WINTER 2015
Perspectives
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
Agents of Change Changing course in their lives or advancing to new roles, alumni build impactful careers from the foundation laid at Western New England University School of Law.
Attorney Lynn Banis ’82 United Technologies Corporation
A New Tradition Brings Law Ceremony Back to Campus This year’s conferral of J.D., LL.M., and combined degrees saw a return to campus for the School of Law. Reflecting the growth of the University’s graduate, doctoral, and professional programs, Commencement Weekend 2015 was a two-day event with conferral of undergraduate degrees at a ceremony on Saturday, May 16, and a new combined Doctoral, Law, Pharmacy, and Master’s Degree Ceremony held on Sunday, May 17—all at the University’s Alumni Healthful Living Center.
H O W T O C O N TA C T U S
Dean’s Office 413-782-1413 Eric Gouvin Email: eric.gouvin@law.wne.edu
Law Development 413-796-2316 Robert Ziomek Email: robert.ziomek@wne.edu
Career Services 413-782-1416 Paula Zimmer Email: pzimmer@law.wne.edu
Admissions 413-782-1406 Amy Mangione Email: amangione@law.wne.edu
Law Alumni Relations 413-782-1311 Kim Roeder Email: kim.roeder@wne.edu
Student Records 413-782-1402 Terese Chenier Email: terese.chenier@law.wne.edu Law Library 413-782-1616 Pat Newcombe Email: pnewcombe@law.wne.edu
Faculty Members Call 413-782-3111 and ask for specific faculty member. Main Fax Number: 413-796-2067 Mailing Address: 1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield, MA 01119-2684
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WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
PERSPECTIVES
CONTENTS
FEATURE:
Agents of Change Changing course in their lives or advancing to new roles, alumni build impactful careers from the foundation laid at Western New England University School of Law.
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Law Family Reunites for Volunteer Honor Roll Showcases Those Homecoming/Alumni Who Serve Weekend 2015 Law traditions old and new welcomed alumni back to campus under the umbrella of the University-wide weekend celebration.
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ALUMNI PROFILE:
Michael Tucker ’84: Banking on the Law
In our second annual Volunteer Honor Roll, Dean Eric Gouvin expresses his appreciation to those who donate their time and talent to enrich our program and to give back to the profession.
Michael Tucker ’84, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, relies heavily on his legal background to navigate changing banking regulations and lead his bank in the right direction.
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NEWS DEAN’S MESSAGE Renewed Commitment: Law Board Ready to Serve Alumni Recognition Event Honors Distinguished Graduates
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FACULTY AND STAFF NOTES
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CAMPUS UPDATE
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ALUMNI NEWS
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Commencement 2015
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Alternative Spring Break Offers Immersive Field Experience
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FALL SPEAKERS
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ALUMNI NOTES
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Emily Dubuc 3L Master’s Combined Degrees 16
IN MEMORIAM
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Institute for Legislative and Governmental Affairs
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Heard Around the Common
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DEVELOPMENT REPORT
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Alumni Benefits
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FACULTY PROFILE: Our Judge Faculty Adjuncts
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Visit Perspectives alumni magazine online at www.law.wne.edu/alumni
From the Dean
Dear Alumni/ae and Friends, At this fall’s Homecoming Weekend festivities, we began a new tradition, the Alumni Recognition event, to celebrate the contributions of our alumni to their professions and our learning community. This year’s honoree was U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni ’89. Sadly, just two weeks prior to this happy event, our community came together to remember and celebrate the life and contributions of another notable alumnus Gerard (Gerry) Pellegrini ’57, who passed away on September 13. Called the “Iron Man” back in his football days at Syracuse University, Gerry was a lifelong force to be reckoned with. As a founder of one of the region’s most preeminent law firms, Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan, & Blakesley, Gerry’s tenacity made him one of the best trial attorneys in western Massachusetts. He was a steadfast supporter of Western New England University School of Law whose generosity established the J. Gerard Pellegrini, Esq. Moot Court Room at the Blake Law Center and the Pellegrini Family Endowed Scholarship. Each will have a lasting impact on the education of students for generations and stand as a wonderful legacy to a man who loved to be in court. Our feature story in this issue looks at the many ways the legal education we provide impacts individual lives like Gerry’s and those they touch. It helps us to reflect on just how valuable the contributions of our alumni are to their professions. The Second Annual Volunteer Honor Roll article provides another look at the many alumni and friends who contribute their time and talent to furthering the mission of the School of Law. It is an impressive list. We truly value the support the community provides to the School of Law. We welcomed our alumni back in a big way with a nonstop weekend of Homecoming activities. The Alumni Recognition reception kicked off the festivities Thursday evening, the Alumni and Students of Color Dinner was held Friday night, and the Alumni General Meeting, Supreme Court Review, Open House, and Reunion cookout rounded out Saturday. It was a great gathering of the alumni family and I hope you were able to attend. In this issue, I am pleased to introduce to you Kim Roeder, associate director of Alumni Relations, Professional Programs, who is our new alumni liaison. Kim was integral to the success of Homecoming and shares in this issue the goals and focus of our newly elected Law Alumni Board. Exciting things are happening at your School of Law and I encourage you to be a part of them.
Sincerely,
Eric Gouvin Professor and Dean
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Alumni Board By Kim Roeder
Renewed Commitment Law Alumni Association Board of Directors Ready to Serve The School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors met on June 5 and 6 for its annual spring meeting. It was an opportunity for the board to discuss its general direction, new member process, committee structure, and upcoming events. Jonathan Mack ’07, president, prepared the board for the shift in leadership that happened in October 2015. “Serving as the Alumni Association president has been a tremendously fulfilling experience; one in which I have been able to work with and connect to alumni from different regions and different generations,” Jonathan said. “In this last meeting, it was obvious that the leadership of the Alumni Association is passionate, energetic, and truly ready and willing to serve the Board’s mission.”
With a renewed sense of purpose, the board of directors approved Marcy Spratt ’09 as the president elect. She took over the leadership of the Association at the October 3, 2015 meeting. Marcy’s goal is to increase alumni participation. “Over the past two years, as a member of the board and the chair of the Communications Committee, I have seen firsthand just how beneficial it is to our law school community to have an engaged body of alumni,“ she said. “Whether it is attendance at events such as Homecoming, Commencement, and association gatherings, or volunteering as a mentor to our current students, our participation has a meaningful and important impact.” The Board also approved the choice of the Honorable Mark G. Mastroianni ’89 as their first Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. The award was presented at the newly created annual event—the Alumni Recognition Reception held in conjunction with Western New England University’s Homecoming festivities on October 1. On this same weekend, the board thanked several members as their three-year commitment came to an end. Those rotating off the Board include: Jesse Adams ’06, Lisa Ball ’99, the Honorable Anne M. Geoffrion ’79, Jon Longobardi ’10, Jonathan Mack ’07, Nicholas Plante ’05, and Chris Todd ’00. New to the board are: Evan Bjorklund ’13, Stephen Button ’06, David Cortese ’11, James Doyle ’06, John Fitzgerald ’99, Talia Gee ’10, Michael Smith ’04, and Sarah Willey ’96. ◆
“ As I step into the role of president, I look forward to meeting even more of our distinguished alumni and sharing a passion for strengthening these connections.”
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND TALENT The Board and the Office of Alumni Relations need your help. We are looking for volunteers for the following: Class Agent—Serve as a point of contact for members of your class for updates in Alumni Notes or to pass along information on events. Event Hosts—Would you be willing to host a First Tuesday at a local bar or restaurant? How about a reception in your city? We provide you with everything you need. Regional Agent—Communicate information about alumni news and events happening in your part of the country. Committee Members—the Board of Directors has three committees (Nominations and Elections, Events, and Communications). This is a great way to get involved with the Board without the commitment of being a director. Committees meet three times a year. There is a sense of renewed commitment from the board and a desire to engage the alumni in new and different ways. That is why your participation is important. It is a desire shared among the board including the new president. For more information, email kim.roeder@wne.edu or call 413-782-1311.
—Marcy Spratt ’09
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Changing course in their lives or advancing to new roles, alumni build impactful careers from the foundation laid at Western New England University School of Law.
Agents of Change From finding the best solutions for families in transition who come before probate court to protecting patients’ rights in the healthcare system, hammering out contracts at the negotiation table to fighting for social justice for all Americans, Western New England University School of Law graduates are making an impact in their chosen areas of specialty as advocates and change agents.
Passion is often the first reason why students pursue a law degree. Western New England University School of Law provides an environment that ignites it and helps students to explore how they can channel their interests into a career where they can serve the greater good. Change in their own lives has often been the impetus for finding their niche in the legal field. Hon. Anne Geoffrion ’79 made the leap from attorney to judge to have a more global influence on helping families. Dr. Joseph Zeppieri ’06 came to law after a rewarding career as a surgeon. Corporate Attorney Lynn Banis ’82 was a successful business professional before enrolling in the Part-time Evening program. Dru Levasseur ’06 underwent deeply personal changes during the course of his legal education, which influenced the trajectory of his career. Each found their path through the guidance and support of faculty who challenged and prepared them to be ready to embrace change as it presented new opportunities in their lives and careers. “The Law School is a spectacular place,” said Hon. Michael Ponsor (semi-retired), a longtime supporter and adjunct faculty member of the School, at the recent Alumni Recognition Reception held during Homecoming. “Time and time again it is recognized as one where the students feel the proudest and most comfortable. I think that has to do with the relationship among the students and with the relationship between the students and faculty. When I began, the School was in its earlier stages and it has blossomed with all of these people soaking into the greater Springfield, western Mass, and national community.”
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FEATURE By Mary McLean Orszulak G’10
Mutual Alumni Respect Benefits Families in Court Former Law Alumni Board member Hon. Anne Geoffrion ’79 is one such graduate deeply rooted in western Massachusetts where she has been surrounded by alumni colleagues in the court system. In 1998 she was appointed to the bench as a circuit judge in the Probate & Family Court, where she interacted with alumni who were representing their clients. A decade later, she was appointed as an associate justice in the Hampden County Probate & Family Court. “The majority of attorneys who appear before me in Hampden County are graduates of the School of Law,” she said. “The nature of the practice in Probate & Family Court requires attorneys to work in an adversarial context, while advocating for their clients.
Despite this climate, the Western New England University alumni are civil, respectful, and cooperative with each other. This cooperation benefits the litigants, their families, and ultimately the court without diminishing client advocacy.” Within such a close-knit community, the influence of the School of Law rises readily to the surface. “It is apparent that the culture of the School of Law has fostered a sense of professional responsibility for lawyers to give back by performing pro bono work for eligible individuals,” said Anne. Anne sees this altruism in evidence every day in her court by the number of volunteer attorneys who provide legal assistance to those who cannot afford counsel. Many alumni assist litigants and children through programs such as Senior Partners for Justice, Conciliation, Children’s Law Project, and
Lawyer for the Day. “In addition, others participate in limited assistance representation, which is another way that individuals can have access to justice in our courts,” she said. Because of the nature of family law, such alumni have had a major impact on the lives of generations of families living in the region. “As the region’s socioeconomic pressures increase, the volume and complexity of family problems brought before the court also increases,” said Anne. “One of my goals is to minimize the damage that may be done to children by the separation of their parents. My decisions are based on the premise that what I do may have long-term consequences on the lives of the children and their relationship with each parent.” Anne is pleased that her goals are shared by so many seeking to achieve the best possible outcomes for the region’s children. “There are many alumni who grew up in western Massachusetts, while others remained in the area upon graduation from law school,” she explained. “Those who have concentrated their practice in domestic relations are keenly aware of the benefits of settling a case rather than engaging in costly litigation. These family law practitioners are able to assist clients in resolving for themselves issues of child custody, parenting plans, financial support, and division of property in such a way as to best meet their individual needs and more importantly, that of their children.”
Advocating for Responsible Medical Practice Dr. Joseph Zeppieri ’06 is among a growing number of our alumni who enjoyed rewarding careers in healthcare as physicians and nurses prior to pursuing second acts in law. Like many of those peers, his transition was triggered by a life-changing event. Not only has he become an advocate for patients mistreated in the healthcare system, he was a patient himself, whose life and vocation were turned upside down by an unexpected illness. In 2000, Joe had built a thriving practice in Connecticut as a successful orthopedic surgeon. He was very active in medical organizations and published frequently on his specialty. He had served as president of the New London County Medical Association and president of Connecticut Orthopedic society. He was twice voted Distinguished Physician of New London County and while in law school was voted Connecticut Orthopedist of the Year. At the height of his career, in his fifties, he began experiencing medical episodes that made it necessary for him to retire from his beloved profession.
