Richard Alexander

Over the last decade, Richard Alexander L’82 has navigated his chosen profession (the law) and his chosen passion (���ϲ����� and its law school) through incredibly challenging waters. As partner, managing partner and chair of one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, Arnold & Porter, and as current University and College of Law , Alexander has always been directed by a North Star, a guiding light amidst uncertainty.

“During very dynamic and demanding times in academia and the legal profession, I have found some common challenges and opportunities.�� Among other things, universities and law firms are in the talent business,” says Alexander, who became at the start of 2025. “The mission of the university is to recruit and retain very talented people, develop student scholars and create the kinds of connections that will help them become future leaders of the world. Law is a similarly noble profession, but it has become brutally competitive, which requires law firms to differentiate themselves in terms of talent recruitment and retention while delivering great results for clients.”

Alexander is deeply proud of and grateful for the four decades spent at a law firm that is well known for its cutting-edge work, its strong pro bono program and its focus on providing opportunities for personal and professional growth throughout the organization. During his nearly ten years as chairman of the firm, he led the strategic combination of Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer (in 2017), and saw the combined entity surpass $1 billion in revenue in 2021. With more than 1,000 employees in 15 offices worldwide, Arnold & Porter has consistently been named to��The American Lawyer’s��A-List, according to the magazine, because of its ability to balance industry pressures with a commitment to core values.

Core Values

When the A-List was announced last year, Alexander said, “Our inclusion in The American Lawyer’s��A-List is a reflection of the firm’s continuing commitment to providing extraordinary client service, protecting and defending the rule of law, having a diverse workplace and investing in our talent.” He says those core values were reinforced while studying at the College of Law, including a commitment to pro bono work and the value of public service.

With his law degree, Alexander began his legal career in the federal government in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Though he was recruited just three years later to join Arnold & Porter, he told ���ϲ����� law students that he left government work with great reluctance. In remarks delivered to first-year law students at the Sherman F. Levey Lecture in 2010, Alexander said, “Public service offers an opportunity to get fantastic experience and responsibility.��While I recognize that government jobs are not as lucrative as the private sector, they can be more rewarding in terms of professional development and personal growth.”

This belief drove the establishment of a scholarship in honor of his parents, the Rhoda S. and Albert M. Alexander Memorial Scholarship, to encourage law students to pursue public and government service. It also drives distinction for Arnold & Porter. Alexander points out the significance of its continuing pro bono portfolio of work. “We’re the firm that secured the constitutional right to counsel in��Gideon v. Wainwright—argued by one of our founding partners, Abe Fortas—and we believe we are one of the leading pro bono firms in the world,”��he .

Public Service Ethos

From helping to secure American Sign Language interpreters at White House briefings, to protecting civil rights and voting rights, to cases involving police discrimination, housing, public benefits, immigration and unemployment, the firm nurtures a public service ethos among associates and partners. Last year, Arnold & Porter was recognized by The American Lawyer as a top 10 firm on its .

“Do not forget those who are in need, and put your law degree to work to help the community at large,” Alexander counseled law students during his lecture.

Kevin Toomey L’12 says Alexander and the firm have “done a great job in recruiting top talent from the law school” and describes the firm’s commitment to both excellence and public service as a “unique combination.” A ���ϲ����� native, Toomey first met Alexander while Toomey was in law school working at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and rising star at Arnold & Porter and head of the firm’s financial services practice group.

“It takes a certain type of character to lead a law firm of 1,000 very qualified, credentialed and also opinionated lawyers,” says Toomey. “Richard did that very well, while balancing collegiality and client success, getting the best of the best and retaining talent, and holding on to our core values as a firm.”

���ϲ�����’s ‘Secret Sauce’

Both Toomey and Alexander believe that ���ϲ����� law school graduates are well-prepared to compete in an increasingly competitive industry. Both agree there’s something intangible about ���ϲ����� that strengthens its students. “Maybe it’s walking up the hill to the law school through the snow every day,” says Toomey with a chuckle. “You feel some kind of obligation and responsibility to prove yourself.”

Alexander calls it ���ϲ�����’s “secret sauce,” a kind of grittiness. “We also have a strong moral compass at the University,” says Alexander, who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2016 and currently serves as its vice chair. He will become chair of the Academic Affairs Committee in May.

“Universities have had to navigate through some important challenges, including the rising cost of education, changes in athletics, the implications of technology and online learning,” says Alexander. “I think ���ϲ����� has done an excellent job and there’s more to be done. The University and law school must continue to differentiate themselves. I want people to understand the strengths of the University as a place that brings together people with different life experiences and from all walks of life.”

Similarly, Alexander points to Arnold & Porter’s commitment to be a place that is welcoming to all. That idea of bringing a wide range of perspectives to the college and practice of law inspired the creation of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship. Alexander and his wife, Emily, made a substantial gift to help establish the scholarship in 2022 to honor the legendary graduate and jurist whose public service demonstrated a deep concern for social justice and to provide opportunity for deserving students.

No matter what his role Alexander remains a steward of ethical principles and the dual pursuit of justice and excellence. After all, he says, “we are teaching young people to be citizens of the world.”

A delegation of 12 students from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs recently returned from Washington, D.C., where they participated in the International Model NATO under the guidance of Michael Williams, associate professor of public administration and international affairs and director of the master of arts in international relations program.

Pictured from left to right are Col. Ben Schneller, Associate Professor Michael Williams, and students Joseph Reed, Casimir Wypyski, Angelica Molina, Austen Canal, Armita Hooman, Jake DeCarli, Megan Whipple, Caleb Mimms, Bella Biorac Haaja, Leah Harding, Ethan Engelhart. Not pictured is Ella Rozas.

The students represented Türkiye and Romania in the three-day simulation of the proceedings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The events, held at Howard University, are augmented by pre-conference study sessions and briefings at embassies.

“Model NATO provides a unique opportunity for students to develop and refine a professional skillset,” says Williams. “It’s no easy task to work under pressure to advance a common NATO agenda against the disparate national interests of each state. But every year, the students come back with the same comments: ‘that was hard, but awesome.’ Watching them learn in real time, and helping them along the way, is immensely rewarding.”

Howard University has hosted Model NATO for the past 40 years, in collaboration with Converse University, Northeastern University and the embassies of NATO member states. This year, 23 universities participated, with students attending from Sweden, Belgium, Canada and the United Kingdom.

This was the third time the Maxwell School participated. The trip was sponsored by Maxwell’s public administration and international affairs department and the Moynihan Institute’s Center for European Studies.

Alongside Williams, Lt. Col. Ben Scheller advised the Model NATO team on military matters, as he previously commanded a NATO battalion with service members from nine allied nations. He is a visiting scholar through the U.S. Army War College, studying at ���ϲ�����’s Institute for Security, Policy and Law for a year. As part of his professional development through the Army, Scheller takes courses through Maxwell and the College of Law and will return to command this August.

The student participants included:

• Joseph Reed, Caleb Mimms, Jake DeCarli, Meghan Whipple and Ethan Engelhart, all of whom are pursuing master’s degrees in international relations.
• Casimir Wypyski, Austen Canal, Armita Hooman, Ela Rozas and Angelica Molina, all of whom are pursuing master’s degrees in public administration and international relations.
• Leah Harding and Isabella Biorac Haaja, who are pursuing master’s degrees in public diplomacy and global communications through Maxwell and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Hooman was honored with the “Superior Delegation in Committee” award for her work on the

Armita Hooman was honored with the “Superior Delegation in Committee” award for her work on the Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee

Partnerships and Cooperative Security Committee.

A highlight of Harding’s experience was speaking with a diplomat at the Turkish embassy in Washington, D.C. Even with her background covering NATO as a journalistfor Al Jazeera, Harding says that Model NATO gave her a fresh perspective on being part of the decision-making process.

“International Model NATO is all about role-playing,” says Harding. “You have to understand how your country operates and make decisions based on its historical positions, all while responding to real-time scenarios. But it meant more than just knowing its policies—it required interacting with other member states as if I were actually a Turkish diplomat.”

Through this experience, Harding learned to balance diplomacy with national interest, recognizing that decisions for a nation go beyond just policies—they also involve considering its presence, alliances and priorities.

Story by Mikayla Melo

The court session will be held in the Melanie Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall at 950 Irving Avenue.

The is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory covers the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont, and it has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: District of Connecticut, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York and District of Vermont.

The U.S. Court of Appeals sits just below the Supreme Court of the United States in the judicial branch of the federal government.

“The Court of Appeals from the Second Circuit is one of the most influential courts in the country. It is of great honor for the College of Law to host the Court and provide our students, faculty, and the community at large an opportunity to see jurisprudence in action at the highest level,” says College of Law Dean Terence Lau.

The case and panel of judges will be updated by the Court on their closer to the court session date.

Cameras and video recording devices are not permitted in the courtroom during arguments.

Pictured from left to right: Steven Blatt, Sarah Reckess and Suzette Meléndez.

The College of Law is adding the ���ϲ����� Medical Legal Partnership (SLMP) to its Office of Clinical Legal Education starting with the Spring 2025 semester. Professor Suzette Meléndez will be the co-director of the new clinic along with of Upstate University Hospital and Professor of Upstate Medical University.

The SMLP is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the pediatric unit at SUNY Upstate Medical University and ���ϲ�����’s College of Law. SMLP provides legal advocacy to improve the overall health and well-being of vulnerable patient populations. SMLP also works to achieve systemic change through the multidisciplinary education of law students, medical students, residents and other professionals whose expertise is important to this goal. Doctors and lawyers will learn to work collaboratively to attain favorable outcomes for patients. Through this partnership, patients receive critical legal assistance while professionals learn about using community resources and employing cooperative strategies to benefit patients and clients in their practices.

“The main goal of the SMLP is to educate law students about the role lawyers can play in positively affecting the lives of children facing significant medical and sociological obstacles,” says Meléndez. “Likewise, we hope to educate medical and social work professionals in how to best work with legal representation to deliver the best patient outcomes.”

The SMLP combines a clinical offering and the Child Health Policy and Legal Practice course for students interested in developing legal skills and policy analysis in children’s health. Students will provide non-litigation legal services (intake, advice, research and referrals) for a busy pediatric clinic in ���ϲ����� around legal issues that impact healthcare access and outcomes. This may include children’s access to education, safe housing, medical equipment, family court issues, government aid programs, transition-age youth and more. Special populations served by SMLP will be patients who have complex medical needs and patients who are aging out of pediatric health care and social services and need to preserve their legal rights.

“The SLMP is a unique approach to bridging the legal and sociological gap among a vulnerable population that is often faced with navigating the complicated systems during a crisis,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98. “Likewise, ���ϲ����� Law students will gain critical skills such as interviewing clients and researching legal and policy solutions that are invaluable to their legal careers.”

Students can register for the clinic when they select classes for the Spring 2025 semester. Students enrolled in the SMLP must be co-enrolled in Child Health Policy and Legal Practice as the classroom component of this experiential course.

The College of Law now offers students the opportunity to participate in eight clinics: Bankruptcy, Betty & Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Criminal Defense, Disability Rights, Housing, Sherman F. Levey ’57, L’59 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, ���ϲ����� Legal Medical Partnership and Transactional Law.

Yage Huang

Huang recently obtained her doctor of juridical science (SJD) degree from Indiana University Bloomington and holds a master of law degree from China University of Political Science and Law.

Her research interests include criminal procedure law, evidence and human rights. In her position at the Law Library, Huang will provide legal research support, assist with researching and developing law collections, liaise with faculty and provide research instruction to law students, and promote library services to alumni and the local bar.

Tarky J. Lombardi Jr.

Longtime Board of Trustees member and dedicated University supporter Tarky J. Lombardi Jr. ’51, L’54, H’87 passed away peacefully on Nov. 24, 2024. Referred to simply as “Tarky” by all those who knew him in the Orange community and around Central New York, Lombardi was 95 years old.

Lombardi earned a bachelor’s degree from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1951 and a J.D. from the College of Law in 1954.��He was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from ���ϲ����� in 1987.

Appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1976, Lombardi served as a voting trustee for nearly three decades. He also served on the College of Law Board of Advisors, Falk College Board of Visitors and the National Alumni Association Board.��He was also co-chair of the Schine Student Center National Campaign and honorary chair of the College of Law Annual Fund. In addition, he supported various initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Law and ���ϲ����� Athletics. He was recognized in 1983 with the University’s highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award.

“Tarky was an incredibly dedicated public servant, a giant in Central New York politics,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Yet, no matter how busy he was legislating, lobbying and leading, Tarky could often be found in his Dome suite, cheering on his alma mater. The Dome is not only a place he helped get built, it is home to the spirit that drove his loyalty and passion for service to the Orange community.”

Lombardi was an avid ���ϲ����� Athletics supporter and longtime season ticket holder. His support started with the Orange Pack, the athletics fundraising arm founded in 1974, which became the Orange Club in 2006, and is now known as the ’Cuse Athletics Fund. He helped secure $15 million in state grants for the Dome’s construction.

Lombardi began his public service in 1959 when the Onondaga County Republican Party selected him to run for a seat on the ���ϲ����� Common Council. It was the first of what would mark many campaign victories. He served the Common Council for six years, including time as its majority leader. He eventually ran for statewide election and, in 1965, was elected New York State Senate representative for the 49th district. His district covered a large swath of Central New York situated almost entirely in Onondaga and Cortland counties.

He championed legislative efforts to contain health care and medical malpractice costs through medical malpractice reform and the creation of physician assistants and nurse practitioners. His signature piece of legislation was the Nursing Homes without Walls program—a pilot program that served as a model for other states and earned him recognition as Legislator of the Year from the National Association for Home Care. He chaired the Senate Health Committee from 1971 until 1989 and the Senate Finance Committee from 1989 until 1992.

Lombardi was similarly committed to supporting arts and culture initiatives, believing they were fundamental to a well-rounded education. He was chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Arts and helped re-codify the state’s art law. He became quite popular among members of the New York entertainment community and worked closely with celebrities like Kitty Carlisle Hart and Tony Randall on multiple legislative projects.��In 1986, he was named National Republican Legislator of the Year. In 1992, Lombardi retired from the Senate.

As special counsel to the law firm of Barclay Damon LLP in ���ϲ�����, Lombardi worked with clients in the energy, health care, insurance, telecommunications and transportation industries. His civic commitments included service on the boards of the New York Historical Society, ���ϲ����� Symphony Orchestra, ���ϲ����� Opera Company, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Advisory Board, WCNY Public Broadcasting, Loretto, Onondaga Community College Foundation, Landmark Theater Foundation, New York Historical Society in New York City and the New York State Council for Humanities.

Lombardi is survived by his wife, Marianne, and their children Tarky III; Jennine Lombardi Yonta G’92 (Whitman School); Marianne Lombardi Fogelson ’89 (College of Arts and Sciences), L’92; Michael ’91 (College of Arts and Sciences); and Rosemary; and eight grandchildren.

Carrying on his legacy, Lombardi’s family encourages memorial contributions to the ���ϲ����� Athletics Opportunity Fund in recognition of his commitment and passion for ���ϲ����� Athletics and his enduring love for supporting student-athletes, coaches and his alma mater.

Robert E. Dineen Jr. (center) served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2016 and was a member of the Budget and Advancement and External Affairs committees. He was also a member of the College of Law Board of Advisors and the National Alumni Association Board.

Dineen Jr. was generationally attached to the College of Law. His parents had attended the College of Law and Dineen Hall is named in honor of them: Robert E. Dineen Sr. L’1924, H’66 and Carolyn Bareham Dineen L’1932. His mother was one of only two women in her class. His father was raised in the Irish immigrant neighborhood near the law school at the western edge of the University campus, a neighborhood referred to as “the swamp.”

Dineen Jr. passed away Oct. 12, 2024, at 84. He served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2016 and was a member of the Budget and Advancement and External Affairs committees. He was also a member of the College of Law Board of Advisors and the National Alumni Association Board. He was generous in his philanthropy, supporting scholarships and financial aid for law school students.

“For decades, Bob Dineen Jr. played a major role in ensuring ���ϲ����� remained at the forefront of legal education,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud. “That’s evident in all the ways he continued to give back to his alma mater, including his years of dedicated service on the Board of Trustees and on the College of Law Board of Advisors. His family’s transformational gift led the way in creating a state-of-the-art facility to support the next generation of law students, while honoring his parents’ legacy. And Bob’s accomplishments in finance law across the globe demonstrate that a ���ϲ����� education can take our students anywhere.”

When Hannah Arterian became dean of the College of Law in 2003, she asked for Dineen Jr.’s assistance in creating a strategic plan to form a new Board of Advisors. She described him as “an incredible person” for his guidance. ��He was a driving force behind the capital campaign that would bring Dineen Hall to life—a 200,000-square-foot building that brought together the law school community under one roof for the first time and would be hailed as one of the most architecturally attractive law school buildings in the world.

Robert E. Dineen Jr.

Dineen Jr. had attended the College of Law after earning his undergraduate degree at Brown University. He served as editor of the ���ϲ����� Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honor Society. In 2010, the College of Law presented him with its Law Review Alumni Achievement Award.

Dineen Jr. had a successful career focused on public finance transactions. He was also a specialist in U.S. and international private banking and financial transactions, including equipment and project financing.

He was a partner of Shearman & Sterling LLP, a leading international law firm from 1974 until his retirement in��December 2005. While at Shearman & Sterling, he led several of the firm’s corporate groups, including those responsible for Latin America and Asia as well as��its global project finance work. Over the years, he spent significant time in the firm’s offices in Algeria, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris, Toronto, and Washington.

“Bob’s brilliant career in international legal and financial transactions and steadfast client relationships inspires our students to excel in everything they do,” says College of Law Dean Terence Lau L’98. “As commendable is his leadership, along with his siblings, in honoring their parents when they led the campaign to build Dineen Hall that our students, faculty, and staff are thankful for every day.”

