, Pifer worked as a research fellow at the National Agricultural Law Center, located at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Prior to accepting the position as director of the center, Pifer was an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of General Counsel, where he served as the primary legal advisor to the Farm Service Agency, the Rural Housing Service, the Rural Utilities Service, and the Rural Business Service in Pennsylvania and to the Natural Resources Conservation Service in New York State. He also has experience as a sales manager with a major international agricultural company, and has served on active duty with the United States Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps in Brunssum, the Netherlands.
The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center is a collaboration between Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Created in 1997, the center is one of only three such entities to be hosted by U.S. law schools. For more information on the center, visit the law school’s Web site.
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news and announcements
Lace-up for the 2008 Race Judicata
Rain or shine, prepare to pound the pavement on the morning of Saturday, April 12 by participating in Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law Annual 5K Race Judicata to raise funds for the Penn State Dickinson School of Law Loan Repayment and Assistance Program (LRAP).
The race will start at 8:30 a.m. and is open to community members, students, alumni, faculty, friends and family of the law school. The course will begin and end at Trickett Hall, 150 South College Street, Carlisle.
Runners and walkers are encouraged to come out and show their support for LRAP, which is dedicated to assisting qualified graduates working in public interest law with their loan repayment obligations.
To register, please download and complete the Registration Form, available at www.dsl.psu.edu/alumni/2008Race.cfm and mail it, along with a $20/person registration fee, to the Office for Student Services, Attention Race Judicata, The Dickinson School of Law, 150 South College Street, Carlisle, PA 17013. The $20 entry fee includes a free t-shirt and race day food and beverages with the net proceeds going to LRAP.
All participants are asked to confirm their registration between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on the day of the race. Registration will be located in the parking lot area directly beside Trickett Hall on the corner of W. South St. and S. College St.
Inter-Disciplinary Sports Studies at Penn State Presents Sports Literature Society Reading Group
Law School Memories Request
On April 1, 1834, Judge John Reed opened a law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, “in connection with Dickinson College.” Andrew Jackson was then president of the United States, and a young man named Abraham Lincoln had just entered politics. Founding Fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had died less than 8 years earlier.
In 2009, The Dickinson School of Law will celebrate its 175th anniversary. As part of this event, law school historian Mark Podvia is currently working on an updated history of the institution. The publication is planned to be a less formal “people’s history” of the school.
In order to make this project a success, the author needs your input including:
Memories of law school faculty and staff - Memories of student organizations, moot court teams, and sporting events - Memories of student activities, ranging from the formal Barrister’s Ball to the Friday “Kegs in the Curtilage” - Memories of life in Carlisle
Please e-mail your recollections to the author at mwp3@psu.edu, or call him at 717-240-5015.
Your participation is needed to insure that our past is preserved for future generations!
Blue and White Tailgate and CLE Event
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Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law presents a CLE accredited course with Stephen Ross, Professor of Law and Director, Penn State Institute for Sports Law, Policy, and Research
BATTLING MONOPOLISTS AND COLLATERAL DAMAGE:
CAUGHT BETWEEN THE BIG TEN AND COMCAST
Saturday, April 19, 2008 from 9 - 10 a.m.
Room 110 Business Building
University Park, PA
Limited Seating:
RSVP to alumni@dsl.psu.edu or by phone 888-DSL-ALUM (375-2586) by Monday, April 14. For more information visit www.dsl.psu.edu
Following the CLE course, join the DSL Blue & White Society, faculty, staff, alumni and other distinguished guests for a tailgate located at the Intramural Building Lawn, corner of University Drive and Curtin Road from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Food and drink will be provided.
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Join the Penn State Alumni Association!
We encourage all Dickinson School of Law Alumni to join the Penn State Alumni Association (PSAA).
Benefits of PSAA membership include:
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Access to an online directory of Penn State Alumni
- Subscription to The Penn Stater Magazine and other publications
- Discounts on books, car rentals, Penn State cothing and gifts, and more
- Numerous services, including Career Services
For more information, visit the Alumni Association Web site at alumni.psu.edu.
Host a DSL Alumni Event in your Area
The close-knit nature of the Dickinson community continues through the activities of a strong and loyal alumni organization. We encourage you to host a reception or other event for alumni in your geographic location. If interested, please contact our alumni office at alumni@dsl.psu.edu or by phone at 888 DSL-ALUM (375-2586).
The Honorable Earl H. Carroll, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, recently hosted a reception for the members and friends of the Penn State legal community at the University Club of Phoenix.
In Pittsburgh, Robert G. Sable, ’64 and Alan K. Sable, ’92 invited fellow Western PA alumni and friends of the Law School to a reception at The Duquesne Club on March 6.
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alumni events |
| Saturday, April 12, 2008 |
Race Judicata - 5K Fun Run/Walk
Race (link)
Begins at 8:30 a.m.
To benefit Penn State Dickinson School of Law — Loan Repayment and Assistance Program.
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| Saturday, April 19, 2008 |
CLE accredited course with Professor Stephen Ross
"Battling Monopolists and Collateral Damage: Caught Between the Big Ten and Comcast"
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
110 Business Building, University Park
RSVP by Monday, April 14 to alumni@dsl.psu.edu or by phone to 888-DSL-ALUM (375-2586).
There is no fee for this event.
DSL Blue & White Society Spring Tailgate
11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
IM Building Lawn - Corner of University Drive and Curtin Road
RSVP by Monday, April 14 to alumni@dsl.psu.edu or by phone to 888-DSL-ALUM (375-2586). There is no fee for this event.
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| Wednesday, May 14th |
Northeast Alumni Dinner
Reception at 6 pm, Dinner at 7 pm.
This year's honoree is The Honorable Gregory H. Chelak '88, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, 60th Judicial District, Pike County.
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| Wednesday, June 4, 2008 |
The Dickinson School of Law will host an Alumni Reception in conjunction with The Pennsylvania Bar Association's 2008 Annual Meeting
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Hershey Lodge - Hershey, PA
RSVP by Monday, May 26 to alumni@dsl.psu.edu or by phone to 888-DSL-ALUM (375-2586).
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| For
more information or to RSVP for an event in your
area, please e-mail Dyanna Stupar
at djs66@psu.edu
or call (814) 863-7047. Please contact us at alumni@dsl.psu.edu
if you would like to help us plan an alumni event in
your area. |
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