NOVEMBER 2018

Dean's Dispatch for Alumni

From the desk of Dean Boise

This November has offered many spaces for gratitude, reflection, and goodwill at the College of Law. In this last newsletter before Thanksgiving, you’ll find stories about our recent Veterans Day Celebration, VALOR Day, Boost the ‘Cuse, the extensive Fall Diversity Celebration, an event to mark the 30th anniversary of Pan Am Flight 103, and much more.

I am certainly thankful for all that our alumni family does for the College. So from all of us at your alma mater, I wish you a restful and joyous Thanksgiving.

 

College of Law News

 
Tish James

Dean Boise Named Co-Chair of Letitia James’ Transition Team

I am honored to serve as a co-chair of New York State Attorney General-Elect Letitia “Tish” James’ transition team. My fellow co-chairs are a remarkable group: former US Attorney General Loretta Lynch; former New York State Attorney General Robert Abrams; former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals the Hon. Jonathan Lippman; and former US Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso. I look forward to working with them and all other members of the team and assisting Attorney General-elect James as she establishes an office that will undoubtedly continue and build upon the legacy of the Office of the Attorney General. James will be sworn in on January 1, 2019.

Law Boost the 'Cuse Crew

What a Boost!

Thank you for “Boosting the ‘Cuse” on October 25. We had an extraordinary day, with a record number of gifts and participation. I am grateful not only for your participation but for the extraordinary effort many of you put in to encourage and challenge one another to make a gift on the University’s annual giving day. Colleagues across campus have taken notice of our outstanding performance and how our alumni family is engaging with its alma mater.

The University’s Advancement team has crunched the final numbers, and we crushed it: 492 unique donors (up from 321 last year), including 138 new donors (up from 62 last year). Together, you gave in excess of $270,000.

It’s clear that your support throughout the day made a huge difference. In addition to your gifts, you spread the message among friends and family, posted to social media, and made critical hourly challenges. And let us not forget the 100% participation by the SULAA Board and our Board of Advisors, whose generous $50,000 matching gift was unlocked by mid-afternoon when the 300th donor posted her gift.

St. John Fisher

St. John Fisher College, College of Law Announce 3+3 Partnership

I am pleased to announce a 3+3 Legal Education Accelerated Program in partnership with St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY. Undergraduate students at St. John Fisher will have the opportunity to earn both an undergraduate and a law degree in six years, accelerating their educational journey and minimizing the cost of their education.

Kreindler Law Talk

Marking a Solemn Anniversary

The College of Law was honored to be a part of Syracuse University’s Remembrance Week and Pan Am 103 30th Anniversary commemorative activities. On October 30, we and Syracuse University Libraries hosted “A Conversation with James Kreindler” in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom. Dean David Seaman of SU Libraries introduced Kreindler (at right), who was the architect of the $2.7 billion settlement against the Libyan government on behalf of the families of the victims of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded in the skies over Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988.

INSCT Veterans Day Celebration

Remembering Our Veterans

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of opening the College’s Veterans Day Celebration—which will become a new annual College tradition. 3L Katie Becker, Executive Director of the Veterans’ Issues and Support Initiative and Outreach Network (VISION), helped introduce the event, while INSCT Director the Hon. James E. Baker’s remarks were a powerful reminder of the link between service to the nation and service to the rule of law: “Veterans know what it means to uphold and defend the law and the higher ideals of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, reflected in the simple and beautiful military oath of service: To uphold and defend the Constitution … There is no higher calling than that reflected in the oath. That is one reason Veterans Day should be celebrated at law schools.”

Tim Lambrecht

Lunch ‘n’ Learn With the Wladis Law Firm

The Advocacy Honor Society welcomed Tim Lambrecht of Wladis Law Firm as part of the Wladis Law Firm Lunch ‘n’ Learn Series on real life advocacy tools. The October 31 discussion focused on negotiation advocacy in the lead-up to and as a part of trial advocacy.

 

Alumni News

 
Paul Dimoh

Paul Dimoh L’08 Discusses Legal Ethics with DCEx Students

Distinguished guest lecturer Paul Dimoh L’08 recently hosted fall DCEx participants at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, DC. Dimoh serves as an ethics attorney in the Office of General Counsel at Akin Gump. He recounted the start of his career as a transactional corporate lawyer at Nixon Peabody LLP and how that experience prepared him for the complex issues he faces day-to-day in resolving conflicts of interest and developing compliance policies.

Candice Geller

Putting a Spin on Fitness

Congratulations to alumna and Department of Justice attorney Candice Geller L’16, who is featured in this Washingtonian.com article about her business Election Cycle, a cycling studio on H Street. The politics-themed studio—with its “Spin Room”—is not affiliated with any party, although politicians occasionally drop by. In the photo, Geller is second from right in the top row.

