Youth Law Day Welcomes More Than 120 High School Students to Syracuse University College of Law

Syracuse University College of Law’s annual Youth Law Day event recently welcomed more than 120 high school students from across Central New York to Dineen Hall for a wide-ranging introduction to the legal profession. The students also learned about the role of an attorney in society and how to begin their path to law school.

Participating schools were:

The welcome address was delivered by Crandall Melvin Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Lauryn Gouldin, followed by an introduction to the federal courts and the Justice for All Program by the Hon. Joseph F. Bianco, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Students heard from a panel of legal professionals who shared their unique journeys to law school, featuring Jimmie McCurdy G’09, L’09; William Wolfe L’20; Marisol Estrada Cruz L’23; Shira Levin G’25, L’25, and Professor Thomas Leith.

Then, students divided into groups to tackle a negotiation strategy session led by College of Law students. Students were able to network with members of the local, state, and federal judiciary during lunch. A question-and-answer panel of current Syracuse Law students followed, with the students sharing their path to law school, best ways to prepare for law school, and more. The panel was moderated by Anthony Ruscito L’27 and featured Kayzjah Charles L’26, Eric Boutros L’27, Elizaveta Bukraba-Ulanova L’27, and Mira Gaitanis L’28.

Closing remarks were provided by Professor Courtney Abbott Hill L’09, who coordinated this year’s event.

Event sponsors were: