Deans Dispatch Alumni | Summer 2019

SUMMER 2019

From the desk of Dean Boise

By now, US-based alums will have received a copy of the Stories Book. For our overseas community, the Stories Book is also available to read online. I hope you read this issue with pride; after all, it is filled with updates, accomplishments, and the insights of your friends across the globe—from California to South Korea to Turkey.

One article I’d like to draw your attention to introduces the College of Law Alumni Inclusion Network. A part of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA) Engagement Committee, the Inclusion Network arose from last September’s inaugural Alumni of Color Reception at Law Alumni Weekend. Spearheaded by Staci Dennis-Taylor L’14, it aims to better connect members of student affinity groups with the College’s alumni networks and create pipelines to scholarship and career opportunities.

I applaud the efforts of Staci and her colleagues to promote a diverse legal profession through these networking efforts. In addition to planning an event for this fall’s alumni weekend, the Inclusion Network is looking for more committee members, so if you can lend your expertise and energy to this important initiative, please contact Director of Alumni Affairs Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.9532. Speaking of Law Alumni Weekend, registration is now open (see below).

This summer edition of the Dean’s Dispatch will be the last one until September. Please enjoy the summer months—relaxing with the Stories Book, perhaps—and don’t forget to reserve your place at LAW 2019, September 19-21 (more on this below). I look forward to seeing you in the fall!

College of Law News

Syracuse University Named a US Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence

The US Intelligence Community has designated Syracuse University one of eight national Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence (ICCAE). The funding award is $1.5 million over five years. The University is one of only eight universities and one of only two private institutions to be selected nationwide.

This is a highly collaborative, University-wide initiative, but we can be proud of the fact that the grant’s Principal Investigator is Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT) Deputy Director Robert Murrett and the CO-PI is INSCT Director the Hon. James E. Baker. Additionally, several law faculty members will be involved in projects to develop a full intelligence-related curriculum, professional development opportunities, and culturally immersive experiences.

As an ICCAE institution, the University will lead a consortium of five schools—known as the Partnership for Educational Results/Syracuse University Adaptive, Diverse, and Ethical Intelligence Community Professionals (PER/SUADE)—to recruit and educate talented, diverse students interested in public service careers in the intelligence field.

I encourage you to share this news widely, with the knowledge that the University’s standing as an ICCAE university is as important as the financial award. Please join me in congratulating the INSCT staff on this high-profile success. I look forward to updating you as the program comes to life.

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Highlights 3+3 Agreement with HBCU

I was pleased to speak recently with a reporter from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education about our groundbreaking 3+3 agreements with Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University—three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Atlanta—as well as our overall commitment to diversity and inclusion. The article highlights the agreement’s elements—including scholarships and tailored academic programming—as well as its objective. As I told the reporter, “My goal is quite aggressive. I hope in the next three to five years we can double the number of black students who are coming to Syracuse.”

Office of Alumni Relations Survey Results

Thank you to those who participated in the College of Law alumni survey this past spring. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and feedback, and it was gratifying to hear that the overall impression of the College is very positive.

We are responding to all of the requests we received. We heard that you are interested in more CLE opportunities, so we’ll have two programs over Law Alumni Weekend. Plus, be on the lookout this coming year for CLE programs in New York City and Washington, DC. There will be more! Alums also expressed interest in learning more about SULAA and the Inclusion Network. SULAA President Amy Vanderlyke Dygert L’06 and Staci Dennis Taylor L’14, Inclusion Network Committee Chair, will be in touch with you. I am grateful for your interest.

Alumni News

Frank Ryan L’94 Named US Chairman of DLA Piper

Congratulations to Board of Advisors Member Frank Ryan L’94, who has been named the next US Chairman of multinational law firm DLA Piper, the 4th largest law firm in the world. In his new position, Ryan will be responsible for the firm’s US operations, which includes more than 1,500 lawyers and nearly 3,000 total employees in more than 30 offices.

