Syracuse Law Stories Book 2018

YOUR CONNECTIONS TO THE COLLEGE AND EACH OTHER

ALSO INSIDE: SHE “OTTO” KNOW THE POWER OF A SCHOLARSHIP A FAMILY LEGACY

Dean and Professor of Law Craig M. Boise

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Executive Editor, Syracuse Law Stories Book Robert T. Conrad Director of Communications and Media Relations

Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs Sophie Dagenais Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby Contributing Writers Jake Giovanini Martin Walls Contributing Editor Kathleen Curtis Photography Steve Sartori Willson Cummer Susan Kahn Revette Studio Syracuse University Photo Services Graphic Design Quinn Page Design LLC

Syracuse University College of Law Office of Advancement and External Affairs Dineen Hall, Suite 402 950 Irving Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-6070 t: 315.443.1964 f: 315.443.4585 e: su-law@law.syr.edu law.syr.edu

Š 2018 Syracuse University College of Law. All rights reserved.

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02 Dean’s Message 04 When It Comes to School Spirit,

She “Otto” Know 10 The Power of a Scholarship: On

Generosity and Paying it Forward 12 The Stooges League: 30 Years

of Fantasy Football

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18 SULAA: Your Link to the Past,

Present, and Future of the

College of Law

22 A Review of Their Careers: Former Law Review Members

Reflect on Their Paths 26 A Life’s Mission for Justice 28 Lawyers in Love 32 The Murphy Family: A Legal Legacy Begins at Home

36 Alumni Events—A Year in Review 38 “Advocates” for the College of Law:

An Orange Community Grows Within the Marine Corps

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40 Connections: Friends’ Parallel Paths to and from Syracuse

44 Our Back Pages: Help Us

Caption These Photos 46

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Syracuse University College of Law Board of Advisors Remembering Two College of Law Board Members

48 SULAA Board Members 49 Meet Your Advancement and External Affairs Team

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DEAN’S MESSAGE “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

—from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

As lawyers we understand intimately the power of storytelling. Trial lawyers weave case facts into narratives so that they resonate with judges and juries and help them to remember key elements of a case. You probably recall vividly some of your professors’ anecdotes and thought experiments that brought the law alive in the classroom, piqued your imagination, and made you more receptive to the Socratic dialogue that followed.

Storytelling’s power lies in the way it engages us, links us to our past, provides us a glimpse of our future, and brings us as a community closer together by voicing a shared history.

I’ve heard many of your stories as I’ve met you across this country and overseas. Because I want to share them with our wider alumni community, I have made the third component of our new three-part Syracuse Law magazine the Stories Book. Following the Yearbook, which features the accomplishments of faculty, students, and staff, and the Giving Book, which celebrates the many ways our alumni give back to their alma mater, the Stories Book focuses squarely on you, our extended family. This issue and those to come will be filled with tales about your friendships, your careers, your challenges, your successes, and your legacies.

With the rich, 123-year history of the College as its backdrop, the first issue of the Stories Book celebrates the many aspects of alumni lives in and beyond Syracuse.

In this issue, you’ll read about some remarkable friendships that have survived the test of time and distance, and in one case the cutthroat world of Fantasy Football. You’ll have insight into the past, present, and future of the College as told by a legacy family (and in doing so, you’ll learn about the lost tradition of the custodian’s laundry drying on the law school’s roof!) You’ll celebrate alumni who have gone on to serve their country—as well as the rule of law—in the military, including one servicewoman alumna whose “zest” for her school found an unusual outlet. And get ready to say “aww” when married alumni couples tell us how the College gets an A for its matchmaking!

I hope that the Stories Book becomes a touchstone for you and a way to conjure your own fond memories of your law school days. I hope it makes you contemplate what makes our profession so special and the diverse experiences of the people who have dedicated their lives to it. I hope it makes you laugh. Above all, I hope it inspires more of you to tell us about your own histories. To share your stories, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.9532.

Now, on to the legends ...

Very truly yours,

Craig M. Boise

Dean and Professor of Law 3

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Otto the Orange is one of the most well-known and wellliked college sports mascots, routinely ranking in the top 10 of Sports Illustrated’s list of top mascots in the annual NCAA basketball tournament, among other surveys. Not as well-known are the students inside the roly-poly suit, who compete to land the part as the University’s beloved ambassador and who must juggle school work, training, and community service during their time as Otto.

Did you know, for instance, that one of the lucky students who has played Otto is a College of Law alumna?

Pia Rogers ’98 L’01, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of the 82nd Airborne Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, recently shared her story with Director of Communications and Media Relations Rob Conrad. >

Photo of Deputy Staff Judge Advocate Pia Rogers ’98 L’01 courtesy of Sergeant First Class Alexander Burnett. SFC Burnett was assigned to the 82d Airborne Division Public Affairs Office and captured the Fort Bragg legal offices’ Law Day Jump on May 2, 2017.

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What was your path to Syracuse University and the College of Law? I came to Syracuse University through the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications. I wanted to be a journalist, so I attended the Newhouse School for my undergraduate degree. I was also a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadet. When I was told that I could not branch directly into Army Public Affairs once I received my commission, I changed course and decided to go to law school. The Army granted me an educational delay to attend law school before serving my four-year ROTC active duty commitment.

How did you decide to become Otto?

During my freshman year, I attended a basketball game in the Carrier Dome with my roommate, Erin Killingsworth. I was fascinated with Otto the Orange. Pointing at the mascot, I told Erin that I wanted to “do that.”

She asked me if I meant I wanted to be a cheerleader. When I told Erin that I was actually pointing to the mascot, she advised me not to tell anyone else. She was embarrassed for me!

I now say becoming the mascot is the best secret that I never kept. One of my fellow ROTC cadets was a Syracuse cheerleader, and she asked me about trying out for the team. I revealed my secret by telling her that I wasn’t interested in cheerleading, but I was interested in becoming the mascot. She gave me information on the upcoming auditions. At the auditions, the cheerleading coach warned me that the mascot was typically a job for a man, but she reasoned that no one would really know my gender if I was inside the costume.

What are some of your fond memories of being Otto?

Being the mascot offered me a vantage point I had never before experienced. I was a cheerleader in high school, but as a mascot I was able to support the team through a concealed identity. Not to mention, I had the best seat in the house for all sporting events.

I have a lot of fond memories, from attending all of the bowl games during my tenure as the mascot from 1995 to 1998 (Gator, Liberty, and Tostitos) to attending the ESPN ESPY awards in NYC. My fondest memory is from one of our community service events. In 1997, I attended the Mascot Games in Florida where I competed in a three-legged race with the New England Patriot’s Pat Patriot and in a charity event to raise money for children with severe illnesses. I loved the philanthropic part of the job.

Were there any aspects of being Otto you didn’t enjoy?

Being the mascot is not for the faint of heart. The costume is extremely hot and sweaty, so I had to drink plenty of water before and after games.

Also, because I was the only female and lighter than the guys, I often performed aerial stunts with the cheerleaders. I had the wind knocked out of me on several occasions after falling at practice. >

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Top, right, and bottom: Pia Rogers performs stunts and entertains fans as Otto.

To the left: Pia Rogers continues to serve as Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of the 82nd Airborne Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.

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Did you develop any special moves as the mascot?

After every touchdown, I did forward rolls all the way down into the end zone. Of all my stunts, forward rolls were the easiest to perform due to the roundness of the costume contributing to my momentum!

Why did you pursue a law degree, and why the College of Law? In my senior year in the Newhouse School, the Army told me I could go to law school, so I took the LSAT and applied to several schools. At a panel that my sorority hosted about life beyond undergrad, a panelist saw that I was interested in pursuing a law and master’s degrees, so he suggested that I meet his boss, Professor Sean O’Keefe. Professor O’Keefe admitted that he would not normally hire a prospective first-year law student because of the rigors of the 1L year, but when he saw I was capable of being an ROTC cadet, an officer in my sorority, and Otto, he figured I could handle it. I happily accepted the offer to be his graduate assistant and eventually graduated with my J.D. and M.P.A. in 2001.

What has been your career path?

After passing the bars of New York and New Jersey in 2002, I went on active duty with the Army. I recently completed my 16th year of active duty in the JAG Corps, currently serving with the 82nd Airborne Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate in Fayetteville, NC. Did your experiences as Otto help in law school and your career?

Being Otto forced me to balance multiple schedules. As a mascot, I had to attend practices, games, community events, and mascot camps while keeping up my grades and other activities (I was on an ROTC scholarship).

As an active duty soldier, wife, and mother, I am constantly juggling the needs of my soldiers and the needs of my family. Instead of traveling to games, I travel to my duty stations: I’ve lived in Afghanistan, South Korea, Kansas, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. I’m always juggling something. Plus, the mascot stunts involved me being lifted into the air and that resolved my fear of heights. As a paratrooper, I routinely jump out of airplanes!

How do people react when they learn you were Otto?

Shock. Folks never believe that I was Otto. In the military, we say that you have an “unwritten file” that travels with you from duty station to duty station. Normally, folks refer to your reputation being in that unwritten file. Being Otto is definitely in my file!

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The Power of a Scholarship:

On Generosity & Paying It Forward

Our students—an incredible 85% of them—receive some form of scholarship award while at the College of Law. By contributing to and helping to maintain scholarship funds, our generous alumni and friends make legal education possible for many promising lawyers, and they underscore—early on—the need for alumni engagement to help produce generations of successful graduates who positively impact our profession.

The second installment of Syracuse Law magazine—the Giving Book— was devoted to the many philanthropic connections our alumni have established with their alma mater. In it, we highlighted alumni who give back, and why. In this feature of our new Stories Book we will focus on the beneficiaries of a College of Law scholarship. For this issue, we spoke with David Pope L’07 about the impact scholarship resources had on his decision to attend law school, and later, how they influenced his own philanthropy.

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Pope’s story, like many scholarship success stories, articulates the journey of a law student come full circle.

Pope is currently a partner at Baker McKenzie, practicing state and local tax in the firm’s New York office. Before joining the firm, Pope worked at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) and then Sutherland Asbill & Brennan (now Eversheds Sutherland).

With a B.S. in economics from Binghamton University, a J.D. from the College of Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University, a career in tax law seemed inevitable. However, Pope says the trajectory was not as well planned as it seems. He wanted to pair economics with law, but he wasn’t sure where that would take him. So he came to the College of Law to figure out his pathway. “Scholarships played a big role in my decision to attend law school and come to Syracuse. The future can be uncertain after law school, and I wanted to graduate with as little debt as possible,” says Pope.

“I feel that because Syracuse was able to assist me with scholarships, it’s a good thing to give back, help someone else along the way, and pay it forward.”

At the College of Law, Pope participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic and externed at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, working with Ann Marie Buerkle L’94, but it was a taxation class with Professor Robert Nassau that really piqued his interest. “Once I learned more about tax, I became really interested, and I jumped at the PwC opportunity after graduating,” says Pope. He began his LL.M. while at PwC, but wanted to shift from an accounting firm to a law firm, prompting his move to Sutherland and the completion of his LL.M. shortly thereafter.

Reflecting on his journey from the College of Law, Pope says, “It’s funny the connections you begin to see: Syracuse alumni are all over. There were just so many connections. When I was looking to change firms, I reached out, and those connections helped me navigate the move.” Pope says he participates in alumni events in New York and keeps in contact with some professors and classmates. He also donates to his alma mater and has spoken with students who are looking for insight on navigating the tax field after law school.

“I feel that because Syracuse was able to assist me with scholarships, it’s a good thing to give back, help someone else along the way, and pay it forward,” Pope says. He adds that the College of Law alumni network and the connections one can make through it are critical to the success of graduating students and alumni already practicing in the field. “You might not be able to give someone a job, but you can help share some tools of the trade or give some advice that leverages the experience you’ve had along the way.”

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antasy football traces its history back to an idea that Oakland Raiders’ staff members had in a New York hotel room during a cross-country trip in the early 1960s. From there, the idea of drafting, organizing, and managing virtual football teams and leagues spread slowly, not taking off until the late 1990s.

Today, fantasy sports are a $7.2 billion industry, drawing some 60 million participants each year, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

But for six College of Law alumni, the history and tradition of fantasy football are considerably more personal, intertwined with fond memories of their law school days.

The Stooges (originally Platter) League was created in 1987. Its inaugural draft was held in a White Hall classroom, with about a dozen second-year students taking part. Among them were Perry Beitchman L’89 (who passed away in 2006), Larry Bennett L’90, David Bruckman L’89, Mark Frisone L’89, Michael Morley L’89, Eric Nash L’89, and Jeff Rizika L’89. While the number of participants has varied, most of this core group of friends continues the league each year, and they now celebrate its 30th anniversary.

None of the original participants, however, can recall the exact inception of the league, but they agree that it stemmed from their shared love of sports.

Bennett recalls how the group often hung out at the student lounge in the law school to talk about sports. For his part, Nash remembers a study group they formed during their 1L year that frequently devolved into a sports round table.

Some of the friends also played intramural sports together, including an informal table hockey league. “A number of us would wander over to Schine,” says Rizika, “where they had this Bobby Hull hockey table, and we formed ourselves a little league—the McClung Hockey Association.” They arbitrarily adopted the name from the Supreme Court case Katzenbach v. McClung, which involved a racial discrimination case at a place called Ollie’s BBQ. The case was being covered in their constitutional law class at the time, and they all agreed that the winner had to drink barbecue sauce out of the winner’s cup (although that never happened, says Rizika). It seems that a fantasy football league would inevitably follow for these sports-made friends.

Today, the internet makes scoring a virtual league easy, but before it was all online, fantasy sports required more than just knowing whom to draft.

“Without an online service, we had to score everything ourselves using the newspapers,” Morley explains, “but we scored only touchdowns, so it wasn’t as complicated, and it wasn’t head-to-head competition, just most points overall.” Nash adds that, “the one thing that’s really evolved is how we score.

We started using a service, and we’d have to send away for all the stats.”

“As time went on,” says Rizika, “we were able to get the stats from computers, and we adopted CBS Sportsline as a service.”

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“When we left law school, I called everyone to keep it going,” continues Rizika. The drafts remained an in-person event and became a revered tradition, keeping the group connected. However, getting everyone together became increasingly difficult as the friends started careers and families in different cities.

Thus, the in-person draft became a conference call, and the league expanded to include some friends and family.

But the draft event maintains its Stooge-worthy banter and comradery. “Perry would pull out the names of players going way back in the league,” says Frisone. “We each think we’re a closet comedian,” says Nash, adding, “there’s always one guy commenting on everybody’s pick like he’s Vince Lombardi—‘Good pick! Oh, you just picked my guy! Bad pick!’—like he’s the expert on it.”

Amidst the in-jokes and commentary, there remains a fierce rivalry, and each player protects his own draft strategy. “Larry’s usually the one who makes a reach on the first round. You can never tell where he’s going to draft,” explains Frisone, “and I’m always the first one to take a defensive player.” Morley has a history of losing his first-round picks to injury early in the season, jinxing players such as the Arizona Cardinals’ Adrian Peterson and former Philadelphia Eagle Randall Cunningham.

While they might not remember the exact fruition of the league, the group’s knowledge of football and memory of their draft choices is remarkable. Bennett remembers his first ever pick—Raul Alegre— presumably based on the New York Giants’ Super Bowl win the previous year. He also remembers trading San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver Jerry Rice to Beitchman for the Minnesota Vikings’ D.J. Dozier that same year.

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The stakes are inconsequential to the group because the real prize is bragging rights and the coveted trophy—the V—created and named in memory of fellow Stooge, Beitchman. “Perry was always entertaining in the drafts, and he is sorely missed,” says Rizika. Nash adds that, “we’ve taken on some of his banter and insert our Perry monologues in the drafts now.” Each year the former winner has the V engraved and shipped to the new champ. While the V keeps some record of victories, it’s hard for them to know who the winningest Stooge is over the whole 30 years. Among them, though, they agree that it’s probably Frisone, who, as a Cleveland Browns fan, admits “If I want to win something, I’ve got to take matters into my own hands.” Morley concedes that he, “unfortunately has the dubious distinction of winning only once in all these years, thanks to the Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis.” And while Nash has claimed victory in the past, he has yet to win the V. Although competition is pretty cutthroat—Nash was once tossed out of the league on claims of collusion—it remains grounded in humor, friendship, and shared memories. While the league has expanded beyond the original group, “we first and foremost want one of us to win and hope the finals are against the law alum,” Bruckman says. True to their hopes, the 30th season was won by one of the original alums. Bruckman will soon receive the V and with it, the year’s bragging rights.

