News

Joshua Farrar L’26 Selected for the Tully Rinckey Foundation’s Military Scholarship

The Tully Rinckey Foundation, the philanthropic initiative of Tully Rinckey PLLC, has selected Joshua Farrar L’26 for a Military Scholarship. The scholarship rewards law students who have or are serving in the military or reserves.

Farrar is a Captain in the Texas Army National Guard, having served for the past ten years. He is currently an Information Operations Officer in Austin, TX. Farrar previously worked in Aerial Delivery, obtaining Airborne and Pathfinder qualifications. “I’m most proud of my service on numerous natural disasters including hurricanes, flash floods, tornadoes/windstorms, pandemics, and border humanitarian crises,” says Farrar.

At Syracuse Law, Farrar is the Vice President of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.

“I am honored to receive the Tully Rinckey Foundation scholarship. I’m a father of five, and my wife and family have sacrificed time, trips, opportunities, and activities so that I can attend law school. At times I feel guilty and wonder if this is the best decision for my family. Being selected for this scholarship means a lot to my family, as it validates our sacrifices and helped rekindle my drive and determination to keep pushing forward with law school. Thank you so much for this financial award,” says Farrar.

Graig Cortelyou, Global Chief Operating Officer of Tully Rinckey noted that Farrar was selected due to “his background and experiences that led him to attending law school and becoming a lawyer. Joshua has a passion for the law, along with military and life experiences that will make him an asset to the legal profession.”

The Tully Rinckey Foundation awards scholarships for the Fall 2024 semester to a new or current Albany Law School, University at Buffalo Law School, and Syracuse University College of Law student who has served or is currently serving in the military or reserves.

“Our firm believes our service extends beyond the courtroom and into the communities where we work. Supporting the military, veterans, and their families is an important cause that Tully Rinckey backs in many ways, including the Military Scholarship,” says Mathew Tully. “We were once again honored and humbled to review the stellar applications from the College of Law students, as there were so many qualified candidates. Without a doubt, Joshua is a leader who will make an impact on the legal profession and our society.”

Among Tully Rinckey’s veteran-focused outreach programs are sponsorship of the annual Veterans in Economic Transition Conference (VETCON) in Albany, N.Y., and Turkeys for Veterans where they partner with local supermarkets throughout New York State to give free turkeys to veterans during the holiday season. The College of Law is a partner in the Turkeys for Veterans project in Syracuse.

“The College of Law thanks the Tully Rinckey Foundation for supporting our military and veteran students. Joshua is a well-deserving recipient who has made many selfless sacrifices as a member of the military and matches that commitment to his studies to become a lawyer through our hybrid online J.D. program,” says Professor Beth Kubala, Executive Director of the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic and Director of Veteran and Military Affairs at the College of Law.

Professor Robert Nassau Says “Earned Income Tax Credit Can be Confusing”

Professor Robert Nassau, Director of the Sherman F. Levey ’57, L’59 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, recently spoke with CNBC for a story on the earned income tax credit (EITC.)

He noted that the EITC “can be confusing. Some eligible taxpayers missing the EITC could be lower earners without a filing requirement”. But the EITC is “refundable,” meaning you can still claim a refund even without tax liability.

Syracuse Law Students Achieve Strong Bar Passage Rates Through Continued Investment in Student Success

A person with curly black hair, wearing a white sweater and a brown coat, sits at a wooden table. In front of them is a silver laptop, a stack of papers with the "Syracuse University College of Law" logo, and a black smartphone placed on top. A red coat hangs on the back of a chair in the background.

Syracuse University College of Law continues to demonstrate its commitment to student success with recent bar exam passage rates. Among all jurisdictions, 86% of recent graduates—those who earned their degrees between 2022 and 2024—successfully passed the bar exam in the February or July 2024 administration. In Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) jurisdictions, which covers 41 states, the pass rate for the same cohort was an impressive 88%. These results also reflect a 163% increase in bar success among those students most at risk on the bar exam, which was achieved through individualized, data-driven support strategies.

“By strengthening academic support and bar preparation programs, we ensure our graduates have the best possible chance of success on the bar exam and in their legal careers.”

—Kelly Curtis, Associate Dean of Students

These results highlight the effectiveness of Syracuse Law’s strategic investments in bar preparation and academic support. “Our targeted initiatives are making a significant impact on student outcomes,” said Associate Dean of Students Kelly Curtis. “By strengthening academic support and bar preparation programs, we ensure our graduates have the best possible chance of success on the bar exam and in their legal careers.”