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“I hated retirement and did an assessment of myself and of what I had for remnants of my abilities, so I went to law school,” he recalled. Thus Joe enrolled at the School of Law at the age of 59. “I thought there was still room for me to do some good,” he said. As he progressed through law school and gained exposure to a wide variety of practice areas, Joe was sure of one thing: his future career would not focus on medicine. But during law school, Joe went to work in the law offices of an old contact from his medical career. He was open to working on anything other than medical malpractice cases. “But as I reviewed some of his cases, it occurred to me that they’re not practicing on the wrong side. There is a major need for attorneys in medical malpractice. So that’s what I’m doing now. I do other types of cases as well, and generally get referrals from other lawyers and people who walk in the door because I’m both a physician and a lawyer.” From this vantage point, he sees the pressures from insurance companies and Medicare
as creating an environment that deters new people from going into medicine and creates added challenges for existing physicians. “The climate has changed not only in medical malpractice for doctors, but for insurance companies and Medicare that are controlling what a doctor can get paid,” he asserted. “So those factors have made it increasingly difficult for doctors to work in private settings. There are all kinds of pressures on the doctors now, and I understand that. But in the type of work I’m doing now, I don’t care what the pressures are economically. When you take responsibility for a patient, you have to act as a doctor—you have to be alert, you have to look at all the possibilities that the patient can be facing—you can’t slack the responsibility because you’re not being paid well.” Joe has become a champion and advocate for patients and their families. Last July, he won a $6 million verdict for a Trumbull, CT, family in a medical malpractice case in Bridgeport Superior Court. He represented the estate of man who died of cardiac arrest in 2011 at just
Corporate Counsels Make Big Impact From MassMutual to United Technologies, Mohegan Sun to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Western New England University alumni have made their mark in the region and nation’s top corporations as in-house counsel and financial executives. Attorney Lynn Banis ’82 is corporate counsel for multinational United Technologies Corporation in Hartford. She is among five
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alumni in the UTC Legal Department, which includes Business Units Pratt & Whitney, UTC Aerospace Systems, UTC Climate Controls & Security, and Otis Elevator. Lynn supports the UTC Tax Department in implementing transactions to repatriate cash from non-U.S. entities to UTC in the US in the most tax efficient manner. “I also work with the local Business Unit attorneys to determine any change of control issues or required notifications (Works Council),” she said. “My role when supporting the Tax Department is
45 years old, arguing successfully that the failure by the attending physicians to install a simple stent cost the patient his life. He feels that the biggest change needs to come from the medical community and educational requirements for physicians who have had malpractice judgments against them. According to Joe, while insurance carriers may require attendance at medical society courses following such verdicts in order to maintain favorable premium rates, a small percentage of such physicians neglect to attend. “Their attitude is leading them to do things that end up involving me in my present role,” he said. In that role, Joe has crossed paths with his fellow graduates through the years. “Currently I’m in a case where I’m opposing an alumna and that’s kind of interesting,” he said. “She’s a defense attorney. We smiled at each other when we realized we were both Western New England graduates, but then we took the gloves off because that’s what we’re supposed to do.”
issue-spotting and reviewing/revising input from outside counsel and to assure it aligns with our business objectives.” Additionally, Lynn provides legal support to the UTC IT Department in the review, drafting, and negotiation of service and software agreements. She previously worked in transactional law, supporting such areas as supply management, fuel cells to be used in buildings and vehicles, and the development of a joint venture company in Russia. Lynn was already an employee of UTC when she decided to attend Western New England through the Part-time Evening program. She cites such course as Sales (contracts), Business Organizations, Secured Transaction (UCC) and Tax courses as “especially helpful in preparing me to analyze contracts, form corporations, joint ventures and support corporate tax transactions.” She feels that the program’s unique combination of law and business coursework coupled with experiential learning prepares students to deal with such complex corporate issues. “I know that the University also offers financial and organizational leadership
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FEATURE
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Dru Levasseur ’06 with Dean Eric Gouvin
I went to a lot of different colleges and Western New England University was extraordinary in regard to concern for its students. In one of Professor Sam Stonefield’s courses, we spent some time on the Daubert Standard. I have seen many lawyers make Daubert cases who didn’t understand it. Stonefield taught this class so well that it became a concept that was a part of my inner workings and he made it live. Art Wolf was gifted that way and also Art Leavens. Bill Baker was a crusty guy, but he cared. All of those people were able to communicate their benevolence when we sat in those classes. I was just so impressed with the faculty living what former Dean Gaudio had said to us at Fall Convocation—they wanted us to succeed—and they worked at it. It was a different spirit in education that is so much better than anything I’ve ever experienced before.” —Dr. Joseph Zeppieri ’06
courses through the College of Business, which are relevant and useful for the practice of corporate law,” said Lynn. While Lynn had the advantage of already working for UTC, for alumni she feels that those who come in to corporate legal departments with strong practical skills and prior business experience can make their résumés stand out. “Practical lawyering skills are certainly valuable,” she said. “While we occasionally look for specialists, UTC attorneys are rotated around the Business Units and are expected to learn the business, be proactive, and provide solutions to business and legal issues while meeting the business schedule. With regard to hiring, given that we receive so many résumés, it is important for the candidate to distinguish himself/herself so that he or she is asked to interview. That can be done in various ways, including academics, other work experience, or something that shows that the lawyer is interested and perhaps even experienced with business issues.”
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Growing LGBT Expertise Puts School on National Stage Attorney Dru Levasseur ’06 was drawn to Western New England University by his passion for public interest work and the growing reputation of its LGBT faculty scholars and civil rights advocates. Today, he leads the Transgender Rights Project for Lambda Legal, the nation’s oldest and largest national legal organization committed to protecting the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and people with HIV. From his national position, Dru can readily see the influence our faculty has had on this growing area of law. He first became aware of his future employer through courses with Professor of Law Jennifer Levi, who served as cocounsel on the nation’s first same-sex marriage case and on other high-profile cases through her work as an attorney and director of the Transgender Rights Project for GLAD. “I’m in a national position so I get involved in cases all around the country,” said Dru. “One of things I’m often asked to speak about aside from the substantive work I do on transgender rights law, is my path and how I got here. I think it’s really important for people to know that Western New England University was where I went to school.” Dru’s journey through law school was not an easy one. On top of the usual academic challenges, Dru chose to transition while a law student at a time when there was less understanding for transgender people in American
society and even among some of his peers. Dru is pleased to see the progress made by the institution to welcome all students and is grateful for the support he received from openly gay faculty and straight allies. “I remember Professor Anne Goldstein, who was a wonderful support to me at a very hard time,” recalled Dru. “She said, ‘You went to law school because you wanted a challenge.’ She was basically saying don’t complain about it being hard, you picked a profession which is always going to be hard and interesting. I think of that often and try to remind myself, ‘this is what I signed up for.’” He takes pride in his connections to other nationally recognized LGBT and Gender Studies faculty experts, including Erin Buzuvis, Taylor Flynn, and Levi. “The last time Jennifer and I were on a speaking panel together, I told my story about her being my professor. When she got up to speak, she turned to me and said, ‘I see you as my colleague now.’ That was just a really nice moment for me that she recognized my work in the field.” Grateful for the opportunities he has had personally and professionally, in 2008, Dru cofounded the Jim Collins Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping transgender people who cannot afford the medical costs of sex reassignment surgery. To date the foundation has funded 11 surgeries. “Since we’ve started the foundation, the landscape has shifted a bit, thanks to some of the healthcare cases that even Jennifer has brought with Medicare, but there is still a huge need,” he said. “One of the things we say at the foundation is that we hope we go out of business.” Dru was among the School of Law’s first Public Interest Scholars. His advice to law students who want to do public interest work is to start early in learning about a variety of issues. “My organization is really evolving into looking at issues through more of a racial justice and poverty lens,” he said. “The Civil Rights Movement is large; you have to show up at the other rallies, not just the ones you feel passionate about. There is so much opportunity in public interest law. Having a law degree and being an attorney puts you in a position where you can absolutely change people’s lives and that’s such a wonderful career to have.” ◆
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Law Family Reunites for Homecoming/Alumni Weekend omecoming/Alumni Weekend 2015 combined old and new School of Law traditions into a full slate of activities now under the umbrella of the University-wide celebration. Events included the Alumni Recognition Dinner (see page 10), the Alumni and Students of Color Dinner, facilities tours, and a cookout. Despite the inclement weather, many alums embraced the new format to reunite with classmates and faculty. On the go from one event to the next was Kim Roeder, associate director of alumni relations/professional programs, who oversees both the alumni outreach efforts to the 7,500 School of Law graduates and the 68 first-ever graduates of the College of Pharmacy. Kim and members of the School of Law Administration staff spent months planning and coordinating and their efforts created a warm welcome for alumni and family in attendance.
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Law Alumni Board Works and Plays Hard Saturday morning it was down to business for the School of Law Alumni Association, which gathered for its fall planning and strategy meeting at the Blake Law Center. Members then joined other alumni to cheer on the undefeated football team at Golden Bear Stadium.
Fun, Food, and Tours Down Memory Lane To showcase the growth and renovation occurring on campus in recent years, the University opened the doors to several academic buildings to invite alumni to tour their old stomping grounds and explore new facilities. The School of Law welcomed graduates and their families to the Law School Common with an indoor mini-golf course and graduates were encouraged to walk the halls, classrooms, and Law Library. With damp weather a factor, the Law Alumni Cookout was held in the Court Café inside the Blake Law Center where guests gathered with classmates and faculty to reminisce and catch up with one another.
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Alumni and Students of Color Dinner Provides Homecoming for Former MSJC Chief Justice Ireland Friday night was an evening of socializing, reminiscing, and networking for alumni, students, and faculty at the 16th Annual Alumni and Students of Color Dinner. Welcoming Keynote Speaker former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick Ireland back to his hometown, the event was held at Springfield’s LaQuinta hotel and drew 175 in attendance. Student Speaker Jennifer Obodo 3L talked about the importance of mentorship in the law school experience. “There is something to be said about people who help others,” said Obodo. “It takes a passionate, professional mentor to step up, look at the bigger picture, and understand that this is for a greater cause. We, as a society, benefit from expanding opportunity and fostering passion. Through my mentorships I have become a little more knowledgeable, a little more experienced, and a lot more passionate about empowering others.” She continued, “I want to be a part of the change the justice system and the legal community lead. Students, I urge you to take risks, stay encouraged, and seize every opportunity to get involved, be an active member of your community, and share your passions with others.”
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By Mary McLean Orszulak G’10
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Supreme Court Review Conference Reflects on Historic Term
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(Homecoming Photos) 1 Members of the Law Alumni Board come out to support the Golden Bears; 2 Mini-golf in the School Common lobby; 3 Jennifer Carter ’05; 4 Stanley Light ’77 with former dean, Art Gaudio, at the Homecoming cookout; 5 Marcy Spratt ’09 enjoys catching up with favorite professor Bruce Miller during the homecoming lunch; 6 Student Speaker Jennifer Obodo 3L; 7 The Honorable Roderick Ireland and Krystal Orr ’06; 8 Students attend the annual Alumni and Students of Color Dinner (L to R) Amara Ridley, Hadiatou Barry, David Williams, and Sara Idris.
Hon. Roderick Ireland, retired chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and longtime friend of the School of Law, welcomed the opportunity to address members of the next generation of legal professionals. Justice Ireland was the first African American associate justice and also the first African American chief justice of the Massachusetts high court. He shared personal thoughts and observations regarding diversity in the legal profession and the challenges that often confront professionals of color. When faced with discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, he encouraged the students to avoid being sidetracked and remain focused on their goals. “Our goals represent what we really care about so we must understand just how much of ourselves we are willing to put on the line in order to achieve what we want,” he said. “It is the power of these goals that will give us the energy and the fire to move forward despite any obstacles which we may find in our path. That’s what our parents and grandparents sang about in church when they reaffirmed the need to ‘Keep your eyes on the prize.’” He reminded the students, “You must develop a thick skin. You must be strong, focused, and persistent just like our forefathers. You can’t let the predictable hurts and incidents based on perceived difference scare you from going after your prize, your reason for wanting to be in the legal profession.” ◆
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“When it's all said and done, we all stand on each other’s shoulders.” —Hon. Roderick Ireland
On Saturday, the Legislative Institute hosted the 20th Annual United States Supreme Court Review Conference in the J. Gerard Pellegrini Moot Court Room. During its 2014-2015 term, the Supreme Court decided critical cases involving freedom of speech, same-sex marriage, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as “Obamacare”), and fair housing enforcement. The decision on same-sex marriage is a historic landmark on the road to greater equality for persons in the LGBT community. The right to fly a Confederate flag when the government is involved and the coverage in Obamacare were two other issues of great importance. Professor Emeritus Leora Harpaz, the founder of the first Conference in 1996, addressed the Supreme Court’s recent freedom of speech cases, including the use of the “government speech” doctrine to permit the State of Texas to reject a specialty license plate that included a Confederate battle flag. Professor Jennifer Levi discussed the Court’s recent decision declaring unconstitutional state bans on samesex marriage. Professor Bruce Miller examined the Court’s latest decision regarding the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” A discussion among the panelists and the audience concluded the Conference.
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Alumni Recognition Reception Honors Distinguished Graduates Homecoming Weekend (October 1-3) began with the establishment of a new tradition to recognize outstanding graduates of the School of Law. The Distinguished Alumnus/a Award is sponsored by the Law Alumni Association and presented to a graduate for outstanding contributions to his or her profession, who exemplifies leadership, ethics, and integrity, and whose accomplishments reflect great credit upon Western New England University School of Law. he School of Law community gathered for the reception on October 1 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA. Special guests for the event were U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni ’89, and U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson ’90.
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Judge Mark Mastroianni ’89 Dean Eric Gouvin and University President Anthony S. Caprio welcomed guests and recipients to the Alumni Recognition event. President Caprio reflected on first hearing about Judge Mastroianni in the eighties from his close friend Judge Sidney Cooley. Dr. Caprio noted that the Mark’s surname aptly trans-
lated from Italian to mean “master of wisdom” and described the 1989 graduate as possessing “integrity, dignity, and intelligence, and always demonstrating impeccable judgment as Hampden County district attorney.” Judge Mastroianni was nominated to the U.S. District Court by President Barack Obama in 2013. He received his federal commission in 2014. After earning his B.A. from American International College and J.D. from Western New England, he launched his career in the Hampden District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney in 1990. He worked in private practice as a criminal defense attorney from 1995 until 2011 when he was elected District Attorney for Hampden County, Massachusetts.
