Six Penn State Dickinson Law Class of 2026 students share their stories

In May, more than 350 students in the Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), and Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) programs will graduate from Penn State Dickinson Law at the Carlisle and University Park locations. Every student has taken a unique path to this exciting achievement. Here, six students share their stories of how they came to Penn State Dickinson Law and what they accomplished during their years in Carlisle or University Park.

Peyton Cate ’26 landed at law school through a quirk of scheduling. She had finished most of her requirements as a communications studies major at Bloomsburg University and decided to add a second major in political science to fill out her schedule. “It was through that major that I took a constitutional law class,” said Cate. “It was one of my favorite classes I took as an undergraduate, and it solidified my desire to go to law school.”

She chose Penn State Dickinson Law after attending Admitted Students day in University Park and one at another law school. “The difference between them was stark,” said Cate. “The students here seemed quite happy. They were joking around, having a good time. At the other law school, I did not get the same vibe.”

From day one, she experienced that same energy and camaraderie. “Everyone was super welcoming. We did fun things together, such as go to football tailgates and hang out downtown,” said Cate. “The Law School does a great job of intentionally bringing students together. It is easy to come to law school and get bogged down by the work. Having things to look forward to every week helps build a strong community.”

Cate has participated in several extracurricular activities, including serving as secretary of the Student Bar Association and Penn State representative for the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

As a 2L, she made the Penn State Law Review, and in her 3L year, she served as editor-in-chief. “It has been a great experience,” said Cate. “It is an entirely student-run journal, and it is like having a full-time job in addition to attending classes.”

She particularly enjoys the teamwork. “You often work in your own lane in law school. But the Law Review is much more collaborative,” said Cate. “Working to reunify the two law reviews has been time-consuming, but I have enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with the students in Carlisle.”

After graduation, Cate will work at Richards, Layton & Finger in Delaware. “There are at least five other Penn State Dickinson Law students heading to Delaware, so it will be nice to get together with them,” said Cate. “The people are what I enjoyed most about the Law School and what I will miss the most.”

Nick Musgrave ’26 has wanted to be a lawyer since he was a child. “I vividly remember taking a career test in seventh grade that said I would be a good lawyer,” said Musgrave. He attended Hastings College and intended to enroll in law school after returning to his native West Virginia to work for a year post-graduation. But then life intervened.

Musgrave got married, he and his wife obtained good jobs, and by the time Musgrave was ready to reignite his dream of becoming a lawyer, the pandemic had begun. He decided to delay his applications a bit longer.

Finally, in 2023, six years after he graduated from college, Musgrave enrolled at Penn State Dickinson Law. It was worth the wait. “At 28 with a spouse and a life and a bit more maturity, I wanted a place where I could get a first-rate education that was also close to West Virginia,” said Musgrave. “The more and more my wife and I looked into it, the better Penn State Dickinson Law looked.”

Before enrolling at the Law School, Musgrave served as director of development at a community foundation. “I am drawn to public service, and one of the reasons I was so interested in Penn State Dickinson Law is its very good placement rate within the public service sector,” said Musgrave.

He has approached his studies methodically, like any good lawyer. He keeps a list of law school goals in his agenda, and he has achieved most of them, including interning at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and making the Dickinson Law Review, where he served as executive comments editor.

He has also tried new things. One not on his list of goals was joining Hearsay, the Law School’s acapella group. Musgrave had no formal singing experience when a friend dared him to try out (“I think I was more nervous about that audition than I have ever been for an oral argument”), but he made the cut and has enjoyed pushing himself out of his comfort zone at performances.

Musgrave will join the Pittsburgh office of Eckert Seamans after graduation. “I helped at one of our Admitted Students Days this spring, and it reminded me of my high aspirations when I was accepted,” said Musgrave. “Law school is not at all what I thought it would be like, but all the dreams I had came true.”

Marcus Myers ’26 came to law school knowing exactly what he wanted to do and what he did not want to do. He did not want to be a traditional attorney. Instead, he plans to use his J.D. to become a one-stop shop for college and professional athletes, operating as an agent and/or manager.

“I played sports when I was younger, but I knew professional sports weren’t in the cards for me. Still, I wanted a career where I could be around sports,” said Myers. “Negotiation and representation seemed like things I could do to keep me close to the sports world.”

He has taken advantage of the opportunities a Big Ten school offers. Myers works for Penn State’s NCAA Compliance Office in University Park, learning the ins and outs of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) and other compliance issues. “My duties include looking at transcripts for incoming athletes to ensure they meet NCAA requirements and making sure coaches know the periods when they are allowed to contact athletes,” said Myers. “I also help with permissibility questions and some potential regulation violation investigations.”

He will never forget the thrill of working at football games at Beaver Stadium. “I was on the sidelines and got to see over 100,000 people cheering, which was surreal,” said Myers. The opportunities have given him a solid foundation for understanding what it takes to run a large, successful sports program, invaluable for his next steps in the sports business.

Before enrolling at Penn State Dickinson Law, Myers worked for the South Carolina Department of Revenue for two years following his graduation from Winthrop University. Even then, he was focused on his future goal. “I wrote my whole application essay about wanting to practice sports law and be an agent,” said Myers, who has served as president of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and executive editor for digital media for the Dickinson Law Review. He was also a research assistant for Professor Samantha Prince.

He appreciates the Law School’s friendly community. “The faculty and staff at Penn State Dickinson Law have made it very welcoming for me. Building a good rapport and speaking with them every day around school has been my most enjoyable experience because law school is difficult. It’s good to have supportive authority figures like Professor Prince and others who’ve helped me figure out how to navigate it,” said Myers.