The maintenance of the Stooges League has led to many unforgettable moments.

One particularly noteworthy anecdote is the group’s run-in with legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana at a New Jersey hotel where they were celebrating Rizika’s wedding. At the time, Montana had been out of play for an elbow injury, and there was great speculation on the seriousness of the injury. Frisone notes that when he saw Montana, he had only this tiny Band-Aid on his elbow. The mystery would consume their table’s conversation at the reception, fueling an in-depth discussion about if and when Montana would return to play.

“It’s amazing how long the league’s been going on,” says Bennett. The six original Stooges are spread among New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Ohio, with the league being the glue that’s kept their friendships alive. “It really enhances the comradery and law school spirit that we forged years ago,” notes Bruckman. While some of the players connect in person more frequently than others, they all count on and anticipate each year’s draft. “We miss the in-person drafts a lot, but at least we get to do our banter,” says Morley. “To me, it’s one of the best memories I have of being a graduate of the College of Law. It keeps me in contact with classmates I otherwise wouldn’t be,” says Frisone. “We don’t see any end to it.”

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HE STOOGES LEAGUE: 3O YEARS OF FANTASY FOOTBALL (continued)

Rizika’s victory plaque for his 1998 league win.

Larry Bennett L’90 is a partner in the Mount Laurel, NJ, office of Weber Gallagher where his practice focuses on the defense of commercial transportation and general liability matters.

David Bruckman L’89 is a partner at Apexium Financial LP. Mark Frisone L’89 is CEO of a non-profit in Ohio called Family & Community Services Inc. Michael Morley L’89 is of counsel at Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Karhn Wikstrom & Sinins PC in New York.

Eric Nash L’89 is a partner at Rovner, Allen, Rovner, Zimmerman, and Nash in Philadelphia.

Jeff Rizika L’89 is a partner concentrating on civil litigation, plantiff’s personal injury, and malpractice at Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins PC in New Jersey.

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You plan your career.

You plan your retirement.

Now plan to change a life.

“I was fortunate to receive a scholarship in my final year of law school, and I’ve always remembered the generosity. I want to be sure future generations of students have the opportunity to pursue a legal education, and this is why I have created the Rosemary Bucci Law Scholarship through my estate.”

Anyone can plan a College of Law legacy.

You too can bring your passion to life at the College of Law. A planned gift—no matter its size—has endless potential to support students’ educational dreams. Whether your gift is one of cash, securities, real estate, business partnership interests, retirement plans, or life insurance—it can truly make all the difference.

To create your personal College of Law gift plan, call 888.352.9535 or email giftplan@syr.edu. It’s sure to be one of the most meaningful plans you’ll ever make.

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Syracuse University Law Alumni Association: Your Link to the Past, Present, and Future of the College of Law

Speaking light-heartedly at the end of his interview, Carey Ng L’02 says when he steps down from the presidency of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA) in June, he hopes that his colleagues allow him to stay involved and not leave him standing outside the door. Given his successful two-year tenure, it’s certain they will. Today, the Association is flourishing, with members and alumni events in every corner of the country and a growing cohort of international alumni making connections as well.

Currently an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, where he works in the Rackets Bureau, Ng sat down to talk about the purpose of SULAA, some new initiatives the Association has planned, and how alumni can get involved in an organization that is by them and for them.

What is the purpose of SULAA? SULAA provides a platform to bring all alumni and their families together as members of the College of Law community and as colleagues in the law and other professions. All College of Law graduates are automatically members of SULAA, and they are welcome to participate in our activities, as are current and incoming students, or our “future alumni.”

The association helps alumni and students advance their careers and it fosters fellowship; it helps to promote the College, with members acting as ambassadors; and it lets us recall our time together in Syracuse and remember how law school shaped our lives and friendships!

What sort of events does SULAA organize?

SULAA holds alumni events nationwide in conjunction with the law school.

We frequently get together in places where Syracuse alumni tend to be concentrated, such as Syracuse, New York City, Washington, DC, South Florida and California. And we want to continue to connect growing alumni communities in Atlanta, Phoenix, Boston, Northern California, Florida, and beyond. One way we get current students involved is to hold events in cities during the summers, so we can meet the students “out in the field,” so to speak. >

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One of the biggest events you help organize is the annual Law Reunion Weekend and the Law Honors Awards. What plans are being developed for Law Reunion 2018?

If I may say, I thought the 2017 Law Reunion Weekend was a terrific event, and our alumni community made it so. More than 100 alums from around the country returned home to Syracuse to network with students, lunch with the judiciary, attend CLE programs, cheer on Syracuse football, and generally meet, mingle, and remember. The feedback we got was overwhelmingly positive.

We’re hoping that the 2018 Law Reunion will be bigger and better. We already have a date—September 27-30—which coincides with the Clemson football game on Saturday, for which we are planning an exciting viewing party at Club 44 in the Dome. The Syracuse Law Honors Awards ceremony once again will be a centerpiece of the weekend. In the three years since its inception, we have honored 13 amazing alumni, and you can check out the citations and videos on the law school website.

The awards are all about alums, so we invite alumni to nominate someone they admire in recognition of “distinguished achievements in any field of endeavor.”

That person can be a professor, alumnus, or member of the community— really anyone was has made an impact in service to the College, the University, the profession, the community, or the world at large. Information about alumni events and the Law Honors nomination form can be found on the Alumni section of the law school website.

Another way we are encouraging alums to get involved in the Law Reunion is by becoming a Class Agent or, in other words, a class representative. Class Agents are being asked to spread the word among classmates and encourage them to return to their alma mater to celebrate their law school days, as well as take on other responsibilities that will make this event—your event—a success.

Alums should contact Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.9532 if they are interested in being a Class Agent.

How else can alumni get involved in SULAA activities?

Alumni can get involved by reaching out to SULAA via the law school—our email is SULAA@law.syr.edu—or you can simply come to one of our events that are listed at law.syr.edu/alumni-friends. You can also stay connected through the College’s presence on LinkedIn and Facebook.

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Aside from attending our events, alumni can get involved by helping with Law Reunion planning, with job placement and career advice for graduates, with recruiting students, and with hosting an intern or extern. Essentially, the only criterion for membership—other than your connection to the law school—is your willingness to be present, to connect, and to support the College and its future.

Anyone interested in serving on the SULAA Board can find information about that on the website’s alumni section. I should also note that serving on the alumni association board further helps the College by providing a pipeline for the Board of Advisors.

How did you get involved in SULAA? After law school, I was on the sidelines with the alumni association. I was going to events, but I was not involved in its organization and governance.

That changed when I decided to join the board in 2008.

What are your thoughts now that your term is ending?

I have to say it’s been a great honor to serve the College of Law alumni, to build this great community across the country, and to meet different alumni from a variety of practice areas. I’ve also enjoyed working with Dean Boise and his team. It is clear they value the alumni association, and we’ve developed a close partnership with the administrators, which will bode well for all of us. After the new SULAA leader is elected, I’m hoping to still be involved as an “out-ofwork” president!

What future initiatives does SULAA have planned?

Along with getting more alums involved in the association, we are looking to organize committees—in areas such as admissions and career services—as part of our ongoing commitment to support the law school. I’ve had several alums tell me, “I want to help the law school with recruitment, but I don’t have the time to sit on the SULAA board.” So an advantage of creating these committees is that they will enable more alums to get involved at the heart of the association without necessarily committing to being a board member.

Moreover, alumni cohorts in certain locations have expressed an interest in establishing local chapters to maximize the power of their network, to support each other and the College, and to encourage current and prospective students. The Bay Area alumni network launched this spring, for instance. I’m excited to visit them in San Francisco!

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A Review of Their Careers: Former Law Review Members Reflect on Their Paths and Offer Sage Advice

The Syracuse Law Review has been a revered student-run publication at the College of Law since its founding in 1949, and it continues to attract notable authors and contributors, exemplifying top-rate legal scholarship, and forging its members into the next class of distinguished legal scholars and professionals.

Since 2011, the Law Review has maintained a blog—Legal Pulse—providing commentary on law in current events as an online complement to the Syracuse Law Review publications. The blog keeps Law Review’s voice in timely legal conversations and bolsters its presence among digital and social media.

