Tuan Samahon, Esq. Chair

Professor Tuan Samahon is a full-time legal educator and tenured faculty member at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law where he teaches civil procedure, constitutional law, and federal courts. His published scholarship has appeared in the Stanford Law Review, the University of Chicago Legal Forum, and Intelligence and National Security, among others. In 2017, Tuan served as a Fulbright Scholar in Croatia with the University of Zagreb’s law faculty.

In addition to his academic work, Tuan remains active as a litigator. He has briefed cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts, where he has handled separation-of-powers and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases. He has handled matters against the CIA, DOJ, FBI, and IRS, among others, on behalf of fellow academics, book authors, and journalists who sought the release of federal records. These documents have ranged from a draft undisclosed CIA history of the 1961 Bay of Pigs operation to FBI investigatory records about the theft and laundering by U.S. servicemen of the royal family of Hesse’s jewels.

Beyond his scholarship and litigated matters, Tuan is engaged in public service by interpreting and implementing federal law. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, and assisted individual members of Congress on questions of federal law. Tuan formerly served on the FOIA Advisory Committee where he advised the National Archives and Records Administration on FOIA reform. He assisted the federal court in Philadelphia with the selection of a new federal magistrate judge and participates in area bar and civics programs.

He is now pleased to join the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Over the years, he has taught numerous CLEs on constitutional and transparency law topics.

Tuan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, where he was jointly awarded the Olin Prize in Law and Economics and published his student scholarship in the Georgetown Law Journal, Law & Policy in International Business, and the Federal Communications Law Journal. Following graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and later the Honorable Jay S. Bybee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Tuan practiced law in the Washington, D.C. office of Covington & Burling.

Honorable Mark Powell Vice Chair

Mark Powell is a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Lackawanna County. Previously, he served as the District Attorney of Lackawanna County from 2018-2025 and was a partner at the Powell Law firm in Scranton from 1990-2017. While serving as District Attorney, Powell was a member of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA) Executive Board and the Education and Training Committee. In addition, Powell serves as a faculty member for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and was awarded its Teaching Excellence Award in Advanced Trial Advocacy in Washington, D.C., in 2016. Before being elected DA, he co-chaired the Lackawanna County Bench Bar Conference for several years and remains active on the Lackawanna Bar Association’s Educational Committee.

Powell is a Board-Certified Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in both criminal law and civil law. He served on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and the Board of Directors of the Northeastern PA Trial Lawyers Association. For 12 years, he served as a Hearing Committee member for the Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board and is a past president of Northeastern Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association where he received its highest award for his Exemplary Character and Compassion for Victims.

Powell earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, his Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and his Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law where he graduated with honors.

Ana Gomez, Esq. Treasurer

Ana Paulina Gomez was appointed as Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, d/b/a/ Pennie® in January of 2023. As Chief Counsel, she oversees Pennie’s legal matters and provides legal advice to Pennie’s senior staff. Prior to her appointment, she worked for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where she represented the Department in litigation before administrative tribunals and appellate courts. She also provided the Department with legal advice regarding complex insurance issues, legislation, and regulations. Ms. Gomez is also an Adjunct Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law where she teaches Insurance Law. Prior to joining the Insurance Department, she worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Education where she litigated educator misconduct cases at the administrative and appellate level. Prior to joining the OGC, Ms. Gomez was an Assistant District Attorney at the York County District Attorney's Office from 2012 until 2015. Prior to her work as an ADA, Ms. Gomez clerked for the Hon. Thomas Kelley in York County immediately after graduating from law school. Ms. Gomez attended the Penn State Dickinson School of Law where she interned for the Hon. Yvette Kane, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and served as a Senior Editor for the Penn State Environmental Law Review and a Miller Center for Public Interest Fellow. Ms. Gomez is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is also a trained mediator.

