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Professor Elizabeth Kubala Receives 2026 Syracuse University Chancellor’s Citation Award for Excellence

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.

Professor Beth Kubala, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black and gray plaid jacket over a black blouse with a gold necklace and gold earrings, smiles in front of an orange background.
Teaching Professor Executive Director of Clinical Education Director of Veteran and Military Affairs, College of Law Executive Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic

Summer Veterans Legal Clinic Student Attorneys Sworn In by U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judge Grant Jaquith

Syracuse University College of Law recently held a virtual swearing-in ceremony for 13 Summer 2026 JDinteractive (JDi) student attorneys in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic. The Honorable Grant Jaquith, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, administered the oath.

Professor Beth Kubala, director of the Veterans Legal Clinic and executive director of Clinical Legal Education, welcomed the students and guests, noting the College of Law’s strong commitment to experiential education. Through the College’s seven in-house clinics, students learn to apply doctrinal law while representing real clients under the supervision of faculty mentors.

The Veterans Legal Clinic provides free legal representation to veterans and their families seeking benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or pursuing discharge upgrades through the military services. During the summer clinic, student attorneys gain practical experience in client representation, case management, advocacy, administrative practice, and military and veterans law.

Associate Dean for Academic Programs Shannon Gardner also addressed the students, describing the Veterans Legal Clinic as a pillar of the College of Law’s clinical offerings and a reflection of Syracuse University’s longstanding commitment to veterans and military-connected communities. She emphasized that the clinic gives JDi students a meaningful opportunity to practice law remotely while making a direct difference in the lives of veterans and their families.

Judge Jaquith’s remarks connected the students’ work to the broader national obligation to care for those who have served. He described veterans benefits advocacy as helping veterans in “battles without bullets” and reminded students that they may serve as a veteran’s “prayer for justice.” Drawing on his experience as a federal judge, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, and retired Army JAG officer, Judge Jaquith stressed that careful preparation, professionalism, punctuality, and diligent advocacy are essential to effective lawyering.

He also discussed the importance of early legal assistance in veterans benefits cases, explaining that a strong record can help veterans avoid years of delay in the VA system. He encouraged the student attorneys to approach their work with seriousness and purpose, noting that veterans law continues to develop and that advocates have the opportunity to shape the law for years to come.

“The veterans that you help will be looking for you to help take care of them, to bring to bear the foremost foundational principle of our nation—the rule of law—so systems set up to secure justice for them and their families work as prescribed,” Judge Jaquith told the students. “It’s hard to imagine a more important role, a weightier responsibility, or a better opportunity.”

Following his remarks, Judge Jaquith administered the oath. The student attorneys pledged to act in their clients’ best interests, work diligently to protect their clients’ rights, present facts and law zealously but truthfully, remain courteous and civil in their professional dealings, maintain loyalty to their clients, and abide by the New York State Rules of Professional Conduct.

After the oath, Kubala congratulated the students as they began their work as members of the next generation of veterans advocates.

“Each of you is directly impacting the way our country treats its veterans,” Kubala said. “The way we take care of our veterans directly impacts our nation’s ability to sustain an all-volunteer force. Thank you for raising your right hand tonight to do your part in ensuring that our veterans receive the benefits they have earned.”

Student attorney Daniel Kenneally L’28 said the ceremony was especially meaningful given his own family’s military service and his decision to attend Syracuse Law.

“As a third-generation veteran, the mission and advocacy of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, and its dedicated staff, were the driving forces behind my decision to attend Syracuse University College of Law,” Kenneally said. “Our swearing-in ceremony marks a pivotal milestone in our legal education—the precise juncture where student practitioners are entrusted to advance this vital mission. Allowing students to serve veterans, as a meaningful repayment for their sacrifices, fully operationalizes Syracuse’s institutional commitment to being the premier veteran-friendly university.”

Professor Shubha Ghosh Weighs in on a Possible Appeal by Elon Musk in the OpenAI – Sam Altman Decision

Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh spoke with Bloomberg Law about a possible appeal by Elon Musk following the jury verdict in the Elon Musk v. Sam Altman trial. The jury found that the statute of limitations had expired before Musk filed the suit and did not address the merits of Musk’s claims.