Last summer, Legal Pulse began an “Alum of the Month” feature, profiling noteworthy Law Review alumni, highlighting their foundational experiences in law school as Law Review members, and the interesting career trajectories that led them to where they are today. The feature also showcases the strength of our alumni base, and helps to build bonds among Law Review alumni and current members.

The alumni spotlights to date include those of Kim Boylan L’86, Damien Elefante L’99, Marguerette Hosbach L’80, Darren Miller L’07, Kristen Smith L’05, and Aaron Tidman L’07. >

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Two themes emerge through their narratives. The first is that the pathways to and from law school aren’t—and don’t have to be—as traditional as some might think.

The second is that participating in Law Review gave them invaluable preparation for careers in law.

Some of the alums, such as Tidman, dreamed of becoming a lawyer from childhood.

Elefante and Miller progressed to law school straight from undergraduate studies; others came to law school after discovering an interest in the law and an overlapping relevance in their professional work. Smith, for instance, worked in professional recruiting, hiring engineers for companies such as Bose Corporation.

Boylan, on the other hand, worked at Ernst & Young on its auditing team, while Hosbach was a media research analyst in New York City working with consumer companies such as Proctor & Gamble.

Miller says his experience as the Law Review’s Associate Notes Editor helped him “to develop an unbridled attention to detail, to realize the importance of networking, and to appreciate how valuable research and writing are in the legal field.” Boylan was a Senior Notes Editor (called the Notes & Comments Editor, at the time) and she says this role sharpened her writing and leadership skills and exposed her to a variety of topics and personalities. As Editor-in-Chief, Smith says, “I really learned how incredibly important it is to never become lazy … to stay completely focused. When you translate that into your work, you realize it wasn’t about the substance of the article at the time. It’s about those skills that relate to your attention to detail and your time management.” Hosbach credits her experience for the coveted job she obtained at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Collectively, the alums acknowledge the differences between legal education and the legal profession. “It is very important to quickly recognize the difference between being a law student and being a lawyer,” elaborates Smith. “In law school, you are in this closed universe with specific questions to answer and that’s that. In the practice of law, it’s a completely open universe. You can’t think narrowly about an issue.”

Boylan’s assessment for young lawyers about what makes a successful career is simple and prescriptive: “the difference between the good lawyers and the bad ones is the understanding that this is a profession, not a job,” she observes. That being said, life after law school doesn’t need to be defined the moment you graduate.

“You don’t have to have a perfect plan,” Miller says. “The more important thing is whether you can adapt, and go with the flow.”

Adding to that sentiment, Tidman says, “Your first job out of law school will definitely not be your last, and it’s okay to switch jobs and practice areas.” While you don’t need to know the endpoint of your career, it helps to have an idea of where to start. So, Elefante suggests, “Realistically prepare for life after law school.

Take classes that will prepare you as much possible for the type of area you want to pursue as a career.”

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In the end, a central lesson from these seasoned professionals is that the realm of law is vast and there are many possibilities. Hosbach says building a career is all about finding the right fit. “I searched for what was interesting to me at the time, what would be of interest to me in the future, and what would also allow me the opportunity to feel like I was doing something substantive and meaningful.”

For the full Legal Pulse “Alum of the Month” profiles, written by Legal Pulse Editor, 3L Samantha Pallini, visit lawreview.syr.edu/alum-of-the-month.

Featured in this article:

Kim Boylan L’86, Notes & Comments Editor Partner and Head, Global Tax Practice, White & Case, LLP Washington, DC

Damien Elefante L’99, Computer Editor Deputy Director, Department of Taxation, State of Hawaii

Marguerette Hosbach L’80, Notes & Comments Editor Executive Director and Associate General Counsel, Ernst & Young, New York, NY

Darren Miller L’07, Associate Notes Editor Partner, Real Estate Construction and Development, Nixon Peabody LLP, Rochester, NY

Kristen Smith L’05, Editor-in-Chief Corporation Counsel, City of Syracuse

Aaron Tidman L’07, Lead Articles Editor Senior Manager for Business Conduct, Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA

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A LIFE’S MISSION FOR JUSTICE

“From a young age, I’ve had a passion for justice,” says Akossiwoa Sinon LL.M.’15, a human rights advocate who brought her passion for the law from her native Togo, in West Africa, to Upstate New York and honed it in the College of Law’s Master of Laws program.

Like many Master of Laws students, Sinon was already familiar with the legal field before arriving in Syracuse. In Togo, Sinon earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from the Université de Lomé and immediately began her vocational journey. Her first project was to help empower women and young girls through education. “In the culture of my native country, boys are preferred by fathers and are sent to school more often than girls,” says Sinon. “I want to see them have better lives.”

Sinon’s vocation also led her to create the not-for-profit Avenir Femme Enfant (AFE), which translates from French to “future of women and children.” AFE provides women with necessary resources such as health and childcare and funding for small businesses.

She also founded the Santa Maria school to provide education to children in Vogomé, a community that had no school before Sinon’s intervention.

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In 2004, Sinon’s husband received a Humphrey Fellowship to study at Cornell University. Subsequently, he was granted political asylum, and two years later Sinon and their four children moved to the United States to join him in Ithaca.

“MY GOAL IS TO ALWAYS SIDE WITH THE POOR AND HELP THEM THRIVE.” “When I moved, my motto didn’t change,” observes Sinon, who worked at Cornell’s childcare center for about five years to help support her family. “I wanted to be helpful to my new country, and I understood that the landscape of law in the US would give me a better ability to do so.” Her continued passion for justice and her desire to empower her community led Sinon to work at the Ithaca City Attorney’s Office as a paralegal intern, to volunteer at a community dispute resolution center in Ithaca, and eventually enroll in the College’s Master of Laws program, where, along with learning American jurisprudence, she studied human rights, immigration, and family law.

“My goal is always to side with the poor and help them thrive,” says Sinon. As a student, she received further legal training in Ithaca through the LL.M.’s pro bono job shadow program and eventually went into the Peace Corps following graduation.

During Sinon’s one-year post in Guinea, West Africa, she worked for the World Food Program as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and helped girls with their studies in after-school activities and through a chapter of Let Girls Learn (LGL), which she founded, so girls can support one another and learn together. Additionally, Sinon led inquiries on female genital mutilation and suggested policy reforms to organizations that are working to end the practice.

Back in Upstate New York, Sinon’s work with the less fortunate continues, as does her desire to pass along her wisdom and passion as a social justice entrepreneur. In 2013, Sinon founded the not-for-profit Organization for Cultural Exchange and Learning (OCEL) in Ithaca in order to share knowledge and resources with other people like herself who want to support those in need in developing countries.

“Sometimes, people only need a small push to move forward,” she says. “I want to be able to tell them they are great and to empower them to have better lives.”

(Left) A sign for the Santa Maria school and not-for-profit Avenir Femme Enfant that Akossiwoa Sinon founded in Togo. (Right) Photos of Sinon during her Peace Corps post in Guinea.

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Lawyers in Love

The memories of law school are enduring, and for spouses who fell in love with each other while studying the law, they are also endearing.

For these couples, the special bond they have with the College becomes even stronger when they reflect—as three couples do here—on the origins of their lifelong relationships.

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Michael Marino L’96 and Marija (Tenzera) Marino L’96 Like many in their incoming Class of 1996, Mike Marino and Marija Tenzera found themselves socializing at Faegan’s on the Hill one night during Orientation. “I’ll never forget the first time I saw Marija from across the room,” recalls Mike. “Tall and pretty with long brown hair, and surrounded by potential suitors. There was literally a spotlight shining down on her.” Mike says he eventually made my his way over. “In truth, I don’t remember a lot about our first conversation because I was completely captivated. I knew right then that she was the one for me.” He wasn’t wrong. Marija says the next day she called her mom and told her she had just met the man she was going to marry!

The couple did not have their first real date until several weeks later. “We went out for coffee and cake at The Crown,” says Mike. “We started out with the usual gettingto-know-you conversation, but, as we reflected on it over the years, we realized it was more like an interview.” Mike and Marija grilled each other about family background, where they wanted to live, what type of legal career they wanted to have, how many kids seemed right (“we settled on two”), and so on.

