Christina Bradic L’26 was a presenting author on the Complicity in Armed Conflict panel at the American Society of International Law’s mid-year meeting research conference. She presented her research on a proposed framework for updating evidentiary standards in determining complicity in genocide.
Bradic’s related paper, “State Complicity and the Threshold of Knowledge: From Fragmentary Evidence to Evidentiary Saturation,” has been selected for publication by the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.
Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks spoke with the Wall Street Journal on Illinois Governor Pritzker’s establishment of the Illinois Accountability Commission in response to document federal immigration enforcement in Illinois.
Local or state prosecution over federal law-enforcement activity is uncommon, said Banks. While agents could be charged, they have broad authority to legally carry out their duties.
“It seems like they’re taking a very thoughtful approach to this,” Banks said of Illinois. “They have only certain cards that they can play, but this is one of them—and if they play it strategically and thoughtfully, it may be effective.”
Randy Haimovici L’00 has always challenged himself to find his passion. A self-admitted “average” student in high school, he joined the California Army National Guard and made a deal with himself: never get below a 3.0 GPA at the University of California, Davis, or join the military full time — the latter something he wasn’t eager to do.
Haimovici rose to the challenge, earning his undergraduate degree at UC Davis and setting his sights on a new goal. Believing he could make a greater impact by helping people through the law, he left the West Coast and enrolled at Syracuse University College of Law with plans to become a litigator.
“It was a practical way to interact with the world, have an exciting career, and still enjoy pro bono work and helping people,” he says. “I’ve never regretted becoming a lawyer.”
That path eventually led him to one of the most transformative companies of the 21st century: Uber. Today, Haimovici serves as associate general counsel, litigation and regulatory, for Uber, and, as of September, he is also a new member of the College of Law’s Board of Advisors.
Looking back at his law school foundation, he credits Syracuse Law’s Moot Court and Criminal Defense Clinic for developing his desire to pursue litigation and practice his legal talents in the courtroom.
“Syracuse was a great fit for me. I made three of my closest friends there, and it gave me the skills and opportunities to be an effective litigator,” he says, noting that Syracuse Orange sports were also an exciting draw.
Randy Haimovici with Amy Zell L’00, Eileen Walsh L’00 and her husband, Jeremy Walsh.
After graduation, Haimovici worked in San Francisco as an associate at Sedgwick LLP and a year later joined Shook, Hardy & Bacon as an associate litigating commercial and liability cases in state and federal courts. Through these roles, he gained vital experience in trials and negotiating settlements. He also developed and chaired the firm’s first digital crime practice. In 2009, Haimovici was named partner, continuing to represent high- profile clients like Starbucks, Ford Motor Company, and Microsoft.
A few years later in 2016, he had the opportunity to join an emerging company that didn’t even exist when he graduated from law school: Uber. At the time, Uber was still finding its footing, having been established in 2009 and launching its first cars in 2011.
“It was as fast-paced as you could ever have imagined, which made me fall in love with being a lawyer all over again,” explains Haimovici, who joined Uber as director of litigation at a time when the company was going through some growing pains. “Sometimes, it was like going to lawyer bootcamp because the technology and the products were changing daily and the legal issues were, and are, incredibly complex.”
As Uber expanded, so did his career. Haimovici was named associate general counsel, U.S. mobility and Canada, in 2021. His work has since evolved to provide legal counsel to business teams and company executives, manage domestic litigation and regulatory matters, ensure that complex legal challenges are handled with strategic foresight, drive industry innovation, and challenge regulations that negatively impact mobility, delivery services, and business operations.
“In my early days here, my job was about whether Uber could exist and operate, and today it’s about how Uber functions. Uber wants to provide great service and minimize laws that negatively impact our industry or how we run our business,” Haimovici says.
“Uber has become a part of American culture, and we’re still protecting our interests under the law as we move into artificial intelligence and testing autonomous vehicles, which comes with its own set of legal challenges,” he adds.
Despite his success, Haimovici has never lost his passion for helping others. In fact, he implemented a national legal advice initiative for Uber drivers who were impacted by executive orders issued by the president.
“It’s a privilege to have a skill set to offer people who need it,” he says. “It’s something I’ve always been passionate about and intend to continue for the rest of my career.”
As a board member of the College of Law, Haimovici is committed to giving back.
“I’m looking forward to helping Syracuse Law best serve its students in keeping up with various changes, challenges, and opportunities,” he says, noting that he is also eager to be a resource to students pursuing more non-traditional careers. “I like to tell students to follow their passions, find their piece of this profession, and love every day of it.”
In response to claims that there would be no court cases if he invoked the Insurrection Act, Banks said it’s “categorically false” that there couldn’t be any court cases.
Banks said the act gives the president “tremendous discretion” and that it is “very heavily weighted on his side.” But it’s “of course not true,” Banks said, “to say a court wouldn’t review what he’s done”; the courts would consider lawsuits over whether there have been violations of the law’s own requirements or violations of the Constitution.
