Emily Pascale L’23 was named a “2024 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award” winner by the Burton Awards. Her article “Deeply Dehumanizing, Degrading and Violating: Deepfake Pornography and the Path to Legal Recourse” was published in the Syracuse Law Review – Volume 73, Book 1. Professor Aliza Milner, Director of Legal Communication and Research, reviewed notes from the College’s academic journals to select one paper for submission.
Pascale is currently a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Judge William Q. Hayes L’83 of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
Christopher (Martz) Arima L’22 received a “2023 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award” winner, marking Pascale’s honor the second consecutive year a College of Law student has been named a recipient.
The Burton Awards, established in 1999, is funded by the Burton Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and academic effort devoted to recognizing and rewarding excellence in the legal profession. The Burton Awards were established to honor the finest accomplishments in law, including writing, reform, public service and interest, regulatory innovation, and lifetime achievements in the profession.
Law360 is the lead sponsor of the awards and the American Bar Association is the co-sponsor.
Amanda Higginson, M.D., L’25 has wanted to go to law school since she took a civics class as a teenager. But first, she had to check off some other items on her long list of accomplishments: attending Brown University, serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, where she was twice deployed; medical school back at Brown, followed by a medical residency at what is now Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda; working as an academic general pediatrician, and currently serving as the associate dean for student affairs at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. If that isn’t enough, she is also married to Jason Higginson, M.D., a neonatologist and captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and has two children, ages 15 and 10.
Higginson’s path to law school certainly had twists and turns, but she got there. After separating from the Navy in 2013, she had her GI bill for further education. So, when her husband returned in 2021 from a year-long deployment, she knew the time was right to pursue law school options.
Amanda and her classmates walk to dinner after class during the arbitration residency in Denver, Colorado
“I researched several law schools, but the Syracuse Law JDinteractive Program (JDi) was the only one that fit my needs,” says Higginson, who lives in Greenville, North Carolina. “The hybrid online program allows me to take night classes at a pace that works with my job and family commitments.”
Higginson is impressed with how the JDi program operates and says the setup feels like she’s attending “traditional” law school. She has high praise for her professors, particularly Professor Robert G. Nassau, who is the director of the Sherman F. Levey Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.
Click the image to view Amanda’s Day-In-The-Life of a JDi Student takeover on Instagram.
“I never thought I would have loved tax law and then gone back to take gift and estate tax law, but having such a dedicated professor who is so invested in student learning is such a gift,” she says. “And, the work Professor Nassau does in the tax clinic to help those in need speaks to my background in caring for others.”
Higginson is also involved with the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic, overseen by Executive Director and Professor Elizabeth G. Kubala. Higginson enjoys the work helping veterans, particularly older individuals, access legal services and obtain benefits earned through their military service.
In 2022, Higginson’s hard work earned her a scholarship from the Tillman Foundation, which supports active military, veterans and spouses in memory of Patrick Tillman, a U.S. Army Ranger killed in Afghanistan in 2004.
Tillman Scholars and College of Law students Bill Rielly L’23, Amanda Higginson L’25, and Natasha DeLeon L’25 in Tempe, Arizona for Pat’s Run in April 2023.
Even though the JDi program takes place online, Higginson feels the comradery of working with other law students in the program, including her “JDi bestie,” Chezelle McDade L’25, who has supported her through her studies. Higginson has also enjoyed attending six residency programs in person, which cover a range of legal topics and allow the opportunity to meet other students, faculty and alumni face-to-face.
Amanda and her classmates pose for a photo in front of the Sherman & Howard sign during the arbitration residency in Denver, Colorado
Despite juggling career, family and law school, Higginson is thriving and knows that a law degree from Syracuse will help her continue to assist others by ensuring that their medical needs are met and that they know their rights and where to turn if in need of legal assistance.
“I don’t have any intention of changing careers. I love my work in medicine, but having a law degree gives me much more depth and insight into both the clinical and administrative work that I do,” she says. “I’m a lifelong learner at heart, and Syracuse Law’s JDi program has made this possible for me.”
Syracuse University College of Law JDi was the only program of its kind involving a university with a stellar reputation. The unique program allowed me to continue to be present with my kids, help my parents and attend law school while providing the flexibility to move across the nation and live in three different states; the Syracuse University College of Law name provided legitimacy and access.