In their 3L year, the couple had to decide on life after law school. Mike picks up the story, “One evening in the library, as the snow fell outside, we struck a deal: Marija would take the California bar exam, I’d join the JAG Corps, she’d accompany me wherever that took us, and then we’d relocate to Los Angeles.” Mike and Marija married in September 1997, and lived in Jacksonville, FL, Washington, DC, and Italy, before making good on the promise to settle in Southern California, where Marija works as a real estate investor/manager and Mike is Senior Vice President and Chief Employment Counsel at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. “It’s nice to speak the same language and understand the pressures of a law practice,” the couple observes, musing on what it’s like for two lawyers to share a life together.

“Although we wondered if it would mean a lifetime of ‘issue, rule, analysis, conclusion’ arguments, it is never like that—and in fact it has been a great blessing.” This blessed feeling extends all the way back to the memory of when they first met. “We marvel at the forces that brought Marija from sunny SoCal to Syracuse so we could meet,” says Mike. “Our bond was forged in Syracuse, and although we avoid cold weather now at all costs, the city must have made an impression because recently we painted our new house blue with an orange door!” >

Words to Love By

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”

–The Marinos

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Michael Fogel L’04 and Danielle (Mikalajunas) Fogel L’04 Often the meeting that sparks a lifelong relationship is engineered by a friend. In the case of Mike and Danielle Fogel, that friend was the Hon. Paul M. Deep L’04. “Mike and I met during our second year in law school,” says Danielle. “Mike had just transferred to the College of Law.” As a fellow transfer student, Paul mistakenly went to a patent law class instead of evidence, and that’s where he met Danielle. “Paul then introduced me to Danielle later that day,” recalls Mike. “As the social coordinator of her group of friends, Danielle invited Paul and me out for cocktails. Danielle and I started dating a few weeks later and have been together since.” In recognition of their friendship and of his role in their relationship, Mike and Danielle asked Paul to be the Best Man at their wedding.

Being married attorneys has its good and bad points, admit the couple. “It is helpful when we discuss certain issues that we may be dealing with because we both understand what it is like to be an attorney,” they explain. But like many successful couples, the work/life balance can be challenging. In this case, that means juggling Mike’s busy travel schedule as Managing Partner at Syracuse-based Brown, Duke & Fogel PC with Danielle’s trial schedule for clients of Sugarman Law Firm LLP, also in Syracuse, where she is a Partner and Member of the Management Committee.

The couple are very clear about honoring the College as the place where they forged not only their careers but their marriage. “One of the reasons we give back to the College of Law is because that is where we met,” they say. Admissions and financial aid experts probably would not include matchmaking in their calculations of the “opportunity cost” of attending law school, but Danielle certainly does. “She often says that meeting each other was worth the investment!” notes Mike.

Words to Love By

“The key to a great relationship is a weekly date night!”

–The Fogels

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Tyler Mullen L’13 and Marysia (Wlazlo) Mullen L’13 You’ve heard of a feather in a cap. Well, for Tyler and Marysia Mullen it all started with a feather in a witch’s hat.

“We took some classes together in our 1L year, but mostly we sat on opposite sides of the room. Tyler was class president, so everyone knew who he was,” recalls Marysia. “Marysia definitely made the first move,” says Tyler, picking up the thread.

“We went to a class Halloween Party and she wore a witch’s hat.

She kept on hitting me with its feathers! It got my attention. That night we talked, and I asked her to go to another party with me. Then I became head over heels in love.”

The couple eventually got engaged in what was for them an incredibly busy 3L year. “Tyler asked me to marry him a week before Valentine’s Day at a ski resort in Vermont. I remember how we were both in Professor Deborah Kenn’s clinic class discussing a case when we told the whole group about it.” Because he was class president, Marysia soon became known as the “First Lady,” adds Tyler. Continues Marysia, “So we graduated in May, took the bar exam in July, married in October, and moved to Washington, DC, in November, to start my job at Latham & Watkins and so Tyler could begin an LL.M. program at George Washington University.”

Five years on, and Marysia is still at Latham & Watkins, while Tyler is now an Assistant General Counsel at the General Services Administration and a member of the 113th Wing District of Columbia Air National Guard. “Being two married lawyers makes it easier to understand where the other person is coming from in terms of work pressures and the demands on time,” observes Marysia. “How to balance work and life is a regular conversation in our household.”

Because Marysia’s mother still lives in Central Square, NY, north of Syracuse, the couple often returns to the area, making sure they visit their alma mater and their former professors. “Because Syracuse was the starting point for us, I think we have more of a connection to the school together than our undergrad colleges separately,” says Tyler. “It’s the college itself that draws us back. The people may change, but the spirit remains.”

Words to Love By

“A spouse is not your best friend—it’s a much different, more intimate relationship than that. If your spouse is your best friend, then whom do you complain to?!”

–Marysia Mullen

“Every best experience we have together is the best so far.”

–Tyler Mullen

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The Murphy Family: A Legal Legacy Begins at Home It was perhaps inevitable. When two generations of the Murphy family gathered around one end of a long conference table at the Syracuse, NY, offices of Hancock Estabrook LLP to discuss their strong family legacy at the College of Law, the three sons of Hon. Thomas J. Murphy L’54 soon took over the interview, quizzing their father about his law school days.

The first interview question was “How has legal education changed since you were in school?” That was meant to be for the three sons, all of whom graduated within a few years of each other in the 1980s. But they took the question and posed it instead to their father. Thomas began law school in 1951, and as you can imagine, he has witnessed quite a few changes to the profession in a long career.

For one thing, Thomas, who was the first to go to law school from his blue-collar family, had to work two jobs in order to afford law school. “You could do that back then!” exclaims Hon. James (Jim) P. Murphy L’84 now a New York Supreme Court Justice for the 5th Judicial District. Thomas continues the story, “When I went to law school, there were a lot of GIs going back to school, although I was a traditional student. Just 66 students matriculated in my class, and it was a small faculty. Paul Andrews was Dean. I also remember that two women graduated in my year.” > (From L to R) Seated at the downtown Syracuse office of Hancock Estabrook LLP are Martin Murphy L’86; Hon. James P. Murphy L’84; Hon. Thomas J. Murphy L’54; and Timothy P. Murphy L’89. Timothy Murphy is a partner at Hancock Estabrook LLP. 33

Then the sons remembered that their dad went to school in a downtown Syracuse location. Was it near the Hancock Estabrook offices? Closer to Columbus Circle?

“It was in a small building, since torn down, opposite the county courthouse,” says Thomas. “I believe we were the last class to go to school there. I remember that the custodian’s wife used to hang her laundry on the roof!”

The location couldn’t have been better for aspiring attorneys, who supplemented their Socratic lectures by watching some of the best lawyers in the area practice torts, contracts, evidence, and other traditional subjects just the throw of a clothes pin away from class.

Thomas went on to have a distinguished career as an attorney and a judge of 34 years, serving, like his son Jim, with the state Supreme Court. It was this career, as well as his deep respect for the rule of law and for public service, that planted the seed of the Murphy family legacy at the College. It’s a legacy that extends to the University as a whole. “Our mother, Mary Jane Dadey Murphy, graduated from the University with a B.S. in nursing in 1951,” explains Timothy (Tim) P. Murphy L’89 a Partner at Hancock Estabrook. “Her four brothers are also alums: Dr. John L. Dadey ’49, Richard D. Dadey L’57, Thomas V. Dadey L’59, and William J. Dadey G’61. And more recently, two cousins of ours graduated: Justin Murphy ’87 and Kristin Dadey ’98.”

“I don’t really think about the legacy until people mention it,” says Jim. “But we were raised in a law-and-order family, and to this day we talk about the law at family gettogethers, until our spouses tell us to stop!”

Jim says he knew he would follow his father’s footsteps from an early age, taking part in vocational activities such as youth court as a student at Bishop Ludden school in Syracuse. Martin (Marty) Murphy L’86, now Senior Deputy County Attorney at the Onondaga County Attorney’s Office, said he started out as an English major at LeMoyne College in Syracuse (his father’s alma mater), but he slowly came around to the family business after “seeing that my father and his friends enjoyed their work.

We always had role models inside and outside the family.”

“I remember writing a paper on my chosen vocation for Sister Helen at St. Ann’s Elementary School!” recalls Tim. “Dad was a trial judge, and he’d talk about the trials he was working on at home. We’d play them out around the kitchen table.”

