Date: Wednesday, July 29, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET/12:00 PM– 1:00 PM CT/11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT/10:00 AM – 11:00AM PT
Leadership development is becoming an important part of legal education, but each law school must find an approach that fits its own mission, culture, and students. In this session, presenters from Baylor, Villanova, and Illinois will share examples of leadership programming at their schools and offer practical ideas for creating, adapting, or expanding leadership development efforts. Attendees will leave with strategies for building programs that are both meaningful and institutionally sustainable, and they will be encouraged to share examples and ideas from their own law schools.
Jennifer A. Henfey, Associate Dean for Professional Development and Leadership, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Jennifer Henfey is the Associate Dean for Professional Development and Leadership at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. At Villanova, Jennifer sets the strategic vision for and leads the implementation of the professional development and leadership curriculum, career services, and pro bono and public service initiatives for students and alumni. She serves as a member of the Dean’s leadership team and participates in several leadership committees focused on student formation. Jennifer joined Villanova after practicing at a large law firm in Philadelphia where she served on the firm’s recruiting and retention committee and chaired the committee as the firm’s hiring partner.
Greg Miarecki, Executive Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development,
Lecturer in Law, University of Illinois College of Law
Greg Miarecki joined the College of Law in 2011 as its inaugural executive assistant dean for Career Planning and Professional Development, responsible for leading the College of Law’s Office of Career Planning and Professional Development. Prior to joining the College of Law, Dean Miarecki practiced complex civil and white-collar criminal litigation in the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn LLP. During 14 years in practice, Dean Miarecki specialized in “bet the company” trials, and represented notable corporations and individuals. For example, he served as one of the trial counsel to former Illinois Gov. George H. Ryan during a seven-month trial conducted in the Northern District of Illinois, tried the first consummated merger case brought by the Federal Trade Commission in more than 15 years—F.T.C. v. Chicago Bridge & Iron, and tried a wide variety of products liability cases, including numerous smoking and health trials across the country. Dean Miarecki also played a leading role in the training and development of the firm’s associates, serving as a coach and mentor to dozens of attorneys during his time at the firm.
At the College of Law, Dean Miarecki leads the College’s Office of Career Planning and Professional Development. He oversees the College’s employer relations initiatives, and works directly with employers to develop tailored recruitment and retention programs. He also directs the College’s talent development efforts, and has spearheaded the development of numerous initiatives to make College of Law graduates “Ready on Day 1” for the practice of law. Finally, Dean Miarecki focuses on strategic planning and development, with an eye toward knitting together various aspects of the College’s instruction and programming to maximize professional development opportunities for College of Law students and alumni.
Dean Miarecki teaches a number of classes at the College. Most significantly, he serves as lead instructor for the College’s Fundamentals of Legal Practice class, which provides instruction to all first-year law students in the business of law, communications, personal branding, business development and marketing, client service, the importance of pro bono service, and leadership. He also teaches classes in Advanced Trial Advocacy and Small Firm Practice, and in-house legal practice. Based in Chicago, Dean Miarecki also plays a major role in the development of the College of Law’s Chicago Program, which offers students the opportunity to work and study in Chicago during the spring semester of their third year in law school.
Dean Miarecki also has deep experience in leadership of teams and non-profit organizations, with specific expertise in strategic planning, marketing, communications, change management, and talent development within such organizations.
Leah Witcher Jackson Teague, Professor of Law and Director of Leadership Development, Baylor University Law School
Professor Leah Teague comes from a three-generation Baylor Law family. She followed in her father’s and brother’s footsteps and attended Baylor University (B.B.A., summa cum laude). After earning her J.D. cum laude, she entered private practice for four years. Her primary focus was tax planning which led her to teach tax and business classes after joining the faculty. Over the years, she primarily taught courses on basic federal income taxation, taxation of business entities, taxation of individuals, and real estate finance while also serving as the Associate Dean for many years.
Professor Teague currently teaches the Leadership Engagement and Development course, which is a course she creates as part of Baylor Law’s unique and award winning Leadership Development Program. She serves as the director of this nationally recognized program. Through the program, Teague works to enhance the professional identity formation and leadership development of our students while working on a national level to better prepare future lawyers for the important roles lawyers are expected to assume as leaders and difference-makers in our society. Professor Teague also teaches Client Relations and Basic Business for Lawyers that she created.
