Amanda Lavis
Villanova Law Student to Spend Semester Externing with U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
This fall, third-year law student Amanda Lavis will take advantage of a new and exciting opportunity provided by Villanova University School of Law. Lavis will spend the entire fall semester in Washington, D.C., working as an extern for the minority staff of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.
In addition to its well-known role reviewing the President’s nominees for the federal judiciary, including justices of the Supreme Court, the Senate Judiciary Committee has responsibility for oversight of the Department of Justice(including the Federal Bureau of Investigation) and legislation related to criminal justice, antitrust, immigration, terrorism, human rights, intellectual property, and the Internet. Lavis will work under the supervision of attorneys on the minority staff and will be assigned to a variety of projects related to committee matters, including legal research, preparation of memoranda and materials for committee hearings and votes, and research on pending legislation and nominees.
Throughout her externship, Lavis will maintain frequent contact with the Villanova Law faculty advisor for the externship, Professor Michael Moreland. Under Professor Moreland’s direction, she will also complete a research paper on a topic related to her externship experience. The Villanova Law faculty, recognizing the value of experiential learning in legal education, approved the full-time Senate Judiciary Committee externship in April. The Senate Judiciary Committee externship provides a unique opportunity for a Villanova Law student to gain valuable legal experience and enhances Villanova’s profile in Washington. As summarized by Professor Moreland, “almost every exciting judicial and legal policy question passes through the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I am delighted that a Villanova student will have a chance to gain first-hand experience working on those important questions.”
