SUNY Buffalo Law Philanthropy

SUNY BUFFALO LAWPHILANTHROPYSUNY Buffalo Law School • The State Un ivers i t y of New York

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Hodgson Russmakes a firm commitment

S U N Y B U F F A L O L A W P H I L A N T H R O P Y

Contents

Ilene R. Fleischmann, EditorVice Dean for Alumni and Communications310 O’Brian HallBuffalo, NY 14260-1100(716) [email protected] DavisCover PhotographerRob McElroyPrincipal PhotographersDon DanneckerRobert KirkhamRob McElroyNancy ParisiOffice of Law School Development408 O’Brian HallBuffalo, NY 14260-1100(716) 645-2109Karen R. Kaczmarski ’89Associate Dean for Development andDirector of Development(716) [email protected] S. Carrel ’67Vice Dean(716) [email protected] J. PiscitelliDevelopment Officer(716) [email protected] Dadd ’04Assistant Director of Development (Annual Fund)(716) [email protected] M. DomagalaAssistant Director of Development Programs(716) [email protected]

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© Copyright 2013 by SUNY Buffalo Law SchoolVolume 5, Number 1. All Rights Reservedwww.law.buffalo.edu

Message from the Dean 1

Leadership GivingHodgson Russ leads the charge with a major challenge gift 2Harvey Kaminski ’77 helps to upgrade classrooms 3Henry Rose ’51 supports the purchase of books 4Richard Gottlieb ’85 points the way to success 5

Legacy GivingRichard Lipsitz ’43 recalls a storied career in employment law 6A bequest from Judge Frank Borowiec ’49 is a thank-you gift 6Award Fund pays tribute to Larry Wagner ’49 7Eugene Salisbury’s family creates named scholarship fund 8Law School Legacy Society 9Circle of Leaders 9

Development Report 10

Annual GivingSUNY Buffalo Law Alumni Association steps up for the students 12Two new named scholarships 12Scholarships awarded 2012–13 13Contributors to SUNY Buffalo Law School,July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013 14

Honor RollContributions and matching gifts from corporations, foundations, organizations and friends 18Contributions by class year 20Top 10 classes 27Thank you to our fundraising volunteers 32Annual Fund letter signing event 33Alumni endow awards to honor Tomkins and Cerulli 34A parting gift from the Class of 2013 35Smiles from class reunions and Network the Nation 36

New York State’s Law School

Hon. Frank A.Borowiec ’49

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Jean Powers ’79Page 7

Harvey L. Kaminski ’77

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GIVE TAX-FREE FROM YOUR IRA (BUT DO IT SOON!)Are you 701⁄2 or older? If so, you can give up to $100,000 to the Law School bytransferring it tax-free from your Individual Retirement Account under extendedcharitable IRA legislation. The transfer generates neither taxable income nor adeduction, so you don’t have to itemize to take advantage of this opportunity. Butdon’t hesitate! Your chance to make tax-free gifts from your IRA for 2013 ends on Dec. 31, 2013. Interested? Want to know more?Please contact Associate Dean Karen

Kaczmarski at (716) 645-6429 or [email protected]

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Earlier this year, we celebratedan historic moment in ourLaw School’s history – thekick-off of the $30 Million

Campaign for SUNY Buffalo LawSchool. It was a celebration like noother and I want to thank all who havesupported our Campaign so far. Withover $18 Million raised to date, it is you– our loyal alumni and friends – whohave made it possible for us to reachthis moment and we are deeplygrateful.A special thanks as well to our

Campaign Steering Committee: ourCampaign co-chairs, Thomas J. Black,Jr. ’79, Kenneth B. Forrest ’76, FrancisM. Letro ’79, and Margaret W. Wong’76, and Committee members BrianD. Baird ’83, Paul R. Comeau ’73,Pamela D. Heilman ’75, Judith B. Ittig’71, Harvey L. Kaminski ’77, BarbaraD. Klippert ’75, Robert M. Kornreich’67, William E. Mathias II ’71, Carol MMatorin ’76, Christopher J. O’Brien,Jean C. Powers ’79, Vikki L. Pryor ’78,Robert C. Schwenkel ’82, David F.Smith ’78, Mark K. Suzumoto ‘8 andBrent L. Wilson ’76. They have doneremarkable work to make this Cam-paign a reality and have been extraor-dinarily generous with their time,talent and treasure – I cannot thankthem enough.As we head in to the public phase of

the Campaign, I havebeen reflecting onwhere we are and whatwe have accomplishedso far. The impact hassimply been tremen-dous. Our vision forthis Campaign has andalways will begin andend with our students –making a difference forthem – both in terms oftheir law school experi-ence and their careersafterward –and, producing lawyerswho are prepared to make a differencein the world. Scholarships, facultychairs and professorships, programs,upgraded technology and facilities –these are all the things that move us

forward in realizing our vision –andon which we have been laser-focusedwith our Campaign.We can see and feel the changes that

the Campaign has madepossible so far. Three newprofessorships, to whichtalented and worthy pro-fessors have now beenappointed. Improvementsto our hugely importantLAWR Program, andexpanding our signatureNYC Program, thanks toincreased funding fromCampaign gifts. Increasedscholarship funding so thatour students can obtain

not just a great legal education but alsokeep their debt low – and so that wecan compete against other law schoolswith greater resources. And a moreintangible impact – our improved visi-bility as New York State’s Law School –

as you can tell by a simplecount of the times Gov-ernor Cuomo has visited,and others, such as NewYork State Court ofAppeals Chief JudgeLippman, who was hererecently, chairing ahearing on civil legal ser-vices in New York State.All of these things, andmany more, are pro-pelling us forward, andkeep us motivated andenergetic. Maintaining that

momentum is key to oursuccess. We know thereare many challengesfacing our professionthese days and, thanks tothe Campaign, we areholding our own. How-ever, we cannot sit backand rest on our accom-plishments – we must notlet up on the gas! We mustand will continue tomove forward to advanceour goals, and will continue to seek your

support.Now that we are in the public

phase, we are at a pivot point. Ourclosest supporters and friends havestepped up to help us get where we are.Now, our focus is to broaden our baseof supporters, to reach more peopleand bring them closer to us. As wemove forward, we hope that you willjoin us, and help bring others in to thefamily of SUNY Buffalo Law sup-porters.Again, my eternal thanks to all of

you for your involvement in this Cam-paign and your continued investmentin the future of our Law School – it ismaking a difference and is the reasonwhy our Campaign will succeed!