(Pictured Above L to R) Award Receipient Judge Mark Mastroianni ’89, Professor of Law Bruce Miller, Judge Katherine Robertson ’90, and Dean Eric Gouvin
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P E R S P E C T I V E S
By Mary McLean Orszulak G’10
Hon. Michael Ponsor (semi-retired) introduced his successor at the dinner. “What a fantastic person he is for this job,” he said. “Not just his experience and his connection to the community and his roots in the law school. There are about 750-800 U.S. district court judges in the country right now; active and senior judges. I don’t think there are five nationally who have his level of trial experience.” He added, “He is a man of the courtroom and he loves trials— that is such a strength that he brings to our court. His energy has been incredible.” In addition to being the guest of honor, Judge Mastroianni was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by Marcy Spratt ’09, president of the Law Alumni Board. Stepping up to the podium, Judge Mastroianni expressed his gratitude for being recognized by the School of Law and Alumni Association as well as the honor of working with so many alumni. “Every day in the state court and now in District Court, you have counsel opposing counsel on each side and judges who are graduates of the law school—it’s quite amazing when you think about it,” he said. “I owe the School so much, as do all of us who graduated from that law school. It is a tremendous place to be for many reasons. Not only its ability to teach its students academically what they need to know, but to teach their students how to be lawyers. How to think like lawyers, how to act like lawyers, and how to remain, I think, good people while practicing law and keep that in mind. I look around and I see so many other judges, so many other attorneys, individuals I’ve practiced with, and individuals I’ve practiced in front of throughout the career I’ve been so lucky to have. I respect all of you enormously and thank you again for this recognition.” Judge Katherine Robertson ’90 Professor of Law Bruce Miller introduced the other guest of honor, Judge Katherine Robertson, and commented on her stellar career as a
law student. “There were many occasions when she should have been at the podium and I should have been out in the gallery,” he said. A graduate of Princeton University, Judge Robertson enjoyed an outstanding academic career at the School of Law. She became Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts in January of this year. Previously she had worked in the Appellate Division of the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, and as a partner with the firm of Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas. She began her legal career as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Frank Freedman in Springfield from 1990 through 1992 and then with Supreme Judicial Court Judge John M. Greaney until 1996. Judge Robertson spoke of her recent honor to welcome the members of the incoming class of the School of Law just a few weeks before. Then she turned her attention to her fellow graduates. “We’ve all benefited from the Law School being here. For every law school across the country, maybe not Harvard, but most of them, it’s been difficult over the past several years. It’s no secret there have been decreasing enrollments, so when you get a chance in your practice to offer an opportunity to help a student through an internship or a request for you to do something the Law School asks you to do, or have the opportunity to even just attend an event and show your support, I encourage you to do that. We want the School to stay strong and vibrant and present at Western New England University.” She acknowledged what a privilege it was to work at the Federal District Court with Judges Ponsor, Mastroianni, and Bankruptcy Judge Henry Boroff. “I wanted to say how grateful and pleased I am to be a member of the western Massachusetts Bar broadly defined,” she said. “I worked with wonderful lawyers and district attorneys and now I have those people before me. It’s a great privilege to be a member of the western Massachusetts legal community. I am very grateful for the support I received to get where I am. This is yet another opportunity to say thank you for that.” ◆
President Caprio addresses the crowd of more than 150 alumni and guests.
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Commencement
2015
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P E R S P E C T I V E S
By Mary McLean Orszulak G’10
Unified Doctoral, Law, Pharmacy, and Master’s Ceremony Begins New Tradition Commencement Weekend 2015 was a two-day event with conferral of undergraduate degrees at a ceremony on Saturday, May 16, and a new combined Doctoral, Law, Pharmacy, and Master’s degree ceremony held on Sunday, May 17.
Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees Kevin Delbridge BS’77, Speaker Gale Candaras ’83, and University President Anthony S. Caprio
At the Sunday ceremony, the University conferred advanced degrees to 343 students, including 110 J.D. and LL.M. degree candidates, during a ceremony in the Alumni Healthful Living Center. Master’s and doctoral degree candidates received their diplomas and were draped in their traditional degree hoods. Doctor of Pharmacy candidates were hooded at a special ceremony on Saturday evening. Law alumna Gale Candaras ’83 delivered the commencement address and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Senator Candaras served in the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives for nearly two decades. Senator Candaras told the graduates, “You have entered the helping professions, whether it be law, pharmacy, psychology, business, or the sciences. Be a leader as well as a practitioner. Fight for the people you serve. Fight to employ best practices for them. Fight for resources for them. Be active members in your professional associations.”
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For the law and pharmacy graduates in particular, she said, “Fight fraud and abuse wherever you may find it. Take on the government, and take on the regulators. Recognize that life is all politics and don’t run from it. Write and testify at government hearings and fight to ensure that the laws affecting your practice and your clients are truly beneficial to them,” adding, “Don’t just complain about problems you find in your profession, be part of the solution.” The deans from each of the disciplines were invited to address the students. Dean Eric Gouvin encouraged the law students to always consider the School of Law as a second home. “You are forever a part of Western New England University School of Law. This will always be where you went to law school; it’s your intellectual and professional home. Not everyone gets a law degree; not everyone enjoys the status and perspective that you’ve attained. Be grateful for it. Now you’re leaving home and beginning a great journey. As you sit here some of you may think you have some idea of what that professional journey holds in store for you. Let me tell you, you don’t.” Dean Gouvin reminded the graduates of the John Lennon quote that “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” He encouraged them to “Be humble enough to know that you only have so much control over the way life unfolds. You must, of course, be ready to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. “A remarkable journey is going to materialize anyway whether you planned it or not. It’s your journey; you are responsible for making the most of it. The School of Law prepared you to take the journey. You must take the trip.”
Honoring Classmate Jason Lamanna ’15
At the close of the conferral of law degrees, Dean Eric Gouvin presented a diploma to the family of classmate Jason Lamanna, who passed away unexpectedly last December. Jay left behind his wife, Yemi, and young son, Ayodele, born this March, along with many close friends from the School of Law community. Jay was passionate about global human rights and was a legal intern at ACLU of Connecticut. There he worked on several projects, including research on the use of tasers by police. According to the organization’s newsletter, “His work helped lay the foundation for reform legislation that passed the Connecticut General Assembly in May.” He was also honored posthumously with the Student Award of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. In a letter sent to Dean Gouvin by the student body requesting Jay’s degree be awarded posthumously, he was described as “unique in that not only was he passionate about the law and eager about becoming a contributing member of the legal community, he was passionate towards all of those around him, always advocating for positive change. Jay was an integral part in founding the Street Law clinics within the Springfield community, designed to help educate members of the local community of their legal rights. Jay was always full of bright ideas, and was always willing to help bring forth positive change in the community and to improve the lives of those around him. Jay was focused on making a positive impact in his community, and he had a passion for helping everyone, especially those in need, truly embodying the spirit of the legal services community that Western New England emits.” The University and School of Law community celebrated Jay’s life with the planting of a commemorative tree on campus last spring.
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Fall Speakers Showcase The Clason Speaker Series
The Clason Speaker Series (www.law.wne.edu/clason) provides a valuable forum for legal experts to present works in progress on current legal topics.
March 26, 2015
April 17, 2015
April 18, 2015
Denis Binder
Margaret Haung
Purvi Shah
Professor, Chapman University Law School
Chief of Staff and Deputy Executive Director, Campaigns and Programs for Amnesty International USA
Bertha Justice Institute Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
“From the Classroom to the Courthouse, Bringing Human Rights Home to the U.S.”
“Ferguson & Beyond: Lessons from Lawyering for the #BlackLivesMatter Movement”
“One of the most powerful messages of the Human Rights Movements in the U.S. is that human rights abuses matter, no matter where they occur or whom they occur to. By linking struggles here in the U.S. to those around the world, we actually strengthen the demand and commitment to human rights protections everywhere. “There is an increased relevance of international law to decision making in the U.S. On the political front, we are not so far along. Domestic human rights activists have had a much harder time applying human rights law to domestic abuses in talking to Congress or the administration. Capitol Hill is much more eager to talk about human rights as a focus of foreign policy.” —Margaret Haung
“If you want to do movement-based work, you have to first listen and understand what is happening in the community. You can’t assume there is a role for you. There were a lot of misconceptions of what was going on [in Ferguson]. When I went there, what I saw was that people were grieving the loss of a child. The media turned it to a spectacle, saying that people were violent and angry.” —Purvi Shah
“The Increasing Application of Criminal Law in Accidents and Disasters” “What I have noticed in recent years following tragedies and disasters is there is increasing application of criminal law. Corporations are now also being prosecuted when these incidents occur. “Two years ago in Latvia, a roof collapsed at a shopping center. Fifty-four people died, including three rescue workers, and 41 were injured. The construction engineer and the expert architectural firm were arrested for building code violations. These prosecutions are global, they’re not just in the U.S. They are most often under common law and civil law jurisdictions. It’s becoming a universal phenomenon.” —Denis Binder
Color of Law Roundtable The Color of Law Roundtable (www.law.wne.edu/coloroflaw) brings local professionals to speak candidly about their legal education and career, as well as to inspire and encourage current students.
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By Alex Lyman BA’12
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January 8, 2015
Edward Pichardo Of Counsel to the Government Relations and Labor practices of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C.
“I started representing juveniles and children in areas regarding child protective services. That has different aspects to it. It can run the gamut of adoption, foster care, and actual delinquency. It was a bit of a challenge. I came into an arena of criminal law where the stakes are high. You have people facing confinement or other adverse circumstances. You’re expected to do your job and do it well. It took me a bit of time to get my wings under me.” —Edward Pichardo
P E R S P E C T I V E S
Speakers
The Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship The Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (www.law.wne.edu/cie) is a resource for small businesses throughout the Pioneer Valley. On February 3, 2015, the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship hosted a panel titled “Privacy, Data Security, and Cyber Security Law: Understanding the Issues and Creating a Career Path.” This program highlighted current issues in privacy, data security, and cybersecurity law. The panel discussed current and evolving legal, insurance, and regulatory trends affecting this rapidly-changing area of law. Panelists
also identified the emerging issues to follow in 2015 and industry concerns. Speakers included Program Chair Kathleen M. Porter ’90, CISSP, Partner, Robinson & Cole LLP; Elena M. Gervino ’88, Vice President, Claim Legal and Specialized Services, Travelers; Andrew Levchuk, CISSP, Counsel, Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas; and Richard R. Reynolds ’95, CISSP, Privacy Counsel, Boston Scientific Corporation.
Center for Gender & Sexuality Studies The Center for Gender & Sexuality Studies (www.law.wne.edu/gendercenter) works to engage the legal community, the University, and members of the School of Law on core issues of gender and sexuality across a broad spectrum of law.
April 16, 2015
Dr. Ellen Pader Associate Professor of Regional Planning and Public Policy Administration, University of Massachusetts Amherst
“Fair Housing Rights: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues” “Those people who work in fair housing all have an emotional response. You can’t just do this work with an intellectual response. You need to feel it. They imagine what it would feel like to be discriminated against, and combine that emotional response with intellectual abilities to analyze, understand, and take action. That’s when it actually makes sense and makes you realize that you can in fact make a change.” —Dr. Ellen Pader
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By Alex Lyman BA’12
“Excel” erated Success: Emily Dubuc 3L is Reaching Her Full Potential—at a Faster Rate
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Student Spotlight Emily Dubuc 3L
The term “high achiever” is an understatement when talking about Emily Dubuc. A participant in the accelerated Six-year Engineering/Law program, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering while starting Law School in her senior year. She is now a full-time law student, and is also working towards a master’s degree in Engineering Management. While the coursework is demanding, Emily sees the numerous benefits of an accelerated dual program. “The Six-year Engineering/Law program eases the integration into the rigorous education of law, and the accelerated time frame not only helps fiscally, but also adds an extra year of professional experience to the student’s career,” she said. Emily has big plans for utilizing her education. Using both her background in biomedical engineering and her degree in law, she intends to pursue a career in patent law, specializing in medical devices and product liability. Cognizant of the importance of ethical engineering to the safety of consumers, Emily sees herself working with clients to patent safe and approved products to improve quality of life for patients. Vital to the study and practice of law is a keen ability to problem solve and write clearly and concisely. The School of Law offers numerous student organizations and opportunities to hone these abilities. As an involved member of the community, Emily has used the extracurricular opportunities to leverage her professional experience and skills. “There are many aspects of my law school experience that have improved my abilities to write and problem solve,” she explained. “The appellate moot court course especially gave me the opportunity to work through a mock trial, including collaborating with cocounsel to write an appellate trial brief and defend our mock client in an oral argument.” Emily also credits other extracurricular activities for playing a major role in building her foundation in law. This includes the SBA, Women’s Law Association, and Intellectual Property Law Association, all of which have accorded her the opportunity to work with peers to gain real world experience problem solving in various fields of law.
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She also participated in Alternative Spring Break this year. Three student teams traveled to San Antonio, TX, to serve at various organizations that are charged with helping give counsel largely to immigrants and the impoverished. This trip, which counts towards the School of Law’s Pro Bono requirements, gave students the chance to help a disadvantaged population and see the practice of law from the ground level. (Read more about the trip on page 34.) Emily served at the Catholic Charities Immigration Services, which provides affordable legal consultations, representation, and assistance to lowincome immigrants of all cultural and religious backgrounds. That commitment to service was cultivated as an undergraduate when she also traveled to Guatemala on a service course entitled Global Health and Technology. Later, she created her Senior Design Project, a medical training device for lower limb surgeries, to help low-resourced countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Biomedical engineering is the bridge between engineering and medicine, both of which have constantly evolving ethical and legal implications as their respective fields advance. An understanding of the law is vital to maintaining checks and balance for the consumer and the provider. With a well-rounded educational background of both biomedical engineering and law, Emily will be at the forefront of technological advances and making them safe for users. She says she feels ready for the responsibility-filled and rigorous workload that is so common in both law and biomedical engineering fields because of the experiences she has had at Western New England University. “The University has helped me to learn how to challenge myself personally and has provided me with endless opportunities, which have built who I am today,” she adds. “It has been challenging, but because of how difficult it is, I feel 100% comfortable with any job I may be presented with by a future employer.” ◆
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By Professor Arthur D. Wolf, Director
INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS SUMMARY OF EVENTS FOR SPRING 2015
Siena College students Matthew Lorini (left) and Mary-Kate Browne (right) with Adjunct Professor Justin Dion ’00
The Legislative Institute sponsored the Ninth Annual Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference and the summer legal fellows program with Siena College. Together with several other partners, we participated in presenting the Fair Housing Conference, which attracted over 500 attendees.