Dean Boise in DC

Meeting the DC Alumni Community

Thanks to Vincent Cohen Jr. L’95 for opening the Dechert LLP offices in DC so that INSCT Director the Hon. James E. Baker and I could meet with alums there on November 15. We were grateful that so many of you came out despite the inclement weather. Of course, Orange lawyers know how to handle that! Thank you to our DC Orange family for your steadfast support.

your connection to the ‘cuse community
Please remember to join the ‘Cuse Community! Joining is the only way to ensure your direct access to the University’s alumni directory. The Directory is only as complete as you make it.

 

 

Student News

 
Valor Day November 2018

College of Law Hosts VALOR Day for CNY Veterans, Service Members, and Families

The College held its biannual VALOR Day event on November 10 at the New York State Fairgrounds. Local attorneys and law student volunteers provided free legal advice and counseling to local veterans, active duty service members and their immediate families. Veterans’ Advocacy, Law, and Outreach Day is a student-led program and one of the many ways in which Syracuse law students give back to the community. Services include legal counseling on VA benefits applications and appeals and disability upgrade applications, as well as consultations on family law and estate planning.

Stephanie Woodward

Celebrating Diversity

The College of Law’s Student Bar Association began its Fall Diversity Celebration on November 1, offering many opportunities for students to learn more about the College’s cultures and organizations and discover and explore various kinds of diversity.

Events included:

  • A disAbility Law Society (DLS) “brown bag” presentation on disability activism featuring alumna Stephanie Woodward L’13 (pictured).
  • A panel discussion on “Disrupting Unconscious Bias in the Legal Profession,” hosted by the Black Law Student Association, Latin American Law Students Association (LALSA), OUTLAW, DLS, and NYSBA.
  • A “Dia de los Muertos” celebration hosted by LALSA, including a showing of the film Coco with Mexican hot chocolate served!
  • A lecture on the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty, organized by the Native American Law Students Association.
  • A film screening and “curry night” to celebrate Diwali (the Hindi “Festival of Lights”), offered by the South Asian Law Student Association.
  • A panel discussion of comparative law organized by the Office of International Programs, featuring four current LL.M. students from Ethiopia, Georgia, Kosovo, and Senegal, moderated by Professor Arlene Kanter.
  • A Mental Health and Substance Abuse Panel, organized by the Mindfulness in the Law Society, with the Hon. Patrick O’Sullivan, Thomas W. Seeley L’03, James E. Sparkes L’76, Chantal Wentworth-Mullin L’07, and Courtney Abbott Hill L’09 (moderator).
  • The annual fireplace lighting (sponsored by Bond, Schoeneck & King) and gifting to students of TV host Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime, the first book of the College’s new community read program.
  • The annual Student Bar Association Thanksgiving Meal.
Genesis Health Project

Elder and Health Law Clinic Helps Local Community

College of Law students in Professor Mary Helen McNeal’s Advance Directives in the Community course and Elder and Health Law Clinic gained hands-on experience this fall educating local residents about the importance of planning for end-of-life care and by helping them prepare advance directives in partnership with Falk College.

As part of the class, McNeal and the students met in small groups to discuss advance directives, relevant ethical issues, and how to structure the educational session and clinics. Students Chris Baiamonte, Esther Chung, Cynthia Moore, and Caleb Williamson developed a comprehensive presentation on end-of-life issues and advance directives, which they presented to the African American Dementia Caregiver Support Project’s 12-Week Healthy Living participants. The students returned a week later to help approximately 25 participants complete individualized documents through one-on-one guidance.

Grossman Advocacy Honor Society Final

3Ls Donya Feizbakhsh & Dennis Scanlon Triumph at the 41st Annual Lionel O. Grossman Trial Competition

The Advocacy Honor Society held the 41st Annual Lionel O. Grossman Trial Competition in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom on October 18. Third-year students Donya Feizbakhsh and Dennis Scanlon defeated the team of 3L Ahmed Khattab and 2L Kevin Risch. Feizbakhsh also received the Frank H. Armani L’56 Advocacy Award from the award’s namesake himself. Pictured (L to R) are William Fitzpatrick L’76; 3L Dennis Scanlon; Frank H. Armani L’56; 3L Donya Feizbakhsh; Stefano Cambareri L’89; the Hon. Norman Mordue L’71; and the Hon. Thérèse Dancks L’91.

 

Faculty & Department News

 
BBI Experts

Leading Disability Studies Scholars Join Burton Blatt Institute

The Burton Blatt Institute has announced that two leading disability studies scholars have joined the Institute and will be charged with launching a new initiative, known as Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach. Steve Kuusisto, University Professor, and Diane Wiener, Director of the Disability Cultural Center, will join BBI as the Director of Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach and Research Professor and Associate Director, respectively.

Arlene Kanter

Arlene Kanter Invited to Speak at MSU Law School’s Talsky Center

On November 12, Professor Arlene Kanter visited Michigan State University Law School as part of its Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children Lecture Series and Symposia. Kanter discussed “The Rights of People with Disabilities under International Human Rights Law: What the Future Holds in the US and Beyond.” The Talsky Center hosts luminaries in the fields of international human rights and humanitarian law as part of its speaker series.