Message from Dean Mutua

Dean Makau W. Mutua and New York State Court ofAppeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman

Onward and upward

“We can see andfeel the changesthat theCampaign hasmade possible so far. ”

–Dean Mutua

In thinking about Hodgson Russ’donation to SUNY Buffalo LawSchool in support of facultyexcellence, it helps to think in

superlatives:The oldest law firm in Buffalo …… Making the biggest philan-

thropic gift in its 196-year history.From its leaders’ perspective, the

firm’s philanthropy is just the latestchapter in a historic relationship withNew York State’s public law school.“This goes back a long way,” says DanOliverio ’82,chairman of the firm (andalso a member of the Law School’sDean’s Advisory Council). “WesternNew York is important to us, and wehave always felt we have a role we haveto play in communities where we liveand do business.” The firm has pledged a corporate

contribution of $250,000, to be paidover five years, to endow a facultyscholar position. It also has challengedits 90 or so equity partners to matchthat amount in their personal giving. “Our partners were giving individu-

ally anyway,” Oliverio said. “We’ve set itup so we could aggregate our contribu-tions. … One of the issues that DeanMutua emphasizes is that, in order toadvance the Law School, we need starfaculty. We thought our gift could beused in part to satisfy that critical needfor attracting faculty. We saw it as aunique opportunity.” Interviewed in the historic Guar-

anty Building in downtown Buffalo,which Hodgson Russ purchased in1998 and has restored to its Louis Sul-livan-designed splendor, Oliverio andCEO John Amershadian said theyexpect the Law School gift to be a win-win-win – good for the school, good forthe community and good for the firmitself.Partly, they say, a culture of philan-

thropy makes for a good place to work.“We are a business,” Amershadian

says, “and one of the things we want todo is support causes that are importantto our clients.” As well, he says, potentialemployees have asked in job interviewsabout the firm’s commitment to thecommunity, indicating that that’s animportant factor in their own decisionsabout where to practice law. “No one has to be underground

here about supporting causes,” Oliveriosays. “That’s important to us.” He’s alsoproud that Hodgson Russ lawyers serveon 146 not-for-profit boards – givingwith their time and expertise as well as

their checkbook.And on a practical level, as is the case

with most firms in Western New York, adisproportionate share of the next gen-eration of attorneys they hire will taketheir legal training in O’Brian Hall. “Ifwe are going to thrive, the health andsuccess of SUNY Buffalo Law School isimportant to us,” Amershadian says.In addition to serving on the Law

School’s Dean’s Advisory Council, Oliv-erio also is a member of the compa-rable body in the Department of Sys-tems Engineering in UB’s School ofEngineering and Applied Sciences.From his perspective, education is influx.“The legal industry is changing, and

legal education has to change with it,”he says. “But I see this as an opportu-nity. It ensures that the Law School isaggressively trying to get better.“As the legal industry changes, it’s

very important, if you’re going to have alaw school, to have a great one, becauseyou’ll be less susceptible to thesechanges. Now is the time you have tostep on the gas. If you don’t run fasterwhen someone is chasing you, you’regoing to get caught.”

Oliverio also points to theLaw School’s positionamong UB’s other profes-sional schools, includingthe School of Medicine

and Biological Sciences. “If a univer-sity’s professional schools are all excel-lent, it’s good for all of them,” he says.“The core of excellence in professionalschools lifts all boats. For UB to be oneof the top 50 research universities in theUnited States, I can’t tell you howimportant that is.” “We think UB has made a huge dif-

ference in Western New York, and wewant to be a part of that,” Amershadianadds. “The role of the University isunique, and our ties with the LawSchool are unique. As students areincreasingly asking what they get fortheir money, the state schools still havean edge. We think there’s a future forUB.”

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Leadership Giving

Making a firmcommitment Hodgson Russ leads the charge

with a major challenge gift

Hodgson Russ CEO John Amershadian,

left, and chairman Dan Oliverio ’82

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Harvey Kaminskihelps to upgradeclassrooms

When Harvey L.Kaminski ’77was atSUNY Buffalo LawSchool, the height of

educational technology was an over-head projector. Few could have imagined how legal

education – and the practice of law –would change so dramatically with theadvent of digital projection, legalresearch using electronic databases,Web conferencing, even the smart-phone. That revolution was tailor-made for

Kaminski. “I strongly advocate the con-cept of economy of time,” Kaminskisays. “Efficiency guarantees proper uti-lization of time which is critical to suc-cess. Technology facilitates that goal.”That lesson, and the means to

achieve it, is taking shape at SUNY Buf-falo Law School thanks to the mostrecent major gift by Kaminski, presi-dent and CEO of Prestige Capital Corp.in Fort Lee, N.J. The Law School willuse his gift – $100,000 in cash and a$100,000 bequest commitment – fortechnology upgrades to classrooms inO’Brian Hall. “In my day legal research was

extremely laborious,” Kaminski says.“You ended up in the law library late atnight. Now, with technology, it’s somuch easier. And for law schools ingeneral, the competition is fierce. It’scritical to maintain our edge and keepup with these advances.”Kaminski’s gift is already bearing

fruit. Over the summer, Room 406, aseminar room, was equipped with adocument camera and desktop com-puter, with full-projection video andDVD capability. The school plans to

continue to add technological capa-bility, especially in the first-floor lec-ture-hall classrooms. The recently reno-vated basement classrooms also arefully tech-enabled.“Harvey very kindly gave us an

undesignated gift with the discretion tofund one of our highest priorities,” saysDean Makau W. Mutua. “For us,installing more technology in our class-rooms is vital so that our faculty canbetter train our students for the com-plexities of practicing today.”

Kaminski has been excep-tionally active with his almamater. A longtime memberof the Dean’s AdvisoryCouncil and a member of

the Capital Campaign steering com-mittee, he also teaches in the LawSchool’s New York City Program inFinance and Law and supports that sig-nature program financially. With thismost recent gift, his total philanthropiccommitment to the Law Schoolexceeds $400,000.“I’ve been fortunate in my career,

and we believe ingiving back,” he saysof himself and hiswife, Dr. HeleneKaminski. “SUNYBuffalo Law Schoolhas always been ontop of my list,because the years Ispent at the LawSchool and workingin Buffalo after-wards were some ofthe best years of mylife, both in terms ofeducation and inthe nurturing andwarmth of myfriends there. Ialways have pleasantmemories when Ithink of it, and myeducation was first-rate.

“Most importantly,” he says, “myeducation was inspiring. It motivatedme. I had professors in my time at UBwho were unbelievably enthusiasticand inspiring. They were so good, yousat in awe.”Now he tries to carry on that tradi-

tion in his own teaching, which dealswith secured transactions and com-mercial finance. “I like teaching,”Kaminski says. “I’m a high-energy guy,and I like the feedback and interactingwith the students. By teaching, I cangauge the quality of the students andmake sure that the Law School is main-taining high standards.” He also hasserved as a mentor for SUNY BuffaloLaw students and fielded plenty of callsfrom students seeking career advice.“We all benefited from our won-

derful experiences at the Law School,”he says. “It is important that I remindmy classmates of these memories as animpetus for them to give at a higherlevel.”

Keeping up with thetechnology revolution

Harvey L. Kaminski ’77 with his wife, Dr. Helene Kaminski

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Leadership Giving

Henry Rose ’51 remem-bers well the financialstress that he and hisBuffalo Law classmates

faced: Law books were so darnedexpensive. He had been elected towhat was then the Student Council,and he saw a problem that needed asolution.He had two: He arranged a way for

students to buy and sell their used lawbooks, and he created the Law Schoolbookstore, cutting out the mid-dleman by obtaining casebooks onconsignment from the publishers.Problem solved: Books became moreaffordable, and the Student Councileven took a small cut from the salesproceeds to help fund social activities. Now Rose is making that crusade a

permanent legacy, with a $60,000 giftto the Law School to support the pur-chase of books and other materials bysecond- and third-year students. “I’vebeen making some gifts all along,” hesays, “but I was moved to make amore specific gift.” The recipients areto be students who have done well intheir studies and can demonstratefinancial need.

