Professor Elizabeth Kubala, Director of the Office of Clinical Legal Education and Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic at Syracuse University College of Law, was recently honored with the 2026 Chancellor’s Citation Award for Excellence in the category of Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives. The award recognizes Syracuse University faculty whose work has significantly enhanced the student experience and advanced the University’s mission and goals.
In announcing the honor, Chancellor Kent Syverud recognized Kubala as a “transformative leader” who has built the College of Law’s Veterans Legal Clinic into a nationally recognized model of clinical legal education. The award also recognized the clinic’s substantial impact on both the veterans it serves and the students who participate in its mission, as well as Kubala’s mentorship of aspiring attorneys and success in securing grant funding to support the clinic’s growth.
Kubala’s accomplishments directly advance the Chancellor’s pillar of excellence to position Syracuse as the best university in the world for veterans. Through her leadership, the College of Law has strengthened its role in that mission by expanding high-impact legal services for veterans, military-connected individuals, and their families, while preparing students to serve those communities with skill, professionalism, and purpose.
Kubala joined the College of Law in 2020 as a Teaching Professor and Director of the Veterans Legal Clinic. She now serves as Director of the Office of Clinical Legal Education and Director of Veteran and Military Affairs at the College of Law, providing strategic leadership for the College of Law’s experiential learning programs.
Her work has expanded opportunities for students to engage in hands-on legal advocacy while serving veterans, military-connected individuals, and underserved populations throughout Central New York. Through the Veterans Legal Clinic, students provide legal assistance in areas including VA benefits, military administrative matters, housing instability, and outreach to homeless veterans in partnership with the Syracuse VA Medical Center Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program.
Kubala’s leadership and advocacy have earned statewide and national recognition. In 2024, she was named the New York State Bar Association Veterans Advocate of the Year, and in 2025 she was selected as one of Syracuse University’s representatives to the ACC Academic Leaders Network.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Kubala earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering before serving as an Army Judge Advocate. She received her J.D. from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law and an LL.M. from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.
“Beth exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose. Through her vision and dedication, the Veterans Legal Clinic has become a nationally recognized model of clinical legal education, one that serves our students and our veterans in equal measure. I’m deeply proud of everything she has built here, and I’m grateful that the University has recognized her with this honor,” said Dean Terence Lau L’98.
The Chancellor’s Citation Award was presented during Syracuse University’s One University Awards Ceremony at Hendricks Chapel. The annual ceremony recognizes faculty and staff whose scholarship, leadership, service, and dedication have made a meaningful impact across the University community.
