New faculty join Duquesne Kline School of Law

Kara L. Dempsey, JD, MSW began her new role as the Director of the Youth Advocacy Clinic and Assistant Professor of Clinical Legal Education. Professor Dempsey’s clinical practice and research at the clinic focuses on dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline by keeping children in school and out of detention centers, juvenile placement facilities, and jail. Professor Dempsey represents children in delinquency proceedings as well as school discipline and special education matters.  

Professor Dempsey said, “[I] strongly believe in holistic representation to meet as many of the client’s needs as possible, rather than solely addressing the immediate legal need that brings them to the Clinic. As such, the Clinic operates as a holistic representation model, and features an ongoing partnership with masters-level social work students from the University of Pittsburgh and doctorate-level school psychology students from Duquesne’s School of Education.”

Professor Dempsey also engages in policy and advocacy work and serves on the boards of both the Gault Center and the Juvenile Defenders Association of Pennsylvania. She attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies where she received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies. She continued her education by obtaining her Juris Doctor from DePaul University School of Law, and then went on to receive her Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh.  

Duquesne Kline’s mission resonates with her as it aligns with her personal and professional values. Professor Dempsey said, “As both a lawyer and a social worker, I have dedicated my career to serving the most vulnerable populations within our community and it is such an honor to be able to do this work within the service-oriented community of the University. The emphasis upon service permeates throughout the University and is very apparent throughout the interactions that I have with faculty members, who are always so supportive, and the law students themselves, who are always ready and willing to zealously represent our children and families year after year. I am honored to be a faculty member at Duquesne Kline because I am confident that our law students graduate with a commitment to service regardless of the area of law they choose to pursue and will continue to fulfill the University’s mission.”  

Megan E.K. Montcalm joined Duquesne Kline School of Law as the Director of Academic Excellence and an Assistant Professor of Legal Skills. In this role, she designs, implements, and administers a program of academic support benefiting all law students, and especially those students in their first and second years of study. 

For the past four years, Professor Montcalm has administered a similar program at New York Law School in New York, NY, where she served most recently as the Assistant Dean for Academic Success. 

Professor Montcalm draws upon a wealth of real-world legal experience in her work with law students. Before joining New York Law School, she served as a Senior Counsel in the Appeals Division of the New York City Law Department, where she briefed and argued dozens of civil appeals on behalf of New York City, the Mayor, and local government agencies in federal and state appellate courts. Her caseload there reflected the tremendous breadth of the city government’s dealings, raising issues in the contexts of, e.g., civil rights, torts, employment, family, and administrative law. She was previously a senior associate in Vinson & Elkins LLP’s Commercial & Business Litigation Practice and a litigation associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. While in private practice, she worked extensively on a series of interrelated international arbitrations and represented clients in securities matters and other commercial disputes.

From 2010 to 2011, Professor Montcalm served as a law clerk for the Honorable Alvin K. Hellerstein on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. And from 2009 to 2010, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable John M. Rogers on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. 

She graduated with highest honors from The George Washington University Law School and earned her B.A. in Experimental Psychology, summer cum laude, from the University of South Carolina. 

Professor Montcalm is passionate about increasing access to the legal profession for historically underrepresented groups and takes seriously the responsibility of educating tomorrow’s leaders. She said, “In past roles, I have had opportunities to work closely with and celebrate the successes of law students from a range of backgrounds and circumstances, including some who are the first in their families to go to college, and some who immigrated to our country and learned English to pursue an education. I expect to have similar opportunities in my work with students here at Duquesne Kline School of Law. By giving students from all backgrounds the crucial support and resources they need to succeed in law school, and by striving to instill within them the values of service, leadership, and civic engagement, we will not only diversify and strengthen our profession, but we also will make strides toward a more just, inclusive, and prosperous society.”