Table of Contents
July 27, 2026: "The Future of Pittsburgh: An Evening with Mayor O'Connor."
May 27, 2026: "Personality Isn't Destiny: The Science of Intentional Change."
This Zoom event featured Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala, who discussed her research on personality change and the science behind it. For years, conventional wisdom held that personality is fixed by early adulthood, but Dr. Sauer-Zavala’s work has helped dismantle that idea. She shared evidence-based strategies for how people can deliberately shift their own personality traits, along with why the topic carries particular weight for lawyers and judges, whose effectiveness depends on how they engage with others, manage pressure, and adapt under demanding circumstances.
Dr. Sauer-Zavala is a clinical psychologist, personality scientist, and mental health treatment developer. She has authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications and three books, and her work has been featured in major media outlets including CBS Sunday Morning, Vox, and the Washington Post.
March 18, 2026: "Rule of Law Under Siege: Lessons from Poland."
This virtual program featured Judge Dorota Zabłudowska, who discussed the Polish experience of safeguarding democracy when the rule of law comes under siege. Judge Zabłudowska sits on the District Court Gdańsk-Południe, where she has served in the criminal division since 2002. She is the Vice President and spokesperson of the Gdańsk branch of the Polish Judges Association Iustitia, and in 2025 was elected to serve as one of the Vice-Presidents of the International Association of Judges.
Judge Zabłudowska is committed to defending judicial independence and protecting citizens’ rights. In 2019, she received the Gdańsk Equality Award in recognition of her efforts to uphold the public’s right to an independent judiciary. She is also active in legal education for both students and adults, frequently participating in moot court and debate competitions as a judge or juror. She has shared the Polish experience with judges from other countries to highlight the importance of judicial resilience and the judiciary’s role in safeguarding the rule of law, giving lectures on these topics to judges in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Central America, and the United States.
April 21, 2025: “They Not Like Us: Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar.”
June 2, 2025: “Breaking Barriers to Rentry — An Evening with Brandon Edwin Chrostowski and Royal Ramey.”
This program highlighted the incredible work of these two reentry champions: Brandon Edwin Chrostowski is the founder of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute. Chrostowski has built a successful model for reentry through culinary training and employment, providing skills, housing, healthcare and mentorship to individuals returning from incarceration. His work has received extensive recognition and accolades, including a CNN Hero nomination and multiple industry awards. Chief Royal Ramey has spent more than ten years as a wild-land firefighter in the United States Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and as a member of the Buffalo Hand Crew, part of the Forest Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), that solely consists of former inmates. He fell in love with being a wild-land firefighter while incarcerated in California and graduated at the top of his class at the Victor Valley College Firefighter I Academy before starting his professional wild-land firefighting career. Chief Ramey co-founded FFRP and created the Buffalo Hand Crew to create pathways for incarcerated individuals to pursue meaningful wild-land firefighting and forestry careers. In 2022, Royal received a Pardon from Governor Gavin Newsom on behalf of the State of California. He is a 2023 Obama Leaders USA Program Participant and 2024 TED Fellow.
February 5, 2025: “Victim Trauma.”
November 20, 2024: “Western District Update”
September 24, 2024: "Who is Wendell Freeland?
An exclusive viewing of the film, “Wendell G. Freeland: A Quiet Soldier,” followed by a conversation with Lisa Freeland and the film’s Director, Billy Jackson.
June 25, 2024: “Don’t Press Send.”
An Exploration of Etiquette and Best Communication Practices in our Digital Age, with information overload expert, Peter Marksteiner.
A recognition ceremony for Lisa Freeland on the occasion of her retirement.
April 15, 2024: “Generation Gaps.”
A panel conversation about the newest generation of students and lawyers, and the practical and cultural implications of integrating this new generation into our workplaces, with Mary Crossley — Former and Current Interim Dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law; Gaurav Gupte — Attorney at Denton Cohen & Grigsby and recent law school graduate; Lisa Hernandez — Vice President of People and Culture at Robert Morris University; and Tara Sease — Attorney at Adamczyk Law Offices and former Chair of the ACBA Young Lawyers Division
A recognition ceremony for Judge Cynthia Eddy on the occasion of her retirement.
January 29, 2024: “Applied Improv.”
An interactive improvisation session with Professor Ben Bratman, designed to improve communication, presentation and listening skills, and otherwise prepare traditional “over-preparers” to deal with the unexpected.
A recognition ceremony for Judge Kim Berkeley Clark on the occasion of her retirement.
October 19, 2023: “Behind the Curtain: A Panel of Law Clerks Share Their Thoughts, Wishes and Pet Peeves.”
A panel of circuit court, district court and state court law clerks will draw back the curtain on what makes them smile, what makes them cry and what drives them crazy.
June 28, 2023: “Managing Polarization — A Conversation with Dr. Peter Coleman.”
Dr. Coleman is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University and a renowned expert on constructive conflict resolution, intractable conflict, and sustaining peace. He is the author or editor of dozens of books, well over 100 scientific articles and chapters, is the recipient of various awards, and his work has been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Nature, Scientific American, PBS Newshour and Harvard Business Review. His most recent book, “The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization,” was released by Columbia University Press in 2021. Dr. Coleman will join us for an interactive session on how to constructively manage polarization broadly in our everyday lives, as well as how to address some of those intractable conflicts we may meet in the litigation world.
February 9, 2023: “How Appealing!”
A discussion about the dos and don’ts of appellate practice, with Justice Christine Donohue (Pennsylvania Supreme Court); Lisa Freeland (Federal Public Defender); Rebecca Haywood (PNC; and former chief of the Appellate Division of the USAO); Judge Judith Olson (Pennsylvania Superior Court); Judge Peter Phipps (Third Circuit) and Judge William Stickman (WDPA).
October 3, 2022: “The Trial of a High-Profile Case — The Derek Chauvin Trial.”
An evening with Judge Peter Cahill, the trial judge on the Derek Chauvin case.