This domestic memory returns the discussion to the changing nature of law and legal education. “There were a lot more trials back then. Dad would have them every week,” continues Tim. “Now there’s more settlements, alternative dispute resolution, and mediation.”

Above: Hackett Hall on Montgomery Street in downtown Syracuse, close to the Onondaga County Courthouse. Thomas J. Murphy L’54 was among the last law students to study at this location.

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“By the time I was at college, we were up on campus and the class was more or less 50/50 men and women,” says Jim. “And we had just started to use LexisNexis and Westlaw for research. There were about five computer terminals to use, so mostly we still ‘Shepardized’ cases using reference books. Everything revolved around the library. We were always there. I wonder if today’s students can appreciate this?!”

“And by the time I was there,” adds Marty, “Syracuse had become a national law school. We learned the California rule as well as the New York rule, and there were even classes in international law.”

Given two generations of legal and public service—not to mention those ongoing family debates—it’s not surprising that Thomas’ grandchildren grew up with a deep appreciation for the law. And although not all have followed their grandfather into the profession, the Syracuse legacy looks likely to continue now that Tim’s son—Timothy P. Murphy Jr.—has been accepted to the College of Law. Talk of the next generation then turns the conversation toward what changes in the legal profession aspiring lawyers must take heed of in order to begin their legacies.

“Another big change from my father’s day is the importance of externships and clinical experience,” observes Marty. Jim agrees, adding that students in his third year would focus on the bar exam, but now there’s a shift toward seeking real-world experience in the final two semesters. “The College’s academics remain strong, but we must recognize the need for a more clinical approach and feet-on-the-ground experiences for the students.”

Jim says he applauds the College’s administration for recognizing this need and facilitating it by working more closely with the local bar association. “I like how this administration is interacting with the practice of the profession and with local attorneys.”

Echoing his brothers, Tim says, “My advice to the next generation is to build as many relationships as you can.” Adds Jim, “Not many students know, for instance, that the local bar association is free to law students. So, join its sections. Go to the networking breakfasts and working lunches, and there you’ll meet 15 to 20 practitioners in the areas of law you are interested in.”

“And,” adds Marty, “take advantage of internships and try to find a mentor.”

“Our father was clearly our mentor,” says Jim. “It helped that he worked at a small firm as well as being a judge. Dad constantly helped us to learn about the law, even if we didn’t always appreciate it at the time. Importantly, through him we learned that success in a law career doesn’t just mean financial success. My father didn’t talk about ‘successful outcomes’ for his cases; he always talked about ‘representing’ people.”

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Alumni Events—A Year in Review 1.

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Members of the Class of 1967 celebrated their 50th reunion this past fall with a number of special events, including a dinner after the Law Honors Award ceremony.

More than 100 alumni returned to the College of Law during Reunion Weekend to partake in several activities, including a networking breakfast with current students.

Institute of National Security and Counterterrorism Director William Banks gave a “ripped from the headlines” presentation to Los Angeles-area alumni on what experts are calling the “new cold war” with Russia.

Last summer, alumni and faculty joined students enrolled in the Law in London program, now LondonEx, to celebrate the program’s 40th anniversary. LondonEx is one of the nation’s longest-running legal externship programs in London.

More than 30 alumni joined Dean Boise for the South Florida Alumni Reception in February, hosted by Michael D. Wohl L’75 and Betty N. Wohl.

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The annual New York City Alumni Reception at Lubin House was a true showing of College of Law alumni pride, with more than 100 alumni in attendance to help celebrate with students enrolled in the first semester of the New York City externship program (NYCEx).

9-10. Closer to home, alumni in the Rochester region heard from Dean Boise on developments at the College of Law and had the opportunity to interact with new

contacts and renew old friendships.

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“ADVOCATES” FOR THE COLLEGE OF LAW: AN ORANGE COMMUNITY GROWS WITHIN THE MARINE CORPS

(From L to R) Captain Josh Keefe L’14, G’14; Captain Lauren Neal L’12; Captain Justin Nakajo-Kleinman L’12; Major Susan Upward L’15; Captain Alex Redmon L’14, G’14; and Captain Caleb Merrill L’15.

With more than 10,000 alumni across the country and around the globe, most Syracuse Law alumni find it is indeed a small world. Though in some circles—such as in the Marine Corps’ Judge Advocate community—the world gets even smaller. Take, for instance, the remarkable photograph that accompanies this story. It depicts six Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division officers, representing three different College of Law graduating classes.

The photo was taken last May at the Legal Support Service Section West’s annual Mess Night, at San Onofre Beach in Camp Pendleton, CA. Mess Night is a tradition among officers to celebrate the accomplishments of the preceding year. “It’s basically a fun gettogether and dinner for the Western Region Legal Sections,” says Lauren Neal L’12.

How did these six College of Law alumni end up together on the West Coast? Susan Upward L’15 notes that the Marine Corps lawyer community isn’t that large, so the six

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often run into each other or other alumni, both as colleagues and as friends. Sometimes, they end up in court against each other, notes Caleb Merrill L’15, who currently has a case against Alex Redmon L’14, G’14. “Syracuse has a pretty robust presence,” says Redmon, “and I’m lucky to be able to keep in contact with quite a few of them.” Josh Keefe L’14, G’14 and Neal even work in the same office. Neal adds that, “One of the coolest things is that there are so many of us from Syracuse in the Marine Corps together. People will often say, ‘another Syracuse graduate?!’”

While they share an interest in military justice, their paths to the Corp and their career trajectories are varied. Neal didn’t enlist until after graduating (and passing three state bar exams) and is currently a prosecutor at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton.

Upward was on active duty for eight years before matriculating into law school, deploying to Iraq in 2006 and 2008 as an Air Support Control Officer. She is currently the Senior Defense Counsel and Defense Services Organization Officer in Charge at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA. Redmon came to law school on an established path, and confirmed his direction while involved with the College of Law, the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT), and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He currently serves as Officer in Charge, Legal Services Support Detachment, Yuma, AZ, and Trial Counsel.

“One of the coolest things is that there are so many of us from Syracuse in the Marine Corps together.

People will often say, ‘another Syracuse graduate?!’”

Keefe, who co-founded the Wohl Family Veterans Legal Clinic with classmate Lt. Thomas Caruso L’14, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, US Navy, knew he’d return to active duty as a judge advocate after law school. He also took advantage of the College’s strong military and national security law courses, earning a joint degree through the Maxwell School. He is Trial Counsel at the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton and Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California. Merrill says he was going to join the Marines no matter what, and that “ending up in law school was a happy coincidence.” He is currently assigned as a defense counsel with the Defense Services Office, MCAS Miramar, CA, though he hopes to be selected for combat deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan. Justin NakjoKleinman L’12 is currently a Deputy Staff Judge Advocate and Operational Law Attorney for 1st Marine Air Wing, Okinawa, Japan.

“Around 7% of the Marine Corps attorneys on the West Coast are Syracuse alumni,” says Keefe, “and there are many graduates serving on active duty in other branches, across the world.” The College takes pride in graduates who serve our country and actively supports the University’s initiative to promote research related to, and educational opportunities for, veterans and military-connected communities.

Are you a College of Law alumni serving in the military? Let us know! The College of Law wants to have a complete database on alumni working within the military, and we’d love to hear about where you are and what you’re doing.

Please share your story with us by emailing Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu.

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Connections

FRIENDS’ PARALLEL PATHS TO AND FROM SYRACUSE

Lifelong friendships are nurtured in law school, and often these friendships are the core of joyful and nostalgic class reunions.

When the Class of 1967 returned home to Syracuse to celebrate its 50th anniversary in October 2017, at the heart of that cohort were two friends whose lives, careers, and interests have followed such parallel paths that they think of themselves as “brothers from another mother.”

To begin with—the first of many coincidences—both Arthur (Art) Gaudio L’67 and Sheldon (Shelly) Kurtz ’64, L’67 waited until their final year of law school to decide they wanted careers in legal education. “I didn’t know until my senior year that I wanted to be a professor, but I enjoyed study groups and my role in them, so I thought, this would be fun to do,” recalls Kurtz. Gaudio says his epiphany about a life in academia also came in his third year, but like Kurtz, he worked for a few years in practice before finally making the transition. “Many times in practice, I would wonder about a rule and ask myself, why is it like that? I’d go off and write the deed or whatever, yet eventually this curiosity pushed me toward academia.”