Over the past several years, the College has implemented key initiatives that position grads for the rigors of the exam and their legal careers. These include:

  • Improved admissions profile with higher median LSAT scores and GPAs.
  • Curricular enhancements designed to focus on bar-related coursework.
  • Expanded academic success programming, offering earlier interventions and targeted support starting before the third year.
  • New staff hires in the Office of Academic and Bar Success and increased resources focused on bar preparation.

The results speak for themselves: This marks a 15-year high for first-time bar takers. In February 2024, Syracuse Law was ranked No. 8 for ultimate bar passage and No. 27 for first-time bar test takers by preLaw Magazine in its Winter 2024 edition. Additionally, for seven of the past eight graduating classes, the College’s ultimate bar passage rate exceeded 90%, demonstrating consistent, long-term success.

“At Syracuse Law, we are dedicated to equipping our students with the tools they need to excel academically and professionally.”

—Terence Lau L’98, Dean

Building on this momentum, Syracuse Law has partnered with Kaplan Bar Review to further enhance student readiness. “At Syracuse Law, we are dedicated to equipping our students with the tools they need to excel academically and professionally,” said Dean Terence Lau L’98. “The partnership with Kaplan strengthens Dean Curtis’s comprehensive approach to bar preparation, ensuring that students receive structured support throughout their law school journey, culminating in a robust bar review program to set them up for success.” This partnership provides expanded resources and preparation strategies, ensuring even greater success for future graduates.

Looking ahead, Syracuse Law is proactively preparing for the NextGen Bar Exam, which launches in July 2026. Faculty and administrators are actively working with students to adapt to this new era of attorney licensure, ensuring that Syracuse graduates remain well-prepared.

Syracuse Law’s commitment to student success is evident not only in its strong bar passage rates but also in its forward-thinking approach to legal education. By continually enhancing programming and investing in student success, Syracuse Law is setting the standard for bar exam preparation and legal education excellence.

Professor Gregory Germain Provides Clarification to Misleading Social Media Post on President Trump’s Ability to Travel Internationally

Professor Gregory Germain recently spoke with the Voice of America for the story “Nigerian journalist misleads on Trump’s ability to travel internationally”. The article fact-checked a statement by a Nigerian journalist that President Trump could not travel internationally due to his felony conviction.

More than 38 countries have laws that allow them to refuse a felon entry into their territories, according to Germain.

“It is entirely up to each country whether they will allow him to visit their country. Countries that prohibit convicted felons from visiting, or require special approval to visit, will have to decide whether to let him into their country,” says Germain.

Professor Shubha Ghosh Discusses U.S. District Court Judge William H. Alsup’s Willingness to Learn About AI Technology Before Hearing AI and Copyrights Case

Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh spoke with Bloomberg Tax for the article “In the Battle of AI and Copyrights, a Judge Seeks a Tech Lesson”. U.S. District Court Judge William H. Alsup will be hearing Bartz v. Anthropic PBC, a case to determine whether Anthropic PBC violated copyright law by training its AI chatbot Claude on copyrighted books without the authors’ permission. Judge Alsup requested the parties provide him with an overview of how generative AI works.

Ghosh, director of the Syracuse Intellectual Property Law Institute, says “Ultimately, judges need to understand the underlying facts. The opposite extreme is: ‘I don’t really care what the world is like, here is the law.’”

Professor Gregory Germain on President Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship “Will Have to Focus on the Second Phrase of the 14th Amendment”

Professor Gregory Germain discussed President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship with Newsweek.

Germain said that Trump will have to focus on the second phrase of the 14th Amendment, arguing that children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States.

“That seems like a question that will ultimately have to be decided by the Supreme Court. Trump can argue that the phrase about being ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ must have meaning, and should be read as a limitation on birthright citizenship,” he said.

Professor Gregory Germain Discusses the Possible Return of Recently Pardoned Silk Road Founder’s Cryptocurrency

Professor Gregory Germain spoke with Newsweek in the wake of Silk Road website Founder Ross Ulbricht being pardoned by President Trump. At question is if Ulbricht could regain cryptocurrency, now valued at $18 billion, that was seized in the case against his website.

“The law currently says that a pardon does not erase the fact that a person was convicted, nor does a pardon affect civil liability to an individual or to the government,” Germain said.