Dineen Jr. is survived by his wife, Jeanne C. Olivier, Esq., and his sister, the Honorable Carolyn Dineen King H’06, judge and former��chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Professor Beth Kubala works with students (Photo by The Lovewigs)

“Elizabeth Kubala takes her students from the classroom to the community, breaking down barriers so veteran clients can access quality health care, food and other government benefits,” says Domenick Napoletano, president of the New York State Bar Association. “Her work bridges generations, aiding recent veterans now enrolled in college to those who fought in Korea and Vietnam.”

Kubala is executive director of the College of Law’s (VLC). Under her direction, students have authored amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and argued cases at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Kubala’s tenacity has brought about new programs and funding to fight veteran homelessness and substance use. Her nomination praised her infectious enthusiasm and passion for her work.

���ϲ����� and the College of Law proudly support veterans through a legacy of over 100 years of commitment to military-connected students. Recognized as one of the��Best Private Schools for Veterans��and dedicated to being the��Best Place for Veterans, ���ϲ����� offers unparalleled resources, academic programs and student organizations for our veteran population. The University is home to the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, a national nonprofit organization which has supported more than 208,000 service members, veterans and military family members through programs and services which empower them in their post service lives.

Involvement with the CRB began when the previous law student representative, Omnia Shedid L’24, sought a successor. Intrigued by the CRB’s role in reviewing complaints about��the conduct of Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers, Oliver stepped into the position, driven by a passion for justice and equality.

As vice chair of the CRB, she emphasizes the importance of student input in maintaining campus safety. “Having a student in the vice chair position allows the student body to be more involved in decision-making,” Oliver says. “The goal is to enhance the relationship between DPS and the student population by ensuring student voices are heard in policy and procedure discussions.”

Oliver also aims to raise awareness about the CRB’s role on campus. “The CRB is a valuable asset to students, but it’s sometimes underutilized because people don’t know what we do,” Oliver says. By increasing visibility, she hopes to encourage more students and DPS members to utilize the CRB for appeals, ensuring their concerns are addressed.

History of the CRB

The CRB was created following an independent review of DPS by former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch in 2020-21. It is responsible for:

• reviewing appeals of civilian complaints regarding DPS officer conduct;
• reviewing and commenting on prospective new DPS policies, procedures and trainings;
• reviewing key community-facing functions of DPS; and
• issuing to the University community a public annual report of findings and recommendations.

CRB Membership

Since last fall, the CRB has added new members, including:

• Fatoumata Barry ’27, undergraduate student,��College of Arts and Sciences
• Avva Boroujerdi ’25, undergraduate student, Whitman School of Management
• Rosemary Martin ’26, undergraduate student,��College of Arts and Sciences
• Lindsey Oliver��(vice chair),��graduate student,��College of Law
• Christina Papaleo, learning and development specialist,��Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Andrea Persin, assistant dean of budget, finance and administration,��College of Arts and Sciences
• Lynnie Westafer, graduate student, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
• Tanya Williamson, assistant vice president, Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Additionally, several members are still completing their term from last year, including:

• La’Kesa Allen, community standards coordinator, Community Standards
• Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, associate dean, Hendricks Chapel
• Mary Kiernan, associate teaching professor, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics (chair)
• Maria Pettolina, professor of practice, Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute, College of Arts and Sciences

The CRB has also engaged two highly experienced consultants to advise on its work. Bethaida “Bea” González, former vice president for community engagement, special assistant to the chancellor and dean of University College, is senior advisor to the CRB; and Melvin “Tony” Perez, former chief of public safety for Monroe Community College, serves as its expert law enforcement consultant.

For more information,����or contact the CRB directly by email to��CRB@syr.edu.

Dwayne Murray, deputy director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA), discusses its impact on campus and around the world, explores what sets ���ϲ����� apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

���ϲ����� has a long, proud history of serving our veterans and military-connected students that dates back to World War I and the post-World War II era when thousands of veterans embarked on their journey to a college degree through the G.I. Bill.

One of the central organizations on campus that helps the University accomplish this mission is the (OVMA), which, for the last 10 years has played a critical role in helping veterans, military-connected students and their family members pursue their higher education dreams.

Dwayne Murray ’97 is living out his dream job as the OVMA’s deputy director, and he’s proud of the work the organization does through its programs and initiatives while serving as the University’s central hub for veteran and military-connected students.

Dwayne Murray

“The OVMA sets our veteran and military-connected students with an opportunity to go through the entire life cycle of being connected to ���ϲ�����, from being recruited to when they graduate with their degrees,” Murray says. “We provide student success opportunities, immersion trips, job readiness activities and an outstanding 100% job placement rate thanks to our career services office.”

Murray was a track and field student-athlete on campus and earned degrees in sociology ( and ) and information management and technology () before enlisting in the U.S. Army immediately after graduating.

Following a decorated 25-year active-duty career in the Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, Murray returned to his alma mater in June 2022 to take on this latest career challenge, which blends his passion for his country with his drive to help veteran and military-connected students achieve their goals.

“To be at the intersection of where I’ve had some of the most formidable experiences of my life as a student, and then to combine that with the purpose, direction and motivation that comes from being in the Army, I had to take advantage of this opportunity,” Murray says. “It’s the only calling for me that was bigger than continuing to serve in the military because I could pay back my institution, I could pay back the students that walk these halls and I could share those lessons I’ve learned and experiences I’ve had with our campus community.”

On this “�Ļ��ܲ��� Conversation,” Murray discusses the impact the OVMA has had on campus and around the world, explores what sets ���ϲ����� apart as a best place for veterans and shares his love for working with veterans and military-connected students.

Check out . A transcript [PDF] is also available.

Global Impact as a Best Place for Veterans

Murray says the commitment to our veterans and military-connected students is “baked into our DNA as a University,” including the advent of the Student Army Training Corps, which was the forerunner to the Army ROTC. ���ϲ����� was also home to one of the first Air Force ROTC programs on a college campus in the nation.

Dwayne Murray (second from left) poses with attendees at the OVMA’s Stars & Stripes tailgate.

Among the many ways the OVMA and the University help facilitate the transition from active duty to student, Murray points to:

• a simplified, streamlined admissions process, including waiving application fees, which has led to a 300% increase in enrollment over the last 10 years;
• customized support services;
• innovative and creative programming under the leadership of Director of Veteran Career Services Jennifer Pluta G’15 that has yielded a 100% job placement rate for student veterans;
• a welcoming and inclusive environment, featuring various affinity groups;
• strong cross-campus relationships that lead to expanded opportunities for students; and
• significant scholarship opportunities that eliminate financial barriers to a degree.

Dwayne Murray enjoyed a decorated 25-year active-duty career in the U.S. Army, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer, before returning to ���ϲ����� in June 2022.

Add it all up and Murray says it’s easy to see why Military Times consistently ranks ���ϲ����� among the “best place for veterans” among private universities.

“We are fully committed to enhancing the opportunities for our students, and these efforts have led to a global impact,” Murray says. “We have close to 60 veterans enrolled in the fully interactive hybrid online juris doctorate program [known as JDinteractive], which gives our veterans and military-connected students the opportunity to earn their law degree completely online. We have students in the Defense Comptrollership program, that earn an MBA from the and a master’s degree in public administration through the Maxwell School. They go on to serve as leaders in their civilian agencies or their military branch of service.”

National Veterans and Military Families Month

While Murray has always seen ���ϲ����� as part of his identity—when he was 7 years old, his grandmother bought him a ���ϲ����� sweatshirt from the Salvation Army that became a cherished possession—the University is also ingrained in his family.

Dwayne’s wife, Alison Murray ’01, currently serves as the assistant dean for student assistance with Hendricks Chapel, where she is responsible for religious and spiritual outreach programs and services that assist students seeking holistic support. Alison, who earned a nursing degree on campus, served in the Army for more than 20 years.

With November being National Veterans and Military Families Month, the Murrays are an outstanding example of service to country and passion for giving back to students.

“Alison is a nurse by trade, and Hendricks Chapel is like a hospital in that she can diagnose folks and provide them with the type of support and assistance they need to grow, thrive and be successful,” Dwayne says. “It’s an amazing feeling knowing we share this strong connection with our alma mater.”

Alison and Dwayne Murray.

The Honorable Langston C. McKinney

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 4:30 p.m., political, legal and civic leaders from across the state will gather at the Honorable James C. Tormey, III Criminal Courts Building at 505 South State Street, ���ϲ�����, for the dedication of The Hon. Langston C. McKinney Courtroom. The Hon. Langston C. McKinney L’71 served in many critical public interest leadership positions and applied his legal acumen across many practice areas and roles. He was appointed the first Black ���ϲ����� City Court Judge in 1986 and served with honor, distinction and compassion until his retirement in 2010.

Judge McKinney was born in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 27, 1944. He graduated from Howard University in 1965 with a degree in chemistry and was recruited by Carrier Corporation to come to ���ϲ����� to work as a chemist. There, he was the first Black scientist in their research and development division.

Judge McKinney served two years in the U.S. Army and then returned to ���ϲ����� in 1968 to attend ���ϲ����� College of Law. While in law school, he co-founded the ���ϲ����� chapter of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council and would spend a summer working in the South on civil rights legal work, fueling his passion for justice. Also, while in law school, he started working for Onondaga Neighborhood Legal Services (ONLS). It was there that he came to understand the plight of people trapped in poverty and social and economic injustice. This experience sharpened the lens through which he saw the need for justice, equality and the rule of law.

Upon graduating from ���ϲ����� Law, Judge McKinney began his legal career at ONLS as a staff attorney. Among the many causes he championed was the issue of tenants’ rights. He would later be honored by having a housing complex named after him–McKinney Manor. Judge McKinney later joined the legal staff at Hiscock Legal Aid Society, where his reputation as a criminal defense attorney began to grow. Eventually, Judge McKinney joined with two other ���ϲ����� lawyers to form the law firm of Maye, McKinney & Melchor, the first Black law firm in ���ϲ�����.

In 1986, Judge McKinney was appointed by Mayor Tom Young to be the first Black American ���ϲ����� City Court Judge. He was then elected in 1987 and re-elected in 1997 and 2007. One of Judge McKinney’s proudest accomplishments was partnering with the Center for Community Alternatives to establish the ���ϲ����� Community Treatment Court.

Although Judge McKinney retired in 2010, he remained active in the pursuit of justice. He was instrumental in founding the first African American Bar Association in Onondaga County, The William Herbert Johnson Bar Association, named after a fellow African American legal trailblazer.

“Judge McKinney had faithfully and respectfully served ���ϲ����� as a jurist, community leader and mentor to many in the legal profession and other disciplines,” says Professor Paula Johnson, who served on the committee securing the courtroom dedication.

The ceremony will be ��(passcode 1986). A reception will follow at the CNY Philanthropy Center Ballroom.

Robert Parker

The will hold its eighth annual Supreme Court Preview on Friday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Gray Ceremonial Courtroom in Dineen Hall. , chief of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section at the U.S. Department of Justice, will deliver the Keynote Lecture, “Supreme Court and Appellate Practice at the Department of Justice.”

Afterward, a panel discussion will examine the key cases to be heard during the 2024-2025 Supreme Court term. Panel participants will be:

• , teaching professor;
• , U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of New York;
• , College of Law dean and professor of law;
• , associate professor of law and director of the Disability Law and Policy Program; and
• , chief of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The moderator will be , vice dean and Paul E. and Hon. Joanne F. Alper ’72 Judiciary Studies Professor of Law.

This program is open to the public and has typically been approved for three CLE credits. There is no charge for this CLE program. , and contact Chris Ramsdell, office coordinator in the��Institute for the Study of the Judiciary, Politics, and the Media, with any questions.

Local attorneys will dispense free legal advice to veterans during the College of Law’s Veterans’ Advocacy, Law and Outreach (VALOR) Day event on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Hosted by the , Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY, Inc., and Hancock Estabrook LLP, Valor Day will take place during the CNY Veterans Expo and will provide a variety of free legal services to local veterans.

Local attorneys will be available to discuss the following services: Simple wills, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, family law, veterans law, tenant’s rights, debt, real estate and immigration.

Legal consultations are by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please before Nov. 7.

Murrett

If you need an expert to discuss U.S. military presence in the Middle East, you may want to consider retired Vice Admiral . Murrett is currently a professor of practice at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and deputy director of ���ϲ�����’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. He’s recently been interviewed by , , , and others on the news.

McFate

Additionally, , adjunct professor at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in D.C., is also available for interviews. McFate is an expert in international relations, military warfare, national security, and more. He was recently interviewed by () on the subject.

Chancellor Syverud speaks at the opening of the University’s new center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24. (Photo by Shannon Finney)

The opening of a new ���ϲ����� center in Washington, D.C., was celebrated by members of the University community at a special event Sept. 24.

“This city is a place our students want to be. It’s a place they want to live. And it’s a place they want to build their futures and careers after they graduate,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Our students studying away here benefit from ���ϲ�����’s academic strength and deep connections in policy, government, media and law.”

The center, located at 1333 New Hampshire Ave. in the Dupont Circle area of Washington, will serve students, faculty, staff and alumni. Building on an already thriving presence in the nation’s capital, the center will enhance the University’s global influence and impact.

Mike Tirico ’88, host and play-by-play commentator with NBC Sports, hosted the event. Speakers included Chancellor Syverud, Interim Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Lois Agnew, and Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation J. Michael Haynie.

The centerpiece of the event was a panel discussion examining the changing landscape of collegiate sports and public policy. Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of the ���ϲ����� Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship, moderated the discussion. Panelists were James Phillips, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Felisha Legette-Jack ’89, ���ϲ����� women’s basketball coach, and Tirico.

From left: Mike Tirico, Felisha Legette-Jack, James Phillips and Margaret Talev participate in a panel discussion on the changing landscape of collegiate sports and public policy on Sept. 24. (Photo by Shannon Finney)

Expanded Opportunities

The Washington, D.C., center houses the and serves as a home base for study away programs offered by the , and , through which hundreds of students live, learn and work in the city every year. Washington is home to more than 15,000 alumni, many of whom connect with students as teachers, mentors and internship supervisors.

The center will support the continued growth of study away programming across the University’s schools and colleges, as envisioned in the academic strategic plan, “.”

“We now begin a new chapter in that already successful story,” Provost Agnew said. “This space is more than just a building. It is ���ϲ�����’s academic home in one of the most important cities in the world. It will serve as a hub for students, faculty and staff, positioning them as change makers and thought leaders on some of the most important issues of our time.”

Students joined alumnus broadcaster Mike Tirico (sixth from left, front) and Newhouse School Director of Washington Programs Beverly Kirk (fourth from right) to celebrate the opening of 1333 New Hampshire Ave., the University’s new dedicated space in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Shannon Finney)

The center will also enhance the work of the (IVMF), which has a satellite office in the building. Haynie noted that IVMF has contributed more than 1,750 research publications, engagements and products for public benefit, with much of that work focused on the federal level.

“I am confident that with a permanent presence in Washington, the institute’s impact will grow considerably and accrue to the benefit of those who have worn the nation’s cloth and their families,” he said.

The center includes classrooms, student lounges, conference and interview rooms and a multipurpose space, as well as satellite offices for the and the Division of Advancement and External Affairs. It features the Greenberg Welcome Center, named for alumnus and Life Trustee Paul Greenberg ’65, whose philanthropy supported the 1990 opening of Greenberg House, the University’s first outpost in Washington.

The OVMA created this award to remove barriers that often prevent student veterans from accessing internships, one of the most effective pathways to post-graduation employment. The award, which is needs-based, covers the cost of one internship credit hour, travel and living expenses, or both, with a maximum award of $5,000 per student. It’s part of the ongoing efforts by ���ϲ����� to support student veterans and ensure their success in the job market.

“Student veterans often face the difficult choice between pursuing full-time summer studies or finding seasonal work to meet their financial needs,” says Jennifer Pluta, director of Veterans Career Services with the OVMA. “It’s challenging to focus on securing internships when financial concerns are pressing. Since its launch, the Internship Award has successfully helped 24 of our student veterans gain valuable job experience, giving them a significant advantage in the job market.”

According to the University’s , more than 650,000 veterans nationwide are currently pursuing higher education, often with one primary goal in mind: finding employment afterward. While veterans highlight finding employment after their military transition as a top priority, connecting with employers can sometimes be challenging. Initiatives like the OVMA’s Internship Award are crucial in bridging this gap, providing student veterans with opportunities to gain practical experience and build networks that will support their career goals.

At ���ϲ�����, students across all schools, colleges and degree levels have access to resources that help them find and secure internships in their chosen fields. However, student veterans, who often juggle complex schedules, family commitments and financial responsibilities, can find it particularly challenging to participate in internships. The OVMA’s Internship Award helps alleviate these challenges by providing financial support, enabling student veterans to focus on gaining valuable professional experience without the added burden of financial strain.

“Since its start, the internship award program has grown tremendously, providing invaluable opportunities for our student veterans to gain real-world experience and advance their careers,” says Ron Novack, OVMA’s executive director. “We are committed to expanding this program even further, reaching more student veterans and building strong partnerships with organizations that recognize and value the exceptional skills and dedication that veterans bring to the workforce.”

This year, military-connected students secured internships across a diverse range of industries, with many gaining experience in government agencies and tech companies. From working on policy initiatives and supporting service members through government roles to contributing to innovative projects in the tech sector, these students gained invaluable experience that will serve them well in their future careers.

Read more about three of the recipients and their unique experiences below.

Laurie N. Coffey G’25, U.S. Navy Veteran

Laurie Coffey

Laurie N. Coffey, a U.S. Navy veteran with over 20 years of service, is now a second-year law student in the . This summer, she interned with the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, where she gained valuable experience in public service law. Unlike the previous summer, when financial demands led her to take a highly paid corporate internship, this year was different.

“Receiving the scholarship allowed me to take a position that was unpaid and in public service,” Coffey says. “Having a family, mortgage, and going to school has financial demands that pushed me into a highly paid corporate internship last summer. The scholarship allowed me to pursue something more aligned with my passions and hopes to work in the advocacy arena.”