Rose certainly did well with hisBuffalo Law degree. From a working-class background in Buffalo, heenlisted in the Navy, then earned hisbachelor’s and law degrees, both cumlaude, at UB. He went on to teach atNorthwestern Law School; worked inWashington at the National LaborRelations Board; practiced in Buffalo(and taught as an adjunct at the LawSchool) for three years; did graduatework at Yale; and then, after a series of teaching and researchappointments, went on to spend mostof his career with the Department ofLabor. Among other achievements hehelped draft the Employee Retire-ment Income Security Act, and servedfor 10 years as general counsel of thePension Benefit Guaranty Corp.,which was created by ERISA. At UB, Rose bucked the nomi-

nating system to win election to thestudent government, the Board ofManagers, as a write-in candidate. Healso helped start a new student news-paper, the Argus– and in Law Schoolbecame one of the founding editors ofthe Buffalo Law Review, whose firstissue was published in his senior year. “I really enjoyed it – not only the

extracurricular activities, but Ienjoyed the academics as well,” Rosesays. “The Law School and the Uni-versity have made a big difference inmy life.”

“I’ve been making some giftsall along, but I was moved tomake a more specific gift.”

–Henry Rose ’51

A book-smart giftHenry Rose supports the purchase of learning materials

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Strategies for reaching our goal Richard Gottliebpoints the way

Richard E. Gottlieb ’85hasrisen to become a nationallyrecognized leader in finan-cial services litigation and

enforcement, most recently as a partnerin the Los Angeles office of Wash-ington, D.C.-based BuckleySandlerLLP. Like every skilled attorney, heachieved that, at least in part, bythinking strategically – knowing wherehe wanted to go, then figuring out howto get there.It is that kind of thinking, he says,

that is creating great possibilities forSUNY Buffalo Law School. “All law schools are at a crossroads,”

Gottlieb says. “There is a tremendousloss of confidence among undergradu-ates about the availability of jobs in thelaw. I want to make sure we are incen-tivizing the best students to come towhat is a great law school.”Toward that end, Gottlieb is making

a major gift of $120,000 in support ofadmissions scholarships, designed tolevel the playing field and make SUNYBuffalo Law financially attractive forthe top level of potential students. Gottlieb says his work with the

Dean’s Advisory Council has shownthat the Law School can succeed byplaying to its strengths. “This is the timefor specialization,” he says, “and if wecan focus on building a national repu-tation in a specific area, that is a verygood thing. The Law School must buildand be known for a particular strength.And we need to make sure that studentswho are receiving the good admissionnews likewise have incentives to matric-ulate into the school. A few extra dollars

can make all the difference.”His philanthropic decision-making,

Gottlieb says, has been “very muchinfluenced by others on the DAC,seeing what they have done and theincredible gifts they have given. This isjust the beginning for me. If my wifeand I can find more ways to give, wewill certainly do that.”During his years as a law student,

Gottlieb found success in moot courtcompetitions, winning the Desmondand being a finalist at a national consti-tutional law competition in North Car-olina. He also served as president of theStudent Bar Association. And, he says, his experiences partic-

ularly with the Prison Task Force andthe Buffalo Public Interest Law Pro-

gram opened his eyes to the goodlawyers can do. “It gave me a more pro-gressive perspective,” he says. “I camefrom a solidly middle-class back-ground, and I didn’t really understandthere were so many people out therewho need legal assistance but can’tafford it. My giving now is built aroundthe influence of the students I went toschool with every day.”At BuckleySandler, Gottlieb coun-

sels and defends banks, mortgagelenders, servicers, auto finance com-panies, retailers and insurers, in par-ticular leading their defense againstindividual and class-action lawsuits.One of the best-known lawyers in hisfield, he represents many of the largestfinancial institutions in the country,and has received accolades from thetop legal rating organizations, such asChambers. Gottlieb also lectureswidely on financial services, insuranceand trial practice, and has had plentyof media exposure, including appear-ances on programs such as NBCNightly News With Brian Williams andNational Public Radio’s All ThingsConsidered.For those considering how best to

support the Law School, Gottlieb says,“Give – if not financially, give your timeand energy. There are all sorts of waysto support SUNY Buffalo Law – withmoney, but also through finding jobsfor graduates, participating as anadjunct faculty member in the NewYork City program or elsewhere,finding ways to participate in theschool.”

“I want to make sure we areincentivizing the beststudents to cometo what is a great law school.”

–Richard E. Gottlieb ’85

There was a jobwaiting forRichard Lipsitz assoon as his

Law School educationwas complete. In fact, theschool allowed him (andothers) to finish in 2½years – taking classesover the summer – so hecould graduate inDecember 1942 and geton with it. But he was destined

for no law firm. Amember of the U.S. Army Signal CorpsReserve, he was headed for combat asWorld War II shifted to the Pacific The-ater. When the atomic bombs weredropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,Lipsitz was training with his fellow sol-diers in California, getting ready to shipout to the Philippines as part of anexpected invasion of Japan.Instead, he served in Japan as part of

the occupation Army. Military servicedelayed his entry into the legal profes-sion by more than three years. He made up for the late start with a

long and storied career – more than

half a century primarilyspent representing laborunions. He remains ofcounsel with the Buffalofirm that bears hisname, Lipsitz GreenScime Cambria. During that time he

defended individualsaccused of being Com-munists by the HouseUn-American ActivitiesCommittee (a “travelingcircus,” he says), repre-sented Vietnam Warprotesters and draft

dodgers, and advocated for civil rightswith the American Civil LibertiesUnion and the Coalition for EconomicJustice. He took two cases to the U.S.Supreme Court; in one, he prevailedwhen a sharply divided court struckdown a New York State law thatrequired teachers in public institutionsto swear their loyalty to the UnitedStates.Now, in recognition of the founda-

tions laid for his career by what’s nowSUNY Buffalo Law School, Lipsitz haspledged a bequest of $50,000 in sup-port of the Legal Analysis, Research and

Writing program, in which hisdaughter, Nan Haynes, teaches. (Lipsitzand his wife, Rita, a retired UB staffmember, have three grown children;two of them have SUNY Buffalo Lawdegrees, as does one grandchild.)The Buffalo Law School of the 1940s

was a different place, Lipsitz notes. Heremembers walking from the EagleStreet classroom building to the down-town courts to watch lawyers arguetheir cases – sometimes, he admits, evenskipping a class or two to do so. Mootcourt and mock trial opportunitieswere rare then, he says, so the workingcourts were an education in themselves.And his class was decimated by thewartime draft and those who left schoolto volunteer for military service.But he also remembers with satis-

faction the rigor of his Law Schoolcourses, taught mostly by the Socraticmethod. “It was a very interestingmethod of teaching,” Lipsitz says. “Itmade me prepare, that’s for sure.“The faculty that taught me and my

class was mostly sent from Harvard tobe trained as law professors and eventu-ally returned to Harvard Law School,”he says. “It was an exceptional faculty,and I got a great education. I have thatto thank the Law School for.” He alsotook courses in labor law and workers’compensation law, feeding his long-held interest in the labor movement.Looking back on his career, Lipsitz

says, “I finally came to the point where Irealized that I owe a lot of my success inmy life and my career to the LawSchool, and it was a sensible thing toleave some money to it.”

