Nana Gochiashvili LL.M. ’22, Disability Law Fellow from the country of Georgia, was recently awarded a one-year fellowship at Jindal Global University, located in Delhi, India. Gochiashvili will serve as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean of International Internships at the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) of O.P. Jindal Global University. This is a competitive position and prestigious fellowship, with an application process open to interested candidates from all over the world.
Beginning in July of 2022, Gochiashvili will begin her fellowship by teaching, conducting research, and overseeing and monitoring the planning, development, and implementation of new courses in disability law. She will also conduct independent research, participate in workshops, and present public lectures. Content for her courses will be based on content from disability law classes taught by Professor Arlene Kanter, Faculty Director of International Programs, which Gochiashvili participated in during her 2021-22 LLM year.
Continuing her work in disability law, Gochiashvili will join Kanter on June 14-16 as one of five students to attend the Conference of States Parties Meeting on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities at the United Nations.
“José lived his life with purpose, and he engaged in his profession with genuine intentionality to serve and advance the interests of justice for all people especially those whose voices were not heard within our legal systems. His legacy is one that should be emulated by everyone, and it will continue to serve as an example for students to whom he dedicated so much of life, passion, and energy,” Suzette Meléndez, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion
Bahamonde-González L’92 was the recipient of the 2020 College of Law Latin American Law Students Association Legacy Award.
Among other students named to the Board from the Whitman School of Management, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the College of Arts and Sciences, Telga will serve as a representative of the campus community and share diverse perspectives and insights with the Board and its various committees. She will also serve as a vital voice in helping the University implement strategic objectives in support of its mission and vision.
Telga is joined by academic dean representative Craig Boise, dean of the College of Law, as a representative to the Board of Trustees for the 2022-23 academic year.
On Friday, May 6, Syracuse University College of Law held Commencement for its 199 J.D. and 33 LL.M. graduates. The event, the first in-person Commencement since 2019, featured the first cohort of graduating online J.D. students. Luke Cooper L’01 CEO of Latimer Ventures, Partner at Preface Ventures, and 2022 Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland Baltimore was the Commencement speaker.
Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud provided remarks and introduced the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship, thanks to the generosity of Board of Advisors Member Richard M. Alexander L’82, Chairman of Arnold & Porter, and his wife Emily. The scholarship will provide Syracuse Law students with the education and cultural context to enable them to carry forward the legacy of Judge McKee, who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for 27 years.
Professor Todd Berger was voted by the J.D. Class of 2022 as the recipient of the Res Ipsa Loquitur Award, given to a faculty member for “service, scholarship, and stewardship” to the students. Professor Richard Risman was voted by the LL.M. Class of 2022 as the recipient of the Lucet Lex Mundum Award, given to a professor who has made a significant impact on the successes and the experiences of the LL.M. students during their studies.
In his remarks to graduates, Cooper emphasized the importance of always embracing the most authentic pieces of ourselves and broadcasting how these strengths can play to our advantage in overcoming challenges. Reflecting on his personal journey, he also encouraged students to find their purpose and to find the “mud” that’s beneath and around all of us, and to ask themselves how they will help clear the mud and bring about a more inclusive world. “A great orator once asked, what’s most important… the flower… or the ground that grows it? In order for the flower to fully blossom and mature it must traverse a muddy path slowly, and with intention, bending it toward the light. That muddy path contains the secrets to its beauty… the secrets to its magic.”
Class of 2022 President Gabriella Kielbasinski remarked, “Class of 2022, we have struggled, and studied, and sacrificed for that idea of a career that we now get to pursue. We have lived through some historic, and sometimes exhausting moments, and while today is a great triumph, I also know that some of us feel like we just need a second to catch our breaths, but I have high hopes for our futures. Because, yes, these have been unprecedented times, but I believe that unprecedented times can only create unprecedented lawyers.”
LL.M. Student Bar Association Representative Sindy Perez Ospino said, “To my fellow LLM classmates, I want to acknowledge the unique challenges that we as international students sometimes face. But, in a year rocked by invasions, coups, human rights violations, and a pandemic, we must remember that we have to be resilient and continue fighting for our dreams, to speak up, and not give up. Thank you, LL.M. students, for showing me the meaning of kindness, resilience, and brotherhood. “
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Hannah Gavin L’23 has been awarded the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs Family Member Scholarship by the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs (OVMA). Part of Syracuse’s commitment to being the best home for veterans and their families, these awards provide impactful financial assistance to military-connected students.
