2015 Alumni Magazine by Pace Law School

PACE L AW SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE/SPRING 2015

PACE WELCOMES DEAN

David Yassky

OF NOTE “The false-reporting epidemic we uncovered in Kentucky can be considered the most far-reaching and egregious noncompliance with the Clean Water Act in the law’s entire 40-year history,” said Peter Harrison (JD ’11), attorney for Waterkeeper Alliance, one of the organizations represented by the Environmental Litigation Clinic.

PRESIDENT OF PACE UNIVERSITY

Stephen J. Friedman DEAN OF PACE LAW SCHOOL

David Yassky DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

David Bernhardt ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

Jessica Dubuss

MANAGING EDITOR

DESIGN

Joan Gaylord

Tom Carling, Carling Design, Inc.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Patrick Carroll Stephanie Chow Janice Dean Jessica Dubuss Laura Jensen Griffin Kenyon Linda Myers Tiffany Shavis

PHOTOGRAPHY

Joan Gaylord Jayne Wexler of Wexler Photography PRINTING

Lane Press

The Pace Law School Alumni Magazine is published annually under the auspices of the Dean, and is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of Pace Law School. ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO:

Development and Alumni Relations 78 North Broadway White Plains, NY 10603 914-422-4142 plsalumni@law.pace.edu

Opinions expressed on these pages do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff or of individuals enrolled at or employed by Pace University or of Pace University itself. Pace University admits, and will continue to admit, students of any sex, disability, race, sexual orientation, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not, and will not, discriminate on the basis of sex, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

PACE L AW SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE/SPRING 2015

Message from the Dean

OF NOTE

The Next Generation @PaceEnviroLaw Center Updates New Faces Remembering Governor Mario Cuomo Pro Bono Scholars Help Close the “Justice Gap” A New Leader at the Center for Career and Professional Development

4 8 11 12 13 14

STUDENT PROFILES

• • • •

Leigh Ellis 7 Eileen Henry 10 J. Justin Woods 14 Patrick Paul 17

F E AT U R E Mission: Possible Meet David Yassky, Pace Law’s Transformative New Dean

F A C U LT Y

Immigration: A Conversation with Professor Vanessa Merton The Paradox of Race-Conscious Labels Pace Law Faculty Publications (2014)

26 30 31

F A C U LT Y P R O F I L E S

• Professor Jay Carlisle 27 • Professor Jill Gross 29 ALUMNI Alumni Events Class Notes In Memoriam

32 36 43

ALUMNI PROFILES

• • • • •

Gail A. Matthews 37 Nathan Haynes 38 Megan Brillault 40 Sean Dixon 45 Rory K. Brady 46

SPRING 2015

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Path to Practice WHAT IS IT THAT CHARLES DICKENS SAID? Oh, right: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In many ways, the Law School is stronger than ever. Our faculty continue to inspire with their brilliance, their inventive teaching and their sheer commitment to our students. Walk into Ben Gershman’s almost theatrical Criminal Procedure lectures—or Bridget Crawford’s astonishingly engaging Taxation class (yes, you read that correctly: Taxation)—or Jay Carlisle’s master class in lawyering, a.k.a. New York Practice—or Emily Waldman’s methodical dissection of Constitutional Law—peek into any of these classrooms and you will experience the quiet thrill of seeing young minds learning to “think like lawyers.”

With all of these plans underway, I am confident that Pace Law is not just meeting the challenges—we are ahead of the curve. As we approach our 40th birthday, our fifth decade promises to be our best ever. Our alumni—you!—are another core strength. Many have advanced to leadership positions throughout the profession: partners at law firms both large and small, judges, in-house corporate counsel, senior government officials and public-interest attorneys— and are now in a position to help guide the next generation of Pace Law graduates. But alongside these strengths, Pace and other law schools have been facing unprecedented challenges. The Great Recession caused a sharp drop in legal hiring—many firms even laid off young attorneys. These past few years have been painful economically for many lawyers, especially recent graduates struggling to launch their careers. These difficulties have also directly impacted the amount of people applying to law school; nationwide applications have fallen by

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

more than 50% since 2010 (it is worth noting Pace has reacted to this with a “quality supersedes quantity” mind frame and has maintained the credentials of our entering classes). Even now, as legal employment has rebounded along with the economy, the marketplace looks markedly different than it did before the financial collapse. The big law firms are hiring fewer traditional associates, while a larger proportion of jobs are at smaller firms, “outsourcing” providers like discovery shops, contract-attorney suppliers, and in corporate legal and compliance departments. Law schools must evolve along with these changing conditions—and Pace is leading the way. First, law schools must focus more than ever on practical, skills education. Small firms simply don’t have the capacity to train new attorneys—they need every new hire to begin contributing on day one. Similarly, contract attorneys are expected to come with practice skills, not just a law degree. Even at larger firms, clients are demanding ever-more efficient service, meaning that law firms can no longer afford to spend months—much less years—training new associates. Law schools must fill the gap by ensuring that students graduate with the skills and knowledge to provide value to clients right away. It is not enough to teach students to “think like lawyers”—we must also show them how to act like lawyers. At Pace Law, we have always emphasized skills education—and now we are doubling down on that historic strength. To ensure that our graduates are truly “practice ready,” we are introducing a series of “concentrations”—prescribed courses of study ensuring that a student is prepared for a specific field of practice, such as Real Estate and Land Use, or Criminal Practice, or Family and Matrimonial Law. We are buttressing our nationally recognized clinical program with supervised field placements, and making these “experiential learning” courses a more integral part of the curriculum. Most notably, we have developed a full “semester-in-practice” opportunity for students in their final term. Second, law schools must also prepare students for a much broader range of careers than in the past.

Much of the growth in lawyer jobs will be not in the traditional occupations of litigation and dealdocumentation, but in regulatory lawyering: helping banks and hedge funds comply with financial regulations, drug companies and hospitals comply with health regulations, tech companies—and pretty much everybody—comply with privacy regulations. We are designing two new concentrations—financial institution compliance and health law—to help our students compete for these jobs. Third, the changing job market requires us to do more than adjust the curriculum—law schools must also offer much more robust career development services to our students. In the past, a career development office served mostly as a clearinghouse for law firms seeking access to students. Today, our career development professionals offer intensive counseling to guide students through the more fragmented job market, and they spend much of their time outside the Law School, building and strengthening relationships with employers. We recently hired a superb new Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development, Jill Backer, to lead this effort—you can read more about Jill on page 14. You, too, have a role to play in helping to launch the next generation of Pace Law alumni. There are endless ways for you to support your alma mater— check out the last page of this publication for starters. Of the moment though, if you can help guide new graduates in seeking to join your firm or corporation, please pick up the phone and introduce yourself to Jill—that is, if she hasn’t already called you!

Finally, law schools must recognize that many jobs in the current marketplace—smaller law practices and discovery firms, in-house and compliance jobs, government and public-interest organizations— may have a lower salary scale than larger law firms. At Pace, we are determined to keep the cost of our education affordable. To that end, we are freezing tuition for at least the next year—and we have more than tripled our scholarship budget over the past three years. With all of these plans underway, I am confident that Pace Law is not just meeting these challenges— we are ahead of the curve. As we approach our 40th birthday, our fifth decade promises to be our best ever. And speaking of anniversaries: I will soon complete my first year as Pace Law’s 10th Dean. While still a newcomer in some ways, I am enormously proud to be part of the Pace Law family. I know you share that Pace Pride, and one of the great pleasures of my job is seeing our students (your future colleagues) develop it day by day. For all the changes afoot, the Pace Law classroom remains a very special place. Or as one 3L put it recently when I asked how she felt about her time here at Pace Law: “’Tis a far, far better thing I have done here than I have ever done before.” Well, I’m paraphrasing—but you get the idea.

David

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE The Next Generation @PaceEnviroLaw ALMOST ONE IN FIVE Pace Law alumni started their legal careers as students in the Environmental Law Program, which has been dedicated to educating highly qualified, forward-thinking environmental lawyers since 1978. Over the years, the Environmental Law Program has earned a world-class reputation and its faculty, alumni and students have been a consistent point of pride for Pace Law School. Currently, nearly 1,500 graduates are active in practically every facet of environmental law and related areas, and they live in almost every state in the U.S. and over 30 different countries. Our dedicated faculty have been pioneers in developing and implementing environmental law and they continue to serve as national and world leaders in the field.

Currently, nearly 1,500 graduates are active in practically every facet of environmental law and related areas, and they live in almost every state in the U.S. and over 30 different countries.

It is an exciting and transformative time in the Environmental Law Program. Legal issues in the field are multiplying and becoming more complex with the growth of renewable energy, hydrofracking, urban agriculture, and of course, continued change in our climate systems. These issues are interconnected and evident at every level of government, and these developing fields capture the interest of incoming law students from across the nation. To keep up with and contribute to the ever-evolving field, to build on traditional strengths, and owing to recent retirements of two critical faculty members, the Program has completed a comprehensive strategic plan, hired new faculty and administrators, added courses and projects, and secured new grant funding.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

In the last year, two founding Environmental Law Program professors have taken emeritus status. Professor Jeffrey Miller retired to Maine but continues to work on the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, now named in his honor. Professors Ann Powers retired from full-time teaching but still frequents campus—advising the program and its students. Professor Nick Robinson has scaled back fulltime teaching in favor of his continued high impact international advocacy with the IUCN and other networks. (Keep an eye out for the textbook Introduction To Environmental Law: Cases And Materials On Water Pollution Control by Professors Coplan, Powers, and Miller, as well as Professor Robinson’s new writings on the Charter of the Forest as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.) Lin Harmon, who served as the Assistant Dean of Environmental Law Programs from 2011-2014 , has returned home to Oregon where she is working on a new nonprofit, the Ethical Future Institute. Fortunately, the Program still benefits from the continued presence and work of Dean Emeritus Richard Ottinger, who maintains an office in the EHouse and works with the Pace Energy and Climate Center on international renewable energy law. As these accomplished faculty members have scaled back their roles on campus or simply transitioned into some well-deserved retirement, we have welcomed an exceptional group of teachers, researchers and administrators to lead the Program going forward. In July 2014, Dean Yassky appointed Professor Jason Czarnezki as Executive Director of Environmental Law Programs. Jason joined Pace Law in Fall 2013 as the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, assuming the named professorship from Professor Robinson, who subsequently was named University Professor for the Environment. Jason researches and teaches in the areas of environmental regulation, natural resources, and food law. He previously directed the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law. Laura Jensen JD/LLM ’12 was

promoted to Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs after two years on the staff. Also in Summer 2014, Professor Karl Rabago LLM ’90 returned to Pace as the Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center. Karl has over twenty-five years of experience in the electricity regulation and renewable energy sectors, including serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy and Commissioner at the Texas Public Utility Commission. So far, he has helped the Center to secure over $500,000 in key grant funding for work on renewable energy and microgrid technology. Professor Nadia Ahmad, who focuses her teaching and scholarship on energy and natural resources law, is Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Law. Margot Pollans, currently the Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy Fellow at UCLA, will join the faculty this fall. Specializing in food and agricultural law, Margot also has worked in environmental law clinics at Georgetown and NYU. To reflect on the evolving field of environmental law, the Pace Environmental Law Review hosted a symposium entitled, “Reconceptualizing the Future of Environmental Law.” During the symposium, professors from across the country discussed the need to redefine environmental law to encompass not only regulatory law but also energy law, land use law, property law, food law, and other areas. The impressive and influential work of the Land Use Law Center (LULC)—led by Executive Director Jessica Bacher ’03 and LULC Founder, Professor John Nolon—illustrates this shift perfectly, as does the work of the Energy and Climate Center. Staff at both centers carry out projects at the cutting edge of the field, creatively addressing problems—including sea level rise, disaster preparedness, urban blight and others—while preparing Pace students with hands-on experience. As the Program grows and adapts to include these new and exciting opportunities and areas of law, it continues to build on its traditional strengths in regulatory and international environmental law. The Environmental Litigation Clinic—skillfully overseen by Professors Daniel Estrin ’93, Karl Coplan, and Robert Kennedy Jr. LLM ’87—has maintained its remarkable track record, successfully litigating cases involving the Water Transfers Rule, the Tappan Zee Bridge project, mountaintop removal mining, crude oil transport on the Hudson River, and water pollution from dairy CAFOs to name a just a few of its recent undertakings. Along with the Clinic and over forty courses in environmental law, students still

 World renowned environmentalist Tony Oposa with Professor Jason Czarnezki.

 Professors Robinson, Rábago, and Nolon, panelists at a LULC conference.

 Professor Robinson recognizes Professor Miller at the renaming of the Jeffrey G. Miller Pace National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. take advantage of staple program offerings including internships with permanent missions to the United Nations through the UN Environmental Diplomacy Practicum, now taught by Ambassador Narinder Kakar (IUCN) and Professor Victor Tafur SJD ’06; Professor David Cassuto’s Brazil-American Institute for Law continued on p 6 and Environment (BAILE)

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE Jury Room Dedication On March 27, 2014, the Jury Room at Pace Law School was dedicated in honor of Professor Jay Carlisle and former Dean and Professor Janet A. Johnson.

Ronald Jensen Retirement

continued from p 5 field course; and the environmental law externship programs in New York and Washington, D.C. Environmental law students also benefit from classes with Professor Shelby Green, who teaches historic preservation law and administers Pace’s new real estate law concentration, and with Professor Alexander Greenawalt, who teaches administrative law alongside courses in Pace’s international law certificate program. Moving quickly towards its 40th anniversary, the Program looks forward to continued successes, new improvements, and constant renewal. Although a young program by traditional law school standards, we are fortunate to have a thriving and diverse community of accomplished and influential alumni. As part of the Program’s recently finalized strategic plan, we will be increasing our efforts to interact with and strengthen ties with our alumni. If you are a graduate of the Pace Environmental Law Program, please keep in touch with us through faculty and staff such as Laura Jensen (ljensen@law.pace.edu) as well as our email list and social media sites. Our Twitter handle is @PaceEnviroLaw and we invite you to “like” and follow us on Facebook. “Everyone here is enormously proud of our exceptional group of alumni,” notes Jason Czarnezki. “We ask that you help us grow our environmental alumni community, network with and mentor our students and recent graduates, and ensure that we continue to be a close-knit, supportive, and vibrant group!”

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @paceenvprogram @paceenviromoot @PaceEnviro_PELR @PaceEnvClinic @PaceEnviroLaw @EnergyPace @PaceEnvClinic @GlobalCELS @LandUseLC @PaceBAILE

Pace Law School pays tribute to Ronald H. Jensen, Professor of Law, who retired from teaching tax courses after the Fall 2014 semester. Professor Jensen joined the Pace Law School faculty in 1988 after practicing for 25 years with Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel. Many students took Federal Income Tax with Professor Jensen during his 26 years at Pace Law School. His enthusiasm for the subject matter was palpable in the classroom every day. In addition, he wrote law review articles on various aspects of tax law, including tax crimes, corporate tax, and the individual income tax. “Professor Jensen is a dedicated teacher, careful scholar and wonderful colleague. He leads by example, showing what it means to put students first and bring one’s greatest enthusiasm to the classroom every day. Professor Jensen’s quiet leadership will be missed.”—Professor Bridget J. Crawford

LEIGH ELLIS IS PUTTING her activist spirit to good use at Pace Law School. A 3L from Nebraska, Leigh found Pace when researching law schools with strong critical theory classes—she wanted not only to learn how to be a lawyer, but “to develop a critical lens through which to analyze and engage with the law in order to make changes to it.” Particularly interested in feminist legal theory, Leigh found Professor Bridget Crawford’s Feminist Law Professor’s blog and knew she’d found a home at Pace. “The great thing about Pace is that if you see a gap, something esoteric you want to learn about, your professors will find a way for you to do that,” she says. In her case, Professor Crawford facilitated a one-credit seminar to explore the application of gender-theorist Judith Butler’s postmodernism to the field of law. “Pace is an overlooked gem,” Leigh says. “There are opportunities here you would never find at a larger school.” As one of seven students participating in New York State’s new Pro Bono Scholars Program, Leigh is taking the bar exam as a student, after which she will work full-time for 12 weeks at Hudson Valley Legal Services. “I joined Pro Bono Scholars because I wanted to expedite the process of gaining legal credentials in order to serve the community,” she says. Leigh has been focused on social justice since her college days at American University, where she worked with grassroots organizations promoting women’s issues in Washington, D.C., and after college, in an arts organization in Omaha connecting art teachers and underserved communities. Leigh spent her first law school summer in legal services in the Bronx. For the first 40 days, her fellow attorneys were on strike, giving Leigh a crash course in union matters. Heading home for her second summer before focusing her career efforts in New York, Leigh worked at Nebraska Appleseed, one of the state’s leading public interest organizations doing policy and legislative work in immigration and labor law. She also spent time that summer working with a matrimonial firm, laying the groundwork for a challenge to Nebraska’s marriage equality law that was filed in 2014. On campus, Leigh participated in the new Neighborhood Justice Clinic where she worked under Professor Jason Parkin’s guidance on wage theft issues. “The clinic was a wonderful learning experience because you are provided with such great guidance and supervision. Professor Parkin’s feedback really helped my professionalism—how to write emails, how to interview. Additionally, he

STUDENT PROFILE

Leigh Ellis, 3L

“Pace is an overlooked gem... There are opportunities here you would never find at a larger school.”  taught me how to make complicated legal issues understandable to a client.” Leigh credits Professor Parkin with another unexpected life lesson. “He emphasizes collaborative lawyering—learning how to work together, how to communicate with your peers, how to handle a conflict that arises when people working together have different work styles.” “Before law school, I had no idea of what it meant to be a lawyer; everything I knew was based on ‘Law and Order.’ But I knew I wanted to serve the most vulnerable members of our community and, by extension, pursue public interest law. Law school was an extreme departure from my background in grassroots organizing, but I knew that there was value to understanding the legal system. In order to effectuate change, you need to know the language and rules by which systems of power, such as the law, operate.” When asked if she would recommend Pace to others, she says, “There is always value in a legal education. A law degree is a blank check of credibility. If you’re creative, that can translate to a number of different careers. Pace has a strong public interest program. If you have an interest in that field, and want to specialize and make a bigger impact, Pace is the place to do that.”

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE

Center Updates Pace Women’s Justice Center

 President Lv Zhongmei (Hubei University of Economics) and Gregory J. Marsden (Pace Law School) exchange the signed memorandum of agreement between their two institutions in Beijing, October 2014.

International Affairs and Graduate Programs This past year, the International Affairs and Graduate Programs signed an agreement with Hubei University of Economics (HBUE) in Wuhan, China. Under this agreement, Pace Law School will receive LLM students from HBUE starting in 20152016. In addition, HBEU is offering to hire Pace JDs for expat teaching positions in Legal English, American Law and Legal Writing. Gregory Marsden, Director of International Affairs and Graduate Programs at Pace, has been invited back to HBUE next spring to teach a short course on Drafting and Interpretation of International Contracts, which will be offered to students in HBUE’s Law School, Business School and School of Business Communication. The agreement was signed at a meeting in Beijing with HBUE President Dr. Lv Zhongmei, Vice-Chair of the People’s Consultative Conference for Hubei Province and one of China’s leading academics in the area of water law.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

The Pace Women’s Justice Center is going strong in its mission to eradicate domestic violence and elder abuse. In the past five years, PWJC has grown by over 50 percent and has become the largest organization providing free civil legal services exclusively to victims and survivors of domestic violence and elder abuse in Westchester and Putnam Counties. Recent expansion of our work includes a new training and direct services program that focuses on abuse later in life. This initiative was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women. In addition, PWJC was awarded a new grant from the New York State Office of Victims Services to help increase services in PWJC’s Family Court Legal Program, the externship program that utilizes Pace Law students in cases involving protective orders. In October 2014, PWJC’s annual “Making a Difference” dinner was again sold out for the third consecutive year. Our staff has grown to more than 25 full and part-time employees including 17 attorneys.

Land Use Law Center The Land Use Law Center held its 13th Annual Land Use Conference on December 6, 2014 on the topic of Transitioning Communities. The Conference addressed the challenges that municipalities in the region face including the changing demographic pattern, changing community needs, the impact of a shrinking or growing pattern of development, and the transitions between community environments. The Conference highlighted how communities are transitioning towards sustainability, disaster recovery, and revitalization. Close to 300 people attended the day-long event including attorneys, business professionals, and local leaders from across the region. Kaid Benfield, Special Counsel and the Natural Resource Defense Council, and Mitchell Silver, NYC Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, gave the morning and luncheon keynote addresses, speaking about eight

ways to think about greener, healthier communities and the future of parks and public space. The Land Use Law Center also announced this year’s recipient of its Groundbreaker’s Award to County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro. The Groundbreaker’s Award is given to a graduate of the Center’s Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA) Training Program who has done exemplary work in a community or region using the types of land use and decision-making tools and techniques taught in the LULA program. The Kheel Center and Land Use Law Center were also pleased to posthumously honor John Saccardi from VHB, Inc. with the 2014 Founder’s Award in recognition of his work in furthering sustainable planning and development in the region. During his illustrious practice, John exemplified the type of collaboration and spirit that the Kheel Center celebrates. The Center would like to thank all of its speakers and sponsors for their continued support and for providing an amazing program. You can visit the Land Use Law Center’s conference webpage at http://law. pace.edu/annual-conference-2014 for more information on its sponsors and to view the handouts and power point presentations that were made available by its presenters.

 PWJC staff and students observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month

 LULC recognized Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro (third from left) with its 2014 Groundbreaker’s Award. With him are John Nolon, Tiffany Zezula and Jessica Bacher.

A Visit with the Secretary Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson visited Pace Law School, delivering an address to the community as well as meeting with smaller groups of students and faculty. Here he discusses immigration reform with the Fellows from the Pace Community Law Practice.

SPRING 2015

STUDENT PROFILE

OF NOTE

Eileen Henry, 2L IF EILEEN HENRY’S VOICE sounds familiar, even the first time meeting her, it is likely because she is transitioning to a career in the law following a successful first career as an actress. While the 2L now focuses on her classes at Pace, her voice-overs on familiar commercials run on television every day. It was her work as an actress, however, that helped direct her to the law. “As an actress, I got involved with my unions— at the time, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television; they are now merged as SAG/AFTRA. I served in various volunteer leadership positions in SAG from about 1995– 2011,” she explains, adding, “I loved applying law to facts. The entire world runs on law and there was value in understanding this special language. And I enjoyed being an advocate.” Eileen is now putting that experience as an advocate to good use as a law student. Her current focus is Civil Rights law. This semester she will be serving an externship with Professors Randolph McLaughlin and Debra Cohen at Newman-Ferrara LLP, a New York City law firm that specializes in civil rights cases. It is a challenge to return to the role of student, she says, and being a “non-traditional” student has brought some surprises along the way. “Certainly, all law students face obstacles, but there are special issues/challenges for those of us over a certain age. This ranges from the small—who knew that in 2014 there’s only one space between a period at the end of a sentence and the beginning of a new one—to serious—how do you juggle family and work responsibilities AND find the time you need to spend on studies?” The non-traditional students tend to seek one another out and offer support for the common challenges they face and Eileen has found this to be very helpful. A huge advantage in juggling all her responsibilities—and part of the reason she chose Pace Law—is its location. Eileen and her husband live in Westchester County, making her drive to White Plains one of the easier parts of her day. “It started off as an easy decision. It was close to home and I

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

“What has always struck me about Pace is the overall atmosphere of support offered by all faculty and staff.”  didn’t want to commute into the city every day. But once I walked through the doors on the first day of orientation, I realized how lucky I was to benefit from this smaller campus environment. What has always struck me about Pace is the overall atmosphere of support offered by all faculty and staff. I feel extremely lucky to have landed at Pace.” Eileen isn’t sure yet of her plans for after law school. Her life has taken so many twists at this point that she is keeping her options open as she focuses on the daily demands of law school. And while she says she might not recommend such a circuitous path for others, she has no regrets. “I know I wouldn’t have stuck this out in my 20’s. So I guess, all things considered, I wouldn’t do anything differently. All the decisions I’ve made to date have contributed to the person I am today and I’m OK with that.”

New Faces at Pace This year brought a lot of new faces to Pace Law School. Visiting Professor Nadia Ahmad joined the environmental faculty following a legal fellowship in Colorado. Cecelia Caldeira joined our Admissions team as Associate Director, from Sugar Hill Capital Partners, LLC where she worked in their legal department. Janice Dean (Pace Law ’05) joined as Chief of Staff, after nine years with the New York State Attorney General’s Office where she worked in environmental enforcement. Amanda LaBarbera joined the Land Use Law Center as a part-time graduate fellow.

Cecelia Caldeira

Christine O’Neil joined the Environmental Litigation Clinic as an administrative assistant. The Pace Community Law Practice welcomed four fellows in September of 2014: Megan HopperRebegea, Alyson Kuritzky, Stephanie Ramos, and Seth Levy. Penelope De Castro Osorio joined as a PCLP Justice AmeriCorps Member. Jill Backer joined the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) from Brooklyn Law School, where she was in charge of Employer Outreach. Laura Torchio joined CCPD as Assistant Director. Laura worked most recently at Robinson & Cole, where her practice included all aspects of complex commercial litigation. Laura also provided pro bono assistance to asylum applicants. A bit of trivia about Laura—when needed, she also serves as a French interpreter. Leigh-Ann Todd-Enyame joined CCPD and the Public Interest Law Center as Project Coordinator, most recently from Gilda’s Club. Karl Rábago joined Pace Energy and Climate Center (PECC) as Executive Director. John Bowie (Pace Law ’14) joined PECC as Energy Law and Climate Advisor, building on his experience at PECC as a law student. David Gahl joined PECC as the Director of Strategic Engagement, representing the Center in the New York State Capital and throughout the region. Prior to joining the

Leigh-Ann Todd-Enyame

Center, David served as Deputy Director of Environmental Advocates of New

York, one of New York’s leading advocacy organizations, and ran the organization’s clean energy campaign. He also worked as a Senior Budget Analyst for the New York State Assembly Ways & Means Committee, and for the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. Dan Leonhardt joined PECC as a Senior Policy Associate. His prior role was Assistant Director of Energy Finance and Sustainability at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) where he was tasked with boosting quality of life for residents, increasing energy efficiency, and identifying cost savings for the $550M that NYCHA spends annually on energy and water. Berty Rodriguez and Jenny Turpin joined the Pace Women’s Justice Center as staff attorneys in the Bridge the Gap Program. Karen Sexton and Anne O’Beirne joined the Center as a part-time staff attorneys, and Alba Illescas, as a paralegal/ advocate, in the Pace Family Court Legal Program. Andrea Flink joined New Directions as part time Assistant Director. Michelle Sorena joined the Bursar’s Office as a specialist. Dan Schreiber joined Pace Law School as a PC-technician in Law IT. Jennifer Chin and Tiffany Shavis joined our team of faculty assistants.

Tiffany Shavis

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE Remembering Governor Mario Cuomo AS A THIRD YEAR LAW STUDENT AT PACE, Joe Marutollo (Pace ’10, now an attorney at the New York City Law Department) worked on the Pace Law Review as an Executive Articles Editor. In advance of the thirtieth anniversary of the Law Review, Joe and his fellow PLR editors tried to recruit as many high-profile authors as possible to write articles for the review. Joe decided to call Governor Mario Cuomo at his law office at Willkie Farr—assuming he would speak to the Governor’s legal secretary. Imagine Joe’s surprise when Governor Cuomo himself answered the phone. Joe quickly regrouped and asked the Governor to write for the Law Review, and Governor Cuomo—whom Joe describes as “extremely kind and down-to-earth”— readily agreed. The Governor sent a thoughtful piece about the soul of the legal profession, which was published in Pace Law Review’s 30th anniversary edition. We have provided an excerpt below.

Gradually, I fell head-over-heels in love with Our Lady of the Law. I found the beauty of the law’s logic and the reasonableness it could assure us…fascinating. I learned that sometimes the law has faltered. It’s protected slavery; permitted segregation; discouraged workers; tolerated exploitation, injustice, and unfairness. And at times, lawyers have manipulated the law unethically, using it only to further their own ambitions or their clients’ greed. But the more I practiced and learned about the law, the more I became enamored, not just because of its beauty and brilliance but because of all it was able to do to help make this country the great nation it has become.



Thanks to hundreds of thousands of lawyers living and working in virtual anonymity, seeing to it that the system works as it was designed to, the direction of the law in our modern era has been forward and upward toward the light. Overall, although hesitantly at times, the law has inexorably advanced the concept of liberty, secured the rights of the individual, protected the sanctity of conscience, defended our property, and protected and promoted the commerce that has made us the richest nation in world history. I learned all of that from books, but, in a small and personally satisfying way, it has been confirmed by my own experience. The first firm I worked for let me do some work pro bono for two separate defendants who had been sentenced to death. I was able to get both sentences commuted. On other occasions I was able to win back the homes of more than a hundred families in Corona, Queens, after they had been condemned by the City of New York for a project that would never be realized. And on another occasion I was able to prevent Robert Moses from needlessly closing down the businesses of a score of scrap dealers on the site of New York’s 1964-1965 World’s Fair. These were exciting cases especially because we won, and when we did I had the great satisfaction of seeing the smiles of my grateful clients—and in some cases even feeling the warmth of their embraces. It was easy to feel good about being a lawyer in situations like those. Little by little however, my respect for the law’s awesome capacity became broader and more profound. I didn’t need the heroic victories or precedent-setting decisions: I came to understand that just practicing law—helping it do its work of ordering our liberty and facilitating our human relationship—was enough to make me feel I was doing something truly useful. After all, billions of humans have come

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Each of us, every day, has the ability to do all that is possible for us to do to make things better, and lawyers have more of that ability than most.

and gone in world history. Billions are alive today. An infinitesimally small number of us can even be thought of as having succeeded in making a significant difference in the development of the world. But that’s not necessarily the test of our worthiness. No single soldier has ever won a war, or ever will, but millions were justified simply by doing all that they could do individually: marching with the right army, fighting for the right cause—even just preparing and waiting to serve—was enough. Each of us, every day, has the ability to do all that is possible for us to do to make things better, and lawyers have more of that ability than most. Through uncountable numbers of acts by uncountable numbers of human beings, history is made, for better or for worse. And thanks in significant part to our lawyers, it has been mostly for the better. Full article available at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1722&context=plr

Pro Bono Scholars Help Close the “Justice Gap” PACE LAW SCHOOL joined a statewide initiative that benefits our students and also benefits communities—the Pro Bono Scholars Program. Initiated by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman and announced in his 2014 State of the Judiciary address, the Pro Bono Scholars Program seeks to help fill what Judge Lippman calls the “justice gap,” the lack of legal services available to low- and middle-income individuals. The program allows students to spend their final semester of law school performing pro bono legal services, assisting clients who are financially unable to pay for legal representation. Seven third year law students make up the first class of Pace Law Pro Bono Scholars. In exchange for their semester of service, Pro Bono Scholars will be eligible to take the New York State bar examination in February of their

last year. Within a week after they took the exam, they began their service commitment of a minimum of 45 hours per week for 12 weeks—real world practical experience that gives the students an advantage in seeking employment, especially as they could be admitted to the practice as early as June 1, 2015. Pace’s Pro Bono Scholars will gain practical experience representing clients in a variety of legal matters at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, the Empire Justice Center, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, the Pace Women’s Justice Center and the Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic, one of Pace’s client representation clinics. Placements were selected with an eye to giving students substantial responsibility and meaningful supervision. The Pro Bono Scholars will also participate in a weekly seminar,

taught by Professor David Dorfman. The purpose of the academic component is to reflect on the work that the Scholars perform their placement, explore ethical obligations and further develop practice skills. Professor Gretchen Flint, the Executive Director of John Jay Legal Services and Faculty Supervisor of the Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic, has coordinated Pace Law School’s participation in the inaugural year of the Pro Bono Scholars Program. Speaking of the program, she said, “The Pro Bono Scholars Program gives our students the opportunity to provide meaningful legal services to the underserved while honing their practice skills and preparing for law practice. They will learn first-hand about the legal needs of the poor and will be prepared to fulfill their obligations for pro bono service throughout their careers.”

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE A New Leader at the Center for Career and Professional Development

STUDENT PROFILE

SEVERAL FLOORS ABOVE the vast financial and business district in downtown Manhattan, the managing partner of a global law firm outlined the challenges in recruiting lawyers prepared for the constantly changing needs of his firm and the diverse clients they

serve. His visitor responded with a comprehensive and compelling list of ways in which Pace Law School has been preparing students precisely for these types of demands, just as she had the day before at a midsized firm in Connecticut and before that at a Fortune

J. Justin Woods, JD/MPA, ’15 J. JUSTIN WOODS, PACE JD/MPA, ’15, says that aside from marrying his wife Jill and becoming a father, coming to Pace was the best decision he ever made. An outdoorsman with a career in municipal planning— and even a run for the Vermont State legislature while studying at Green Mountain College—Justin is making the most of Pace’s joint degree programs. By understanding all of Pace’s program options and planning his courses strategically, Justin is accelerating his studies and is on track to complete a JD/ MPA in two and a half years and an LLM in Environmental Law in an additional semester—a combination of programs that would traditionally take four and a half to five years. “Pace has been incredibly supportive and flexible, letting me craft and accelerate my own program.” To do this, Justin enrolled in Pace’s MPA program the summer before law school, took intersession classes each winter, and for-credit externships and night classes each summer (last summer interning with Professor McLaughlin and Professor Cohen at Newman Ferrara where he worked on cases involving “the intersection of land use and civil rights.”) Raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, a post-industrial northeastern city not far from the real life site of the case depicted in the book and movie “A Civil Action,” Justin describes how the legacy of environmental contamination was real to him, and how he developed an environmental ethic through the Boy Scouts and studying Aldo Leopold in college. After a career that saw him working on issues including

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

“Joining Pace as a seasoned professional— it’s exciting to be a student again.”  smart growth, brownfields remediation and redevelopment, affordable housing, and community and economic development, he said, “Jill and her mother encouraged me to follow my dream and go to law school.”

500 company in New Jersey. She was not seeking a job. Jill Backer, Pace Law’s new Assistant Dean for Career and Professional Development, was advocating on behalf of the School’s recent graduates. Counseling students and alumni on career and professional development has always been a priority at Pace Law. However, in the months since Dean David Yassky asked Jill to lead the Center for Career and Professional Development, the office has also been managing a more external and outward focus, telling the Pace Law story directly onsite in meetings at law firms, corporations and government agencies

Justin says he is exhilarated and inspired by Pace’s faculty on a daily basis. He is especially complimentary of Pace’s skills classes and simulations for pushing him to be proactive in his education, which he calls a rewarding journey. Particularly, Justin benefitted from Professor Carol’s tutelage in Legal Skills, and Professor Coplan’s guidance in Environmental Skills. “Joining Pace as a seasoned professional—it’s exciting to be a student again. I bring a unique perspective to the classroom because of my professional background, and that contributes to the diversity of people and perspectives at Pace, enabling us to have very vibrant discussions based on people’s different ideas, philosophies, and experiences.” Justin is also a Scholar at the Pace Land Use Law Center, where he is researching and writing about the intersection of legal, policy, and management issues related to urban revitalization, equitable development, and social justice. Working at the Center, Justin is mentored by Professor John Nolon and the Center’s other attorneys as he builds on his career as a planner, creating a unique niche and focus on planning and sustainable development law. The Land Use Law Center, coupled with Pace’s strong reputation for public service and social justice, made Pace the right fit for Justin. Justin is enjoying the intellectual stimulation of being back in school so much that he is considering pursing an SJD at Pace and then becoming a planning, public administration, or law professor.

in the Tri-State area and, increasingly, along the East Coast. “In addition to the important work of advising students and alumni, we’re aggressively pursuing other goals,” says Dean Yassky. “One is to ensure that employers understand precisely what Pace grads can offer. Another is to listen—to learn firsthand what employers seek from lawyers, so that we might continue to integrate those ideas into curriculum and clinics, and into our advice to students and alumni.” Jill joined Pace Law in September 2014 from Brooklyn Law School, where she initiated and developed relationships with legal employers for more than 12 years. Trained as a lawyer (she earned a J.D. from Quinnipiac and a B.A. from Marquette), Jill joins other attorneys in Career and Professional Development, including Nicole Moncayo ‘03, Elyse Moskowitz, Robye Margolius and Laura Torchio, and the recruitment coordinator, Lauren Vaccianna-Gordon. Each also collaborates with other Pace Law career development professionals. “Many law schools have some external networking relationships with employers,” Jill notes. “However, we stand out by advocating for our School, our students and our alumni directly in employer offices, and in the sheer volume of our outreach. At a minimum, we have a goal of 250 meetings per year—above and beyond the various events, on-campus recruiting and other communications that the School also manages. The office builds relationships in all of the fields in which Pace lawyers practice, and lists areas including labor and employment law, information technology and energy as being particularly active in hiring young lawyers, as well as emerging specialties continued on p 16 including compliance, data

SPRING 2015

OF NOTE “A Lawyer’s Journey” Author and CBS Legal Analyst Rikki Klieman talked with students about her career as an attorney. She was joined by her husband, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.

continued from p 15 privacy and cyber security. In addition to speaking directly with employers, the office also seeks out reliable data on broader hiring trends. “In certain practice areas such as elder law, we’ll read in media that it is ‘hot’ in terms of hiring,” Jill adds. “However, we’ll see that there really is no evidence of a meaningful number of new jobs in this practice area, or we’ll identify a specific subset of the area that is robust, and we’ll counsel students in that regard. We focus on the actual market, rather than guesswork and speculation.” On occasion, the team will run into a “credential conscious” employer, referring to the bias of some hiring managers toward a handful of top-tiered schools. “That happens. However, we are making real progress in encouraging prominent and growing employers to hire from Pace Law for the first time, or to increase their numbers. Over the past few months in New York City, American Transit, an insurer in the transporta-

…we stand out by advocating for our School, our students and our alumni directly in employer offices, and in the sheer volume of our outreach.

An International Effort Dean David Yassky and Dean Emeritus Richard Ottinger welcome Professor Dr. Wang Xi from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Wang Xi spoke of his efforts to amend the environmental laws in China.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

tion industry, and the Bronx District Attorney’s office each hired three of our recent graduates.” The team also encourages established alumni to consult with the office, particularly in reviewing online job postings at law-pace-csm.symplicity.com “On a regular basis, we actually receive—and post—a number of lateral positions appropriate for mid-career lawyers, and we want to be a valuable resource for all of our alumni.” “Our career development team is best in class. However, as with virtually every Pace Law initiative, alumni involvement is critical,” adds Yassky. “If you are in a position to consider our students and alumni for employment, or you can introduce us to hiring managers in your field, firm, agency or department, please contact me or Jill directly.”

PATRICK PAUL IS PASSIONATE ABOUT business and finance, but thought that pursuing a J.D. would be a better fit than an M.B.A. “I have a technical, detail-oriented mind. It seems that lawyers have the opportunity to plan new businesses, help them grow, and work collaboratively with all areas of a company. That appeals to me.” Patrick is following a track that focuses on Intellectual Property but also has interests in civil and human rights, and economic empowerment. He is on the e-boards for several IP and entertainment law associations on campus, as well as the Black Law Student Association (BLSA). Following undergraduate studies in International Business at Kean University in New Jersey, where he grew up, Patrick was drawn to the specificity of the Pace Law campus. “I prefer being somewhere where law is the only focus, as opposed to a campus with other undergraduate and graduate students.” While researching IP programs at law schools, Patrick felt a connection when he came across Vernon J. Brown ‘96, CPA, an adjunct faculty member in entertainment law at Pace. “Professor Brown is really well-known, and he’s worked with record labels and athletes that were familiar to me,” Patrick notes. (Brown established himself as one of the entertainment industry’s leading business managers by representing such artists as the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, urban soul singer D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and the Cash Money Records Empire.) “Knowing I could study under Professor Brown and learn from him really pushed me over the top and motivated me,” Patrick continues. “I’m looking forward to taking his Entertainment Law course next semester in the beginning of my 3L year. This spring, I’ll be clerking for an IP firm in Westchester County.” Patrick’s clinical and internship experiences, combined with work as a business manager for independent films during college, have significantly broadened and deepened his portfolio beyond traditional legal studies—and he is only midway through his J.D. work. He recalls his 1L summer, when he interned at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice in Newark, as one of the best experiences of his life. “I started my internship at the Institute for Social Justice the same day that its president and CEO, the human rights activist and attorney Cornell William Brooks, became national president and CEO of the NAACP. Along with research and other work, I put documents together and helped arrange expungements for convicted felons who served their time and were ready to reenter society and the

STUDENT PROFILE

Patrick Paul, 2L

“I’ve had amazing opportunities, and I always remind myself that it’s important to give back.”  workforce. I remember telling one man that his expungement went through and would be processed in the coming months. He was extremely grateful, this man who made a mistake in his teens. It resonated with me because he was someone who came from the same type of neighborhood that I grew up in, where one decision can change the course of your life. It was an emotional experience for me to help him put his life back on track.” Patrick also had a very positive experience working with the Pace Investor Rights Clinic (PIRC). He learned about PIRC from Michelle Robinson ‘14, then president of Pace’s BLSA. “I researched the clinic, and was impressed with what I learned and heard about Professors Jill Gross and Elissa Germaine. The semester was amazing. I’ve always been more interested in engaging with clients, but I knew it was also important to enhance my legal writing skills. I was able to do both while working on a personal financial case on behalf of a retired couple.” Patrick was awarded the PILC Public Interest Summer Fellowship by the Public Interest Law Students Organization, enabling him to devote last summer to non-profit public interest legal work. “It won’t be the last time,” he says. He notes that financial aid has helped finance his Pace Law education. “I’ve had amazing opportunities, and I always remind myself that it’s important to give back.”

SPRING 2015

Meet  David Yassky  Pace Law’s Transformative New Dean

BY LINDA BRANDT MYERS 18

MISSION: POSSIBLE HE TASK SEEMS AS DAUNTING AS A “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE” MOVIE (CUE THE tension-inducing percussion and brass, watch Tom Cruise hang from a helicopter by his fingernails). Unfortunately in real life the message won’t self-destruct in five seconds. The drop in jobs for graduates, and accompanying plunge in enrollment are all too persistent for most law schools these days, even as the economy recovers. Indeed, Bloomberg News just proclaimed that “it is probably the worst time in decades to be a law school.” But what may seem like a towering assignment is exactly the kind of challenge that excites and inspires David Yassky. “It’s going to be a ball,” he quipped when he took office last April as Pace Law School’s 10th dean. He brings to the job not just enthusiasm, but an impressive track record of driving change and tackling difficult problems—surprising skeptics in the process. “David has the complete package for a new type of dean in a new world of law where business as usual is not an option,” says Nicholas Allard, dean of Brooklyn Law School, where Dean Yassky was a faculty member in from 1998 to 2002. “In addition to his significant credentials in academic education he has a track record of transformational change in the public sector. He knows how to assess what needs to be done and how to do it.” Stephen Saxl, a litigator at Greenberg Traurig LLP, who has been a friend of Dean Yassky’s since Yale Law School, agrees. “David is able to enjoy academia at the highest level but at the same time has the people skills and practical sense to apply his thinking. I think both abilities will serve him well at Pace Law and make him a great dean.”

From Torts to Taxicabs, and Back Again Yassky comes to the Pace Law deanship after a remarkably varied career in law and government. After graduating from Princeton, where he majored in public policy, he worked for a year in New York City’s Office of Management and Budget. There he met and soon fell in love with Diana Fortuna (the couple married in 1990; she is now Deputy General Manager and CFO at the Metropolitan Opera). Yassky then enrolled at Yale Law School—where he fell in love a second time. “I just instantly felt at home studying law,” he now says. “This was a way of looking at the world that made deep and profound sense to me. I saw how you could use the law to move things forward.” After Yale he clerked for U.S. District Judge Stanley Sporkin, and went to work for then-Representative Charles Schumer, whom Dean Yassky calls “the most effective legislator of our time.” Schumer chaired the House Subcommittee on Crime, and Yassky served as the Subcommittee’s chief counsel, helping to pass the Brady Law, Assault Weapons Ban and Violence Against Women Act. Says Schumer of Dean Yassky: “David was the lynchpin on my House judiciary staff during a particularly critical and productive legislative period. He possesses the kind of multi-level intelligence—from legal analysis to political strategy to media savvy—that is fundamental to making smart and sound public policy as well as to leading a major educational institution.” After a stint in “BigLaw,” as an associate with the D.C. office of O’Melveny & Myers, Yassky accepted a tenure-track faculty position at Brooklyn Law School and moved with his family to Brooklyn in 1998 (by then he and Diana had two daughters, Susan and Margaret).

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

“I really enjoyed academia. I enjoyed the students enormously, and did some writing I felt was useful,” says Dean Yassky, who taught criminal and administrative law, and published scholarly articles on the Bill of Rights and federalism. He also remained active in his community as an advocate on gun control and environmental issues—and this work led him back into government. “There was an open seat for the New York City Council in the district that I live in, and I decided to take a shot at it,” he says, even though his opponent, a well-established political figure, was the odds-on favorite. “Summer is campaign season in New York, and my dean told me: ‘Fine, as long as you’re back teaching in the fall,’” relates Dean Yassky. “I’m pretty sure she assumed I would lose.” To the surprise of the Brooklyn dean, and many others, he was elected. The dean-to-be’s strategy? “I saw that if I mapped out the district, figured out where the votes came from and how I could appeal to those people, there was a path to win.” Says Professor Ted Janger, a former colleague and friend at Brooklyn Law School: “David is one of these thoughtful analytical people who’s great at solving puzzles and thinking creatively.” Yassky served on the City Council from 2002 to 2009. During that time he pushed through legislation that attracted more film and TV production to the city through tax incentives, reduced firearms trafficking by raising penalties against traffickers, and cut fraud by authorizing whistleblower suits against city contractors. His proudest achievement: using the zoning code to impel developers to create much-needed affordable housing. “The New York Times” warmly praised Yassky for his Council service, noting his “stellar record and ability to think creatively and then implement his ideas.” But Yassky’s most notable public contribution came after the City Council, when he served from 2010 through 2013 as commissioner of New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission under then-Mayor Bloomberg. (If you are a regular New York City taxi passenger, you probably recognize Yassky as the guy in the “taxi TV” ads telling you to buckle up.)

I just instantly felt at home studying law. This was a way of looking at the world that made deep and profound sense to me. I saw how you could use the law to move things forward.

SPRING 2015

MISSION: POSSIBLE

He has been out there aggressively, and I mean driven, courting our alums, going to law firms, going to companies, getting contacts and making inroads so he can get our students jobs. —PROFESSOR BENNETT GERSHMAN

Yassky effected an astonishing turnaround at the TLC that included replacing Manhattan’s aging fleet of yellow cabs with fuel-efficient taxis, and launching an entirely new program of taxi service to the city’s underserved outer boroughs. (Oh, and he got a rate increase for taxi drivers and back pay for those who had been bilked by fleet owners, too.) “Part of the strength of David’s leadership when he was at the helm of the TLC came from his impatience,” says Emily Gallo, Dean Yassky’s former chief of staff there, who is now chief of staff at the city’s Department of Transportation. “He wanted to accelerate projects as quickly as possible to bring about real improvements for the citizens, the taxi drivers, the owners—all of the stakeholders that we worked for,” Gallo says. “He didn’t accept the answer that, well, this is government, this is the typical timetable, this is how long things take. He remained focused on the big picture, even while he was handling the day-to-day challenges, putting out fires,” she says. Gallo also praised her former boss’ leadership style. “In meetings David would actively solicit opinions from his staff, ask what they thought. He really listened and tried to understand what people were saying, which gave a lot of validation to the work they were doing and made them feel that if they had concerns, he would certainly hear them.”

Energizing the Pace Law Network Yassky’s inclusive approach is already in evidence at Pace. “One primary goal for a law school dean is to enlist the support of alumni and bar leaders, along with motivating our internal team of faculty and staff,” says Yassky. “Pace Law School’s success really depends on getting our whole network energized and working together.” Says Pace alumnus David Wishengrad (JD ’05), partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in New York City: “Since Dean Yassky took the position last April he has exhibited an enormous amount of drive and enthusiasm and really seems to be a tireless worker, and very up for this challenge.” Wishengrad says he was impressed that Dean Yassky reached out to him and other Pace graduates his first week on the job. “He called up and told me he wanted to sit down and get my thoughts on the direction of the school, marketing efforts and that sort of thing. So he came down to my office, we chatted for about an hour and I decided to have a welcoming party for him at my law firm. The school invited a bunch of Pace alums from around New York, and it was terrific.” Judge Linda Jamieson (JD ’79), a member of Pace Law School’s Board of Visitors and part of the school’s first graduating class, calls Dean Yassky “a bright light. He wants our law school to thrive and not just survive.” She describes the new dean as “very creative, smart, optimistic and energetic, and that’s what we need, certainly in this economy and this market and the changes in the profession itself.” The new Dean is “very approachable, very down-to-earth, and he has a genuine interest in improving aspects of the school,” says Jennifer Gray (JD ’06), an associate at Keane & Beane P.C., who serves as secretary on Pace Law School’s alumni board. Gray says she has told the dean that her most valuable experiences at Pace Law were those involving experiential learning such as clinical programs, internships and externships. “One of his big points of emphasis is expanding and building upon those programs that set Pace apart,” Gray says. “I think that’s a good direction to go in because the market is changing. Employers want practice-ready

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

attorneys. We have to think outside the box to respond to market demands. I think he’s a great choice.” Professor Bennett Gershman, a founding faculty member at Pace Law, agrees that career preparation should be at the core of what law schools are about—and he hopes the dean will make that his focus. So far he’s impressed with what he’s seen. “David came in here with a tremendous feeling of confidence that he had what it takes to change our trajectory,” Professor Gershman says. “He has been out there aggressively, and I mean driven, courting our alums, going to law firms, going to companies, getting contacts and making inroads so he can get our students jobs. I think that’s a high priority. That will be the message that will attract students to our school—that we can train them effectively and get them in good jobs. And you know what? I think he’s doing it. It’s early but I already see signs that the Law School is moving in the right direction and gaining momentum.” “When Dean Yassky came he brought a new perspective on what a law education could be,” says Erik Roth, a third-year student. “I got invited to an alumni event at a law firm in New York City and got to hear him speak. It showed me that the Pace name mattered and it lasted beyond the buildings in White Plains and classes you were taking—so that if you went somewhere and met someone who’d gone to Pace, that would be meaningful. I think that one of his focuses is to help build that feeling among alumni and current students.” Roth applauds the dean for being open to new ideas, especially those related to finding jobs after graduation. And he is pleased that Dean Yassky’s chief of staff, Janice Dean, has put together a useful how-to jobs guide on the energy and law sector, an area he is especially interested in. Cayleigh Eckhardt, another third-year student, says she’d been too busy attending classes, editing the “Environmental Law Review” and organizing events for the program to take much notice of Pace Law School’s new dean initially. But after she was involved in organizing an event with a stellar guest speaker, where attendance had been disappointingly low, she got an email from Dean Yassky that lifted her spirits. “He wrote to all of the students about the importance of having community at the law school and how we could help build it by attending these events and staying informed about the different speakers and opportunities we have. I found it really inspiring. I thought, Wow, he just got here and he sees that! I actually wrote him back saying that I agreed, and that it was the first time I’d heard someone in charge at Pace Law discuss the importance of establishing more of a community on campus.”