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Legacy Giving

A judge’sdecision

When Hon. Frank A.Borowiec ’49wrote amemoir about hisyears as a Social Secu-

rity administrative judge, he opened thebook with a quote from Albert Einstein.In part: “Everything is determined, thebeginning as well as the end, by forcesover which we have no control.”He still considers it “miraculous”

that Buffalo Law allowed him to enrollwithout an undergraduate degree. Hisundergraduate work at Hamilton Col-lege had been interrupted by WorldWar II, in which he served in the Pacificas an Army meteorologist.“Today if you don’t have an under-

graduate degree, you can’t get close to

“It’s an open-ended giftthat’s intendedas a thank-you.Without thatlaw degree Iwould not have

been a judge, or an attorney forthe steelworkers.”

–Hon. Frank A. Borowiec ’49

A lifetime’s laborRichard Lipsitz ’43 recalls a storied career in employment law

His bequest is athank-you gift

At 6 o’clock at night, saysJean C. Powers ’79, therewould be a line of lawyersoutside the office of

Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel stalwartLawrence H. Wagner ’49,“waiting toget in and ask him how to do some-thing. He was wonderful about it, sogenerous with his time.”That was Larry Wagner – the con-

science of the firm, and a practitioneralways willing to share his hard-wonadvice with the next generation oflawyers.So when Powers, a partner at

Jaeckle Fleischmann, an emeritusmember of the Dean’s AdvisoryCouncil and a longtime generoussupporter of the Law School, startedfilling out a form to create anendowed scholarship fund at theschool, she realized, “I’d really ratherhave it named in honor of Larry, whowas a mentor to me and somebodywho influenced so many lawyers inour firm. He was just an extraordi-

nary man.”Now her gift – and

those of others whowish to pay tribute toWagner’s memory – willendow the Lawrence H.Wagner ’49 AwardFund, whose proceedswill help fund the edu-cation of Law Schoolstudents who excel inthe classroom and havefinancial need.Wagner, known

locally as the “dean ofcivil trial lawyers,”worked first for the New York Stateattorney general’s office in Albanybefore joining Jaeckle Fleischmann.As a young lawyer Powers workedwith him for a year on the Love Canalinsurance litigation “before anybodyknew what it was turning into.” “I used to say that Larry was my

father in the law,” Powers says. “Hewas just a prince of a person. He was a

prime example of thatgeneration of lawyers –courtly, courteous,never cutthroat, wouldbe kind to an oppo-nent. He always did aremarkable job for hisclient but never gotnasty about it.” Of her gift Powers

says, “The Law Schoolis responsible for myability to have this legalcareer, so any chance Ihave to help it out, if Ican do it, I do it. And if

it can help honor Larry Wagner, somuch the better. He was somebodyyou would want to know and cer-tainly somebody you would want topractice law with. And if he can be aninspiration for somebody who getsthis award, so much the better. Weneed more Larrys.”

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“I’d rather have it named in honor of Larry, who was a mentor to me and somebody who influenced so many lawyersin our firm. He was just an extraordinary man.”

– Jean Powers ’79

An example to build uponAward fund pays tribute to Larry Wagner ’49

law school,” Borowiec says. “It was abeautiful gesture on the part of the Uni-versity. And if I had gone to law school ayear or two later, a lot of good things inmy life would not have occurred.” Thatincludes serving as regional counsel forthe United Steelworkers of America, inBuffalo, and then a long career as anadministrative law judge with the SocialSecurity Administration in Atlanta.It was by design, though, that

Borowiec decided to make a bequest of$50,000 to SUNY Buffalo Law School.“It’s an open-ended gift that’s intendedas a thank-you,” he says. “Without thatlaw degree I would not have been ajudge, or an attorney for the steel-workers.”

His book, Upholding the Rule ofLaw: In the Social Security Administra-tion, an Agency at War With Itself, takesthe agency to task for denying such alarge proportion of applications for dis-ability benefits. He’s proud that hisdecisions to reverse the denial of bene-fits, though challenged by the agency,were upheld by appeals courts. Finallythe Social Security Administrative LawJudge Corps sued the Social SecurityAdministration, arguing that theagency was “interfering with our rightto be fair and impartial.” The lawsuit succeeded, and the

American Bar Association recognizedthe achievement with a commendationciting the judges’ efforts “to protect the

integrity of administrative adjudicationwithin their agency, to preserve thepublic’s confidence in the fairness ofgovernmental institutions, and touphold the rule of law.”The commendation now hangs on

the wall of Borowiec’s study. “These agencies are so big and so

powerful, they tend to override the littlepeople,” the judge says. “I tried to pointout a basic unfairness.”

Eugene W. Salisbury ’60neverdid things halfway. As a para-trooper in the Korean War, hereceived the Bronze Star and

the Purple Heart. As a UB student, heearned his bachelor’s and law degrees insix years – while also working full timeas a police officer. And as a key memberof the firm now known as Lipsitz GreenScime Cambria for more than 50 years,he set an unmatched standard forintegrity and professional collegiality.“Whatever he did, he loved,” says his

wife, Joanne. “He put his all into every-thing he did. He was always thinking,always doing. And he meant so much toso many people.”Salisbury also was proud of his roots

at SUNY Buffalo Law School. “He trulyloved being a lawyer and being fromBuffalo, being involved in the commu-nity where he went to school and grewup,” says his granddaughter RebeccaBrawn ’10. “And you could just tell hewas so proud that some of his familywent to his alma mater.” (The couple’sson Scott Salisbury ’01 is also a LawSchool graduate.)So when Eugene Salisbury passed

away in March of this year, it seemedonly fitting to create a permanentlegacy at SUNY Buffalo Law. Thefamily’s $50,000 gift will endow anamed scholarship fund to benefitfuture generations of law students;additional contributions from thoseinspired by Salisbury’s example are wel-comed.

Salisbury held dual roles overthe course of his career: Inaddition to his law practice, heserved for four decades as theBlasdell village justice. Brawn

says that, growing up, she would some-times tag along on “court night” towatch him in action. “He exemplified aman of integrity and honesty and triedto express that in his career,” she says.“Between being an attorney and being ajudge, he tried to influence his col-leagues with his sense of morality.” That judicial work extended to Salis-

bury’s service with the New York StateMagistrates Association, which sup-ports town and village justicesstatewide. He taught and mentored jus-tices for many years and wrote the bookon the job: The Manual of Procedure forNew York Courts and its complement,

Forms for New York Courts. When heretired from the bench in 2001, themagistrates association named itsannual “Magistrate of the Year” awardfor him, and the Village of Blasdell thisyear named its courtroom in Salisbury’shonor. “He did a very good job of cre-ating a legacy for himself and creatingthe persona of a well-respectedmember of the legal community,”Brawn says.And he never forgot the school that

made it possible. “He thought so muchof the University at Buffalo and the LawSchool,” Mrs. Salisbury says of her hus-band, a longtime generous donor to theschool. “This scholarship fund – hewould have loved that.”

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Legacy Giving

Eugene Salisbury’s family creates named scholarship fund

Top left with wife Joanne: “He put his all intoeverything he did. He was always thinking, alwaysdoing. And he meant so much to so many people.”

Above right: Judge Salisbury ’60

At left: Salisbury with his granddaughterRebecca Brawn ’10

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Long-term private support is key to securing our place as a world-class law school. This givingsociety is composed of alumni and friends whohave made a multi-year pledge at a leadershiplevel (minimum $1,000 per year for threeconsecutive years). Be a leader by making aninvestment now in the future of SUNY BuffaloLaw School.

