Finding success and giving back

Jim Pagliaro, Esq., ’73, gained so much from a La Salle education and is helping ensure the next generation of Explorers does too.

Jim Pagliaro, Esq., ’73, came to La Salle in search of a Catholic institution that instilled educational values and offered a strong English program. He left with an education that prepared him for a successful law career where he was a managing partner of a highly rated international law firm. La Salle has remained a significant part of Jim’s life, returning as an Alumni Association Board Member. In this role, he saw the immense progress at La Salle, and he continues to give back to ensure each Explorer is given the same rigorous, mission-centered education that he received.

What initially brought you to La Salle?
I was resolved to attend a Catholic institution after high school and researched the local area Catholic colleges at the time to determine which offered the best program for my desired major, English. I knew La Salle well as a school with a reputation for the outstanding educational values of the Christian Brothers, and a tradition of placing its graduates in the best medical, law, and graduate school programs. My choice was made easy when I met Brother Dan Burke, newly invested as president of La Salle College (1969). Brother Burke was a supportive, quiet, precise man and a true scholar. He was also a college president who kept contact with his students by spending time with them in the classroom. I later came to truly appreciate Brother Burke as an inspiring classroom teacher, and I was fortunate to have him as a professor for several courses. He helped develop my love of language, the visual arts, poetry, and history. La Salle apparently saw some promise in me as well. I can still remember how thrilled I was when I received a letter in the spring of 1969 informing me that La Salle had awarded me a full academic scholarship. That certainly sealed the deal.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time at La Salle?
I have many fond memories of my time at La Salle. I was fortunate enough to live on campus, first at St. Jerome’s and later at St. Hilary dorms. Dorm life in that era (late ’60’s, early ’70’s) was intense for young students, who were generally experiencing their first taste of adult independence. I made many lifelong friends in those early years, and I have very distinct memories of long nights studying, and even longer nights hanging out in dorm rooms, listening to the Beatles and discussing politics, the Vietnam War, and the mysteries of life. Dormitory life at La Salle in the early ’70’s was also very strict. Each floor had a senior monitor and, in those days, each dorm had a resident Christian Brother assigned as well. My first year in St. Jerome’s was a true adventure for someone who had never spent any appreciable time away from home. I have many vivid recollections of close brushes with the powers that be in the dorms as I tested the limits of the dorm rules and the patience of the Christian Brothers in charge. I wish I could say that I never crossed any lines, but I will readily admit that the experiences I had helped develop my burgeoning sense of adult responsibility. I certainly learned to take responsibility for my own actions, a valuable life lesson. 

How did La Salle prepare you for and play a role in your law career?
I learned from some of the best faculty that La Salle had to offer. I was lucky to have been taught by Christian Brother professors like Brother Dan Burke and Brother Pat Ellis, and lay faculty such as Mr. Charles Kelly the English Department chair, and Dennis Cunningham, who taught Shakespeare and was also the TV movie critic on one of the local channels. They provided me with solid academic skills, including the ability to analyze language, think critically, and express myself succinctly both orally and in writing. They grounded me with the kind of deep facility in the English language that is critical for success in law practice.

My La Salle professors also imparted to me the sense of self-confidence and self-worth that comes from the discipline of hard work and rigorous study. I learned to listen carefully, to consider all sides of an argument, consolidate my thoughts cogently, and then effectively defend any positions I took. Philosophy courses in ethics and logic were required at La Salle in those days and provided me with a solid foundation in the kind of critical thinking that lawyers need to approach and solve almost any legal problem. I was taught how to take a position and defend it in debate and to respect people with opposing views. Finally, my career counselor at La Salle, a political science teacher and lawyer himself, was the person who guided me through the law school application process and helped me focus on law schools that met my career aspirations. It was his endorsement that led me to apply to the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, the oldest law school in Pennsylvania. My counselor also pointed out that Dickinson enjoyed a well-earned reputation for graduating young lawyers equipped for real life law practice, a practical fact that convinced me to apply. And so, that is where I headed after graduating from La Salle.

What’s the most noticeable change you’ve seen at La Salle over the years?
The appearance of the campus certainly has changed materially in the last 50 years. The three World War II-era, Quonset-like buildings in the center of the main campus where I had many, many English, theology and German classes are gone. There are new sleek, modern buildings dedicated to subjects like business and nursing that speak to the needs of today’s students, who crave degrees to launch them into meaningful careers. There is the beautiful basketball arena to enjoy a sport that manifests the school spirit, which permeates and unifies the La Salle community. As to the students, they seem much the same as they were 50 years ago. Many come from Catholic high schools and are the first in their families to attend University. They are eager and practical, and want to succeed in life. No change in that regard. 

What made you want to return in a leadership role as a member of the Alumni Association Board to support La Salle students and alumni, and what drives you to be known for supporting students and give back to La Salle through philanthropy?
My education at La Salle was one of the most significant drivers of my success in the law practice. I began my legal career as an assistant solicitor for the U.S. Department of Labor and went on to become a managing partner at an international law firm ranked 10th in the AmLaw rankings. Eventually at my firm, I was selected to lead its Global Litigation Practice Group consisting of over 1,000 lawyers worldwide. I am certain it was my education at La Salle that provided me with the academic foundation for the brand of precise, critical thinking and the analytical writing skills that I found were crucial in my career to solving complex legal problems. More than that, the grounding I received at La Salle in Catholic social action helped develop my sense of fair play and personal responsibility. I am committed to seeing that future generations of La Salle students have the same kinds of opportunities to accomplish their life goals. It is critical in my view that Catholic institutions like La Salle University have the financial means to provide today’s students, who want to be the first college graduates in their families, with a similar pathway to achieve success.

I decided to run for a position on the Alumni Board because I believed it would provide me with a deeper insight into the direction and goals of the current leadership of La Salle, and also the chance to help connect the leadership more effectively with a larger segment of La Salle alumni. I also wanted to share with our La Salle alumni my belief that it is crucial to continue to participate in the La Salle community, and support the school financially. I have not been disappointed. In the last three years of my Board service, I witnessed an exciting time at La Salle with the arrival and investiture of Dr. Dan Allen. I have been fortunate yet again in life to have the opportunity to get to know another, outstanding president of La Salle. I have found Dr. Allen to be an inspiring speaker, a thoughtful man of integrity, vision, and a commitment to the future of La Salle and the continued success of its students. What better motivation could I have for continuing to support, with my time and treasure, the mission of my alma mater, a University committed to nurturing and promoting the values of Catholic higher education?

The post Finding success and giving back appeared first on La Salle University.