I dreamt of going to law school for about 30 years. My dad was an attorney, and it was always in the back of my mind; however, other opportunities presented themselves so the dream just stayed there—in the back of my mind. When the opportunity was ripe, this program allowed that dream to come true.
I am currently an assistant general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel for an agency within the Department of Defense. I so enjoy national security lawyering that I cannot express my excitement and love for lawyering in words. The strength of College of Law professors (with an extra dose of gratitude for my National Security professor, Judge Jamie Baker) enabled me to conduct impactful legal reviews from day one.
My favorite time during JDi was during a residency when I was staying up late working on a project in the law library and my study buddy was with me, entertaining herself as I worked. We left at probably three in the morning and there was a snowstorm. We were crossing campus and were just silly kids in the storm heading back to the hotel from the library knowing we had a presentation to make in just a few hours. I think that the beauty of this program is that you create such strong connections, and you have these moments and memories that mean so much. It has nothing to do with the law but everything to do with this program.
When I was applying to law school, I was living in Alaska where there are no law schools. I was trying to find something I could do remotely. This was the only program that enabled me to sit for the bar in my state and still be remote.
My J.D. means freedom and independence. While in law school my husband had some serious health complications, and we weren’t sure if he would be able to continue working. I was so grateful to be in the program and knew no matter what happened, I would be able to work and support our family.
I am currently working for the state of Alaska as a public advocate for the Department of Public Advocacy. I represent respondents in guardianship cases and parents in cases where the state has stepped in and taken custody of children.
My favorite times were Zoom study sessions with my study group and study partner for three years straight, multiple times a week. These people knew me the best and commiserated with me and knew what I was going through. Lou Lou Delmarsh introduced me to my study partner night one and she’s become my lifelong bestie. I would never have made it through law school without that connection.
I chose the program for the flexible, online schedule. It allowed me to continue working while obtaining my law degree. Also, I’m from Rochester, NY so getting a degree from Syracuse University made it even more appealing.
I had wanted to go to law school for a very long time. It was a career idea I had in high school, but ultimately, I didn’t pursue it right away and went into education. After years in public education, the itch to go to law school wouldn’t let up. So in 2018 I started to look at law schools and am very thankful that Syracuse had the JDi program that allowed me to continue working professionally while working toward my J.D.
I am currently the Curriculum Leader for the World Languages and English Language Learners department and Title III Coordinator for the Hampton City Schools in Hampton, VA. I oversee two program staffs and work closely with students, parents, staff, administrators, and district leadership to ensure we have robust programming for our students and to ensure that our English language learners have equal and equitable access to our educational programming.
My favorite part was the residencies. From meeting my cohort to hands-on experiences to discovering Syracuse, the residencies provided us with a lot of wonderful experiences that forged lasting relationships that helped us as we went through the classes and in study groups where we relied on each other when things got rough.
I had a full-time job and wanted a law degree. I wanted a program that would accommodate my schedule and allow me to pursue my degree in a non-traditional way as I didn’t think I could quit my job and become a full-time student. I looked for a program that understood and embraced that and could work around my very busy schedule.
Law school was a thought in the back of my mind, off and on. I graduated college in 2005 with a degree in public policy and pursued a master’s in public policy as I started working. As I began working closer to the law but also in a private sector operation capacity, I started thinking more deeply about this. After talking with my family, I started looking at law schools in 2017 and started the Syracuse program in 2019.
This degree means a lot to me. It has been a dream of mine and something I wanted to do. When you layer on being an older student, a non-traditional student, it meant a lot of sacrifice in family time, work time, and community time. There were a lot of personal things I had to wrestle with, such as: can I do this, do I have time to do this, can I do this well, can I thrive? My degree is now one of the things I am most proud of. It really takes a village and am very grateful to everyone who came alongside me to help me achieve this goal.
I am a patent litigation associate. I typically support defendants who are accused of patent infringement and support their efforts to litigate matters in federal court. Coupling my law degree and educational experiences allows me to better fight for educational equity. I am excited about what the future holds.
Even though the program was fantastic from a remote perspective, I had a great time being in person as well. I enjoyed attending the in-person residencies and getting to know my classmates in a casual setting, even renting a house together for residencies, and creating study groups when we were not in person. The residencies and friendships are the hallmark of the program. The cherry on top at the end is the law degree.
