Professor Jack Graves recently spoke with Decrypt on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “No Action” letter to DoubleZero on their proposed fiber optic network for blockchains.
“It creates, in effect, a safe harbor based on an assumed set of facts,” Graves told Decrypt. “It allows everyone to operate with a little more clarity.”
Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Lauryn Gouldin discussed with Law 360 the impact that several recent Federal Circuit Court Second Amendment cases may have on upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases.
Three years ago, in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the justices leaned on historical ties to modern firearm laws to rule that New York’s statute restricting carry licenses outside one’s home to those who can show “proper cause” was unconstitutional. Similarly, they may be inclined to strike down the federal gun ban as it applies to nonviolent felons for lack of a historical analog, according to Gouldin.
“There are some direct conflicts between the circuits, and those conflicts are strongest when you have different as-applied challenges for people whose underlying convictions weren’t for violent felonies,” she said.
Professor Emeritus William C. Banks spoke with the Christian Science Monitor on President Trump naming Antifa a terrorist organization after the killing of Charlie Kirk.
“There’s a lot of debate and bluster – particularly when something terrible happens in the United States – [over whether] we need a law criminalizing domestic terrorism,” says Banks. “You can’t do it, because ugly words are protected just as pleasing words are.”
Yet, Mr. Trump is not the first person to suggest a domestic terrorism designation, says Professor Banks. The subject has been a matter of off-and-on debate for years, both on the right and the left. But “cooler heads eventually prevailed,” in those efforts, he says.
“We’ve built our nation on a principle of tolerating dissent,” he adds. “So long as these individuals are merely dissenters, they should be protected by the Constitution. It’s really one of the most important principles in our society.”
The second annual ‘Cuse Vet Fest, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Syracuse VA Medical Center and Syracuse Law’s Military and Veterans Law Society (MVLS) was held in early September in Dineen Hall. The event brought VA services and community partners directly to the community, connecting attendees to VA health care enrollment, VA disability claim support (VBA), VHIC cards, PACT Act information, and Syracuse University veteran resources—a tangible example of why Syracuse University is the Best Place for Veterans.
The impact of ‘Cuse Vet Fest was immediate:
• Attendees left with completed enrollments or clear next steps on claims and benefits.
• Thanks to Bond, Schoeneck & King, we offered on-site estate-planning appointments (wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives).
• The event spotlighted the 10-year anniversary (2015–2025) of the Betty & Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, showcasing student attorneys working side-by-side with faculty and VA partners.
• The day underscored SU’s integrated approach—legal, health, and community resources in one place.
Syracuse University College of Law has appointed Randall D. Haimovici L’00, Associate General Counsel of Litigation and Regulatory at Uber Technologies, Inc., to its Board of Advisors effective September 1, 2025.
“Randy’s an invaluable leader at the largest ridesharing company in the world. We anticipate his incredible experiences will provide our Board and our students with a global perspective on the legal industry and the skills today’s Syracuse Law students need to succeed,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98.
“I am grateful that Randy has joined the Board of Advisors,” says College of Law Board of Advisors Chair Richard M. Alexander L’82. “I look forward to working with him and the other members of the Board in supporting the College’s strategic mission and assisting our students and alumni.”
Haimovici has held the title of Associate General Counsel of Litigation and Regulatory at Uber since May 2023. In this position, he leads and manages litigation and regulatory matters while supervising 45 attorneys and heading three units. Previously, he was an associate general counsel for U.S. Mobility & Canada with Uber (2021 – 2023). He joined Uber in 2016 as director of litigation after working in private practice.
Haimovici earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis, and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. He is a frequent speaker at the College of Law, where he discusses his experience handling and settling complex, high-exposure matters. Haimovici was a member of the California National Guard and served in Operation Desert Storm.
On Friday, September 19, Professor Katherine Macfarlane will participate in the Federal Reach, Academic Speech: The Legal Limits of Executive Authority in Higher Education symposium at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Professor Macfarlane will participate in the Executive Authority, Equal Opportunity, and the Fate of DEI Programs panel.
