An opinion article by Distinguished Visiting Lecturer David Cay Johnston, “Donald’s Time in the Dock”, ran in the February 20, 2022 New York Daily News. The article focuses on recent legal developments surrounding former President Trump’s businesses and taxes.
In the article, Johnston says about the consequences of a possible New York State civil lawsuit, “People have a right to life, but corporations don’t. They exist by the grace of government and may be extinguished for misconduct, as I teach my Syracuse University law students. That penalty is exceedingly rare, but it’s happened to Trump twice already.”
(Syracuse, NY | Feb. 16, 2022) Syracuse University College of Law has appointed four new Board of Advisors members: Peter Carmen L’91; Prashanth (PJ) Jayachandran G’98 L’98; Benita Miller L’96, and David Wales L’95. These appointments reflect the heft of the College of Law’s alumni and underscore the College’s commitment to project on its board the diverse talent and leadership represented by its alumni community.
“The College of Law benefits greatly from our dynamic, engaged Advisors who provide essential guidance in support of our mission and our students,” says Dean Craig M. Boise. “Peter, PJ, Benita, and David bring varied backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to our distinguished Board. I look forward to working with them closely as we continue to advance our mission and prepare our students for their careers in law.”
“Law schools must anticipate and respond to a rapidly changing legal profession, with innovative educational offerings and opportunities for students,” says Board of Advisors Chair Robert M. Hallenbeck L’83. “These four highly regarded lawyers and community leaders will help provide insight into the future of the profession that will ensure that the College of Law is well-positioned to meet the needs of our students and build a bench of influential and practice-ready Orange lawyers.”
Syracuse Law’s new Advisors bring to the boardroom business acumen, corporate and non-profit leadership, and expertise in antitrust, ESG, labor relations, social welfare, and children’s rights law.
Peter Carmen
Pete Carmen is the Chief Operating Officer of the Oneida Indian Nation and its enterprises.
In this role, Pete works closely with Oneida Indian Nation leadership to oversee the daily operations and administration for Oneida Nation Enterprises LLC, which includes Turning Stone Resort Casino, YBR Casino & Sports Book, Point Place Casino, Oneida Innovations Group, The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, The Cove at Sylvan Beach, SavOn Stores, Maple Leaf Markets, The Preserve hunting grounds, Salmon Acres fishing lodge, five golf courses, three marinas, two spas, and dozens of restaurants. Pete’s role also includes oversight of Oneida’s administration, including Legal, Finance, IT, Human Resources, Governmental Affairs, Security, Marketing, and Supply Chain, and he works with the Oneida leadership in overseeing the Oneida Indian Nation Police Department.
Since Pete joined the Oneida Indian Nation in 2006, he has played an integral role in the Nation’s growth. Over the last 15 years, Oneida has developed its gaming, hospitality, entertainment, technology, and government contracting footprints exponentially. Today, Oneida Nation Enterprises is the No. 1 largest employer in its two home counties—Madison and Oneida—and among the largest employers in the 18-county Central New York region. Oneida Nation Enterprises has become one of the most awarded companies regionally and is now routinely recognized among industry leaders nationally. It partners with a broad range of national gaming, real estate, and retail companies, among others.
Pete was born and raised in Syracuse and has spent most of his life in the Empire State. Before stepping into his current role in 2008, Pete served as the Oneida Indian Nation’s general counsel, chief legal officer, and senior vice president. Previously, Pete was a partner, department chair, and a member of the executive committee at Mackenzie Hughes LLP, a law firm in Syracuse, and he served a federal judicial clerkship with Chief Judge Neal P. McCurn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Pete graduated from Brandeis University and received a law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law in 1991.
Prashanth (PJ) Jayachandran
Prashanth Jayachandran is Chief Supply Chain Counsel for Colgate-Palmolive Company. As lead counsel for the Global Supply Chain, Jayachandran oversees global commercial contracting, labor relations, and legal issues related to logistics, transportation, trade, manufacturing, and product distribution. Jayachandran also addresses key global policy issues related to human rights, environmental impact, and sustainability. In his prior roles for Colgate, Jayachandran served as Chief Human Resources and Benefits Counsel, and Division General Counsel for Colgate Asia.
Jayachandran serves as Distinguished Lecturer for the College of Law’s JDinteractive program, teaching a course related to corporate sustainability (“The Corporate Lawyer in a Sustainable World”).
In addition, Jayachandran serves on several non-profit boards in various leadership roles. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Princeton, NJ YMCA; co-founder of the New Jersey Youth Civics Coalition; and a member of the Board of Advisors for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Student Affairs. Jayachandran also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Paul, Weiss ESG & Law Institute.
