CARLISLE, Pa. — Craig Diehl, Penn State Dickinson Law class of 1988, and his wife, Stephanie, said that they believe that if more undergraduates could envision themselves as attorneys and access avenues leading to academic and professional success, the legal profession would benefit by attracting students from a broader range of backgrounds.
The Diehls recently made a $1.25 million gift to Penn State Dickinson Law to establish the Craig A. Diehl Pathway to Law Program. It will build upon initiatives by the Diehl Center for Law School Preparation at Bloomsburg University, Craig’s alma mater. That fund, which the Diehls established several years ago, assists undergraduates considering a career in law.
The Craig A. Diehl Pathway to Law Program aims to create a pipeline of Penn State and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Ed (PASSHE) students from historically underrepresented groups and set them on a path to successful law careers. The program will also offer students avenues to build their personal and professional identities through pipeline programming.
The program addresses issues Craig Diehl faced during his undergraduate years as the first generation in his family to pursue a college degree — a lack of information regarding how to pursue a legal career and an inability to imagine himself as a lawyer, since no one in his family had done it before him.
“There are a lot of very good students coming out of state universities who need to have that chance to go to law school,” Craig said. “Stephanie and I wanted to find a way to help them.”
He outlined his vision in a meeting with Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway. From their conversation, the Craig A. Diehl Pathway to Law Program was born.
“Dean Conway feels very passionately about creating this pathway for students, whether they are from populations historically underrepresented in the law or economically disadvantaged,” Craig said. “This gift will ensure several students are admitted annually who complete the program and meet Penn State Dickinson Law’s entrance criteria.”
“Craig and Stephanie Diehl are rooted in Central Pennsylvania and committed to higher education for the people who live here. They see the vitality of the Central Pennsylvania region linked to the support of higher education, the power of a liberal arts education and the connection of that liberal arts education to law school,” said Conway. “The Diehl Center for Law School Preparation at Bloomsburg University is both an inspiration for and a complement to the pathway programs that Penn State Dickinson Law has been invested in since I began my deanship at the Law School. The Diehls’ commitment to stewarding these connections functions like a baton being handed off between the schools in Central Pennsylvania and Penn State Dickinson Law.”
‘A good candidate for law school’
Craig was a first-generation college student when a professor pulled him aside after class one day to ask if he had ever thought about becoming a lawyer. He had not.
“I was taking a required course in business law, and she told me that I had the highest grade across all sections of the class,” he said. “I told her I wanted to be a certified public accountant and that I was good with numbers, not reading or writing. She said, ‘I beg to differ’ and told me I was a good candidate for law school.”
He achieved his goal of becoming a CPA after graduation, but just a year into the job, he knew he wanted something else. He liked solving problems, and he also enjoyed helping people. His conversation with his college professor popped into his head — and he began researching how to apply to law school. It was not easy in the days before Google and widespread internet access, he said.
“I did not know where to start, and there was no place on the Bloomsburg campus back then where I could reach out about the LSATs or find out how to apply for law school. I did not even know what criteria I needed to meet in order to apply,” Craig said.
With persistence and after asking a lot of questions, he said, he made his way to Penn State Dickinson Law. More than three decades later, he runs a thriving practice in Camp Hill and Spring Grove, where Stephanie and one of their children also work.
Stephanie has more than two decades of experience processing real estate closings and typically handles 15–20 per month.
Craig continues to do tax preparation, a throwback to his pre-law school days, and his firm also handles tax law, bankruptcy, real estate, estate administration and planning, corporate law, contracts and civil litigation.
Enjoying the fruits of a ‘tremendous education’
Craig said he wanted to give back to Penn State Dickinson Law because of all the Law School has given him.
“I received a tremendous education,” he said.
He has participated in mentorship programs, recognizing the value in allowing students to ask questions of practitioners, especially if they don’t know anyone else in the legal field.
“I did not have a mentor or friend or family member whom I could consult with as a student or when I was just starting out. As a young attorney, I felt overwhelmed. I feel providing that assistance that I did not have is very important,” he said.
Craig said he continues to enjoy work while balancing other pursuits. A former nationally ranked pro tennis player who is enshrined in the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame and three other athletic halls of fame for his tennis accolades and accomplishments, he continues to play the game, often grabbing a match with his son after they finish work. He and Stephanie also enjoy attending concerts and spending time at their second home in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
The Diehls said they cannot wait to see how the Craig A. Diehl Pathway to Law Program will grow in the future.
“We are thrilled to help some students who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to go to law school,” Craig said.
Donors like Craig and Stephanie Diehl advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.