Ghosh noted that it isn’t clear if the statement has any legal backing and it won’t limit OpenAI from enforcing its rights under copyright, trade secret, or contract laws.
“Computer source code that guides ChatGPT would be protected by copyright law and trade secret law,” Ghosh said. “Terms that OpenAI includes in its terms of service would still be enforceable as contracts. Should OpenAI engage in conduct that deviates from the pledge, for example by suing another company or an individual for patent infringement, what OpenAI has lost temporarily is credibility.”
George Boehme L’26 jokingly calls himself “the oldest law student in America.” At age 64, after a successful career as a newspaper publisher, he decided to enroll in Syracuse University College of Law’s JDinteractive (JDi) program with the intention of starting his next chapter doing pro bono work to help those in need.
“I thought going to law school was a lost opportunity for me. I had no idea a program like Syracuse’s JDi existed, but the time, effort and investment that the University has put into this program is much better and of higher quality than anything else I found. I would recommend it to anybody.” —George Boehme L’26
According to Boehme, he had an “ah-ha” moment a few years ago that made him feel that he had not taken the opportunity to make the world a better place. He looked to his wife, a physician, who has been able to make a true difference in other people’s lives and knew he wanted to reach out to those who had not been dealt an easy hand. Still, the idea of law school didn’t seem possible until he discovered Syracuse Law’s JDi program.
“I thought going to law school was a lost opportunity for me” says Boehme, who had explored law schools near his home in Houston. “I had no idea a program like Syracuse’s JDi existed, but the time, effort and investment that the University has put into this program is much better and of higher quality than anything else I found. I would recommend it to anybody.”
Boehme is currently an academic success fellow in civil procedure for Professor of Law Margaret Harding, helping other students with academic and study skills. He also is willing to share the wisdom that comes from starting something new later in life.
“Law school is tough and can be intimidating, but I’ve seen people who are scared of their shadow become confident after just a semester,” he explains. “Age can be comforting in that respect, and I think I’m good at encouraging those who might be struggling.”
When he completes his law degree, he intends to serve others as an attorney and maybe even teach law at some point. Boehme plans to stay in Texas working or volunteering with several organizations that cater to pro bono work in multidisciplinary areas.
“Blessedly, when I get my law degree, I won’t need to earn a living from it, and I won’t have any debt,” he explains. “But, I will be able to provide high quality civil legal representation to poor folks pro bono, particularly in the critical area of aggressive debt collection civil defense, more narrowly as it relates to the horrific pay-day lending industry.”
In the meantime, Boehme still has some work to do to earn his law degree. However, since he is retired, Boehme has the time to take a heavier load of classes and hopefully graduate early, eager and willing to reach his goal of helping others as a practicing attorney.
“If you want a fulfilled happy life, burst out of your bubble and improve the plight of those you would otherwise never meet,” he says of his choice to pursue law school through the JDi program. “I’m too old to endeavor to solve all the ills of society, but I have enough time left to focus on helping one person at a time.”
University Professor David Driesen recently spoke with the Washington Post on the legality of Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith’s filing in the January 6 case so close to the presidential election.
“What the Justice Department and the judge did is they followed the rules around criminal proceedings,” said Driesen. “They followed the law, which is not to protect Trump or his political candidacy.”
Professor Gregory Germain provided legal insight into Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia to Reuters as part of an article examining the former president’s legal issues and the impact of the Supreme Court’s Presidential Immunity ruling.
“The Georgia case could have the same kinds of immunity issues as the federal election interference case, if Georgia gets the case back on track,” said Germain.
Germain also commented on Trump’s appeal of the business fraud case in New York.
“I would expect the appeal to proceed,” Germain said. “But there are so many problems with that case that a reversal seems very likely.”
Professor Katherine Macfarlane’s article “Constitutional Case Management” was recently reviewed by Professor Brooke D. Coleman at Jotwell. Coleman is Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Fredric C. Tausend Professor of Law at Seattle University School of Law. Macfarlane’s article,Constitutional Case Management, 102 N.C. L. Rev. 977 (2024), examines why some federal cases find their way to certain judges rather than being assigned randomly.
In the review, Coleman concludes that “Until courts adopt reforms, Macfarlane’s article offers a novel argument for challenging certain case-assignment provisions on a case-by-case basis. She adds a richness to our recurring “which judge” discussion, and I commend it to all as a piece they just might like lots.”
The recent ‘Cuse Vet Fest was attended by over fifty Central New York veterans who learned about VA benefits and other community resources available to them. The ‘Cuse Vet Fest was a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Syracuse VA Medical Center and Syracuse University College of Law’s Military and Veterans Law Society (MVLS).
