Around Syracuse Law

(Syracuse, NY | January 18, 2023) Syracuse University College of Law has appointed Michael S. Olsan L’89, Deputy General Counsel Reinsurance for AIG, to its Board of Advisors, effective January 1, 2023. Prior to joining AIG in 2021, Olsan was a partner at White and Williams LLP in Philadelphia, PA representing the insurance industry. 

“Michael’s considerable experience, spanning more than 30 years, will help guide the College of Law in offering timely curriculum options and experiential opportunities for our students and be valuable in shaping the future of legal education at the College of Law,” says College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise.

“On behalf of the Board of Advisors, I welcome Michael to our group and am looking forward to working with him on furthering educational excellence at the College,” says Board of Advisors Chair Melanie Gray L’81. 

“The College of Law played a critical role in my professional career, and it is an honor to be able to give back in this way. I am grateful for the opportunity to call upon my extensive legal work experiences and provide the Board, as well as our students and faculty, industry insights and perspectives on the changing legal landscape,” says Olsan.

At White and Williams LLP, Olsan represented the insurance industry in coverage and reinsurance disputes in court and commercial arbitrations and counseled his clients on various insurance-related topics, including reinsurance transactions.  Olsan chaired the firm’s Reinsurance Group and Commercial Litigation Department and served as Vice Chair of the firm.

Olsan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin & Marshall College and his Juris Doctor summa cum laude from Syracuse Law, Order of the Coif. While at the College of Law, Olsan was Technical Editor for the Syracuse Law Review, a member of the National Trial Team, and a teaching assistant.

(Syracuse, NY | January 17, 2023) Kristin Walker L’08 has joined Syracuse University College of Law as a Professor of Practice and Faculty Director of Externships. Walker’s responsibilities include teaching Legal Writing and Advanced Litigation Skills; overseeing and teaching the externship placement seminars, and directing the Pro Bono Scholars Program.

“For the past four years, Professor Walker has taught several classes as an adjunct professor and helped direct our expanding externship program,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “I’m delighted that she has chosen to join our vibrant faculty ranks.  Her practical experience will benefit our students enormously.”

Prior to joining the College of Law, Walker practiced law at local firms including William Mattar Law Offices Catalano Law, Alexander & Catalano, where she handled plaintiff’s matters, Barclay Damon, and Costello, Cooney, and Fearon where she managed numerous insurance defense and insurance coverage matters. Before that, Walker was an associate at McCarter & English LLP in New York City in the firm’s corporate, securities, and financial institutions practice group.

Walker received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, cum laude, in 2008 where she served as managing editor of the Syracuse Law Review. While in law school, she clerked for Judge David N. Hurd of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and interned at the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Villanova University.

Syracuse University College of Law has hired Adrienne Graves as its Director of Alumni Relations. Graves brings more than ten years of experience in higher education and alumni relations. Graves will lead the Office of Advancement and External Affairs’ alumni engagement work, with the goal of meaningfully engaging College of Law alumni and promoting philanthropic support of the College of Law’s mission. In her role, Graves will report to Assistant Dean of Advancement and External Affairs Sophie Dagenais and be responsible for maintaining and growing the College’s relationship with the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA.)

“Adrienne’s extensive experience in alumni relations, her strong marketing and communications background, and her passion for Syracuse University’s mission and vision will help sustain our positive momentum, deepen the College’s bond with our alumni, and inform new pathways for engaging them meaningfully in service of our students who will follow in their footsteps,” says Dagenais.

Graves comes to the College of Law from Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies where she has held director-level roles in alumni relations and undergraduate recruitment.

“Our alumni play an essential role in shaping and executing on our mission.  I am thrilled to welcome Adrienne to our team and look forward to capitalizing on her proven track record as a relationship builder as we cultivate our greatest ambassadors,” says Dean Craig M. Boise.

Graves holds a bachelor’s degree in in Communications; Public Relations and Advertising and a master’s degree in Professional Education with a Higher Education Concentration from LeMoyne College.

As he prepared to deliver this year’s annual State of the College Address, Syracuse University College of Law Dean Craig Boise was thinking about both place and time.  Moments before, he had officially dedicated the lecture hall where he was standing in the name of Eleanor Theodore L’52. He was thinking about her legacy and gift to future generations of law students who would study there. 

“Today, we honor a woman who graduated more than a half-century ago, the only woman in the Class of 1952,” said Boise.  Eleanor Theodore, who also earned her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University in 1949, passed away last year at the age of 92.  Her estate gift to the College of Law will create the Eleanor Theodore Memorial Law Scholarship Fund to support scholarships for deserving and promising students.

The amount of the gift was not revealed, reflecting the wishes of the donor, her lifelong modesty, and her desire to serve others without fanfare.  “Eleanor was an introvert,” says Mike Bandoblu L’11, Theodore’s close friend, accountant, and executor of her estate. “She was a private person, but she always put others first.  The first word that comes to mind in describing Eleanor is ‘selflessness.’” 

During the dedication ceremony, Boise recalled Theodore’s career of service over nearly four decades in the Department of Law for the City of Syracuse.  As assistant corporation counsel, she provided legal advice to mayors, city departments, the council, the planning commission, and others. 

“You name it—whatever happened in Syracuse, Eleanor probably had a hand in it, working through multiple administrations and transitions, and helping to build and protect the city she loved,” said Boise.  According to a profile of Theodore published in Syracuse Law Magazine (Fall 2007), she was the first woman in the history of the city’s law department and its only female attorney during her first decade there.  She served for 37 years, under 5 mayors and 11 corporation counsels.

“Her education at the College of Law was important to her.  She often told people that.  What she learned here built a future for her and allowed her to live a life of service,” said Boise.  “By putting her name on this lecture hall, we hope our students will remember the woman who was modest in demeanor but fierce in her commitment to serving others and the College of Law.”  

In opening the program, J.D. Candidate, Class of 2024, and President of the College’s Women’s Law Students Association Julie Yang said “The Women’s Law Students Association is committed to empowering women and advancing women in legal education and the legal profession. Our mission is to advocate for gender equity and women’s causes while creating lasting relationships with our mentors and alumnae.  It is fitting therefore that we should join in this morning’s unveiling, in celebration of a woman who was truly a trailblazer.  I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that we will remember this day with great admiration and inspiration.”

In the State of the College address following the dedication, Boise noted that the College remains strong, in large part due to the generosity of alumni and friends.  In 2021-22, the College exceeded fundraising goals by 40%, with $6 million raised from 1600 donors, allowing the College “to attract the best and brightest and offer them appropriate financial aid to help make their career dreams a reality.”

As a part of Orange Central 2022, Staci Dennis-Taylor L’14, Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Chief of Municipal Courts Bureau, and Lisa Peebles L’92, Federal Public Defender at the Northern District of New York, returned to the College of Law for a panel on “the Challenges Facing Criminal Justice.” 

An audience of alumni and students gathered to hear from Dennis-Taylor and Peebles about the challenges facing criminal justice practitioners from their work experiences and perspectives over the years. College of Law Professor Paula Johnson moderated the discussion.