Gavin’s father, a veteran, attended Syracuse University to pursue a degree in education. The experiences he shared with Hannah inspired her to follow in his footsteps at the University, with the goal of pursuing a law degree. Gavin, a second-year student in the College of Law, has dreamt of being a lawyer since she was a young child and hopes to one day become a family law attorney to support families across the country and the world.
“I hope to pursue a career in a public interest firm providing legal support to those unable to afford private counsel,” she says.
This scholarship will allow Gavin to participate in internships this summer and next year to pursue that career.
2L Erica Glastetter created the First Generation Law Students Association in the fall of 2021, connecting with her other first-generation classmates to develop a network of mentors and prepare for the demands of the law school experience. As reported by the Daily Orange, FGLSA collaborates with the admissions office at the College of Law to connect with applicants who identify as first-generation law students. Around 60 mentors and mentees participated in the program this year, including 2L Caroline Synakowski, FGLSA’s treasurer.
“Imposter syndrome is a very real issue for law students and especially first-generation law students,” Synakowski said. “Knowing that I am surrounded by people with similar backgrounds and life experiences is a truly encouraging thing to have.”
FGLSA works with the College of Law’s JDinteractive program, along with similar groups at schools like Yale University and Seton Hall University. Voted the 2021-22 Student Organization of the Year by the Student Bar Association, the group is growing in both size and reach, recently announcing a new scholarship that will help pay for an SU first-generation law student’s education.
“We just formed this built-in support system,” Glastetter said. “If you’re struggling with something, we’re there to give you advice or tell you what not to do, because we learned the hard way by doing it ourselves.”
(Syracuse, NY | MAY 11, 2022) Syracuse University College of Law is pleased to announce the establishment of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship with a generous gift from Syracuse University Trustee and College of Law Board of Advisors Member Richard M. Alexander L’82, a partner at Arnold & Porter, and his wife Emily.
The announcement of the scholarship in the name of Judge McKee, a Syracuse University Life Trustee and an honorary member of the College of Law Board of Advisors, came at the College’s Commencement ceremony on May 6, before the Class of 2022 and Judge McKee’s family, including several of his judicial clerks.
The Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship will provide Syracuse Law students with the education and cultural context to enable them to carry forward the legacy of Judge McKee, who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for more than 27 years.
“This scholarship honors a College of Law legend and one of its foremost pioneers, who as a jurist has earned praise for his fairness, compassion, and incisive questioning from the bench, and whose public service is grounded in a deep concern for social justice,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “The Alexanders’ generous gift ensures that Judge McKee’s legacy is enshrined at the College and that, in his name, we can assist and inspire students whose backgrounds and experiences will bring diverse perspectives to the College and the practice of law.”
Judge McKee graduated from the College of Law in 1975 magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif and the Justinian Honorary Law Society. He began his legal career in private practice in Philadelphia, PA, before entering public service as an Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He then served as Deputy City Solicitor for Philadelphia, as a lecturer at Rutgers Law School, and as General Counsel for the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Judge McKee first took the bench in 1984 on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. After a decade of service, he was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President William J. Clinton in 1994, receiving his confirmation and commission later that same year. Judge McKee served as the court’s Chief Judge from 2010 to 2016.
As to the scholarship, Richard and Emily Alexander said, “We are delighted to be able to honor Judge McKee’s distinguished service to our country, his commitment to social justice, and his passion for Syracuse University, by supporting scholarships to deserving students at the College of Law.”
Upon hearing the news of Alexander’s gift, Judge McKee said, “I am humbled beyond words by the generosity and thoughtfulness of the Alexander family in endowing a scholarship in my honor.” He continued, “the legal education I received from Syracuse University has allowed me to compete with graduates of any law school in the country, and I am very thankful that this scholarship will help me to give back to the university that has done so much for me.”
For more information, or to contribute to the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship, please contact Assistant Dean for Advancement and External Affairs Sophie Dagenais 315.443.1964 or sulaw@syr.edu.
Ryan Marquette L’22 is Syracuse University’s 2022 Student Veteran of the Year, awarded by the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) and the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA). This award is presented each year to a student who contributes both on and off campus to make Syracuse University “the best place for veterans.”
Highlighted in this SU news article by Ausin Philleo, Marquette is a U.S. Army veteran and active member of the Army National Guard. He was a student veteran in the College of Law while simultaneously pursuing a master’s of public administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. While his studies kept him busy, Marquette also regularly involved himself with veteran functions on campus and in the community and found the time to volunteer for the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, serving as a guest speaker at a Fort Drum Onward the Opportunity graduation.