Curtis Cline ’25, U.S. Army Veteran

Curtis Cline

Curtis Cline, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering at the , is a U.S. Army veteran who completed three combat tours. During his service, he held such roles as crew chief, overhaul maintenance technician and downed aircraft recovery program manager. This summer, he interned at the Griffiss Institute, where he immersed himself in collaborative aerospace research.

“A lesson I gained during my internship is the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Working alongside experts in various fields, I learned how to effectively communicate complex ideas, integrate diverse perspectives and contribute to a collaborative research environment,” Cline says. “This experience has equipped me with enhanced problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of how different disciplines converge in aerospace research.”

Marriler Wilson G’25, U.S. Air Force Veteran

Marriler Wilson

Marriler Wilson is a graduate student in the , pursuing a master’s in public administration and international relations.�� Willson served in the Air Force National Guard, focusing on security forces and base defense, while also serving as a traffic enforcer with the New York Police Department. This summer, Wilson interned at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in the Office of Congressional Public Affairs.

“One particularly memorable experience occurred on the second day of my internship when I had the unique opportunity to visit Capitol Hill. I observed a general counsel from my congressional and public affairs unit articulate the significance of MCC’s work,” says Wilson. “The counsel eloquently explained how MCC’s mission aligns with the interests of both political parties and how the corporation’s initiatives serve as a vital conduit for international cooperation and development.”

The OVMA Internship Award application period is open from September to May 31. For more details and to apply, visit . For more details about the award, reach out to Jennifer Pluta at jrpluta@syr.edu.

Story by Lissette Caceres

By��, Professor of Law, ���ϲ����� College of Law.

Donald Trump’s legal woes have been the center of international attention throughout this 2024 presidential election year. In less than two months before the Presidential election, here is a summary of where all those cases currently stand.

The E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case.�� Trump’s year of litigation started in January with author E. Jean Carroll recovering�� an $83.3 million judgment for defamation against Trump for accusing Carroll of lying when she claimed publicly in 2019 that Trump had sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room more than 20 years earlier, in 1995 or 1996.�� Trump posted a bond to obtain a stay while he appeals the judgment.

The NY Attorney General Financial Statement Fraud Case.�� In February, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud case against Trump for overstating the current market value of his properties in the personal financial statements he had submitted to lenders and insurance companies, came to trial without a jury before Judge Arthur Engeron.�� Normally, civil fraud requires a plaintiff to prove that a victim believed and relied on the truth of the statements, and suffered damages as a result.�� But the Attorney General successfully argued that a special anti-fraud statute, New York Executive Law § 63(12), allows her to recover disgorgement of benefits received without showing that anyone relied on or was harmed by the false statements.�� Judge Arthur Engeron entered a judgment against Trump in February for $354 million in disgorgement, plus interest, which would have required him to post a $464 million bond to obtain a stay pending appeal.�� The appellate division allowed Trump to post a reduced bond of $175 million to stay enforcement of the judgment pending appeal.

The Georgia Election Interference Case.�� On June 5, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued an order staying District Attorney Fani Willis’s election interference case against Trump to consider Trump’s motion to disqualify the District Attorney for having an undisclosed relationship with her special prosecutor, Nathan Wade.�� The trial judge, Scott McAffee, had previously allowed the case to continue if Nathan Wade resigned to prevent the appearance of impropriety.�� The defendants appealed McAffee’s well reasoned order, and the case has been on hold by the appellate court since that time.�� Frankly, I thought McAffee’s opinion was sound, and I never understood why Willis’s relationship with Wade in any way harmed Trump or the other defendants.

The New York Falsified Business Records Case.�� Next came New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s convoluted criminal case against Trump for falsifying his business records to hide a $175,000 hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels through Trump’s then attorney Michael Cohen in the waning days of the 2016 election.�� I have .�� On May 30, 2024, the jury found Trump guilty under NYPL § 175.10 of falsifying business records to commit fraud and to conceal another crime, although the jury did not have to indicate who was defrauded or what other crime Trump was trying to conceal.�� Trump was supposed to be sentenced on September 18, but Judge Merchan granted Trump’s request to postpone sentencing until after the election.�� Sentencing is currently scheduled for November 26.

The Federal Cases.�� The two federal court cases brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith are the most serious cases Trump faces, and both cases have been stuck in the mud for months.

The Federal Election Interference Case.�� The federal election interference case before District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC has been delayed by questions about presidential immunity, and now also by technical issues around special prosecutor Jack Smith appointment.�� These preliminary issues will need to be resolved before the case can proceed on the merits.

On July 1, 2024, the Judge Chutkan’s and the DC Circuit Court’s rulings that Donald Trump, as a former president, had no immunity from prosecution.

Frankly, I expected that the Supreme Court would reverse those decisions, and recognize that a president has immunity from criminal prosecution for “core” presidential activities.�� In fact, at the hearing before the Supreme Court, both the government and Trump’s lawyers agreed that an ex president is immune from prosecution for “official” presidential matters, and that there is no immunity for “private” matters.�� Trump’s team even agreed that many matters alleged in Smith’s complaint sounded like “private” not “official” matters.�� The disagreement was on how far “official” matters would go.

I was fairly confident that the Supreme Court would draw the official /private distinction by focusing on the president’s motives – was the president acting to further what he believed to be in the interests of the country, or did he have personal, corrupt, motives to benefit himself at the expense of the country?

I was wrong. Chief Justice Roberts’ majority opinion granted immunity far beyond what the Trump lawyers sought at the hearing. The Court held, first, that a president’s motives are entirely irrelevant to whether his activities are “official” and subject to immunity, or “private” and not subject to immunity.�� Under the Court’s ruling, a president has absolute immunity for anything plausibly connected to his presidential functions, including the most blatant kinds of corruption (such as selling presidential pardons to the highest bidder, or directing the military to assassinate a political rival).�� While it is difficult to imagine that the founders intended the Constitution to provide broad immunity from prosecution to a President Benedict Arnold, who sold out his country for personal gain, that was essentially the Court’s holding.

In an attempt to redraw the official/private distinction, Prosecutor Jack Smith has filed a superseding indictment eliminating the allegations that Trump conspired with his governmental advisors, and has labeled his allegations that Trump conspired with non-governmental advisors to be “private.”�� But the labels do not matter.�� Under the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump is immune from activities that fall within a very broad sphere of presidential activity, even if he had false, improper and corrupt motives for his actions. Given the extremely broad way that the Supreme Court defined “official” activities and rejected motive, it is difficult to see how any of Trump’s attempts to overturn the election would qualify as purely “private” activities.

Nevertheless, Judge Chutkan and the DC Circuit will likely try to read the immunity ruling more narrowly than the Supreme Court wrote it, and allow the case to proceed.�� And if the case does proceed, and Jack Smith is able to prove his allegations that Trump knew he lost the election, knew that his election interference claims were false, and nevertheless sought corrupt motives to overturn the election, then surely a jury would convict him. ��But would the case survive another visit to the Supreme Court?�� Judge Chutkan set a briefing schedule for the parties to argue the immunity question, with Trump’s reply brief due on October 29.�� Since the case cannot move forward before the court rules on the immunity question, the only thing that could happen before the election is the filing by Jack Smith of evidence that support his arguments that Trump’s activities were “private” and not immune.

The second preliminary issue is whether Jack Smith’s appointment as special prosecutor was constitutional, and if not whether the case should be dismissed.�� As discussed below, Judge Eileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against Trump on the grounds that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional.�� That decision is currently on appeal, and Chutkan stated on the record that she did not find Judge Cannon’s ruling to be “very persuasive.”�� Judge Chutkan will likely decide that special prosecutor Jack Smith can proceed with the prosecution, but the process may be delayed further for briefing on that issue, and the ultimate ruling on Judge Cannon’s dismissal could derail the election interference case.

The Classified Documents Case.

In my view, the strongest case against Donald Trump is the classified documents case, which has been stymied at every turn by Judge Eileen Cannon.�� Cannon, a Trump appointee, was previously and harshly , in an unusual unanimous per curium opinion, for improperly exercising equitable jurisdiction over the government’s investigation into the classified documents taken by Trump while leaving office.

After months of slow walking the case, on July 15, 2024, Judge Cannon , determining that the Justice Department regulation under which Special Prosecutor Jack Smith was appointed was unconstitutional under the appointments clause of the Constitution.

The Constitution’s appointments clause requires the President to appoint, and the Senate to confirm, all “Officers of the United States,” except for “inferior Officers” who can be appointed by Officers without Senate approval if the Officers are authorized by law to make the appointment.�� .�� The courts have recognized that mere “officials” and “employees” can be hired without authorizing legislation, presidential appointment, Senate approval, or direct appointment by authorized Officers.�� The distinctions between “Officers,” “Inferior Officers,” “Officials” and “Employees” is not defined in the Constitution, and depends on factors like power, authority, control, and permanency.�� By tradition, cabinet officers and the heads of agencies are Senate-approved “Officers,” including the Attorney General and all 93 US Attorneys running the district offices of the Justice Department.�� The thousands of assistant US Attorneys and all of their staff are inferior officers, officials or employees, and are not appointed by the President or confirmed by the Senate.

The technical issue is whether Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland under the Department of Justice’s special counsel regulation, is an “Officer” who must be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, an inferior officer who was appointed by an authorized Officer, or an official or employee who could be hired without Senate approval or congressional authorization.

The legal firepower behind Judge Canon’s decision comes from a law review article by Professors Steven G. Calabresi and Gary Lawson, Why Robert Mueller’s Appointment As Special Counsel Was Unlawful, 95 Notre Dame L. Rev. 87,115–16 (2019).�� Calabresi and Lawson also filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court in the Trump immunity case, and before Judge Cannon.�� Even though it was not an issue the Supreme Court agreed to hear, Justice Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in the election interference case throwing his support behind questioning Jack Smith’s appointment.

While Calabresi and Lawson’s technical legal arguments, and Judge Cannon’s adoption of those arguments, are plausible, they fly in the face of 50 years of practice, including the Supreme Court’s famous Watergate tapes decision in , brought by special counsel Leon Jaworski, who was appointed under a similar justice department regulation, and whose appointment was not questioned by the Supreme Court.

There are legitimate criticisms of the Special Counsel Regulations.�� If the Justice Department has a conflict of interest, should they be the ones to select the special counsel?�� In 1978, after Watergate, Congress created a Special Prosecutor Act, later called the Independent Counsel Act, which allowed majorities of either party within the House or Senate Judiciary Committee to request that the Attorney General appoint a special prosecutor.�� If the Attorney General made the appointment, a three judge panel of appellate judges, rather than the conflicted Attorney General, would select the special prosecutor.�� This process provided some assurance that the special prosecutor would be independent from the conflicted justice department.�� The Supreme Court upheld the Act in , but the Clinton administration did not seek its renewal, preferring instead to control the process through agency regulation, which has created the issue.

There is really no way to know if the current Special Counsel Regulations are constitutional until the Supreme Court rules on them.�� But even if they are not constitutional, there is no reason for dismissing the indictment against Trump.�� Instead, the courts should allow the government to fix the problem by appointing a senate-approved “Officer,” such as the Attorney General or another United States Attorney to supervise the prosecution.�� Professors Calabresi and Lawson have recognized that this is a technical constitutional issue that can be cured by appointing an approved “Officer” to supervise the case.�� The technical defect in Smith’s appointment, which is easily curable, did not prejudice the defendants.�� There is no reason that a United States Attorney appointed to supervise the case now could not ratify Smith’s past work, and allow Smith to proceed with the prosecution under supervision.�� A case prosecuted by Jack Smith under the supervision of the United States Attorney would be like the thousands of cases brought by Assistant United States Attorneys every day in every jurisdiction.

What Happens Next?

The presidential election will take place on November 5, 2024.

If Trump wins the election, there is little doubt that he will cause the federal election interference and classified documents cases to be dismissed, either by appointing loyalists to take over the prosecution in the Justice Department, or by issuing himself a presidential pardon.�� The Supreme Court has signaled in its immunity decision that a self-pardon is within the President’s absolute authority.

However, a presidential pardon only applies to federal crimes, so it would not prevent any of the state prosecutions or cases from continuing.�� It is not clear whether a state prison sentence could be implemented against a sitting president, or how it could be implemented, or whether some sort of federal supremacy would prevent the states from interfering with the activities of an elected president.�� Another constitutional crisis is likely if either of the state criminal cases results in a prison sentence.

If Trump loses the election, he will likely face years of trials and appeals before the legal issues will be finally determined.

• “Former Governor Cuomo has been much criticized for directing nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients.��While, especially in retrospect this was a bad policy decision, it is unclear to what extent it had an impact on resident deaths.��The reality is many facilities would have accepted these individuals without a mandate because it was financially advantageous to do so,” said Kohn.

• “Nevertheless, the direction signaled a lack of concern for the fate of nursing home residents—which was made even more evident by the breathtaking immunity the Governor supported for nursing homes and their owners.��Under Cuomo’s leadership, nursing homes and their corporate owners were granted immunity from liability for harm to residents amid the pandemic.��While many states provided some immunity for healthcare providers at the height of the pandemic, none were more expansive than New York.��Indeed, New York’s measure was so extreme that it even limited the ability of the state’s Attorney General to hold institutions and executives liable for false or fraudulent claims, or from prosecuting certain acts that could otherwise result in criminal charges,” said Kohn.

• ��(Georgetown Law Journal)
• ��(William and Mary Law Review).

Lauryn Gouldin (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

, Crandall Melvin Professor of Law and a 2022-25 Laura J. & L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence, is one of three researchers on the��project, “.”��She and , assistant professor of computer science at the University of Virginia (formerly of ���ϲ�����) and , associate professor of computer science and engineering at Washington University in St. Louis received a $600,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the research. They are examining three issues: the uniformity and fairness of criminal court-date scheduling processes, if individual circumstances are considered when setting court dates, and whether a “smarter” computerized system can produce more equity and efficiency in those processes.

Ensuring that defendants who are released before trial return to court as scheduled is one of the primary goals of the pretrial process, Gouldin says. “Fortunately, data across jurisdictions suggest that most defendants show up for court as required. With bail reform efforts in many jurisdictions leading to higher rates of pretrial release, courts are focused on ensuring that pretrial appearance rates remain high,” she says.

Scheduling court appearances on dates and at times that work for defendants will help keep pretrial appearance rates high and avoid court system inefficiencies, she believes. Many factors—often legitimate hardships—can influence whether a defendant appears in court when scheduled. Gouldin says those factors are not consistently considered by courts and there is little uniformity in how appearance dates are scheduled from court to court.

The researchers are working to produce a system that predicts dates and times when defendants are more likely to appear versus being assigned an arbitrary court date or time. They believe having that knowledge, along with more flexibility in scheduling court dates—such as setting evening or weekend appearance dates—could improve pretrial appearance rates and create a more equitable scheduling process overall.

No-Show Factors

“Whether a defendant can appear in court when assigned depends on individual circumstances. Some may have work or school obligations or need to find childcare or arrange transportation. Others having substance addictions or mental health issues may be more at risk to miss dates; some defendants just don’t understand the court system; and people with disabilities may face specific challenges getting to court on time. In addition, some defendants who must repeatedly return to court can wait all day for their cases to be called, then find out the proceedings are postponed for a month,” Gouldin says.

But criminal courts can be inflexible, she adds. “Maintaining a perfect attendance record under these circumstances, and when so many court appearances are adjourned seems especially unreasonable. I believe courts can likely improve pretrial appearance rates by developing more flexible scheduling practices that account for these challenges.”

Data Input

This summer, Gouldin is working with research assistants to develop partnerships with judges, court administrators, pretrial service offices and criminal defense organizations in ���ϲ����� and across New York State to collect data on the information that courts consider and the processes they use to schedule criminal cases.

Fioretto and Yeoh will take that data and apply what they call “” a scheduling approach that integrates machine learning algorithms with mathematical optimization and computerized logical reasoning. The AI-based approach aims to predict dates and times when an individual would be more likely to be able to appear in court. The researchers will incorporate defendants’ potential constraints into the date predictions and then develop mechanisms to ensure that court appearances are scheduled fairly for defendants of different races and genders.

Time, Money Costs

Fairness is an important consideration because judges can impose consequences for missing scheduled appearances even when defendants have justifiable reasons for not showing up, according to Gouldin. “Judges often make high-stakes decisions that implicate fundamental liberty interests, such as detaining defendants before trial or imposing bail, electronic monitoring, pretrial supervision or curfews. Failures to appear also become part of a defendant’s court record and may impact future pretrial liberty.”

The researchers are also mindful of the court’s administrative efficiency goals. Missed court dates mean inconveniences and costs of time and money for judges, attorneys, court personnel, witnesses and other defendants whose cases may be delayed as a result, as well.

Phase 2

Gouldin hopes eventually to gather court appearance data that will include defendants’ demographic details to assess whether specific factors affect the ability or inability to meet a pre-set court appointment. That step could reveal further ways to increase fairness in scheduling, she says. Having individuals return for their court appearances is more important than ever now, Gouldin says, because pretrial reforms in the U.S. over the past 10 years have overhauled traditional money bail systems so that more defendants are released before trial.

Gouldin’s pre-trial appearance work has been cited in federal court decisions, in state and federal amicus briefs and in testimony to the House Judiciary Committee. In 2022, she served as a consulting expert for federal litigation where a Tulsa County, Oklahoma money bail system was eventually deemed unconstitutional. Her article, “Keeping Up Appearances,” an analysis of law and policies governing pretrial appearance, which has been developed in part with the support of the NSF grant, is due to be published in the University of California Davis Law Review later this year.

Tetiana Hranchak��became a visiting assistant teaching professor at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs after she fled Ukraine in 2022.

Hranchak writes: “The Kursk operation showed the effectiveness of a proactive approach and strategic initiative. The Russians turned out to be unprepared for the Ukrainians’ non-standard actions and unable to react effectively to them. We can confidently talk about a certain political, informational, and military ‘spinning wheel’ in response to the challenge created by the Ukrainian side and the Kremlin’s image losses. Additional lessons are the conclusions regarding the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct successful military operations and win under the conditions of the necessary military support and planning, as well as regarding the conventionality of the so called “red lines” declared by the Kremlin. Unconditional bonuses became strengthening the fighting spirit of Ukrainians and improving Ukraine’s potential negotiating position.”