Professor Jenny Breen discussed with Spectrum News the application of the Public Employees’ Fair Employment Act, or Taylor Law, in the ongoing litigation surrounding the state Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association strike from earlier this year.
“While the strike is understood to be the key economic weapon for private sector workers, the people who wrote the Taylor Law felt like strikes were not appropriate in the public sector. So public sector employees in New York state are banned from striking under the Taylor Law, and there are pretty harsh penalties for striking workers when they violate that prohibition,” says Breen.
In the days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, initial recovery at the Pentagon was supported by a mix of fire fighters, first responders, and military personnel. Among them was current Syracuse Law student Jared Hansbrough L’29, at the time a Marine Captain, who volunteered to join fellow Marines in casualty recovery efforts over the ensuing week.
On Sept. 13, the group recovered a Marine Corps flag that was standing in the wreckage, perched on the edge of a 4th floor office that had been split in half by the gaping hole left in the Pentagon. The flag had somehow survived the attack unscathed. The group returned the flag to the Marine Corps, where it would symbolically become a reminder of the events of that week. What began as a quiet act of service became a symbol of resilience and commitment to country — and a story that continues to inspire more than two decades later.
The Hon. James E. Baker, Director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law and Professor at Syracuse Law and the Maxwell School, also knows that flag. It once stood behind the desk of his mentor and close friend, Peter Murphy, his son’s godfather and longtime Counsel to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. At 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Peter was standing in front of it when Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Though injured, he returned to work the next day, determined that the law was as present on Sept. 12 as it had been on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.
The flag was subsequently carried to Afghanistan and into space on the shuttle Endeavor before being returned to Peter. Today, it is displayed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, a lasting tribute to Peter’s service, the service of Marines, and most of all to the victims of 9/11.
Judge Baker said, “Peter, who was from New York, would have loved knowing that Jared had found his way to the law and to Syracuse, or as he might have put it, that Jared had chosen to continue to support and defend the Constitution as a lawyer.”
After more than two decades of military service followed by public service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jared is now pursuing his law degree through the online hybrid JDinteractive program, preparing for a career in private practice. Today, we honor Jared’s story, and the courage, sacrifice, and service of all who responded in the wake of that tragic day.
Read more in the Washington Post from Sept. 14, 2001.
Professor Roy Gutterman L’00, Director, Tully Center for Free Speech; Professor, Newhouse School; Professor of Law, College of Law, had his Syracuse Law Review article “Actually . . . A Renewed Stand for The First Amendment Actual Malice Defense” Cited by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Dershowitz v. CNN, Inc.
From page 15 of the decision, “Sullivan has ‘become part of the fabric of American law’ and been ‘woven into a long line of federal and state cases’.”
Gutterman’s article discusses the New York Times v. Sullivan constitutional, actual malice privilege in the modern context of the first Trump administration.
The article is at 68 Syracuse L. Rev. 579 (2018).
What law student wouldn’t jump at the chance to work alongside a barrister with King’s Council (KC) status, an honor bestowed upon only the most experienced lawyers in the U.K.? Or assist judges in the Crown Court system, one of three senior courts in England and Wales?
These are just some examples of recent experiences that students undertook as part of Syracuse University College of Law’s LondonEx program. The oldest and only program of its kind in the nation — celebrating its 46th year — LondonEx has been offering law students. both from Syracuse Law, as well as other ABA-accredited law schools in the U.S. and Canada, a summer externship program that is a truly transformational experience.
While other law schools offer semesters abroad or other international programs, LondonEx is unique in that it offers a fully immersive seven-week program in London that allows students to participate in externships matched to their interests that allow them to work in a professional legal setting while refining skills and gaining an up-close look at another legal system and culture.
