Rory Kress Mandel is a litigation associate who previously interned at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, under the Hon. Jane R. Roth. She is also a prior Ballard Spahr summer associate. Rory joined the firm following an accomplished career in journalism; she is a two-time Emmy Award-winning news producer of NBC’s The Today Show, as well as the author of The Doggie in the Window, a nonfiction investigative book examining the USDA’s enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. A sought-after television industry innovator, Rory held leadership and supervisory production roles on the launches of live news and entertainment shows, including one nationally syndicated program.
Professional Highlights
Judicial Internships
Hon. Jane Roth, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2021
Hon. Mitchell Goldberg, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2021
Recognition & Accomplishments
- Colorado Book Award, Best Non-fiction for The Doggie in the Window, 2019
- Advocates We Love Award, Humane Society of the United States, 2019
- Daytime Entertainment Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Show, Today Show Producer, 2011, 2012
- Pulitzer Travel Fellow, Pulitzer Prizes and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, 2010
Publications
"Finally, Animal Cruelty May Become a Federal Crime. But There's a Catch," The Washington Post, 2019
"New PA Law Would Protect Consumers — and Their Dogs," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2019
"MD Puppy Mill Law Won't Stop Internet Sales," The Baltimore Sun, 2018
The Doggie in the Window, 2018
Credentials
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2023)
Order of the Coif
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (M.S., honors, 2010)
Princeton University (B.A., cum laude, 2007)