An infectious laugh. Always welcoming—and an empathy for others that created an aura of goodwill felt by everyone Juliet touched, whether they were fellow academics, ABA Business Law Section (“BLS”) members, staff, law students, or any of the countless people who crossed her path in her incredible legal career.
Professor Juliet M. Moringiello will be remembered for many, many years to come.
Her remarkable life ended on February 27, 2025, when Juliet passed away quietly from cancer. The shock and grief of her passing was quickly replaced by a torrent of accolades, heartfelt remembrances, and testimonials from her family and friends; her colleagues at the Widener University Commonwealth Law School, where she taught for thirty-one years; her fellow editors at Business Law Today; and the legal community.
“Juliet was a rare combination of elegance and accessibility, academic brilliance and earthy practicality. She was interested in the world, and in helping people on the most basic levels,” said Ted Claypoole, Business Law Section Content Officer and partner with Womble Bond Dickinson. “Juliet was a pleasure in company and deeply comfortable in her own mind. I miss learning her thoughts on everything from recent literature to the Uniform Commercial Code to the best diners in New Jersey. We were all richer for her friendship.”
The warmth of her personality was accompanied by a host of accomplishments in her legal and academic career.
Juliet was a respected educator, chosen twice by students for Widener Law Commonwealth’s Outstanding Faculty Award. In the last several years of her life, she also served as associate dean for academic affairs.
She was a pillar in the world of law reform, serving as a Uniform Law Commissioner for Pennsylvania and a member of the Permanent Editorial Board for the Uniform Commercial Code. Juliet’s keen insight and wisdom served her well in those efforts. One highlight was her key role in the drafting process for the 2022 UCC amendments to address emerging technologies, which included the introduction of the new Article 12, as vice chair of the drafting committee.
Juliet was Business Law Today’s executive editor for Internet Law & Cybersecurity since 2017, and a member of the editorial board for even longer. She was also a leader with the ABA BLS Cyberspace Law (now Cyber and Technology Law) Committee and Uniform Commercial Code Committee; an elected member of the American Law Institute; a longtime board member of the BLS Publications Board; and a prolific contributor to BLS content.
“Let me highlight something even more foundational that truly set Juliet apart: Her ability to make everyone in her presence feel as though they belong,” said Kristen David Adams, William Reece Smith Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law and Director, Dispute Resolution Board, at Stetson University College of Law. Across all facets of her career, Juliet was a mentor to countless students and professionals. “I can’t tell you how many people have told me a story about how she made them feel welcomed, how she helped them to overcome their impostor syndrome, and how she encouraged them. When Juliet welcomed someone, they felt like an insider.”
Such determination to “connect” with others made her a consummate professional in her other passion: providing skiing lessons for children and adults. She inspired a whole generation of skiers in Pennsylvania!
Without a doubt, Professor Juliet M. Moringiello leaves behind an enviable legacy that many strive for but few achieve.
As Norman Powell, Business Law Section chair, so aptly put it, “Juliet was extraordinary: brilliant, humble, insightful, and caring. She approached her tasks with intensity and an easy grace, bringing out the best in her collaborators and students.”
Further remembrances of Juliet can be found in Professor Christopher K. Odinet’s memorial article, Juliet’s in memoriam faculty page from Widener University Commonwealth Law School, and, for ABA BLS Cyber and Technology Law Committee members, the Committee’s March 2025 newsletter.