Edwin & Erma Jaeckle Level$5,000+ (GOLD Group $2,500+)John Lord O’Brian Level$2,500-$4,999 (GOLD Group $1,250-$2,499)

Jacob D. Hyman Level$1,000-$2,499 (GOLD Group $500-$1,249)Dean’s Club $500-$999 (GOLD Group $250-$499)

(GOLD Group members graduated 2004-2013)

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

To make a pledge, please contact Lucy Dadd at (716) 645-2113 or [email protected].

Join the Circle of Leaders!

10


Development Report

EDUCATE: Star FacultyHiring and retaining faculty who are

stars, or have star potential, is critical,and key to doing so are fully fundedendowed Chairs and Professorships,providing research support andenhancing our reputation and nationalprominence. Great law schools havenumerous endowed Chairs and Profes-sorships; however, we fall behind in thisarea. Investing in endowed Chairs andProfessorships will ensure that we con-tinue to compete successfully for andretain world-class faculty.

ELEVATE: The Best StudentsSupport for our students is one of

the highest priorities of our Campaign.We must attract and support talented

students while ensuring access todeserving, but financially challengedstudents. We must build a law schoolthat looks like America. Diversity in allits forms must be a key ethos of SUNYBuffalo Law. It is essential that we growour endowment and provide perma-nent support for scholarships and fel-lowships

ADVOCATE: Outstanding ProgramsCurricular programs at SUNY

Buffalo Law School are what define theeducational experience. Students learnhands-on, real-world skills in our clinical programs, our New York CityProgram, and our Legal Analysis,Writing and Research (LAWR) pro-gram among others. Each of theseshapes our students to be the mosteffective, well-rounded lawyers enteringthe legal job market. Additionalendowed support for programs such asthese at the Law School will strengthenour students’ educational experienceand better prepare our graduates forsuccessful careers.

INNOVATE: Building on SuccessThe ability to attract the best stu-

dents and faculty is dependent uponthe quality of our physical plant. JohnLord O’Brian Hall is the place studentscall home for their law school experi-ence. It must be an inviting, comfort-able and professional space, and we’reworking on creating just that. Updatesto the building include renovations tothe first-floor lobby and reception area,the circulation desk of the Law Library,and technology upgrades to enhanceboth the learning and teaching experi-ences in many of our classrooms.There is much work still to be done,

and additional funding is required tocomplete the transformation to aworld-class learning center.We’re now taking our Campaign on

the road, meeting with more of ouralumni, making new friends andseeking your feedback, involvementand support. Our Campaign prioritiesinclude endowed Chairs and Professor-ships, student scholarships, programand infrastructure funding, and unre-stricted support, with a number of keyinitiatives in the works, such as ourAdvocacy Institute. Each and every gift– no matter the size – counts in theCampaign, and your support is moreimportant than ever in helping us reachthis record-breaking goal.As always, we know that none of our

success would be possible without theloyalty, dedication and generosity of somany of you. We deeply appreciateyour investment in the future of theLaw School and the future of our stu-dents, and we could not do it withoutyou. “Our Time Is Now” – for theCampaign, for the Law School and forthe future, and we hope all of you willjoin us in continuing to pave the wayfor the next generation of students.THANK YOU!

Karen R. Kaczmarski ’89Associate Dean for Development/ Director of Development

The Law School’s 125th anniversary year was special in many ways, begin-ning with a show-stopping party at the Lafayette Hotel in the fall, kickingoff our largest-ever campaign in the spring, and ending in June with ourmost successful Annual Fund ever – a record-breaking $1.29 million. We

celebrate these results with you – our alumni, friends and supporters – because it isyou who have made these successes possible, when you make the choice to give backto our Law School.The largest fundraising campaign in our history is now officially under way – the

Campaign for SUNY Buffalo Law School: Our Time Is Now. With over $18 millionraised to date, we are 60 percent toward our $30 million goal, and have raised morein a shorter time than in our last campaign a decade ago, thanks to so many of you!Our focus is transformational funding, founded on the following four pillars:

Our time is now

Karen R. Kaczmarski ’89 and Dean Makau Mutua

11Annual GivingW I N T E R / 2 0 1 3

We know the route to success, but we needyour help. Our course is plotted, but we need yourhelp to continue our journey of creating the best,brightest and most talented legal minds in the profes-sion. Help us mark our place on the map as a world-class, premier law school. Support the 2013-14 AnnualFund today and give us the fuel we need to succeed.

Ways to GiveBy Phone • Please call (716) 645-2109Online • Make a secure transaction with your credit card atwww.law.buffalo.edu/givingBy Mail • Make your check payable to “UB Foundation – LawSchool” and send to UB Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 730,Buffalo, NY 14226-0730If you have any questions or would like to make a gift,please contact Lucy Dadd at (716) 645-2113 [email protected]. THANK YOU!

2013–14 Annual Fund Co-Chairs

On our road to success, it’s time to refuel!

FACULTY

INFRASTRUCTURE

HANDS-ONPROGRAMS

SUCCESS!

Anne E. Joynt ’05Buffalo

Jason Y. Lee ’07New York City

Celeste M. Murphy ’97 Washington,D.C.

Jeremy W. Schulman’97Washington,D.C.

The SUNY Buffalo LawAlumni Association hastaken its scholarship sup-port for current law students

to the next level.The association’s board of directors,

who represent more than 1,200 dues-paying members, voted to increase theirallocation for scholarships so that eachrecipient will receive a $5,000 stipendfor each of his or her three years at theLaw School. The move was a priorityfor Brian M. Melber ’96, immediatepast president of the association, andthe board voted unanimously for thechange.LAA members pay yearly dues of

$60, or $35 for those who have gradu-ated within the last five years. Scholar-ship support is a significant segment ofthe association’s overall budget. As with all giving for scholarships,

the effect is to make SUNY Buffalo Lawan attractive financial choice for thebest students – like Kelsey Marie Till,who matriculated this year as the recip-ient of the LAA Scholarship.Till, a Western New York native,

studied secondary English education at

Buffalo State College, then earned amaster’s degree in English at the Uni-versity at Buffalo. It was while writingher master’s thesis that she came acrosssome law-related issues having to dowith animal rights, and, she says, “Istarted to think about the legal reality ofcertain issues.”Till says she considered other law

schools, but was attracted by SUNY

Buffalo’s focus on public-interest law,particularly the human rights work thatattracts her.Now, along with her classmates, she

is learning to navigate legal language,and analyze and synthesize material likea lawyer. “Everyone is going throughthis transition period, training our-selves to think that way,” she says. “It isdefinitely a lot of work and requires alot of time to digest the material andread it carefully and critically.”That’s one reason, she says, that the

Law Alumni Association Scholarship isso helpful. She continues to hold a part-time

job as a writing tutor at Buffalo State’sWriting Help Center, working withundergraduates and graduate studentson their writing. She is there once aweek, but says, “If I weren’t receiving thescholarship, I would be working more.Law school is so time-consuming ifyou’re doing it the right way. The schol-arship allows more time for class workand getting involved with organiza-tions. “It really helps.”

12


Annual Giving

Law Alumni Associationstepsup giving for students

Daniel R. Carosa ’16, recipient of theKorniczky Intellectual Property Law Scholarship,has a bachelor’s degree inelectrical engineering from UB and hasworked for Northrop Grumman. In2008 he co-founded Sugar City Arts Col-laborative, a volunteer-run venue for per-forming and creative artists in Buffalo.