Retired Vice Admiral��is a professor of practice at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and deputy director of ���ϲ�����’s Institute for Security Policy and Law.

Murrett writes: “The Ukrainian operations across the border in the Kursk and (possibly) Belgorod regions have been of longer duration and reach than either the Russians or Ukrainians initially expected. Moreover, there is reporting today that Russia has had to divert units fighting in southern Ukraine to deal with the offensive operations in Russia. This latter dynamic is likely the stretch goal of Kyiv; that is, to diminish Russian capability inside Ukraine by resetting conditions across the border in Russia.

The situation is still highly fluid, but with clear signs that the Russian command and control of responding units is still coming together, with all-important unity of command not yet achieved. The next 2-3 days will be critical for both sides as this “Battle of Kursk” takes on additional significance.”

You can view previous video interviews of both Hranchak and Murrett by��clicking here.

The is free and open to all ���ϲ�����-area veterans, including ���ϲ����� student, faculty and staff veterans who are not enrolled in VA health care and want to learn more about eligibility and how to sign up.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Enroll in VA health care (with a copy of DD214 and photo identification).
• File a claim with the Veterans Benefit Administration.
• Obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card (with photo identification).
• Learn how the (Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxic Acts) expands health care benefits for veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras and were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. The PACT Act also extends eligibility to survivors of these exposed veterans.
• Engage with VA professionals.
• Visit with a variety of local community resources.

Representatives from the University’s and will be in attendance. MVLS students will guide attendees and facilitate interactions with partner organizations. For more information, contact Emma.Avellino@va.gov or egkubala@syr.edu.

Terence Lau

After graduating from the in 1998, Terence Lau embarked on a legal career that took him from Detroit to France to Thailand to the U.S. Supreme Court. He worked in the Office of the General Counsel at Ford Motor Company. He served as director of ASEAN Governmental Affairs for Ford Asia Pacific Operations. He was a Judicial Fellow, working for the counselor to the chief justice of the United States.

But it was a guest speaker role at the University of Dayton (UD) that changed the course of his career. When he was invited to consider taking a faculty position there, he decided—“after a lot of thinking and introspection,” he says—to make the move to academe.

Lau, who was recently named dean of the College of Law, has held multiple academic and leadership positions in higher education since then. At UD he started as a faculty member in the School of Business Administration and went on to serve as chair of management and marketing and associate dean for undergraduate programs. He also ran faculty affairs for the University of Dayton China Institute. Lau later went to California State University, Chico, where he served as dean of the College of Business, interim dean of the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management, and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. He begins his tenure at ���ϲ����� today.

SU News sat down with Lau to learn more about him and his plans as dean.

What does it mean to you to return to your alma mater?

It’s an unbelievable opportunity. The education I received at the College of Law is central to who I am personally and professionally, and is at the center of many good things that have happened in my life. I’ve supported the college in any way I could over the years, from contributing to the campaign for the building of Dineen Hall to serving on the Board of Advisors. To now have the privilege of serving as dean is something I never would have dreamed possible. I can’t wait to get started.

What do you see as the greatest opportunities for the College of Law?

As I see it, the college has four primary strengths. The first is a longstanding reputation for academic excellence and outstanding graduates, including the current president of the United States. The second is an ability to produce innovative programs, including the first-in-nation . The third is a strong and supportive alumni network. The fourth is a diverse group of faculty experts, leaders in their field who contribute to the college’s research output and academic reputation.

Looking at these strengths, I think there are opportunities to leverage the ���ϲ����� brand to grow JDi even more, and to continue to lead the nation in delivering high quality legal education on demand and, in the process, to continue to disrupt the legal education industry.

There are also opportunities to grow our dual-degree, blended and certificate programs, as more skilled workers seek smaller credentials and specialized legal knowledge beyond the broad-based J.D. program. I’d also love to see us tell our story in a more compelling way and to be recognized in external rankings as a top-tier law school.

Finally, as the nation’s economy continues to evolve in a post-COVID world, I see the legal industry changing to adapt to those changes, and legal education will also change. The traditional model of success as being defined by being part of “Big Law” in New York City will probably give way to a broader definition of success as a lawyer.

What are you most excited about?

I’m excited to take my wife and daughter to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for the first time! And to explore all the beautiful places around Central New York.

At the College of Law, I’m excited to get to know our outstanding faculty and staff and listen to what they have to say about who we are, what we do, what makes us different and where we should be going. And I’m really looking forward to meeting some of our outstanding alumni who are making a big impact with their ���ϲ����� legal education.

What are your priorities for the first year? What do you hope to have achieved in five years?

In my first year I hope to have met with every single faculty and staff member in the college in a meaningful way, to learn how I can best support them and give them the tools and resources they need to build a high performing organization. I hope to spend a significant amount of time with students in all our programs, listening to their dreams and aspirations as well as their frustrations and ideas for ways to improve their ���ϲ����� experience. And I look forward to working with Interim Provost Lois Agnew and Chancellor Kent Syverud to continue to find ways for the college to contribute to the University’s goal of leading with distinction.

In five years, I hope we will see a law school that has moved up considerably in external rankings, with outstanding bar passage and employment outcomes, and that is recognized as a national leader in access and diversity, and in innovating new ways to meet the needs of the legal industry.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

First: Approach being a law student like it’s a job in terms of time management. It’s critical to set aside time and be really strict about academic work. When I was a law student, having nights and weekends as “me” time was really important, so I made myself a promise that if I was a law student between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., I didn’t have to be a law student after 5 p.m. or on weekends. It didn’t always work out that way, but having that understanding with myself helped me stay afloat of all the work.

Second: Make sure that self-care is high on the list. Students who are able to step away from their studies are the ones who can come back to it refreshed and energized, versus being burned out all the time.

Finally: The road to becoming a lawyer starts on the first day of law school, and the type of attorney you will become is defined early. Give some thought to what that means for you; it matters and will make a difference.

What do you do for fun?

My family and I love to travel, see new things and make new memories. And I’m an avid runner: I find it’s my most productive thinking time and a real stress reliever.

Lightning round:

Kindle/e-reader or old-school books?

Definitely old-school books.

Movies or series?

Series. These days there are so many good ones!

Take out or dine out?

Take out.

Museums or theater?

Theater.

Ocean or lake? Domestic or abroad? Beach or adventure?

Ocean. Abroad. Beach!

College sports: Yes or no? Football or basketball? Other?

Yes, and basketball!

Sleep: Night owl or early riser?

Early riser, definitely.

Favorite season?

Summer.

Something about you no one would expect?

I have a private pilot’s license and I love all things aviation related. And of course, being from the car industry, I think real cars have manual transmissions!

The program is for university-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills. Participants will learn to apply discovery methodology to help translate technology innovation from the lab into a successful product and/or service through a better understanding of how to achieve product-market fit.

The monthlong virtual course is offered through the University as a partner in the , funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), led by Cornell University, with other collaborators, including Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. The hub is part of the , connecting researchers, entrepreneurial communities and federal agencies to help commercialize research.

Course Overview

This virtual course combines self-directed online learning activities, with six Zoom-based class meetings (one to two hours long) and one-on-one instructor check-ins. The course is technology-agnostic, and any sufficiently developed (i.e., beyond ideation) tech innovation team is welcome to apply.

In the first half of the course, teams learn how to identify target customer segments, develop hypotheses about the value proposition offered to each customer segment and effectively interview potential customers about their problems/needs. In the second half of the course, teams will conduct customer discovery and join personalized calls with instructors to share progress and receive coaching. In the final class, teams present their findings, receive additional coaching, learn about other local entrepreneurship programs and receive information about applying for the national I-Corps Teams program and Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants.

Applicant Information

Successful applicants should have an early-state technology innovation, with either a prototype or some form of scientific validation. Teams of one to three people may apply. All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework to be considered for NSF lineage and a nomination for the national I-Corps Team.

While all applicants are welcome, preference is given to those with University-affiliated technology (i.e., faculty working with the Office of Technology Transfer), as well as post-docs, graduate students and undergraduate students who are commercializing research. Applications are also encouraged from researchers and early-stage founders engaged with other campuses as well as community incubators and accelerator programs.

Course Schedule

• The program opens for precourse work on Friday, Aug. 30.
• Session 1: Monday, Sept. 9, 1-3 p.m.
• Session 2a: Wednesday, Sept. 11, individualized coaching
• Session 2b: Friday, Sept. 13, 1-3 p.m.
• Session 3: Monday, Sept. 16, 1-3 p.m.M
• Session 4: Wednesday, September 18, individualized coaching
• Session 5a: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1-2 p.m.
• Session 5b: Monday, Sept. 30, 1-3 p.m.
• Session 6: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 1-3 p.m.

The programming is being co-led by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, strategic initiatives advisor, ���ϲ����� Libraries, who was founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad; Jeff Fuchsberg, director, ���ϲ����� Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE); and Cristiano Bellavitis, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Both Hartsock and Fuchsberg led the ���ϲ����� Tech Garden before joining the University. NSF certified instructors will be teaching the course modules.

More information

Read more about�����ϲ�����’s participation in the new NSF I-Corps Interior Northeast Region Hub��(IN I-Corps) Consortium and its $15 million STEM innovation program. The new initiative aims to create a cohesive innovation ecosystem through inclusive models of education and workforce training designed to catalyze innovation in economically underserved areas.

Partners in the University’s NSF I-Corps programming are resource providers across campus, including the Office of Research, Office of Technology Transfer, ���ϲ����� Libraries, the College of Law’s Innovation Law Center, the College of Engineering and Computer Science and its Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering, and the Whitman School of Management.

For more information about the upcoming NSF I-Corps course, contact Linda Dickerson Hartsock,��Ldhart01@syr.edu; Jeff Fuchsberg,��Jrfuchsb@syr.edu; or Cristiano Bellavitis, crbellav@syr.edu.

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Benetta Dousuah (left), Jude Akpunku (center) and Zahra Johnson were named 2024 Tillman Scholars as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self.

Three talented and passionate ���ϲ����� student veterans—Benetta Dousuah G’25, second-year law student Jude Akpunku and Zahra Johnson G’25—were recognized as 2024 Tillman Scholars by the .

The award unites and empowers remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. Dousuah, Akpunku and Johnson were selected out of nearly 1,600 applicants.

are provided academic scholarships, leadership development opportunities and access to a supportive national network as they embark on career journeys in the fields of health care, public service, business, STEM, law, the humanities and education.

The fellowship program honors Pat Tillman, a starting safety for the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals, who in 2002 put his football career on hold to serve his country with the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. Tillman’s family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation following Tillman’s death in April 2004.

���ϲ����� was invited to become a Pat Tillman Foundation University Partner in 2017. To date, the University has seen .

Dousuah, Akpunko and Johnson sat down with SU News to discuss why they wanted to become Tillman Scholars, reflect on the prestigious honor and share how they will use the scholarship to make a difference in their communities.

Benetta Dousuah G’25, U.S. Army

Academic major: Social work ()

Benetta Dousuah

What drew you to study at ���ϲ�����? “I chose ���ϲ����� because it’s known for being a veteran-friendly school. While transitioning out of the military, I visited and was impressed by how much they support student veterans. The National Veterans Resource Center at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello Building showed me how much the school cares about their veteran community.”

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? “My aim is to challenge and transform the existing stigma surrounding mental health and well-being in the military. My goal is to become a social worker and serve as Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) representative at a behavioral health clinic on a military installation, particularly regarding sexual assault and harassment. This position will allow me to address significant issues related to mental health and advocate for policy changes within the SHARP program.”

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? “It’s an honor to be surrounded by people dedicated to making a difference in our military. My passion is to change how investigations are done in the SHARP program. I am excited to bring this idea to other scholars and see what the future holds.”

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? “Pat’s story is incredible. It demonstrates selfless service and leadership, two of the Army’s core values. As a Tillman Scholar, I am honored to carry on Pat Tillman’s legacy. I’m inspired by these exceptional individuals who are making a difference. I was chosen as a Tillman Scholar because of my dedication to making a positive impact. Despite facing a traumatic experience, my goal is to reform the system that failed me, ensuring a safer military for future generations.”

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? “I aim to use the education and experiences from ���ϲ����� and the Tillman Scholar program to advocate for significant policy changes, specifically to reform the investigative process within the SHARP program.”

Jude Akpunku, U.S. Naval Academy

Academic major: Online J.D. program, JDinteractive ()

Jude Akpunku

What drew you to study at ���ϲ�����? “The University’s strong commitment to veterans and its renowned law program attracted me, aligning perfectly with my aspirations in law and public service.”

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? “My interest in law developed from my experiences in the military and as a Defense Legislative Fellow [with U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey], where I saw firsthand the impact of policy and law on service members’ lives and national security.”

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? “It is a profound honor. It validates my commitment to service and leadership and inspires me to continue advocating for justice and equity.”

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? “I was motivated by the program’s focus on leadership and service, which resonate deeply with my personal values and experiences. I believe I was selected due to my demonstrated commitment to these principles through my military and legislative roles.”

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? “I will advance my legal education, focusing on public policy issues that affect veterans and underrepresented communities. I aim to leverage this opportunity to advocate for policies that provide greater support and resources to these groups.”

Zahra Johnson G’25, U.S. Army

Academic major: Biomedical forensic science ()

Zahra Johnson

What drew you to study at ���ϲ�����? “While stationed at Fort Drum, New York, I applied to an Army program called Green to Gold Active Duty, which allows active-duty soldiers to continue their education. I was looking for a school that offered graduate degrees in forensic science, and since ���ϲ����� offered an M.S in different aspects of forensic science, such as medicolegal death investigation and biomedical forensic science, that was my top pick!”

Where did your interest and passion for your field of study come from? “In the wake of a tragedy in my family [the death of my uncle], I was prompted to study forensic science and specifically focus on death investigation. My mother never felt the closure she needed. I hope to help families find some closure by providing them as much knowledge and information as possible through scientific methods and proper and timely investigations.”

How does it feel to be recognized as a Tillman Scholar? “Pat Tillman was one-of-a-kind, someone who believed in impacting the world in a positive way. As a girl growing up in Afghanistan, I would have had little to no opportunities to seek education and follow my dreams and ambitions. The sacrifice of heroes such as Pat allowed me to go to high school, and to have freedom and opportunities that led me to where I am today. The honor is beyond words; I’m extremely proud.”

What motivated you to apply to be a Tillman Scholar, and why do you think you were selected? “The Tillman community shares the same values I believe in my core and was a great opportunity to become part of a community that will help me in my journey to become a better leader.”

How do you plan to use this scholarship and this experience to make an impact in your community? “This scholarship is not only going to help me grow intellectually but will also connect me to a supportive community that can help me improve my service. My goal is also to advocate for soldiers to pursue an education while serving, since education holds the key to a successful and healthy nation.”

• “The bans would pose an immediate risk to people with disabilities who need to wear masks to protect themselves—from airborne illnesses like COVID-19, for example. It is difficult to imagine how a disabled person would be able to convincingly defend their mask-wearing to a police officer,” said Macfarlane. “Even if an exception to the bans were created for people with disabilities, the bans would still��force people to disclose a disability they would rather keep confidential. And if an officer doesn’t believe them (as so often happens to people with invisible disabilities), what happens—they’re arrested?”

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Macfarlane’s disability law research and advocacy focus on reasonable accommodations in the workplace and higher education. Macfarlane is herself a person with disabilities. She has had rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes joint deterioration and visual impairment, since childhood. Her lived experience with disability is one reason she’s excited to direct the DLPP program, she says.

Before joining the faculty as an associate professor last August, Macfarlane served as special counsel for disability rights in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, an appointment supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation’s U.S. Disability Rights Program. She previously was an associate professor at Southern University Law Center and the University of Idaho College of Law. She also was an assistant corporation counsel in the New York City Law Department, where she served as lead counsel in federal civil rights actions and an associate in Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Los Angeles and New York offices. After law school, she served as a law clerk for the District of Arizona and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Katherine Macfarlane (Photo by Marilyn Hesler)

In addition to her disability law research, Macfarlane writes at the intersection of federal civil procedure and civil rights litigation. Her about the modern implications of 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the landmark civil rights law originally passed as part of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, has been cited twice by U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves, most recently in , an order denying qualified immunity that received national media attention.

New DLPP Initiatives

Macfarlane appreciates that Kanter’s DLPP groundwork has provided an understanding of disability law and policies here.

“The University’s understanding of what it takes to support people with disabilities means I can jump right into the kind of programming I want to do. Things I might have had to fight for at other institutions are a given at ���ϲ�����. That’s so refreshing.”

Through DLPP, Macfarlane wants to empower law students to see themselves as disability law scholars and future academics. She hopes to make this year’s inaugural student scholarship-focused symposium a yearly tradition and continue hosting discussions with cutting-edge disability law scholars and advocates. She plans to spotlight the novel disability law work being done by several law faculty. She will also continue to offer disability knowledge workshops and trainings to departments and faculty at ���ϲ����� and around the country and wants to involve DLPP students in those efforts. She especially hopes to maintain the University’s reputation as a destination for law students interested in disability law and law students with disabilities.

“I want for us as a university to think beyond compliance and consider what it takes to continue to attract students and faculty who have disabilities—how to remain an institution where disabled individuals are supported and succeed,” she says. “That means we need to think through the experience of people with disabilities from the minute they arrive on campus and about how to streamline the process of obtaining a reasonable accommodation, for example. We need to ask how much time, money and health insurance a person with disabilities is required to expend and how we can lessen those burdens. Our conversations should reach far beyond a discussion about accessible design and dive into the day-to-day experience of people with disabilities.”

Early Law Interest

Macfarlane lived in Canada and Italy in her youth and always wanted to go to law school. When she moved to the U.S., she was drawn to and inspired by U.S. civil rights movements and civil rights law. Congressman John Lewis is one of her heroes. Her disability law specialty came about later in her career.