What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
During my second year of law school, I did Pro Bono work through Volunteer Lawyer’s Project of CNY, or “VLP” in their Tenant Rights department. This program provides no-cost representation for qualified tenants facing eviction and judgement in the City of Syracuse’s special housing court. I began by observing court proceedings, conducting legal research, and completing application forms with prospective clients. Then, once I had a good understanding of the process, VLP agreed to sponsor my student practice order, which allowed me to represent clients and interact with the judge in court.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
Through this experience, I learned how to manage a case from beginning to end. I completed intake and evaluation, researched claims, drafted and filed answers and counterclaims, negotiated with opposing parties, argued before the court, and ultimately made a real difference in our client’s lives. This was extremely rewarding and also grew my confidence exponentially. It’s one thing to watch other lawyers in court, but it’s a whole different experience to do it yourself and this experience proved to me that I could do that.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I would ask other law students considering Pro Bono, what are you waiting for? There literally isn’t a single down side to doing Pro Bono work. It’s a rewarding experience for everyone involved and has led to many more opportunities because it expanded my legal network, improved my confidence and experience levels, and gave me a positive legal reputation in the community.
What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
The summer after my first year of law school, I interned for the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Texas. In my role as an intern, I was able to get hands-on experience and truly make a difference in people’s lives. I interviewed clients and their families, researched their cases, and worked with the appellate division to notify clients of any changes to the law that could help their case. However, what I found to be most rewarding was drafting sentencing memoranda and getting to humanize clients so that not only the judge, but everyone in the courtroom, understood that they are more than an indictment number. During my time here at Syracuse Law, I also participated in the Veterans Legal Clinic where I was able to provide pro bono services to unhoused veterans right here in Syracuse. Getting to give back to those who gave so much was truly an honor.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
Working with individuals in the capacity that I have has been one of the most meaningful parts of my law school journey. Each case reminded me that every file placed on my desk contained a snippet of the life of a real person with a much larger story that deserves to be heard. Specifically, working in criminal defense taught me how powerful it can be to simply stand beside someone who feels forgotten by the system. I was able to be the person who treated them with dignity, listened to them without judgment, and help fight for their rights when many people thought they were undeserving of it. Getting to experience law in this raw of a setting is something that you simply cannot learn in class, and I believe that I am not only a better student, but person, because of it.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I would tell others to engage with pro bono work not because it might be a requirement for admission to a state bar, but because this work is the heart of the legal profession. As law students and future lawyers, we have both the skill set and the power to help people when they are at their lowest. Because of this, it is extremely humbling, inspiring, and grounding work that we should all be honored to do.
What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
I have spent my summers and falls during law school working with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY or VLP for short. I have exclusively worked with the LGBTQ+ Rights Department where I have been lucky enough to help numerous trans and non-binary individuals across the state change their name to reflect their true identity. I also assist our department head, Mallory, with LGBTQ+ discrimination cases.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
The benefits I have received from my experience with VLP have been great. Given the attack on trans people in the past year, the work I have done means even more to me now than when I began. As a member of the community I am serving, being able to literally change a person’s life gives me a personal sense of joy. Professionally and educationally, I have also been enriched. My two bosses, Tara and Mallory, have been professional mentors in a way I was not expecting. It is a wonderful feeling to be trusted with work in the way I have been because both of them took the time to invest in me in the beginning and teach me valuable practical skills such as interviewing and intaking a client, how to be persistent but most importantly, how to balance the comfort of the client and professionalism. I have become more confident in the work I produce and my correspondence with clients. Outside of my department, I am also surrounded by amazing attorneys who care and are always willing to help. The environment of VLP’s office is first things that made me want to continue doing the work.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I would greatly encourage other law students to do at least a semester or a summer of pro bono work. I guarantee you will not regret it. Even if you do not end up falling in love with the subject matter, you will get to positively impact real people’s lives and feel that impact. That feeling is immeasurable. Additionally, I think its pertinent to emphasize the importance of the work, especially at a time like this. These services are needed more than ever, and people are growing more and more desperate. Pro bono work helps to fill the need.
What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
Last summer, I worked with the Prince William County Public Defender’s Office, assisting attorneys in preparing for trial, conducting bond interviews at the Adult Detention Center, and drafting sentencing memoranda for indigent clients.
During law school, I’ve had the privilege of providing pro bono legal services through the Syracuse University College of Law Housing Clinic, where I represent tenants facing eviction and housing insecurity. In this role, I’ve conducted client interviews, drafted motions and settlement agreements, and appeared in court on behalf of clients who otherwise might not have had representation.