Recognizing that being a lawyer is a privilege that requires her to give back to society, she spends significant time in service to the profession and her community. She has been heavily involved in worthy efforts from local to national organizations. On a national level, she was instrumental in the creation of a new section within the American Association of Law Schools. The AALS Section for Leadership was created to promote scholarship, teaching, and related activities that will help prepare lawyers and law students to be better prepared to serve in positions of influence and impact as lawyers. She served as Chair of the Section in 2020 and continues to serve on the Executive Committee in order to play a vital role in the continuing development and growth of the section.
For many years, she served as an appointed member of the American Council on Education’s Women Network Executive Council, a national advisory council to the Women’s State Network, where she chaired the council’s New Initiative Committee which led its Moving the Needle Initiative aimed at increasing the national awareness of the economic and social benefits of, and therefore importance of, greater diversity in leadership. She also joined other academic leaders from the U.S. and abroad to discuss the status of women leaders in society when she was invited to participate in two Oxford Round Tables.
In Texas, she currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Texas Federal Tax Institute. Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas, she served on the Professional Ethics Committee of the State Bar of Texas. She is an elected member of the Texas Bar Foundation. She is an alumnae of the Leadership Texas, as well as the Leadership America program. She was selected as a Woman of Distinction by the Blue Bonnet Council of Girl Scouts. She was the founding co-chair of the Texas Women in Higher Education, Inc.
Locally, Teague serves on the board of Creative Waco. She served on the board of directors and chair of the Governance Committee for Start Up Waco, a non-profit created to lead Waco’s entrepreneurial support efforts and elevate Waco as a hub for business innovation.. She is a past president of the Waco McLennan County Bar Association. She has been actively involved in organizations that support the education of the community’s young people. As a founding member of the Greater Waco Community Education Alliance leadership team, she worked with other community leaders to increase the community’s active involvement in supporting the education of every student in the greater Waco community. She was also a founding member of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce’s LEAD program which provides promising high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds with a mentor from the business community. She was a founding member of the Midway Education Foundation board of directors. She served as a member of Waco ISD’s Partners in Education Advisory Board. She taught Sunday school for elementary and intermediate grade school children for over 15 years. She was recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus for Leadership Waco and a Distinguished Alumni of Midway High School. She served as the chair of the American Heart Association Waco Heart Walk.
She writes and speaks on leadership, non-profit, tax, and business topics and she is frequently asked to give motivational speeches to youth delivering a message that emphasizes the importance of education, commitment, and perseverance in pursuing their dreams.
When her daughters were young, she spent significant time assisting her two daughters’ softball and volleyball teams. “We spent countless nights and weekends practicing and training, and we traveled to more places than I can remember, but I treasure every experience with them, even my broken fingers and other minor injuries along the way. My daughters and I learned many valuable life lessons through their athletic experiences. I’m so proud of what they accomplished. Not many mothers can brag about having a daughter who was the winning pitcher for four Little League World Series Championship Teams. I’m even more proud of the incredible professional women they have become.” Both of her daughters, as well as her son-in-law, graduated from Baylor University with advanced degrees. One of her daughters is a graduate of Baylor Law.
Professor Teague also believes in heart-healthy living. She participated in numerous triathlons, marathons, and trail runs and Spartan events. She remembers her first full marathon and her first full Ironman triathlon as some of her most challenging experiences in life. “Endurance races are true tests of your physical and mental tenacity. When my son-in-law first said we should sign up for an Ironman (swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and run 26. 2 miles) I told him he was crazy! That sounded impossible. Finding the training time, as well as the resolve, to push one’s body to its physical limits and beyond while meeting all your professional and personal commitments was a daunting juggling act,” she adds, “but training with good friends and my son-in-law – as well as that feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line – made it all worthwhile.” She completed two full Ironmans, and numerous half Ironmans, marathons, half-marathons, century rides and other distance events. She still enjoys running and other outdoor activities.
Teague and her husband Ted are active members of the Waco community. Professor Teague also enjoys oil painting, cooking, baking, traveling, and time with her children and grandchildren, which is a high priority and joy
