Nicole L’25, Robert L’25 and Matthew Gelb L’25 have the distinction of being triplets who graduated together from the Syracuse University College of Law in May. But that’s not the only unique thing about this close knit trio. They are also the fourth generation of their family to attend Syracuse Law and the only set of triplets to graduate together in the law school’s history.
The legacy started with Robert Miller L’29 who enrolled at Syracuse Law nearly 100 years ago. After that, his son, the Hon. Michael J. Miller ’60 (MAX), L’63; and daughter, Joan Miller ’58 (SOE), attended Syracuse. Joan married Allan Wolk ’58 (WSM), L’60, who graduated from the Law School. The couple had a daughter, Sandra Wolk Gelb L’92, who also attended Syracuse Law and is a real estate attorney. And this spring, Sandra and her husband, Jay, watched proudly as their triplets, Nicole, Robert and Matthew, crossed the stage to receive their law degrees, continuing the family tradition.
The triplets have been achieving challenging goals since the day they were born at only 29 weeks gestation. Matthew weighed only 1.5 lbs., Nicole 2 lbs. and Robert 2.5 lbs. They were given less than a 50% chance of survival, but these feisty micro preemies fought hard and three months later emerged from the NICU at Rochester’s Golisano Children’s Hospital as thriving babies.
Growing up, all attended grade school together, and then each made their own decision to attend their mother’s undergraduate alma mater, The University of Rochester (U of R). Robert and Matthew studied business, while Nicole pursued psychology, and all three participated on the U of R swim team. The triplets had individual college experiences but remained close, so when all three decided to pursue law school, they jumped at the chance to continue the family legacy at Syracuse Law.
While they are sometimes lumped together as “the triplets,” each have their unique strengths and interests. Matthew is drawn to real estate law, and he has wanted to be a lawyer since his mother brought the children into her law firm to meet the partners years ago. Nicole describes her brother as “the kindest person I’ve ever met” and says he stands out among everyone they know.
Nicole has wanted to pursue law school since she was a high school student with a particular interest in elder law sparked from volunteering at a nursing home. “She’s the CEO of the group,” says Sandra. “Nicole was born in the middle, and she’s been in charge of both boys ever since.” Her brothers describe her as a “people person” who is very caring but likes to argue, a good quality in a lawyer. Nicole hopes to eventually pursue a career in family law/elder law.
Robert, the youngest of the triplets, is described by his siblings as “funny and a great storyteller,” something his family thinks will benefit him in his law career, as he is often able to diffuse a tense situation with his humor. Named after his great-grandfather Robert Miller, the original family member to attend Syracuse Law, he is known for his strict study schedule and intends to specialize in tax law. “Robert is the most studious of the three of us. He takes it to the next level,” says Matthew.
While they are always there for one another, the Gelbs did not live together as undergraduates or in law school, each taking different classes and pursuing various interests. Nicole was drawn to the law school’s newly established Housing Clinic, assisting low-income tenants with issues like eviction and rental housing conditions, and the new Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership, a collaboration between SUNY Upstate Medical University’s pediatrics department and the Law School that provides advocacy to vulnerable members of the community and works together with medical professionals for positive health outcomes. Matthew also participated in the Housing Clinic, enjoying the challenge of juggling multiple clients. Robert was interested in the Transactional Law Clinic, assisting clients with contracts, copyright protection and more. However, all three did participate in the College of Law’s Bankruptcy Clinic, helping individuals in need of financial relief, and they also joined an International Tax Law residency last summer in Switzerland led by former Dean Craig Boise.
“We all excel at different things while having our love of the law in common, but I think the experience at Syracuse Law has been outstanding for all of us, as we not only earned our law degrees but have honored our family legacy times three,” says Nicole.
Now that the triplets have graduated, they have wasted no time studying for the bar exam in both New York and Florida, giving them more flexibility in their career paths. Their first steps are to work for the family business , which operates in both states.
Continuing a Legacy of Giving Back
Sandra and Jay could not be more grateful to the law school for their children’s success, and Sandra is especially proud to see the fourth generation graduate from Syracuse Law. The couple has also followed the family’s legacy of generosity to the Law School. Sandra’s father established a scholarship for deserving students in 1995. In 2000, Sandra and Jay decided to renew that gift with the establishment of the Robert Miller L’29, Joan ’57 and Allan Wolk ’58, L’60, Jay and Sandra Wolk Gelb L’92 Family Scholarship, providing financial assistance for students at the Law School with demonstrated financial need.
“Helping others succeed in the law is what we stand for,” says Jay. “The cost of any law school education is difficult for some to handle without outside support, so we like to give back to the Syracuse community and help others.”
Certainly, the Miller/Wolk/Gelb legacy is firmly cemented in the history of Syracuse University’s College of Law, as is the generosity and support of the family. “Our children are true miracles, and they are achieving goals beyond anything we could have ever expected on the day they were born,” says Sandra, who is a member of the College of Law’s board of advisors.
“The Law School has long been important to generations of my family, and today it is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility with everything a future lawyer could need. The Syracuse network, both the Law School’s and the University’s, extends far and wide, and now our children are a part of that, too. We are so appreciative of the many opportunities the Syracuse University College of Law has given four generations of my family over the past century, and we are especially excited to see how our three brand new lawyers will succeed in the future.”