“We haven’t reached those substantive issues yet,” said Ghosh. “And it’s not quite clear whether we ever will get to see them.”

“He Took Too Long” – Professor Shubha Ghosh on a Potential Appeal in the OpenAI Ruling Against Elon Musk

Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh discussed with the Wall Street Journal the possible outcome of an appeal by Elon Musk in the lawsuit against OpenAI and co-founder Sam Altman.

At the trial, the jury sided with OpenAI, agreeing that the statute of limitations had passed and Musk knew about the actions that OpenAI and Altman had taken to create a for-profit entity well before he filed this lawsuit in 2024.

“It’s a very rare circumstance that those can be appealed because it’s usually a clear rule,” he said. “What the jury found is that he took too long.”

Seth M. Owens from the College of Law Named 2026 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholar

Joins a network of 37 leaders serving our nation’s veterans

Seth M. Owens, attorney at the College of Law’s Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, has been named to participate in the 2026 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.  Stand-To targets dynamic leaders, including civilians, veterans, and active military members, from various sectors nationwide who are dedicated to supporting our nation’s veterans and their families.

The 37 scholars hail from across the country and will gather at the George W. Bush Presidential Center next month for the opening session. Over the course of the five modules, scholars will hear from a variety of distinguished professionals, educators, and experts in veteran transition and leadership development, including Major General Jeannie M. Leavitt; and Alex Gorsky, U.S. Army veteran, April and Jay Graham Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute, and former Chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson; among others.

Seth M. Owens, J.D., D.P.T., is an attorney and advocacy fellow with the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic at the Syracuse University College of Law, where he focuses on veterans health and disability law, federal appellate litigation, and legal services for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. A former physical therapist and healthcare manager, Owens brings a multidisciplinary approach to veterans advocacy that integrates legal, medical, and policy perspectives. His scholarship centers on veterans’ access to benefits and the systemic barriers faced by former service members with less-than-honorable discharges, including published and forthcoming work in the Syracuse Law Review. Owens has also co-authored amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court and regularly contributes to national conversations on veterans law, discharge characterization, and access to care.

“I am so incredibly honored to be selected for this cohort of the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, and have the opportunity to bring back lessons learned to the College of Law and the community of veterans we serve,” Owens says.

Each participant brings a personal leadership project to the program, enabling them to immediately apply what they learn to making a positive impact on veterans and military families across the United States.

During the five-month program, Seth will develop his initiative focused on correlating improvement in well-being and housing status for homeless veterans with the delivery of legal services focused on accessing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and services. He hopes to show that the delivery of these legal services can be a primary intervention to combat homelessness in the veteran population—an intervention that could be adopted on a much larger scale by the VA.

Scholars were carefully chosen following a comprehensive application and review process. They become part of a dynamic network comprising over 250 alumni from seven earlier classes, focused on enhancing veteran outcomes across a range of issues. Many alumni occupy leadership positions in business, community initiatives, nonprofits that aid veterans, government, and academia; numerous members are also active or reserve military personnel.

The program is one of many ways the Bush Institute supports our country’s veterans and military families and builds on the organization’s extensive policy work in veteran transition.

To learn more about the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, please visit  bushcenter.org/veteranleadership.

About the George W. Bush Institute  

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at www.bushcenter.org. 

A man with a beard and glasses in a light orange suite in front of a computer with a pen in his hand.
Seth M. Owens L’24

Professor Paula Johnson Writes Opinion Article “Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Decision Silences Black Voters”

Professor of Law Paula Johnson contributed the opinion article “Supreme Court’s voting rights decision silences Black voters” to Syracuse.com in response to the recent Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

In the article, Johnson provides a historical review of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, its impact on the civil rights of Black voters, and how the ruling will affect minority voting going forward.

She concludes that, “while it is not fully extinguished, this democratic promise is now dimming under the Supreme Court’s latest ruling on the VRA. This is one of the most consequential decisions by the modern Supreme Court, for as Ashley Shelton, founder and CEO of the Power Coalition, a Louisiana statewide civic engagement organization, asks, ‘What is citizenship without representation?’ This is a question, a calling and a challenge, not just for Black voters, but for everyone who genuinely believes in the right of fair representation in a democratic society. We must vote like our democracy depends on it, because it does.”

Professor Shubha Ghosh Discusses Potential Outcomes of the OpenAI/Sam Altman Trial

Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh spoke with the Associated Press about the trial where Elon Musk is seeking the removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Ghosh said he has doubts about Altman staying on as CEO of OpenAI in the long run. “A lot of this might depend upon a testimony,” he said. “And I don’t know what he’s going to say or how he’s gonna say it. But even like the best case, movie theater type performance, with all the music playing and the angels descending or whatnot, I don’t see him coming off as a fairly strong leader, especially [since] this case has gone this far.”

Professor Robin Paul Malloy Delivers Guest Lectures at the University of Palermo and University of Pisa

E.I. White Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law Robin Paul Malloy was recently a Senior Visiting Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Palermo, Sicily, during the spring term. While there conducting research, Malloy delivered several guest lectures at the University of Palermo Department of Economics and Law Department and at the University of Pisa Department of Law and Jurisprudence.

At Pisa, he lectured on “Accessible Communities: Disability and the Economics of Accessibility.” Malloy notes, “When it comes to the built environment, accessibility becomes a complex matter. On the one hand, disability law, based on federal civil rights law, prohibits discrimination as people move through the places and spaces of public life. On the other hand, regulation of property and the built environment is generally a matter of state law and the exercise of the state police power that is used to regulate land use and zoning. Making buildings, sidewalks, streetscapes, and other structures accessible involves building and land regulation. This means that disability, when it is understood as enhancing accessibility to our built environment, must be approached as a regulatory matter as well as a civil rights matter. This makes accessibility planning difficult because it must respond to two very different areas of the law. As a regulatory matter, disability is made even more complex because accessibility is a mixed market good. This means that it is both a public and private market good. Moreover, accessibility infrastructure is expensive, and many market factors contribute to its underproduction.

In the lecture, Malloy focused on some of the primary market factors that need to be considered in accessibility planning and argued that good decision-making must account for resource and market constraints.

At Palermo, he gave several lectures, including “Property in a Market Context.” Malloy discussed some of the ways that markets inform our conceptions of property, and at the same time property influences the market process of exchange. “It is all part of the co-evolution of law, economics, and politics,” said Malloy.

He also delivered a lecture on “Disability and the Economics of Accessibility” in the law department at Palermo.

“I want to thank all the faculty and students at Palermo and Pisa for their intellectual and cultural exchange. I enjoyed all our conversations and look to incorporate new ideas into my future scholarship,” said Malloy.

Syracuse University College of Law Team to Publish “Handcuffing Children” with the Georgetown Law Journal Online

Students, alumni, and faculty at Syracuse University College of Law spent this year analyzing police use of handcuffs during investigatory stops. Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Lauryn Gouldin, and co-authors Jocelyn Anctil L’26, Nick Marasco L’25, Bess Murad L’26, and 2L Molly Smith will publish their article, “Handcuffing Children,” with the Georgetown Law Journal Online this fall.

What began as a response to a local incident evolved into a multi-stage effort involving public advocacy, policy reform, and scholarly contribution, showcasing the depth and impact of Syracuse Law’s experiential learning model.

The handcuffing project originated in early 2025 following a widely circulated video showing an 11-year-old girl in Syracuse being placed in handcuffs during an investigatory stop. The incident prompted immediate legal inquiry by faculty, alumni, and students in the College of Law’s Criminal Law and Policy Lab, a course offered with support from the Syracuse University Meredith Professorship program. Under Gouldin’s leadership, students began a sustained examination of the constitutional limits governing police conduct, particularly as applied to children. Rather than treating the event as an isolated occurrence, the team approached it as a case study revealing broader tensions between law enforcement practices and Fourth Amendment protections.

The initiative first took public form when Gouldin, alumnus Martin Feinman L’83, and Syracuse Law students Anctil, Megan Hartman L’26, and Marasco L’25drafted an opinion piece arguing that automatically handcuffing individuals (particularly children) during investigative stops violates the Fourth Amendment.

Building on that public-facing work, Anctil and Murad co-authored a comprehensive report with Gouldin that was presented to the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in February. The report provided concrete policy recommendations to align local law enforcement practices with established legal standards, emphasizing that even well-intentioned officer safety measures must be justified by the facts of a particular situation. As the report explains, the project was designed to “contribute meaningfully to the ongoing dialogue about how to balance officer and community safety against the rights and well-being of individuals, specifically young people.”

The research and advocacy did not stop at the local level. Expanding their analysis to evaluate the national landscape, the team of faculty and Syracuse Law students (Gouldin, Anctil, Marasco, Murad, and Smith) worked together to produce a full-length law review article. Handcuffing Children situates the Syracuse incident within a broader national pattern of similar encounters and provides a comprehensive doctrinal analysis of the constitutional limits on handcuffing during investigatory stops. Drawing on case law from federal courts across the country, the authors conclude that automatically handcuffing suspects, particularly minors, during such stops violates the Fourth Amendment.

“This has been an especially rewarding partnership with engaged alumni experts and motivated student researchers who produced important policy recommendations and high-caliber scholarship that will reach a national audience,” says Gouldin. “This work exemplifies the College of Law’s commitment to experiential learning, where students do not simply study legal doctrine but actively apply it to real-world problems with tangible impact.”

The work will continue into the coming academic year, when participating students, alumni, and faculty will present a panel discussion in Fall 2026 examining the project’s development—from its origins in a local incident to its impact on public advocacy, policy reform, and national scholarship—offering insight into both the substance of the work and the role of experiential learning in shaping future legal leaders.

College of Law Honors the Class of 2026

Syracuse University College of Law recently held Commencement exercises for the Class of 2026. The Class of 2026 includes 221 recipients of the J.D. degree, 15 LL.M. graduates, and two S.J.D. doctoral degrees.

Two graduating students stand on the field in the Syracuse Dome, with a large screen in the background.

Commencement Speaker Joanne “Joanie” Mahoney ’87, L’90, President of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, concluded her address by encouraging the class to use what they learned to make a difference.

“Syracuse University College of Law has equipped you with remarkable skills, not just in the law, but in reasoning, judgment, and leadership. Use those skills wisely. Take the lessons you’ve learned here, the relationships you’ve built, and the confidence you’ve earned, and go make a difference. You are about to step into a world that will challenge you, surprise you, and at times, test you in ways you cannot anticipate. Always, always treat others—and yourselves—with kindness.”

Commencement Speaker Joanie Mahoney ’87, L’90 with her son, Luke Overdyk.

Dean Terence Lau L’98 reminded the Class of 2026 of the vital role lawyers play in defending our liberties.

“You are now a guardian of liberty. That means showing up for the person who has nowhere else to turn. It means challenging power when it overreaches. It means insisting, in every matter and every forum, that the law works for everyone — not just those at the top. And it means doing all of that not just as a professional obligation, but as a calling. That sense of purpose is something I’ve seen in this class, time and again — in classrooms and clinics, in advocacy competitions, in ways you’ve advocated for change in our own law school and legal profession, and in the many quiet ways you’ve shown up for each other.”

During Commencement, the J.D. Class of 2026 awarded Professor of Law Todd Berger 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.

Todd Berger places a commencement hood on graduating student Emery Bielecki.
Professor Todd Berger, who received the Res Ipsa Loquitor Award, hoods graduating students.

Stephanie Rinko, Director of Online Programs, was awarded the Staff Award, voted upon by the graduating class in recognition of a College of Law staff member in acknowledgement for their support of students and faculty, and their accomplishments that make the College run day-to-day.

Stephanie Rinko, Director of Online Programs, is awarded the Staff Award.

The LL.M. Class of 2026 awarded Teaching Professor Antonio Gidi 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.

Alumni members of the bench return to Syracuse Law for our 2026 Commencement ceremony.