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| | | From the desk of Dean Boise |
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| | As I prepare my final Dispatch of the year, the first heavy snow has fallen in Syracuse. It gives our already beautiful campus a true holiday feeling as our students head home to their families after exams and we say “farewell” to our 2017 LL.M. graduates. The muted classrooms, library, and halls—and the quiet flakes falling outside—invite me and my staff to reflect on what has been a busy and productive calendar year at Dineen Hall. There has been much to celebrate this year: the highest New York State Bar Exam first-time pass rate in decades; an academically strong incoming class of J.D. students; a growing LL.M. cohort; faculty research featured in the nation’s top law journals; excellent Moot Court competition results; and much more. LL.M. Commencement On December 1, we celebrated the completion of the 2017 LL.M. program at a Commencement ceremony in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom. The geographical diversity of this cohort, which matriculated in January 2017, was matched by its diversity of interests and expertise in international law, immigration law, human rights, women’s rights, corporate and commercial law, and public-sector law and policy. 
Alumna Brigitte E. Herzog L’75 delivered an inspiring address to our graduates and their families, who traveled to honor them from all around the world. Diego Labrador Sanchez LL.M.’17 offered remarks on behalf of the students and told the story of once meeting Vice President Joseph R. Biden L’68 in Mexico. Labrador Sanchez mentioned in passing to Biden that he wanted to study law in the United States. “Biden literally stopped in his tracks,” he recalled, “and said, ‘Syracuse is your only option!’” Labrador Sanchez came to Syracuse and he, along with his classmates, leave Dineen Hall as new worldwide ambassadors for the College of Law. Giving Book This week, you will receive the inaugural issue of the College’s Giving Book, which is the second component of the Syracuse Law magazine. Following the summer’s Yearbook, this philanthropic issue of the magazine focuses on the many ways in which you help to advance our mission. I hope that you enjoy the new Syracuse Law magazine format, and that you are as inspired and energized by the Giving Book as I am. Look for the Story Book in the spring: features will include stories of alumni successes and the enduring personal connections you made at the College of Law. I wish you a joyous holiday season and a healthy and rewarding New Year. I look forward to seeing you in 2018! |
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| College of Law News Welcome New Staff Members This month, we welcome two new staff members, Denée Page and Frederick (Fritz) Diddle. As Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, Page is responsible for strategic planning, leadership, and implementation of the College’s J.D. and LL.M. enrollment and financial aid initiatives. Before her appointment as Assistant Dean, she was an Enrollment Management Project Consultant for the College. With seven years of experience in law school admissions, Page joined the College of Law from Cornell University Law School, where she served as Director of Graduate Programs. Diddle joins the College as Assistant Director of Development. He comes to the Advancement and External Affairs team after six years at On Point for College, most recently as Director of Development. Diddle will focus on the College’s annual giving initiatives and will work closely with the University’s Office of Philanthropic Engagement. Welcome, Denée and Fritz! All-Star Seminar Roster to Anchor NYCEx Inaugural Semester The New York City Externship Program (NYCEx) is poised for a strong start this January, with a spectacular line up of alumni and other speakers for the NYC Lawyer Seminar, a critical part of the externship’s enriched student experience: - Martin Feinman ’73, G’77, L’83, Attorney-in-Charge, Juvenile Rights Practice, Brooklyn Office, Legal Aid Society
- Marg Hosbach L’80, Director and Associate General Counsel, Ernst & Young
- Rich Jones ’92, G’95, L’95, Executive Vice President, General Tax Counsel and Chief Veteran Officer, CBS Corporation
- Alex J. Matturri L’83, Chief Executive Officer, S&P Dow Jones Indices
- Eileen Millett L’74, Partner, Phillips Nizer LLP
- David Stuart, Counterterrorism Coordinator and Assistant District Attorney, Office of the New York County District Attorney
For more information about the NYCEx program, or to volunteer as a lawyer seminar presenter, contact Kim Wolf Price. Alumni Guest Speakers Help Wrap Up Fall Externship Seminars On December 1, James Voyles L’14, Policy Counsel and Director of Communications for consulting and advocacy firm HBW Resources, met with Fall 2017 DCEx students in Washington, DC. Voyles focused his remarks on his current work in power generation, pipeline infrastructure, the grid, renewable technologies, and access to oil and natural gas. 
Michael Fogel L’04, of Brown, Sharlow, Duke, & Fogel PC, and Doug Gorman L’06, of Crisafulli Gorman, were the final guest speakers for the NYEx fall program and spoke about the challenges and benefits of starting their own law practices. Kim Wolf Price reports, “The conversations were lively, with students asking excellent questions and gaining insight into what it takes to build a law firm.” College of Law Chosen as Family Security Project Host Site The College of Law has been chosen as a host site for the Equal Justice Works New York State Family Security Project. NYSFSP will fund the placement of a Fellow within our clinical programs who will work with students and faculty on fostering family security and community education through the delivery of high-quality legal services to immigrant families. |
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| Employment Outcomes & Enrollment: An Update & How You Can Help! Help Boost our Employment Rate! At 74.1%, the Class of 2016 rate of employment in full-time, long-term bar-required or J.D.-advantaged positions at graduation was the highest rate we have ever submitted to U.S. News & World Report. As of Dec. 18, 2017, the Class of 2017 rate of employment in such positions is 69.6% (compared to 59.9% in December 2016). Our goal is to surpass last year’s final employment rate, and you can help us meet this goal and place all of our grads! By mentoring, networking with, connecting, or even hiring a College of Law student or graduate, you can positively influence our employment outcomes and move the needle on our law school ranking. To learn more about how to help a Syracuse graduate take his or her first step on the career ladder or how we can help your firm meet its employment goals, contact Stacey Wiley, Director of the Office of Career Services, or call 315.443.1941. Meet Prospective & Admitted Students this Spring! I encourage you to be as active as your schedule allows in welcoming the next generation of Syracuse Law students. One way to assist in our recruitment and retention efforts is to help our admissions staff welcome prospective and admitted students at events throughout the spring semester. Our message is always stronger when it is voiced by someone who “bleeds Orange”! If you can participate in any of the events below, please email Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management Denée Page. If you cannot attend one of these events in Syracuse but are interested in connecting with prospective or admitted students—especially where you live or work—let us know. Thank you for helping us to recruit the best and the brightest nationally! - January 20, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—Prospective Student Open House luncheon, College of Law
- March 8, 5-7 p.m.—Admitted Student Reception, Downtown Syracuse.
