For law to meet the needs of society, more students from diverse backgrounds need to learn the law and find career paths within the legal services industry. Backed by a curriculum that is student-centered, holistic, and aligned with practical, on-the-job tasks we can build new models for providing legal services. And with education that is online and scalable, we can ensure that every person confronting the justice system has an advocate.
Set learning goals that reflect what students value, need to know and want to be able to do – with regular assessments that provide feedback so students know what they’ve learned.
Integrate the knowledge, skills, values and ways of thinking that the law requires, with practical learning activities and exercises that demonstrate how learning applies on the job.
Invite input from legal practitioners in course design so that students graduate equipped to meet employer expectations.
Embed online tools for learning, assessment and community-building in our course design that make learning fully engaging, flexible, collaborative and fun.
To revise and develop curricula to support learning outcomes.
On designing training for paraprofessionals, law students, lawyers, and judges.
To develop scalable online teaching materials.
About online teaching, the future of legal education, and what we’ve learned and accomplished in immigration.
Professor of Law, Director of the Startup Legal Garage
University of California Hastings
Professor Pistone has been a lawyer since 1989 and has been teaching law since 1997. She is a Professor of Law at Villanova University and taught at Georgetown Law, American University Washington College of Law, and the University of Malta, as a Fulbright scholar.
Pistone’s teaching model focuses on student learning. She is the founding director of Villanova Law School’s Clinical Program and the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES). Since the founding of CARES in 1999, Professor Pistone has been training law students to represent asylum seekers in immigration court and before the Department of Homeland Security. Now, with 20+ years of experience training law students to represent immigrants, she is expanding her model of legal education to allied professionals for the legal services industry.
Bellagio Residency, March 2024
Esperanza Immigration Legal Services Champion Award 2024
JM Kaplan Innovation Prize 2019-2022
Association of American Law Schools, Section on Technology, Law & Legal Education Award 2020
Meyer ICE Innovation and Creative Excellence Award for Faculty 2020
Sister Elizabeth Anne Seton Medal, St John’s University 2017
St Thomas More Award, Society of Philadelphia 2018
Expert on Migration, Holy See Mission to the United Nations on migration
Fellow, Center for Migration Studies
Fellow, Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS)
Adjunct Fellow, Christensen Institute
Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES)
Clinic Program at Villanova University School of Law
Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (ASAP)
VIISTA certificate holder