Both say they had teachers at Syracuse who influenced their career decision. “I had two role models,” says Kurtz. “One was Dean Ralph Kharas, who unfortunately passed away in 1966, and another was Sam Fetters. Dean Kharas taught property law, and Sam taught trusts and estates, which I teach, so they both had a long-term impact on me.”

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“Sam Fetters especially stimulated my mind,” agrees Gaudio, “and I remember that Peter Herzog’s Conflicts of Laws class made my mind do jumping jacks! Then there was Robert Anderson, who taught contracts. I was his RA, and he gave me a lot of advice.”

The next big coincidence in their lives came in a letter from Kurtz to Gaudio. “I recall getting a letter from Shelly one day, saying ‘I’m going to Iowa!’” recalls Gaudio, who was also relocating to the Plains to be a professor. Kurtz began teaching at the University of Iowa College of Law, while Gaudio started his lecturing at Drake University Law School.

Not surprisingly, the two soon found themselves collaborating. “After a few years, our schools’ student bar associations asked us both to write a bar review for them,” Gaudio notes. “I ended up writing the property and real estate review and Shelly wrote trusts and estates. Because of that, we’d travel to each other’s towns—Iowa City and Des Moines—to meet up.”

“FOR TWO OF US TO HAVE SUCH SIMILAR CAREER PATHS IN ACADEMIA, AND IN SIMILAR SPECIALTIES, IS REMARKABLE.”

The next happenstance took place at what Kurtz describes as an “awful” Italian restaurant in Des Moines. Gaudio takes up the story: “It was there that in 1979 I told Shelly we won’t be able to meet here anymore because I’m off to the College of William & Mary.” That didn’t matter. Kurtz told Gaudio that he too was re-locating—for an appointment as a Visiting Professor at University of Virginia Law School.

Thus, their friendship’s peripatetic path took Kurtz and Gaudio back to the East Coast, where they continued to stay in close touch until Kurtz moved back to Iowa. The distance between the friends might have been enough to break the spell of serendipity, but after a few years, and as their careers matured, yet more coincidences occurred.

Soon, they both became deans. Gaudio was named Dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law, and at the same time, Kurtz was offered a deanship at Florida State University College of Law. “Then, independently of each other, we both became involved in the Uniform Law Conference,” continues Kurtz. “Art has been a Reporter on four statutes, and I have reported on two. So we had a chance to see each other at conferences. There’s been no planning behind any of this!”

Kurtz and Gaudio were thrilled to catch up with each other once again at the 1967 class reunion, and they were equally thrilled to see their classmates, while mourning friends they have lost. “We had a great time with those who could make it,” Kurtz says. “I thought Syracuse did a nice job with the reunion weekend, and there was some great programming. We had a ball.” Adds Gaudio, “Our class only had about 80 in it, so for two of us to have such similar career paths in academia, and in similar specialties, is remarkable. I remember at the lunch on the eve of the reunion, Shelly said to me, are you sure we’re not brothers?! Even at the end of our careers, we’re doing similar things: we’re both taking phased retirements.” >

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The law reunion also was a chance for the two former deans to reflect on the past and present of legal education. It should come as no surprise that they both agree on one particular pressure that has had a big effect on the field. “Law school rankings are one of the worst things to happen to legal education, because that changed the focus of faculty and administrators. The goal now is to try to get as high a ranking as possible, but that comes with costs to teaching and scholarship,” Kurtz observes. “My school has cut down on intake to keep the LSAT and GRE scores where they need to be, but I work at a public university, so there is also the need to keep our doors open to as many Iowans as possible.”

Taking up this thought, Gaudio concludes, “When I started as an administrator, scholarships were more needs-based, but now it’s important to capture students with high scores. There’s been a shift toward merit-based scholarships, and I believe that’s a problem for those who have trouble affording a legal education.”

Arthur R. Gaudio | Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus Western New England School of Law Arthur Gaudio served as the Dean of the Western New England School of Law from 2001-2013. He is currently a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) Accreditation Committee and has assisted and chaired many law school accreditation site visit teams. He was also a member of the ABA Data Policy and Collection Committee, serving as Chair from 2010 to 2012. Before his appointment at Western New England University, Gaudio was the Deputy Consultant on Legal Education at the ABA for two years. A former Dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law, Gaudio is the author of Real Estate Brokerage Law and co-author of The American Law of Real Property.

Among his other appointments, Gaudio served as the Reporter for the Iowa State Bar Association to develop a statewide electronic land records system and legislation. He also served as Reporter for the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws to develop and draft the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act and the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.

Sheldon F. Kurtz | David H. Vernon Professor of Law University of Iowa College of Law Sheldon Kurtz has taught at the University of Iowa College of Law Faculty since 1973, except for an appointment as a Visiting Professor at University of Virginia Law School and two years as Dean of Florida State University College of Law. He also holds an appointment in the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

The co-author of American Property Law and author of the Introduction to the Law of Real Property, along with numerous articles and treatises, Kurtz’s research interests are in property law, health law, and estate planning. Kurtz has been actively involved with the Uniform Law Commission for many years, having served as the Reporter for the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and the Revised Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. He also served as Chair of the Drafting Committee that revised the Uniform Probate Code with respect to the rights of children born as the result of assisted reproductive technologies.

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RETURN HOME TO SYRACUSE: SEPTEMBER 27-30!

Save the date, mark your calendar, and plan to return to Syracuse for Law Reunion Weekend, Sept. 27-30. > Connect with new and old friends over a spectacular fall weekend. > Celebrate reunion with the Law class years ending in 3 and 8; Class of 1968 and Class of 2003 dinners are in the planning stages.

Will your class plan a dinner too? Let us know. > Join us for the Law Honors Awards Ceremony Friday night. > Attend an exciting game watching party: SU vs. Clemson Tigers at Club 44 in the Dome. > And more ‌.

Be a Class Agent This year, volunteer to be a Class Agent! Help spread the word among your classmates, encourage them to return to their alma mater to celebrate their law school days, and take on other responsibilities to help us ensure your reunion event is a success! Email Kristen Duggleby, Director of Alumni Relations, at klduggle@law.syr.edu or call 315.443.9532.

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OUR BACK PAGES

Do You Remember? Help us caption these photos.

The College of Law’s photo archive is a fascinating visual history of your alma mater, full of nostalgia, anecdotes, and a few mysteries. That is, some of the photos, although well-preserved, are unaccompanied by captions or annotations.

That’s where you come in. In this ongoing feature, we challenge you to help us recall who is in our mystery photos, where and when they were taken, and what was going on at the time.

Let’s retrace our steps together! If the two mystery photos below jog your memory, please email Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu, and we’ll publish the information in a future issue of the magazine.

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The Class of ’89 Steps Forward!

Members of the Class of ’89 rose to the challenge of providing information for one of the mystery photos published in the 2017 Giving Book. Responding to our request, William R. Hartman L’89 wrote, “This photo was taken of members of the class of 1989 as first years.

The woman on the lower right is Linda Davidson L’89.”

Alumna Judy M. Overholt L’89 also recognized Davidson, as well as Jennifer Nackley L’89 in the upper row, who is pointing to a passage in the textbook. “The photo was taken in the fall of 1986, I believe,” recalls Overholt. “I concur that the photo was taken during our first year,” says Nackley, now a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP in Naples, FL. “I just don’t recall if it was first semester or second. I miss those days!”

According to Richard A. Catalina Jr. L’89, Nackley is directing the attention of Anthony Siciliano L’89, while, to Siciliano’s left, Mike Morley L’89 looks on. However, none of the respondents could recall the name of the woman seated below Nackley. If you know this student’s name, please get in touch Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu!

Thank you for helping us solve a mystery and for bringing this snapshot of learning at our college back to life!