This is a significant achievement for Frank. His accession to this role is not only a personal accomplishment but also one that reflects well on the College’s strength and legacy in intellectual property law. I am particularly pleased that Frank remains committed to his alma mater philanthropically and programmatically. He is always eager to share his wisdom and his vision with our students and the rest of our community as a guest speaker and as a member of the Board of Advisors.

Law Alumni to Receive Prestigious University Awards.

And there’s more good news about our alumni! Ronald Goldfarb L’56 and his wife Joanne Goldfarb ’57, and SULAA Board Member Kevin Belbey L’16 will receive University alumni awards at the Orange Central awards ceremony in September.

Ronald and Joanne will receive the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award for their distinguished careers as well as their philanthropy, which includes the donation of more than 1,500 books from their personal collection to the Law Library. Belbey will receive the Generation Orange Award. We are very proud and fortunate that two of our alumni have been chosen for these awards, which are a testament to their achievements and their steadfast support of the College and University.

Scott de la Vega L’91 Kicks Off DCEx Summer Seminar Series

On May 28, Scott de la Vega L’94 hosted Summer 2019 DCEx externs at the US Department of the Interior (DOI), in Washington, DC, where he serves as Director of the Departmental Ethics Office and Designated Agency Ethics Official. De la Vega discussed DOI’s purpose and mission, his role within the agency, and his personal experiences as a law student and attorney. “Participants gained a solid understanding of what it means to be a government ethics attorney and the importance of upholding ethical values throughout their legal careers,” says Faculty Director of Externship Programs Terry Turnipseed.

Student News

LL.M. Graduates Selected for Muskie Internship Program

Master of Laws in American Law graduates (L to R) Chiora Taktakishvili LL.M.’19 (Georgia) and Kate Halenko LL.M.’19 (Ukraine) recently began summer placements in the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program, which will extend their time learning the law in the US. “The Muskie program is an excellent opportunity for Kate and Chiora to gain valuable hands-on experiences that put into practice what they have been learning in the classroom,” says Assistant Dean of International Programs Andrew Horsfall L’10. Halenko is interning at Sayari Analytics in Washington, DC, while Taktakishvili is placed at the Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

Faculty & Department News

Andrew Horsfall L’10 Receives Fulbright to Attend International Education Administrators Seminar

Over a few weeks in October and November 2019, Assistant Dean of International Programs Andrew Horsfall L’10 will travel to Berlin, Germany, to attend the 2019-2020 International Education Administrators Seminar. After a competitive process, Horsfall was awarded a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board grant to attend the intensive, two-week seminar.

IEA seminars promote cross-culture dialog among higher education professionals and government officials. Andrew says he expects the seminar to serve as a catalyst to explore new international projects and partnerships for the College of Law and future collaborations for the University. “Our faculty are innovative and globally minded, and Germany offers a rich landscape of opportunities to pursue,” he says.

College Hosts World Leadership Exchange

The College of Law recently hosted a group of five female Ukrainian military veterans as part of the Open World Leadership Center exchange program. Chantal Wentworth-Mullin L’07, Wohl Family Veteran’s Legal Clinic Fellow, provided the visitors with an overview of veterans law aspects of the American legal system as they approach myriad veteran affairs issues in Ukraine through their current positions and organizations.

How You Can Make a Difference

If you have already made your annual gift to the College of Law, I am deeply grateful.
A gift to the Annual Fund is an immediate and impactful way to support and expand our successful academic, research, and programmatic initiatives. Moreover, a gift made before June 30 will help our planning as we prepare to welcome the new J.D., JDinteractive, and LL.M. classes.

Have you moved? Taken a new position? Changed email addresses?
Take full advantage of the extensive ’Cuse Community alumni network by updating your information today!

Support Our Recent Grads During Bar Prep!