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The Conference offered numerous workshops and distinguished
‰ Siena College Summer Legal Fellows Program We were hon-
speakers. We were privileged to host Gustavo Velasquez, the assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he leads the President's efforts to combat housing discrimination and to affirmatively further fair housing; as well as Attorney Tamar Hagler, deputy chief in the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Hagler enforces federal laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, land-use and zoning, public accommodations, and public facilities. Also presenting at the conference was Dr. Joseph McNeil, a retired major general in the United States Air Force who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four, a group of African American college students who, in February 1960, challenged local policy of denying service to non-white customers. The Conference also offered many workshops covering a variety of important topics. Among those were Women in the Workforce; Civil Rights Issues of American Immigrants; Debt and Democracy: How the Collection of Civil Fees and Fines Contributed to the Unrest in Ferguson; the School to Prison Pipeline and Remedying Discrimination in Education; Advanced ADA Workshop; LGBT, DV, and Sex Discrimination; and Police Best Practices: Community Policing.
ored to have with us again this past summer two students from the Siena College summer legal fellows program, Mary-Kate Browne and Matthew Lorini. Mary-Kate is the daughter of Aimee Cameron Browne L’90 and Chris Browne L’90. For their summer research project, they worked under the supervision of Adjunct Professor Justin Dion ’00, focusing on access to justice in bankruptcy proceedings. Paramount to the American Justice system is access. Unfortunately, studies indicate more than one third of all Americans report being unable to access the legal system due to it being cost prohibitive, leaving millions of Americans to either sit on the courthouse steps, or in the alternative, to try to handle the matter pro se. To further assist the indigent gain access to Courts, most have a filing fee waiver process that allows litigants who fall below a prescriptive formula to be relieved of the filing fee costs. In bankruptcy, although not easy to navigate pro se, a codified procedure exists that allows the indigent to waive the filing fee. Professor Dion, an expert on the bankruptcy process, has observed that many debtors who otherwise qualify for the fee waiver do not take advantage of the procedure. For the Siena fellows, he designed a research project to explore national databases and evaluate the status of fee waivers in bankruptcy. With the assistance of the Siena students, he expects to publish a robust article on the state of fee waivers in bankruptcy, and what proposals might increase consistency and more effective use of the fee waiver statutes. ◆
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Read more about the Institute at www.law.wne.edu/ilga.
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Development Report By Diedre Swords
The Fund for Western New England University: A Gift Every Year Makes a Difference Every Day Western New England University School of Law is committed to attracting the best and brightest students from across the country. The Fund for Western New England
Our Greatest Need Gifts to the School of Law’s greatest need designation are crucial. They are especially important because they allow the School of Law to respond to urgent priorities and new opportunities. By increasing our unrestricted funding, the School of Law will enhance its ability to admit students with the best potential for success, offer advanced programming, and ensure the resources necessary to amplify an educational experience that will develop complete, values-driven professionals.
University helps the School of Law preserve its standards of excellence. Every gift made to The Fund, whether for the School of Law’s greatest need, student aid, or the Law Library, will ensure that we can keep providing an innovative, professional program.
Student Aid Approximately 93% of Western New England University JD students have financial need—meaning that there is a gap between their cost of attendance and their financial resources. More than 70% of these students receive institutional grant or scholarship aid, with the average amount being about $16,300. That still leaves a gap, which is typically covered by student loans. The average law student borrows more than $18,000 per year in order to finance his or her legal education. The financial burden can be significant which is why providing student aid for the law students in a top priority. That priority is shared by thousands of alumni, friends, and supporters who are committed to opening doors for our students to be successful by supporting student aid. Library The primary mission of the Law Library is to support the integrated and collaborative research of the School’s students, faculty, and staff. For many students, the Law Library is an active partner in their legal education. Financial support of the Library enables it to acquire legal materials and books, maintain the existing collection, and provide research efforts. The Law Library is an essential resource for students, faculty, alumni, and the western Massachusetts community generally. When you make a gift to The Fund for Western New England University, you become a partner in training the next generation of Western New England University lawyers. ◆
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To make a gift, visit wne.edu/giving or call Deidre Swords, associate director of annual giving, at 413-782-1523. ◆ 19
Faculty in Focus From Where They Sit: Adjunct Faculty Judges Bring Unique Perspectives to the Classroom
“For my students in Trial Methods, I think it’s hearing the War Stories that is most helpful to them,” says Hon. Paul Perachi ’82, one of several sitting and retired judges who teach as adjunct faculty at Western New England University School of Law. “The course is all about the students learning to be on their feet and every class has a different topic.”
Judge Adjunct Faculty Members Hon. Charles Belsky Hon. Henry Boroff Hon. Charles Groce ’97 Hon. Paul Perachi ’82 Hon. Mark Powers ’85 Additionally, Hon. Mark Mastroianni ’89 and Hon. Tina Page ’82 began teaching this semester.
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former educator, Judge Perachi spent more than a dozen years driving from the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Berkshire Division in Pittsfield, MA, to teach nights at the Blake Law Center. Now retired, he’s teaching his first day class. “When I went to school here, we got an excellent education and passed the bar, but it was based on more of an appellate procedure and we didn’t get to do the kinds of things that you really do as a regular trial attorney. When I started practicing law, the first couple of times that I walked into the courtroom, I realized that I didn’t know where to stand or how to proceed,” he recalls. “The School today has changed all that, especially under Dean Eric Gouvin.” His goal is to give students a true taste of the courtroom experience as seen through the eyes of those they may one day come before. “I do try to give the students experiences as a trial courtroom judge to help determine if the courtroom is a place they want to go. I know as a former athlete that going into court has been equated to that adrenaline flow of going out onto the field,” he explained. “Like people who are thinking about a career in medicine have to find out if they can stand the sight of blood or not— I want to give them a taste of that. I try to instill in them a love or desire to practice in the courtroom. People might think that we may have too many lawyers, but we can never have too many good lawyers.”
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P E R S P E C T I V E S
Faculty in Focus By Mary McLean Orszulak G’10
Associate Justice Charles Belsky (Hampden County, Division of Juvenile Court), also teaches Trial Methods. His focus is on teaching students how to make their arguments persuasive, whether they are making their case before a jury or a judge. “Part of the coursework is about how do you convince as a fact finder of something on behalf of you client,” explains Judge Belsky. “That means both the legal techniques, and also the psychological theory of how are you going to convince a fact finder. Many of the cases I hear are without a jury so on a daily basis I’m a fact finder. I find it interesting to get into these issues of how do you best persuade a person of something.” Like Judge Perachi, he sees value in having the students get to know their way around the courtroom, and also to be able to apply their skills in presentation and the art of persuasion in other settings. “It gives them the basics, so if they do ever need to go into a courtroom they can go in with some confidence to know where and when to stand and how to approach a witness. It’s also applicable to a lot of different settings,” he says. “For example, if you’re in a municipal setting or you’re in front of a board of a corporation and you’re trying to convince them of something, you can use a lot of the same techniques.” Associate Justice Charles Groce ’97 began teaching at the Blake Law Center when he was a criminal defense attorney in private practice. Since his appointment in 2012 to Springfield District Court, he has adapted his approach to teaching Criminal Pre-trial Practice. “My goal with the course is to give students who didn’t get a chance to participate in the Criminal Law clinics or some of the real-life court clinics to provide them with that experience,” he says. “I was able, even as a lawyer, to create an environment that gave students an opportunity to see as much as possible what the real environment in court was going to be like with respect to arguing and appearing in front of a judge and what to expect with the back and forth. I think we were successful at that, and I think it has been enhanced now that I’m a judge.” He feels that his new vantage point from the bench provides a better understanding of what judges are looking for. “I can bring that to the class and make the experience more beneficial, and if possible, more fun for the students,” he says. Judge Henry Boroff of the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court Western and Central Divisions has taught Bankruptcy and Secured Transactions at the School of Law for nearly 20 years. For him, passing on his legal knowledge has been part and parcel with his law career. “Almost from the time that I was admitted to the bar 40 years ago, I have been involved with the continuing legal education
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programs of organizations,” he explains. “These include the Boston Bar Association (where I was chair of its Bankruptcy Committee); the Commercial Law League of America (where I was its New England Chair); as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and our very well received Massachusetts Western New England Conference, held at the University and now in its fourteenth year.” But it is the classroom connection to current students that has kept him returning to the Blake Law Center for two decades. “Being able to teach at Western New England University gives me an opportunity to interact with law students and share some of my academic knowledge and professional experience and draw from their enthusiasm and perspective,” he says. Teaching Secured Transactions in the fall and Bankruptcy Law in the spring also gives him “an opportunity to go back and refresh my own understanding of the fundamentals in each field. For me, that aspect has been particularly rewarding,” he says. Like his adjunct colleagues, Judge Mark Powers ’85 enjoys the shift from his day job and has a keen appreciation from the different skills required to excel as a classroom teacher. “It’s a privilege to teach, and a challenge to do it well,” he says. “It truly takes time to be at ease, informative, substantive, and occasionally, and perhaps only on rare occasions, captivating. It becomes a tall order. I find other faculty members helpful, and the administration truly caring about what is presented.” For Judge Powers, who commutes from Family Court in Schenectady, NY, helping students prepare to practice is a key motivator for teaching New York Practice & Procedures. “I want more than anything to have a student take my course and come away believing they are better prepared to take the New York bar exam, and that they felt my course gave them a better perspective on what it is to practice law,” he says. “I tell my students from the first day that we are in this together.” But beyond classroom grades, he also tells his mentees that their future success is in their hands. “How capable a lawyer they become lies entirely with them,” says Judge Powers. Students such as Jordan Freeman 3L appreciate what our adjunct judges bring to the classroom, which in the case of Trial Methods is taught in the J. Gerard Pellegrini Moot Court Room. “Courses like this give you both the practical knowledge and the experience,” says Jordan. “For example, you get Rules of Evidence, which is complex to learn out of a book, but it is different to see it in practice as well as the skills and nuances that you must go through on a daily basis. I do plan to practice trial law, so to see that and interact with Judge Perachi is a great enhancement to the faculty.” ◆
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FACULTY and STAFF NOTES
BUZUVIS
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GAUDIO
Erin Buzuvis, professor of law and director of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Studies, published an article in the Journal of College and University Law titled “Athletic Compensation for Women Too? Title IX Implications of Northwestern and O’Bannon.” She also presented “Barriers to Leadership for Women in College Athletics” in April at the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Labor Conference focused on Labor, Entertainment, and Sports. Professor Buzuvis was selected as one of BusinessWest magazine’s Forty Under 40. She has also been featured on many regional news programs in the wake of the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision, including WRSI, WHMP, MassLive.com, and Western Mass News.
lance Reform,” “End Sexual Exploitation by Peacekeepers,” “Stop Warehousing the Mentally Ill in Prisons,” “Land-rights Defenders Face Growing Threat,” “Supreme Court Argument on Same-sex Marriage Clouds Predictions,” “U.S. Aid Proposal Could Worsen Violence in El Salvador,” “Americans Have Yet to Grasp the Horrific Magnitude of the ‘War on Terror’,” “U.S. Should End Solitary Confinement,” “France Should Fully Investigate Guantánamo Torture Claims,” “26 States Sue Obama over Immigration Plan,” “DOJ Clears Wilson but Excoriates Ferguson Police,” “In Abercrombie Case, Supreme Court Should Protect Religious Freedom,” and “The Right to Counsel Must be Protected and Expanded.”
Lauren Carasik, clinical professor of law and director of the International Human Rights Clinic, published several articles on foreign policy and affairs including “In Pro-Corporate Tribunals We Trust,” “The Amnesty Tightrope,” “House Hunters: How Reconstruction in Haiti Went so Wrong,” and “Fighting Words: Tough Talk in Venezuela Won’t Work.” She continues her commentary pieces for Al Jazeera America: “Equal Justice Remains Elusive for the Poor,” “Stop Mass Deportation from the Dominican Republic to Haiti,” “Canada Confronts ‘Cultural Genocide’ against Aboriginal People,” “Revelations on FBI Spy Fleet Cloud Surveil-
Art Gaudio, professor of law and dean emeritus, has been appointed the reporter for a possible revision of the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. He previously served as the reporter on the revision, which was approved in 2010, and was enacted in six states and introduced in two others. The new revision will consider a provision to allow public notaries to notarize verifications and acknowledgements remotely. In essence a person may present a document to a notary remotely and verify or acknowledge it by means of electronic video or audio communication.
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GOUVIN
Eric Gouvin, dean and professor of law, presented his article, “It’s the Little Things that Make Law Such a Big Deal: Eliminating Legal Barriers to Business Formation,” at the National Business Law Scholars Conference at Seton Hall Law School in June. Dean Gouvin was appointed to the Law School Admission Council’s Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process Subcommittee for a three-year term. He presented a talk titled “Introduction to Law School and the Legal Profession” at the Smith College Career Services Office in April. He also presented the first class of the Mini-Law School held at Western New England in February with a session on “Legal Analysis and Legal Reasoning.” He was a judge for BusinessWest magazine’s Continuing Excellence Award in the spring of 2015. And he presented comments to a group of new citizens at the naturalization ceremony held at the University in September. Jeanne M. Kaiser, professor of Legal Research and Writing, had her 2010 article “When the Truth and Story Collide–What Legal Writers can Learn from Non-Fiction Writers About the Limits of Storytelling” included in the most recent edition of the Legal Writing Institute’s monograph series. She and Beth Cohen, associate dean for Academic Affairs and director of the Legal Research and Writing Program,
KAISER
presented a session called the “Story Behind the Story: Creating Legal Writing Problems that Maximize Students’ Storytelling Potential” for the Applied Legal Storytelling Conference in Seattle, WA, in July. Bruce Miller, professor of law, along with Professor Art Wolf, wrote an Op Ed piece for The Republican titled “Supreme Court Must Not Interfere with Consumers, Employees in Pursuing Court Action for Contract Disputes” published on May 1, 2015. In addition he presented “Constitutional Law: Is it really law or just politics by other means” to the Mini-Law School sponsored by the School of Law in March. He was also the opening speaker for the Northeast Regional Conference of the National Lawyers’ Guild hosted by the School of Law on April 17-18. Barbara Noah, professor of law, recently spoke at the Health law Professors’ Annual Conference in Missouri and at the Western New England University School of Law Mini-Law School on End of Life Planning. She also published an article, “A Better Death in Britain?,” in the Brooklyn Journal of International Law (2015: 39, pp. 1-33). René Reich-Graefe, professor of law, during his sabbatical leave, presented on his current research on U.S. and U.K. company law and corporate governance on April 29, at the University of
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Faculty and Staff
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Bristol School of Law in England and on June 29, and at the Center for Social Investment & Innovation of the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Sudha Setty, professor of law and associate dean for Faculty Development & Intellectual Life, published several papers in the last few months, including “Surveillance, Secrecy and the Search for Meaningful Accountability” in the Stanford Journal of International Law (2015: 51, 69); “Preferential Judicial Activism” in the Berkeley Journal of African-American Law & Policy (2015: 17, 151), and in the Journal of Race, Gender & Ethnicity (2015: 7: 151); and “Foreword: Constitutional Conflict and Development: Perspectives from South Asia and Africa” in the Temple International & Comparative Law Journal (2014: 28: 179). She also presented at the Annual Meeting of the Law & Society Association, the University of South Carolina Law School, the Conference of Asian Pacific American Law Faculty, UConn Law School, and the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting. Julie E. Steiner was promoted to professor of law with tenure in August. The Student Bar Association recognized her with the 2015 Catherine J. Jones Professor of the Year Award. Professor Steiner also published an article, “Interim Payments and Economic Damages to Compensate Private-Party Victims of Hazardous Releases” in the spring 2015 edition of the Marquette Law Review.
