The University of Pittsburgh School of Law is pleased to announce that Sean McLernon has joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Legal Writing, strengthening Pitt Law's continued investment in student success and excellence in legal education.
McLernon teaches the required first-year Legal Analysis & Writing course, where he will help students build the foundational research, writing, and advocacy skills essential for success in law school and throughout their legal careers.
He joins Pitt Law following appointments at Cornell Law School, Cardozo School of Law, and Yale Law School, where he taught legal writing and lawyering courses. His extensive teaching experience, combined with a distinguished background in litigation, journalism, and public service, reflects Pitt Law's commitment to recruiting exceptional educators who prepare students to excel in a rapidly evolving legal profession.
“We’re extremely pleased to welcome Professor McLernon to the Pitt Law community,” said Dean Jerry Dickinson. “He has cultivated exceptional expertise in legal writing through professional and academic experiences at some of the nation’s leading law schools, while also bringing the unique perspective of an award-winning journalist. That rare combination of experiences will enrich the education and training of our students while adding valuable interdisciplinary perspectives to our faculty.”
A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, McLernon practiced as a litigation associate at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in New York, representing clients in bankruptcy, intellectual property, employment, estates, consumer class actions, and commercial contract disputes. He also maintained an active pro bono practice, representing a client imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, advocating for an asylum-seeking refugee family, and advising victims of police misconduct.
Before entering the legal profession, McLernon worked as an award-winning journalist for Law360, the York Daily Record, and the Daily Progress in Charlottesville, Virginia. His reporting earned honors from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, and the Virginia Press Association. He also served in the United States Peace Corps as a Municipal and Community Development Agent in West Africa and later as a Youth Development Advisor in the Caribbean.
"I'm honored to join the Pitt Law community," said McLernon. "Legal writing is at the heart of effective lawyering, and I look forward to working alongside our students as they develop the analytical, writing, and advocacy skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Pitt Law's focus on student success and public service makes it an exciting place to teach, and I'm grateful to be part of its future."
McLernon is a member of the New York Bar and the Legal Writing Institute and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.