Professor Paula Manning joined Detroit Mercy Law in 2021. She is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Student Learning & Assessment. She is a nationally recognized expert on academic success, legal pedagogy, and the teaching of professional skills in law school, and is co-author of Expert Learning for Law Students, a highly regarded law school success text. Professor Manning is an innovative teacher, who incorporates skills and practical training into her courses. She is the author of the Torts text in the groundbreaking Context and Practice series, a law school textbook series designed to incorporate experiential learning and skills into traditional doctrinal courses. Professor Manning’s research and other publications focus on incorporating positive psychology into the law school environment—to improve law student well-being and combat stereotype threat. She is a leader in her field—having served as President of the Association of Academic Support Educators, on the executive board of the AALS, Academic Support Section, as an instructor and regional consultant for CLEO, and on the board of the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning. She is frequently invited to speak to law faculty around the country about teaching and learning. In 2021 she was awarded the AALS Academic Support Section Legacy in Leadership award for her contributions to the field of Academic Support. In 2021 Elsbeth was nominated finalist for two Inspire Lincoln Awards in the Education and Large Business Categories. Run by the Lincoln Journal Star these community awards recognize women leaders and the impact they are making in the community. She was again nominated for the Education category in 2024. Personally, Elsbeth enjoys being a parent, reading, and gaming. She would almost always rather be outside walking, hiking, making art, or reading on the porch. She is married to a concert and event chef who has fed musicians and athletes around the country.  

Professor Laurel Rigertas joined the NIU law faculty in 2006. She teaches professional responsibility, torts, advanced torts, products liability, and a mindfulness course for law students. Professor Rigertas’ research and scholarship focuses on the legal profession, particularly in the areas of ethics, professionalism, the unauthorized practice of law, and access to the legal system. She served as the College of Law’s Interim Dean during the 2019-2020 academic year. In 2023 she was the inaugural recipient of the Lenny and Stacey Mandell Faculty Excellence Award. Prior to joining the NIU law faculty in 2006, Professor Rigertas practiced complex commercial litigation as a partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Chicago, which she joined in 1999 as an associate. She has litigated cases at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts, as well as in arbitrations and mediations. Professor Rigertas began her law career in 1997 at Jenner & Block in Chicago, where she also focused on complex commercial litigation. Professor Rigertas graduated magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1997. There she was a member of the honorary scholastic society, Order of the Coif, and served as articles editor of Law & Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice.