The Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Association (SULAA) has selected Professor Suzette Meléndez to receive a Law Honors award. Meléndez was chosen as a recipient for her impactful contributions to the legal field, not only at Syracuse Law but across the larger University and New York state.
Meléndez received her law degree from the University of Connecticut. She practiced family law as a supervising attorney of the Domestic Violence Representation Project for Legal Services of New Jersey; and worked at the Legal Aid Society in New York City, representing clients in the areas of housing and public entitlement before joining the Syracuse Law faculty in 2002. Since then, she has incorporated her experience as an attorney into scholarly interests surrounding access to legal services for women and children, domestic violence and family law.
“Through a greater understanding of these topics, our students can see that not all children thrive or develop as they should or have the same opportunities as others depending on circumstances,” says Meléndez of her passion for teaching family law. “And, they also begin to understand that some families are genuinely different, while others are affected by circumstances they truly can’t control.”
Meléndez also serves as the co-director for the Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership (SMLP), a collaboration between Syracuse Law and SUNY Upstate Medical University’s pediatric unit, providing legal advocacy to ensure that vulnerable patient populations get only the best of care, which includes legal assistance in regard to education, safe housing, government aid programs and more. The SMLP provides an interdisciplinary educational experience for Syracuse law students, as well as medical students, residents and other medical professionals associated with SUNY Upstate. In addition, she is also the faculty advisor to the Latin American Student Association (LALSA) and the College of Law Family Law Society.
Meléndez has shared her career legal expertise by serving on boards, committees and memberships of organizations at Syracuse Law, the University and the larger community. Her present commitments include the board of the Central New York Women’s Bar Association; Arriba, the first Central New York Latine bar group that operates under the auspices of the Puerto Rican Bar Association, of which she is one of the original members; the New York State Indigent Legal Services board; the Onondaga County Bar Association; and the Friends of the Central Library. From 2003-2022, Meléndez served as the director of the former Syracuse Law Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic.
Drawing inspiration from her lived experience, she says of her accomplishments, “It’s just honestly a love of people, and I think it comes from a place that I characterize as pride in my own identity and also an appreciation for other people’s cultures that are different from mine. I want all of my students to feel welcome, while fostering an atmosphere where people are free to speak, and people also stop to listen and learn from one another.”
“Professor Meléndez’s unwavering dedication has truly made an impact on Syracuse University College of Law, fostering a welcoming environment for all,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98. “Her leadership in the classroom, across our University, and within the legal profession makes her a most deserving recipient of the Law Honors Award.”
Meléndez is especially proud to receive a Law Honors award from SULAA, as she knows that some of the alumni who selected her are former students from years past. “I love my students, past and present, more than they know,” she says. “Receiving this award is an affirmation of my work and motivates me to keep moving positively and productively.”