The Path Forward Even with supportive alumni and a dedicated faculty, however, Yassky knows that the biggest challenge comes from rapid evolution in the marketplace. The legal economy still hasn’t recovered fully from the financial crisis, and many new lawyers have faced great difficulty in landing entry-level jobs. In turn, that has led many college graduates to shy away from pursuing a law degree; nationwide, applications to law school have dropped by more than half since 2010. “The challenges are real,” says Yassky, “but so are the opportunities. The world of legal education is changing dramatically, and the schools that adapt best to these changes will move up in the pecking order.”

SPRING 2015

MISSION: POSSIBLE

We are a relatively young law school, which I think is a real advantage in today’s environment. Pace Law has in its DNA a certain nimbleness and future orientation that I think is invigorating.

Yassky’s plan for Pace has three main components. First, he wants to build on the on the school’s curricular strengths, such as environmental law and real estate practice, and to develop new specialties in emerging areas like corporate compliance and digital security. “Environmental law is not just a passion for me,” he says. “It is a burgeoning area of practice, because every company today has to deal with environmental issues—they’re a component of practically every transaction.” Among Yassky’s first acts as Dean was to hire a new faculty member, Margot Pollans, to join the faculty’s existing, nationally renowned environmental scholars. “The time to hire is in a down market, when other schools are acting conservatively,” Yassky says. “That’s when you can nab a star like Margot.” Next, Yassky is responding to the changing job market by redoubling Pace’s focus on practical, hands-on learning. “The legal marketplace of today doesn’t give employers the same level of ability to train people that they had certainly 20 and 30 but even 10 years ago,” observes the dean. “Legal employers, law firms and businesses that hire lawyers all need law school graduates to be able to deliver value day one,” he asserts. “We have to incorporate more lawyering experience into the curriculum, not simply train students to think like lawyers but act like lawyers as well. “We do that a lot already at Pace, and have stood out from the beginning in our commitment to what educators would call skills education,” the dean points out. “It’s part of the philosophy of the place and is one of the things that drew me here. Now we have to take that even to the next level—incorporate it earlier and more fully into the curriculum.” During his first year at Pace Law School, Dean Yassky has already introduced new supervised externship programs in family law and in real estate law, and he plans to expand a “semester-in-practice” program approved by the faculty last spring. “Five years from now,” he says “I would like to see every graduate leave Pace Law School with a set of skills suited to a particular area of legal practice gained through a significant practice experience each one of them had while in law school.” The third prong of Yassky’s strategy is to keep tuition affordable, even as the nationwide drop in enrollment is pressuring law schools’ budgets. “It’s an enormous benefit to be part of Pace University, and to have its support to see us through this tough period in legal education,” he says, noting that “the University president, Steve Friedman, is a former Dean of the Law School and a passionate believer in legal education.” University funding, Yassky adds, “enables us to offer much more in scholarship dollars than we were able to do in the past. “We understand that a legal education is a real investment of time and money for a young person,” Yassky says. “We take that seriously, and work hard to live up to the obligation to help our students earn a return on that investment.”

Why He’s Optimistic Yassky acknowledges that achieving the progressive changes he envisions won’t be easy. “The institutional structure of a law school, and ours is no exception, makes change slow and difficult because academia is built to be insulated from change,” he notes. “There’s a thousand-year tradition of universities carrying forward the culture, despite the vicissitudes of politics and the economy of whatever day it is.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

“At the same time, Pace Law School, and law schools in general, have to be able to move with the times and adapt, especially now when the economics of law practice have changed. So a big part of my job is helping the faculty to adapt as quickly as we need to—in a good way,” Yassky explains. Yassky also believes that Pace is better positioned than most law schools to successfully navigate the changing environment. “We are a relatively young law school, which I think is a real advantage in today’s environment,” he says. “Pace Law has in its DNA a certain nimbleness and future orientation that I think is invigorating.” He also takes heart from his conviction that law schools will regain their cachet before too long—driven by a resurgence in legal jobs. “People with law degrees still have substantially higher earning power than people without them,” the dean asserts. “It is a degree that continues to confer a substantial boost to earning power, perhaps not at the amounts it once did but still at a very healthy level. “We know that people doing the fundamental work that law schools train their students to do are needed more than ever, and will continue to be more needed,” he says. “And we know that businesses must deal much more with regulation today than they did as recently as 10 years ago or more, which means they need more people with legal training to do that work than they did a decade ago or longer. “What we don’t yet know is how that work will be organized,” Dean Yassky says. “Some of it may shift from law firms to in-house lawyers at those companies that need them; or from law firms to specialized legal services organizations that do a portion of the legal work that needs doing, such as discovery or research.” Brooklyn Law Dean Allard concurs: “David and I share a larger vision that, contrary to popular opinion and its cousin, conventional wisdom, lawyers have always been important to our country, and they will be even more important in the future. We need lawyers to sustain economic growth and opportunity more than ever.”

A New Dean Settles In Dean Yassky’s early accomplishments are winning praise in the legal community. “David has serious academic chops and intellectual focus as well as an educational and administrative vision,” says Brooklyn’s Janger. “He understands not just what a law school is but what the students are going to be doing when they go out into the world. And he knows how to sell an academic mission to the marketplace.” And Dean Yassky is certainly starting to look very much at home in his new Mission Impossible post, creating community and consensus while keeping in his sights the biggest mission: more jobs for Pace Law School graduates. “From my time in government, I found that I really loved and was good at seeing how an institution should be evolving and changing, and helping to move that change forward. This job [the deanship] allows me to do just that—take on a leadership role in the service of a goal I deeply believe in—so it’s kind of perfect. “ It is, of course, too early for the triumphal trumpets or the closing credits. But right now, that mission is looking a lot more possible. Linda Brandt Myers is a contributing writer to Pace Law School Magazine. She lives in Ithaca, N.Y.

SPRING 2015

FACULTY Immigration: A Conversation with Professor Vanessa Merton

What is the landscape of immigration today?

 A busy day at the Immigration Justice Clinic

LONG AN ADVOCATE for immigration reform, both in and out of the classroom, Professor Vanessa Merton infuses her students with an appreciation for the historical context and economic implications of American immigration law, as she inspires a commitment to work towards assuring basic legal representation and development of a regulatory system that prioritizes equity and consistency, even in changing political times. At Pace Law School, Professor Merton directs the Immigration Justice Clinic (IJC). Student attorneys, authorized to practice law under faculty supervision, handle the immigration law problems of indigent people in the lower Hudson Valley. The students represent clients before federal agencies, Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Second Circuit, and even the U.S. Supreme Court. The IJC’s overall job, Professor Merton likes to say, is law enforcement: making sure that the U.S. government obeys its own laws. President Obama’s recent immigration policy announcements have created a tidal wave of discussion so we sat down with Professor Merton to gather her views.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

First, it’s important to understand that recent policy changes come after the absence of responsible lawmaking for a generation, and an unwillingness in Washington to honestly discuss the role of immigrants in the American economy. We harbor paradoxical views. On one hand, business leaders support increases in the availability of skilled workers, including workers in key industries (food processing, agriculture) that are unable to attract a sufficient workforce composed solely of U.S. citizens. At the same time, we hear vehement attribution of unemployment and wage stagnation primarily to excessive immigration. Of course it can be argued that if industries would increase their wages and improve working conditions, immigrant populations would not be the only people willing to take these jobs. This is the economic conundrum no one wants to acknowledge: higher compensation and better conditions could attract American-born or U.S. citizen workers but the products would then become too expensive to be competitive. Unless we reinstate tariffs, improvements on a significant scale would impede our competitive position in the world marketplace. The last thing I want to do is apologize for the appalling conditions in which many noncitizen workers live and work. Rather the role of government should be to help achieve a sweet spot of decent conditions, risk reduction, and fundamental worker rights, to protect public safety and health as much as the workers. All of these factors have to be considered when devising sensible immigration law and policy. In recent years, President Obama has taken a number of steps to refine his immigration agenda. What are your views on his recent actions? continued on p 28

NOT EVERYONE HAS the good fortune Jay Carlisle did when he arrived in White Plains—the first person he met was Henry Miller, the legendary trial attorney and past president of the Westchester County Bar Association. That meeting may have portended Professor Carlisle’s successful New York career; virtually no Pace professor maintains more of an active role in the State’s legal community—or has more admirers among alumni. Asked why he has such a loyal following among alumni, Professor Carlisle (or Jay, as he insists alums call him) says he thinks it’s because he remains present—a frequent CLE presenter, he is very active in bar associations where he continues to see and interact with Pace alumni, and he shares professional roles with former students. “I stay in touch,” he says. The admiration Pace alumni feel for Jay is returned in spades. “One of the most interesting things I’ve observed over the years is watching the school’s reputation grow—our graduates are doing outstanding things, they’ve argued in the United States Supreme Court, they occupy major governmental positions, they are sitting New York State Supreme Court justices, even on the Appellate Term now. Malachy E. Mannion (’79) was recently appointed by President Obama as a United States District Court Judge in Pennsylvania. Several are teaching in law schools. There’s a lag period for the community to catch up with what’s going on here.” A little-known fact about Jay is that he was on the short list for a federal district judgeship in 1993. The bench’s loss was New York’s gain. One of only two academics in the post, he is a commissioner on the NYS Law Revision Commission, responding to requests by the governor and key legislators to enact legislation; and is also referee for the Commission on Judicial Conduct, hearing cases brought against sitting judges (the Court of Appeals once upheld him and reversed the Commission). But Jay’s proudest professional accomplishment isn’t helping make new laws, serving on numerous bar association committees, or adjudicating judicial misconduct. It is when the Class of 2001 asked him to be commencement speaker. “I know this sounds strange, but it was really something. It was really an honor,” he says (“Graduation Remarks” was published at 22 Pace L. Rev. 385 (2002)). The graduating classes of 1990, 1997 and 2013 also selected him as an outstanding professor, the Barbara Salken Award. “I am very proud of being a three time recipient of the award named in honor of one of our greatest classroom teachers,” he says. Asked about the current status of the law school, Jay says, “there is no doubt that legal edu-

F A C U LT Y P R O F I L E

Professor Jay Carlisle

cation is in a crisis. Question is, what do we do? Pace has one distinct advantage—as a new law school, we had to improvise in order to survive during our early years. We established Centers, which were new to legal education. We made use of contract and visiting professors. We were willing to experiment—we were less hued to the past, to tradition. We were willing to take chances. That gives us an institutional culture that is different than other law schools. Whatever happens, we will be able to adapt better. It’s in our bones, our DNA.” Jay would like to see alumni more involved in the future of Pace Law School. “It’s their school,” he says. “The extent to which we survive the crisis depends in a large degree on them and their willingness to support and sustain the school. It will benefit them in the long run, more so than people like me.” Jay practices what he preaches. He recently made a substantial financial contribution to his own alma mater, U.C. Davis Law School. Professor Carlisle’s wife of 30 years, Janessa Nisley, died last year. Many alumni came to know her, a successful attorney herself, because the Carlisle’s entertained students and alums at their home. Condolences came in from Pace alumni and faculty. “Pace is like a family to me,” Jay says. He recalls, “In 1979, we had no alumni, we had no track record. Yet, the founding faculty believed we had a good law school. We were willing to bank our careers on that fact. We’re so ahead of that now, we’ve achieved so much. The promise of success is so clear in my mind—I learn something from my students every day. Students teach me. I never know what to expect. All I expect of them is that they be prepared. And they usually are.”

SPRING 2015

FACULTY continued from p 26 The President is in a unique constitutional position because immigration is uniquely within the role of the Executive. We need flexible, adaptive regulations because they become obsolete quickly and need to be updated continually. All modern Presidents have used the vast discretion reposed in them by the Constitution to revise regulations and decide on priorities for enforcement of the law. Aided by hundreds of law professors, President Obama did a very careful analysis—as only an ex-law professor could do—of his executive powers to identify precisely what he could lawfully do to relieve the enormous misallocation of enforcement resources. From the perspective of an immigrant advocate, President Obama has both a deplorable and an outstanding record. By the time he leaves office, he is on track to have deported over two million

We need flexible, adaptive regulations because they become obsolete quickly and need to be updated continually.

tion Policy. You have the responsibility to devise the most effective immigration system, in the interest of the country and in the interest of justice.” I give them a list of 25 types of people with different characteristics and they have to rank them in terms of their desirability for admission to the U.S. They also have to identify the characteristics that account for their rankings. I count it a success if, during that assignment, students decide that one of the characteristics that should NOT determine admissibility is what country the immigrant comes from. It is pernicious to ration access to coveted spots in the U.S. based on country of origin. Have you seen Pace students changing answers to this question over time? Yes. Pace is blessed to have a significant number of students who are immigrants, from immigrant families, and for whom these issues are immediate and concrete. When students develop an understanding of the real impact of immigrants on this country, their views of policy begin to evolve. I find they begin to see the need for a less punitive and less simplistic system. How has the clinic responded to recent events?

people, more than any other president. But he has been willing to ask the key question: are we removing the people we most want to remove—the terrorists, the multiple felons, the drug and human traffickers? Or are we removing the hard-working folks who support their families and contribute to the regeneration of our country, particularly in rural America? Are we removing the students who have lived in this country most of their lives, just when they are finishing their studies and could contribute to our economy, which desperately needs educated workers? President Obama is trying to get these latter groups moved to the bottom of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s docket, freeing up resources to concentrate on the truly dangerous. How do you bring these issues into your teaching? In addition to representing clients, seminar students are told: “You are the U.S. Czar of Immigra-

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

In our area, there are very few providers of free legal representation for immigrants but we have coordinated efforts with these partners. We are part of a pro bono coalition to assist unaccompanied immigrant children—a crisis generated by the lawlessness and violence rampant in Central America. We collaborate with the White Plains branch of Greenberg Traurig, the Pace Community Law Practice, and the Empire Justice Center to assess the need and meet it with efficient division of labor. IJC students are also informing people of their various options at community education sessions in local schools, libraries, and houses of worship. These programs go a long way to make our eventual legal representation more efficient and help keep community members from falling into the clutches of the rip-off artists and rogue lawyers who prey on immigrants. We provide as much as we can responsibly do, commensurate with the educational purpose of a clinical program.

DID YOU SUBMIT an amicus brief for the United States Supreme Court while a Pace student? If you were among the three lucky students in Professor Jill Gross’s Pace Investor Rights Clinic last year, you did. As the brief told the Court, the Investor Rights Clinic (PIRC) opened in 1997 as the nation’s first law school clinic in which students receive academic credit while working pro bono, under close faculty supervision, representing individual investors of modest means in arbitrable securities disputes. PIRC also educates the investing public and advocates on behalf of individual investors through comments to regulators’ rulemaking proposals that are written by students from the perspective of the investor of modest means. Professor Gross is behind PIRC’s national presence in investor education. She has secured more than $1 million in grant money for investor education during her 15 years overseeing PIRC, formerly known as the Securities Arbitration Clinic. She also has overseen Pace students publishing education tools like “Investor’s Guide To Securities Industry Disputes: How to Prevent and Resolve Disputes with Your Broker.” “Clinic students have recovered more than $300,000 for clients over time,” Professor Gross says. But these figures—$1 million, $300,000, 200 (number of clinic students she has supervised over the years)—are not the biggest source of pride for Professor Gross. “Phone calls or emails from alums, hearing about moments in their practice when they realized they applied knowledge they learned in my class or clinic, those are my proudest moments,” she says. The clinic is only part of Professor Gross’s portfolio at Pace. In 2010, Dean Michelle Simon appointed her Director of Legal Skills, to provide leadership in the then-disparate legal skills programs and create strategy to synergize skills classes and externships. “Lawyering skills” include interviewing, counseling, oral advocacy, and trial advocacy skills. “Experiential education, as opposed to doctrinal Socratic teaching, involves any time the student is engaged in the task instead of being lectured about the task,” explains Professor Gross. “We view skills as a continuum, beginning in the first year with legal research and writing not treated as a separate program but as a feeder into upper level skills programs. At the upper level, we build on legal writing, offering a full range of experiences, from simulations to externships to clinics.” The program also includes “specialty practice courses” such as matrimonial practice, where students learn procedure including what to do in family court and how to draft a model divorce agreement, as well as Surrogate’s practice, patent practice, and trademark practice.