“I have been disabled for as long as I can remember, but in law school, I was too self-conscious to identify with the disability community or focus on disability law,” she says. “Well into my twenties, I lived my medical experience in secret, hiding my constant procedures and chronic pain from even my closest friends. Finding the disability community and disability law has been pretty life-changing for me in that I can finally be myself. I became an expert in disability law because I had to in order to protect my own rights, but then I realized I loved this area of the law and the people doing this work, and I never left.”

People with disabilities are underrepresented in the practice of law and academia, Macfarlane says. “Not only is there a real need for people with disability law experience, there is also an absolute need for people with disabilities to go into this area of law. Having more disabled people in the practice of law is a readily attainable goal. But the spaces they work in have to be accessible, too, so law schools, courthouses and law firms have to constantly audit their physical spaces and their disability-related policies,” she says.

DLPP As Leverage

DLPP provides a forum to leverage both objectives, Macfarlane says. “I also love that I can expose students with disabilities to this area of law and advocacy and help give them the confidence to exist as a person with disabilities that I didn’t have myself as a law student. And this generation of law students makes me so excited! They understand what access requires. I’m very interested to see what this generation of young people do when they enter the practice of law or when they come into positions like mine.”

A focus on the specialty requires careful monitoring of litigation and Supreme Court decisions to guard against a decline in disability rights, Macfarlane says. She cites a recent attempt to narrow the that could allow businesses to forego making their establishments accessible. She finds it concerning that some recent Supreme Court decisions may foreshadow a lowering of America’s commitment to disability rights as well.

That’s why the DLPP’s efforts are essential, Macfarlane says. “I’m always pitching DLPP to students. Disability law is a vital, cutting-edge area of law; it’s always changing. Many of us come to this specialty because we’re fired up about disability rights in our own lives. That’s why I’m so pleased to be here; it’s tremendous that a person with a disability is at the helm of this program.”

• “The new recordings of Justice Alito and his wife will not really change the debate over the propriety or trustworthiness of the Supreme Court. Critics of Alito will emphasize the Justice’s agreement with the claim that people need to fight ‘to return our country to a place of godliness.’ Defenders of Alito will re-direct attention by criticizing the means by which the recordings were obtained and by lambasting the media for publishing the recordings’ content. Defenders will also argue that much of what Alito said is unobjectionable, noting, for example, that Alito’s characterization of the Court’s work (‘It’s our job to decide cases as best we can,’) is very conventional. Rather than decisively changing the debate, the disagreement between critics and defenders will simply provide another opportunity to do what Americans have long done: to defend the Justices we like as being impartial arbiters of law and to criticize the Justices we don’t like as being politicians in robes. It is by selectively criticizing the Justices for being political and praising the Justices for being legal that we maintain the Court’s position as a powerful actor in public affairs,” said Bybee.

The year 2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the ADA, celebrated on July 26. During the past three decades, disability law and policy have evolved dramatically in the United States and internationally. “Walls of inaccessibility, exclusion, segregation and discrimination have been torn down, often brick by brick. But the work continues, many times led by advocates who have never known a world without the ADA and are now building on the efforts of those who came before them,” says Blanck, who is also a professor in the College of Law.

Lex Frieden, an internationally distinguished disability rights scholar and advocate and former Chairperson of the U.S. National Council on Disability, writes in the Foreword to Blanck’s book: “In 1967, I survived a head-on car crash. When I woke up, I was paralyzed from the shoulders down. . . . My story is one of many in the modern disability rights movement. In ‘Disability Law and Policy,’ Peter Blanck retells my story, and the personal experiences of many others living with disabilities, in a master tour of the area. Peter is a world-renowned teacher, researcher, lawyer, and advocate. He has been central to the modern sea change in disability civil rights . . . ‘Disability Law and Policy’ should be read by all of us—people with the lived experience of disability and their advocates, parents, family members and friends.”

Blanck says that “a new generation of people with disabilities, building on the efforts of Lex Frieden and many others, families, friends, advocates,and supporters, is stepping forward. As a guiding beacon, disability law and policy offer hope of a future in which all people, regardless of individual difference, will be welcomed as full and equal members of society.”

“Disability Law and Policy” is published by Foundation Press and is available from .

The College of Law will host the National Military Trial Competition and the ���ϲ����� Deposition Competition in the 2024-2025 academic year.

The College of Law will host two first-of-its-kind intercollegiate trial advocacy competitions in the 2024-2025 academic year. The new competitions are the National Military Trial Competition and the ���ϲ����� Deposition Competition, bringing the total of hosted ���ϲ����� Law competitions to five.

The National Military Trial Competition (NMTC) introduces law students with an interest in military justice and the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) to the trial process in military courts. The competition will take place in person in ���ϲ����� March 21-23, 2025.

NMTC will feature between eight to 12 teams competing against each other in a case involving a military court-martial. The case will be tried using the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Rules for Courts-Martial (RCM) applicable to military courts.

Because trying cases in a military court may be unfamiliar to students and coaches, the College of Law will facilitate a virtual non-mandatory introductory training for trying cases in military courts, immediately before the release of the fact pattern. While teams can choose their coach, the College of Law will connect any team who are interested in working with current or former JAG officers with JAG officers who are willing to coach and assist.

The ���ϲ����� Deposition Competition (SDC) fills a training void in legal academia by providing students with a unique platform to expand their arsenal of practical skills. Participants will gain invaluable insight through simulated real-world experience to enhance critical skills for conducting and defending depositions. The competition will take place virtually Nov. 1-3, 2024.

Today, depositions have become the standard and trials the exception. A forum to develop deposition skills is more necessary now than ever. Between the 1930s and 1960s, the percentage of federal civil cases that went to trial fell from 20% to 12%. By 1992, this number dropped to 3.5%.

The competition will feature a minimum of eight teams who will compete by taking and defending depositions. Because of the unique nature of a new deposition competition, the College of Law will host a non-mandatory virtual training session to discuss the basics of deposition practice immediately before the release of the fact pattern.

“The new competitions close a gap in legal advocacy education as these are the first to address the unique challenges of military law and trials and the burgeoning reliance on depositions rather than trials to settle disputes,” says Professor Todd Berger, director of advocacy programs in the College of Law.

The college also hosts the National Trial League, the ���ϲ����� National Trial Competition and the Transatlantic Negotiations Competition (co-hosted with Queen’s University Belfast). Information on all College of Law-hosted trial advocacy competitions can be found on its .

“���ϲ����� College of Law has a track record of creating innovative advocacy curriculum and programs that further the practical educational needs of today’s law students,” says Dean Craig Boise. “I am proud that our institution is adding these unique competitions that will help train new lawyers with the skills needed in the legal profession.”

In addition to the five hosted intercollegiate competitions, the College of Law offers the only joint J.D./LL.M. in advocacy and litigation degree that students can complete in three years and at no further cost than the J.D. Its Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society conducts five intracollegiate competitions and participates in numerous intercollegiate competitions across the country.

Student Leaders Leondra Tyler ’24 and Omnia Shedid L’24 have made their mark and discovered their career ambitions through their time on campus. They plan on using their degrees to make a difference.

This weekend’s ���ϲ����� Commencement marks a time to reflect and celebrate the end of a long journey for students. Two decorated student leaders, Leondra Tyler’24 and Omnia Shedid L’24, share their stories and their paths to ���ϲ����� on this edition of “�Ļ��ܲ��� Conversations.”

Leondra Tyler

A non-traditional student, Tyler will graduate cum laude with dual degrees in neuroscience and psychology from the and the through the Part-Time Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).

Tyler has been recognized as a McNair Scholar, Our Time Has Come Scholar and Remembrance Scholar, and is a passionate leader with the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry. She is engaged in both social psychology and behavioral neuroscience research, including a (SOURCE) research fellowship, and she eventually plans on utilizing her degrees to impact her community as a doctor.

“I took advantage of all ���ϲ����� has to offer, and I made a mark on this campus. I’m making it a better campus for the next round of students that are coming in. It’s been such an amazing journey. While it’s very sad to me that it’s almost over, I know ���ϲ����� will always be my home,” Tyler says.

Omnia Shedid

Shedid, the president of the College of Law’s Class of 2024, is a member of the Advocacy Honor Society’s Trial and Alternative Dispute Resolution divisions. She’s helped connect veterans with access to essential resources with the , and held two prestigious summer internships—as a law clerk at the Office of the Attorney General of Rhode Island, and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Shedid landed her “dream job” as an honors attorney with the government after graduation.

“Being at the College of Law taught me how to lead with understanding, which is such a beautiful way to tie up my entire experience because my law classes taught me how to understand not just the law, but other people’s perspective on the law. It’s important to understand where people are coming from and what they need as a lawyer, because you can’t really support people unless you actually know what it is that they need,” says Shedid.

On this Commencement-centric “�Ļ��ܲ��� Conversation,” Tyler and Shedid discuss their surreal paths to Commencement and how their time on campus reinforced their drive to make a difference once they graduate.

Check out episode 163 of the�� podcast featuring Tyler and Shedid. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Bernard “Bernie” Kossar

“Bernie Kossar was really one of the smartest people I have ever known,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud, recalling the esteemed ���ϲ����� and College of Law graduate, trustee, advisor, engaged alumnus and generous philanthropist. “Bernie’s IQ was so high and, with persistence, it was what kept opening up opportunities for him; but it was really his EQ, his emotional intelligence, that made him great, that made him most successful in my view. Bernie was a great judge of people.”

Syverud conveyed his thoughts at a memorial service for Kossar, who passed away at the age of 91 on April 10, 2024. Over many decades, Kossar had forged a legacy of innovation, leadership and generosity. He was recalled as an extraordinary individual with an unmatched work ethic, fierce loyalty to friends and important causes, and a born entrepreneur who was always willing to help others, especially his alma mater.

Kossar majored in accounting, graduating with a B.S. from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1953 and earned a J.D. from the College of Law in 1955. “The combination of a strong business undergraduate degree, especially focusing on accounting and finance, mixed with a solid legal education equips you for almost anything and everything,” Kossar said in an interview for the College of Law’s , in explaining both his “proprietary interest” in his alma mater and his sense of responsibility to be supportive and engaged.

He served on the University Board of Trustees Advancement and External Affairs and Finance Committees as a life trustee participant. He was a voting trustee from 2000-2012 and chair of the Budget Committee from 2003-2006. In 2013, he received the Dritz Life Trustee of the Year Award. He was also a member of the Whitman Advisory Council, serving as its chair for 13 years. In 1996, he was the recipient of the University’s Outstanding Alumni Award. He was a member of the College of Law’s Board of Advisors and a member of the Society of Fellows.

In 2023, he received the first-ever Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor created by College of Law Dean Craig Boise to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding alumni.�� “Bernie achieved so much in his professional life, and yet he was very involved in giving back and helping succeeding generations earn their own accomplishments,” said Boise.

It was his legal education that set the stage for extraordinary success in business. “In law school, you learn how to think, how to evaluate and come to an informed judgement. The greatest thing you get out of law school is learning how to take an analytical approach to a problem, to tax your brain to get to the depth of the issue and understand it,” said Kossar. After passing the bar, he served in the Marine Corps with a two-year active commitment. While practicing law upon his return, he attended New York University Law School at night to earn a master’s in tax law.

Working at the New York City-based law firm of Van Buren, Schreiber, and Kaplan, Kossar focused on the complexities of corporate law, eventually becoming indispensable to one of his clients, Franklin Stores Corporation. He ended up working full-time for the expansive New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed company, and it was his legal acumen and business sense that earned him the responsibilities and title of president and chief operating officer.

After his tenure there, he strengthened other corporations, becoming the president and COO of Vornado, a NYSE-listed company engaged in retail and real estate holdings. He was special advisor to the chairman and CEO of Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company before joining W.R. Grace & Company as senior vice president. At W.R. Grace & Co., Kossar served as senior vice president of seven retail companies. During this time, Kossar created HQ Home Quarters Warehouse, which he eventually purchased from W.R. Grace. As its president and chief executive officer, Kossar negotiated a highly profitable sale of HQ in 1988. That same year, he founded OW Office Warehouse Inc., an office supply superstore chain; six years later, OW was sold to OfficeMax at a substantial profit. Thereafter, Kossar founded Millennium Partners, LLLP, a private investment partnership focused on public and private investment opportunities.

Kossar’s grandson, Michael Kossar ’13, co-managed Millennium Partners with his grandfather, along with another private investment partnership, the Kossar Family LLLP. Michael was a finance major at the Whitman School, and credits his grandfather for teaching him that success in business is about building relationships and loyal friendships. “My grandfather instilled in me that it’s all about the people that surround you. He cared about everyone, every employee, accountant and lawyer. He may have started as a caboose on the train, but he ended up at the head of the train and everyone followed him.”

Kossar and his wife of more than 70 years, Carol Karetzky Kossar ’53 (College of Arts and Sciences), impacted countless lives with their philanthropy. At ���ϲ�����, they established the Bernard R. Kossar Endowed Scholarship, and generously supported other initiatives in the College of Law, Whitman School, College of Arts and Sciences, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Other philanthropic endeavors included the Tel Aviv Foundation, the Kossar-Karetzky Park and the Kossar-Karetzky Senior Center.

Kossar once described philanthropy as a “selfish endeavor,” adding “I have derived more pleasure and more satisfaction and more good feelings from some of the good things that we’ve done. I’ve had payback beyond belief.”

Kossar is survived by his wife, Carol, their daughters��Stephanie Kossar Stuart and Valerie Lise Kossar, grandchildren Michael and Ariana Kossar Cohn ’16, and great-grandchildren Blaine Monroe Kossar and Juliette Kossar Cohn.

Photos by Chuck Wainwright

On Friday, May 3, the College of Law held its Commencement exercises for the Class of 2024, which included 208 recipients of the juris doctor (J.D.) degree, 26 master of law graduates (LL.M.) and one doctor of juridical science degree (S.J.D.).

Commencement Speaker the Hon. James E. Graves Jr. G’80, L’80, U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Class of 2024 Commencement Speaker the Hon. James E. Graves Jr. G’80, L’80, U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, said, in part, “Begin each day expecting that the world owes you nothing, because it doesn’t, and then you will be delighted with every kind word, every helping hand and every little smile, which is given to you during the day. Remember that as you go through life, you will inevitably encounter and interact with people. You’re making memories for those people. Make those memories, those moments, positive.”

Dean Craig M. Boise addresses the students and their families.

Dean Craig M. Boise said to the class, “In a world that is increasingly characterized by division, injustice and inequality, the need for principled, compassionate and courageous advocates has never been greater. You are the future leaders of the legal profession, and the challenges that lie ahead will require vision, integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice. Let your actions speak louder than words and let your commitment to justice be a beacon of hope in a world that is often filled with darkness.”

Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Academic and Bar Success Kelly Curtis receiving the Res Ipsa Loquitor Award.

During Commencement, the J.D. Class of 2024 awarded Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Academic and Bar Success Kelly Curtis the Res Ipsa Loquitor Award (voted upon by the graduating class in recognition of a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to the College of Law) and Assistant Director of Student Experience Vicki Donella the Staff Award (voted upon by the graduating class in recognition of a College of Law staff member in recognition of their support of students and faculty, and their accomplishments that make the college run day-to-day).

The LL.M. Class of 2024 awarded Associate Professor of Law Jenny Breen the Lucet Lex Mundum Award (voted upon by the graduating LL.M. class, it recognizes the professor who has made a significant impact on the success and experiences of LL.M. students during their studies).

By , Professor of Law, ���ϲ����� College of Law.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged Donald Trump with a “Class E” felony (the lowest felony in New York) under New York Penal Law § 175.10, for reimbursing his prior attorney, Michael Cohen, the $130,000 Cohen paid to Stormy Daniels to sign a non-disclosure agreement in the waning days before the 2016 election, and disguising those payments as attorney fees.�� What does the District Attorney have to prove under NYPL § 175.10?

The case requires peeling an onion containing multiple layers of legal doctrine leading nowhere.

First, NYPL § 175.10 requires proof that the defendant committed a misdemeanor under NYPL § 175.05 (“A person is guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree [175.10] when he commits the crime of falsifying business records in the second degree [175.05], and . . . ”).�� So the first step is for the District Attorney to prove the misdemeanor under Section 175.05.

Section 175.05, in turn, provides that the defendant is guilty of a misdemeanor “if, with the intent to defraud, you make, or even cause through other means, a false entry in an enterprise’s business records.”

So the District Attorney must first prove that Trump made the false business records “with the intent to defraud” in order to satisfy the misdemeanor under Section 175.05 that is a predicate to the felony under Section 175.10.�� The District Attorney has not explained who Trump intended to defraud by falsifying the business records.

There are some appellate division cases that have suggested that a showing of intent to mislead is sufficient to satisfy the “defraud” requirement, although that loose reading of a criminal statute is dubious because criminal statutes are normally strictly interpreted, and “defraud” has a well-defined legal meaning.�� Why would the legislature use the word “defraud” if they intended to criminalize an intent to mislead someone without the usual additional requirements for fraud, like proving that a victim suffered damages by relying on the truth of the misrepresentation.

In addition, the two year statute of limitations on the misdeamenor (New York law, CPL § 30.10(2)(a)) expired long ago, and the District Attorney did not charge Trump with the misdemeanor.�� It is not clear whether the felony can stand when the misdemeanor is time barred.�� The felony statute requires showing that the misdemeanor was committed, since the felony is really a penalty enhancement on the misdemeanor.

Second, in order for the business records misdemeanor to be bumped up to a Class E felony under Section 175.10, “his intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.”�� So, in addition to proving that the business records were falsified to “defraud” someone, the District Attorney must show that Trump falsified the records to commit “another crime” separate from the fraud.

Judge Marshan allowed the District Attorney to proceed with the criminal prosecution without detailing exactly what the “fraud” or “other crime” was.�� The District Attorney merely suggested that Trump may have committed state tax fraud, or violated the federal election laws, or violated New York election laws, but was not required to spell out the violations, or to pick which of them applied to each of the two separate crimes that must be proven under Section 175.10.