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REICH-GRAEFE
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Faculty&Staff in the Media Erin Buzuvis 4/24/15 5/1/15 5/2715 6/1/15 6/3/15 6/16/15 6/26/15 6/30/15 7/14/15 7/23/15 8/6/15 8/11/15 8/11/15 8/12/15 8/12/15 8/26/15
Students Wow Judges Suits From the Accused 19th Century Law Degrees of Improvement Title IX Money Bill Same-sex Marriage Ruling Celebrating Equal Marriage Title IX Lawsuit The Right to Confront After Caitlyn Jenner Teague Scandal UMN to Review Athletic Program Gophers Hire Firm UMN: Title IX Baylor U Handling of Sexual Assault
MassLive InsideHigherEd.com NEPR BusinessWest Chronicle of Higher Education NEPR MassLive 93.9 & 101.5 The River HuffingtonPost InsideHigherEd.com Pridesource.com Digital First Media Duluth News Tribune The Dickinson Press Digital First Media myinforms.com
Lauren Carasik 6/5/15 6/6/15 6/10/15 6/29/15 8/31/15
End Sexual Exploitation By Peacekeepers US Complicit in Honduras Corruption Surveillance Reform Equal Justice Remains Elusive for the Poor Guatemala Needs Profound Change
Al Jazeera America Axis of Logic Al Jazeera America Al Jazeera America Al Jazeera America
Harris Freeman 8/26/15 8/28/15 8/30/15
NLRB Ruling Game Changer for Unions NLRB Ruling Game Changer for Unions NLRB Ruling Game Changer for Unions
Journal Media Group Los Angeles Times The Daily Herald Co.
Eric Gouvin 4/24/15 5/27/15 6/15/15
Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Initiative Clarifying Massachusetts 19th Century Law Money Bill
MassLive NEPR NEPR
Jennifer Levi 7/16/15 8/1/15 8/6/15
Caitlyn Jenner’s Speech All I Want to Do is Use the Restroom in Peace Part 2 of 4: Q&A on Gender Identity
Western Mass News Public Radio International Gatehouse Media, LLC
Sudha Setty 6/9/15
Setty on Terrorism and Crime
Law Professor Blogs
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CampusUPDATE
By Judy Curran
New Intensive Language and Cultural Program Partnership Announced for International Students Western New England University is expanding opportunities for international students to enroll in undergraduate and graduate degree programs through a new language instruction partnership with Denver-based Bridge Education Group®. The arrangement will facilitate establishment of a BridgePathways Intensive English Center on the University campus. The first cohort of students will be enrolled in January 2016. “Time and again, we have seen that simply taking test preparation courses to achieve a minimum TOEFL score does not always result in a student who is academically and culturally prepared for the U.S. classroom,” asserts Natasha Ala, regional director of Bridge for North America. “Our experience has shown us that international students need counseling and training in many areas that go beyond the four language skills. Western New England University is well equipped to meet these needs.”
High School Students Benefit from Summer Programs at Western New England University Thirty-three students from area schools were selected to attend the Springfield Summer Legal Institute at Western New England University. Faculty from the School of Law, along with attorneys from MassMutual’s legal department, and local attorneys participated as volunteers in this year’s Institute, a program sponsored by the Just the Beginning Foundation. During the weeklong camp, students were introduced to a variety of different components of the legal system as they attended workshops, participated in mock trials, and learned about the justice system. Throughout the week, each stu-
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dent was selected to be either a defense attorney or a prosecutor, and each spent time every day studying and rehearsing their oral arguments for the mock trials held at the end of the week. “When I heard about this program from my school I applied right away,” said Hampden Charter School of Science ninth grader Jerry Moore. “I’ve been thinking a lot about becoming a lawyer and I really wanted to meet some lawyers so I could speak with them and ask them questions.” Other areas of interest explored at the University by students this summer included a
unique STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) summer camp for middle school students; Tween Tech and Teen Tech, a five-day computer camp for middle and high schools students; as well as a multitude of sports camps. Western New England University’s faculty and staff are pleased to be able to introduce local students to the University during the summer months in a way that can be both unforgettable and life changing as they explore different career options and academic interests.
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College of Pharmacy Receives Full Accreditation ollege of Pharmacy Dean Evan Robinson recently announced that the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) has granted full accreditation status to the University’s College of Pharmacy. The ACPE is the national agency that sets the standards for professional degrees in the education of pharmacists. This completes the final accreditation step for the College of Pharmacy, which graduated its founding class from the four-year program on May 17, 2015.
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“From the earliest stages of this endeavor everyone came together to develop the academic program literally from the ground up,” said Dean Evan Robinson. Dean Robinson “I cannot thank the dedicated faculty, staff, and administration enough for all the hard work and effort put forth to develop the program. The final thanks go to all our learners and the graduates from the Class of 2015, who enrolled and blazed a trail for others to follow.”
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The ACPE Board also acknowledged two noteworthy practices by the College of Pharmacy. First, a particular strength in the Professional Development sequence. It provides cocurricular opportunities for student professional development in concert with the curriculum. Second, the College of Pharmacy places great emphasis on the importance of professionalism both within the curriculum and in cocurricular/extracurricular activities. These efforts have resulted in learners embracing the need for professionalism in their interactions with peers, faculty, practitioners, and patients.
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Western New England University School of Law
Volunteer Honor Roll
2014-2015
Last year, we posted the first Volunteer Honor Roll to recognize the many people who donate their time and talent to enrich our program and to give back to the profession without asking remuneration in return. Intellectually, I knew that many people contributed to our program, but seeing a list of literally hundreds of people made a big impression on me. I am deeply appreciative of the folks who give of themselves to help make the School of Law a dynamic and vibrant learning community. It’s hard to imagine running the first-year moot court, or having meaningful panels for career services, or supplementing the curriculum with guest lecturers without the generous donation of time from volunteers in the community. As a school focused on professional education, it is important to integrate the profession into the program. Our adjunct faculty has always been an important part of our program, but the volunteers listed here are crucial as well. One of my goals during my time as Dean is to narrow the gap between the School of Law and the profession. We are finding new ways to make connections. This past year, for example, we developed a new 1L course called “Introduction to the Legal Profession” where students spent the first week of January working in small firms headed by two practicing members of the bar to handle a simulated legal matter. Virtually every student commented that the small group sessions with practicing lawyers were incredibly valuable and eye opening. As this list shows, the involvement of the law school with the bar and the bar with the law school is very robust. While the list is impressive, I know I am running the risk of leaving a volunteer off the list by accident. I would be surprised if we did not miss a couple of people here and there. Please let me know if your name should be on the list and I will publish an addendum in the next issue of Perspectives. To all the people on this list: Thank you very much—we cannot do it without you. Sincerely,
Eric J. Gouvin, Professor and Dean
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Alumni Honor Roll
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Lunch with Alumni Program
Hon. Judd J. Carhart * Hon. William J. Meade ’89 Hon. Ariane D. Vuono *
John Bandeian ’09 David K. Bartley ’05 Christopher Erchull ’14 Talia Gee ’10 Kyle Guelcher ’02 Cristina Ianello ’02 Jeffrey R. Krok ’10 David McGuire ’06 Daniel M. McKellick ’14 Kathryn Muratore ’06 Erika Scibelli ’12 Lynn Scull ’09 Cheryl Smith ’83 Kristen Sopet ’10 Angelina Stafford ’12 Christopher Todd ’00 Christina Turgeon ’01
United States District Court Hon. Mark Mastroianni ’89 Career Services Panelists Brittney Adams ’15 Romeo Camba * Aimee Cameron-Browne ’90 Barra Cohen ’10 Justin Dion ’00 Michael Donnelly * Chris Erchull ’14 Jonah Goldsmith * James Hisgen * Karen Riley McNary * Colleen Monroe ’14 Brittani Morgan ’15 Barbara Pope * Anna Rice * Glenn Rooney ’12 Mary Ryan-Kusiak ’97 Cheryl Smith ’83 Peter Smith ’83 Kristen Sopet ’10 Elizabeth Sweeney ’11 Kathleen D. Tetreault ’13
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Mentors John Bandeian ’09 Gerald Berg ’76 Michelle Bugbee ’00 Jennifer L. Cava-Foreman ’11 Kevin Claffey ’98 Justin H. Dion ’00 Kyle Guelcher ’02 Julia Lentini-Marquis ’06 James A. McEwan ’77 Daniel M. McKellick ’14 Nathan Olin * Bruce J. Patryn ’97
Maria Puppolo ’99 Lynn Scull ’09 Cheryl Smith ’83 Kristen Sopet ’10 First-year Moot Court David K. Bartley ’05 Gina Birchall ’95 Paul J. Caccaviello ’89 Kevin J. Claffey ’98 Joanna Cobleigh ’00 Kate E. Darre ’09 Justin Dion ’00 Zoe Falken ’05 Morissa Fregeau ’03 Talia K. Gee ’10 Kyle R. Guelcher ’02 Charles Healey * Margaret K. Luchansky ’83 Nicholas Kocian * Carey D. Lape ’99 Julia K. Lentini Marquis ’06 Anna Levine ’07 Michael C. Meloche ’84 Nicole Murray ’05 Marc Needelman ’77 Martin O’Connell ’82 Andrea M. O’Connor ’14 Jeffrey K. O’Connor ’07 Joseph J. Patchen ’85 Domenic D. Perito ’96 Maria T. Puppolo ’99
Joseph H. Reinhardt ’82 Leslie S. Scoville ’96 Lynn A. Scull ’09 Christopher J. Sugar ’10 Dorothy Varon ’95 Jeffrey S. Weisser ’76 Jennifer K. Zalnasky ’01 Introduction to the Legal Profession Course Lisa M. Beauvais ’95 Peter Benjamin * Kristina Bordieri ’03 Rebecca Bouchard ’03 Michelle Bugbee ’00 Charles R. Casartello Jr. ’87 Justin Dion ’00 Michael B. Doherty * Joseph P. Dusel ’78 Gary S. Fentin * Laura Gentile ’91 Meg Gilmartin ’07 Hon. John Greaney * Chad G. Greiner ’10 Kyle Guelcher ’02 Matthew B. Harrison ’05 W. Garth Janes * Nicole LaChapelle ’02 Nicholas Lata * Jonathan Longobardi ’10 Elizabeth Lovejoy LLM’07 Christopher Markowski * Jeffrey S. Morneau ’98
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Hon. Robert Murphy ’87 Andrea M. O’Connor ’10 Luigi R. Petruzziello ’90 Edward M. Pikula ’83 Jeffrey Poindexter * Hon. Michael Ponsor * Robert J. Reeve ’83 Barry Ryan * Jennifer Rymarski ’04 Robert K. Sawyer Jr. * Lynn A. Scull ’09 Marc A. Strange ’04 Christopher S. Todd ’00 John J. Torrone, III ’04 Christina Turgeon ’01 Christopher Visser ’09 Ronald Weiss * Sarah K. Willey ’96 Brendan J. Witherell ’07 Guest Lecturers Dennis R. Anti ’85 Mike J. Agen ’78 Heather Beattie ’99 Catherine Ady Bell ’14 Meris Bergquist * Joseph D. Bernard ’90 Rose Bookbinder * Dr. Christopher Comey * Enelsa Diaz ’05 Raymond Dinsmore ’06 Stewart Eisenberg ’81 Liana Foxvog * Hon. Charles Groce ’97 Clare Hammonds * Felicity Hardee * Dawn Henry * David Hoose * Dr. Petra Kriz * James J. Martin ’06 William M. Newcomb ’12 William C Newman * Shawn O’Connor * Brandon Parrelli ’07 Brandon A. Parrelli ’06 Milly Parzychowski * Sarah Scharf ’11 Spencer A. Stone ’08 Dorothy Storrow * Jeanne L. Thompson ’88 E. Rhett Towles ’13 Dennis E. Tully ’76 Leslie Walker * Jamie Williamson *
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Moot Courts and Competitions Robert Hennessy ’09 Merritt Schnipper ’09 Robert Reeve ’83 Sandra L. San Emeterio ’10 Robert K. Sawyer Jr. * Channez Rogers ’13 Rachel Rosenberg ’14 Christopher Erchull ’14 Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Michele J. Feinstein ’84 Elena M. Gervino ’88 Andrew Levchuk * Paul Mancinone ’92 Kathleen M. Porter ’90 Richard R. Reynolds ’95 Martin M. Caine, CPA BSBA’86 Roberto Nieves * Robert Sawyer Jr. * William Trudeau * HUD Grant Jamie Williamson * Speakers and Panelists Peter Benjamin * Meris Bergquist * Robert Cicero * Thomas J. Connelly ’76 Ann E. Lynch * Hon. Mark Mastroianni ’89 Carla Newton * Kevin O’Regan * Dr. Ellen Pader * Hon. Tina Page ’82 Sunila Thomas-George ’95 Michelle Mercier Vargo * Lauren Willhoite * Anthony Wilson * Alumni Board of Directors Jesse Adams ’06 Travaun Bailey ’01 Lisa Ball ’99 John Bandeian ’09 Michael Borg ’88 Linda Fakhoury ’04 Hon. Anne Geoffrion ’79 Chad G. Greiner ’10 Cristina Ianello ’02 Edward Joy ’05