F A C U LT Y P R O F I L E

Professor Jill Gross

“I could not be more grateful to Professor Gross for teaching me to be a lawyer—to think on my feet and to provide an answer with grace,” shared Jaclyn Weissgerber ’14. “She was by far the most influential professor I had at Pace, and as a new member of the bar, I now have the honor to call her my colleague and friend.” Professor Gross has held other leadership posts at Pace. At this year’s Leadership Dinner, she will be honored with the Faculty Achievement Award, in part for chairing the committee that conducted an exhaustive self-study required every seven years as part of the school’s reaccreditation process. She was also named the James D. Hopkins Professor of Law for the 2013-2015 academic years, an honor bestowed on the professor who has made extraordinary contributions to the school in the areas of scholarship and teaching. Professor Gross delivered the 2014 Hopkins Lecture, “Setting the Record Straight: The Supreme Court and 21st Century Arbitration” (video at law.pace.edu). Professor Gross argued that the Supreme Court’s refusal to engage with and recognize the current practice of arbitration has fueled the Court’s misinterpretation of the Federal Arbitration Act, which negatively impacts disputants in arbitration and contributes to the widely held perception that arbitration is unfair. She is an active arbitrator and active in alternative dispute resolution, regularly contributing to the ADR blog (www.indisputably.org). Professor Gross points out that years before legal education suffered criticism for lack of skills training, “Pace was an early adopter of unitary tenure track clinical and doctrinal professors, to reflect the value Pace places on skills education.” When asked where Pace falls in the arc of legal history of skills training, Professor Gross says simply, “Pace was at the forefront.”

SPRING 2015

FACULTY

The Paradox of Race-Conscious Labels BY LESLIE YALOF GARFIELD

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A LABEL MAKES! In the recently racial complacency and a sense that society need no decided Fisher v. Texas case, a majority of the Supreme longer pursue its quest to undo the lingering effects Court defined Texas’s Top Ten Percent Law as a raceof discrimination. neutral means of achieving viewpoint diversity. This In determining the appropriate label to apply, a law guarantees admission to leading public universireviewing court considers the impact that the law has ties for every Texas student who graduates in the top on race and/or the State’s motivation for adopting the 10% of his or her high school graduating class. The law. Legally, a label will dictate the level of scrutiny goal of this law is to achieve viewpoint diversity in to which the Court will subject the program. And as the state’s higher education systems, which it does by previously stated, the level of scrutiny can portend a relying on Texas’s diverse school system to colleclaw’s constitutionality. tively produce a diverse entering class. By categorizBecause race-conscious laws are subject to the ing the Top Ten Percent Law as racestrictest scrutiny, and race-neutral laws neutral rather than race-conscious, the are only subject to the rational basis Court excused Texas from defending test, the label to which a court ascribes its diversity initiative against a rigora particular program has a substantial I would rather ous equal protection challenge, leaving impact on the level of review to which the Law intact. In her singular dissent, it will be subjected. be a man Justice Ginsburg took issue with the An unfortunate paradox arises of paradoxes Court’s characterization of the Top Ten when courts assign a race-neutral Percent Law as race-neutral. label to a race-conscious law. Neutralthan a man In my recent article, published by ity makes the Law more politically of prejudices. the Brooklyn Law Review, I argue that palpable. A race-neutral label ushers labeling affirmative action laws with the Law into the seemingly innocuous — JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU integrity is a hopelessly paradoxical rational basis review. But a race-neutral pursuit, and use Texas’s Top Ten Perlabel also washes away the gains made cent Law and subsequent litigation as through civil rights initiatives and Sua case study. preme Court doctrine. Legally, race-conscious legislation faces the Regardless of whether the Court designates a law almost insurmountable hurdle of strict scrutiny as race-conscious or race-neutral, its unbiased labels review. Politically, it serves to undermine the type of create very biased results… but Justice Ginsburg’s disconsensus that a race-neutral label could more easily sent echoes the words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; she garner. Justice Ginsburg’s race-conscious designation, would “rather be a [wo]man of paradoxes than a [wo] therefore, threatens to dismantle a diversity initiative man of prejudices.” that a majority of the Court is poised to uphold. On Read Professor Garfield’s article in its entirety at Pace Digital the other hand, a race-neutral label, while guaranteeCommons: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/971/ ing the Law’s likely constitutional approval, signals

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Pace Law Faculty Publications (2014) BOOKS John R. Nolon Protecting The Environment Through Land Use Law: Standing Ground (2014).

BOOK CHAPTERS Garfield, Leslie Yalof Leslie Yalof Garfield, Supreme Court Guidance on Affirmative Action from 2003 to 2013: An Analysis of the Implications Arising from Gratz v. Bollinger (2003), Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (2007), and Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (2013), in Controversies In Affirmative Action 201 (James A. Beckman ed., 2014). Gershman, Bennett L. Bennett L. Gershman, The Prosecutor’s Contribution to Wrongful Convictions, in Examining Wrongful Convictions: Stepping Back, Moving Forward 109 (Allison D. Redlich et al. eds., 2014).

David N. Cassuto, The Right to Water in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights, Int’l Envtl. L. News., Fall/ Winter 2014, at 20 (with Carolina de Mendonça Guerios).

Greenawalt, Alexander K.A.

Coplan, Karl S.

Jill I. Gross, The Improbable Birth and Conceivable Death of the Securities Arbitration Clinic, 15 Cardozo J. Conflict Resol. 597 (2014).

Karl S. Coplan, Citizen Litigants Citizen Regulators: Four Cases Where Citizen Suits Drove Development of Clean Water Law, 25 Colo. Nat. Resources Energy & Envtl. L. Rev. 61 (2014). Crawford, Bridget J. Bridget J. Crawford, Law Review Articles You Should Have Read in 2013 (But Probably Didn’t), 143 Tax Notes 1305 (2014). Bridget J. Crawford, A Critical Research Agenda for Wills, Trusts and Estates, Real Prop. Prob. & Tr. J. (2014) (with Anthony C. Infanti). Bridget J. Crawford, Planning with Portability Do-Overs (But Only for a Limited Time), 143 Tax Notes 117 (2014) (with Jonathan Blattmachr).

Newman, Marie Stefanini

Czarnezki, Jason J.

Book chapters Marie Stefanini Newman, CISG Sources and Researching the CISG, in International Sales Law: A Global Challenge 37 (Larry DiMatteo ed., 2014).

Jason J. Czarnezki, Greenwashing and SelfDeclared Seafood Ecolabels, 28 Tul. Envtl. L.j. 37 (2014) (with Andrew Homan & Meghan Jeans).

Robinson, Nicholas A.

Donald L. Doernberg, Horton the Elephant Interprets the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: How the Federal Courts Sometimes Do and Always Should Understand Them, 42 Hofstra L. Rev. 799 (2014).

Nicholas A. Robinson, The Charter of the Forest: Evolving Human Rights in Nature, in Magna Carta And The Rule Of Law (Daniel Barstow Magraw et al. eds. 2014).

ARTICLES Bartow, Ann Ann Bartow, A Restatement of Copyright Law As More Independent and Stable Treatise, 79 Brook. L. Rev. 457 (2014). Ben-Asher, Noa Noa Ben-Asher, Conferring Dignity: The Metamorphosis of the Legal Homosexual, 37 Harv. J.l. & Gender 243 (2014). Carlisle, Jay C. Jay C. Carlisle, Seeking Justice in the Empire State: Court of Appeals Broadens the Reach of Long Arm Jurisdiction and Clarifies the Statutory Guidelines for Application of CPLR Section 302(A)(1), 77 Alb. L. Rev. 89 (2014). Jay C. Carlisle, The New York Court of Appeals Visits (and Then Revisits) the Preclusive Impact of Administrative Findings of Fact in Subsequent State Court Actions, Westchester Law., Nov. 2014, At 8 (with Natia Daviti). Cassuto, David N. David N. Cassuto, Foreword, 31 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 399 (2014).

Doernberg, Donald L.

Fentiman, Linda C. Linda C. Fentiman, Are Mothers Hazardous to Their Children’s Health?: Law, Culture, and the Framing of Risk, 21 Va. J. Soc. Pol’y & L. 295 (2014). Linda C. Fentiman, Sex, Science, and the Age of Anxiety, 92 Neb. L. Rev. 455 (2014). Fishman, James J. James J. Fishman, What Went Wrong: Prudent Management of Endowment Funds and Imprudent Endowment Investing Policies, 40 J.C. & U.l. 199 (2014).

Alexander K.A. Greenawalt, International Criminal Law for Retributivists, 35 U. PA. J. Int’l L. (2014). Gross, Jill I.

Lund, Andrew C.W. Andrew C.W. Lund, Pay as Risk Regulation, 41 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 609 (2014). Andrew C.W. Lund, Do Outside Directors Face Labor Market Consequences? A Natural Experiment from the Financial Crisis, 4 Harv. Bus. L. Rev. 53 (2014) (with Steven Davidoff & Rob Schonlau). Mushlin, Michael B. Michael B. Mushlin, “I Am Opposed to this Procedure”: How Kafka’s In the Penal Colony Illuminates the Current Debate about Solitary Confinement and Oversight of American Prisons, Or. L. Rev. (forthcoming 2014). Nolon, John R. John R. Nolon, Highest Court in New York Affirms Local Power to Regulate Hydrofracking, 15 N.y. Zoning L. & Prac. Rep., Sept./Oct. 2014, At 1 (with Jessica A. Bacher). John R. Nolon, Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing: A Role for Local Zoning?, Zoning & Plan. L. Rep., Sept./Oct. 2014, at 1 (with Jessica A. Bacher). John R. Nolon, Sea-Level Rise and the Legacy of Lucas: Planning for an Uncertain Future, 66 Plan. & Envtl. L. 3 (2014). Parkin, Jason Jason Parkin, Due Process Disaggregation, 90 Notre Dame L. Rev. (forthcoming 2014). Robinson, Nicholas A. Nicholas A. Robinson, Fundamental Principles of Law for the Anthropocene?, 44 Envtl. Pol’y & L. 13 (2014). Nicholas A. Robinson, In Memoriam: David Sive (1922-2014) and Joseph Sax (1936-2014), 44 Envtl. L. Rep. 10929 (2014). Nicholas A. Robinson, The Resilience Principle, 5 Iucn Acad. Envtl. L. Ejournal 19 (2014).

Garfield, Leslie Yalof

Rosenblum, Darren

Leslie Yalof Garfield, The Paradox of RaceConscious Labels, 79 Brook. L. Rev. 1523 (2014).

Darren Rosenblum, Comparative Sex Regimes and Corporate Governance: An Introduction, 26 Pace Int’l L. Rev. 1 (2014).

Gershman, Bennett L.

Sobie, Merril

Bennett L. Gershman, Threats and Bullying by Prosecutors, 46 Loy. U. Chi. L.J. 327 (2014).

Merril Sobie, Why Full Implementation Is Long Overdue, Crim. Just., Fall 2014, at 23 (with John D. Elliott).

Green, Shelby D. Shelby D. Green, No Entry to the Public Lands: Towards a Theory of Public Trust Servitude for a Way Over Abutting Private Land, 14 Wyo. L. Rev. 19 (2014).

Yassky, David S. David S. Yassky, Learning from Washington: A New Approach to Analyzing the Structure of New York City’s Government, 58 N.y. L. Sch. L. Rev. 71 (2014).

SPRING 2015

ALUMNI EVENTS Washington, D.C. Environmental Law Externship On July 8, 2014, Pace Law School celebrated the Washington, DC Environmental Law Externship. The DC firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP hosted a celebration for the externship program, co-sponsored by Pace Law School’s Development & Alumni Relations Office, Center for Career Development, and Center for Environmental Legal Studies. Students, faculty, and alumni attended, including many past participants in the program.

Environmental Happy Hour On July 17, 2014, environmental alumni, faculty, and staff gathered for happy hour at Café Centro’s Outdoor Terrace at Grand Central Terminal in NYC.

Countdown Countdown to Graduation was held on April 24, 2014 at Vintage Bar. In attendance were members of the 2014 graduating class, Pace Law alumni, members of the Pace Law School Alumni Board, Dean David Yassky, faculty, and staff.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Litigation Reception A litigation themed alumni reception was held on April 2, 2014 at Vintage Bar in White Plains. Prospective students, current students, alumni, and professors attended for an evening of networking.

Connecticut Alumni Reception A Connecticut Alumni Reception was hosted by Kent S. Nevins, Esq. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;85 and his firm, Shipman & Goodwin LLP in Stamford, CT.

Meet the Judges 2014 Meet the Judges was held on October 30, 2014 at Pace Law School. This is an annual event presented by the Westchester County Bar Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Lawyers Section and Pace Law School. Judges from the Ninth Judicial District at all levels gather and interact with Pace Law students, alumni, and local attorneys.

SPRING 2015

ALUMNI EVENTS

NYSBA Reception A special alumni reception was held on January 28, 2014, in conjunction with the New York State Bar Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Meeting at Faces & Names in NYC.

Leadership Awards Dinner The 19th annual dinner celebrated Pace Law School and took place on February 26, 2014, at the Hilton Westchester. The honorees for the evening were Bradford W. Hildebrandt, Chairman of Hildebrandt Consulting LLC and Pace Law alumna Judith E. Turkel, Esq. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;81, Partner at Turkel Forman LLP.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Reunion 2014 Alumni and friends of the Classes of 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009 returned to White Plains on the evening of September 6, 2014, to renew friendships and share stories at 42 The Restaurant atop the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In the lounge and bar of 42, members of the reunion classes, Dean David Yassky and esteemed members of the faculty gathered. Memories were shared and personal and professional milestones were recounted. We look forward to welcoming alumni from the Classes of 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 to Reunion 2015 on October 3 at 42 The Restaurant.

SPRING 2015

CLASS NOTES 1979 Victor J. Alfieri, Jr. i s County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Judge in Rockland County. Within the past year he has tried 15 jury and non-jury cases involving matrimonial, auto accidents, medical malpractice, contract, slip/fall, and other tort cases. Judge Alfieri was an honoree of the Rockland County Bar Association and inducted into the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame. He also served as a volunteer E.M.T. with the local Ambulance Corps and Rescue Squad. Judge Alfieri is President-Elect of the N.Y.S. County Court Judges Association. Genoveffa Flagello is Associate Attorney for the New York State Second Department Mental Hygiene Legal Service. She has enjoyed representing Respondents in Article 81 guardianship proceedings in Westchester County Supreme Court.

1980

Marc E. Fleischman is the 20142015 President of the Rotary Club of Montecito, a chapter of the worldwide service organization Rotary International. The Founder and principal in the Law Offices of Marc E. Fleischman, a law practice limited to corporate, commercial, real estate and international matters, he was sworn in as president in July and will serve through June 2015. Last year, he served as the Vice President. In addition to his service as a Rotarian, Mr. Fleischman works as an adjunct professor of Business and Law in the undergraduate and MBA programs at SBB College in Santa Barbara and an adjunct professor at Brooks Institute in Ventura. He has also taught Remedies at Southern California Institute of Law. Prior to starting his own firm, Marc began his professional career at the law firm Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine, and moved to the firm’s Los Angeles office in 1989. In 1991, he became general counsel and corporate secretary to the international minerals company World Minerals Inc. While there, he rose to Executive Vice President and remained the chief legal officer. For more information about the club, visit www.montecitorotary.org.

Charles S. Lopresto was elected a Justice to the Supreme Court of the State of New York in 2012 and presides in Queens County, Criminal Term. From 2008-2012, he was the Supervising Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York for Queens County.

1981

Nada K. Sizemore aka Nada K. Morin received the 2014 Ladder Award from the Connecticut Bar Association Women in the Law Section in association with the Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section. The Award was received at the annual Pathways to Leadership for Women in the Law event. This Award “honors a female attorney in Connecticut who has demonstrated exceptional leadership affecting women.” Nada was recognized for her “outstanding contributions toward leadership development and empowerment of young attorneys, most notably her aggressive recruiting, hiring, training, and mentoring of young female attorneys throughout her many years of practice.”

Judith E. Turkel was honored at the National LGBT Bar Association’s 2014 Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair in August. Judith was presented with the 2014 Leading Practitioner Award. This Award is “presented to honor an attorney for improving the lives of the members of the LGBT community through outstanding legal work, demonstrated by a longstanding commitment to providing legal services of a high quality to the LGBT community; by commitment to significant pro bono work for the LGBT community; or by leadership in significant impact litigation while engaged in the private practice of law.” Judith is a partner at her firm, Turkel Forman LLP, based in New York City. She was recently honored at Pace Law

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

School’s 19th Annual Leadership Awards Dinner for her contributions to the legal community.

1983

Colonel Joseph A. Bradshaw, Jr. won the 2013 Florida Bar Claude Pepper Outstanding Government Lawyer Award. The Award recognizes an “outstanding Florida lawyer who has made exemplary contributions” as a practicing government lawyer. Colonel Bradshaw is a deputy sheriff with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and has been for over 27 years. Elizabeth Cronin was appointed Director of the State Office of Victim Services (OVS) by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2013. Recently, Elizabeth served as the Director of the Office of Legal Affairs for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City.