“It is important that veterans know about all the benefits available to them and engage with VA professionals that can help them navigate the various processes needed to obtain their benefits. This was a helpful event that connected many veterans directly with the resources they earned and deserve.”
—Beth Kubala, Director of Veteran and Military Affairs for Syracuse Law
During this free event, attendees were able to enroll in VA Healthcare, file a claim with the Veterans Benefits Administration, obtain a Veteran Health ID Card, and learn how the PACT Act (Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxic Acts) expands healthcare benefits for Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras and were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. PACT Act also extends eligibility to survivors of these exposed Veterans.
Representatives from Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, and the Office of Veteran Success were in attendance. MVLS students facilitated interactions with community partner organizations such as Clear Path for Veterans, Onondaga County Veterans Service Agency, and the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services.
“It is important that veterans know about all the benefits available to them and engage with VA professionals that can help them navigate the various processes needed to obtain their benefits. This was a helpful event that connected many veterans directly with the resources they earned and deserve,” said Professor Beth Kubala, Director of Veteran and Military Affairs for Syracuse Law.
Central New York veterans with questions about their VA benefits can call 315.425.4400.
The Hon. James E. Baker delivered the keynote address at the North Dakota AI Summit. The conference, hosted by Valley City State University, had the theme “Being Human and Working in the Age of AI.”
Judge Baker’s Keynote on “Promise and Peril: A Public Citizen’s Guide to AI” can be viewed on YouTube.
Judge Baker, the Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law, is the author of “The Centaur’s Dilemma: National Security Law for the Coming AI Revolution” (Brookings 2021) and co-author of “An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence for Federal Judges (with Professor Laurie Hobart.)
Donald Trump’s legal team has requested that the deadline for responding to special counsel Jack Smith’s recently filed Presidential immunity brief in the January 6 case be delayed until after the election.
In Newsweek, University Professor David Driesen said “Doctrine and precedent used to be the metric that worked best to predict how the Supreme Court would rule on any given issue. But that’s no longer a good guide to say what this court is going to do. Instead, it’s necessary to look at the political beliefs of the justices because that’s what tells you how they’re going to rule.”
3L Brandon J. Bryant was named the 2024 recipient of the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association Hon. Norman A. Mordue ’66, L’71 Law Scholarship. Bryant is a U.S. Army combat veteran.
The Northern District of New York (NDNY) Federal Court Bar Association (FCBA) Hon. Norman A. Mordue ’66, L’71 Law Scholarship provides a Syracuse University College of Law student with the means to pursue a legal education and follow in the footsteps of Judge Mordue, a decorated war hero who served as chief judge for the NDNY and taught trial practice at the College of Law as an adjunct professor. The NDNY FCBA established the scholarship after the passing of Judge Mordue in December 2022.
Bryant is also pursuing an MBA at the Whitman School of Management. At Syracuse Law, Bryant is the Communications Director and member of the Trial Division of the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society; a Research Assistant and Student Attorney at the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic; Lead Articles Editor for the Journal of Science and Technology; President of the Military & Veterans Law Society; and a coach for the Syracuse University Mock Trial team.
“I am truly honored to be selected as the recipient of the NDNY FCBA Hon. Norman A. Mordue Law Scholarship. It means a great deal to me, not only because of its financial support but also because of the connection to Judge Mordue, whose service and legacy I deeply admire,” says Bryant. “I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association for establishing this scholarship in Judge Mordue’s memory. I look forward to learning more about how I can represent his legacy.”
Earlier this year, Syracuse University College of Law launched its Housing Clinic to bring much-needed free legal services to low-income Syracuse residents facing profound living conditions issues. Student attorneys provide a wide range of legal services, including representation in court, under the supervision of Housing Clinic Director Gary Pieples.
In a news story on Spectrum News, Syracuse Law students D’Andre Gordon L’25 and Connor Hamilton L’25 discussed their experiences in the clinic and their impact on the community.
“Some of the cases we cover are eviction defense – you’re getting evicted, you need legal counsel, for non-payment of rent. We work on conditions cases [like] you’re suing your landlord because there are code violations that are impacting your quality of life,” said Gordon.
The student lawyers are gaining more than important advocacy skills. For Hamilton, a Syracuse native, it means giving back to his hometown. He said the clinic is enabling him to “connect more with my community and feeling like I’m actually being a part of something a little bit bigger than myself and making a difference in someone’s life that is from my area, that has a lot of special meaning to me personally.”
