Erika Firestone

Law Clerk

Profile

Erika Firestone practices on the McNees real estate team. They provide a broad range of clients sophisticated legal advice in virtually all areas relating to commercial real estate law. The team offers the scale of services and innovative techniques of a national law firm with the personalized service expected of a hometown legal team.

Prior to rejoining McNees, where she served as a law clerk while pursuing her juris doctorate, Erika served as a judicial extern with Chief Magistrate Judge Karoline Mehalchick with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. She also served as a legal intern with the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, where she drafted public and confidential advices to local government officials on compliance with the Pennsylvania Ethics Act.

Erika was born and raised in central Pennsylvania. Prior to attending law school, she worked for the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology as its Senior Designated School Official. There, she assisted F-1 international students in maintaining their status and served as a member of the Academic Standing and Progress Committee, Title IX coordinator and Middle States Accreditation Self Study Working Group.

Additionally, Erika worked as a legislative assistant for Pennsylvania Rep. Carl W. Metzgar, where she drafted co-sponsorship memos for house bills, conducted legislative research, responded to constituent inquiries and met with lobbyists and interest groups.

Erika served as Editor-in-Chief of the Widener Commonwealth Law Review. Notably, she published a piece called, “Divergent journeys from Kabul and Kyiv: How Congress can ensure equal pathway programs for parolees to the United States.”

EDUCATION

Widener University Commonwealth School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude

    • CALI Award in Animal Law (2024)
    • CALI Award in Criminal Procedure: Investigation (2023)
    • CALI Award in Native American Law (2023)
    • CALI Award in Legal Methods I (2022)
    • Widener Commonwealth Law Review, editor-in-chief
    • Academic Success Fellow (TA), legal methods and criminal procedure
    • Faculty research assistant to Professor Jill Family
    • Business Law Society, president and former vice president

University of Glasgow (Scotland), MSc in Human Rights and International Politics, distinction

    • Elected program representative
    • Glasgow Human Rights Network

Temple University, B.A. in advertising, cum laude

    • Temple Student Government, Director of Grounds and Sustainability
    • Project Haiti, president
    • Her Campus Temple, staff writer
    • Owl Ambassador and tour guide
    • Service Immersion Program to the Lakota Nation

Study abroad in Rome, Italy

HONORS/AWARDS

  • The President’s Award, Widener Commonwealth Law School
  • Widener Commonwealth Law Review Award for Distinguished Legal Scholarship
  • The Pennsylvania Bar Association Business Law Section Professor Louis Del Duca Memorial Award

Bar Admissions

• Pennsylvania* (not yet admitted to the bar)

Contact Info

Practice Groups