Well, now the District Attorney has told the court which horse he intends to ride in the case. It’s New York Election Law § 17.152. What is that?

New York Election Law § 17.152 makes it a misdemeanor to “conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to public office by unlawful means.”�� There are very few cases applying this rather obscure statute, but on its face it requires showing an “unlawful” conspiracy.�� So the misdemeanor requires proof of intent to “defaud,” the felony requires proof of intent to commit or cover up an independent crime, and the independent crime requires proof of a conspiracy by “unlawful means.”�� What is the “fraud” or “unlawful means?”

Oh, and that Election Law misdemeanor is also barred by the two year statute of limitations on misdemeanors.

The District Attorney and many pundits have suggested that these three statutory requirements can be met merely by showing that Trump made the false records intending to influence the election.�� But everything that every candidate does is an attempt to influence an election.�� To constitute a felony, the acts to falsify records must have been “fraudulent” and “unlawful,” and that’s the catch.�� What makes paying hush money “fraudulent” and “unlawful?”�� Running for office is not like selling securities to the public.�� There is no statute requiring full disclosure of all material facts.�� Politicians have the highest level of free speech protection for their campaigns.

Some experts have suggested that the District Attorney does not need to prove that the underlying payment to Stormy Daniels was a crime, only that Trump thought it was a crime.�� I disagree.�� One cannot “intend” to commit or cover up a crime if what one intended to do was not a crime.�� Yes, there are cases saying that the prosecutor need not charge and convict the person of the independent crime, but that does not excuse the prosecutor from proving that the intended act was in fact a crime.�� If someone created false business records to cover up what they thought was a crime, but what they thought was a crime was in fact legal, then they would not be guilty under the statute.�� Cases like People v. Taveras, 12 NY 3d 21 (2009), which held that the Section 175.10 only requires a showing of intent to commit the crime, even if the person did not go through with the crime, or People v. Thompson, 124 A.D. 3d 448 (NY App Div. 2015), which held that the person does not have to be charged with or convicted of the separate crime, are not on point.�� What was intended must be a crime, and the District Attorney must prove that it was or would have been a crime if the defendant followed through, in order to meet the statutory requirement.�� Falsifying business records with intent to commit a legal act is not a crime under the statute.

The District Attorney will be able to prove the facts that he has alleged.�� Despite Trump’s denials, the argument that Michael Cohen paid $175,000 to Stormy Daniels on his own does not seem credible.�� There surely was an understanding that Trump would reimburse Cohen for the payments.�� We do not know why the payments to Stormy Daniels were made by Michael Cohen.�� I suspect that someone (maybe Michael Cohen) suggested structuring the payments that way to prevent a paper trail back to Trump, so that he could plausibly deny paying hush money to a porn actress if the payment became public.

But why were those payments “unlawful” or “fraudulent?”�� Who even knew about and could have been misled by the false business records at the time of the election?�� How would Trump even know about the obscure New York Election Law § 17.152 provision that he is being accused of intentionally concealing?�� These are fundamental problems with the legal theory underlying the case.

But if it would have been legal for Trump to have paid Stormy Daniels directly, then disguising the payments through Michael Cohen did not show an “intent to . . . conceal another crime,” nor a conspiracy to “unlawfully” influence an election.�� The District Attorney’s case is now based on three criminal statutes all of which depend on separate frauds or crimes that have not been clearly alleged or proven.

Where does the case go from here.�� The outcome of the trial will likely depend on Judge Merchan’s jury instructions.�� Will Judge Merchan’s instructions require the jury to identify the specific fraud and independent unlawful act made to influence the election separate from the business records falsification, or will the instructions only require proof that Trump tried to hide his hush money payments to influence the election, ignoring the requirement to clearly identify a separate fraud and unlawful act.

If Trump is convicted, will Judge Merchan sentence him to prison on a first-time non-violent Class E felony, creating a constitutional crisis in the middle of the election?�� Or merely give him probation and leave him free to rail against the corrupt judicial process while appealing his conviction.�� If the judge sentences Trump to prison, will it be upheld on appeal?�� And if Trump goes to prison, what happens to the election?

If the Democratic Party thought that this prosecution would benefit their election, I think they blundered badly.�� Trump is benefitting from the publicity, successfully portraying himself as the victim of a political witch hunt.�� Ultimately, the election will not be decided by the courts.�� Trump could run for and be elected president whether he’s convicted and sent to jail or not.�� And the greater the penalty, the more likely he will win the election.�� Knowing that they can’t knock Trump out of the race, what is the prosecution’s end game?

Members of ���ϲ�����’s military-connected community pose for a group photo with Otto before the 2024 SVO Ball & Awards Banquet.

���ϲ�����’s military-connected community came together for an evening of celebration during the annual Ball & Awards Banquet. The formal event, held each year during the Spring semester, acknowledges the accomplishments within the veteran community at ���ϲ����� and serves as an evening of camaraderie before the academic calendar is overtaken by final exams.

SVO President John Nipper ’23, G’24, speaking to guests at the 2024 SVO Ball & Awards Banquet.

SVO President and U.S. Navy Veteran John Nipper ’23, a graduate student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, opened the formal portion of the evening by acknowledging those military-connected students who will graduate this year, even if they were unable to attend the festivities. “Congratulations on all your successes here at ���ϲ�����, you should be proud of all your accomplishments and to now be recognized as an alumni of these hallowed halls. We know that you will do great things in your future endeavors,” Nipper said.

This year’s event featured a Gatsby-themed evening that welcomed the largest crowd in attendance since the SVO Ball first found a home at the National Veterans Resource Center since its opening. The evening features a formal dinner, guest speaker, awards presentation, announcement of the next year’s SVO executive board, music and dancing, as well as a raffle drawing to help raise money for next year’s SVO functions.

Theodore “Ted” Walker

Theodore “Ted” Walker, a U.S. Army veteran and guest speaker of this year’s event, is an assistant professor with the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Walker shared some of his own experience in the military as a U.S. Army ranger with multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Walker also spoke about the importance of having an engaged community for veterans, highlighting the unique camaraderie that exists among those who have served and the underlying purpose of the SVO’s existence.

Each year, both the SVO and Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) use the event to present their annual awards of recognition. Both organizations present awards to acknowledge the contributions and impact of key individuals, some more light-hearted than others. Among the more impactful awards presented, the following members of the University’s military-connected community were acknowledged:

The SVO Community Service Award is presented to an SVO member who goes beyond expectations in supporting not just our veteran community but extends their generosity and kindness to all those in need around them. This year, the award was presented to Jose A. Baeza-Ruiz ’25, a business analytics student in the Whitman School of Management.

The SVO Best for Vets award is presented to the student veteran who has done the most to help student veterans succeed both on and off campus. This year, the Best for Vets award was presented to SVO Secretary Raul “Rudy” Rosique ’23.

The SVO acknowledged OVMA Executive Director Ron Novack, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, with the SVO’s Staff Appreciation Award, and the SVO Faculty Appreciation Award was presented to retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Kubala, executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic and a teaching professor at ���ϲ�����’s College of Law.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Elizabeth Kubala (left), executive director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic and a teaching professor at ���ϲ�����’s College of Law, receives the SVO Faculty Appreciation Award from SVO President John Nipper.

“I’m truly humbled and honored to be recognized by the SVO for this award. Here at ���ϲ�����, we pride ourselves on cultivating a strong sense of community on campus and in the classroom for our veteran and military-connected students, and I’m really proud to be part of that collective effort,” said Kubala. “I’ve seen first-hand how our programs, like the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, make a tremendous impact by exposing our campus community to veterans, showing others what it means to serve, and fostering a more supportive and welcoming environment for veterans here at ���ϲ�����.”

The OVMA also presents awards at the event each year to several military-connected students who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to supporting the University’s military initiatives.

The Danny Facto Student Veteran Work Study Award, presented by the Office of Veteran Success (OVS), is presented in the name of Danny Facto, a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Facto attended the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics with the goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and was the first VA work-study student at ���ϲ�����. Facto died tragically in a motorcycle accident in 2009, his death was felt throughout the military-connected community at the University and each year the OVS presents an award in his name to a current VA work-study student they feel is deserving of the recognition.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ron Novack (left), executive director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (left), presents the OVMA Student Veteran of the Year Award to Raul “Rudy” Rosique.

This year, the Danny Facto Student Veteran Work Study Award was presented to Andrew Patterson, a 3L law student in the College of Law.

The OVMA Student Veteran of the Year Award was also presented at the banquet, awarded to a student veteran who makes the most standout commitment to the military-connected community at ���ϲ�����. This year, the award was presented to Raul Rosique ’24.

To close out the event each year, the SVO announces the results of the SVO’s Executive Board election. Those elected will go on to serve in the next academic year to help support veteran and military-connected students as well as welcome all students who wish to learn more about service members, veterans and the military community at large.

SVO Executive Board Results:

President: Raphael Grollmus, a graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences

Vice President: Marriler Wilson, a graduate student in the Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Citizenship

Secretary: Jurgen Baeza ’26, a computer science major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Treasurer: Savion Pollard ’25, an electrical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science

Public Affairs Officer: Tojyea “TJ” Matally ’27, a communications design major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts

Community Outreach Officer: Leonel Aviles ’26, an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies

“I first started attending in the Fall of 2021 and have seen a night and day difference within the SVO. The lounge seemed more like a doctor’s office than a place to eat and gather, and socials were nonexistent due to COVID. Every year since there have been new faces, a significant increase in events and overall, it’s been more welcoming. It’s like seeing something being built from the ground up,” said Grollmus, who served for nine years in the U.S. Marine Corps prior to enrolling at the University. “If there is something the veteran community as a whole could benefit from or an event that would be excited to do, let us know so we can put it into action.”

The SVO Executive Board for the 2024-25 Academic Year (from left to right):
Public Affairs Officer, Toyyea “TJ” Matally; Secretary, Jurgen Baeza; Vice President Marriler Wilson; President Raphael Grollmus; Treasurer, Savion Pollard; and Community Outreach Officer, Leonel Aviles.

Photos by Sophia Simmons, student in the Advanced Military Visual Journalism

Hilton Als, writer at The New Yorker; Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73, former ���ϲ����� men’s basketball coach and special assistant to the director of athletics; husband and wife, William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68, chairman of a specialized investment firm and an investment management firm, and Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68, a National Museum and Library Services Board member; and Lynn Conway, inventor of methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated silicon chips, will be honored for their outstanding achievements in their professional careers and the difference they have made in the lives of others.

Hilton Als
Doctor of Letters

Hilton Als (Photo credit: Ali Smith)

Als is an award-winning journalist, critic and curator. He has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1994. Prior to The New Yorker, Als was a staff writer for the Village Voice and an editor-at-large at Vibe. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2017), Yale’s Windham-Campbell Literature Prize (2016), the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism (2002-03) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2000).

His first book, “The Women,” was published in 1996. His next book, “White Girls,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the winner of the Lambda Literary Award in 2014. His most recent book, “My Pinup,” a meditation on love and of loss, of Prince and of desire, was published in November 2022.

In 2017, he curated the critically lauded exhibition “Alice Neel, Uptown,” which traveled from David Zwirner, New York, to Victoria Miro, London and Venice. In 2019, Als presented “God Made My Face: A Collective Portrait of James Baldwin” at David Zwirner, New York, followed by Frank Moore at, David Zwirner, New York (2021) and Toni Morrison’s “Black Book,” at David Zwirner, New York (2022). He curated a series of three successive exhibitions for the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, of the work of Celia Paul (2018), Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (2019) and Njideka Akunyili Crosby (2022). In 2022, he curated “Joan Didion: What She Means” at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, which traveled to the Perez Art Museum Miami in 2023. He curated Jared Buckhiester “No heaven, no how,” which opened March 2024 at the David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles.

Als is currently a teaching professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and has also taught at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, Princeton University, Wesleyan University and the Yale School of Drama.

Jim Boeheim ’66, G’73
Doctor of Humane Letters

Jim Boeheim

Hall of Fame member Jim Boeheim had a remarkable run as head coach at his alma mater, ���ϲ�����. Boeheim guided the Orange to winning records in 46 of 47 campaigns. ���ϲ����� made 35 trips into the NCAA Tournament, including Final Four appearances in 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013 and 2016. The Orange won the national championship in 2003. Boeheim retired from coaching after the 2023 season but continues to work for the University.

Boeheim was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also honored with the John R. Wooden “Legends of Coaching” Award.

Boeheim enrolled at ���ϲ����� in 1962 and was a walk-on with the basketball team. The Orange were 22-6 overall his senior year and earned the program’s second-ever NCAA Tournament berth. He earned a bachelor’s from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a master’s from the Maxwell School. In 1969 he turned to a career in coaching and was hired as a graduate assistant at ���ϲ�����. In 1976, he was named head coach.

A four-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Boeheim has been honored as NABC District II Coach of the Year 10 times and USBWA District II Coach of the Year on four occasions. In the fall of 2000, he received ���ϲ�����’s Arents Award, the school’s highest alumni honor.

Boeheim was named 2001 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year. He has served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic teams that won gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016, and the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.

A champion of many charitable causes, Boeheim and his wife started the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation with the goal of enriching the lives of kids in need.

Joan Breier Brodsky ’67, G’68
Doctor of Humane Letters

Joan Breier Brodsky (Photo credit: Richard Shay)

Joan Brodsky graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1967 with a bachelor’s in Latin language and literature and went on to graduate from the School of Information Studies (formerly the School of Library Science) in 1968 with a master of science degree.

Joan is passionate and knowledgeable about rare book and cultural heritage conservation and has been active nationally for many years, including sitting on the board of the Newberry Library in Chicago, as a Trustee for the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library, as well as the library advisory board of the Jewish Theological Seminary. She also served on the Advisory Board for the School of Information Studies and has been a member of the ���ϲ����� Libraries Advisory Board since its founding.

In 2022, Joan was appointed by President Joe Biden to the National Museum and Library Services Board, which advises the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the largest federal funder of America’s museums, libraries and related organizations through grantmaking, research and policy development.

At ���ϲ�����, she is the founder and sponsor of the Brodsky Series for Advancement of Library Conservation. This sponsored program promotes and advances knowledge of library conservation theory, practice and application among wide audiences, both on campus, in the region and now online. This is an annual lecture series and workshop on book and paper conservation now in its 19th year.

In 2022, she and her husband Bill, a ���ϲ����� life trustee, funded the Conservation Lab in the Bird library and the Joan Breier Brodsky Media Preservation Vault in honor of Joan’s commitment to the preservation and conservation at the Bird Library.

Joan and Bill have been married for 57 years and reside in Chicago.

William “Bill” Brodsky ’65, L’68
Doctor of Laws

William “Bill” Brodsky (Photo credit: Richard Shay)

Bill is chairman of Cedar Street Asset Management, LLC, an investment management firm devoted to investing in equity securities in international markets, and chairman of Bosun Asset Management, a specialized investment firm.

During his combined 35-year career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), he was recognized as a global leader in the development of the future and options markets. His contributions to Chicago’s futures and options markets were a major factor in Chicago’s becoming the world’s preeminent city for the futures and options markets.

Bill served as chairman of the CBOE Holdings Inc. now known as CBOE Global Markets and its predecessor firms between 1997 and 2017. He also served as the chief executive officer of the CBOE from 1997 to 2013. During his CBOE tenure, he served as the chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges and the International Options Market Association. From 1985 to 1997, he was president and CEO at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Bill, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School and a law degree from the College of Law, began his career in 1968 at the Wall Street-based investment banking and securities brokerage firm of Model, Roland and Co. Inc. In 1974, he joined the American Stock Exchange and ultimately was executive vice president for operations.

In 1982, he became executive vice president and chief operating officer of the CME. In 1985, he was appointed president and CEO of the CME.

In 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker named him to co-chair the newly formed State’s Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force. In 2022, he was inducted into “The Order of Lincoln,” the state’s highest honor for professional achievement and public service.

Brodsky is chair emeritus of the board of directors of Navy Pier Inc., one of Chicago’s most iconic cultural destinations, and past chair of the board of directors of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Brodsky was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022 to the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which maintains a special reserve fund authorized by Congress to help investors at failed brokerage firms.

Lynn Conway
Doctor of Science

Lynn Conway

Conway is a renowned computer scientist who revolutionized global information technology by inventing methods for designing Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) silicon chips. Her work paved the way for the powerful microchips that animate modern high-technology systems.

As a young engineer at IBM Research in the 1960s, Conway made pioneering innovations in computer architecture. Sadly, IBM fired her in 1968 upon learning she was undergoing gender transition. She restarted her career in a new identity in “stealth-mode” after completing her transition.

While working at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, Conway innovated breakthrough methods that enabled engineers to design very powerful, complex chips. In 1980, Conway’s seminal textbook “Introduction to VLSI Systems,” co-authored by Caltech Professor Carver Mead, became an instant classic, forever transforming computing and information technology. Professor John V. Oldfield brought the new VLSI methods into ���ϲ����� right at the beginning of that revolution.

In the early 1980s, Conway became assistant director for strategic computing at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 1985 she joined the University of Michigan as professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate dean of engineering.

When nearing retirement in 1999 she began quietly coming out as a trans woman, using her new to share her story with friends and colleagues. Conway became active in transgender advocacy.

In 2012 Conway published a that revealed how—closeted and hidden behind the scenes—she conceived the ideas and orchestrated the events that disruptively changed global industries.

Conway is a life fellow of the IEEE, fellow of the AAAS, winner of Computer Pioneer Award of the IEEE Computer Society, member of the Hall of Fellows of the Computer History Museum, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and holds five honorary degrees. In 2023 she was inducted into the for the invention of VLSI. She was awarded the by the and the .