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BOARD OF ADVISOR S 2017-18 Members Marc A. Malfitano L’78 Chair Attorney, Real Estate Developer Syracuse, New York Richard M. Alexander L’82* Arnold & Porter Washington, DC Keisha L. Audain-Pressley L’00 Pacific Investment Management Company New York, New York Sharon R. Barner ’79 Cummins Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana Michael A. Bottar L’03 Bottar Leone PLLC Syracuse, New York Alan M. Epstein L’74 KDC Solar LLC Bedminister, New Jersey Christopher C. Fallon Jr. L’73 Cozen O’Connor Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Melanie Gray L’81* Winston & Strawn LLP Houston, Texas Alan K. Halfenger L’93 Regulatory Consulting Robert M. Hallenbeck L’82 Maryland Innovation Initiative (TEDCO) Columbia, Maryland John R. Hartmann L’88 True Value Company Chicago, Illinois Richard D. Hole L’75 Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC Syracuse, New York

Bernard R. Kossar L’55* New York, New York Donald T. MacNaughton L’68* Retired, White & Case LLP New York, New York Marnin J. Michaels L’96 Baker McKenzie LLP Zurich, Switzerland Heather M. Morawski L’07 Robert Bosch LLC Farmington Hills, Michigan Dr. Thomas Murphy L’93 Valuation Risk & Strategy LLC Skaneateles, New York Kamesh Nagarajan L’96 Morgan Stanley Wealth Management New York, New York Mark A. Neporent L’82* Cerberus Capital Management LP New York, New York Susan K. Reardon L’76 Retired, Johnson & Johnson Washington, DC Frank W. Ryan IV L’94 DLA Piper New York, New York Mitchell I. Sonkin L’77 MBIA Inc. Kiawah Island, South Carolina Gregory L. Thornton L’71 Retired, The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts C. James Zeszutek L’75 Dinsmore & Shohl LLP Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

*Member of Syracuse University Board of Trustees

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Honorary Members Hon. Joseph R. Biden Jr. L’68 Former Vice President of the United States Wilmington, Delaware Hon. William Q. Hayes L’83 US District Court for the Southern District of California San Diego, California

Hon. Carolyn D. King US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit Houston, Texas Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75* US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hon. Rosemary S. Pooler US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit New York, New York Hon. Frederick J. Scullin Jr. L’64 US District Court for the Northern District of New York Syracuse, New York

Ex Officio Craig M. Boise Dean and Professor of Law Syracuse University College of Law Syracuse, New York

Remembering Two College of Law Board Members The Hon. Sandra L. Townes L’76 It is with sadness that we note the passing of the Hon. Sandra L. Townes L’76, on Feb. 8, 2018 at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Judge Townes earned her baccalaureate at Johnson C. Smith University before becoming an English teacher at Corcoran High School in Syracuse. After law school, she served the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office as Assistant District Attorney, Senior Assistant District Attorney, and Chief Assistant District Attorney. In 1988 she became the first black woman elected to a judicial seat in Syracuse City Court.

In 1999, Judge Townes was elected as Justice of the Fifth District New York Supreme Court and was selected to the judicial post of Appellate Division Associate Justice in 2001. In 2003, she became the first black woman appointed to the bench in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

A pioneer and inspiration to her community and the College of Law, Judge Townes found time to pass along her wisdom as a teacher both at the College of Law (1987-1995) and at Onondaga Community College (1992-2001). She was a role model for many and a mentor to young people. Professionally, she was greatly respected by her peers and colleagues. The College of Law is proud to call Judge Townes a dear departed alumna, colleague, and friend.

We are grateful for her leadership in our profession and as an Honorary Member of the College of Law Board of Advisors.

Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55 It is with sadness that we note the passing of College of Law alumnus Joseph O. Lampe ’53, L’55, former chair of Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees, and former member of the College of Law Board of Advisors on Jan. 25, 2018. Lampe’s dedication to the University earned him its highest alumni award—the George Arents Award— and an honorary degree. He served on the Board since 1987, and he was a Life Trustee at the time of his passing. He also served on the Chancellor’s Council and the Society of Fellows.

Born at the Hospital of the Good Shepherd—now the University’s Huntington Hall on Marshall Street, Syracuse—Lampe earned a B.A. in 1953 before attending the College of Law. After concluding his Air Force service in 1957, Lampe remained in Arizona, where he had been stationed, to set up a law practice and launch a real estate business. Since 1979 he served as chairman of Lampe and Company, a diversified real estate firm based in Phoenix.

Lampe’s impact on the University and the College of Law continues to resonate through his vigorous support for student scholarship programs, commitment to enhance campus diversity, and leadership in key initiatives. His family name graces the Joseph O. and Shawn Lampe Athletic Complex, which provides primary training facilities for student athletes.

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SUL A A BOARD OF DIREC TOR S 2017-18 Executive Committee Carey W. Ng L’02 President District Attorney’s Office New York County New York, New York Sarah M. Oliker L’03 Immediate Past President ConMed Corporation Utica, New York Amy Vanderlyke Dygert L’06 1st Vice President Cornell University Ithaca, New York Matthew R. Policastro L’02 2nd Vice President Charles Schwab Trust Company Henderson, Nevada Patrick M. Kennell L’02 Treasurer Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck LLP New York, New York Richard Levy Jr. L’77 Executive Secretary Pryor Cashman LLP New York, New York Adam J. Katz L’04 Ex Officio US Attorney’s Office Albany, New York

Members Michael J. Allan L’98 Steptoe & Johnson LLP Washington, DC

Komoy M. Jones L’05 Medley Management Inc. New York, New York

Nelson D. Atkin II L’74 Barran Liebman LLP Portland, Oregon

Kimberly C. Lau L’06 Warshaw Burstein LLP New York, New York

Kevin Belbey L’16 IF Management New York, New York

Hon. Kirk E. Miller L’76 State of California Office of Administrative Hearings Oakland, California

Michael G. Berner L’03 The Wendy’s Company Dublin, Ohio Upnit Kaur Bhatti L’15 Arnold & Porter Washington, DC Michael J. Drayo L’01 The Vanguard Group Inc. Malvern, Pennsylvania Sarah M. Feingold L’05 Vroom Inc. New York, New York Michael A. Fogel L’04 Brown Sharlow Duke & Fogel PC Syracuse, New York Robert E. Futrell Jr. L’94 Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP Raleigh, North Carolina Suzanne O. Galbato L’98 Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC Syracuse, New York Catherine Sinnwell Gerlach L’13 Meardon, Sueppel & Downer Iowa City, Iowa Colleen Gibbons L’17 Bousquet Holstein PLLC Syracuse, New York Becki D. Graham L’05 Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC San Francisco, California Amy M. Hawkes L’01 Outsource EI Segundo, California

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Kevin D. Minsky L’97 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. McLean, Virginia Heather M. Morawski L’07 Robert Bosch LLC Farmington Hills, Michigan Mark E. O’Brien L’14 Supreme Court of Virginia Richmond, Virginia Thaddeus L. Pitney L’06 LoanStreet Inc. New York, New York Frederic L. Pugliese L’11 US District Court New York, New York Kevin J. Roggow L’05 Shearman & Sterling LLP Toronto, Ontario, Canada Martin K. Ruhaak L’07 Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP Chicago, Illinois Charles J. Taylor L’96 State of California Office of the State Controller Los Angeles, California Jennifer Holsman Tetreault L’03 US Foods Phoenix, Arizona Aaron M. Tidman L’07 Gilead Sciences Inc. Foster City, California Kevin M. Toomey L’12 Arnold & Porter Washington, DC

Meet Your Advancement & External Affairs Team Here are the people working to make your connection to the College of Law the strongest it can be!

Alumni Relations, Development, and Communications Front Row (L to R) Sophie Dagenais, Martin Walls, Lisa Lee Ladew G’15, Melissa Cassidy G’18, Fritz Diddle Back row (L to R) Kristen Duggleby G’18, Miles Bottrill, Jake Giovanini G’15, Rob Conrad ’92

Career Services (L to R) Samantha Kasmarek, Karima Akins ’17, Stacey Wiley L’00, Kelly Brant

Dineen Hall 950 Irving Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-6070

You make a

Difference!

We can never say it enough—your support, input, and leadership are making a huge impact.

Whether our world-class faculty, our highest bar passage rate in decades, or our forward-leaning curriculum, we have much to celebrate, and we will continue to improve, adapt, and innovate.

Philanthropic giving is a key factor in reaching our shared goals. A gift to the College of Law Annual Fund is one of the most significant and direct ways you can influence College of Law outcomes. By donating to the Annual Fund, you support every aspect of the College of Law, including classroom instruction, faculty recruitment, research and support, our externship programs, law review, Moot Court, our world renowned institutes, and our nine clinics.

Your gift is an investment in the future of the College of Law and an investment in tomorrow’s generation of leaders.

Together, we are making a difference. Thank you!

Contact Sophie Dagenais, Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs, at 315.443.1964 to make a donation.