1984

Noah Lipman recently started his eleventh year of education at both Monmouth University (NJ) and Long Branch High School (NJ). After 20 plus years of active criminal law litigation with a nationwide trial practice, Noah retired and began a new career in education. In addition to working at both the college and high school level, he also works for College Board related to their Advance Placement courses. In 2010, he was named by College Board as one of their national teachers of the year. His firm, Lipman and Booth, LLC (Christopher Booth, Class of 1989) continues to represent defendants in both Federal and State courts around the nation.

1985

Anthony Enea had a column published, “The ABCs of Special Needs Trusts” on westfaironline.com. He was also selected as the Leading Eldercare Attorney for the 2013 Above the Bar Awards. The Above the Bar Awards program recognizes outstanding Westchester Attorneys. Anthony is a partner with Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP.

Marcy (Gross) Tolkoff r ecently co-authored a book – “Naked Jane Bares All: A Tale of Triumph, Travails & Ta-Tas.”

1986

Laura L. Spring, Esq. joined Cohen Compagni Beckman Appler & Knoll, PLLC as a partner in the employment practice group.

1987

Gail A. Matthews w as awarded the Henry L. Stimson Medal in 2013. This Medal is presented annually to outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Southern and Eastern District of New York. Gail is Deputy Chief, Civil Division, at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. When awarding the Stimson Medal, the U.S. Attorney, Loretta Lynch, noted that Gail has “one of the most distinguished records of achievement in this district.” The presentation ceremony was held on the evening of June 3 at the City Bar Association.

1988

David Rivera was nominated by President Obama to serve as U.S. attorney in the middle district of Tennessee. David has been the acting U.S. attorney since April 2013. Before this, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the middle district of Tennessee since 2004.

1989

Andrew R. Tulloch r elocated back to New York from Washington, DC where he served as General Counsel for the Joint Economic Committee in the 111th and 112th Congress and as Policy Advisor to a Ranking Member of the Democratic House Leadership. Currently, Andrew ran Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s 2014 re-election campaign as well as practicing law in the financial services area.

1990

In 2014, James F. Foley w as appointed as Public Defender in Cresskill, New Jersey. Gloria Herzig Indik h as been promoted to Administrative Law Judge with the New York State Workers’

ALUMNI PROFILE

Gail A. Matthews ’87 We asked 3L Griffin Kenyon to interview Gail Matthews, Deputy Chief, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York. Here is their conversation. GK: Gail, I want to first ask you, why did you choose Pace Law School? GM: I chose Pace because the opportunities available at the school were perfect for what I needed and what I was looking for. It was a relatively new school at the time and offered a slate that I felt I could put a mark on. It had an impressive collection of professors. And for me the price was right and the proximity to my life and future career goals—in other words, the law firms that I wanted to work for and the legal climate I wanted to work in—was ideal. I was able to achieve everything by going to Pace. GK: Entering Pace Law School, did you know that you wanted to become a litigator? GM: From the time I was thirteen I wanted to be a litigator, because I babysat for a litigator’s kids! He said I had debate in my soul, and this gave me a view towards being a litigator. GK: While in law school, was there anything specific that helped you prepare for your work? GM: I especially enjoyed constitutional law, because after ten years of private practice I joined the United States Attorneys’ Office, and all of that constitutional jurisprudence has become a part of my everyday life. GK: Let’s talk about your post-graduation private firm experience. GM: I am the daughter of a concrete construction foreman. I am the first lawyer in my family. I really didn’t know where I would find a job coming out of law school but I was on the law review and it was a factor in opening a door for me to big firm practice, which was challenging for a Pace Law graduate at the time. I chose Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon in part because of Judy Lockhart ’85. Early on, I was assigned to a large, putative class action alleging architectural-engineering malpractice at a nuclear power plant. The case exposed me to all aspects of the litigation process. Many of the partners I worked with had been Assistant United States Attorneys. Across the board, these partners had the view that, to be the best litigator you could be, and to pay back the dues that each of us should pay back to pub-

lic service, one should go to the United States Attorneys’ Office. So, at the time Mudge Rose liquidated, I applied to the United States Attorney’s Office. I joined, and seventeen and a half years later I am still here. GK: Would you recommend Pace Law School to a prospective student? GM: You should really pick a law school that will give you a great education for your career goals. Pace Law School gives you a great education in an area of the country that is close to New York City and the rest of the Atlantic region. Pace has a very helpful alumni network, too. There are Pace graduates all over this region and increasingly throughout the country. GK: Any other advice for a prospective law student? GM: The law itself is all very similar. You really cannot get yourself caught up in the context of what work you are doing except to the extent that the end goal gives you pride; you want to go home and know you’ve done the right thing. When you work for the United States of America, you know at the end of the day, every day, you’ve done the right thing. And that is the beauty of this job, whether you are doing it on the defensive side or the affirmative side and protecting the rights of the people in the District you are serving. Griffin Kenyon has already accepted a job offer with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. He is grateful to Pace Law School alumni like Gail for their willingness to educate and guide future graduates.

SPRING 2015

CLASS NOTES Compensation Board. Gloria was previously a Senior Attorney with the Board.

1991

Christopher L. Beers was appointed as General Counsel of Aircastle Limited. Prior to joining Aircastle, Christopher held senior positions at GE Capital and as an attorney at Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Eric D. Katz argued in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the Respondent in the matter of Oxford Health Plans v. Sutter, No. 12-

135. On June 10, 2013, Justice Elena Kagan, writing for a 9-0 unanimous Court, affirmed the Third Circuit. This was Eric’s first U.S. Supreme Court argument. He is a Senior Partner with Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC.

1992

Mayo G. Bartlett received The Myron Isaacs Community Service Award in recognition of his civil rights work. He received the Award on June 11, 2014 at the Annual Dinner of the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Lower Hudson Valley Chapter.

1993 Matthew Mark Horn participated in the 5th invitation-only Halifax International Security Forum, held in Halifax, Nova Scotia in November 2013. Horn, a regular Forum participant, joined other leading foreign policy, defense, and national security experts and government and NATO officials representing 50 countries, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Forum hosts Canadian Minister of Defense Rob Nicholson and former Minister of Defense and current Minister of Justice Peter MacKay. Horn also met

with the U.S. Congressional Delegation led by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with Sen. Dr. John Barrosso (R-WY), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16). He participated in eight on-the-record plenary sessions, a dozen off-therecord sessions including “Pakistan and the West: Friends Without Benefits?”, the Saturday evening dinner discussion, and sessions on the geostrategic implications of a nuclear Iran, drone policy, Afghanistan post 2014, Russia, the Middle East, terrorism and other critical issues confronting the international

Nathan Haynes ’98 IT’S HARD TO SAY what Nathan Haynes benefited from more during his time at Pace—the foundation he built for a successful career in financial restructuring at one of New York’s top firms, or meeting his wife—another Pace alum. Nathan, ’98, met his wife Suzanne (Squarcia) Haynes in the dorms where she was an RA. Nathan is now a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Business Reorganization & Financial Restructuring Practice, where he facilitates complex financial and operational restructurings both in and out of court, representing parties on all sides of the table. Suzanne is a Supervisory Regional Counsel at the Office of the General Counsel with the Social Security Administration. (Their daughter, now ten, may not be following in her parents’ legal footsteps – she’s a piano player and ballerina who recently performed in The New York City Ballet’s 2014 season of The Nutcracker.) Before attending Pace, Nathan graduated from Northeastern University where he majored in criminal justice and minored in philosophy. After working as a civilian employee with the Boston Police Department in Northeastern’s co-op program, he says he came to

Pace with an open mind. Having met Pace staff and faculty when considering which law school to attend, he was drawn to the broad set of opportunities the school offered. He summered first at a state court in his native Massachusetts but found his second summer placement through Pace contacts at one of New York’s

“As Pace Law alumni, we all need to be supporting each other’s success, through referrals, hiring recommendations – it’s up to us...”  38

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Pace Law School Board of Visitors OFFICERS Kathleen Donelli, Esq. ‘85 Board of Visitors Co-Chair Alfred E. Donnellan, Esq. ‘81 Board of Visitors Co-Chair

community and the West. Additionally, Matt engaged in a number of bi-lateral meetings with senior defense officials representing a variety

of nations where they discussed the strategic threats and security challenges in an increasingly dangerous world. Over the past five years, the Halifax International Security Forum has become the preeminent security conference in the world. Horn attributes the success of the Forum to its founder and president Peter Van Praagh. On July 22, 2013, Horn was decorated by the President of Croatia with the Order of Stjepan Radic for his tireless advocacy on Croatia’s behalf during critical periods in its NATO accession process and for strengthening U.S.-Croatia relations.

Dennis J. Kenny, Esq. The Honorable Nita M. Lowey The Honorable Sondra M. Miller

MEMBERS

William M. Mooney III, Esq. ‘92

Peter N. Bassano, Esq. ‘87

The Honorable Francis A. Nicolai

Christopher Carnicelli, Esq. ‘93

Richard L. O’Rourke, Esq. ‘81

V. Gerard Comizio, Esq. ‘80

Joseph M. Pastore III, Esq. ‘91

William D. Cotter, Esq.

John J. Rapisardi, Esq. ‘82

The Honorable Janet DiFiore

Jerold R. Ruderman, Esq.

John P. Ekberg III, Esq. ‘90

The Honorable Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr.

Michael C. Finnegan, Esq. ‘87 Christopher B. Fisher, Esq. ‘94

The Honorable Alan D. Scheinkman

Peter S. Goodman, Esq. ‘86

Robert S. Tucker, Esq. ‘96

Philip M. Halpern, Esq. ‘80

The Honorable C. Scott Vanderhoef ‘81

Bradford Hildebrandt The Honorable Alexander Hunter

largest firms, where a restructuring lawyer took him under his wing. Nathan made a name for himself in years to come in bankruptcy and restructuring—a good fit for him with its interesting mix of litigation and transactional work. He says Pace’s location near the “center of the universe for financial restructuring and bankruptcy” in New York City made settling down here a good fit for him and his family. Nathan is a committed Pace alumnus. He believes that “Pace has an emerging reputation in larger law firms. There is a good nucleus of graduates who have made it in larger law firms, financial institutions and financial advisory firms. We’ve started to talk and meet, to find ways to further Pace’s name in our markets.” Nathan advises current law students and recent graduates to “keep trying. Knock on every door, stay positive and be flexible. Sell yourself— identify your best qualities and how you’ve honed them at Pace. Shape yourself for today’s job market—don’t have a static resume, keep it active, keep redefining yourself. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door, then hard work and proving yourself leads to bigger and better things.” He advises recent grads to take advantage of programs that might not appear to be traditional associate positions and to be open to nontraditional entry points into the legal profession. “As Pace Law alumni, we all need to be supporting each other’s success, through referrals, hiring recommendations – it’s up to us to let the legal community know about Pace and the quality of our graduates.”

The Honorable Linda Jamieson ‘79

In 2013, Jill E. O’Sullivan received a New York State Bar Association President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the Fourth Judicial District for her work in cocreating and volunteering with the Adirondack Women’s Bar Association Legal Clinic to Aid Victims of Domestic Violence. Jill is a senior associate with FitzGerald Morris Baker Firth PC. Matthew J. Smith w as named the managing partner of the New Jersey office of Bruno, Gerbino & Soriano, LLP. The firm is headquartered in Melville, New York.

1994

Mattie D. Stewart Grady Smith became a South Carolina Federal Courts and Circuit Courts Certified Mediator in 2013.

Chauncey L. Walker, Esq. The Honorable Sam D. Walker

Corporate Counsel for the Catskill Watershed Corporation.

1996

In 2013, William D. Booth j oined the Energy Team at the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. William will be located in the Washington, D.C. office, and will concentrate in representing entities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Angelo N. Chaclas w as named Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Trinseo, a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. In 2013, Alexandra M. Shultz j oined the American Geophysical Union (AGU) as the organization’s director of public affairs.

1995

John R. Braatz joined Nomura, the Japanese investment bank, as Executive Directory and Counsel in its New York office. In 2013, Timothy E. Cox w as reelected to a third 4-year term as Town Justice in the Town of Olive, New York. During the election, Timothy was rated “highly qualified” by the Ulster County Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee. Timothy will remain employed as

Wendy Kennedy Venoit w as named a Fellow of The American College of Construction Lawyers. She is a partner at McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP and Co-

SPRING 2015

Megan Brillault ’03

CLASS NOTES Manager of the Firm’s Construction Law Practice group.

1997

Joseph A. Sarcinella was recognized in 2014’s “The Legal 500 US” directory published by Legalease. Joe is Counsel at Thompson & Knight LLP, which was recognized as one of the top U.S. law firms in “The Legal 500 US” directory. The Firm was ranked among the nation’s top firms in ten areas of practice including Real Estate and Construction where Joe was identified for his specific expertise within the area.

1998

David I. Aboulafia completed his first novel in 2014, the psychological thriller “Visions Through A Glass, Darkly” which he expects to be released by Brighton Publishing in e-book and in paperback. David runs his own law practice in New York City. Ian R. Blum was elected to membership at the law firm of Cozen O’Connor in 2013. His practice includes all aspects of intellectual property, including patent, trademark, copyright, and computer law, with a focus on the procurement and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Anna Georgiou is of counsel at McCarthy Fingar LLP’s recently formed Municipal Law and Land Use practice group. Anna recently joined McCarthy Fingar after working for Wormser Kiely Galef and Jacobs, LLP.

“Integrating Sustainability in Redevelopment” using the Land Use Law Center of Pace Law School’s work in Jersey City as the case study. He also served on a panel for a Cleaner Greener Communities webinar in April sponsored by NYS DEC regarding urban agriculture.

1999

Brian T. Belowich founded the law firm of Belowich & Walsh LLP on May 1, 2013. Belowich & Walsh LLP is a boutique litigation firm with experience handling business disputes, real estate and construction disputes and related matters in federal and state courts. Prior to founding Belowich & Walsh LLP, Brian worked as a litigation associate at Coudert Brothers LLP and Baker & McKenzie LLP and as a litigation partner in the firm of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP. Brian currently resides in Chappaqua, NY with his wife Debbie and daughters, Alexa and Talia. Matthew E. B. Brotmann t raveled to Nassau, Bahamas to work with the College of the Bahamas and Eugene Dupuch Law School to establish an environmental law clinic in the Bahamas, the first of its kind for the region. With contributions from Professor Karl Coplan and Professor Ann Powers, the clinic is now operational and will be taking on a variety of issues, working with the government, NGOs and citizen action groups. Matthew is an adjunct professor with Pace Law School and the Director of the International Criminal Court Moot. Sherene Hannon De Palma was elected to the Pound Ridge Town Council. After years of community involvement, Sherene made the decision to dedicate her energies in an official capacity. Her campaign stressed the importance of service and commitment to Pound Ridge’s sense of community, the environment, and neighborliness.

Jeff LeJava spoke at the Annual Conference of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association in January regarding

MEGAN BRILLAULT, ’03, has spent the past 14 years living in New York, but the Wisconsin native remains a proud fan of the Green Bay Packers. She has completed Ironman triathlons and CrossFit competitions to focus on strength training. She has surfed the waters of Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. While she has faced these challenges and accomplished these feats, what she finds most rewarding, she says, are the intellectual challenges presented to her as a principal and co-chair of the litigation practice group at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. Given her Pace Law pedigree and the firm’s strong reputation for environmental practice, it is no surprise that the majority of her case load focuses on environmental issues. She has also become proficient in research beyond cases and statutes. In recent cases, protocols and policies of corporations— some of which no longer exist—became extremely relevant. Her historical research has required her to gather information and trace records, or the lack there of, back to the early 1900s. Megan began her studies at the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology/Renewable Natural Resources. She always had a passion for the environment, but it was only during her senior year that a professor suggested pursuing a career in law. Megan had her choice of several of the top environmental law schools. Considering her options during a month-

Adrienne Orbach announced the opening of her new law firm, Law Offices of Adrienne J. Orbach, PLLC. On September 1, Adrienne became Of Counsel to I. Miles Pollack, PC.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Judy A. Melillo was promoted to Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation in 2013. Judy joined Fujifilm in November 2005.

Alan F. Zoccolillo w as recognized by the M&A Advisor organization in its annual 40 under 40 awards in 2013. Alan is a partner in the mergers and acquisitions group of Baker & McKenzie LLP.

2001

Joseph G. Mack w as quoted in USA Today in an article discussing kickbacks in the healthcare industry. Joe is Deputy Chief of the Health Care and Government Fraud Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.

Stephan A. Rapaglia was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. In 2008, Stephan joined Urstadt Biddle as Vice President and Real Estate Counsel and was later elected Assistant Secretary and Senior Vice President. In 2013, Christopher Rizzo , counsel at Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP, was recognized as a Rising Star by the “New York Law Journal.” Chris was amongst a group of lawyers honored at a reception on June 11, 2013 at the Kimberly Hotel in New York City in recognition of this accomplishment. Mark D. Wellman was hired as a shareholder at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin. His main areas of practice include construc-

tion accidents, property litigation, consumer financial services litigation & compliance, aviation and complex litigation, automobile liability, product liability, and premises liability— defense.