Help ease the stress and long hours of bar prep by participating in the annual Bar Prep Care Package Program. Participating is as easy as visiting the program’s Amazon Wish List, adding items to your cart, and checking out. Purchases are sent directly to Associate Director of Student Affairs for Academic and Bar Support Courtney Abbott Hill L’09. Items will be assembled into packages and distributed throughout the summer to graduates preparing for the bar exam in Dineen Hall.

Thank you to Syracuse University Law Alumni Association President Amy Vanderlyke Dygert L’06 for spearheading this initiative in support of recent law graduates studying hard for the bar!

Plus, when you welcome our newest alumni peers to the SULAA family by using Amazon Smile, you can simultaneously purchase care package items and donate a small percentage of your purchase to the charity of your choice.

For Your Calendar

Law Alumni Weekend: A Weekend You Don’t Want to Miss!

Sept. 19-21, 2019

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Syracuse Law Honors Award ceremony and cocktail reception.
• Annual State of the College Address (this will be the first time I deliver my address during Law Alumni Weekend, with alumni in the audience)
• Annual Celebration of Alumni of Color
• Student and Alumni Reception
• CLE session on ethics, with the Hon. James E. Baker, Director, Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism
• Lunch with the Judiciary, with the Hon. Glenn T. Suddaby L’85, Chief US District Judge, Northern District of New York
• Supreme Court Preview, with Jess Bravin, The Wall Street Journal SCOTUS Correspondent (CLE credits)
• Saturday Breakfast, with author Jodé Millman L’79 (Jodé will be reading from, discussing, and signing copies of her new thriller, The Midnight Call)
• Orange vs. Western Michigan football game. Tickets for alums are just $20: contact Connor Siskovic at cjsiskov@syr.edu or 315.443.6363. Plus, tailgate before the game!

Upcoming Alumni Receptions

• Buffalo Alumni Reception
  June 24; 5:30 p.m. | Home of William Mattar L’89 and Kathleen Mattar (for more information and to RSVP, contact Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.9532).
• DC Alumni Reception
  July 24; 6 p.m. | City Tap House Penn Quarter, 901 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (RSVP here)
• SAVE-THE-DATE: NYSBA Gala Dinner | Jan. 30. 2020
  In celebration of the College’s 125th anniversary in 2020, I am proud to announce that the College of Law will be a sponsor of the 2020 NYSBA Gala Dinner, which will be a central part the NYSBA Annual Meeting in January. I encourage all New York-based alumni to attend this banner event, which promises a spectacular line up. Come celebrate a fantastic evening with fellow alumni and our NYSBA community—watch this space for more information!

Alumni Events

Syracuse Alumni Kick Off the Summer

Thanks to all who attended the Syracuse alumni event on June 6 at Otro Cinco in the University Block, Hanover Square. State of the art when the College moved there in 1898 from the Bastable Block on South Warren Street, University Block is still a beautiful building, and it served as a fine backdrop for our traditional early summer get-together, as well as a reminder of the College’s roots. It was truly a pleasure catching up with everyone and meeting admitted and prospective students.

And Finally …

Mr. President

Congratulations to Hank Greenberg L’86 on his June 6 swearing-in as President of the New York State Bar Association. Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals Janet DiFiore read the oath. Hank’s wife Hope Engel is also pictured. Hank’s initiatives—particularly on diversity and inclusion—are already being noticed. We’re looking forward to his homecoming in August when he will deliver the Convocation address during Orientation Week.

For More Information

Questions? Please contact Sophie Dagenais, Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs, at sdagenai@law.syr.edu or 315.443.4536, or Kristen Duggleby, Director of Alumni Relations at klduggle@law.syr.edu or 315.443.1964.

Contact us at 315.443.1964 or alumni@law.syr.edu to send us your news. Remember, you can also update your contact information on ’Cuse Community.

I’ll keep you updated on our news in future editions of the Dean’s Dispatch, and for those of you who use social media, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram for timely updates and photographs.

You also can connect with me on my own LinkedIn account.