Judge James E. Baker, director of the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law, recently spoke about the Russian-Ukrainian War to a group of more than 100 students, faculty, and select invited practitioners (including from several Embassies in London). Held at King’s College London Department of War Studies, the event was supported by the King’s Intelligence and Security Research Group and by the British Academy Global Professorships program.
(Syracuse, NY | January 18, 2023) Syracuse University College of Law has appointed Michael S. Olsan L’89, Deputy General Counsel Reinsurance for AIG, to its Board of Advisors, effective January 1, 2023. Prior to joining AIG in 2021, Olsan was a partner at White and Williams LLP in Philadelphia, PA representing the insurance industry.
“Michael’s considerable experience, spanning more than 30 years, will help guide the College of Law in offering timely curriculum options and experiential opportunities for our students and be valuable in shaping the future of legal education at the College of Law,” says College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise.
“On behalf of the Board of Advisors, I welcome Michael to our group and am looking forward to working with him on furthering educational excellence at the College,” says Board of Advisors Chair Melanie Gray L’81.
“The College of Law played a critical role in my professional career, and it is an honor to be able to give back in this way. I am grateful for the opportunity to call upon my extensive legal work experiences and provide the Board, as well as our students and faculty, industry insights and perspectives on the changing legal landscape,” says Olsan.
At White and Williams LLP, Olsan represented the insurance industry in coverage and reinsurance disputes in court and commercial arbitrations and counseled his clients on various insurance-related topics, including reinsurance transactions. Olsan chaired the firm’s Reinsurance Group and Commercial Litigation Department and served as Vice Chair of the firm.
Olsan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin & Marshall College and his Juris Doctor summa cum laude from Syracuse Law, Order of the Coif. While at the College of Law, Olsan was Technical Editor for the Syracuse Law Review, a member of the National Trial Team, and a teaching assistant.
Professor Shubha Ghosh, Director of the Syracuse Intellectual Property and Law Institute, has contributed the article “Ain’t It Just Software?” to the recently released Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence. The book, from Edward Elgar Publishing, is edited by Ryan Abbott, Professor of Law and Health Sciences, School of Law, University of Surrey, UK, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.
The chapter offers an innovative look at how AI issues in copyright build on longstanding debates in software copyright. Examining Justice Breyer’s opinion in Oracle v Google, Professor Ghosh develops ideas that are further extended in his forthcoming article on AI and patent law.
(Syracuse, NY | January 17, 2023) Kristin Walker L’08 has joined Syracuse University College of Law as a Professor of Practice and Faculty Director of Externships. Walker’s responsibilities include teaching Legal Writing and Advanced Litigation Skills; overseeing and teaching the externship placement seminars, and directing the Pro Bono Scholars Program.
“For the past four years, Professor Walker has taught several classes as an adjunct professor and helped direct our expanding externship program,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “I’m delighted that she has chosen to join our vibrant faculty ranks. Her practical experience will benefit our students enormously.”
Prior to joining the College of Law, Walker practiced law at local firms including William Mattar Law Offices Catalano Law, Alexander & Catalano, where she handled plaintiff’s matters, Barclay Damon, and Costello, Cooney, and Fearon where she managed numerous insurance defense and insurance coverage matters. Before that, Walker was an associate at McCarter & English LLP in New York City in the firm’s corporate, securities, and financial institutions practice group.
Walker received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, cum laude, in 2008 where she served as managing editor of the Syracuse Law Review. While in law school, she clerked for Judge David N. Hurd of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and interned at the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Villanova University.
Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks discussed the state of domestic terrorism on the second anniversary of the January 6th Riots.
In part, Banks says, “The good news, I think, is that we just had a very important election in the Fall of 2022 and it went off without a hitch. The bad news is that election deniers and those who would interfere with the lawful transfer of power and try to undermine the government in the United States, they’re still there.”
At the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) 2023 Annual Meeting, Professor Arlene Kanter, Director of the College of Law’s Disability Law and Policy Program, received a Chai Feldblum Award from the AALS Section on Law Professors with Disabilities and Allies.
The award is named after Chai Feldblum J.D., an EEO and DEI consultant, Partner and Director of Workplace Culture Consulting at Morgan Lewis, and former Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This is the third year the award has been given.
Kanter’s nomination letters note that she is “an influential scholar, innovator, and leader,” and that students and colleagues often conveyed their personal thanks for your advocacy on their behalf.
Kanter also spoke on a panel about experiences requesting disability accommodations as a law school employee.
Professor Todd Berger recently spoke with Automotive News regarding a felony grand larceny and forgery case against a former Fuccillo Automotive Group executive in Jefferson County, NY. Berger explained what an Alford plea is, which was reached in this case.
Berger explains, “Under an Alford plea, a defendant officially declares themselves to be not guilty while pleading guilty. The prosecution must present some evidence supporting its case before the judge can accept such a plea.”
The full article can be found here (a subscription is required.)
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Reflecting on the College of Law’s extraordinary accomplishments of 2022, I’m deeply thankful for the many ways in which you have made so many of our successes possible. Notably, we graduated our first class of JDinteractive students and welcomed the first Orange Advance undergraduate students from our HCBU partner schools to campus to engage with faculty, students, and alumni and explore careers in law. We also welcomed new faculty member Dan Traficonte, whose teaching and legal research focus on political economy, innovation, and economic development.
I’m even more excited as I look ahead to 2023, knowing that, with your support, we will continue to innovate and deliver a first-rate, rigorous, and forward-leaning legal education. Thank you for all you do for the College of Law and in support of our students.
Wishing you a joyful, peaceful, and healthy New Year,
Craig M. Boise
Dean, College of Law
Syracuse University
Judge Mordue was a decorated Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He reached the rank of Captain and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism. Read more about Judge Mordue’s legacy, including his life of service to his community and his country, here.
In an interview with Cuomo on MSN, Johnson states, “These documents suggest very strongly that Donald Trump engaged in years of calculated tax fraud and if the full investigation shows that, at the minimum, he should be forced to pay what he owes and secondly he’s liable for criminal prosecution.”