The article notes that during the height of COVID-19 in 2020, Marquette had to juggle school and his active role as a member of the National Guard as he responded to the pandemic in New York State. His efforts led to the distribution of 147,809 COVID tests, 36,661 meals, and 507 medical supply deliveries across the state. Off-campus, he leads the Leader-Scholar Scholarship in Rome, New York, where one student is awarded a scholarship for their leadership efforts throughout their high school career and volunteer work in their community. The scholarship was named after Marquette’s friend, Capt. John Levulis, who lost his life in a military training accident.
Marquette served as the president of the Operation Veteran Advocacy group at the College of Law and was an executive board member of the Syracuse Law Review. His list of accomplishments while at the University includes receiving the 2021 Student Veterans Organization’s Best for Vets award and serving as the first-ever law school appointee to the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, amongst other contributions to the community.
(Syracuse, NY | May 10, 2022) On May 6, 2022, students in the inaugural class of Syracuse University College of Law’s first-of-its-kind JDinteractive (JDi) program graduated alongside their peers in the College’s residential JD program. JDi, a fully ABA-accredited program, was the first to combine live online class sessions with self-paced class sessions. Its innovative design served as a model for other law schools pivoting to online education amid the pandemic.
The members of the inaugural class, which comprises 45 of the 199 College of Law’s JD recipients this year, distinguished themselves in their legal studies. Many are graduating with honors. As students, they were also active in extracurricular activities and pro bono work. Twelve served on the Syracuse Law Review or other journals, many participated in the Student Bar Association and other student organizations, and some started new student organizations.
“I’m extraordinarily proud of all our 2022 graduates, but I’m particularly pleased to see our inaugural JDi cohort earn their law degrees,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “From across the country and around the world, they have studied with us year-round for more than three years, while balancing full-time work and family obligations. They are incredibly talented and motivated, and we’re honored to count them among our Syracuse Law alumni family.”
The College of Law carefully designed JDi to make its JD program available to students for whom attending a residential program was not practical. By combining real-time, online class sessions with self-paced instruction, on-campus courses, and externship opportunities, the program makes a foremost legal education available to students who need flexibility in their studies.
Consistent with the program’s goals of increasing access to legal education, the JDi graduates are a diverse group:
• They hail from 25 different states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and have taken classes while living in multiple countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan.
• Eleven are members of the military or military-affiliated, including high-ranking, retired veterans and spouses of active-duty military personnel based in Germany and New Mexico.
• 30% are students of color.
• Their median age is 35.
“These students are the embodiment of the goal at the core of JDi: to expand access to legal education and the legal profession,” says Professor Shannon Gardner, Associate Dean for Online Education. “Without this program, this diverse group of talented, accomplished, and ambitious grads would not have been able to pursue their aspirations of becoming lawyers.”
Outside of their pursuits as law students, the Class of 2022 JDi graduates are global industry executives at prominent companies, such as Apple, John Deere, and Lockheed Martin. They are national and local government employees, leaders at higher education institutions, public school teachers and administrators, bankers, insurance executives, paralegals, real estate agents, entrepreneurs, and accountants. They are parents of one to nine children and caregivers to aging parents. Several already held advanced degrees.
“Designing JDi required us to rethink how we deliver education and gave us the opportunity to take the best of what we do in our residential program and translate it into the online space,” says Professor Nina Kohn, Faculty Director of Online Education, who led the design and launch of JDi. “The College of Law could not be prouder of these students for their achievements here. Their success shows that—with careful planning and an insistence on always putting student learning first—we can deliver a high-quality legal education to students no matter where they may be located.”
For more information about JDinteractive, contact Online JD.
Cheers to the class of 2022! The College of Law hosted a Graduation Recognition and Celebration event in Levy Atrium this evening for our students, friends, and family members who have supported these graduates along their law school journey. Dean Boise kicked off the evening with a celebratory toast, followed by the announcement of a few academic awards and student achievement announcements.
Congratulations to these prestigious award winners, unveiled this evening:
National Association of Women Lawyers Award: Gabriella Kielbasinski
Seeley Johnson Award: Mazaher Kaila
ALI-CLE Scholarship and Leadership Award: Jake Goldsmith
We’d also like to recognize a few other spectacular Class of 2022 students for their success and high achievements. Class of 2022 Academic Excellence
Highest Average: Leita M. Powers
Second Highest Average: Chana Feldbrand
Third Highest Average: Hayley M. Rousselle
Academic Success Fellows
Tara L. Andryshak
Alexandra G. Corradi
Lyndon Elizabeth Hall
Shelby R. Petro
Jackson Somes
Grace O. Sullivan
Student Recognition
Law Ambassador Recognition: Molly N. Graham and Tara L. Andryshak
Clinical Legal Education Association SU College Of Law 2022 Nominee: Mary Elizabeth E. Boswell
