SIX PENN STATE DICKINSON LAW GRADUATES SHARE THEIR STORIES
In May, more than 400 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.
‘There’s no limit to what you can achieve, and timing is never a barrier’
Sally Abadoo Brew ’25 LL.M.
Penn State Dickinson Law (Carlisle location), LL.M. candidate
Sally Abadoo Brew ’25 LL.M. began her academic journey with a degree in banking and finance from the University of Ghana, launching a successful career at Standard Chartered Bank in Ghana. Her role as an operational risk manager sparked an unexpected passion for law, leading her to pivot toward legal studies later in life.
After completing a dual bar qualification from The Gambia Law School and Ghana School of Law, Brew worked as a public defender at legal aid and moved on to become head of legal and company secretary at what she describes as “the world’s most respected African bank.” She wanted to have a competitive edge and provide seamless, cross-border legal services.
“As a dual-qualified barrister, I want to be an indispensable asset to top firms and also offer a one-stop solution, providing comprehensive legal advice that meets the sophisticated needs of international clients,” said Brew. Having recognized her limited exposure to American law, she sought an opportunity to learn. However, timing was crucial — she and her husband have two sons, and she wanted to ensure they were older before committing to a one-year LL.M. program abroad. The completion of a major merger at Access bank last year finally presented the right moment for this transition.
Beyond her own aspirations, Brew hoped to instill a valuable lesson in her children. “My message to my sons has always been, ‘There’s no limit to what you can achieve, and timing is never a barrier,’” said Brew.
Encouraged by a former colleague at the Ministry of Justice, Brew applied to Penn State Dickinson Law, eager to immerse herself in American legal education. Though she had lived and worked across Africa and the UK, the transition to Pennsylvania brought culture shocks and also invaluable experiences.
She quickly found support within the local family she stays with — “it feels like they’ve known me forever” — as well as with the Christian community at the Law School, her colleagues in the IT department where she works between classes, and faculty members like Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Angela R. Dean, whom she works for as a research assistant.
Despite English being her first language, Brew faced an unexpected hurdle — fast-paced lectures. However, students and staff, including Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Rebecca Schreiber, extended kindness, offering guidance and even winter clothing when Brew struggled with the colder climate.
With graduation approaching, Brew is excited about carrying forward the values and education she gained at Penn State Dickinson Law. The strong alumni network at the university has been particularly inspiring to her. “When people say, ‘we are Penn State,’ that means a lot to me,” said Brew.
‘I have been challenged before, but never like this’
Jamelia Graham ’25
Penn State Dickinson Law (Carlisle), J.D./Doctor of Public Health candidate
Being the first to do something is special. It can also be demanding. As Penn State Dickinson Law’s first J.D./Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at the Carlisle location, Jamelia Graham ’25 has navigated both highs and lows, and she is grateful for the opportunity to stretch her limits.
“This is probably the hardest thing that I have ever done. I have been challenged before, but never like this,” said Graham. “But I can see growth from when I first got here, when I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, to being better able to articulate my views, network, and bet for myself. I have had the opportunity to work and apply the law uniquely, and that has been great.”
Graham developed an interest in public health as an undergraduate at the College of Charleston. She then obtained a master’s in public health and spent two years in rural South Carolina doing obesity prevention work at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “My job was talking to people and finding out the deeper issues that lead people to not having access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity,” said Graham.
After discovering Penn State Dickinson Law’s DrPH program had the focus on public health policy she desired, Graham “took a leap of faith” and moved out of South Carolina for the first time in her adult life. “The program is about trying to understand and reconcile the integration of public health, medicine, and the law and figuring out where work can be done or should be done or needs to be done within that Venn diagram,” said Graham.
The most interesting aspect of her legal studies, she says, is learning nuances that apply to “actionable things we see in our day-to-day lives and seeing the real-life application of the law.” She was delighted to realize, for example, that her secured transactions class was essentially teaching how to get a car loan or buy a new refrigerator on credit.
Graham found great value in her work at the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Clinic with Professor Medha D. Makhlouf. “While I did not plan to pursue a career in direct representation, I knew it was important to understand that process and the skills necessary for direct representation. Understanding the structure of the MLP also helped me with my research and coming up with the focal piece for my dissertation topic,” said Graham.
Her dissertation focuses on integrating social needs screeners into the patient workflow, with medical-legal partnerships serving as the particular response or referral to a social need.
“My dissertation is setting the landscape. The hope is that there will be another student, another grant, or something that will help someone else pick up where I left off and do an implementation science study to figure out which of these strategies best works in the patient workflow,” said Graham.
Following graduation, Graham has an offer to become a staff attorney working on Medicaid law and policy at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, where she interned during her first year at Penn State Dickinson Law. She anticipates a busy summer of studying for the bar, and after that, she feels energized to “restart my career and see where it takes me.”
‘I have had the support of my professors here all the way’
Romario Ricketts ’25
Penn State Dickinson Law (Carlisle), J.D. candidate
Last summer, Romario Ricketts ’25 served an internship with the White House Counsel’s Office. His mother, as moms often do, posted proudly on Facebook about his job. When Ricketts returned to his Brooklyn neighborhood, people who had seen the post approached him with questions about housing and immigration issues.