In 2020, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna on behalf of the company for back in 1968. the IBM Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Kubala writes: “Here at ���ϲ�����, we pride ourselves on being the “Best Place for Veterans,” especially when it comes to ���ϲ�����’s support to veterans who utilize their VA Education Benefits to pursue their educational goals.�� Today, the Supreme Court ruled that an Army Veteran may use educational benefits that he earned under both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.�� The decision is a win for Veterans and allows them to receive the full extent of the benefits they earned.�� No veteran should be penalized for their continued service by having to choose one benefit when they earned two.�� Here at the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal clinic we have cases involving education benefits and I’m thrilled to see the Court find that service members who accrue these benefits may use them as they choose.”

Robert Murrett

Retired Vice Admiral currently is a professor of practice and serves as the deputy director of ���ϲ�����’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. Murrett writes: “In the wake of the last week’s devastating Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the upcoming retaliatory action by Iran is likely to represent a significant response and a departure in character from previous such actions. Tehran will have to walk a fine line as they will want to send a strong signal to the Israelis, and at the same time not jeopardize their stated goal of not raising tensions in the region dramatically. Another key dynamic to watch in the weeks and months ahead will be the magnitude of attacks by Iran and their regional surrogates throughout the Middle East. The Israeli strike on the Damascus consulate may result in some level of additional latitude for the proxies, and lead to a range of actions in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, the Red Sea and elsewhere.”

Sean McFate

,��professor at ���ϲ�����’s Maxwell School��of Citizenship & Public Affairs and author of��The New Rules of War: How America Can Win — Against Russia, China, and Other Threats. McFate writes: “Israel and Iran have been fighting a shadow war across Syria for over ten years. Now it risks coming into the light, and could ignite the region into broader conflict — exactly what the White House is trying to prevent. However, unlike previous White House’s, the Israeli don’t issue fake ‘red lines.’ For them, it’s existential, and that’s why everyone should take it seriously. If it happens, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States will be in an odd position: triaging enemies. Before the October 7 attacks, they were all aligned against Iran. Hamas sought to end that alliance, and did.”

The One University Awards Ceremony, an annual event to honor members of the ���ϲ����� community who are making a difference through academics, scholarship, creative work and dedicated service, will be held Friday, April 19, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

“Every year, we come together to celebrate the outstanding contributions and tremendous success of our students, faculty, staff and broader community,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The accomplishments of this year’s recipients reinforce what it means to be Orange. This ceremony also shines a bright spotlight on the work being done around campus, much of which happens behind the scenes. I thank the many members of our community who organized this event and look forward to recognizing this year’s winners.”

Two major awards—the Chancellor’s Medal and the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence—will be bestowed. The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Student-Athlete Award, Judith Seinfeld Scholarship, Meredith Professorship for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Recognition Award, Diversity and Inclusion Award, William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning and Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award.

and�� will also be recognized. This year’s��University Scholars,��, and Remembrance and Lockerbie Scholars will also be honored.

All members of the University community are invited and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow in the lobby of the Heroy Geology Laboratory.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be provided at the ceremony. For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, contact Gabe Coleman at gbcolma@syr.edu.

Award Recipients��

The��Chancellor’s Medal��is the University’s highest honor and is awarded to individuals in honor of their trailblazing and extraordinary contributions to the University, to an academic body of knowledge or to society. This year’s recipient is��, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The��Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence��recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in four overarching categories:

• The award for��Excellence in Student Research recognizes students who have engaged in collaborative research that has the potential to make a deep and lasting impact on greater society. This year’s recipients are Jingjing Ji, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (graduate), and Ashtha Singh, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School (undergraduate).
• The award for��Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives acknowledges faculty and staff who, through their work, enhance the undergraduate experience for students or make invaluable contributions to supporting and advancing the University’s mission and goals. The recipients are��, associate professor of communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications (faculty); , chief operating officer for the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (professional staff); , program coordinator of citizenship and civic engagement in the Maxwell School (professional staff) and , events coordinator at Lubin House (support staff).
• The��Faculty Excellence and Scholarly Distinction award is intended for faculty members who are collaborators in work of intellectual richness that has the potential for future impact. The work of these nominees offers possibilities for collaboration within the University and outside in partnership with others. This year’s honorees are��, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Art and Music Histories in the College of Arts and Sciences, and , associate dean of research and professor of Public Health in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
• Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence, Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions toward advancing all four pillars of excellence over the arc of their careers while at ���ϲ����� and beyond. This year’s recipient is��, Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence and professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

The other awards to be presented are:

• The��Student-Athlete Award recognizes the top female and top male student athletes and are presented to the senior student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average over the course of their academic and athletic careers. This year’s recipients are Izabela Krakic, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences and member of the women’s rowing team, and Julius Rauch, an entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises major in the Whitman School of Management and a member of the men’s soccer team.
• Seinfeld Scholarship: Each year ���ϲ����� honors the talents of outstanding faculty or students through an��, a distinguished alumna and member of the University Board of Trustees. Awards are made to those who have been determined by their peers to have made outstanding contributions to the beauty of the world, to have added to human values and to ending human abuse anywhere in the world, and to have demonstrated passion for excellence, creativity and originality in academic or artistic fields. This year, the designation is bestowed upon a faculty member,��, associate professor of advertising in the Newhouse School.
• The��Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professorships for Teaching Excellence were created in 1995 to recognize and reward outstanding teaching among faculty. The 2024-27 Meredith Professors are��, professor in the School of Information Studies, and , Bond, Schoeneck and King Distinguished Professor in the College of Law.
• In 2001, the Meredith Professorship Program was expanded to recognize teaching excellence by non-tenured faculty and adjunct and part-time instructors. Awards are given in two categories:��Early Performance and��Continuing Excellence. This year’s honorees in the Early Performance category are��, assistant professor of television, radio and film in the Newhouse School; , associate teaching professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; , assistant professor of visual communications in the Newhouse School; , assistant teaching professor of Chinese and Chinese language in the College of Arts and Sciences; and , assistant professor in the School of Architecture. The two honorees in the Continuing Excellence category are��, assistant dean of online and distance education and associate teaching professor of social work in the Falk College, and , teaching professor and graduate director of nutrition and food studies in the Falk College.
• The��Diversity and Inclusion Award��recognizes an individual who is integral in helping us achieve academic excellence at a university that is welcoming to all through our investments in a diverse, inclusive, accessible and equitable community. This year’s recipient is��, teaching professor in the College of Law and faculty fellow for the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
• The��William Pearson Tolley Medal for Distinguished Leadership in Lifelong Learning is based in the School of Education and honors national or international leadership in support of lifelong learning. This year’s recipient is ’77, executive director of MidPenn Legal Services, adjunct professor of law at PennState’s Dickinson Law and an alumna of the School of Education.
• The��Chancellor’s Forever Orange Award recognizes individual students, faculty or staff who—by virtue of extraordinary hard work, good values and commitment to excellence—have come to embody the best of ���ϲ�����. This year’s recipients are , associate vice president of parent engagement and student experience, and , head coach of the men’s soccer team.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from several student organizations who will be , enjoy a spirited awards ceremony hosted by student Nicole Aponte ’24 and mingle with honorees and each other during a reception following the ceremony.

Get to know the outstanding alumni across generations who will be honored April 12 during the ���ϲ����� Alumni Awards.

Traditionally held in the fall during Orange Central, the 2024 awards ceremony was shifted to the spring to facilitate greater interactions between award recipients and the ���ϲ����� student body. The honorees, selected by the awards committee of the Board of Directors, were selected for their achievements and success, truly highlighting what it means to be Forever Orange.

The George Arents Award is ���ϲ�����’s highest alumni honor and recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields. In 2024, three alumni will receive the Arents Award: former NFL quarterback turned philanthropist Donovan McNabb ’98; president and chairman of Wilmorite Thomas Wilmot ’70; and former litigation attorney turned civic leader Melanie Gray L’81.

Marc Malfitano ’74, L’78 will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to ���ϲ����� over the past 50 years. Malfitano is a member of the 50th reunion class, and both the Classes of 1964 and 1974 will celebrate milestone reunions during the weekend.

Amanda Quick ’14, G’16 will be awarded the Generation Orange Award, which recognizes graduates from the past decade for career success and community engagement, along with their overall commitment to ���ϲ�����.

Major General Peggy Combs ’85, H’21 will receive the Military/Veteran Award for exceptional meritorious service while serving in the United States Military.

New in 2024, Tracy Barash ’89 will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of her consistent volunteerism to ���ϲ�����.

Also new in 2024, the Outstanding Future Alumni Award will highlight student Leondra Tyler ’24 for her commitment, involvement and leadership outside of the classroom.

, then make plans to .

Story by Laura Verzegnassi ’25, student intern in the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

The campus community is invited to participate in a variety of solar eclipse-themed activities on April 8.

It’s been nearly 100 years since the Central New York region experienced a total solar eclipse, but on Monday, April 8, ���ϲ����� will find itself situated along the for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Beginning at 3:23 p.m., a new moon will find itself precisely between the Earth and the sun, creating roughly 90 seconds of pure darkness during the middle of the afternoon.

University community members are invited to participate in this rare occasion—the next total solar eclipse in ���ϲ����� isn’t predicted to happen for another 375 years—through a series of on-campus events and celebrations in ���ϲ�����. Students can pick up their solar eclipse glasses through their residence hall.

Special note: All Parking and Transportation vehicles will suspend service on Monday from 3:15-3:30 p.m., after the total eclipse, they will resume their normal service.

College of Arts and Sciences Eclipse Celebration

The Department of Physics, in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, is hosting various on the Shaw Quad from 1:30-4 p.m. Physics students will lead assorted make-and-take projects and demonstrations across different locations. Telescopes will be available by Carnegie Library, and guided and eclipse-related presentations are being offered in the Stolkin Auditorium. Complimentary eclipse glasses and pinhole projectors will be provided while supplies last.

To allow blind members of the campus community a chance to participate in and enjoy our eclipse watch party, has secured a device that turns light into sound. There will be speakers on the Quad to project the sound from the eclipse, and there will be information, provided by the , on how you can make your own device.

Of course, we will all (safely) peer skyward to view the total solar eclipse between 3:23-3:25 p.m. Be sure to visit the for more helpful information.

Solar Eclipse Sound Bathing and Drumming

Join the Barnes Center at The Arch and Hendricks Chapel on the Quad from 2:30-4 p.m. for an , featuring a sound bathing experience and guided meditation, a viewing of the total solar eclipse, and a celebration of Buddha’s birthday ritual with the Buddhist chaplaincy.

David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

The Falk College is hosting a viewing party for students, faculty and staff from 3-4 p.m. outside of the Falk Complex, MacNaughton and White halls. Eclipse glasses and snacks will be provided.

College of Law

The College of Law is holding an admitted student event and will be passing out eclipse glasses to members of the College of Law community.

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

The Maxwell School is holding an in the Lincoln Courtyard of Maxwell Hall from 2:50-3:50 p.m. and will provide glasses to attendees.

Solar Eclipse Festival at the MOST

Enjoy tabling activities, food trucks and free eclipse glasses during the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology’s (MOST) from noon-4 p.m.

Solar Eclipse Spectacular With the Liverpool Public Library

and participate in guided learning activities starting at 2 p.m. at Onondaga Lake Park. Free eclipse glasses will be provided while supplies last.

Solar Party on Solar Street

on Solar Street of the ���ϲ����� Inner Harbor from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. There will be food trucks, live music and free eclipse glasses.

The College of Law is adding a to its clinical legal education offerings beginning in the Fall 2024 semester.

The Housing Clinic will operate in partnership with and the to provide representation to low-income tenants in eviction, housing conditions and other rental housing-related matters. Students in the clinic, working under the supervision of clinic director Professor , will handle all aspects of clients’ cases, including interviewing and counseling, investigation, negotiation, pleading and motion practice, courtroom advocacy and real estate procedure.

“The Housing Clinic will bring much-needed representation to an underserved population dealing with profound living condition issues,” says Dean . “At the same time, our students will be gaining practical legal skills essential to a legal career and a priority in the College of Law curriculum.”

“Housing cases move quickly and are tried almost immediately, providing students with multiple opportunities during the semester to see a case through to resolution—from the initial interview and filing of motions to settlement or trial, including appearing in ���ϲ����� City Court,” says Pieples. “The Housing Clinic also provides students another opportunity to explore public interest law as a career.”

The Housing Clinic is underwritten by a grant from Legal Services of Central New York and the Legal Aid Society, which received additional New York State funding under the Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act.

The College of Law now offers students a choice of : the Bankruptcy Clinic, the Betty & Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, the Criminal Defense Clinic, the Disability Rights Clinic, the Housing Clinic, the Sherman F. Levey ’57, L’59 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, and the Transactional Law Clinic.

The awards are funded by a 2022 grant that supports research and community programming over three years to examine the racial wealth gap’s root causes and ideas that may resolve its economic and social inequalities, says , Lender Center interim director. The awards are part of the Lender Center for Social Justice initiative led by the

The racial wealth gap is an ongoing issue that undermines potential economic and social progress and opportunities for members of underserved and underrepresented communities, according to , Lender Center senior research associate and associate professor in the Whitman School of Management.

“These research projects are noteworthy because of their unique courses of inquiry, their highly inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional nature and their close engagements with ���ϲ����� community members and organizations,” says Phillips.

Projects receiving the one-year grants and involved faculty are:

“Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap Through Increasing Decennial Census Self-Response Rates in Marginalized Communities”

Leonard Lopoo

This project will test mechanisms to try to increase self-response rates for the 2030 federal census in undercounted communities in New York State. Successful efforts could offset census undercounts that might otherwise reduce federal funding for education, health care, housing, infrastructure and other vital services.

• , , principal investigator
• ,

Brice Nordquist

“���ϲ����� Futures”

This study looks at ���ϲ�����’s arts and humanities infrastructure and how universities and community organizations can partner in offering arts and humanities programming and college and career support to historically marginalized communities.�� Led by the ’ , the effort involves multiple South Side organizations.

• , College of Arts and Sciences, principal investigator.
• ,
• ,

“Does Military Service Mitigate the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap? Overlooked Pathways for��Underrepresented Minorities in Public Service”

Arielle Newman

Corri Zoli

This project explores how military service intersects with racial wealth disparities. Researchers will look at military service as a means of economic advancement and a way to overcome social barriers that may hinder underrepresented minorities who are pursuing post-service career advancement and entrepreneurship.

• , , and , Whitman School, principal investigators
• , (IVMF)
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• , Maxwell School
• , IVMF
• , Lender Center for Social Justice
• , University of Pittsburgh

“From Highways to High-Speed Internet: Leveraging Equitable Infrastructure for the Data Economy”��

LaVerne Gray

Researchers are determining whether access to first-class digital information, services, assets and increased technology training can reduce the racial wealth gap by lessening barriers to digital networks, critical information and data literacy skills. Skills-training workshops are planned with community members.����

• and , (iSchool), principal investigators
• , iSchool
• , iSchool
  

  Beth Patin

• iSchool
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• , , Whitman School

“Opportunity Design: Engaging Public Health in Low-Income Communities”

Hannibal Newsom

This study leverages interest in ongoing energy retrofit work at 418 Fabius Street in the James Geddes Housing development in ���ϲ����� to generate a more comprehensive examination of social determinants of health through the process of opportunity mapping.

• , , principal investigator
• , College of Visual and Performing Arts, co-principal investigator
• , School of Architecture, co-investigator

“Nourishing Families: Parents as Partners in the Alignment of a Mindful Eating Intervention to Meet the Needs of Low-Income and Marginalized Families With Young Children”

Lynn Brann

Parent and teacher workshops that include mindful yoga and mindful eating lessons for children are planned to address the nutrition needs of low-income, underrepresented families in ���ϲ�����. Research will explore if better nutrition for vulnerable populations can mean better health for families and more opportunities for their gainful employment, lessening the racial wealth gap.

• , , principal investigator
• , Falk College
• , Falk College

“Addressing Obesity and Hypertension in Refugees through Culturally Relevant Meal Interventions”��

Miriam Mutambudzi

This project looks at obesity and hypertension in diaspora populations and works with African immigrants on post-immigration diets to introduce healthy adaptations while preserving culinary heritage. The goal is to assess whether healthier eating can reduce health issues and boost labor force participation, generating improved socioeconomic status.

• , Falk College, principal investigator
• , Falk College

“Disability as a Critical Element in Exploring the Racial Wealth Gap”

Nannette Goodman

Researchers will identify challenges faced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color individuals with��disabilities and will examine the role of disability in the racial wealth gap. They plan to develop recommendations regarding policies and practices that limit economic inclusion and trap people with disabilities into poverty.

• , College of Law, principal investigator
• , College of Law

“Optimizing Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs and Corporate-Facing Regulations for Addressing the Racial Wealth Gap”��

Karca Aral

This initiative examines diversity interactions and legislative interventions in business-to-business aspects of wealth distribution and corporate supplier diversity programs. Researchers will develop guidance on diversity programs and diversity initiatives while enhancing those programs’ potential to level the racial wealth gap.

• , Whitman School, faculty lead
• , Whitman School
• ., Whitman School

The theme for this year’s celebrations was “Existing Outside the Lines: The Colors of Resistance.”��Through a lens of intersectionality as art, this theme encapsulated the rich diversity within the Black community while also acknowledging the spectrum of color that Blackness holds.

Relive the celebrations through our photo gallery, which captures highlights from several of the signature events led by the Black History Month Committee and coordinated across campus by the . Thanks to all who participated!