Community has played an important role in the law school experience for Menen Pierre ’26. It began before she even arrived in Carlisle, when an attorney at the firm where she worked as a paralegal told her about the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) program, which sponsors a pre-law summer institute to support aspiring law students.

“I had never heard of CLEO. She told me it helped her when she was applying for law school, so I applied and got in,” said Pierre.

After the CLEO program, Pierre enrolled at Penn State Dickinson Law, where she felt the embrace of community immediately. “I felt a little anxious coming to Carlisle because I had never gone away from home. In New York, I was surrounded by people who looked like me, and so I was nervous about coming to a place where they would not,” said Pierre. “But when I got here, I immediately felt at home. Everyone was so friendly.”

She joined the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), which provided her with resources, outlines, and books, even directing her where to apply for internships. “I found a community in BLSA. They have given me so much,” said Pierre.

In her 2L year, she became president of BLSA, aiming to help other Black students continue to feel as seen, supported, and valued as she did entering the Law School. “I thought it would be a perfect way to give back to this community,” said Pierre, who also took on the director of membership role with the National Black Law Students Association. “We were really able to move the needle. We only had two or three students involved with the national organization when I joined. Now we have 23.”

Pierre thought prior to entering law school that she wanted to practice criminal law. She completed her master’s thesis on restorative justice, and the Bronx District Attorney's office adopted some of the techniques she recommended. But she changed her mind after taking immigration law classes. Now she plans to work in immigration law following graduation.

“I am leaving law school having found my voice. I came in nervous, timid, and anxious, and I am leaving with more confidence in the type of advocate I want to be, ” said Pierre. “I came in wanting to serve vulnerable communities, and I have realized the particular community that I want to serve and how I would like to use my law degree.”

Josh Portney ’26 learned to walk while at Penn State tailgates with his parents, who both attended the University. He and his parents stayed in the dorms during Arts Fest weekends as part of the alumni program. “I was basically raised as a Penn Stater. I went there for undergrad, and there was no way I was going anywhere besides Penn State Dickinson Law for law school,” said Portney. “This is like home for me.”

His passion for Penn State and its community also led him to his other major undertaking during law school: becoming the youngest member of the State College Borough Council in 50 years and the first law student to win election. Elected in 2023, Portney served two years before resigning in January, when he accepted a clerkship with Judge Stella M. Tsai of the Commonwealth Court. Judicial ethics barred him from holding public office while in the clerk position.

“Since I was 16 years old back home in the Philadelphia area, I have been involved in policy making, change, and community building. That's something that drives me, something that centers me and grounds me,” said Portney.

He began attending council meetings as an undergraduate and served on the borough’s planning commission. After graduating in fall 2022, Portney had a semester before enrolling at the Law School in University Park. “I got into Penn State Dickinson Law on a Tuesday, and by the end of that week, I soft launched my candidacy for borough council,” said Portney.

For the next few months, he went door to door throughout the borough, talking to constituents and campaigning. Winning the election fulfilled a lifelong dream of serving in office, one he hopes to reach again in the future. “My council service was the most important thing that I had done yet in my life. I loved it,” said Portney.

He balanced public service with class time, particularly enjoying criminal law classes taught by Professor of Law Victor Romero and Distinguished Professor of Law, Emerita, Kit Kinports. He worked for two summers in the Centre County District Attorney’s office and then accepted the clerkship offer from the Commonwealth Court, where he will continue after graduation.

“I am Jewish, and in Hebrew we use the word ‘ruach’ to mean energy and spirit. There is nothing like the ruach at Penn State Dickinson Law. The alumni network, the community, and the energy here are special, and the ruach translates into everything we do,” Portney.

Weevarach Sangkhapaithoon ’26 LL.M. had never been to the United States before arriving in University Park to pursue his LL.M. Having spent most of his life in Bangkok, Thailand, he found the transition to his new surroundings offered a welcome change of pace. “State College is a peaceful, quiet city. I enjoy how everything is close, and you can walk anywhere,” said Sangkhapaithoon.

His favorite LL.M. moments came in the Intellectual Property Clinic, where students learn practice-ready skills in intellectual property (IP) law by providing legal services to the clinic’s clients.

“I wanted to gain practical experience, and the clinic allowed me to do so. I also made a lot of amazing memories,” said Sangkhapaithoon. “I was so glad Clinic Director Jonathan D’Silva opened a spot for an international student, and I hope the clinics continue to do that because it is so beneficial for us. I have done a lot of trademark work and patent searches and drafted contracts. All of it has been great.”

He noted that IP law, more so than other parts of law, is similar worldwide. “They have been trying to standardize international IP laws to make trademarks, patents, and copyrights fairly universal,” said Sangkhapaithoon.

Other aspects of the law differ significantly in Thailand and the United States. “I took civil procedure during first semester, which covered federal jurisdictions. We do not have any of that in Thailand. The professor explained it all and laid a good foundation for the international students, which helped a lot with our understanding,” said Sangkhapaithoon.

Beyond the clinic, he has enjoyed the varied opportunities available to students. Sangkhapaithoon published a blog entry in the Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs titled “The Implementation of Compulsory Licensing as a Solution for Copyright Conflict in Generative AI Training Data.”

“I like drafting and doing research, so I was searching for any way I could contribute to the research being done at Penn State and the Law School, and I came across this great opportunity to submit,” said Sangkhapaithoon.

Following graduation, he plans to sit for the bar exam in New York following graduation and intends to stay in the U.S. to seek professional employment opportunities. “I have met a lot of cool friends and supportive colleagues at Penn State Dickinson Law. There are many good human beings here,” said Sangkhapaithoon.