Jayachandran received a Bachelor of Arts degree (Economics and Political Science) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
Benita Miller
Benita R. Miller is currently the Executive Director of Powerful Families Powerful Communities and an Executive on Loan to the State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families overseeing a five-year demonstration project to re-imagine New Jersey’s child welfare system through a human-centered design process that leverages the voice of community members as co-designers. She previously served as the President and CEO of Children’s Aid and Family Services in New Jersey. Prior to her work in New Jersey, Miller served as the Executive Director of Brooklyn Kindergarten Society where she expanded the agency’s early childhood education footprint from five to seven centers as well as built the first sensory gym co-located in New York City Housing Authority development.
Miller was the founding Executive Director of the NYC Children’s Cabinet in the Office of the Mayor and served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Family Permanency Services in the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). Before joining ACS, Miller served as Director of Scholarships at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where among other responsibilities she implemented programs for undergraduate and law student scholars. She is the founder and former executive director of the Brooklyn Young Mother’s Collective and is the recipient of the Union Square Award and Petra Fellowship on behalf of her advocacy work with young parents. She was also recognized by the American Civil Liberties Union as one of the top nine advocates to influence Title IX implementation. She previously represented children and young people in child protective, delinquency, and PINS proceedings in Brooklyn Family Court as a staff lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.
Miller earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Print Journalism from Wayne State University where she was a Rosa Parks Scholar at The Detroit News and received her Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law. She serves as a board member for many nonprofit organizations including Strategies for Youth and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
David Wales
David P. Wales is Partner, Antitrust/Competition at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Washington, D.C. office. He is recognized as a leading antitrust lawyer and has over 25 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. His practice focuses on providing antitrust advice to U.S. and international clients in a wide range of industries on all aspects of antitrust, including mergers and acquisitions, alliances, criminal grand jury investigations, dominant firm conduct, distribution arrangements, licensing, and competitor collaborations.
Wales has the distinctive experience of serving as a senior official in both U.S. antitrust agencies. Most recently, he served as acting director of the Bureau of Competition (2008-09) during a three-year tenure at the Federal Trade Commission, where he oversaw all of the agency’s antitrust enforcement activity, including in the health care, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, technology, chemical, defense, retail, and consumer product industries. He also served as counsel to the assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (2001-03), where he was part of the small front-office team managing all of the agency’s merger and conduct matters.
Wales earned his Bachelor of Arts from the Pennsylvania State University and his Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law. He regularly speaks and writes on antitrust issues and has held various leadership positions in the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. Recognized as a leading antitrust practitioner, he is consistently ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, The International Who’s Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists, and Best Lawyers.
Peter Carmen L’91, Prashanth (PJ) Jayachandran G’98, L’98, Benita Miller L’96, David Wales L’95
In a recent Associated Press article, Please hold: Pricey way to jump IRS phone line at tax time, director of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Robert G. Nassau comments on the challenges of trying to contact the IRS and how companies like enQ provide quick access to a free government service by charging extra money to guarantee a lower hold time. “It doesn’t seem fair that when it comes to the IRS, you’re basically buying better access to the service and getting faster access,” Nassau said. “Eventually we get through and it may take several more days.”
The article explained how enQ uses bots to wait for the IRS, and then enQ’s clients can dial in and swap spots with the bot to automatically be at the front of the line. “I can’t tell for certain how much harder it has made it for people like me to get through,” Nassau said, “but these bots are probably trying to call the same number that I’m trying to call.”
He also presented on the book at New York University by invitation from the NYU Department of Economics as part of the Foundations of Market Economy Program (Economics Dept.) and the Classical Liberal Institute (NYU Law School).
Christian Oko, Ahmad Riaz, Francisco De la Parra Villanueva, Noel Omeji, Dessi-Ann Yetman, Lotta Lampela
In January 2022, the College of Law welcomed a new cohort of seven international students enrolled in the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program.
“Despite the continued barriers and uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this new spring cohort includes foreign lawyers representing the legal systems of six countries,” says Assistant Dean of International Programs Andrew S. Horsfall L’10. “These students come from very diverse backgrounds and expanses and have wide-ranging professional interests.”
The LL.M. cohort will maintain its wide reach across time zones and locations with students from Ethiopia, Finland, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. These new students will join the 34 returning LL.M. students who began their studies this past fall and spring along with four
S.J.D. students, and five Visiting Scholars.
In addition, the LL.M. students and visiting scholars will receive advising support from International Programs Academic Coordinator Kate Shannon and LL.M. student mentors Marisol Estrada Cruz, Mazaher Kaila, Anthony Levitskiy, Carlos Negron, and Tia Thevenin.
LL.M. Spring 2022 Cohort
Francisco De la Parra Villanueva (Mexico): De la Parra completed his LL.B. at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in 2021. As an undergraduate, he participated in two clinics: the Sustainable Development and Environmental Law Clinic, and the Clinic for the Improvement of Labor Justice. De la Parra also held several internships that focused on corporate and banking law.
