Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Professor Louis J. Sirico Jr. 1963 Receives Prestigious Legal Award
Professor Louis J. Sirico Jr., Hamden Hall Class of 1963, has received the 2016 William Burton Award. The award—presented by the Burton Award program’s Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing and Education Committee—is one of the profession’s most prestigious honors and is bestowed upon the “finest law school teacher” who has promoted and advanced legal writing. The award was presented to Louis at the 17th Anniversary Burton Awards Program and Gala at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., May 23, 2016.
Louis teaches at the Villanova University Charles Widger Law School. He is coauthor of two popular Legal Writing texts, Legal Writing and Other Lawyering Skills and Persuasive Legal Writing. He was technical editor for the first edition of Best Practices in Legal Education. Additionally, Louis has authored many law review articles.
Louis has chaired the Sections on Teaching Methods and on Legal Writing, Reasoning, and Research of the Association of American Law Schools. He continues to be a leader and coordinator of multiday workshops designed to assist Legal Writing professors develop quality scholarship. He regularly makes presentations at national Legal Writing conferences. In recognition of his work, the Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Legal Writing Institute have granted him the Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Legal Writing.He is coeditor of the well-received Legal Skills Prof Blog. He also serves on the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Plain English Committee and on the Advisory Board of the Villanova University Paralegal Program.
Louis is married with two daughters. He and his wife, Patti Brennan, a practicing lawyer, live in Wayne, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, near Villanova’s law school.Louis’s older daughter, Laura, is a social worker, and his younger daughter, Kathy, is an artist pursuing her MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. Louis and Patti have two Westies.
When asked about hobbies, Louis quips, “No major hobbies. Too much of a workaholic!”
He does report that in 1995, he faced a serious health challenge—one he overcame! “My heart gave out and I had a heart transplant,” Louis said. “I continue to do well and have a busy life. I encourage everyone to sign up as an organ donor. The need is great.”
Reflecting back on his years at Hamden Hall, Louis said the experience provided a foundation of lifelong learning, and he recently remembered his alma mater with a generous gift to the Annual Fund. “I gained so much from Hamden Hall and am happy to be in a position where I can give back,” he said. “I had my best teachers at Hamden Hall, and as a teacher myself, I continue to learn from their example.”
After Hamden Hall, Louis earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University and a law degree at the University of Texas in Austin. Before he began his teaching career, he worked for Ralph Nader in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. and also in Legal Services in Connecticut.
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