Population Health Symposium

Arlene Kanter & Peter Blanck Speak at the “Population Health Symposium”

The Population Health Symposium, a one day mini-conference funded by a CUSE Grant, was held at the Syracuse University campus on November 2. The event was designed to build interdisciplinary relationships between University scholars in order to generate proposals for external funding. Among the invited researchers were Professor Peter Blanck, Chair of the Burton Blatt Institute, and Professor Arlene Kanter, Director of the Disability Law and Policy Program who presented on “Disability is Not a Health Category” during the research discussion “lightning round.”

Cora True-Frost

Cora True-Frost L’01 Invited to Workshops on Empirical Legal Studies, Public Choice Economics

Professor Cora True-Frost L’01 participated in two influential, interdisciplinary legal studies research conferences in November 2018 – one at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and the other at University of Michigan Law School. From November 1-3, True-Frost was a guest of the Scalia Law School’s Law and Economics Conference, where she discussed “Social Choice and the Law” and “Public Choice and Legislative Intent,” among other topics. Michigan’s 13th Annual Conference on Empirical Legal Studies was held November 9-10. This wide-ranging meeting brought together scholars interested in data-driven, empirical analysis of law and legal institutions.

ILC Wordmark

With ILC’s Help, an Engineer Innovates an Old Technology for a Life-Saving Purpose

Think back to your last time at a bank drive-through. You likely deposited or received money through a tube that traveled from your window to the bank and back in a minute or so. These systems—known as pneumatic tubes—have been in place for many years. One engineer sees a new life for this old pneumatic technology and—with help from technology commercialization students in the Innovation Law Center—is working to innovate this delivery system for a new, ground-breaking purpose.

Faculty Impact

Our latest media hits are notable not only for the impactful legal, political, and social subjects covered but also for the quality of media outlets who are turning to College of Law experts for comment and expertise, including USA Today, BBC World Service, and Vox. Remember, if an article interests you, please share it on social media to help raise the College’s profile!

PLUS … Professor Michael Schwartz contributed to this fascinating obituary in The New York Times for a giant of the theater, Bernard Bragg, who “showed the way for deaf actors.” 

 

How You Can Make a Difference

 

Winter Break Alumni Shadow Program

If you would like to share your knowledge and guidance of the legal industry with a current first year or LL.M. student, the Winter Break Alumni Shadow Program is the perfect opportunity. The Office of Career Services has begun matching students with alumni volunteers, although successful matches require a large pool of interested alumni.

The program allows a student to visit your workplace to discuss your career path and current practice, and shadow a typical workday. Matching is based on the geographic location of the student during Winter Break, as well as practice areas of interest to the student.

The visit itself can occur any time over the week of January 7-11, 2019, ranging from a half-day to the entire week. If you can volunteer to be a host during that week, click on the link below to register. If you are matched with a student, you will be notified by early December. Thank you for supporting our students!

REGISTER HERE
 

Hire Orange!

Looking for Summer 2019 interns, associates, and/or post-grad full-time hires?

The Spring 2019 On Campus Interview Program (OCI) is now accepting employer registrations. If you have partnered with our office in the past for your employment needs, you will receive an email on December 13 outlining this year’s program. If you are new to OCI, the program is an opportunity for you to advertise for free any open positions. Through OCI you can recruit first and/or second-year students for summer and/or academic year positions, or third-year students for post-graduate positions.

The Office of Career Services will host interviews at Dineen Hall from February 1 through April 26, 2019. If you are an employer who would like to use our office to find candidates but cannot make it to Dineen Hall for in-person interviews, we can accommodate you as a “Resume Collect” employer. Resume Collect employers can conduct interviews any time after January 15, 2019 off-site or by phone/Skype. If you are interested, please contact Assistant Director of Career Services Kelly Capozzi at ktbrant@syr.edu or 315.443.1941.

Save-the-Date: Admitted Student Mixers

Save the date for Admitted Student Mixers in Syracuse on March 21 and April 11, 2019. These events provide an opportunity for prospective students to experience the “Power of Orange” first-hand from College alumni. More information coming soon.

 

For Your Calendar

 

Alumni Night in Atlanta

Join me, celebrate our Externship Program’s expansion to Georgia’s capital, and network with fellow alumni on December 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the Capital Grille, 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA. To RSVP contact Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby directly at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.9532.

Save-the-Date: Annual NYC Reception

The College of Law Annual Reception in New York City will take place on January 17, 2019 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Joseph I. Lubin House, 11 E. 61st St., New York, NY. To register early, contact Kristen Duggleby at the email address or phone number in the notice above.

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 send us your news. Remember, you can also update your contact information on ’Cuse Community.

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.

You also can connect with me on my own LinkedIn account.

 
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