Lotta Lampela (Finland): Lampela holds both a Bachelor’s and Master of Arts in History from Oulu University in Finland. She also holds an LL.M. in International Law from Helsinki University. She was the chief superintendent of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service and an intelligence advisor for the EU Intelligence Analysis Centre. Before recently moving to the U.S., Lampela served as a policy advisor for the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organizations in Vienna where she represented the EU and its member states at the UN Office of Drugs and Crime and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs. She plans to enroll in courses that will prepare her for the New York Bar Exam.
Christian Oko (Nigeria): Oko received an LL.B. from the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 2019. Since graduating, he has worked as a legal consultant for the Sunset Football Club and an intern at the Nigerian Football Association where he focused on alternative dispute resolution. Oko plans to enroll in courses that will prepare him for the New York Bar Exam.
Noel Omeji (Nigeria): Omeji completed his LL.B. at Kogi State University in 2014 and graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 2016. He also completed an LL.M. in Private and Commercial Law at Bayero University. He has been a prosecutor with the Nigerian Police Force since 2017. Omeji will study tax law, ADR, and coursework that will prepare him for the New York State Bar Exam.
Ahmad Riaz (Pakistan): Riaz holds an LL.B. from the University of Punjab, Lahore. Since graduating in 2015, he has worked as a legal associate at a private law firm. He intends to study family law, criminal procedure, and civil procedure.
Savior Welu (Ethiopia): Welu holds an LL.B. from Mekelle University and an LL.M. in Public International Law from Addis Ababa University. As an undergraduate, he interned at the Mekelle University Legal Aid Center where he drafted pleadings on criminal and civil cases. Most recently, Welu has served as a law lecturer at Aksum University in Ethiopia where he teaches international law, refugee law, African Union and human rights law, and business law.
Dessi-Ann Yetman (Jamaica): Yetman obtained her LL.B. from the University of the West Indies in 2018. She plans to study family law and immigration law.
Spring 2022 Visiting Researchers
Carlos Higino Ribeiro de Alencar (Brazi): Professor de Alencar works as a Tax Auditor for Brazil’s Internal Revenue Service under its Ministry of Economics. He is also pursuing a Ph.D. through a joint degree program with the University of Brasilia and the University of Paris, Paris 1, at the Sorbonne. During his visit, he is pursuing comparative research on the evolution of anti- corruption legislation using the American model and other sources, under the guidance of Professor Antonio Gidi.
Natalia Chernicharo Guimaraes (Brazil): Professor Guimaraes teaches civil procedure at University of Juiz de Fora. She is researching comparative civil procedure and class actions, under the guidance of Professor Antonio Gidi.
Satoshi Kawashima (Japan): Professor Kawashima teaches at Okayama University of Science and Kanagawa University’s Graduate School of Law. During his visit, he will pursue the study and research of U.S. disability rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act under the supervision of Professor Arlene Kanter.
Kihan Lee (South Korea): Professor Lee teaches at Dankook University’s Faculty of Law. He is also Chair of the Korea Social Service Policy Institute. He will engage in the study and research of comparative environmental regulation, with specific focus on the United States and South Korea, and economic and legal efforts to combat climate change under the guidance of Professor David Driesen.
Levan Nanobashvili (Georgia): Nanobashvili is a Fulbright Teaching Scholar and a practicing intellectual property lawyer in Georgia. He plans to engage in the study and research of intellectual property law, internet law, and the teaching methods and pedagogy of these subjects under the guidance of Professor Shubha Ghosh.
Patricia Pizzol (Brazil): Professor Pizzol teaches class actions and civil procedure at Pontificia Universidade Catolica de São Paulo. She will undertake a comparative study of class actions and methods of standardizing judicial decisions, under the guidance of Professor Antonio Gidi.
Congratulations to Mikayla Barrett who won the 12th Annual Hancock Estabrook LLP 1L Oral Advocacy Competition! She triumphed over finalist Nikita Norman in the final round on Feb. 8, 2022. Overall, 38 1L students competed.
Barrett is from Rotterdam Junction, NY, and has a B.S. in Political Science from SUNY Plattsburgh. Although she hasn’t finalized her career path, Barrett is interested in criminal justice and medical/health law.
Norman is from Eagle Bridge, NY, and has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from SUNY Oneonta. She is a Law Ambassador for the Office of Admissions and a member of the First Generation Law Students Association. Norman is interested in civil litigation and family law.
Barrett argued for the Petitioner and Norman for the Respondent in Theresa Vanderpump v. Bravo Quick Care, Inc. The case problem concerned Vanderpump losing her job after receiving a text message from the medical clinic Bravo Quick Care that revealed her failure to comply with pandemic-related policies. Competition Director 3L Gabriella Kielbasinski introduced this state law tort claim for invasion of privacy and statutory claim under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act case problem.