“It only affects the government’s ability to impose or continue a criminal punishment.”

College of Law Adds the Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership Law Clinic Starting Spring 2025

(Syracuse, NY – January 23, 2025) Syracuse University College of Law is adding the Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership (SLMP) to its Office of Clinical Legal Education starting with the Spring 2025 semester. Professor Suzette Meléndez will be the co-director of the new clinic along with Dr. Steven Blatt of Upstate University Hospital and Professor Sarah Reckess L’09 of Upstate Medical University.

The SMLP is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the pediatric unit at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University College of Law. SMLP provides legal advocacy to improve the overall health and well-being of vulnerable patient populations. SMLP also works to achieve systemic change through the multidisciplinary education of law students, medical students, residents, and other professionals whose expertise is important to this goal. Doctors and lawyers will learn to work collaboratively to attain favorable outcomes for patients. Through this Partnership, patients receive critical legal assistance while professionals learn about using community resources and employing cooperative strategies to benefit patients and clients in their practices.

“The main goal of the SMLP is to educate law students about the role lawyers can play in positively affecting the lives of children that are facing significant medical and sociological obstacles,” says Meléndez. “Likewise, we hope to educate medical and social work professionals in how to best work with legal representation to deliver the best outcomes to patients.”

The SMLP combines a clinical offering and the Child Health Policy and Legal Practice course for students interested in developing legal skills and policy analysis in children’s health. Students will provide non-litigation legal services (intake, advice, research, and referrals) for a busy pediatric clinic in Syracuse around legal issues that impact healthcare access and outcomes. This may include children’s access to education, safe housing, medical equipment, family court issues, government aid programs, transition-age youth, and more. Special populations served by SMLP will be patients who have complex medical needs and patients who are aging out of pediatric health care and social services and need to preserve their legal rights.

“The SLMP is a unique approach to bridging the legal and sociological gap among a vulnerable population that is often faced with navigating the complicated systems during a crisis,” says Dean Terence Lau L’98. “Likewise, Syracuse Law students will gain critical skills such as interviewing clients and researching legal and policy solutions that are invaluable to their legal careers.”

Students can register for the clinic when they select classes for the Spring 2025 semester. Students enrolled in the SMLP must be co-enrolled in Child Health Policy and Legal Practice as the classroom component of this experiential course.

The College of Law offers students the opportunity to participate in seven clinics: Bankruptcy, Betty & Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, Criminal Defense, Housing, Sherman F. Levey ’57, L’59 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Syracuse Legal Medical Partnership, and Transactional Law. 

Professor Shubha Ghosh Discusses the Latest on the Tik Tok Ban

Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh spoke with The Hill for the story “Trump, GOP China hawks at odds over TikTok ban.”

The divest-or-ban law, passed by Congress in 2024 and recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, gave TikTok’s parent company Bytedance until January 19, 2025, to divest. The law also allowed the president to issue a 90-day extension if the company is making progress toward a divestiture. It’s unclear if President Trump’s executive order uses that clause.

“The statute itself does allow him to stay [the ban] or to give an extension. And if he’s working within that, then it certainly would be legal for him to do, as long as he’s within his parameters,” said Ghosh.

He earlier spoke with KAAL-TV about Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that weighed national security apprehensions versus First Amendment freedom of speech concerns. “If manipulation is a justification for what Congress does and that overcomes you know first amendment concerns, then maybe Congress has been given more authority to go after not only foreign manipulation, but also domestic manipulation,” said Ghosh.

His comments are at 1:01 and 1:20 of the news story.

Professor Thomas Leith Provides Perspective to Article on New York State Court of Appeals Judgements

Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Criminal Law Clinic Thomas Leith spoke with Newsday for the article “New NYS Court of Appeals hears more cases; prosecutors win fewer of them, data shows.” The article looks at data from the first year of the NY State Court of Appeals under Chief Judge Rowan Wilson which shows more judgments in favor of defendants.

“There’s a feeling now within the defense bar that, under Judge Wilson, you have a shot,” said Leith. “The feeling under Judge DiFiore was that your chances of winning or even getting your case to the top court were never very good.”

There is also a trend in which the court is hearing more cases under Judge Wilson. “The big uptick in cases heard under Judge Wilson is really important,” Leith said. “I think everybody should be happy that more cases are being decided” because the top court can clarify statutes and settle instances where mid-level courts issued differing opinions on a legal issue.”

The article may be behind a paywall.