Biography
Professor Stefanie (Stevie) Leahy is a professor in the Legal Practice Skills program and an active member of the national legal writing community. Prior to joining Suffolk in July of 2023, Professor Leahy was an assistant professor at Northeastern University School of Law, teaching courses that include Legal Skills in Social Context as well as Writing For Litigation. Professor Leahy also served as the Resident Fellow for the Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration, working on issues related to juvenile sentencing and the cradle to prison pipeline. She has presented and published on a diverse array of issues, including fostering equity and inclusion in the classroom and student wellbeing, in addition to juvenile sentencing and related Supreme Court decisions. Her national service includes chairing the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) Committee on Leadership and Development, which earned her an Outstanding Service Award in 2021.
Prior to starting her teaching career, Professor Leahy was an attorney with Goodwin Procter, Latham & Watkins, and Aeton Law Partners. She earned a BA from Villanova University and her JD from Pepperdine Law School (magna cum laude).
Publications
Articles
- Integrating Social Justice in the Legal Writing Classroom: Competing Demands and Challenging Conversations, ALWD Panelist July (2020)
- Fostering Equitable Treatment Across the Gender Spectrum Within the Law School Classroom, Villanova Law Review Annual Norman J. Shachoy Symposium (2020)
- Book Review: Integrating Doctrine and Diversity, Journal of Legal Education (2023)
- Advocating for Self and Students in a Time of Trauma (Moderator), ALWD L&D Virtual Front Porch (2022)
- Narratives in Current Events: The Battling Narrative of Jones v. Mississippi, Mercer University School of Law Symposium (Spring 2023)
- The Aftermath of Jones and Disparities in Juvenile Sentencing, LSU Journal for Social Justice and Policy Symposium (2022) (publication forthcoming Spring 2024)
Book Chapters
- Coggan v. Coggan: Rewritten Opinion, Feminist Judgment Series (2020) (co-author with Professor Natasha Varyani)
Bar Admittance
- New York 2006
- District of Columbia 2008
- Massachusetts 2009
Education
Pepperdine University School of Law – Malibu, CAJuris Doctorate (2002-2005)
magna cum laude
- Dean’s Merit Scholar
- Literary & Citation Editor, Pepperdine Law Review
- Pepperdine Trial Advocacy Team; Dalsimer Award for Oral Advocacy
- Research Assistant to Dean Richard Cupp and Professor Harry Caldwell
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science (1998 – 2002)
Awards & Honors
2021 ALWD Outstanding Service Award