Thomas Place
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Professor of Law, Emeritus Education: |
About Place
Professor Tom Place joined the Law School faculty in 1974 after serving for five years as a public interest lawyer in eastern Kentucky, where he co-founded Mountain Legal Rights — the first legal service program in that region of the country to provide free legal assistance to needy clients in a wide range of civil matters. He also spent a few years in private practice focusing on environmental matters and criminal law.
Place also worked as a pro bono lawyer and served as a frequent continuing education speaker as part of a long tradition of professors at the Law School representing those without access to counsel and contributing to the legal profession. He served as a federal court mediator, regularly spoke to lawyers and judges on criminal procedure and constitutional law issues, and provided pro bono assistance to clients in a wide range of civil and criminal matters.
The American Bar Association has granted conditional approval for Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State Law to reunify and operate as Penn State University’s single law school under the name Penn State Dickinson Law with locations in Carlisle and University Park. Danielle M. Conway is the dean of the unified Penn State Dickinson Law, which will enroll a unified class in fall 2025.