Judge Stephen Orlofsky RLAW '74 joins Rutgers Law School Dean Johanna Bond to discuss his storied career, share why giving back to Rutgers is so important to him, and tell some anecdotes about his time at Rutgers Law School. Judge Orlofsky is a lawyer with Blank Rome, a former judge of the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, and a former nominee to be a United States Circuit Court judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Judge Orlofsky also served in the Army during the Vietnam War.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S08E05: (Rebroadcast) A Conversation with Judge Stephen M. Orlofsky RLAW '74

Thinking about law school? In this rebroadcast of a previously recorded episode, Matthew Saleh, Senior Associate Dean of Enrollment & Financial Aid, sits down with Rutgers Law School Dean Johanna Bond to share an insider's view of the admissions process — what to do, what to avoid, and what changes applicants should know about.

Matt talks about how his upbringing led him into higher education, what drew him to Rutgers Law, and what makes the school distinctive. He then gets practical: what to consider before you apply, how timing affects admissions and scholarships, the most common application mistakes, and what makes an application compelling and complete.

We also cover:

 * The qualities Rutgers looks for in applicants
 * Scholarships, debt, and the real cost of law school, including the new federal loan caps for professional students
 * Why admissions decisions are about more than LSAT and GPA
 * How Rutgers is expanding access and supporting diversity in legal education
 * Why law school applications are rising nationwide

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S08E04: (Rebroadcast) The Do's and Don'ts of Applying for Law School — with Dean Matthew Saleh

Matt Saleh, senior associate dean for Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, returns to talk with podcast host and Rutgers Law School Dean Johanna Bond about the growing number of ways to earn a Rutgers Law degree. They cover the new part-time Online J.D. program, how it compares to the hybrid evening program, the 3+3 program, and the two-year accelerated J.D. for foreign-trained lawyers. They also look at a more competitive admissions landscape, with applications to Rutgers up more than 44% in two years, and at how the new $50,000 federal loan cap is changing where students choose to enroll. Dean Saleh explains Rutgers’ holistic approach to admissions and scholarships, why the school dropped conditional scholarships, and its equity-based stance on applicants using AI. He also shares the qualities that best predict law school success and his advice for anyone unsure whether they’re “good enough” to apply.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S08E03: Rethinking the Road to Law School — with Sr. Assoc. Dean for Enrollment Management & Financial Aid, Matt Saleh

A follow-up to our Season 6 Episode 9 conversation on RICAP's Rapid Response program listen to that episode [https://zencastr.com/z/BkYIXneV]. 

Erin Sweeney RLAW '22, Managing Attorney and Director of the Rutgers Immigrant Community Assistance Project (RICAP), joins guest host and Rutgers Law School Professor David Noll to talk about how the work has evolved since then — how RICAP has grown since launching in 2017, what a typical week looks like for the team now, why Delaney Hall has become a flashpoint in the detention conversation, and what conditions are actually like for those held there. Erin pushes back on the "hardened criminals" rhetoric, walks through the ripple effects of good legal representation, and shares how she sustains herself doing this work.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S08E02: Inside RICAP — with Erin Sweeney RLAW '22

William J. Garces shares his remarkable journey — from a childhood escape from Cuba to building a thriving personal injury law practice in America. In this conversation, William reflects on how freedom, family, and imagination shaped his ambitions, why Rutgers Law School was the right choice, and the hard-earned lessons behind opening his own firm. He opens up about the business of law — branding, Spanish-language social media outreach, and the qualities that make a great lawyer beyond legal skill. William also speaks candidly about how success, personal loss, and health challenges reshaped his priorities, closing with a heartfelt message on immigration, gratitude, and the American dream.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].  

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter  

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S08E01: From Cuba to the Courtroom: William J. Garces RLAW '84 on his journey to law school, his career, and building a thriving practice

Rutgers Law School Dean Johanna Bond sits down with Sagie Kleinlerer RLAW '05, who shares his story of making it through law school and personal tragedy to later pivoting from a career in law to life as the founder and owner of Kleinlerer Wines, a Bay-area winery.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S07E15: How Law School Led to Winemaking — with Sagie Kleinlerer RLAW '05

On today's episode of the podcast, Jonathan Amira RLAW '14 guest hosts a conversation with Hon. Francine Axelrad RLAW '77 and Laura Ann Pontelandolfo RLAW '09 reflecting on the life and legacy of Charles G. "Chuck" Resnick RLAW ’77, who passed away on September 14, 2025.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S07E14: A Tribute to Charles G. "Chuck" Resnick RLAW '77 — with Hon. Francine Axelrad RLAW '77, Laura Ann Pontelandolfo RLAW '09, and Guest Host Jonathan Amira RLAW '14

This year's Student Bar Association presidents Mehrin Ali '26 and Isabel Ballester '26 join Rutgers Law Dean Johanna Bond for a roundtable conversation about their law school experiences, getting involved beyond the classroom, and what makes Rutgers Law unique.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S07E13: The 2025-26 SBA Presidents — with Mehrin Ali '26 and Isabel Ballester '26

In a previously recorded episode, Kiomeiry Csepes RLAW'13 spoke with then-Rutgers Law Co-Dean Kimberly Mutcherson about what it was like starting a law firm, the importance of representation beyond affinity groups, and the challenges of owning a business at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S07E12: (Rebroadcast) Starting Your Own Law Firm, with Kiomeiry Csepes RLAW'13

Kathleen Dockry RLAW '82, leadership coach and founder of Significa Group, sits down with Dean Johanna Bond to share her own journey from law school to executive leadership coaching. You can read more about Significa Group at significagroup.com [https://significagroup.com/].

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The Power of Attorney is produced by Rutgers Law School. With two locations minutes from Philadelphia and New York City, Rutgers Law offers the prestige and reputation of a large, nationally known university combined with a personal, small campus experience. Learn more by visiting law.rutgers.edu [https://law.rutgers.edu/].

Executive Producer: Shanida Carter

Series Producer & Editor: Nate Nakao

S07E11: Organizational Leadership, with Kathleen Dockry RLAW '82

The law impacts every sector of society and every aspect of our lives. At a time when many ask "Why law?," we ask "What more can law do?" Produced by Rutgers Law School, "The Power of Attorney" is an 

The Power of Attorney · Zencastr

The Power of Attorney

The law impacts every sector of society and every aspect of our lives. At a time when many ask "Why law?," we ask "What more can law do?" Produced by Rutgers Law School, "The Power of Attorney" is an inside look at the power of a legal education for everyone and what it means to be a lawyer. The Power of Attorney is the silver winner of the third Annual Anthem Awards for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Podcast or Audio.