Ricketts welcomed their inquiries. “I thought this was one way I could give back to the community. I came to law school to help people, and I want to do that,” said Ricketts.
That drive to help propelled him from Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), where he earned his associate's degree, to Lehman College and Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York, where he graduated summa cum laude, to Penn State Dickinson Law, where he earned a full-tuition merit scholarship, served as president of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), and much more.
The conversations with friends and family back home kept him focused on what he wanted to achieve: a position that could make a difference. Indeed, after graduation, Ricketts will work in the social justice field.
He credits “The Black Man in Contemporary Society,” a class he took in his first year at BMCC, with sparking his interest in social justice and leading him to law school. “I took that class reluctantly, just to ensure I could remain a full-time student with enough credits,” said Ricketts, who was recently honored as a CUNY Alumni 50 under 50. “That class moved me. It inspired me. It was as if a light bulb switched on, and I thought, ‘This is what I need to be doing all my life.’”
He pursued his aim by earning college internships with the Fresh Air Fund, Brennan Center for Justice, ACLU, and Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. He applied to law school in 2022, and upon visiting the Penn State Dickinson Law Carlisle location, he knew he had found the right place. He was impressed by the warm welcome from students, faculty, and staff and has continued to feel at home.
“I can genuinely say that the people in our class are actually friends, and I never felt like I have ever gotten lost. Professors know my name, and it is not because I am one of the most active students in the class. Because it is so small, you get to know everyone on a personal basis,” said Ricketts.
He learned the value of perseverance at Penn State Dickinson Law. During college, he set a goal of interning with the NAACP. After several earlier rejections, he became an NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund intern last year. “I kept on applying until they said yes. I did not give up,” said Ricketts. He singles out Assistant Professor of Law Andrea J. Martin and Associate Professor of Law Sarah J. Williams for their mentorship. “I have had the support of my professors here all the way,” said Ricketts.
He was also proud to attend a law school taking a lead on institutional antiracism. “The Antiracist Development Institute and Program Manager TaWanda Hunter Stallworth are doing great work, especially in the current political climate. I am proud to be at a school that considers that important,” said Ricketts.
‘The clinics allow you to utilize theory and put it into practice’
Muhammad Ali Ilahi ’25
Penn State Dickinson Law (University Park), J.D. candidate
Muhammad Ali Ilahi ’25 was thrilled to be selected for two clinics during his time at Penn State Dickinson Law at University Park. He said participating in the Family Law Clinic and Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic (CIRC) were hands-down the most rewarding academic experiences he had at the Law School.
“The clinics allow you to utilize theory and put it into practice,” said Ilahi. “I gained a lot of insight from the clinics because they show you things outside the classroom.” At the Family Law Clinic, he worked with indigent clients in Centre County on divorces, child custody battles, and adoption. “That gave me a feeling that, as a student, I was contributing to the profession,” said Ilahi.
During CIRC, he advocated for clients at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Phillipsburg. “I came to law school with the passion to make a difference and understand immigration law better,” said Ilahi, whose own experience as a student from Pakistan sparked his interest in practicing immigration law after graduation.
He appreciated the mix of guided and self-learning in CIRC. “There was a lot of knowledge sharing. If one person in the clinic did something, they would share it with the rest of the team, and that would benefit all of us,” said Ilahi. He found it particularly valuable to learn how to get access to a detention facility, communicate with case managers working with clients at the facilities, and get in touch with organizations such as ACLU Pennsylvania.
After CIRC, he served as a legal intern for ACLU Pennsylvania’s Immigrant Rights Project and did an externship focused on business immigration with Philadelphia firm Goldblum, Pollins & Dennis. To support his goal of practicing immigration law following graduation, Ilahi attended the 2023 and 2024 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference.
Ilahi has pushed himself to continue learning outside of law school, too, becoming the first J.D. student at Penn State Dickinson Law to receive the United States Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) and using it to pursue studies in intermediate Arabic. Over spring break, he traveled to Egypt for an experiential learning course offered by Penn State College of the Liberal Arts titled “Youth Life in Egypt.”
“We used some of the some of the skills that we learned in the class when we were in Egypt, and that made me realize how useful paying attention to some of those things were. Often, you cannot rationalize why you are learning something, but once you're in the field, you better understand why these things were so important,” said Ilahi. “I feel the same way about ‘Civil Procedure,’ which you take as a 1L. It is about how to file documents, where to file them, and deadlines. While studying it, I wondered, ‘Why memorize all of these rules?’ But my first-year summer internship showed me how important civil procedure was. I used all of the things I learned.”
Ilahi has also enjoyed getting involved with a number of student organizations, including holding leadership roles. He served as the treasurer of the Immigration Society at Penn State Dickinson Law, University Park, and co-president of the Muslim Legal Society. Additionally, he is a member of the Black Law Students Association and Asian Pacific American Law Students Association.
