The Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA) at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law) hosted the Meet the Professor Spotlight Series on Tuesday, November 14, sitting down with Catholic Law professor Heidi M. Schooner to discuss her legal career marked by breaking the barriers of gender and uniformity.
Held in the Walter A. Slowinski Courtroom, the hour-long event was cosponsored by the Women’s Law Caucus (WLC) and included a short introduction of Schooner by its treasurer, Samantha Pearl (3L). The focal point of the afternoon’s event was an interview portion led jointly by LALSA president Julie Orlando (3L) and WLC president Taylor Skala (3L).
Schooner, an expert whose focus is the regulation of financial institutions, spoke about her life’s journey, which saw her begin her undergraduate studies as an economics major at Duke University and land as a female lawyer with a degree from Georgetown working in the predominantly-male banking industry of the 1980s.
Schooner consistently credited her success and development of expertise to the guidance received from the numerous mentors whom she encountered throughout her career—at one point highlighting fellow Catholic Law professor and former dean Veryl V. Miles, who was sitting among the audience. In fact, as Orlando opened the floor to questions from the audience toward the close of the interview, Miles raised her hand to express a similar sentiment: As much as she may have mentored Schooner, Schooner had in many ways mentored her as well. Such a remark indeed served to reinforce the importance of relationships and mentorships—something that Schooner had sought to emphasize throughout the interview.
The event concluded with a reception in the Louise H. Keelty and James Keelty, Jr. Atrium.
The Meet the Professor Spotlight Series, a collaborative initiative of LALSA and WLC at Catholic Law, promotes dialogue between students and University faculty, through exploring the balance between scholarship and careers in legal service.