The main reasons for me were flexibility and convenience. Going into the program, I was working full-time as a patent agent at a law firm, which already had a demanding workload. Adding coursework to that is intimidating, and I was starting to question whether there were enough hours in a week to get everything done. On top of that, in a traditional night school setting a lot of time is lost commuting from work to school and then back home, settling into class when you arrive, all of which can cost you a couple of hours each week. While in the JDi setting, we log in and get down to business right away. As a working professional, this was exactly the efficiency I needed in a law school program.
All my previous education and professional experiences were in engineering. I was working as a pipeline engineer until 2018 when a legal recruiter contacted me and asked if I ever thought of working in patent law for a law firm. It had never crossed my mind but was open to it. While I was not required to go to law school to work at the firm, earning my law degree is definitely an advantage in my career.
Having a law degree and having passed the bar exam significantly broadens the scope of what I can do professionally. While being a patent agent is a great career, the scope of the matters I can advise on and the scope of my practice grows significantly now that I am a patent attorney.
After graduating and passing the Massachusetts bar exam, I transitioned from being a patent agent to a patent attorney at Cooley LLP in their Boston office.
Our class had a bit of an unusual situation. For our first residency in August 2020, we had to meet remotely due to COVID restrictions. Our second residency in August 2021 was our first time meeting in person for most of us. We knew each other from an academic setting quite well, but did not know each other personally. At the second residency, I finally got some good face time with some of my classmates and really developed a great kinship with these folks. I’ve gone through three different degree programs at three different universities, and the kinship I have with the folks I met during the JDi program is the best level of connectivity I’ve had with a cohort. It’s ironic because it’s a program that is a majority online. That second residency was a great week where we got a lot done academically and had a great time with our colleagues.
The AI discussion touched on recommended protocols for applying AI within the practice of law, and the risks AI technology could pose on election cycles across the globe, among other aspects of Artificial Intelligence, law, and national security.
Last September during Law Alumni Weekend, nearly 50 members of the College of Law Class of 1973 gathered at Eleven Waters Restaurant in the Marriott Syracuse Downtown for their 50th Anniversary Law School Reunion Dinner. This was the College of Law’s best-attended reunion dinner for any class in recent memory.
“I really enjoyed the company of friends old and new,” remarked M. Jack Rudnick L’73, the former director of the Innovation Law Center and Teaching Professor. “Differences melt away as time goes by. This is the only time we’ll be together as a group for this particular occasion and I think we all recognized that without speaking about it. So, the 50th reunion brought us back together with strong ties that were unspoken but surely felt.”
Many of these same classmates also attended the University-wide Orange Central 50th Anniversary reception for the Class of 1973 at the home of Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud and his wife, Dr. Ruth Chen—held before the College of Law dinner—and other College of Law events throughout the weekend, including the Law Honors Awards presentation, a tailgate event, and the Syracuse vs. Clemson football game.
“Thank you to our amazing alumni who made the 50th Law School Reunion such a resounding success,” said Adrienne Lutz, Director of Alumni Relations. “I enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many alumni and hear about their law school days—the Class of ’73 sure has some stories to tell! Special thanks also to Bonnie Fisher L’73 who met with our Women’s Law Student Association to share her memories and thoughts about being one of only a handful of women attending law school.”
When you ask Adam Katz G’04, L’04why he wanted to be a lawyer, you can feel his exuberance for the very familiar reason many decide to pursue law: to serve the public and do the right thing, every day.
College Of Law Opening Convocation Keynote Speaker 2019 – Adam Katz G’04, L’04
“I’ve wanted to pursue a career in law and public service for as long as I can remember—at least since middle school. I always enjoyed learning, particularly about government and history and contemporary societal issues and observed that the very few lawyers I knew growing up seemed to have intellectually stimulating and challenging careers. I felt that I could use a career in the law to make a difference in society, particularly if I devoted a career to public service,” explains Katz.
Katz, a native of Miami, FL, started on his journey to a career in public service at the University of Maryland for his undergraduate studies then applied to the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Public Affairs to obtain a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) before applying to law school. “I planned to do that for a year, and then pursue a career in law, but decided to apply for the accelerated J.D./M.P.A. program with the College of Law which allowed me to pursue both degrees in three years, and have never regretted that decision,” says Katz.
