Taft Pro Bono Director Monica Fennell was interviewed for the article “Adjunct professor brings unique legal perspective to Butler,” published by the Butler Collegian. Fennell speaks about her legal background and her favorite part about teaching. Her current students joined in to share the impact that Fennell’s passion for teaching has on their education.

“I like hearing about what they see,” Fennell said. “They always see things that I’ve never seen before. Most of my experience has been in civil cases but students see a lot of criminal cases, which is not something that I myself have done a lot of. So, I like hearing their perspective on the courtroom and the dynamics that they observe.

As pro bono director, Fennell leads the pro bono program across Taft. This includes identifying and developing opportunities for the program, overseeing an integrated pro bono system across the firm, and ensuring that all Taft pro bono legal services are consistent with Taft’s values and commitment to improving the communities it serves. With over 30 years of experience in the legal industry, Fennell brings a trusted perspective to Taft’s pro bono program. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Williams College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She also has a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies as a Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.