Graduate, International, Compliance, and Legal Studies (GICLS) Department of Widener University Delaware Law School
About GICLS
The GICLS office within Widener University Delaware Law School is a unique department of educational programs for both lawyers and non-lawyers.
What does GICLS mean?
GICLS is the acronym for the Graduate, International, Compliance, and Legal Studies. The name of our department encompasses the many degrees and program options offered:
Graduate: Our graduate programs include graduate-level certificates, master of jurisprudence (M.J.), master of laws (LL.M.), and doctor of juridical science (S.J.D.) degrees.
International: Our students are international, as well as national! Our M.J. and Certificate programs are open to students from around the world regardless of their undergraduate degree specialty. The LL.M. program is open to students from other countries who have completed their first degree in law. The S.J.D. program is the highest law degree offered in the United States, and is open to students who have completed an LL.M. degree.
Compliance: Degree offerings in compliance include the master of jurisprudence (M.J.), Certificate, and master of laws (LL.M.).
Legal Studies: Earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or choose from one of our many specialized paralegal certificate programs.
With a wide range of options available to professionals seeking a career in law, whether they want to practice law or not, let the GICLS office help you find the right degree program for you so you can advance your career, gain professional development skills, try a new career, or just enrich your knowledge!
Choose from a variety of legal education degrees, from undergraduate to doctorate, or specialty programs like our summer law programs or legal scholars academy. Some of our programs are offered online, which is a convenient option for working professionals or for foreign-trained lawyers who wish to remain in another country while earning their advanced law degree from Delaware Law School.
PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES
Did you know that you can take any of our courses* without applying to a full degree program? We offer more than 25 legal courses to help you advance your skills. Choose from:
- Contract Development
- Fraud Examination
- Introduction to Law
- Corporate Compliance and Ethics
- Risk Management and Auditing
- Effective Investigations
- Torts
- Estate Administration
- Cybersecurity Law
- and more.
*Non-JD courses only
Eligibility:
For our legal studies undergraduate courses, a high school diploma is required. For our master's degree (MJ) courses, a bachelor's degree is required.
For our LLM courses, a JD or LLB is required.
For our SJD courses, an LLM is required.
Classes begin in January, May, and August. Email delawarelawgicls@widener.edu to learn about all of the legal specialty courses we offer.
MEET THE GICLS TEAM
EILEEN GRENA-PIRETTI, JD, BSN
Assistant Dean and Executive Director
eagrena@widener.edu
302-477-2102
Eileen Grena is the Assistant Dean and Executive Director of the office known as GICLS. GICLS stands for Graduate, International, Compliance and Legal Studies. Dean Grena graduated from American University with a B.S. in Political Science and a Minor in Biology. She graduated from Widener University School of Law with a J.D. and continued her academic career by obtaining a Bachelor Science in nursing from the University of Delaware. Dean Grena previously was Assistant Counsel for Jeanes Hospital of Philadelphia, the Mental Health/Mental Retardation County Solicitor at the Chester County Mental Health Court, and an Arbitration Judge for Chester County. She lectures in the area of health care compliance and currently sits on the board of advisors for Christiana’s Hospital’s Compliance and Ethic’s Board.
PAMELA BEECH, ESQUIRE
Director
pjbeech@widener.edu
302-477-2139
Pam is Director of the Graduate, International, Compliance, and Legal Studies programs. She graduated summa cum laude from the Widener University Delaware Law School’s Legal Education Institute, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Paralegal Studies. She received her J.D. from Widener University Delaware Law School and is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania.She has twenty years of experience in civil litigation from her combined paralegal and associate roles. Pam has been teaching in paralegal and legal master’s degree programs for more than ten years, and currently administers the Master of Law (LLM), Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD), Legal Studies (AS and BS), and Summer Law Programs, as well as the award-winning Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) Corporate Compliance and Ethics program at Delaware Law School.
CONTACT THE GICLS OFFICE
DelawarelawGICLS@widener.edu
302-477-2780
Graduate U.S. and International
ONLINE Non-JD Graduate Programs
Legal Studies Programs