This summer, I’ll be joining the Legal Aid Society’s Wrongful Conviction Unit in Manhattan, continuing my commitment to public interest and client-centered advocacy.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
My pro bono experiences have shaped both my understanding of the law and my sense of purpose within it. Working directly with clients has shown me the power of listening and communication, which are skills that go beyond doctrine or procedure. I’ve learned how to translate complex legal processes into language that clients can understand and trust, which stems from my background in linguistics and my goal of making the law more accessible. Professionally, this work has strengthened my research, writing, and courtroom advocacy skills, but personally, it has reinforced why I came to law school in the first place: making legalese more understandable and approachable to my clients.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I would tell other law students that pro bono work is one of the most meaningful parts of legal education. It allows you to step outside of the classroom and see the law’s real impact on people’s lives. It’s also an opportunity to build professional confidence early in your legal career through meeting clients, drafting pleadings, and appearing in court under supervision. More than anything, it reminds you that the legal system is built for people, not just precedent. Whether or not you plan to pursue public interest law, pro bono work gives you perspective, empathy, and a sense of responsibility that will shape your entire career.
What type of pro bono legal service(s) have you performed?
I spent a summer interning in the Criminal Appeals Department at Hiscock Legal Aid, where I drafted briefs, motions, memos, and correspondence on behalf of incarcerated clients to protect their rights throughout every stage of litigation. Last semester, I participated in the SU Criminal Defense Law Clinic, and I enjoyed it so much that I returned this semester as a Clinic II student. Through the clinic, I’ve had the opportunity to represent real clients in Syracuse City Court, handling misdemeanor and violation cases from arraignment to disposition.
What benefits did you experience from doing this work?
These experiences confirmed that I want to build a career in public defense. They’ve given me meaningful courtroom experience before graduation and connected me with mentors who have shaped my career goals.
What would you say to other law students considering pro bono work? Why would you recommend it to others?
I encourage every law student to pursue pro bono work, especially through the clinics. There is no better way to learn than by doing, and no better use of our training than to serve communities who are too often overlooked by the legal system.
An entrepreneurial spirit, fascination with technology and interest in the law has taken Kevin Whittaker L’02 on a career path that has brought him to the heart of Silicon Valley, giving him the opportunity to contribute to complex legal issues that disruptive technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and big data has brought to businesses around the globe.
Whittaker has been an entrepreneur since he started selling candy at a profit to classmates in high school and college. While studying at Syracuse University College of Law, he convinced the law school to allow him to take some fashion design classes at the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. This led to him creating a line of T-shirts that eventually morphed into Blue Bunney Couture, a men’s neckwear line that kept Whittaker busy as a fashion designer for 10 years after graduating from Syracuse Law. At the same time, he was also practicing law.
Whittaker worked for several large firms on the West Coast, including Faegre Drinker; Reed Smith LLP; Baker McKenzie; and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, where he found a real interest in defending and counseling tech companies in complex employment, financing and corporate matters.
Along the way, he met Alex Fielding and his team. Fielding is a group serial entrepreneur and founder of Ripcord Inc., a Silicon Valley-based company he started out of NASA technology with the mission to robotically extract meaningful data from mountains of paper records and digital documents that exist around the world.
Whittaker was fascinated by the work Ripcord was doing in the tech space, as it was the first to market with this technology, impacting a $62 billion document intelligence market. It is backed by leading investors, including Kleiner Perkins, Google Ventures, Lux Capital and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
When Ripcord offered Whittaker the opportunity to join the company in 2021, he jumped at the chance to combine his interest in entrepreneurship, technology and the law by handling all of its legal work, including commercial agreements, investor financing, mergers, IP, cybersecurity and compliance initiatives.
“I’ve always been interested in the next move, so being a part of this kind of initiative is very exciting to me. I’m eager to collaborate with my team and help to build something even bigger,” he says of the company’s use of proprietary robotics, generative AI and Cloud software to help the world become paperless and extract meaningful and useful data.
Whittaker has been generous in sharing his knowledge and experience in this space with students at Syracuse Law.
Last February, he took part in the College of Law’s Innovation Law Center Symposium, “Venture to Victory: Pioneer Perspectives in Tech, Venture, and Private Equity.” He spoke on a panel of successful entrepreneurs, financial investors and legal experts discussing the challenges and opportunities that this disruptive technology is bringing to the legal field.
He notes that the “seismic shift” going on is creating greater expectations that new hires out of law school will be adept at the latest technology and ready to hit the ground running.
To that end, he has supported Syracuse Law and students aspiring to pursue technology and the law through the College of Law Scholarship and Financial Aid fund.
“I think that any kind of help I can offer the next generation of lawyers coming out of Syracuse is super important,” he says.
Looking back, Whittaker is pleased that he chose the non-linear route out of law school that brought him to a place where today he thrives.
He is also optimistic about emerging tools that are transforming the practice of law. “AI is coming for us, fast and furious,” he says. “It’s powerful and exciting and is going to impact every aspect of business and the law. Anyone who does not embrace it is going to be at a serious disadvantage. As for me, I’m embracing everything I can to push the boundaries of what we can achieve.”