Kelly Koch ’07/LLM’11 Jonathan Longobardi ’10 Jonathan Mack ’07 James J. Martin ’06 Michael McGill ’05 David McGuire ’06 Randy Milou ’06 Spencer Naake ’10 Krystal Orr ’06 Nick Plante ’05 Glen Ringbloom ’05 Lori Rittman Clark ’98 Ellie Rosenbaum ’04 Zachary Ryan ’09 Marcy Spratt ’09/G’10 Phillip Stackhouse ’99 Marc Strange ’04 Christopher S. Todd ’00 Robert Ward ’82 Event Hosts Michael Borg ’88 John Breck, III ’83 Cristina Ianello ’02 Scott Lessne ’83 Zachary Ryan ’09 Marcy Spratt ’09/G’10 Roger Wade ’82 Robert Ward ’82 Dial-A-Lawyer Travaun Bailey ’01 Michelle Bugbee ’00 Corey M. Carvalho ’09 Mark D. Cress * Michele J. Feinstein ’84 Stephen R. Manning ’75 Amy J. Megliola ’02 Erin J. Meehan * Timothy F. Murphy ’90 Thomas D. O’Connor Jr. ’00 David W. Ostrander ’89 Stephen J. Phillips ’87 Edward M. Pikula ’83 Barry M. Ryan * Michael Siddall ’90 Rebecca M. Thibault * Jeffrey J. Trapani * Christina M. Turgeon ’01 Dorothy Varon ’95
Class Agents John Bandeian ’09 Kendra Berardi ’08 Michael Blanchard ’97 Michael A. Borg ’88 Maureen Burns ’83 Kelley Cooper Miller ’05 Jenny Desch ’01 Linda Fakhoury ’04 Ina Forman ’84 Hon. Anne Geoffrion ’79 Amber Gould ’13 Deb Grover ’79 Michelle Hummer ’08 Judith Jones ’86 Kelly Koch ’07/LLM’11 Lew Kurland ’79 Maren Law ’11 Holly Lemieux ’93 Julia Lentini Marquis ’06 Marty Martin ’77 Julie McKenna ’11 Rebecca Mitchell ’99 Tina Page ’82 Kathleen Porter ’90 Walter Powell ’73 Karen Romano ’03 Stephanie Schlatter ’07 Peter Sokaris ’70 Bill Stevens ’81 Katie Stone Harrington ’93 Ellen Teller ’83 Gary Thomas ’76 Jim Winston ’00 Jennifer Zalnasky ’01 Staci Zaretsky ’10 Admissions Christopher Erchull ’14 Colleen Monroe ’14 Glenn Rooney ’12 Bar Exam Mentor Program Elizabeth Dineen ’84 Kyle Guelcher ’02 Stephen Holstrom ’11 Laura Mangini * Amy J. Megliola ’02 Jeffrey Morneau ’98 Christina Turgeon ’01 Katherine E. McCarthy *
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Externship and Clinical Program Mark Adams ’92 Elise Alair ’83 Guy B. Beacom ’77 Michelle Begley * Meris Bergquist * Joseph D. Bernard ’90 Victoria Bleier * Hon. Henry Boroff * Hon. William Boyle ’83 Kathleen T. Breck ’86 Susan Brown * Evan Brunetti ’09 Hon. Vanessa L. Bryant * Jeremy Bucci * Aimee Cameron-Browne ’90 Jennifer L. Cava ’11 Susan Cococcia * David Coughlin ’10 Hon. Alfred V. Covello * Terri Craig * James M. Czapiga ’94 Hon. Evelyn M. Daly ’82 Melinda Decker * Wendy DeForge ’06 Thomas DeMatteo * Lisa DeSousa ’85 Charles J. Dimare * Patricia Donovan * John E. Drost ’88/L’91 Thomas W. Fahey Jr. * Hon. John S. Ferrara ’83
Hon. Linda S. Fidnick * Hon. Robert Fields * Janell Forget ’01 James Friedman * Hon. Anne Geoffrion ’79 Michael Gillingham ’12 Nathaniel K. Green ’85 Rosie Griffin * Yaw Gyebi Jr. * Hon. William P. Hadley * Lynn Hebert * Pamela Heller * Nicholas J. Horgan ’11 Hon. Barbara Hyland ’83 Cynthia Isales * Kimberly Jacobsen ’94 Hon. Bertha D. Josephson ’78 James Jurgens * David Kent * Hon. C. Jeffrey Kinder * Patricia King * Susan E. Kinsman * Andrew Klyman * Jonathan B. Kreisberg * Charlie Krich * Christine Kumiega ’97 Lori Landers-Carvalho ’90 Carl Landolina * Nathan P. LaVallee ’06 Brian Leaming * Jing Li * John T. Liebel * Beatrice Lindstrom * Lisa Lippiello ’06
Lawrence W. Madden ’89 Tracy A. Magdalene ’05 Christopher Malany * Bonnie Mangan ’88 Lauren Marcous ’12 Hon. Mark G. Mastroianni ’89 Michael McCarthy * Scott McCuin * Hon. Edward McDonough ’81 David J. McGuire ’06 Marshall T. Moriarty ’81 Caitlin Morris-Castillo * Hon. Robert S. Murphy Jr. ’87 Mark Murphy * Hon. Kenneth P. Neiman * William Newman * Shawn M. O’Connor * Jared Olinski ’11 Hon. Tina S. Page ’82 Cheryl A. Parker ’84 Yvonne Pesce ’00 Joseph Pieropan ’87 Benjamin R. Rajotte * Anthony Rice ’85 Thomas Ring * Karen Romano ’03 Hon. Mary Lou Rup ’78 Graham Russell * Hon. Bethzaida Sanabria-Vega * Robert Sawyer * Polina Shapiro * Hon. Richard Simons * Cheryl R. Smith ’83 Hon. Paul Smyth *
Alexander Sohn ’10 Margaret Solis ’07 Kristen Sopet ’10 Patrick Sparks * Hon. Francis X. Spina * Hon. Dominic J. Squatrito * Kerry Strayer * Hon. Daniel J. Swords ’76 Hon. Charles M. Tallieur * Rosemary Tarantino * Bret Thiele * E. Rhett Towles ’13 James R. Turcotte ’84 David Veleber * Lindsay Weber * Christine E. Webster ’98 Lori Wheeler ’02 Hon. Terry J. Wilhelm * Jamie Williamson * Commencement Speaker Gale Candaras ’83 Orientation Speaker and Dean of the Mini-Law School Hon. Kenneth Neiman * Students and Alumni of Color Dinner Speakers Hon. Tina Page ’82 Randy Maduka-Okafor ’15
* Friends of the School of Law
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Banking on the Law:
Photo Courtesy of Greenfield Recorder/Paul Franz
CEO Michael Tucker ’84 Takes his Legal Education to the Bank
“My Western New England University School of Law education has been very important in allowing me to digest new laws and regulations, to focus on what is really important, and how that impacts my industry.” — Michael Tucker ’84
By Patricia Gagnon
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Alumni Profile Michael Tucker ’84
With over 35 years of banking experience, Michael Tucker ’84, president and CEO of Greenfield Cooperative Bank, knows that success in his profession requires not only a high level of finance and industry knowledge, but a significant amount of legal know-how as well. For that, he thanks the education he received from Western New England University School of Law. “Banking has become even more heavily regulated since 2008,” he notes. “As a CEO, I need to set a course to do business while complying with these new regulations. My law background is very useful in analyzing and deciding what direction to take for our bank.” Greenfield Cooperative Bank is a mutual bank with 10 offices in Franklin and Hampshire Counties, 95 employees, and $529 million in assets. Michael has been CEO since 2003 and says to ensure the bank is healthy and relevant for years to come it needs to stay current with the latest laws, technology, and changes in the marketplace. “My legal training allows me to cull through the irrelevant facts and focus on what is needed to move forward,” Michael says. “A legal background is very common among CEOs of many companies, but especially so in banking.
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“For example, Brian Moynihan (CEO of Bank of America) and John Hamill (past CEO of the former Shawmut Bank) are lawyers, as are CEOs of many community banks in our area,” he says. Michael practiced law from 1985 to 1999 as General Counsel at the former SIS Bank, handling various areas such as contracts, consumer protection, real estate, and employment law. Born in Westchester County, NY, and raised in the small community of Charlton, MA, Michael is the middle child of five children and the first in his family to graduate from college. He graduated from Holy Cross College in 1978 with a degree in history and worked as a substitute teacher for a year and then entered banking in late 1979. “I started working at the old Springfield Institution for Savings and it quickly was apparent to me how much the law impacted people.” He applied to Western New England for admission and began his legal studies at night in September, 1980. “Western New England University had recently opened the S. Prestley Blake Law Center and had a good reputation among law schools that actually offered a part-time option. I needed to be able to go part-time to enable me to work to fund my education. The University gave me that flexibility, so I went nights and summers over the next four years,” he says. Michael recalls some of his favorite classes being with Professors Sam Stonefield and Fred Royal. “Topics such as evidence and taxes were not always the most exciting, but these two professors’ knowledge and enthusiasm made them memorable to me. Overall, topics such as contracts, taxes, and property with business aspects appealed to me.” Michael’s professional accomplishments include being elected by his peers to serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston this past December, working with the Massachusetts
Bankers Association conducting numerous training sessions on a variety of subjects impacting banks, and being a member of and ultimately chairing both the Legal and Regulatory Compliance Committee and the State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee. Michael was elected a director in 2008 and ultimately chaired the Mass Bankers during 2013-2014. A major accomplishment was his work updating Massachusetts law. “My legal background was why I was chosen in 2012 to be chairman of a committee of 14 outstanding lawyers from around Massachusetts to review and update Massachusetts banking law. This was the first total rewrite of Massachusetts banking laws since 1983,” Michael says. After two years of work, the result of this committee was the passage of Chapter 482 of the Acts of 2014 entitled An Act Modernizing the Banking Laws and Enhancing the Competitiveness of State-chartered Banks. “I am very proud of that accomplishment on behalf of not only myself and my bank, but the entire banking and legal community in Massachusetts,” he says. He led a merger between Greenfield Cooperative Bank and Northampton Cooperative Bank which was finalized in April 2015. The newly combined bank covers Franklin County and Hampshire County under one charter while using two trade names to respect the historical goodwill for each bank. “We were able to accomplish this merger with no loss of jobs or locations and expanding the offering of services for customers of both banks. I believe this will help both banks to continue their work as one for many years to come,” he says. As he looks back at his training at Western New England School of Law, Michael says he has many fond memories. “I made many lifelong friends with my classmates and the training I received at the University was second to none,” he says. ◆
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Reception Roundup and Road Trips Alumni participation with the School of Law is growing not just in event attendance, but in volunteerism as demonstrated in the honor roll of volunteers. Between the Mass Bar events to MLB roadtrips, our alumni are a dominant presence in the community and beyond. To keep up with the latest alumni news, join our LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/wnelawalumniassociation. May 5, 2015 First Tuesdays Celebrates Cinco de Mayo
Alumni News
Alumni enjoyed two baseball games this year: June 13, 2015 Red Sox vs.Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, and September 12, 2015 New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium
Baseball was a major focus of our events this year. With both a Red Sox game and a Yankees game in the lineup, alumni enjoyed good food, exciting games and alumni connections. Law Alumni Board President Marcy Spratt ’09 had an opportunity along with several other alumni to enjoy the annual Law School Alumni Red Sox reception and game. Alumni such as Chuck Danis ’81 and Dr. Joseph Zeppieri ’06 enjoyed a great spread at the Baseball Tavern. The class of 1990 was well represented with three alumni present—Debra Conner, Michael McMyne and Mary Anne (Allen) Harward. At the end of the game, thanks to Zachary Ryan ’09, alumni and their guests were invited down to the field to help hang the American flag on the Green Monster. For die-hard fans like Eric Gouvin, dean of the School of Law, this was a special experience. Alumni enjoyed being able to touch the famed wall and stand on the baseline. For the alumni in attendance at the School of Law Alumni Day at Yankee Stadium, they got more than their money’s worth out of the event. What was originally a 4:00 p.m. game turned into a 1:00 p.m. game and a double header between the Yankees and the Blue Jays battling for first place in the division. For Alumni like Eric Horn ’97 this was exciting. Seated in the MasterCard Batter’s Eye box, alumni and their guests had complimentary access to concessions in the box and direct views of both team’s bull pen. Nicole Bertrand Boston ’04 and Adam Boston ’04 were the standouts in the Western New England crowd as the only Blue Jay fans, but they enjoyed their team’s victory over the Yankees. Alumni Association Board members Marcy Spratt ’09 and Linda Fakhoury ’04 networked with the 30 alumni present for the reception and the game.
Keep informed about speakers, events, and other news from the School of Law by visiting www.law.wne.edu. For news about the Law Alumni Association, visit
The closing First Tuesday for the academic year was hosted by James Martin ’06 in Hadley, MA, on May 5, Cinco de Mayo, at a local pub called Quarters Retro Arcade and Bar. First Tuesdays picked up again in November with an event in Saratoga Springs hosted by Meg Gilmartin ’06, followed by one in February in Hartford hosted by Kristen Haseney ’08. If you would like to host this informal local gathering in your area, please contact Kim Roeder at kim.roeder@wne.edu for more information.
June 15, 2015 Connecticut Connection at Bar Association Conference Alumni in the Hartford area met up for an alumni breakfast during the Connecticut Bar Association Legal Conference in June. It was a chance for new professionals and established alumni to meet and network prior to the day of workshops.
September 9, 2015 Alumni Model Dining Etiquette at Career Services Lunch Alumni volunteered to assist law students in the art of appropriate dining etiquette during the annual lunch sponsored by Career Services in September. Alumni were seated with law students at each table as a guest speaker, Mandie A. LeBeau, Esq. of Pardon Me, Inc. instructed the diners on everything from how to fold your napkin to the best way to signal that you’re finished with your meal to the wait staff. Several alumni board members were present including Marcy Spratt ’09, Talia Gee ’10, Chris Todd ’00, and past president John Bandeian ’09.