“The scholarship was a big incentive for me. I wanted to stay in Buffalo for lawschool, and this just made it so much moreof a clear choice. For all the schools I appliedto, I had a spreadsheet with their aid pack-ages, tuition and cost of living, and I madea very calculated decision.”

– Daniel R. Carosa ’16

Joshua D. Jansch ’16 was awardedthe Joseph G. Mari Scholarship. Jansch,who is from Glendale, Ariz., studiedcriminal justice and criminology, with a minor in political science, at Arizona State University. Beforecoming to SUNY Buffalo Law, he wasan intern in the Financial RemediesSection of the Arizona attorney general’s office, in Phoenix.

“Having this scholarship certainly makes it less stressful, nothaving to worry about how I’m going to come up with tuition. It was definitelya deciding factor in my coming to SUNY Buffalo.”

– Joshua D. Jansch ’16

Scholarship winner Kelsey Marie Till ’16

Daniel R. Carosa ’16Korniczky Intellectual PropertyLaw Scholar

Joshua D. Jansch ’16Joseph G. MariScholar

Twonewnamedscholarships

Alden-Baldy ScholarshipCraig W. Anderson ’13Kinsey A. Davidson ’13Tyler M. Ellis ’13Matthew K. Parker ’14Brett M. Podkanowicz ’13Tyson R. Prince ’13Richard M. Rowley ’13

Henry W. Box Scholarship Artur G. Jagielski ’15Alison L. Williams ’15

Carol E. Brevorka Scholarship Emily A. Dinsmore ’14

Ross M. and Jeanette E. CellinoScholarshipTalia E. Rodriguez ’15

Honorable Frank J. ClarkScholarship Eric T. Glynn ’13

Charlotte Cuneen-HackettScholarshipDebra Tredo ’14

Harold A. Dautch MemorialScholarshipAshley M. Fasso ’13Logan C. Geen ’14Caitlin M. Higgins ’13Nicholas J. Ingrassia ’13

Dean’s Advisory CouncilScholarship Benjamin Nelson ’15

Douglas W. DimitroffScholarship Dainia J. Jabaji ’13

Frederick C. Ebert ScholarshipRebecca A. Indralingam ’14

Hon. John T. ElfvinScholarshipStewart E. Forbes ’13

Richard J. Evans Scholarshipin Memory of Morris andAdeline EvansLauren A. Kason ’15

Martin A. FeinriderScholarshipGregory B. Haynes ’14

Ellen and Kenneth ForrestScholarshipCaitlin E. O’Neil ’15

Richard E. GottliebScholarship Caitlin M. Higgins ’13

Garry Graber Scholarship Tricia M. DeFilipps ’14

Graduating Class GiftScholarshipErin A. Kulesus ’13Matthew R. Scherer ’14Benjamin R. Wolf ’13

Professor William R. GreinerScholarshipMoira H. Cooper ’14

Stanley Grossman ScholarshipNadeen Bawab ’15

Charlotte Cunneen HackettScholarship Debra A. Tredo ’14

Pamela and Robert HeilmanScholarshipMargaret H. Wydysh ’15

Jacob D. Hyman ScholarshipSarah E. Fenster ’14Alissa M. Fortuna ’13Grace E. Golander ’14Bradley S. Loliger ’13Karalyn M. Rossi ’13

Harvey L. KaminskiScholarshipPaul J. Bartlett ’15Matthew A. Eldred ’15

Barbara D. KlippertScholarship Marcus R. Catlin ’15

John F. Mary A. and Robert J.Lane ScholarshipNicole K. Intschert ’13

Norman B. Lewis ScholarshipElliot S. Raimondo ’15Tara M. Ward ’15

Lipsitz Green Scime &Cambria ScholarshipElizabeth A. Haungs ’13

Ira S. Meiselman ScholarshipNicholas A. Pusateri ’15

Adelbert Moot ScholarshipKaitlin M. Barrett ’13Shane M. Costa ’13Galena D. Duba ’13Daniel J. Fabian ’13Kimberly A. Rowles ’13Jordan L. Zeranti ’13

Albert Eli Moss ScholarshipBrian B. Braun ’14

Marie Nesbitt Promise PrizeVanessa A. Glushefski ’14

Judge Henry and Dr. NancyNewlin ScholarshipJonathan W. Pierowicz ’15

William M. North and CarolynB. North ScholarshipEmily A. Dinsmore ’14

Gerard J. O’Brien ’52 TrialExcellence ScholarshipCathleen M. Roemer ’13

Joseph P. Peperone MemorialScholarshipAaron M. Saykin ’13

Phillips Lytle DiversityScholarship Amat Fatimah ’15Kerisha H. Hawthorne ’14Franz M. Wright ’14Kevin Yam ’14

Phillips Lytle ScholarshipMargaret H. Wydsh ’15Jeffrey M. Lewis ’15

Thomas A. and Billie DavisRodenberg ScholarshipShemori S. Corinthian ’14

Savino-Martin Scholarship Mengyi (Melle) Xu ’13

Matthew J. SchnirelScholarshipNicholas A. Romano ’13

Scholarship Fund forUnderrepresented GroupsMichael S. Das ’13Kerisha H. Hawthorne ’14Aleksandra K. Petrova ’14

Phyllis G. Smith ScholarshipAlexandra E. Lugo ’14Matthew J. McCabe ’15

Carmen P. TarantinoMemorial ScholarshipCarrie A. Zimbardi ’14

SUNY Buffalo Law AlumniScholarship Logan C. Geen ’14

SUNY Buffalo LawScholarshipAngelo D. Catalano ’13Andrew M. Dean ’14Paul S. DiCola ’13William D. Van Delinder ’14

Jacob Weissfeld ScholarshipJessica L. Noto ’14

Brent L. Wilson Scholarship Paul T. Iya ’13Christopher A. Gibson ’15

Margaret W. WongScholarshipMichelle Yeung ’15

Scholarships awarded 2012–13

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W I N T E R / 2 0 1 3

32


Annual Giving

William F. Savino ’75, left, and Kenneth W. Africano ’85

Thank you, thank you,thank you!! We cannotsay it enough. All of usat SUNY Buffalo LawSchool would like to

extend thanks and appreciation toour many friends and alumni whodedicate their time and resources tohelp us achieve our goals. The vol-unteers listed below helped andsupported the Law School this yearin many different capacities andwill affect generations of future lawstudents. We are so thankful fortheir hard work and loyalty to ourLaw School.The 2012-2013 Annual Fund,

co-chaired by Thomas F. Ferris ’96(Western New York), Vikki L. Pryor’78 (New York City) and David K.and Kristin Graham Koehler ’94(Washington, D.C.), surpassed itsgoal and brought in $1,296,516.This is the highest amount everraised by the Law School AnnualFund in history! Thank you Tom,Vikki, David and Kristin for yourleadership in setting a new AnnualFund record!This year, the 2013-2014

Annual Fund will be led by AnneJoynt ’05 (Western New York),Celeste Murphy ’97 and JeremySchulman ’97 (Washington, D.C.)and Jason Lee ’07 (New York City).