“We are exposing law students to the practice of law in a global setting. Working to match their interests with outstanding opportunities, students work alongside — often at workspaces only a few feet apart from barristers, solicitors and judges,” says Andrew Horsfall, study abroad specialist for Syracuse University. “The law students are always pleasantly surprised at what their mentors do for them, when they bring them along to court, put them to work on actual research, provide meaningful feedback, and give them the opportunity to return to law school with written work product and an expanded view of the profession.”
Working with Syracuse Abroad and its London Centre, Faraday House, law students arrive in mid-May to embark upon the seven-week, 5-credit program.
While the pace is quick, there is still time to soak in the culture of one of the world’s most dynamic cities as students take in a show in the West End, view the architecture of the Palace of Westminster, enjoy fish and chips at an authentic British pub or get a birds eye view of the Thames on the London Eye.
“Our seven-week program goes by very quickly, but its quick pace also allows students to wrap up the experience by early July with time to take on a second externship back in the U.S.— which some do every summer,” says Horsfall.
This past summer, 14 students completed the LondonEx program — seven from Syracuse Law and seven from a mix of other law schools.
Syracuse Law student Eric Boutrous L’27 chose to attend the LondonEx program for the opportunity to gain hands-on legal experience outside the U.S. He was placed under the mentorship of barrister Mark Warwick KC at Selbourne Chambers in the heart of London’s Inns of Court, where he was able to work on a variety of complex real property and civil matters involving easements, boundary disputes and professional negligence.
“I helped prepare arguments regarding implementing easements and necessity and had the opportunity to contribute research that was used in a court filing,” says Boutrous. “Presenting my work to my peers in the program challenged me to synthesize complex materials and communicate clearly the skills I know will be invaluable in my legal career.”
Boutrous also participated in a mediation session under Warwick’s supervision. “It was fascinating to observe how the parties and their legal teams approached negotiation, particularly in a system where mediation is increasingly encouraged,” he explains, noting he hopes to go into transactional law with a long-term goal of international litigation and arbitration. “Seeing how strategic tone, timing and presentation impacted the discussion gave me a new appreciation for the role of advocacy outside the courtroom and deepened my interest in alternative dispute resolution.”
Gurneet Sidhu L’26, joined the LondonEx cohort from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, after seeking out a program that would allow her to gain experience abroad that would align with her busy schedule.
“LondonEx was a perfect mix of school and work experience, and, honestly, I couldn’t find another program that was at all similar to the quality of what Syracuse Law was offering,” says Sidhu, who was especially interested in honing her legal research skills through transactional work.
Having traveled to London before, she was thrilled to have an externship right in the heart of the city at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) where she worked on various research topics.
“Working at BIICL was great for gaining a global perspective of the law,” she says. “I was involved in many international law matters, which allowed me a better understanding on the impact of international law on domestic law.”
Richard Everett Jr. L’26 joined the group from Creighton University School of Law. He was assigned to a judge at the Inner London Crown Court of His Majesty’s Crown Court, giving him an insightful comparison of how the American and British criminal legal systems differ.
His favorite part of the experience, however, was conferring over lunch with the judges on a daily basis.
“This hour provided me with unprecedented access to the Crown Court judges, giving me the opportunity to ask questions about the proceedings I observed on a given day and clarify any points of confusion I may have had.”
After completing law school, Everett, who is currently an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve, will be joining the Navy’s Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) Corp.
“Syracuse’s LondonEx program has allowed me to observe how the criminal justice system of one of our allies functions,” he explains. “It’s crucial to be as diverse as possible in a global environment, especially when your job can take you anywhere in the world.”
The experience of this year’s LondonEx program, as well as those over the past four decades, have left indelible impressions on the law students who have participated in this unique and up-close experience offered by Syracuse Law.
“London itself is a magnetic city full of history, culture and excitement, but that’s just the start of what our LondonEx students experience here as they enjoy unprecedented exposure to the people and places that truly represent a dynamic legal culture and system that is different from what they have been studying in law school,” says Horsfall. “Professionally, it can become a game changer for many students.”
For more information, visit Syracuse University College of Law’s LondonEx program on our website. The deadline for LondonEx Summer 2026 is Feb. 1.