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Thomas ’76 Named to University Board of Trustees
Gary F. Thomas ’76, has been named to the Western New England University Board of Trustees for a two-year term. He is president of the Wealth Technology Group. A native of Pittsfield, MA, Gary graduated from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Western New England University Law School. A member of the Massachusetts Bar, he also earned an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter and a Chartered Financial Consultant as well as a member of The Million Dollar Round Table’s Top of the Table. He has addressed financial professionals in the United States and Britain and for many years, and hosted “Smart Money,” a two-hour weekly financial call-in radio program covering New York and New England. Gary has been a member of the adjunct faculty of Berkshire Community College, Westfield State University, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where he conducts seminars that educate the public on retirement planning and other financial strategies. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Carson Center for Families and Children, and a member of the Foundation Board of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Gary was a member of the Western New England University Campaign Cabinet for the Transformations Campaign, served as Treasurer of the Law School Alumni Association. He has been a long-time advocate for Western New England University’s Planned Giving program and served on the Planned Giving Advisory Committee for many years.
Broaden Your
Horizons
Student Tejal Patel keeps up with her Wealth Planning with Life Insurance class during a trip to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Live, Online LLM Program in Elder Law and Estate Planning
The next big Collectible? In keeping with the baseball theme, the Office of Alumni Relations put together a packet of School of Law Trading Cards with information about the various aspects of the programs, personnel, and priorities for the School of Law given out during homecoming. If you weren’t able to attend Homecoming and would like your own packet, send an email to kim.roeder@wne.edu. Please include your name, graduation year, and mailing address.
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24 credit hours Can be completed in as little as 2 years part-time
Accepting applications for January 2016 For more information visit: www.law.wne.edu/llm. Professor Frederick D. Royal Program Director 413-782-1422 or 413-782-1426 froyal@law.wne.edu
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By Alex Lyman BA’12
A New Perspective in the Practice of Law:
In keeping with the School of Law’s commitment to service and pro bono work, a group of students traveled to San Antonio, TX, to participate in Alternative Spring Break from March 16-20.
Alternative Spring While in San Antonio, the group worked with three Break Participants sites: the Community Justice Center (CJP), Catholic Immerse Charities Immigration Services, and the Refuge and Themselves Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). in the The CJP, a division of Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, works in conjunction with the San Antonio Bar Association to provide legal serField vices to low income families and individuals who may not otherwise have access to the legal system. Catholic Charities Immigration Services offers affordable legal consultations, representation, and assistance to low-income immigrants of all cultural and religious backgrounds. RAICES assists vulnerable members of the immigrant community in a full range of defenses. The School of Law students helped these organizations organize and update paperwork, assisted clients with filling out forms, and researched applicable laws. These tasks are vital to day-to-day operations, and offered students an inside look at the legal practice for immigrants and low-income families. “We can learn about immigration anywhere, but I felt like we were in the heart of it in San Antonio,” said ASB President and Team Leader Romiesha Briscoe 3L, who served at RAICES. “When you’re going into a certain area of law and have the opportunity to be immersed in it, that will help you to be better at that field because you’ve seen it from all angles.” Further enriching the experience, each group also had the opportunity to sit in on trials, meet with local judges, and interact with clients before returning to campus to share their experiences with their peers. ◆ (L to R) Richard Cipolla 2L, Nick Khalifeh 3L, Judge Antonia Arteaga, Brogan Kirkman 2L, and Robert Ferris 3L at the Bexar County Courthouse.
(L to R) Tasha Marshall 3L, Brogan Kirkman 2L, Emily Dubuc 3L, Melissa McGavin 3L, Adam Cruz 3L, Romiesha Briscoe 3L, Richard Cipolla 2L, Brian Rowe 3L, Brittany Hinojosa 3L, Nick Khalifeh 3L, and Robert Ferris 3L in the lobby of the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in San Antonio.
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(L to R) Romiesha Briscoe 3L, Johana De Leon (Legal Assistant at RAICES), Brian Rowe 3L, Tasha Marshall 3L, and Adam Cruz 3L at the RAICES Crestway location on their last day of volunteering.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
ALUMNI Notes WINTER 2015
WANTED: Volunteers! To get involved, connect with Kim Roeder 413-374-1311 or kim.roeder@wne.edu.
Keep Connected to the School of Law Through Kim Roeder Associate Director of Alumni Relations, Professional Programs Kim Roeder is the new liaison for law alumni to keep connected to the School of Law as well as our newly minted College of Pharmacy alumni. From First Tuesdays to Homecoming and other law events, Kim looks forward to meeting you on campus and on the road. With extensive experience in higher education, Kim most recently served as executive director of event services at Southern Utah University. At Christopher Newport University, she held positions as director of student activities, and director of alumni relations. Prior to that, she held positions as assistant director of student activities at the College of William and Mary and at Fitchburg State University. She holds an M.Ed. from Plymouth State University and a B.A. from Christopher Newport University. Connect to Kim at 413-374-1311 or kim.roeder@wne.edu.
1975
40 Years
Wanted: Class Agent
1976 Class Agent Gary Thomas gary@wealthtechnology.com
David J. Wenc joined the law firm of Baram, Tapper & Gans LLC in Bloomfield, CT. His trial and appellate practice has an emphasis on federal and state criminal defense and plaintiffs’ personal injury. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for
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the federal trial panel for the District of Connecticut as well as the federal appellate panel for the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
1977 Class Agent Marty Martin marty_martin@martinlegalhelp.com At the 2015 China-US Philanthropy Forum held at Harvard Kennedy School, Marty Martin was invited to provide recommendations on US nonprofit law and practices. Forum participants addressed representatives from the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) located in Beijing. The CCG will submit recommendations to China’s National People’s Congress as it considers adopting China’s first national charity law. Marty also participated in an HKS Shorenstein Center seminar on innovation and technology lead by the United States Chief Technology Officer, Megan Smith. In February, 2015 Todd Nahins won what the New York Post called a “watershed case” in the New York court for landlord rights. His case was the first to evict a rent-stabilized tenant for using AirBnB. The tenant was
“I'm very excited to have an opportunity to work with both the established Law alumni and the new Pharmacy alumni. I hope that I can broaden the scope of both programs and involve more alumni.” —Kim Roeder
using his rent-controlled apartment as a hotel through the online travel accommodations site.
and tax lead of the Transaction Advisory Services practice in the New York City office.
After serving as a deputy district attorney for the Los Angeles County for 29 years, Carol Rose, was elected to the position of superior court judge. She was sworn in on January 5, 2015.
1980
1978 Wanted: Class Agent In April, 2015 Michael Ligorano was named general counsel of the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey.
1979 Wanted: Class Agent Marine Corps Colonel (Ret.) Thomas G. Bowman was appointed to the position of Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-GA. Greg Falk joined the firm of BDO US, LLP, one of the nation’s leading accounting and consulting organizations. Greg serves as the principal
35 Years
Wanted: Class Agent
1981 Class Agent Bill Stevens wmstevens@snet.net Elaine Clark, former town manager of Warren, ME, has accepted a job with the Maine Department of Marine Resources.
1982 Class Agent Tina S. Page tina.page@comcast.net After not seeking a 12th term of office in the Connecticut state legislature, Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. accepted the position of executive director and general counsel of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, a major trade association.
(Continued next page)
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ALUMNI Notes
WINTER 2015 Become a Class Agent If you are interested in serving as a Class Agent, please contact Kim Roeder at kim.roeder@wne.edu or visit the School of Law Alumni Class Agent webpage in the “Get Involved” section.
Stephanie A. Silvas ’11 Interim Bee County Judge Beeville, TX
Where are they now? After graduation you quickly moved up the ranks in the field, and you were recently appointed as a judge. What has that process been like? What sorts of cases do you normally see? “It has been a bit of a whirlwind. After passing the Texas bar, I started a small practice in my hometown before being hired as an assistant attorney general (AAG) for the Child Support Division working in its field office in April 2013. I was promoted to AAG in the Office of General Counsel in December 2014, and then asked to take my new appointment. “In May of this year, I was appointed by the Commissioner’s Court as the interim County Judge after the elected County Judge passed away in February. Along with assuming the responsibilities as the presiding officer of the Commissioners Court, I am also the judge of the county court. “My job description involves a variety of responsibilities associated with the holding of elections, certain financial responsibilities, setting and receiving bonds or sureties for county officials, and several duties in the area of preservation and promotion of mental health. I am also the direct supervisor for all Department Heads in the county. “The county court hears probate matters, guardianships, Class A and Class B misdemeanor criminal cases (which are lower level crimes, but the more serious misdemeanor offenses), civil cases in which the amount in controversy is small, and cases appealed from justice of the peace and municipal courts.” You specialized in Criminal Justice here at the School of Law— why has that been an area of interest for you? “I started law school believing that the only area of law I was not interested in was criminal law. But because of Professor Art Leavens, it became my favorite area of law. Working for the Child Support Division, I sincerely missed the Rules of Criminal Procedure. It’s fun to be back in that arena now. “My favorite hearings are those on Motions to Suppress evidence. Unfortunately, I have not had too many contested hearings, but I am looking forward to having my first jury trial.”
1983
1988
Class Agents: Maureen Burns meb@pellegrinolawfirm.com Ellen Teller eteller@frac.org
Class Agent Michael Borg mborg@SRBLLP.com
1989
1984
Wanted: Class Agent
Class Agent Ina Forman aliforman@aol.com
1985
30 Years
Kenneth J. Albano, an attorney with Bacon Wilson, P.C., received the Massachusetts Bar Association Community Service Award in June at the Hampden County Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF) selected Jack Ferriter, of Ferriter Law in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, to serve on its Board of Trustees for a fouryear term. The board meets in Boston and is composed of judges and lawyers from across the Commonwealth. Jack has been a Fellow of the MBF for 12 years and has served on the grant review committee for the last 10 years.
1986 Class Agent Judith Jones jonesjh@aetna.com
1987 Wanted: Class Agent
“I was a Public Interest Scholar and attended Western New England because of its dedication to public interest. It has always been my mission to become a public servant. Having gone to a school that devotes the amount of resources to public interest was truly a benefit in showing my commitment to serving the public. It was also incredibly beneficial to have a community of professors who consistently support my endeavors and routinely provide advice and guidance anytime I have reached out to them.”
CNA Financial Corporation announced the appointment of Andrew Pinkes as executive vice president of Worldwide Property & Casualty Claim. Andrew is responsible for claim strategies and operations for CNA’s $6.5 billion worldwide Property & Casualty Operations.
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25 Years
Class Agent Kathleen Porter kporter@rc.com
Wanted: Class Agent
How did Western New England help you get to where you are now? Why might our Law students have an edge in the field of law?
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1990 1991
Wanted: Class Agent Lisa Steele, of Steele & Associates, was one of 12 members appointed to the Standing Committee on Eyewitness Identification by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justices. The charge of the committee is to provide guidance to the courts on eyewitness identification procedures.
1992 Wanted: Class Agent Sharon Faulkner was elected president of the Dutchess County (NY) Bar Association in May. Sharon is a partner at Ostertag O’Leary Barrett & Faulkner where her focus is on matrimonial and family law. Robert O’Leary is working with BioAcoustic Biology. He became a practitioner in 2011. Robert is also the editor of Conscious Life News.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
Albano ’85
Culton ’93
Bulkovitch ’99
1993
1995
Class Agents: Katie Stone-Harrington bharrington5207@comcast.net Holly Lemieux hlemieux@lynchlynch.com
Wanted: Class Agent
William (Bill) E. Culton Jr., general counsel for East Greenwich-based Corvias Group, has been named a 2015 In-House Leader in Law by the Mass Weekly, Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly, and the New England In-House. Charles S. Ryan, former senior vice president & chief intellectual property counsel for Forest Laboratories Inc, joined Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as General Counsel in March. The lab, in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, conducts biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology.
20 Years
Carolyn Lemmon joined Tully Rinckey LLC as a senior counsel. Located in Albany, NY, she will practice in the areas of family and matrimonial law.
1996 Wanted: Class Agent
1997 Class Agent Michael Blanchard michael.blanchard@bingham.com Moira Lowe, principal and president of Saybrus Equity Services, Inc. has also been named chief administrative officer. Saybrus is an insurance partnership firm that aids financial professionals addressing clients’ needs with insurance.
J. Christopher Sheehan serves as the vice president and general counsel for the nonprofit, American Student Assistance in Boston. American Student Assistance provides resources for students in how they finance and repay their higher education.
John J. Scott Jr., was selected by the Daily Record in Baltimore as one of Maryland’s 2015 Most Admired CEOs. John is the president and CEO of Westminster American Insurance Company.
1994
1998
Wanted: Class Agent
Wanted: Class Agent
Kristi Bodin is in solo practice in Amherst, MA, specializing in Business Law, Civil Litigation, Landlord Tenant, Personal Injury, and liquor licenses/ special permits.
Michael J. Richard was selected to be superintendent of schools in West Springfield, MA. He previously served as principal of West Springfield High School.
Matt Pitta is the news director at Cape Cod Broadcasting Media (CCB). His news program “Cape Cod this Morning” is on WFCC FM radio from 6-7 a.m. weekdays.
1999 Class Agent Rebecca Mitchell Proakisbeck28@yahoo.com The Connecticut Bar Association named Linda Bulkovitch as the “Rookie of the Year” for the Young Lawyers Section. She was recognized for her outstanding achievement throughout the 2014-15 bar year.
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Randall ’05
2000
15 Years
Mandell ’06
2003
Class Agent Jim Winston james@jameswinstonlaw.com
Class Agent Karen Romano karen161@msn.com
Angela Duerden joined Wilson Elser in its Orlando, FL, office. Her practice focus is employment-related litigation. She also teaches Business Law & Ethics at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.
2004
Steven Trostle was promoted to first assistant, state’s attorney at the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office in Maryland. In addition, Steven teaches Criminal Law at Community College of Baltimore County. Donna Truex is now a partner in Bowditch & Dewey in Worcester, MA. Her practice includes land use and real estate development, including acquisitions, financing, development, permitting, construction, licensing, and leasing.
2001 Class Agent Jenny Desch Jenny.desch@yorkcountygov.com Richard Kneeland, vice president and general counsel for Allegro MicoSystems, LLC was recently elected Assistant Corporate secretary for Allegro’s parent company Sanken North American, Inc. He was also admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in April.
2002 Wanted: Class Agent Jodi Barr was featured in a blog series, Mom-mentum Motherhood and Careers Blog. She wrote of the struggle juggling her career as a practicing attorney in Toledo, OH, and motherhood. Katherine Fletcher Troy was named a partner in the law firm of Mayo Crowe LLC in Hartford, CT. She is focused on commercial real estate within New England and on a national level.