‘I could not have picked a better place to spend three years’
Olivia Painchaud ’25
Penn State Dickinson Law (University Park), J.D. candidate
Olivia Painchaud ’25 was serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia when the world shut down in March 2020. After the program coordinators told her that she had to leave the country due to COVID-19 restrictions, the recent Boston College graduate returned home to Massachusetts to reassess her options.
“I had always kind of considered law school, but it was on the back burner. I was not sure if that was going to be my path. I decided COVID was my sign, and I applied to a bunch of law schools,” said Painchaud.
After receiving her acceptances, she narrowed her options to three and called each admissions office to ask some questions. “Penn State Dickinson Law Associate Dean for Enrollment, Career Development, Planning & Transition Amanda DiPolvere spent over an hour on the phone with me and answered every single one of my questions,” said Painchaud. “She knew everything. The people at the other schools just did not have that same attention to detail or welcoming atmosphere. I realized, ‘This just feels right at University Park. This is the right choice.’”
Another thing that initially attracted Painchaud to the school was the clinical opportunities. She has particularly enjoyed working in the Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, which allows students to represent entrepreneurs, startups, and nonprofit organizations under the supervision of Professor of Practice Professor Tom Sharbaugh. “Every semester, the work I do has become a little more complicated,” said Painchaud. “You go from forming an LLC to converting LLCs to Delaware corporations, and I just worked on a domestication from California to Pennsylvania.”
She found unexpected benefits of working for the clinic, such as learning how to reach out to a client. “I was so nervous on my first day when I had to email clients. At first, I thought, ‘I do not know how to talk to a client.’ Now, with practice, it is a much easier thing to do. Having no fear of talking to clients is something I can take into my first job after graduation,” said Painchaud.
That job will be working for Jensen Baird, a Maine law firm. She earned the job after cold emailing firms across the state. “My boyfriend, who also goes to Penn State Dickinson Law, is also from Massachusetts, so we knew we wanted to be in New England after graduation, and I have family in Maine,” said Painchaud. Though Jensen Baird had no open positions listed, Painchaud landed an interview and eventually an offer.
Participating in student activities has helped Painchaud build her leadership skills. In her 2L year, she served as secretary of the Student Bar Association (SBA), and this year she became vice president. She spent two years working on the Law Review in University Park, including serving as a symposium editor.
She has also made time for fun. Painchaud loved helping to run football tailgates with other Penn State University alumni and student groups as well as attending the Barristers Balls and SBA Halloween parties (“The year I dressed up a zombie, I won a tiny plastic trophy for best makeup that is on display at my apartment”). She will miss what she described as the warm, friendly atmosphere. “I could not have picked a better place to spend three years,” said Painchaud.
‘The experience and memories I have made here in University Park will help me a lot in the future’
Mingming Yang ’25 LL.M.
Penn State Dickinson Law (University Park), LL.M. candidate
China native Mingming Yang ’25 LL.M. had never visited the United States before enrolling in Penn State Dickinson Law’s LL.M. program at University Park last fall. He had also never seen an American football game. But just like so many things he has experienced for the first time over the past nine months, he loved going to Beaver Stadium.
“I really enjoyed going to the tailgates and the Penn State football games. You can feel the energy in the crowd,” said Yang. He walked away from each home game with a feeling of pride. “Being a Penn State student, we can feel proud of ourselves. We see people wearing the jerseys and shirts with our logo on it. It brings me feelings of recognition and belonging,” said Yang.
Those feelings are important when you are thousands of miles from home and studying in a country you have only read about before. “Now I am planning to spend at least one year in the U.S. after I graduate, and next semester I want to come back to watch a few more games,” said Yang.
He studied business and corporate law at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) in China before coming to the U.S. BFSU has a longstanding relationship with Penn State Dickinson Law, which sparked Yang’s interest in studying abroad. He said comparing the two legal systems has been fascinating. “During our studies here, the professors refer to a lot of precedents. In China, we talk more about statutes,” said Yang.
The new insights have led Yang to rethink how he approaches law and life. “Learning law is not only about reciting all these statutes and precedents but also developing the thinking methods you can use to approach problems or questions in your life critically and systematically,” said Yang, who wants to work in business and corporate management. “Studying the law can help me deal with a lot of matters in life and also build my values and thoughts toward society and the world.”
Yang said he particularly found W. Richard and Mary Eshelman Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law and International Affairs Larry Catá Backer’s “Corporation Law” class and their conversations outside of class inspiring. “He can analyze problems from an international relations perspective and a legal perspective, which helped me with my studies,” said Yang.
Yang also appreciated connecting with other international students in the LL.M. program. He speaks “a little bit” of Spanish, which sparked his friendship with several Colombian students. During winter and spring break, he traveled to Colombia and Peru and joined some of them to explore their home country. “While I was there, we discussed the differences between China, Colombia, and the United States. In these in-depth conversations, we shared thoughts about each country, including our development, economies, politics, and even how to develop business between those countries. That has helped with my understanding of South America and the United States, especially in a global context,” Yang said.
After graduation, he hopes to join his girlfriend in New York City, where she is pursuing her own LL.M. He says there is a good chance the couple will return to China eventually, though he will miss the U.S. “The experience and memories I have made here in University Park will help me a lot in the future,” Yang said.