The final round was judged by Hon. Andrew T. Baxter, US Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of New York; Hon. Thérèse Wiley Dancks L’91, US Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of New York; Hon. Ramón E. Rivera L’94, New York State Court of Claims Judge; Hon, Brenda K. Sannes, US District Judge for the Northern District of New York; and College of Law Dean Craig M. Boise.
The College of Law thanks Hancock Estabrook LLP, who since 2013 has generously sponsored this important opportunity to introduce basic oral argument skills and the art of preparing and delivering an argument.
All photos by Mike Roy Media.
Mikayla Barrett and Nikita NormanMelanie Gray Ceremonial CourtroomNikita NormanMikayla Barrett
Professor Todd Berger, Director of Advocacy Programs, was interviewed for the latest edition (episode 18) of the Unscripted Direct podcast. The podcast examines the law school trial advocacy community.
Professor Berger discussed the recently completed inaugural National Trial League (NTL) competition, a competition “unusual among the unusual.” NTL is a new trial competition formatted similar to a sports league that was developed by Syracuse University College of Law.
The Syrian Accountability Project (SAP) has released the white paper, “The 2022 Winter Olympics and Genocide: A History of Enabling Atrocities and the Path Forward.” The paper recognizes the genocide occurring in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region against the Uyghur people, documents the history of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) enabling the violation of human rights and the perpetuating of genocide, tracks the legal framework for holding complicit parties accountable, and identifies possible actions states and private entities may take to avoid complicity.
In summary, the paper indicates that “Most directly, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is responsible for the genocide of the Uyghur people. Forced concentration camps, disappearances, and slave labor put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the PRC. However, the PRC does not shoulder responsibility for this atrocity alone.”
The paper was researched and written by 11 Syracuse University College of Law students along with students from the University of Michigan School of Law, Suffolk University, and the University of Washington in St. Louis under the direction of SAP founder and project leader David M. Crane L’80, Former Chief Prosecutor, Special Court of Sierra Leone and professor at the College of Law.
The Syrian Accountability Project (SAP) is a student organization founded at Syracuse University College of Law and expanded to the University of Michigan College of Law. SAP is affiliated with the Global Accountability Network (GAN). The entirety of the report is that of SAP alone, and is not reflective of the views of Syracuse University or its College of Law. For more information, visit https://syrianaccountabilityproject.syr.edu/.
Syracuse, NY | February 4, 2022) Syracuse University College of Law Professor Paula Johnson will appear on an episode of Frontline entitled “American Reckoning” on February 15, 2022. The episode examines the unsolved 1960s bombing murder of NAACP and civil rights leader Wharlest Jackson Sr., offering rarely seen footage filmed more than 50 years ago.
“American Reckoning” examines Black opposition to racist violence in Mississippi, spotlighting a little-known armed resistance group called the Deacons for Defense and Justice, woven alongside the Jackson family’s decades-long search for justice amid the ongoing federal effort to investigate civil rights area cold cases.
Johnson was tapped for the episode due to her work as Director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at the College of Law and her ongoing work on the Wharlest Jackson case. CCJI conducts investigations and research on unresolved cases, offers academic courses, public forums, and other special events, and serves as a clearinghouse for sharing and receiving information on active cases. College of Law student members of CCJI were also interviewed for the episode.
Johnson and CCJI students work with the Jackson family in sponsoring the Wharlest and Exerlena Jackson Legacy Project, which commemorates the legacies of Wharlest Jackson, Sr. and his wife Exerlena, and their contributions and ultimate sacrifices for racial justice, educational and employment opportunity, voting rights, and full participation in United States society. The program includes speakers, and workshops for high school and junior high school students, parents, educators, and the public. The program will take place on April 1-2, 2022, on Zoom. Further details will be available here. Inquiries can be sent to The Jackson Legacy Project.
Professor Mary Helen McNeal and Professor Maria Brown, assistant research professor at Syracuse University’s Falk College School of Social Work and the University’s Aging Studies Institute recently discussed their qualitative and academic research in the California Elder Justice Coalition webinar, “Syracuse, New York’s ‘Long Game’ for Adopting Restorative Approaches to Elder Abuse”.
They shared highlights from their Collaboration for Unprecedented Success and Excellence (CUSE) grant-funded international symposium on elder abuse and restorative justice.
The discussion also included Brown and McNeal’s work with local Syracuse-area service providers Vera House and the Center for Court Innovation, exploring the potential of restorative practices to intervene in elder-abuse situations, including the current “eCORE Project,” which offers community building and conflict resolution circles to seniors in Christopher Community Housing in Syracuse.