2002

ALUMNI PROFILE

long road trip with stops in California, Utah, and New Mexico, she decided that her path to the best opportunities lay with Pace Law School. She says she feels an affinity for and gratitude toward many of the faculty at Pace Law School, especially Professor Steven Goldberg who encouraged her to enroll in the Federal Judicial Extern Honors Program. While the experience itself was important to her academic development, it also led to her first full-time employment after law school—a clerkship with the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, United States District Judge in the Southern District of New York. Megan describes Judge Brieant as “an amazing mentor. He never hesitated to share his wisdom and guidance from his more than 30 years on the bench. He would often pull the attorneys aside to share stories relevant to the cases.” She stresses the importance of this clerkship as it applies to her practice of the law, as it gave her a clear understanding of a judge’s process for analyzing and deciding cases. She continues to put this invaluable insight to good use on the other side of the bench. While a law student, Megan participated in the D.C. Externship at the Environmental Protection Agency, traveled to Brazil with the Comparative Environmental Law class, participated in the Environmental Litigation Clinic, was the Co-Managing Editor of the Pace Environmental Law Review with 2003 Pace alumnus and now colleague, John Paul (Of Counsel at

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.) and was the president of the Environmental Law Society. Megan continues to cultivate her relationship with Pace Law School. She attends alumni events, volunteers to judge the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, and stays in touch with law school friends. For all of her adventures in and out of the courtroom, Megan embarked on what some would call the greatest adventure this past August: she married her husband, Gee Valdes, with whom she currently resides in White Plains, NY.

health, disability and ERISA, professional liability, and employment litigation. Jennifer Jill O’Hara has become a partner with DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP and chair of the matrimonial and family law practice group. Marco Olsen (SJD) was a Visiting Scholar at University of California Hastings College of the Law for the 2013-2014 academic year. Marco is a tenured law professor at the Federal University of Espirito Santo and became Dean of the Law School in 2004. His specialty is environmental law.

Michelle M. Arbitrio w as selected as a Rising Star—Westchester’s 40 Under 40 by the Business Council of Westchester in 2014. Michelle is a Partner at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP. She is based in their White Plains office, where her areas of focus are securities & financial services litigation, life,

Katherine S. Brown h as accepted a new position with Lenovo – Business Enterprise Group as IP Counsel.

2003

In 2014, Jessica Bacher was appointed to serve as the chair of the ABA Section of State and Local Government on Distressed Property and presented on this topic at ABA Spring Meeting Hot Topics luncheon and has a forthcoming article that will

James A. Duckham h as been selected as the director of public safety at Ball State University.

appear in the “Urban Lawyer.” This followed her presentation on planning and zoning for sustainable neighborhoods at the ABA Fall meeting. She presented on certification of sustainable cities at the American Planning Association national conference in Atlanta. Ms. Bacher led the Land Use Law Center of Pace Law School’s successful seminar at Yale Law School on controlling the local impacts of hydraulic fracturing, in partnership with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. She was also recently appointed Lecturer at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies to teach the Land Use Clinic.

Vanessa M. Losicco w as promoted to the position of Attorney Career Training Manager with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in 2013. She is responsible for coordinating and planning training courses as well as instructing approximately 300 attorneys. With this role, Vanessa is also able to instruct law enforcement on a regular basis. In 2013, Michael J. Vatter w as elected as chair of the Newburgh Community Land Bank, one of the first five land banks created in New York State. Michael was also selected as the Mayor’s representative on the New York State Building Codes Council for cities with a population of fewer than 100,000.

SPRING 2015

CLASS NOTES NJ with her husband, Peter Wilson (Pace Law Class of 2002) and their two young daughters.

Trish Lisa Wilson recently authored a children’s book entitled, “A Penny for Piggy: The Tale of SAVE, SPEND, and SHARE.” The picture book, written in rhyme, is a creative story that assists adults in teaching young children about what to do with money. With the help of this book, Wilson believes that children as young as preschool age, can easily understand the uses and value of money, and life-long responsible fiscal practices, if presented in a fun, relatable way. “A Penny for Piggy” recently received the 2014 Book of the Year Award by Creative Child Magazine and was featured in their November holiday issue. Read more about the book at www.apennyforpiggy.com. Trish currently resides in Madison,

In 2014, Tiffany Zezula p resented on the Land Use Law Center of Pace Law School’s award winning Land Use Leadership Alliance Program and its use in the front range of Colorado to address integrating land use and water planning at the APA conference, following up on her presentation in Denver earlier in the year at the New Partners for Smart Growth national conference. Based on the success of the program, the Center recently received funding to continue its efforts in 2015.

2004

In 2014, Adrian M. Baron s erved as a delegate to the Democratic State Convention. Adrian is a partner with The Law Offices of Podorowsky, Thompson & Baron.

OFFICERS

David Haimi, Esq. ‘12

Stephen J. Brown, Esq. ‘04 Alumni Association President

Mary Clare Haskins, Esq. ‘08

Jennifer L. Gray, Esq. ‘06 Alumni Association Secretary

Emily A. Collins founded Fair Shake in January 2014. Fair Shake is a “nonprofit, free-standing law firm offering environmental legal services for clients of modest means.” Emily will serve as executive director of Fair Shake. The office is located in Pittsburgh and there are plans to open an Ohio office as well. Mary T. Kenny started working at the legal department for BASF, the largest chemical company in the world. In 2013, Stephanie Marcantonio was promoted to the position of Special Counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP.

2005 Jane CoCo Cowles’ artwork was featured in the exhibition, Sensorial Realms at the Agora Gallery in NYC. The exhibition ran from December 17, 2013 through January 9, 2014. Jane has launched a career as an artist and an art consultant to those starting a business in a creative field. You can view Jane’s website at www.janecococowles.com. Janice Dean joined Pace Law School as Chief of Staff in September 2014. In this role, she will be working directly with Dean David Yassky. Since graduating from Pace Law School, Janice has served in the Environmental Protection Bureau of the State Attorney General’s office, most recently as Section Chief of the Toxics and Cost Recovery Section.

Stephen J. Brown b ecame a partner in his firm, Veneruso, Curto, Schwartz & Curto, LLP. Stephen’s practice is focused on corporate and business law, civil and commercial litigation, and estate and trust law.

Pace Law School Alumni Association Board of Directors

Michael A. Calandra Jr., Esq. ‘05 Alumni Association Vice President

Stephen is the President of the Pace Law School Alumni Board.

Dev B. Viswanath r eceived a proclamation from the NYC Council in October 2014, on the eve of the Diwali Celebrations at City Hall. The proclamation was for contributions to the City of New York and community service.

Adele Lerman Janow, Esq. ‘90 Diana Bunin Kolev, Esq. ‘05 Michael LaMagna, Esq. ‘07 James M. Lenihan, Esq. ‘91

In 2013, Carlisle McLean was named Chief Legal Counsel to Maine Governor Paul LePage. Carlisle has served as Governor LePage’s general counsel since 2012.

Hon. Carole Princer Levy ‘83

MEMBERS

Caesar Lopez, Esq. ‘12

Patricia Bisesto, Esq. ‘92

Joseph M. Martin, Esq. ‘91

Lucia Chiocchio, Esq. ‘01

Lt. Col. Joseph W. Mazel, Esq. ‘97

Adam Ciffone, Esq. ‘11

Mark Meeker, Esq., Dec. ‘09

Aliciamarie E. Falcetta, Esq. ‘99

Raymond Perez, Esq. ‘00

Hon. Sandra A. Forster ‘79

Christopher M. Psihoules, Esq. ‘12

Michael A. Frankel, Esq. ‘03

Joseph Ruhl, Esq. ‘90

James A. Garvey III, Esq. ‘80

John A. Sarcone III, Esq. ‘95

Michael T. Goldstein, MD, Esq. ‘06

Judson K. Siebert, Esq. ‘85

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Emily Masalski was recognized as the Illinois State Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year for Cook County in 2011 and named as a 2010-2013 Illinois Rising Star in the environmental litigation category by “Illinois Super Lawyers” magazine. Emily also received the American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Star of the Quarter Award in 2010.

Jennifer Vorhies was named Partner at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt & Fader, LLC. Jennifer’s practice area is family law. She also sits on the Vicinage VIII Family Law Inn of Court and is Chairperson of the Warren County Family Law Committee.

In 2013, Maria Perinetti successfully litigated a case in which the Florida Supreme Court affirmed a circuit court’s order and granted the defendant a new trial. The decision was based on a post-conviction motion filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851, bringing the facts and conclusions formulated during the defendant’s trial into seri-

IN MEMORIAM Jo Ann Harris, a Scholar-in-Residence at Pace Law School, died on October 30, 2014 at the age of 81. Harris was an assistant United States Attorney in the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan and the first woman to head the Justice Department’s criminal division. She was also a federal prosecutor who investigated a confrontation between government lawyers and Monica Lewinsky. Russell J. Ippolito, a 1992 Pace Law graduate, passed away on May 15, 2013. Ippolito received the Dean’s Award at the 1992 commencement ceremony. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson remembered Russell as a “spirited environmental law activist and a great believer in public service.” He was a practicing attorney and a Professor/ Chair of Paralegal Studies for Westchester Community College. Gary W. Johnson, a member Pace Law School’s Class of 1982, died on November 19, 2014. Johnson served in the United States Army and was awarded the Purple Heart. He graduated cum laude from Pace Law School. He founded the firm Johnson & Langworthy and focused on elder law. Altagracia (Alta) Levat, a former administrator at Pace Law School, died on April 16, 2014. Levat had many roles

ous question. Maria is an attorney at Capital Collateral Regional Counsel. Nikki D. Woods began working for the Law Office of Peter D. Hoffman, P.C. in Katonah. She will be working on education law, criminal law, and juvenile justice matters.

2006

Anthony W. Contente-Cuomo joined the education law team at Udall Shumway PLC in Mesa, Arizona as a partner. Michael T. Goldstein published an article in “The ABA Health Lawyer Section” publication about physicians forming cooperatives the way that farmers have done in the past. Michael gave a course on October 20, 2014 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in Chicago. The course was entitled Physician Provider Cooperatives—A New Concept in Healthcare Delivery. Jennifer L. Gray was selected as a Rising Star: 40 Under 40 by the Business Council of Westchester in 2014. Jennifer is an associate at Keane & Beane P.C.

David Scott Johnson joined the Central Arizona Project as a staff attorney. David also received the Distinguished Environmental Advocate Award from the American Bar Association’s Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources Law. Danielle Bifulci Kocal had an article published on Bloomberg Law. The article is titled “Law School Outlining—Why, When and How to do it.” Danielle is the Director of Academic Success at Pace Law School. Melissa A. Kucinski celebrated her one year anniversary of running her own law practice, MK Family Law. Her family law practice in Washington, D.C. and Maryland includes divorces, property, support, custody, mediation, litigation, child representation, and international and cross-jurisdictional issues. She was invited to Tokyo in September 2014 to help train Japanese mediators in her advance skill set that includes handling international parental child abduction cases.

during her time at Pace, including Vice Dean for External Relations. Dean Emeritus Richard Ottinger stated that “[m]any of the good innovations we adopted here are of her origin, as she was the implementation of everything. She played a key role in the development of this wonderful school and her contributions should always be remembered.” Professor Lissa Griffin recollected that “Alta was one of the special people who cross one’s path in a seemingly random way and then move on, but who is not forgotten. Her kindness, intelligence and strength touched many who knew her.” Other Pace Law School faculty members and former co-workers remembered Alta as “a great person,” “a shining star,” “a key administrator,” and “a smart and lovely person.” Angelo M. Lucrezia, a member of Pace Law School’s Class of 1999, died on October 6, 2014. Christopher E. Rao, a 1996 Pace Law graduate, died on April 16, 2014. Rao was a partner with the law firm of Hoffman, Wachtell & Rao. David Sive, a former professor of law at Pace Law School died on March 12, 2014. Sive was a founding partner of Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C. and a pioneer in the practice of environmental law.

Matthew P. Mansfield i s Regulatory Strategic Policy Lead at Pepco Holdings, Inc. in Washington, D.C. He was hired in 2013 as a Regulatory Affairs Analyst. Chris McNerney was appointed Greenburgh’s Police Chief. He has been Captain of the Detective Division of the Police Department since 2009.

Tumai Murombo (LLM) was appointed the new Director of the Mandela Institute in the School of Law of the University of the Witwatersrand. The University is located in Johannesburg in South Africa. Tumai is an associate professor at the Wits School of Law.

Russ M. Patane was selected as a Rising Star in New Jersey “SuperLawyers” magazine for 2014. Russ is an associate with Golden, Rothschild, Spagnola, Lundell, Boylan & Garubo, P.C., practicing Civil Litigation Defense. He has also been accredited as a LEED Green Associate by The Green Building Certification Institute. Brandon Perlberg married Benn Robert Storey. Brandon works as a consultant in the fraud investigation and dispute services division of Ernst & Young in London.

In 2013, Todd Spodek r epresented the husband of Erin Sayer, the Brooklyn school teacher who was charged with statutory rape, in their

SPRING 2015

CLASS NOTES divorce. Additionally, Todd’s defense of Genevieve Sabourin, the Canadian woman who was charged with stalking Alec Baldwin, was covered by local and international media. Todd is an attorney with Spodek Law Group P.C. and lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son, and their dog.

Andrew J. Leffler h as joined the firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. He is a member of the firm’s business and real estate sections. The firm is based in Chattanooga, TN.

Elizabeth Wheeler h as been a staff attorney with Clean Wisconsin since early 2011. She joined the Board of the State Bar of Wisconsin Environmental Law Section. She also volunteers on the State Board of Directors for the League of Women Voters.

2007

Cari B. Rincker won the Excellence in Agriculture Law award from the American Agriculture Law Association in the Private Practice division. In April 2014, she was quoted in a “Wall Street Journal” article. Cari has her own law firm based in New York City, Rincker Law, PLLC. Her practice concentrates in food and agriculture law.

Nicole Del Vecchio j oined the New York City office of Rawle & Henderson LLP. Her practice will focus in the area of professional liability and she will primarily represent healthcare professionals, medical institutions and nursing home facilities. Adrienne Harrison continues to be Corporate Counsel for the European Headquarters of Crocs. She resides in Amsterdam and credits her decision to make Amsterdam her home a result of two separate study abroad experiences at Vrije Universiteit during her Pace Law School tenure. Adrienne encourages any student who is interested in International Law to pursue study abroad opportunities and notes that she would not have been able to participate in these programs without the support of her professors, especially Michelle Simon. Lisa Kelly and her husband, Michael Lombardi, are happy to announce the birth of their son, Benjamin Geames Kelly-Lombardi. Benjamin was born on Friday, May 17, 2013, at 7:29 a.m., weighing 7 lbs., 9 oz., and was 21 inches long. Lisa is a staff attorney with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.

In 2013, Joshua S. Verleun joined the law firm of Cullen and Dykman, LLP as an Associate in the firm’s Energy and Utilities practice. He will be practicing energy and environmental law.

2008

Tawny L. Alvarez w as one of numerous Verrill Dana attorneys honored for their pro bono service. Tawny is an associate with Verrill Dana LLP.

Government Efficiency Grant for the Mayors Redevelopment Roundtable, a program that she directs.

School of Forestry. In addition, Sean received an LLM degree in 2010 from Pace.

In 2013, Virginia S. Foulkrod, a staff attorney with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV), accepted a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Army’s Warrior Transition Unit. The Certificate was presented in recognition of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley’s Veterans and Military Families Advocacy Project, and recognized LSHV and Virginia’s representation of soldiers in Social Security Disability benefits appeals.

Jonathan T. Engel was named one of the recipients of the 2013 Forty Under 40 Shaker Award from the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and one of the recipients of the 2013 Orange County Rising Stars Award from the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Orange, and the Junior League of Orange County. He was appointed an Assistant County Attorney at the Ulster Count Attorney’s Office in Kingston, New York. Previously, Jonathan served as a Deputy County Attorney at the Putnam County Department of Law in Carmel, New York.

Dana A. Hall is at Bright Power, Inc. as part-time Counsel for Energy and Policy. Dana continues to maintain her own law firm, Dana Hall, Attorney-at-Law, with clients in New York and New Jersey. She is also the Deputy Director of The Low Impact Hydropower Institute. Mary Clare Haskins Banton a nd her husband welcomed a baby girl, Teagan Elise Banton, on November 10, 2014. In 2013, Basem El Hendawy (LLM) obtained an SJD in International Trade & Business Law from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. Clare Kathleen Schum began her position as a public defender attorney at the Maricopa County Office of the Legal Advocate in Phoenix, AZ. Previously, she was an attorney with the Office of the Yuma County Public Defender.