We thank them for taking on thisleadership role and being a trueinspiration to all of our alumni togive back to the institution thatgave them experience and oppor-tunity.The 2012-2013 Leadership

Letter Signing and the GOLDgroup signing were huge successesand we are very grateful for our vol-unteers’ time and the notes theysigned. Our Campaign Kick-Offwas a spectacular event with muchalumni participation and support.We thank our Campaign SteeringCommittee and fundraising boardsfor brainstorming and sharingideas to help make the ideas cometo fruition and get results. There are so many that help in

so many ways. We appreciate theefforts of everyone involved at theLaw School and are certain thatSUNY Buffalo Law School is goingto be better than it has ever beenthanks to the leadership and dedi-cation of our loyal alumni andfriends who support the future ofthe Law School. A special thanks to the volun-

teers listed below. The gifts of yourtime, talent and resources positivelyimpact SUNY Buffalo Law Schooland the students of today and thefuture.

Thank you to our fundraising volunteers

You make a difference!

Kenneth W. Africano ’85Thomas C. Bailey ’74Brian D. Baird ’83Erin M. Barclay ’98Lydia Beebe ’12Richard S. Binko ’82Thomas E. Black, Jr. ’79Jill M. Bond ’85Keith N. Bond ’83Daniel E. Brick ’69Marc W. Brown ’99Teia M. Bui ’08David D. Burress ’13Lizeth Castillo ’14Catherine Cerulli ’92Anthony J. Colucci ’58Paul R. Comeau ’73Professor Kim Diana ConnellyMeghan A. Corcoran ’13Jennifer L. DeCarli ’98Sheila Sullivan Dickinson ’00Paul S. Dicola ’13Joshua E. Dubs ’08Adam Durst ’13Michael P. Ellman ’13Ann E. Evanko ’79Frank H. Ewing ’12Robert J. Feldman ’76John P. Feroleto ’82Kathleen Therese Feroleto ’11Thomas F. Ferris ’96Jeffrey Thomas Fiut ’10Tara Marie Flynn ’92Kenneth B. Forrest ’76Corey R. Forster ’13Jodyann Galvin ’98Sue S. Gardner ’76Josephine A. Greco ’81Adam L. Hayes ’13Michael J. Hecker ’09Pamela Davis Heilman ’75Marion K. Henderson ’65Matthew M. Hoffman ’13Judith B. Ittig ’71Paul T. Iya ’13Anne E. Joynt ’05Harvey L. Kaminski ’77Barbara D. Klippert ’75David K. Koehler ’94Kristin Graham Koehler ’94Dan D. Kohane ’79

Robert M. Kornreich ’67Chelsea Nicole Latta ’14Jason Y. Lee ’07Francis M. Letro ’79Bradley S. Loliger ’13Professor Susan MangoldMia McFarlane Markello’99William E. Mathias II ’71Carol M. Matorin ’76Dennis R. McCoy ’77Paige Rizzo Mecca ’99Brian M. Melber ’96Reg J. Miller ’13Phil A. Modrzynski ’13Celeste M. Murphy ’97Brittany A. Nasradinaj ’13Christopher J. O’BrienBridget M. O’Connell ’98James M. O’Keefe ’07Anthony L. Orphe ’13Jean C. Powers ’79Vikki L. Pryor ’78Michael E. Reyen ’09Shatorah Nichole Roberson ’12Christopher S. Safulko ’13Elizabeth M. Savino ’92William F. Savino ’75Aaron M. Saykin ’13Barbara L. Schifeling ’84Jeremy W. Schulman ’97Robert C. Schwenkel ’82David B. Smith’93David F. Smith ’78Sheldon Keith Smith ’01Michael Scott Soloman ’15Mark K. Suzumoto ’82Chris G. Trapp ’81Wilber Trivino ’13Suzanne E. Tomkins ’92Amanda Ruth Webber ’15Brent L. Wilson ’76Margaret W. Wong ’76Kimberly A. Worling ’13Stephen L. Yonaty ’94

When was the last timeyou got a handwrittennote?If you’re a friend, a class-

mate or a colleague of the Law Schoolalumni who got together for the LawSchool’s leadership letter signing event,your letter carrier might have brought youmore than bills and catalogs.More than 30 Law School supporters

gathered Sept. 11 at the Buffalo Club forthe letter signing, hosted byAnne E. Joynt ’05, one offour co-chairs of this year’sAnnual Fund. There theyplucked Annual Fundappeal letters from bins fullof them and added a per-sonal touch in their ownhandwriting.“Writing to people you

know and who shared yourLaw School experience helps remindeverybody how great Buffalo Law is,” saysJoynt, who represents clients with asbestosclaims for the Buffalo law firm Lipsitz &Ponterio. “It’s the act of writing a personalmessage which is so lost in this age of elec-tronic communication. When I get ahandwritten note on a piece of mail, Iknow I’m more likely to open it, especiallyif it’s from someone I know and respect.”

That’s the goal of the event, says LucyDadd ’04, assistant director of develop-ment, who provided staff support alongwith Patricia Warrington, assistantdirector of alumni and annual pro-grams. “The hope is that seeing a per-sonal note will encourage people to giveback to the Law School and be part ofsomething their friends are part of,”Dadd says. “And we’ve seen great successwith it.” Typically more than half ofthose who receive a handwritten noterespond with an Annual Fund donation,she says.This year’s event included the leaders

of the GOLD (Graduates of the Last

Decade) Group as well as a number oflocal alumni who have themselves given ata significant level. They took time out tonetwork, have some food and drink, andvisit with Dean Makau W. Mutua. Newthis year, the correspondents had theopportunity to revive another lost art:They sent postcards.“Every dollar makes a difference,”

Dadd stresses. “We are going for our sev-enth consecutive year of raising over $1million in the Annual Fund, and everydollar we raise goes to the capital cam-paign. It’s more important than ever that we keep our school on the road tosuccess.”

33

W I N T E R / 2 0 1 3

Putting ink tothe appeal

Robert J. Feldman ’76 at the Law School’s leadership letter signing event.

Jeffrey T. Fiut ’10and Kathleen T.Feroleto ’11

Anne E.Joynt ’05

34


Annual Giving

Paying a debt of gratitudeAlumni endow awards to honor Tomkins and Cerulli

Alumni who worked in theLaw School’s Women,Children, and Social Jus-tice Clinic as students tend

to be fiercely loyal to the clinic and itsfaculty. Now, with an ambitious fund-raising goal to endow student awardsin honor of two beloved clinical pro-fessors, organizers are hoping thattheir enthusiasm is catching. A goal of $100,000 was announced

when the two awards were establishedlate last year. That amount will endowan annual award of $3,000 as theSuzanne E. Tomkins Women, Chil-dren and Social Justice Fellowship,and $1,000 annually for a studentreceiving the Catherine CerulliWomen, Children and Social JusticeResearch Award.The awards

recognize thework ofTomkins, whoco-directs theProgram forExcellence inFamily Law andco-founded theclinic in 1992;and Cerulli,who nowdirects theSusan B.Anthony Centerfor Women’s Leadership at the Uni-versity of Rochester.The Tomkins fellowship will fund

a law student to work on a specializedproject that will promote the missionof the clinic, provide education andtraining to the student and provide aservice to people in need. The Cerulliaward will assist a student in con-ducting research on family violenceissues.Paige Rizzo Mecca ’99, co-chair of

the fund-raising committee with herclassmate Mia McFarlane Markello’99, says she was moved by the testi-mony of Jasmine Liverpool, the first

recipient of the Tomkins fellowship,who worked this summer in thedomestic violence bureau of theKing’s County district attorney’soffice. “What Jasmine said struck achord with me,” Mecca says. “Shenever knew if she could do this kindof work until she had this placement.