Class Agent Linda Fakhoury ldfakhoury@gmail.com The city of Agawam, MA, hired Marc Strange as its new planning director in April. Marc also sits on the School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors.
2005
10 Years
Class Agent Kelly Cooper Miller kelleycoopermiller@mac.com Michelle (Hines) Randall is the assistant vice president with Zurich Surety’s Product Underwriting legal team after moving to Sioux Falls, SD. Michelle lives “on the edge of the prairie” with her husband, Ken, and two stepsons.
2006 Class Agent Julia Lentini Marquis juliaklentini@gmail.com Stephen D. Button was elected the new county attorney for St. Lawrence County, NY, where he was previously the county public defender. Stephen is in his first term on the School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. Adam Mandell has been named partner of the Maynard, O’Conner, Smith & Catalinotto, LLP law firm. He is a delegate to the New York State Bar Association House of Delegates, an Ulster County Bar Association board member, and serves on the Committee for Characters and Fitness for the Third Judicial District. The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut appointed David McGuire as its Legislative and Policy Director.
(Continued next page)
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ALUMNI Notes WINTER 2015
Drew Hirshfeld ’93 Commissioner for Patents US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Alexandria, VA
Where are they now? As the Commissioner for Patents, what are your responsibilities? “I oversee the Patents Organization of the USPTO, and that includes 10,000+ employees, the bulk of which are patent examiners. They’re the people who make the decisions about what inventions are deserving of a patent and which are not deserving of a patent. Most of my responsibility is to support the patent examiners to make sure they have the right resources and abilities to do their job. It’s done in an ever-changing environment, because the patent world is a legal world as well as a scientific world, and the law is constantly evolving.” How did Western New England University help you get to be an authority on patents? “I’m a huge fan of law school in general, and for me it was a great career decision to go to Western New England University and get a law degree. The University helped me learn to think like an attorney. Even though patent law is a technical field, it is a legal field as well, and my education prepared me very well.” As a new commissioner, what are your priorities? “My priorities as a new commissioner are to support a quality initiative that started with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Michelle Lee. The agency is taking a look at virtually everything we do to try and see how we can improve. Our examiners have done a great job in determining what’s patentable and what’s not. Now, we’re trying to step out of the box and consider should we be asking something different? Should we be asking more? We’ve engaged with the public for feedback. I’m hoping to make great strides in making self-improvement a priority at the USPTO.” With the popularity of shows like Shark Tank and with more people wanting to become entrepreneurs, have you seen a rise in the number of patent applications? “The patent filings typically have grown year to year and it’s an astronomical number. We receive over 450,000 patent applications a year. Micro entities, which include entrepreneurs, had over 17,000 filings so far this year. The USPTO also has a group dedicated to provide outreach, help entrepreneurs navigate through the patent application system, and interact with these inventors as they file their patents.”
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We are always interested in hearing from you. If you have news of career advancement or change, professional accomplishments or activities, marriages, births, changes in address, or any other news, please share it with us. Email: kim.roeder@wne.edu
2007
2011
Class Agents: Kelly Koch kellykoch32@gmail.com Stephanie Schlatter sschlatter@hotmail.com
Class Agents: Julie McKenna Julie.mckejd2@gmail.com Maren Law Maren.law@gmail.com
SouthCoast Fair Housing, a nonprofit focused on eliminating housing discrimination, was founded by Kristina da Fonseca. It recently received a $125,000 one-year federal grant to help set up its organization in New Bedford, MA.
Rob Preziosi serves as a Trial Counsel at 1st Brigade Combat Team for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. He advises all levels of the brigade command represents his command before the Army Courts-Martial proceedings and administrative separation boards.
Michael Einig was recently promoted at the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, P.A. Working in its Miami, FL office, Michael is in the tax practice group. Matthew Reed retired from his position of five years as the South Winsor Police Chief. He joined the firm of Metzger Lazarek & Plumb of Hartford as a labor attorney.
2012 Wanted: Class Agent
2008 Class Agents: Kendra Berardi Kendra.berardi@gmail.com Michelle Hummer mhummer@ofalaw.com Andrew Herreth recently left his position with Midland Credit Management, Inc. to open his own firm—The Law offices of Andrew R. Herreth in Aledo, TX.
2009 Class Agent John Bandeian jbandeian@gmail.com
2010
5 Years
Wanted: Class Agent
Ashley Dinet-Fields recently opened a firm, Dinet-Fields & Perrone, PLLC in Syracuse, NY. It is one of the few completely women-owned law firms in Syracuse. The focus of the firm is on matrimonial and family law, traffic violations, guardianship, DWIs, wills, and criminal law. Michael A. Fenton was selected to the Rising Stars list for Springfield, MA, area.
Carol F. Barton of Shrewsbury was selected to represent the New England region as a volunteer advisor on the American Cancer Society Nationwide Gift Planning Advisor Counsel.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
Heard Around the Common
Become a fan on
facebook Western New England University School of Law
2014
Professor of Law and recent 40 Under Forty recipient, Erin Buzuvis addressed the ground yet to be covered as it relates to LGBT housing discrimination during the Fair Housing Rights: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues conference.
Wanted: Class Agent CORRECTION: Rochelle C. Duyan is an information risk consultant for Digital Forensic Investigations, EIRM in Springfield. It is part of the Mass Mutual Financial Group. Benjamin Marcus was hired as an associate for Cantor Colburn LLP in the Hartford, CT office.
Connor Fallon and Sara Guzzone (above) were married August 29, 2015, on Long Island. Connor has joined the law firm of Keane and Bernheimer PLLC in Hawthorne, NY, as an associate attorney. One of the partners in the firm, Thomas Keane ’80, is also a Western New England University School of Law alumnus.
Evan Nahins joined the firm of Borah Goldstein Altschuler Nahins & Goidel, P.C. in New York.
2015 Wanted: Class Agent
2013 Class Agent Amber Gould amber.m.gould@gmail.com Dennis M. Carnelli joined the firm of O’Connell, Attmore, & Morris, LLC as an associate. The firm is located in Connecticut. Thomas M. Melfi joined the family law practice of Nusbaum & Parrino P.C. as an associate attorney in Westport, CT. Joining the Connecticut firm of Ballie & Hershman, PC, Joette Trinh will focus her practice on real estate matters.
In Memoriam Karl A. Adamski ’70 John “Jack” E. Bethel ’67 Dr. Bruce Blance ’71 Anita J. Coleman ’83 John J. Foley ’67
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In February, Vergil Decker and his wife Allison, welcomed baby Avaline Sarah (pictured above.)
The magazine has received notice of the deaths of the following members of the School of Law family.
Joan S. Nolan-Morneau BA’75/L’81 J. Gerard Pellegrini ’57 John J. Rhodes Jr. ’80 Glenn Harry Rowley ’80
“
The problems that occur concerning discrimination in housing for LGBT people have not received a lot of enforcement yet. We already have a lot of precedent for dealing with other forms of discrimination in the context of housing, such as race and religion, but there has been very little attention focused on LGBT housing discrimination up until now.”
*
Watch recordings of School of Law speakers at digitalcommons.law.wne.edu.
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L AW A L U M N I
Benefits & Services
As an alumnus/a of Western New England University School of Law, the following benefits and services are available to you: The Alumni Healthful Living Center (AHLC) Law alumni are welcome to use the facilities of the AHLC free of charge. Popular amenities include the fitness center, pool, and track. For details, call 413-782-1518.
Alumni Association ID Card The Alumni Association ID allows alumni to use the resources on campus, including the Law Library and the Alumni Healthful Living Center. For details, call 413-782-1311 or email kim.roeder@wne.edu.
Alumni Finder and Alumni Website Use our website to receive news from the School, access library resources, or find other Western New England University School of Law alums through our “Alumni Finder” feature. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the Alumni Finder online tool to search for fellow alums by different criteria such as state, grad year, or area of practice. Visit www.law.wne.edu/alumni.
Continuing Legal Education Programs Our highly successful CLE programs in conjunction with the Massachusetts Bar Association have covered topics ranging from probating an estate to trying OUI cases. All alums get a discounted rate of $80. For details, visit www.law.wne.edu.
Career Services Alumni seeking career advice or offering employment can take advantage of the services of the Office of Career Services. The office assists with résumé writing, employment correspondence, interviewing preparation, career decision-making, and job search strategy. Through the online Intercollegiate Job Bank, alums have access to job listings from law schools across the country. The office can also coordinate reciprocity of job postings with over 50 law schools. Contact Career Services at jobpost@law.wne.edu or 413-782-1416.
Networking and Referrals Networking opportunities for alumni include many area receptions, “First Tuesdays,” and other events such as Reunion. These events allow you to network and reconnect with classmates and faculty. In addition, the alumni finder feature on the website is a great resource when looking for a colleague to refer a case to. Visit www.law.alumni.edu/alumni.
JD Course Auditing For a nominal
Alumni of the School of Law receive the full-color Perspectives magazine twice a year, the Law School Digest newsletter two times a year, and The Law School Minute, the Dean’s email, throughout the year.
fee, JD courses in the School of Law may be audited on a space-available basis with the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs by an alumnus/a who has completed the JD degree at Western New England University School of Law. Call 413-782-1402 or visit www.law.wne.edu/alumni.
Transcript Requests Law transcripts are issued by the Student Records Office at the School of Law. For more information, call the Student Records Office at 413-782-1402 or fax your request to 413-796-2067.
The University Bookstore There’s no better way to proudly display your law school connection than with a shirt or memento from the University Bookstore. For more information, call 413-782-1284 or visit www.wne.bkstr.com.
Replacing a Diploma If your diploma is lost or damaged, you can replace it by calling Student Administrative Services at 800-325-1122 ext. 2080. (A $50 service fee is required.)
Insurance Discounts As a graduate of Western New England University, you may qualify for a special group discount on your auto, home, and renter’s insurance. For details, call 413-782-1311 or visit www.law.wne.edu/alumni.
D’Amour Library
Western New England Law Review
The D’Amour Library serves as a valuable resource for alumni undertaking professional research or expanding their personal reading enjoyment. Alumni I.D. card required. Call 413-782-1535 or visit http://libraries.wne.edu.
Law Review is now electronic!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: www.law.wne.edu/lawreview
Volume 37, Issue 1 was published in spring 2015.
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND LAW REVIEW
School of Law Library Free access to western Massachusetts’ only academic law library is an outstanding alumni resource. For hours or information, call 413-782-1457 or visit the School of Law website at www.law.wne.edu/library. Law alums are allowed immediate access to the Law Library (after presentation of Alumni Association ID at the Security Desk) on weekdays until 7:00 p.m. For library use on the weekend or after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, alums must have an Access Card to enter the building. To obtain an Access Card, free of charge, complete the Library Access Form (available online at www.law.wne.edu/alumni or at the Public Safety Office) and bring it to the Public Safety Office, along with an Alumni Association ID Card and a photo ID, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Once obtained, the Access Card will provide access to the building on subsequent visits.
40 ◆
Alumni Publications
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1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield MA 01119-2684 or call 413-782-1463.
Learn more about alumni benefits and services.
www.law.wne.edu/alumni The Office of Law Alumni Relations serves as a resource to our members, committees, and regional chapters. Feel free to contact Kim Roeder at 413-782-1311 with questions about benefits, events, or volunteer opportunities.
P E R S P E C T I V E S
WINTER 2015
PERSPECTIVES Perspectives is a publication of Western New England University School of Law. ERIC GOUVIN Dean and Professor of Law BARBARA MOFFAT Vice President for Marketing and External Affairs MARY MCLEAN ORSZULAK G’10 Editor JUDY CURRAN PAT GAGNON ALEXANDRA L. LYMAN BA’12 MARY MCLEAN ORSZULAK G’10 KIM ROEDER DIEDRE SWORDS BA’05 VARIOUS FACULTY/STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS Writers
The Fund for Western New England: Your Gift Helps Us to Rise to Meet the Challenges of Attracting the Best and Brightest. The Fund for Western New England University supports the University’s most urgent priorities, including attracting the best and brightest to your law school. Today, law schools nationwide face challenges affecting enrollment, student debt, and funding. At Western New England University School of Law, we are rising to meet these challenges through: A Strategic Plan focusing on student-centered professional education Freezing tuition rates through the 2017-2018 academic year to keep our high quality, private legal education affordable for students • Broad clinical programs and externship opportunities to give students hands-on, practical experience. • •
As you consider your annual giving remember that your tax-deductible gift every year makes a difference at the School of Law every day.
To make a gift today, contact Deidre Swords, Associate Director of Annual Giving (413) 782-1335 or deidre.swords@wne.edu. Western New England University Advancement Division 1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield, MA 01119-2684
BRIAN FITZGERALD BARBARA MOFFAT KATHERINE PAPPAS G’98 DEBORAH PORTER SAVOIE KIM ROEDER Editing KIM ROEDER Alumni Notes Editor and Faculty Notes Editor DEBORAH CHAPPELL Creative Director LENARD DESIGN GROUP Design & Production AM LITHOGRAPHY Printing PAUL SCHNAITTACHER Principal Photography BRIAN ZELASKO Additional Photography
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PA I D Springfield, MA Permit No. 896
Office of Alumni Relations 1215 Wilbraham Road Springfield, MA 01119-2684 www.law.wne.edu
CALENDAR of EVENTS
FEBRUARY 2016
MARCH 2016
APRIL 2016
MAY 2016
2
1
First Tuesdays—Charlotte, NC Hosted by Krystal Orr ’06
5
22
19-21 41st Annual Basketball Tournament
10
President’s Reception in Hartford
25
31
Law Review Reunion Reception Blake Law Center
First Tuesdays—Hartford Hosted by Kristen Haseney ’08
President’s Alumni Reception in Boston
visit law.wne.edu
First Tuesdays—Long Island, NY Hosted by Michael Borg ’88
Doctoral, Law, Pharmacy, and Master’s Degree Commencement Ceremony
For more information, visit www.law.wne.edu/alumni or contact Kim Roeder at kim.roeder@wne.edu or 413-782-1311.