It was a fortuitous decision for many reasons, laying the groundwork for his personal life and professional career. First and foremost, he met his future wife, Michelle (Cavalieri) Katz L’04, early in his law school days. “She’s been my best friend since day one of law school. She did far better than I did academically and she’s an all-around terrific person. Yet, despite all her great qualities, she still agreed to marry me.”
Academically, Katz recalls how impressed he was with Professor William Wiecek, Chester Adgate Congdon Professor of Public Law and Legislation Emeritus. He found Wiecek intellectually stimulating and demanding of his students while being a kind and well-rounded person. “He would teach about the 5th Amendment in the morning, and, in his spare time, teach at Maxwell and deliver babies as an EMT. I admired that,” he recounts.
Becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and establishing a home in Upstate New York were both outcomes of his time at the College of Law. Two internships, at the encouragement of the Office of Career Services, influenced his career path. First was an internship at the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office during the summer after his 1L year. The second was when he heard that the Hon. Norman A. Mordue ’66, L’71 was seeking interns. Knowing Judge Mordue was an alumnus of the Onondaga County DA’s office and the College of Law, Katz applied and was hired to be an intern. He served in that role for two years when Mordue was a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of New York. It was there that Katz watched the work of AUSAs in that court and decided to make it his professional goal to become an AUSA in an area closer to his wife’s family in Albany (rather than return to sunny Miami.)
While interning with Judge Mordue, Katz developed a close personal and professional relationship with the judge that would carry forward until Mordue passed away in December 2022. “I learned so much about law and life from a man who had seen—and endured—during his life more than most could imagine. He embodied public service at its finest. And, beyond that internship, he remained my professional mentor, helping me land my first job out of law school, connecting me with former law clerks when I was searching for jobs, all with the understanding that my ultimate goal was to obtain sufficient experience to one day serve as an AUSA in his district.”
Judge Mordue ’66, L’71 with Adam Katz G’04, L’04 at Katz’s graduation from the College of Law.
After taking positions at firms in Washington, D.C. post-graduation and then at the Department of Justice, Katz’s goal of becoming an AUSA in the Northern District of New York became reality in 2012 when he was hired to be an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York in the Albany office. Today, he coordinates the district’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement and Civil Health Care Fraud programs.
Being new to the Albany area and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Katz did what many have done in a similar situation; he sought out professional organizations that would introduce him to colleagues and provide a sense of community. “When I moved to town in 2012, I didn’t know a soul aside from my wife and her family. I wanted to meet like-minded people, and the Federal Court Bar Association’s mission statement appealed to me: to foster the highest ethical and professional standards for attorneys practicing in the Northern District of New York,” says Katz.
Not only did he join the Federal Court Bar Association for the Northern District of New York (FCBA NDNY), he also held the presidency for two terms, the last ending in December 2023. During this time, he points to the development and implementation of a free trial advocacy training program for attorneys who practice in the district as a distinct highlight of his presidency. “The district court was faced with two issues: First, there are fewer trials these days, so there are fewer opportunities for attorneys (especially younger attorneys) to get experience in the court. Second, several civil pro se cases are trial ready where the court wanted to appoint pro bono counsel,” explains Katz.
Working in partnership with court leadership, the FCBA decided to create a trial-skills training program where experienced litigators would provide hands-on training to newer attorneys who agreed to handle a civil rights case on a pro bono basis. Late last year, the FCBA graduated the first class of 12 attorneys to complete the training program. Each of those trained attorneys will provide pro bono representation to a litigant, giving them experience in the courtroom and helping to ensure access to justice for the client.
Adam Katz (far left) and Tyriese Robinson (middle) join family and friends to celebrate the contributions Judge Norman Mordue ’66, L’71 made during his extraordinary life.
Another lasting achievement from Katz’s time as president of the FCBA was the establishment of the NDNY FCBA Hon. Norman A. Mordue ’66, L’71 Law Scholarship. Katz spearheaded a campaign that successfully endowed the scholarship in 2023 in honor of his mentor. The Scholarship provides Syracuse Law students with the means to pursue a legal education and follow in Judge Mordue’s footsteps with a preference for military-connected students. The first scholarship was awarded in September 2023 to 2L Tyriese Robinson,a U.S. Air Force veteran.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see how much money we were able to raise for the Mordue Scholarship in such a short time and from many people that are not Syracuse Law alums, which speaks volumes about the man and the countless lives that he touched, including my own.”