Then, she said, ‘I realized I am a lotstronger than I thought I was.’ I thinkit has a lifelong impact that Sue hasbeen able to create such passion in herstudents for this kind of work.”“The clinic affects so many

people,” Markello adds, “whetheryou’re learning to become an attorneywho’s representing victims, or work inan agency, or go on to become ajudge. This work changes your per-ception of domestic violence and theissues of power and control that itinvolves.”The fund-raising committee also

includes Erin Barclay ’98, Jen DeCarli’98, Sheila Sullivan Dickinson ’00,Tara M. Flynn ’92 and Bridget O’Con-nell ’98. Donors may find further inspira-

tion in an upcoming transition:Tomkins has announced her retire-ment from the Law School at the endof this academic year. For information about how to

donate to support these awards,please contact Lucy Dadd at (716)645-2113 or [email protected].

Clinical Professor Suzanne E. Tomkins ’92

Dr. Catherine Cerulli ’92

Jasmine Liverpool ’14

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W I N T E R / 2 0 1 3

Continuing a tradition ofgenerosity at a critical junc-ture in their lives, membersof the Law School’s Class of

2013 left something behind at Com-mencement: a collective gift that willease the financial burden for a law stu-dent who follows them. Throughout their final semester, the

3L class pitched in to fund a scholarshipthat will go to a second- or third-yearstudent next year. Including a matchingcontribution that Michael M. Mohun’80 offered as a challenge grant, theeffort raised $4,264.Though their immediate predeces-

sors had a higher participation rate,says David Burress ’13, who chaired the3L gift campaign, the new graduatesraised more money, reflecting a higheraverage gift. “We asked people to give $20.13 to

represent our class year,” says Burress,who worked on the project with a nine-member committee throughout thespring semester. “We had about 40 per-cent participation, but the gifts we didreceive were substantial. The peoplewho donated were really committed.” Burress, a Michigan native who had

substantial fund-raising experience as aCornell University undergraduate, hadtaken part in SUNY Buffalo LawSchool’s annual phonathon during allthree of his years on campus. Aschairman of the 3L gift effort, heassembled a student committee thatreflected the diversity of his class. “I looked for class leaders or people

who were committed to activities at theLaw School, who were involved andengaged in a lot of different groups,” hesays. “What I learned is, you have tohave committed people who are dri-ving the campaign and the interest. Thestudents we had on the committee weresome of the most involved students inthe school, and they’re really the oneswho are dedicated to the school. It wastheir dedication that allowed us to besuccessful.”

The campaign began with a kickoffgathering in the Law Library readingroom – an event that convened at theclosing bell of adjunct instructor HeidiL. Forman’s huge Gratuitous Transfersclass, popular with third-year students.“We received one-third of our overallgifts at that kickoff event,” Burress says.“And with that momentum, com-mittee members individually solicitedpeople they knew or could reach outto” by email or Facebook, staffing tablesor simply making a pitch in person.“When you get a chance to meet face toface with somebody and discuss theimportance of giving with them,they’re much more likely to give,” Bur-ress says. “Everyone recognizes that therising cost of tuition is an obstacle forstudents, and each of us making a smallcontribution adds up to a really signifi-cant impact for a student.”Burress says the committee pur-

posely made the criteria for awarding

the scholarship aid very broad. “Wewanted to put very little restriction onthe use of the money and give it to astudent who just really had a need forit,” he says. “A lot of students are alreadybeing recognized for the good thingsthey’re doing, and we wanted to makesure the money was there for some-body who needed it regardless of theiraccomplishments in law school.” Theyalso specified that the scholarshipwould go to a second- or third-year stu-dent, to minimize the possibility thatthe recipient would be transferring toanother law school.The fund-raising effort closed off

with a wrap-up event at which thecommittee presented a symbolic checkto Dean Makau W. Mutua.

A parting giftThe Class of ’13continues a tradition of generosity

Aaron M. Saykin ’13, Anthony L. Orphé ’13, Meghan A. Corcoran ’13, Bradley S.Loliger ’13, Michael M. Mohun ’80, Michael P. Ellman ’13, David D. Burress ’13, Paul S. DiCola ’13 and Brittany A. Nasradinaj ’13.

1953Hon. Joh

n

P. Lane ’53,

left, and

Kevin D.

Cox ’53

36


Reunion Weekend

1983Left to right:Albert A.Foster ’83,Lynn A. Clarke’83 and JimMcCabe

1973Left to ri

ght:

Carol Lynn

Petronaci, Hon.

Larry D. Martin

’73, Victoria

D’Angelo, Paul

R. Comeau ’73,

Michael J.

Stachowski ’73

1963Joel L. Daniels ’63, left, and Caesar J. Naples ’63

The classes of 1973, 1983, 1988, 1993 and 2003 celebrated their reunions Oct. 4 at an all-class cocktailparty at The Mansion on Delaware Avenue followedby class dinners on Oct. 5. The class of 1953 celebratedover Commencement Weekend May 17 and 18; theclass of 1963 celebrated July 17, and the 50+ Lunchwas held at the Law School on Aug. 7. Here are a few photos from the events. For more class pictures visit:

www.law.buffalo.edu/ClassReunions

Flickr smiles! 50+ Richard

N.

Blewett ’51,

Hon. John J.

Gruber ’52

1993EllenShanahanBecker ’93and Scott C.

Becker ’93

2003Elena

Tasikas ’03

and Adam K

. Rizzo ’03

1988Left to right: Joseph P. Crimi’88, Richard C. Wong ’88, andHarry E. Werner, III ’88

37

W I N T E R / 2 0 1 3

Network the Nation

David S. Teske, ’93 Alston & Bird, LLP, Atla

nta, GA

Mark Jay Weinstein

’81, Hogan Lovel

ls, New York City

Tasha E. Moore ’98, New York State Division ofHuman Rights, Buffalo, NY

Gary A. DeWaal ’80, Gary A. DeWaal and

Associates, New York City

Timothy A. Collins ’03, Jefferson-LewisBOCES, Watertown, NY

Hon. Gerald Whalen, Appellate Division,4th Department, Rochester, NY

Andrew G.S. O’Brien II, Glin

ton Sweeting

O’Brien, Nassau, Bahamas

Adjunct faculty member Helen A. Drew

’88, Buffalo, NY

Jennifer Meldrum ’10, Woods Oviatt and

Gilman LLP, Rochester, NY

Hon. E. Jeannette Ogden ’83, BuffaloCity Court, Buffalo, NY

As part of Reunion Weekend, the career development alumni programNetwork the Nation provided our students with insights from SUNY BuffaloLaw graduates on career choices and opportunities. This year more than 40students “speed dated” with alumni from Buffalo and across the country whowere in town to celebrate their reunions.

Please join us to honor Hon. Eugene F. Pigott Jr. ’73with the 2014 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award the highest honor the SUNY Buffalo Law School and the Law Alumni Association can bestow.Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 Noon to 2 p.m.The Union League Club38 E. 37th St.New York City

SUNY Buffalo Law School

John Lord O’Brian Hall

Buffalo, NY 14260-1100

Address service requested

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBuffalo NY

Permit No. 311

For registration information visit

www.law.buffalo.edu/AlumniEvent

or call the Alumni Office at (716) 645-2107

SUNY Buffalo Law Philanthropy

Documents

Transcript of SUNY Buffalo Law Philanthropy