2009

Jennie C. Nolon Blanchard w as appointed in April 2014 as the Chair of the Planning and Law Division of the 40,000 member American Planning Association. The New York Department of State recently awarded the Land Use Law Center of Pace Law School a Local

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

In 2013, Sean T. Dixon t estified before the Congressional House Committee on Natural Resources, speaking out against HR 2231, the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act. Sean is the Coastal Policy Attorney for Clean Ocean Action. He is also the Chair of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources 43rd Annual Spring Conference on Environmental Law, to be held in March 2014 in Salt Lake City. Sean has his own start-up business, Village Fishmonger NYC. He earned a Certificate in Environmental Law from Pace, participating in the joint degree program with Yale University

Kenneth Fila h as moved from the International Tax Services group at Ernst & Young LLP to an in-house role as International Tax Counsel at ITT Corporation. Lane L. Marmon was named a New Leader in the Law by the “Connecticut Law Tribune.” Lane was part of a group of 60 winners chosen from nearly 300 nominees. She is a senior associate at Rutkin, Oldham & Griffin, LLC. Alissa Palumbo published a book, “Modern Law of Sales in the United States.” After graduating from Pace in 2009, she took a position in Switzerland with Professor Ingeborg Schwenzer at the University of Basel where she worked on the Global Sales and Contract Law Project and coached the Basel Vis Moot Court team. She was recruited by Professor Schwenzer because of her involvement with the Vis Moot Court at Pace and because of Pace’s reputation as a leader in the field of international commercial law and arbitration. She credits this to the Institute of International Commercial Law and its status as a founding member of the Vis Moot Court. Alissa graduated from the University of Basel in November 2013 with her doctorate. She is currently working as a postdoc research and teaching assistant for Professor Corinne Widmer and coaching this year’s Vis Moot Court team. She is also serving as a course leader at the newly established Swiss International Law School.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Sean Dixon ’09, ’10 LLM We asked 3L Patrick Carroll to interview Sean Dixon, a Hudson River Program Staff Attorney at Hudson Riverkeeper: PC: Why did you choose to become a lawyer? SD: Before law school I was a commercial fisherman. On one trip, I was caught on a fishing boat off the coast of Alaska for 110 days and, during a hurricane, I realized I wanted to apply my experience in environmental science to law and policy. In particular, I was interested in engaging the law and the regulations that governed the management activities I had grown familiar with on a daily basis. I felt strongly that my scientific background and my experience in environmental management would be valuable to a legal education. I have a B.A. in marine biology and geology from Boston University’s Marine Program and a Masters of Environmental Management in coastal ecology and climate science from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. I’ve found that many diverse backgrounds and perspectives come into play in resolving environmental problems. Refinery workers often have ideas on tackling ocean issues. Urban planners, who are often focused on the safety and security of their communities, will have innovative ideas to maintain open space in their cities. PC: How did you choose Pace Law School? SD: While I was at sea, I contacted a number of lawyers and asked them which schools had excellent environmental law faculty. Almost immediately, they put Pace on my radar. I was looking for three qualities from a law school: (1) excellent environmental law practitioners as faculty members; (2) a law school with a diverse curriculum, like air quality, land use, diplomacy, and international matters; and (3) I wanted the opportunity to obtain practical experience through internship and externship positions. I found all of these at Pace. PC: Why did you choose to join Hudson Riverkeeper and what types of legal work do you carry out for the organization? SD: Working at Riverkeeper has allowed me to delve into cases up and down the Hudson River, ranging from New York City, all the way to Albany and the Erie Canal. This has also given me the opportunity to engage in several environmental matters, such as climate resiliency, storm water reduction and prevention, and crude oil

transport by barge and pipeline. Simply put, my varied work experience reflects the comprehensive curriculum I benefited from at Pace. PC: Was there any one particular occasion that solidified your decision to pursue environmental law? SD: One of the stand-out moments in my mind was the first time I took a course that truly brought together the concept that everything is connected in the environmental world. In my first day in Environmental Skills, Professor Ann Powers drew out a hypothetical river environment. We spent the entire class discussing water quality impacts on the river. It became very clear that you have to understand all of the inputs into the system, and where the outputs are heading, before you can figure out how to address the underlying causes of any given environmental problem. Before we can plan out a solution, we have to understand the system itself. PC: If you could do it all over again, is there anything that you might do differently today? SD: I didn’t start drinking coffee until February of my 1L year. If I could do it over again, I would have started my first semester! After graduation, Patrick Carroll hopes to work as an environmental lawyer. First, though, he will complete a clerkship with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department. It would be safe to say that Patrick has appreciated coffee for the entirety of his law school career.

SPRING 2015

Rory K. Brady ’12

CLASS NOTES William V. Rapp published a book on financial bubbles, titled “Boil, Bubble, Toil and Trouble: An Analytical Exploration of Bubbles” available on Amazon. He also presented papers at several international conferences. Bill is the Henry J. Leir Professor of International and Trade Business at the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s School of Management. Jane Silverman received certification from the National Academy of Ambulance Coders as a Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer. Jane is part of the first class of Compliance Officers to be certified under the new designation. She is the Chief Compliance Officer for Digitech Computer, Inc.

2010

Barbara J. Durkin, Assistant Professor of Management at SUNY Oneonta, published a peerreviewed research article titled “Lifelong Professional Education for Lawyers: A Collaborative Model,” in “The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge,” 19(2), 126-132 (2014). Her paper suggests a new collaborative model among law schools, law firms, public interest groups, continuing education providers, and regulatory agencies. Its function would be to provide long-term sustainable development of legal talent through standardized training of lawyers and by a system of tracking legal expertise. Barbara’s primary areas of specialization are human resources management and employee relations, especially in the multi-billion dollar legal services industry. Laxman P. Mainali (LLM) is now Joint Secretary at the Nepal Law Commission. Joseph A. Marutollo is working as Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Special Federal Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department. He recently received a judgment notwithstanding the verdict following a federal jury trial in the Eastern District of New York. The judgment was in favor of his clients – five NYPD defendants – on all claims. The trial received

RORY K. BRADY ’12, WAS BACK on campus recently. Between meetings with the staff at the Center for Career and Professional Development and the staff of Admissions, he carved out some time to share all that he has been up to in the few years since he graduated. Rory manages a boutique litigation firm in Orange County, New York, and was recently elected a judge for the Goshen Village Court. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are expecting their third child soon and he couldn’t linger for too long because they were closing on a new house that afternoon. During his time as a student, Rory participated in the Criminal Justice Institute where he served as a student practitioner with Bronx Legal Aid. He also took advantage of the Judicial Internship Program. Rory was first placed with a Supreme Court judge, where he says he gained invaluable experience and contacts within the industry, and then next with a law firm in White Plains, which hired him after graduation. “Without hesitation, I can say that my clinical experience provided by Pace Law is most directly responsible for my immediate success upon graduation,” Rory said. “Those two opportunities expedited my learning curve and my professional opportunities exponentially.” It was this “hybrid” approach—a balance between classroom learning and practical experience— that drew Rory to Pace Law School in the first place. He had a prior career in the field of sports and entertainment, including time as the sales manager

positive coverage in the “New York Daily News” and the “New York Law Journal.” Joshua A. Roman a ccepted a position as Law Clerk to the Honorable A. Kathleen Tomlinson, United States Magistrate Judge, E.D.N.Y. The clerkship will begin in fall 2015 and conclude in fall of 2017. Taryn L. Rucinski’s a rticle “Global Water Resources and Publications” was published in the Special Edition Joint publication of the ABA Section of International Law (Committee on International Environmental Law) and the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (International Environmental and Resources Law Committee), “INT’L ENVTL. L. NEWS,” no. 1, 2014, at 15. The 2014 update for the Environmental Law LEXICON by Nicholas A. Robinson & Taryn L. Rucinski was just released. She published her article “Searching for the Nano-needle in a Green Haystack: Researching the Environmental, Health, and Safety Ramifications of Nanotechnology,” 30 PACE ENVTL. L. REV. 397 (2013). Also, her draft paper “The Elephant in the Room: Toward a Definition of Grey Legal Literature” was accepted to the AALL Sixth Annual Boulder Writing Conference in San Antonio 2014. She was also awarded the 2014 AALL Chapter Registration Award and Grant from LLAGNY to attend AALL’s Annual Conference in San Antonio. Justin Touretz h as assumed the position of counsel with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Previously he was working on TV and film sets to ensure that the collective bargaining agreement for all performers was adhered to and also to observe safety and working conditions.

2011

Hilary Atkin h as been appointed Deputy Assistant Director for Public Engagement at Council on Environmental Quality at The White House.

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

2012

In 2014, H.R.H. Prince Saud Alhassan Saud Abulaziz Al Saud (LL.M.) published his LLM thesis, “In the Name of God The Most Gracious The Most Merciful: Mercy in Islamic Law.” Currently, Saud is studying for his SJD – PhD at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Koguan Law School. The focus of his studies will be clemency and the law.

Rufina Beem h as become an associate with DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP. She will be concentrating in the area of matrimonial and family law.

In 2013, Rory K. Brady was elected Judge in the Village of Goshen (Orange County).

ALUMNI PROFILE

for the New York Rangers minor-league hockey team. He thinks his business background, including his time in sales, has been invaluable to his success managing a law practice. “Our firm specializes in criminal, matrimonial and personal injury law but we also have a substantial real estate practice. Our clientele includes individuals and businesses with issues both personal and professional. We have represented multimillion dollar companies and alleged serial killers—we have seen it all.” And now he includes “judge” among his professional experiences. Elected in 2013, Rory has presided over cases presented by fellow members of the Pace Law alumni network, a network that he finds to be very strong and an asset to his own practice—and one he thinks prospective students should consider when looking at law schools. “If you plan to practice law anywhere from New York City, east to Hartford, north to Albany, west to Philadelphia, you’d be hard-pressed to find a school that provides a better network than Pace Law.” Grateful for the opportunity he received, Rory says he looks for ways to give back. Even if he can’t write the “big checks” just yet, he tries to be generous with his time—hence his visit to both the Admissions and the Career Development offices. He is always happy to talk with prospective students and he has hired Pace Law students in the past and intends to hire more. “In my opinion, we have a duty as graduates of Pace Law to be ambassadors for the school whether

“If you plan to practice law anywhere from New York City, east to Hartford, north to Albany, west to Philadelphia, you’d be hard-pressed to find a school that provides a better network than Pace Law.”  that is assisting in recruiting the best to come to Pace, contributing financially to the ensure the school’s future stability, or just by carrying ourselves in a way that reflects well upon all of our fellow alumni.”

Lana L. Ciaramella co-authored an article in the Westchester Women’s Bar Association Newsletter titled “New U.S. Supreme Court Opinion on the First Sale Defense: Why it Matters.” Jon E. Crain began as an associate at Whiteman Osterman and Hanna LLP in 2013. Jon previously served as an Appellate Court Attorney for the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department. In 2013, Sayan S. Das was selected for Oxford University’s course in creative writing. Anthony Desiato w rote, produced, and financed two documentaries, including “My Comic Shop DocumentARy” and “By Spoon: The Jay Meisel Story”. His latest, “By Spoon,” was screen at YoFi, the Yonkers

Film Festival. Anthony is currently working on his third documentary, “Wacky Man: The Rise of a Puppeteer.”

(HNBA.) Marcia is assisting in organizing the program with Judge Walter Rivera and the New York region HNBA to help foreign attorneys and support high school seniors who are considering law school in New York. Marcia also offered five workshops about immigration law during the month of November to educate immigrants about their rights. The workshops were offered in English, Serbian, and Spanish. One of Marcia’s workshops was featured in the “Putnam County Courier.”

Joelle Harris (LLM) assumed the position of Solicitor General to the Government of Dominica, effective May 13, 2013.

James A. Patalano joined Joshua Stein PLLC as an associate. He is the firm’s first associate and will be joining a team of contract lawyers. The firm focuses on commercial real estate. As a student, James attended Joshua Stein’s class on commercial real estate law at Pace.

Marcia G. Guevara o pened her own law office in White Plains—Guevara Law Group, P.C. She will focus her practice areas on immigration law, real estate, and bankruptcy. Marcia is also involved in the “Si Se Puede” Program, which is part of the Hispanic National Bar Association

Jared A. Hand received the 2nd Annual New Lawyers Leadership

SPRING 2015

CLASS NOTES Award presented by the Westchester County Bar Association. The Award recognizes the future leaders of the legal profession. Jared is an associate at Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP. His practice area is construction law.

Nancy Ferro Hayes h as started her own practice, Ferro and Ferro Law Offices, with a focus on matrimonial and appellate work. She also specializes in Mental Health Advocacy, and civil commitments of convicted sex offenders.

2013

Beren Argetsinger was appointed as the 2013-2014 Steptoe and Johnson Fellow in Energy and Environmental Law and Policy at

West Virginia University College of Law.

Pace Law School

Have you recently changed firms, careers, or made partner? What is your practice area? Do you want to connect to other alumni colleagues within your practice area? Are you married? Do you have children? Where are you living? Your Law School wants to receive these updates and help connect with you and connect you with others. Let us know by e-mail, mail, or phone. Email: plsalumni@law.pace.edu Phone: 914-422-4079 US Mail: Pace Law School Office of Development & Alumni Relations 78 North Broadway White Plains, NY 10603

Jesse Glickstein received the 2013 Bohn Vergari Public Service Award from the White Plains Bar Association. Christina N. Langella received the 2013 Professionalism and Ethics Award from the White Plains Bar Association. Lucie Olejnikova i s a reference/ electronic services librarian and adjunct professor at Pace Law School. The prestigious Peace Palace Library at The Hague, which serves the International Court of Justice, has provided on its website a link to the Pace Law Library’s international criminal law research guide created by Lucie. The guide will now be available to scholars, practitioners, and students around the world through the Peace Palace Library website, as well as through the Pace Law website.

Career/Personal ___________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Name ___________________________________________ Employer ________________________________________ Title ____________________________________________ Practice Area _____________________________________ Year and Degree ___________________________________ Phone ____________________ Email __________________ Address Change ____Yes ____No You can also update your information online by visiting the Pace law School website at www.law.pace.edu; simply click on the Alumni tab and then the Alumni Update Form. Photos are welcome!

PA C E L AW S C H O O L A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

Michael J. Konicoff and Taylor A. Piscionere got engaged on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at Pace Law School. Michael proposed to Taylor outside of the Pace Law School library where they first met. Michael arranged to have Professor Carol Barry lure Taylor to the library under the pretense of speaking to several students. Once Taylor arrived, Professor Barry escorted Taylor to the bench outside where Michael was waiting with flowers, a photographer, and a ring. Taylor said “yes!” Michael is an associate at Piscionere & Nemarow, P.C. and Taylor is an Assistant District Attorney at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. Taylor’s father, Anthony

G. Piscionere, is also a Pace Law alumnus (Class of 1980) and was an honoree at Pace Law School’s 18th Annual Leadership Awards Dinner. Tara E. Parlman joined the Law Offices of Sobo and Sobo as an associate. Tara’s area of practice is personal injury with 100 per cent of her practice devoted to litigation. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties. Braden E. Smith received the 2013 Isaac Rubin Clinical Lawyering Award from the White Plains Bar Association.

2014

Lisa A. Covert volunteered at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Region 1 Office for two months and also worked parttime at The Law Offices of Denise Schoen, PLLC in East Hampton, NY. She is now working at the Amato Law Group PLLC. Danielle Koves was hired as an Assistant District Attorney with the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. Danielle will participate in an intensive, two-week training program. Miriam Lacroix, an alumna of the Pace Law Immigration Justice Clinic, was selected as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow. The Justice Fellowship program was initiated by Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Miriam was selected from among hundreds of applicants and is one of 25 inaugural members. The Fellows will provide high-quality, pro bono legal assistance to immigrants. Miriam has been assigned to the City Bar Justice Center of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Kasey Parente w as hired as an Assistant District Attorney with the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. Kasey was sworn in as a prosecutor in early September and is participating in a training course. Thomas Ruane has joined the firm of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP as an associate.

Ten Ways to Get Involved With Pace Law School Follow BB Volunteer BB

/friend Pace Law on social media (LinkedIn, FB, Twitter)

to speak to student groups, mentor students individually, judge a moot court competition, participate in the PILSO auction, or let us know how you would like to be involved!

Network

with students and alumni on career development. Pitch Pace Law to hiring managers at your firm, organization, or agency (or contact Career Development to do it for you!)

Attend BB Update BB Utilize BB

Pace Law School events, and pass along invites to fellow alumni

us on your work and home life for Class Notes

Career Development and New Directions to view job postings and manage career transitions窶馬ot just for recent grads!

Represent

Support

Pace Law at student recruitment events! This is particularly important outside the tri-state region. In Chicago? San Francisco? Miami? We need you!

Pace Law financially. Did you know you can target your giving? This way you can support the programs that mean the most to you.

Consider BB Be BB

Pace-proud!

Pace Law in your estate planning.

PACE L AW SCHOOL 78 North Broadway White Plains, NY 10603

Office of Communications www.law.pace.edu

This paper is manufactured using Green-e certified renewable energy. Pace is committed to a sustainable campus. See our sustainability policy at www.law.pace.edu/sustainability

Non-profit Org. US Postage PAID Pace University