Academics

Professor Stewart is the Director of the Low-Income Tax Practicum and the Securities Arbitration Practicum.  She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from Robert Morris University and her Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University. 

Professor Stewart’s interest in clinical education began over a decade ago when she was asked to create a Civil Justice Clinic at the Law School to provide legal services related to Juvenile Court Practice and Family Law Court Practice. 

As the Civil Justice Clinic developed and thrived, Professor Stewart realized the need to provide similar business and tax related clinical experiences to those students who intended to pursue careers in corporate, securities and tax law.  Professor Stewart submitted grant requests to the Internal Revenue Service thereby paving the way for the creation of the Law School’s Low-Income Tax Practicum (LITC).  The LITC was created to provide free legal assistance (by Duquesne Law School students under the supervision of practicing tax lawyers) to qualified taxpayers involved in tax controversy with the Internal Revenue Service.  As of 2008 the Internal Revenue Service has generously provided over $780,000 in grant funds to the Law School to enable us to provide a needed service to the community and an invaluable experience to our law students.  The Practicum has been expanded to include an externship with IRS Chief Counsel’s Office in Western Pennsylvania.

In 2000, Arthur Levitt, then Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission contacted the Law School and asked the Duquesne University School of Law to consider the creation of a practicum to provide legal services to investors who had claims related to investments in securities.  The Securities Arbitration Practicum was created as one of only five such practicums in the country, to comply with the request of the former SEC Chairman.  The Practicum is available to assist small investors in arbitrating disputes with broker-dealers.  Since 2001 the Practicum has recovered over $300,000 for investors; primarily small investors and elderly clients whose claims were too small for private practitioners with securities expertise.  In 2005 the Pennsylvania Securities Commission began assisting the Law School in the underwriting the Securities Arbitration Practicum.  Through the hard work and tireless efforts of Pennsylvania Securities Commissioner Tom Michlovic,  the Practicum has received over $200,000 in funding from the Pennsylvania Securities Commission.