- April 12, 5-7 p.m.—Admitted Student Reception, Downtown Syracuse
Finally, if you know of any prospective students who may be interested in attending law school, please encourage them to contact the admissions office at admissions@law.syr.edu or 315.443.1962. We are always happy to speak to interested students and offer them the opportunity to visit Dineen Hall. |
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| Annual Giving Participation Currently, our philanthropic participation rate—as a percentage of 10,461 College alumni—stands at 10.15%. With your help, we want to double our alumni participation rate by 2022. That’s an increase of just 200 new donors per year! A high alumni participation rate matters in the law school rankings and helps to anchor our Annual Fund. Plus, as we improve our rate, we attract more high-quality students, recruit world-class faculty, improve key programs, and strengthen enrichment opportunities for our students. The inaugural, remarkable University-wide Boost the ‘Cuse Giving Day event on October 17 gave us a great start toward achieving our new donor goal. Fueled by collaboration and competitive spirit, alumni, faculty, staff, and students contributed more than $72,000 in gifts (not including matching funds) from 300 unique donors—including 62 first-time donors! Let’s keep the momentum going, together—before we say goodbye to 2017 … Please consider making an end-of-year gift to the Law Annual Fund. No matter the size of your gift, your contribution helps send a strong message to your former classmates, fellow alumni, and to our students. Donations made to the College of Law Annual Fund are flexible and immediately available, enabling us to attract the best students and faculty to the College of Law and to provide the tools and programs that will guarantee our students’ success. |
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| Students in the News Hon. Frederick J. Scullin Jr. L’64 Scholarship Congratulations to 2L Kristina Cervi, who was awarded the Hon. Frederick J. Scullin Jr. L’64 Scholarship by the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association (NYFCBA) in Albany, NY, at the NYFCBA Annual Meeting on December 7. Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby and I were proud to be in attendance. Said Cervi after meeting Judge Scullin, “It was such an honor to meet and spend time with the judge. I can only hope to have half the career this man has had in public service one day.” 
Rockin’ Her Law Career 2L Molly D’Agostino was profiled in this Utica Observer-Dispatch article about her music career with father Joe D’Agostino and the band Tantric. How many of us can remember this sort of conversation with our parents when we were young! “Though her music career is taking off, guitarist Molly D’Agostino always could fall back on the law. D’Agostino’s mother pushed her daughter to have a backup plan. ‘As she would say, in case I break my hand.'” 
NYSSTLC Wraps Up Research Reports for Innovation Businesses Every semester at the College of Law’s New York State Science and Technology Law Center, a combination of retired engineers, faculty, and law students work together in teams to identify potential barriers to commercializing a new technology. In this story, read how our students—working with NYSSTLC Director Jack Rudnick L’73—search patent literature, publications, and existing products to identify prior art that may help or hinder the protection of new technologies, and deliver an overview of regulations applicable to these new technologies. |
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| Alumni Events On December 16, I joined Washington, DC-area alumni to cheer the Orange on to victory over one of our fiercest rivals, Georgetown University. It was great to see members of our Orange alumni family holding their heads high in “hostile territory”! You can view all the photos from this get-together on the College’s Facebook page. 
I also enjoyed catching up with alumni and friends in New York City and Atlanta, GA, in late November and early December. The photo below captures a few of the alumni who met up at Atlanta’s Capital Grille on November 29 for “cocktails and conversation.” On December 5, I sat down for a “fireside chat” (despite unusually balmy weather on that day) with members of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association at Syracuse University’s Lubin House in Midtown Manhattan. 
Upcoming Alumni Events - San Diego, January 4—Meet Dean Boise and Professor William C. Banks, Marriott SpringHill Suites, 900 Bayfront Ct., San Diego, CA. 6:30 p.m. Reception and 7:30 p.m. Program
- Los Angeles, January 10—An evening with Professor William C. Banks, Napa Valley Grille, 1100 Glendon Ave. #100, Los Angeles, CA. 6 p.m. Reception and 7 p.m. Program
- New York City, January 25—Join Dean Boise, area alumni, faculty, and students for the College of Law’s annual cocktail reception at Lubin House, 11 East 61st Street, New York, NY. 6:30-8:30 p.m. (featuring Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!)
- Also coming in 2018—Alumni events in San Francisco, Florida, and Phoenix!
Click here to R.S.V.P. or register and to find additional details on these events. |
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| For More Information Questions? Please contact Sophie Dagenais, Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs, at sdagenai@law.syr.edu or 315.443.4536, or Kristen Duggleby, Director of Alumni Relations at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.1964. Contact us at 315.443.1964 or alumni@law.syr.edu to change your address or to send us your updates! I’ll keep you updated on our news in future editions of the Dean’s Dispatch, and for those of you who use social media, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for timely updates and photographs. |
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