Susan Affronti, Esq

Susan Affronti is a Senior Deputy Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals Unit of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. She is responsible for coordinating OAG’s responses to federal habeas corpus matters and working with district attorney’s offices throughout the Commonwealth. Additionally, she represents the Commonwealth in a wide variety of post-trial criminal matters, appearing before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and each of Pennsylvania’s United States District Courts, as well as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court and county courts of Common Pleas throughout the state. During her time at the Attorney General’s Office, Ms. Affronti has also represented the Commonwealth in a variety of civil matters in the district courts for in both the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining the Office of Attorney General, Ms. Affronti worked in for the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as the court’s death penalty law clerk and the supervisor of the court’s pro se law clerks.

Prior to joining the court, Ms. Affronti was chief of the federal litigation unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she worked for 14 years, defending the Commonwealth in habeas corpus matters in the United States Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the federal district court.

Ms. Affronti had previously been an associate in the corporate and securities group at Faegre Drinker.

Ms. Affronti earned her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University. She graduated magna cum laude from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, where she was a member of law review. She is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and each of the U.S. District Courts in Pennsylvania.

Ms. Affronti is pleased to join the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Over the years she has taught CLEs on habeas corpus litigation and other criminal matters. She also had the opportunity to coordinate the CLE programs offered by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and looks forward sharing her experience in the role of “accredited provider,” as well.

Lisa M. Benzie, Esq.

Lisa M. Benzie, Esq., Moderator is currently the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, an organization devoted to preserving civil justice and protecting injured individuals in the Commonwealth. Lisa previously served as President of the Association in 2017-18. Prior to this role, Lisa devoted her time to representing plaintiffs in civil litigation, including premises liability, medical malpractice, professional negligence, nursing home negligence, motor vehicle accident, and trucking cases. She has over 20 years of experience and has represented clients before administrative law judges, various Courts of Common Pleas throughout the Commonwealth, in addition to the Commonwealth and Superior Courts. Lisa graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and a Certificate of Study in Women’s Studies. She then worked until 1999 for Victim’s Services as a counselor and legal advocate for victims of sexual assault and other violent crimes. In this role, Lisa realized her desire and passion for law and returned to Dickinson School of Law where she obtained her J.D. in May 2002. Knowing she can make a difference in someone’s life by helping them at the most vulnerable time in their own life is extremely meaningful to Lisa. Lisa is a current member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association where she is co-Chair of the PBA By Laws Committee. In the past Lisa held many roles within the PBA including: Zone 3 Governor on the Board of Governors, Chair of the House of Delegates, co-chair of the PBA Political Action Committee (PBA PAC), co-chair Commission on Women in the Profession, Chair of the Health Law Committee, and Chair of the Young Lawyer’s Division. Lisa is also involved in her local bar association, the Dauphin County Bar Association, where she is a past president and continues serve as a Dauphin County Arbitrator. In 2007, as a young lawyer, Lisa was named to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in Plaintiff’s Medical Malpractice. In 2008, she was named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Workers’ Compensation and Plaintiffs Medical Malpractice. In every subsequent year, Ms. Benzie has been recognized by both publications. In 2014, Best Lawyers of America named Ms. Benzie as the publication's 2015 and 2018 Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants "Lawyer of the Year” and was named one of the Top 50 Women Attorney in Pennsylvania by the Super Lawyers rating service. Most recently she was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for her work in Central Pa representing Plaintiffs in Medical Negligence Cases. In addition to being devoted to her profession, Ms. Benzie is also involved with charities and in her community in different capacities. She is a past co-chair of the Central Pennsylvania Salvation Army’s main fundraiser, The Shoe Strut. Lisa was involved with the inception of this event in 2012. She also has coached softball for a girl’s recreational league. Lisa brings the benefit of personal life experience to her practice. As a young child, Lisa’s Father was injured working in the local coal mines in her hometown, Gallitzin, Cambria County. Lisa lived through and knows firsthand what it is like to depend on the system for survival. Being the youngest of eight (8) kids in her family with a stay-at-home Mom, Lisa recalls the stress and difficulty inflicted upon her family from the frivolous denial of benefits by an insurance carrier. When attorneys finally got involved, Lisa, her father, and her entire family, recall the sense of relief, hope, and the encouragement they were given throughout the course of their case. It is for these reasons that Lisa has decided to spend her career fighting for victims of work injuries, medical malpractice, and personal injury suffered at the hands of a negligent person, in the same way, the attorneys fought for her family when she was young.

