On Friday, March 11, the Columbus School of Law hosted a networking and mentoring reception in the atrium of the Law School for current students and alumni. Daniel F. Attridge, Dean and Knights of Columbus Professor of Law, offered opening remarks and introduced keynote speaker Mitchell S. Ettinger '83, managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

During his remarks, Ettinger commented on the influence his sister, Valerie Slater '77 (current senior counsel and former partner for nearly 30 years with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP), had on his decision to attend CUA Law. It was her positive experience with an attentive and caring faculty, small class sizes, as well as the close-knit community that ultimately lead Ettinger to CUA.

As Ettinger reflected on his legal education and the personal connections he made with fellow students and faculty, he also spoke fondly about one of his favorite law school extracurricular pastimes - the intramural basketball league. At the time, Ettinger's basketball team simply provided him an opportunity to bond with fellow classmates outside the classroom, but now, that team stands for much more. As Ettinger described the careers of his five teammates, he suggested that that team is a reminder of the great success a CUA Law degree offers. Those former teammates are: Douglas Bonner '83, partner and leading authority on telecommunications law at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, Matthew Clark '83, partner, executive committee member, and former managing partner of the D.C. office of Arent Fox LLP, Michael Curto '83, current managing partner of the D.C. office of Squire Patton Boggs LLP, John Devaney '83, firm wide managing partner of Perkins Coie LLP, and Joe French '83, founding partner of New York based law firm, French & Casey, LLP.

In addition to leading Skadden's Washington, D.C. office, Ettinger is a member of the firm's Government Enforcement Litigation Group and the criminal and civil litigation practice. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Student and alumni receptions, such as this, allow students, faculty, staff, and alumni the chance to network and simply engage in informal conversations about law school experiences and professional opportunities.

L to R: Professor George Smith, Mitchell S. Ettinger, and Dean Daniel F. Attridge