Black History Month Kickoff Celebration (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Kickoff Celebrations (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Kickoff Celebrations (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Kickoff Celebrations (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Kickoff Celebrations (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Kickoff Celebrations (Photo by Julie Herman)

Black History Month Commemorative Event: Night at the Museum (Photo courtesy of on Instagram)

Olutosin Alabi G’25 won the Third Annual Afropreneurship Competition (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� Libraries)

The Third Annual Afropreneurship Competition (Photo courtesy of ���ϲ����� Libraries)

Black History Month Orange After Dark Trap N’ Paint (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Black History Month Orange After Dark Trap N’ Paint (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Black History Month Orange After Dark Trap N’ Paint (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Black History Month Orange After Dark Trap N’ Paint (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Black History Month Orange After Dark Trap N’ Paint (Photo by Amelia Beamish)

Black Beauty Expo (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Black Beauty Expo (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Black Beauty Expo (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Black Beauty Expo (Photo by Angela Ryan)

Black History Month Career Mixer (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Black History Month Career Mixer (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Black History Month Career Mixer (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Black History Month Career Mixer (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

20th Annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony (Photo courtesy of Multicultural Affairs)

20th Annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony (Photo courtesy of Multicultural Affairs)

20th Annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony (Photo courtesy of Multicultural Affairs)

Black History Month Week of Wellness–Mental Health Talk (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Black History Month Week of Wellness–Mental Health Talk (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

Black History Month Week of Wellness–Mental Health Talk (Photo by Jeremy Brinn)

All Wheels! No Ceilings! Black History Month Soul Skate (Photo by Leigh Mai Vo ’24)

All Wheels! No Ceilings! Black History Month Soul Skate (Photo by Leigh Mai Vo ’24)

All Wheels! No Ceilings! Black History Month Soul Skate (Photo by Leigh Mai Vo ’24)

All Wheels! No Ceilings! Black History Month Soul Skate (Photo by Leigh Mai Vo ’24)

Men of Color Initiative Induction Ceremony (Photo courtesy of Dylan Antigua ’22, G’23)

The College of Law’s Fifth Annual Black History Month Dinner (Photo courtesy of on Instagram)

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To get in touch and learn more about ���ϲ����� faculty members available for interviews, please contact��media@syr.edu.

Now two years later, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs professors Tetiana Hranchak and Robert Murrett, along with IVMF staff member Linh Nguyen G’21, offer their reflections on the lessons learned and the road ahead. Access their videos below.

Tetiana Hranchak is a visiting assistant teaching professor, supported by ���ϲ�����’s participation in the Scholars at Risk Network. She shares her thoughts on the two-year anniversary of the war in her homeland. Having fled her country when the invasion commenced, she offers a unique perspective on the ongoing conflict. Learn more about her.

Retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett discusses how the military and defensive landscape of both Russia and Ukraine has developed over these last two years, along with what it’ll take for this war to come to an end. Murrett is a professor of practice and serves as the deputy director of ���ϲ�����’s Institute for Security Policy and Law. .

If you are with the media and would like to schedule an interview with either of these faculty/staff members, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.

The (OSPO) is supported by a grant from the totaling more than $630,000, according to , vice president for research. A collaboration between the , and (ITS), OSPO will be operated by (CASE).

’05, G’11 has been named as the office director. ��He previously served as the high-performance computing facilitator at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, and as a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. Capano recently returned to ���ϲ����� to also serve as a research professor in the .

Collin Capano

“I am excited to be back in ���ϲ����� and leading such an important initiative,” Capano says. “There is growing recognition in academia of the importance of open-source software and open-source research more generally. The OSPO will help nurture open-source work and make ���ϲ����� a leading institution on open-source education and research.”

OSPO is a multidisciplinary initiative that coordinates activities across schools and colleges and accelerates research and creative work by leveraging open-source software and best practices. The goal is to train the next generation of leaders in open-source software development and help faculty, staff and students transition existing software into sustainable, open-source material or adopt open-source solutions to pressing problems across disciplines.

Besides Libraries and ITS, additional support for the initiative is provided by the , the and the . The grant also supports a new postdoctoral fellowship and single-semester research assistantships for students who are doing software-intensive research.

“While we have excelled at providing computing hardware for research, ���ϲ����� has lacked a hub to coordinate open-source development efforts across campus; the Open Source Project Office fills that missing critical need,” Brown says. “This builds on the University’s history of cross-campus collaboration, a public-spirited approach to innovation and technology, a vision of bringing emerging technologies to research labs and classrooms and ultimately offering knowledge to the world through public engagement around emerging technologies.”

OSPO will work with the to help shape how open-source practices impact career development and to strengthen the University’s open-source community relationships.

Brown, who has two decades of experience in open-source software development, is the principal investigator on the development project. Co-principal investigators are and .

The University’s open-access publishing policies, read-and-publish agreements and open publishing systems are coordinated by the Libraries, as is the development of the University’s Open Data archive. The Libraries will expand advising and support services for open-access publishing and data management as part of OSPO.

The ITS team includes two cyberinfrastructure engineers who support access to a variety of computing hardware and infrastructure for faculty and students. ITS also oversees the University’s multi-faceted digital transformation project.

Contact OSPO by emailing ospo@syr.edu.

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serves as the University’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub, partnering with academic programs and entrepreneurial centers across campus and beyond to connect students to local, regional and national networks of alumni entrepreneurs, company founders, subject matter experts and venture partners.

Administered by ���ϲ����� Libraries and located in Bird Library, the LaunchPad hosts classes, speaking events and workshops and offers a mentoring program. In addition, LaunchPad hosts each year.

Winning Startups

Three businesses developed by graduate students recently claimed the top prizes in the ’Cuse Tank competition, one of the University’s premier business plan competitions. Here, the winners offer advice for other graduate-level students who have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Natasha Brao

developed , inspired by the Mediterranean dish Shakshuka. The MBA student says she plans to run the business full time after she graduates this spring. Brao recently began production runs and is forming relationships with small local retailers. She will expand the business by hiring staff and ramping up marketing and sales and hopes it will soon be investor ready.

“Creating a food product and brand has been something I have dreamed of doing since I was a kid, and now I owe it to myself to give it all I’ve got,” she says. She encourages others to pursue their startups while still in school. “If you have an idea you want to explore or that is ready and has a place in the market, this is the best time for that. Starting a business while being in grad school has made me more passionate and driven me to absorb as much as I can from my classes. They provide invaluable tools to learn as I go and I can immediately apply those lessons to the real world.”

Waqar Hussain

founded , a cloud-hosting platform engineered with proprietary software that offers streamlined cloud server management solutions. He is on track to earn an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship and marketing next year. Now, he’ll use his ’Cuse Tank prize to fund product development, improved technology, automation, marketing and the infrastructure and operations teams, he says. He encourages graduate students to take on startup ventures.

“[The experience] allows grad students to start building while they’re studying. These programs help you think more holistically when you’re competing—from writing to pitching to financing. You find there’s a whole world of things you can put into practice to build your real-world skills.”

heads , which uses engineering analysis software to design systems for active space debris removal, on-orbit satellite servicing and in-space manufacturing missions. He is in his final year of the H. John Riley dual engineering/MBA program.

Marin’s interest in creating a space company began in high school after a military representative at a science fair thought his passion could become something more. He credits a first-year entrepreneurship course with helping him better understand how to solve problems and seek opportunities. “Explore the connection between your passion and problem-solving while there’s time for it,” he suggests. “If you find something worth doing, do it.” He says he will enter his company in additional competitions this semester, then look for longer-term sources of funding.

Additional Resources

Students can also find entrepreneurship opportunities in their home school or college.

: The (New Explorations in Information and Science) Lab is a research lab where student innovators initiate IT projects, work with peers and explore emerging technologies. Students work on independent projects that advance the fields of information science, engineering and technology. The school also hosts workshops and hackathons.

: The ��provides information about patents, trademarks and copyrights. Student entrepreneurs can meet with law student experts regarding questions on intellectual property, regulatory compliance and commercialization resources as well as the technical, legal and business aspects of bringing new technologies to market. The center also hires graduate students from a wide range of disciplines to assess and analyze proposals submitted by real-world clients.

: The is an entrepreneurial workspace that partners with new media startups and offers tailored services to help students’ companies grow and succeed. The coordinates co-op internships that allow students to work with some of the world’s fastest-growing media startups.

: The graduate degree program in offers specialized tracks in four areas: new venture, social, corporate and family entrepreneurship. The school presents several competitions each year, including , the and . Whitman is also home to the , a student-centered co-working space and mentorship program, and the

: Veteran or military-connected students will find many at IVMF. help students get their ideas off the ground. The annual focuses on the opportunities and challenges faced by growth-stage businesses that are actively scaling or ready to scale. is a one-day entrepreneurship training event, offered in cities across the U.S., for veterans, active-duty military and military spouses or life partners who are just beginning to explore the opportunity of small business ownership as a post-service career path.

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Robert Murrett

Murrett writes: “The lethal attack yesterday by Kataib Hezbollah on the Syria/Jordan border, which killed three Americans and wounded more than 30 others, is the latest in a series of mounting attacks by Iranian proxy forces throughout the region.��The White House has made it clear that there will be retaliation for the attack, and it is likely that response options are already available to the President for execution at any time.

The larger issue here is a policy of strong deterrence without causing escalation.��We continue to witness a wide range and increasing number of Iranian-backed attacks in the Red Sea, from Lebanon, in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf of Aden.��Difficult choices will be required in the days and weeks ahead as military operations continue a policy of strong deterrence without seeking widespread escalation that could harm our interests and those of our allies.��While a retaliatory attack against proxy groups such as Kataib Hezbollah would not necessarily constitute a major inflection point, a decision to strike actual Iranian target(s) could do so.”

As vice president for research, supports and empowers ���ϲ�����’s internationally recognized creative and scholarly excellence, advancing centers and institutes that are global leaders in their fields.

In this role, Brown helps faculty and students pursue research and creative activities across the natural sciences, humanities, engineering, education, arts, social sciences and law fields. Brown also leads the and its component units, which serve as the backbone of the University’s research, scholarship and creative support enterprise. Collectively, these efforts help students and faculty expand their knowledge through innovation, creativity and discovery.

Duncan Brown, vice president for research.

Brown, who is in his second year as vice president for research, has been a physics faculty member since 2007 and is an accomplished physics researcher, recognized as an international leader in gravitational-wave astronomy and astrophysics before taking on this latest position.

“The main vision is to empower and amplify and tell the stories of the amazing research that’s happening here and the amazing creative activities that our faculty are pursuing. Faculty really want to do research and creative activities, and they want to engage our students and our students want to be part of this,” says Brown, who also serves as the in the .

On this “’Cuse Conversation,” Brown elaborates on his vision for the research enterprise at ���ϲ�����, explains what makes ���ϲ����� a premier research institution, examines the impact of the research being done by faculty and students and reveals where his passion for research came from.

Check out podcast featuring Brown. A transcript [PDF]��is also available.

Vice President for Research Duncan Brown supports and empowers the University’s internationally recognized creative and scholarly excellence, advancing centers and institutes that are global leaders in their fields.

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Shubha Ghosh

, Crandall Melvin Professor of Law and director of the ���ϲ����� Intellectual Property Law Institute, has been awarded a 2023-24 Wikimedia Race and Knowledge Equity (WRKE) Fellowship.

The is a one-year fellowship designed to explore the intersection of racial equity, free knowledge and the intellectual property ecosystem and to promote sound policy for achieving social justice through these overlapping disciplines.

For his fellowship grant, Ghosh plans to compile information about existing intellectual property (IP), science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and artistic educational programs, with the goal of creating a map of this landscape, along with an analysis of these programs.

“I selected this focus because educational programs in entrepreneurship and IP at the K-12 level exist but have been understudied. Universities are the major avenues for commercializing technology in conjunction with private industry and government research labs. But by the time students enter college, the issues surrounding entrepreneurship and innovation come across as unfamiliar,” says Ghosh. “The development of entrepreneurship and IP education programs at the K-12 level was established to educate students about these issues earlier as they develop their own educational and career paths. My goal is to work, within existing channels of research, to better understand what these programs involve and whether they can be improved.”

Ghosh will disseminate his research through original writings in journals, book chapters and law reviews. “My research will also connect me with policymakers at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office who have just started to study these issues in depth and with nonprofit organizations like The Henry Ford in Detroit, which works with the Ford Museum and the Ford Foundation, to design programs on entrepreneurship and intellectual property in the Detroit metro area. The Henry Ford is also designing a comprehensive database of these programs throughout the United States. I will be analyzing this database as well as contributing to it,” he says.

About the Fellowship

The role of the WRKE Fellow is to undertake scholarly and other research, produce scholarly publications and public intellectual writings intended to contribute to the body of free knowledge and racial equity scholarship, and to organize and present policy and community educational programming relevant to the Fellowship’s research and education agenda. The WRKE Fellow will work at the direction of supervising Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ) and Howard University School of Law (HUSL) personnel (in consultation with Wikimedia Foundation legal and policy staff), and receive support, guidance and mentorship from the WRKE Fellowship Advisory Board, made up of distinguished legal academics in the field of intellectual property social justice. Members of the Board are on hand to provide the fellow with scholarly insight, policy expertise and general guidance where needed to achieve fellowship goals.

Among other things, the research and programming will examine the role of doctrinal elements within the IP law in contributing to traditions of systemic IP racial inequity and related injustice. The resulting research analyses will be put toward constructing free knowledge initiatives to improve the understanding and use of intellectual property in marginalized and underserved communities. The ultimate goal of the research is to improve racial equities through the IP ecosystem and related socioeconomic aspects of the political economy, and will be available to the general public, IP law and policymakers and IP practitioners.

The fellowship is funded through a grant from the Knowledge Equity Fund at the Wikimedia Foundation and is jointly administered by the IIPSJ and HUSL.

Robert Nassau

Regarding the case, he writes: “On one level, the Supreme Court case of Moore v. United States,��oral argument for which was heard today. considers the constitutionality of the narrow and esoteric Mandatory Repatriation Tax.��But on another level, it potentially considers the constitutionality of vast swaths of the Internal Revenue Code, such as the tax treatment of partnerships, S corporations, foreign corporations controlled by Americans — and even the simple holding of stocks and bonds.��The Court’s holding is the most anticipated holding in a tax case in many decades.” ]]> /blog/2023/12/06/search-committee-to-identify-next-dean-of-the-college-of-law-appointed/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 18:49:07 +0000 /?p=194778 Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter today announced the members of the search committee charged with identifying the next dean of the College of Law. Current Law School Dean Craig Boise will continue in the role until the end of the academic year.

“The College of Law has a long history of producing successful graduates who have impacted the field of law in numerous positive ways,” says Provost Ritter. “As the college is poised for continued growth and success, I look forward to what the next chapter will bring. I thank the search committee members for their service and am eager to meet the candidates.”

The co-chairs of the search committee are Todd Berger, professor of law and director of advocacy programs, and Nina Kohn, David M. Levy L’48 Professor of Law.

Other members of the search committee are:

• Richard Alexander L’82, vice chair, Board of Trustees
• James Baker, professor of law and director, Institute for Security Policy and Law, College of Law
• Devon Brown, third-year student, College of Law
• Vincent Cohen Jr. ’92, L’95, voting trustee, Board of Trustees
• Shannon Gardner, teaching professor and associate dean for online education, College of Law
• Roy Gutterman, professor and director, Tully Center for Free Speech, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Courtney Abbott Hill, associate teaching professor, College of Law
• Mark J. Lodato, dean, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Cora True-Frost L’01, G’01, Bond, Schoeneck and King Distinguished Professor and professor of law, College of Law
• Jennifer Uryniak, assistant dean for finance and administration, College of Law
• Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs, ���ϲ�����

The search firm WittKieffer will assist the committee in all aspects of recruitment and selection.

College of Law/Maxwell School professor the Hon. James E. Baker (center) is sworn in as one of eight judges on the Data Protection Review Court.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland recently held a formal investiture ceremony for the Data Protection Review Court (DPRC) at the U.S. Justice Department. The , professor of law, director of the and professor of public administration in the , was formally sworn in as one of eight judges on the DPRC.

Last October, the attorney general issued regulations creating the DPRC within the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties at the Department of Justice. The DPRC serves as the second level of the new redress process established by the president through Executive Order 14086, which also strengthened other safeguards for U.S. signals intelligence activities.

The DPRC will independently review determinations made by the civil liberties protection officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in response to qualifying complaints sent by individuals through appropriate public authorities that allege certain violations of U.S. law in the conduct of U.S. signals intelligence activities.

For more information on the DPRC and the bios of the DPRC judges, visit the .

Prospective students applying for entry into the J.D. program for Fall 2024 will have the opportunity to apply for conditional entry to the LL.M. during the admitted student process. Alternatively, any student who has completed their first year of law school can apply for the joint degree up to the first semester of their third year. Upon completion of their first year, students with a GPA of 2.9 or higher are eligible to pursue the joint degree.

The LL.M. consists of 25 advocacy-focused credits. 13 credits are mandatory and 12 are elective credits, six of which may also count toward the J.D., meaning students must take 19 unique LL.M. credits across four semesters. Students can focus their studies on one of the three areas of advocacy: trial, appellate or alternative dispute resolution. Students would take, on average, 17/18 credits per semester which is similar to most joint J.D./master’s degree programs.

“The J.D./LL.M. joint degree reflects our innovative approach to legal education, which focuses on empowering students to obtain the skills, knowledge, and experiences that contemporary law practice demands,” says College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise. “Many law students enter law school because they want to be in the courtroom, and the practical orientation of this degree offers a distinct advantage when entering the field.”

Required courses are evidence, alternative dispute resolution, appellate advocacy skills and trial practice. Elective courses include advanced litigation skills, selecting your jury and writing for trial and appellate judges as well as participation on an intercollegiate competition team.

“Being able to simultaneously earn your J.D. and a specialized law master’s degree is a game changer for students,” says Kathy Fox, assistant dean for enrollment management. “Many students currently take advantage of our leading advocacy programming and with this joint degree they can maximize their investment with credentials that previously have been available only after completing the J.D.”

The College of Law’s advocacy program features a comprehensive advocacy curriculum concentration and the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society. The advocacy program hosts the ���ϲ����� National Trial Competition and the National Disability Law Appellate Competition and co-hosts the Transatlantic Negotiation Competition and the Hall of Fame Sports and Entertainment Law Negotiation Competition. In addition, the College created the National Trial League, a unique online competition recognized by Bloomberg Law’s Law School Innovation Program for Student Development.

To learn more and apply online, visit the .