Mark Milsop, Esq.

Mark E. Milsop is a 1989 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in speech communication. He then attended Duquesne University School of Law in 1992, where he earned his Juris Doctor and graduated with honors. During law school, Mr. Milsop was a member of the Law Review and Appellate Moot Court Society. He also interned with the Honorable Ralph J. Cappy of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Attorney Milsop knew early on that he wanted to be a courtroom attorney. He wanted to do work that was important, helpful and that makes a difference in people’s lives. Mr. Milsop believes the courtroom is a place where he can stand up for people.

Attorney Milsop joined Berger and Green, P.C. in 2007, where he proudly represents injured accident victims in personal injury claims including: car accidents, burn injuries, dog bites, slip and fall incidents, and wrongful death claims. Attorney Milsop has 25 years of experience. He believes in building trust with his clients, letting them know up front what the strengths and weaknesses of their case are, and how he plans to handle them. He understands that a serious injury can have a devastating impact on his client’s life. This compels attorney Milsop to work hard to make a recovery for his clients.

Attorney Milsop serves on numerous professional organizations including the Board of Governors of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (WPTLA) of which he currently serves as secretary, the Local Rules Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA). He is also an elected member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County (ATLAC), where he served on the membership committee. Mr. Milsop is a former member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice’s Board of Governors and is the former chair of the PAJ’s Amicus Curiae Committee. He is also a board member and former President of the St. Thomas More Society (Catholic Lawyers). From 2011-2018 Attorney Milsop was named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer. These lawyers represent the top five percent of all lawyers in Pennsylvania in peer recognition and professional achievement. Most recently, Attorney Milsop was honored by his peers with the 2018 George F. Douglas Amicus Curiae Award.

Attorney Milsop has also written on the law, having served as a co-author of the Pennsylvania Automobile Litigation: Guideline and Forms for the Trial Lawyer, 3rd Edition. He also authors a regular Column -“By The Rules”- for WPTLA’s quarterly publication.

Mr. Milsop is licensed to practice in all Pennsylvania Courts as well as the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Milsop likes to stay active in the legal community, writing on the law and advocating for laws that protect the rights of injured accident victims.

Mr. Milsop is proud to serve personal injury victims as an attorney with Berger and Green. He believes that it is important to focus on the fact that his clients have been victims of the carelessness of others. Attorney Milsop feels it is his role to see that his clients are treated fairly by the civil justice system.

Gretchen Mundorff, Esq.

Gretchen is a founding partner of Watson Mundorff, LLP, in Connellsville where she concentrates her practice in plaintiffs’ personal injury law and family law. Over the course of her legal career, Ms. Mundorff has been an engaged member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) having served as the organization’s president in 2010-2011 and in numerous other roles including PBA Secretary, PBA Zone 6 Governor, Chair of the PBA Young Lawyers Division and Bar Leadership Institute, Vice Chair of the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession, and member of the PBA House of Delegates.

Additionally, she has served on many of the organization’s task forces and committees including the PBA Legal Services to Middle-Income Persons Committee, PBA Leadership Diversity Task Force, PBA Task Force on the Pennsylvania Judiciary, and the PBA Legal Access Task Force. Recognized for her notable contributions to the organization, she was honored with both the Anne X. Alpern Award from the PBA Commission on Women in the Profession and the Chief Justice Flaherty Award from the PBA Conference of County Bar Leaders.

A life fellow of both the American and Pennsylvania Bar Foundations, Ms. Mundorff served as a Director of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and as a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Ms. Mundorff has also served as the President of the Fayette County Bar Association. Attorney Mundorff is currently a member of the PA Supreme Court CLE Board and previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Board. Attorney Mundorff served two terms on the PA Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Board and served as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Board’s Education Committee.

Ms. Mundorff is an active member in the volunteer community. She is a past director of the United Way of Connellsville, the United Way of Westmoreland County, the American Heart Association of Fayette County, the Uniontown-Harmarville Rehabilitation Advisory Board, Artworks Regional School for the Arts and the Family Health Council in Pittsburgh. She served as the President of the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Connellsville. Ms. Mundorff has served as President of the United Methodist Women of the Albright United Methodist Church in South Connellsville where she has been active on the church council and has served as a youth Sunday School teacher and as a member of the Chancel Choir.

Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Mundorff has received many recognitions for her dedication to the legal profession and volunteer service. In addition to being named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for many consecutive years, she was named a Distinguished Citizen by the U. S. House of Representatives. She was also recognized by the American Red Cross with the Coldren Award for volunteer service and received the Athena Award and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and was named a Paul Harris fellow by the Rotary Club of Connellsville. Ms. Mundorff was also inducted into the Connellsville Falcon Foundation Hall of Fame.

She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Chatham College in Pittsburgh where she received the Psychology Award and was a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board honor fraternities. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

Jerry D. Rassias, Esq.

Jerry D. Rassias is a Philadelphia Trial Lawyer at van der Veen, Hartshorn, & Levin. He handles a wide variety of cases, including medical malpractice, personal injury, all types of civil matters, and criminal defense.

He worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Delaware County, PA for over six years. As one of the youngest Trial Team Leaders in County history, he handled all types of felony cases, including one of the Commonwealth’s largest undercover fentanyl cases, where he secured a conviction. He also tried murder and rape cases to verdict, again securing convictions for the Commonwealth.

Jerry graduated with honors from Georgetown University, with a major in Government from the prestigious Government Department at Georgetown. He graduated from Villanova Law School, with a focus in trial advocacy. As a member of Villanova Trial Team, he led Villanova to a top 8 finish in the country for the national mock trial tournament of all law schools.

Honorable Clyde Waite

Howard Univ. (B.A.) 1968; Yale Law (J.D.) 1971; Bucks County Legal Aid Society Volunteer Atty. and Asst. Public Defender. 1971-72; Law Clerk Judge Edmund V. Ludwig, 1972; Law Clerk Judge Harriet M. Mims, 1977; Waite Real Estate Brokerage, 1979-2003; Solicitor Bristol Twp 1981; Solicitor Bucks County Ind. Dev. Auth. 1984; Partner, Stief, Waite, Gross, Sagoskin & Gilman, 1972-2003; Bucks County Bar Assoc. Bd Dir.; NAACP – Exec. Com.; Enterprise Zone of Bucks County – Pres.; Aldie Foundation Bd. Dir.; Bristol Twp. Ind. Dev. Corp. Founder; B. C. Bd. Realtors; Lower Bucks Cham. Com.; Bucks County Housing Group Pres. of Bd; Bucks County Playhouse Bd. of Dir.; Yardley Country Club Bd. Of Governors; B.C. Legal Aid Soc. Bd. of Dir.; PA State Planning Board/Futures Council; Kingswood Betterment Soc., Founder; Local Merit Judicial Selection Com.; Lower Bucks County Family YMCA Bd. of Dir.; St. Mary Hospital Authority – Bd. of Dir.; United Way of Bucks County. Elected Judge Court of Common Pleas Nov. 2003. Member of the Supreme Court’s Judicial Ethics Committee; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedures Committee; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Superior Court’s Pro Se (Unrepresented Litigant) Committee; Founder, Bucks County Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Libby A. White, Esq.

Libby A. White is a former Professor of Legal Writing at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Visiting Professor at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and Professor in the LSAC Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program. In addition to Legal Analysis, Writing, and Oral Advocacy, Professor White has taught Animal Law, Contracts, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, International Entertainment Law, Professional Responsibility, and Logic for Lawyers. Prior to teaching, she was a transactional and securities lawyer for Saul Ewing LLP, a sole practitioner in business law, and performed free-lance litigation overflow for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Civil Division). Currently, Ms. White works as a consultant for law firms to (a) train associates on transactional and litigation drafting and (b) advise on, negotiate, and draft contracts for their clients. Professor White is the author of articles on theater law, oral advocacy, legal analysis and writing, and pedagogy. She has also presented numerous seminars concerning oral advocacy, practical law practice, pedagogical practices, and legal writing. She is the author of “Fundamentals of Legal Writing and Lawyering,” and “Contract Drafting.”