Mary Kate Tramontano L’26 won the Top Student Paper (first place) in the Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC) Law and Policy Division paper competition.
Tramontano will present her paper, “Failure to Disclose: The Federal Trade Commission’s Role in Ensuring Online Endorsements are Properly Disclosed”, at the AEJMC annual conference in August.
“Mary Kate prevailed over more than 50 papers submitted from top communications law research institutions across the country and blind judged by noted communications law scholars,” says Professor Roy Gutterman L’00 who is the faculty advisor for Tramontano’s paper.
From the abstract: This paper examines the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) endorsement regulations and their enforcement against social media influencers. It explores past FTC actions against violators and the limitations imposed by commercial speech and First Amendment doctrines. Ultimately, the paper recommends strategies for enforcing FTC guidelines while upholding First Amendment principles.
A lifelong NASCAR fan, Jenna Mazza L’26 has a photo of herself at age 4 standing with legendary driver Jimmie Johnson’s diecast car. So, imagine her elation when she had the opportunity to take a photograph with Johnson himself this May at the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Jenna at age 4, standing with legendary driver Jimmie Johnson’s diecast car.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience is just one of the many benefits that came along as Mazza spent her summer working in NASCAR’s legal department in Charlotte, North Carolina. NASCAR’s Internship Program includes opportunities for law students to learn about various areas that its legal department deals with daily. Mazza had the opportunity to learn about and draft contracts for licensing agreements, real estate issues with various racetracks, intellectual property (IP) use, privacy and media law. During her internship, Mazza was also able to attend a screening of American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans, which began streaming on Amazon Prime in June, while learning about rights and clearances and music licensing.
Jenna smiles with Jimmie Johnson in May of 2025 at the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I’ve learned so much and gotten exposure to the variety of work a legal department undertakes in a sports environment,” says Mazza, who will be a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law this fall.
Mazza has long had her sights on working in sports law with a particular interest in areas related to IP, like copyrights, trademarks and licensing of team logos. And while she’d be thrilled to build a career with any sports organization, the opportunity to work with NASCAR was a dream come true. Not only did she gain legal experience, but this NASCAR fan also enjoyed the chance to be right where the action is — going into the pits and the infield, and attending not only the Coca-Cola 600 but also the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race and the developmental Arca Menards Series for prospective drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Jenna and her fellow Intern Group in Victory Lane at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The internship program really immerses you into all aspects of NASCAR and makes it a great experience for the interns, not only in terms of preparing you for what it’s like to work as a general counsel in a sports organization but also to get a first-hand look at the innerworkings of the sport itself,” she says.
While her knowledge of NASCAR may have helped her secure this prestigious internship, the lessons learned at Syracuse Law, particularly classes she took as a 2L, provided her with the baseline legal knowledge in areas like intellectual property law and sports law that she believes also gave her a competitive edge.
Mazza adds the NASCAR internship to a list of other experiential learning opportunities she has had while at Syracuse Law, including working on two Congressional campaigns, an internship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and another internship for the Oneida County (NY) Public Defenders Office.
As she returns to Syracuse Law to complete her degree, she hopes to use her hard-earned legal experience with some type of sports organization or a law firm that specializes in sports law after graduation. However, she can’t help but to hope to eventually return to work for NASCAR.
“My internship at NASCAR has shown me that anything is possible, just as in this sport, where you can start from the back of the grid and still win the race,” she says. “The skills I’ve learned and the opportunity to be where the action is on the track are experiences I’ll never forget. And it’s very exciting to imagine what might be ahead for me.”
Jenna stands in front of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Dean Terence Lau L’98, a former general counsel for Ford Motor Co.’s International Trade and Transactions practice group, recently spoke with CBS News Money Watch and the Detroit Free Press about the effects of tariffs on the auto industry.
U.S. automakers including Ford, GM and Stellantis have recently warned that higher U.S. tariffs will reduce their profits by billions of dollars. That is likely to increase new car prices, Lau said to CBS News Money Watch.
“My advice to consumers back in April was that they should wait to buy cars,” said Lau, who expects dealer prices for 2026 models to rise between 4% and 6%. “In August, my advice is to buy now.”
Lau said to the Detroit Free Press, “The Detroit 3 are being squeezed. The tariff on steel and aluminum, as well as on imported vehicles from their foreign subsidiaries, is hurting them deeply.”
Whether she’s cheering for the Orange in the JMA Wireless Dome or spending her summer interning at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) in the nation’s capital, Lela Lanier L’26 is making the most of the resources and opportunities available to her through the Syracuse University College of Law.
When Lanier decided to attend law school, she knew she wanted to go somewhere she could pursue her interests in advocating for those with disabilities, take on topics related to civil rights and also continue her passion for cheerleading. While that might sound like a tall order, she found her place at Syracuse Law.
A rising 3L, Lanier worked at the LDF this summer in Washington, D.C., as a litigation intern. This gave her a chance to focus on impact litigation around issues of civil rights that ranged from racial injustice, economic injustice, voting participation, criminal justice and desegregation.
Two specific projects assigned to her during the LDF internship focused on researching the reproductive freedom and the rights of Black women and also desegregation in education examining disciplinary action that disproportionately targets Black students.
“The work was so fulfilling, and I was proud to be a part of it. I thrived off of the passion of the attorneys at the LDF, most of whom were people of color working for the betterment of our community. I could see their passion and goals of helping people, and it was so refreshing,” she says. “There are a lot of civil liberties in question right now, but I am proud to have contributed and was fortunate to have so many opportunities tailored to the kind of work I want to do in the future. It was just an incredible experience for me overall.”
As she prepares to return to campus at the end of the summer break, Lanier will gear up not only for her final year of law school but also her last year as a member of the Syracuse University cheer team. While few law students take part in Syracuse athletics, Lanier has cheered throughout her time at the College of Law and will complete her last year of eligibility during the 2025-26 academic year. She has been involved in competitive cheerleading since high school, participating at Towson University, where she majored in deaf studies, volunteered with Deaf and Deaf Blind communities and developed her passion for disability rights.
“When I started law school, my plan was to take advantage of every opportunity I was given, and I think I’ve done a good job of that,” she says. “I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and struck a good balance with my coursework and various co-curricular activities, while showing others it’s possible to take advantage of all that Syracuse Law has to offer and still pursue a law degree.”
In addition to cheerleading, those co-curricular opportunities include serving as the incoming vice president for the Black Law Students Association; a student outreach coordinator for the Disabled Law Student Association; a member of the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor Society; and the incoming editor-in-chief of the Journal of Global Rights and Organizations, for which she is working on a paper about accessibility to voting rights in Nigeria. Last summer, she also completed an internship with the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund in San Francisco, where she saw first-hand the impact of litigation through some groundbreaking cases.
These experiences, along with her classes at the College of Law, have expanded her world view on the scope of disability law. “I think my professors have been so instrumental in how I’m learning law and in explaining the fantastic history of constitutional law,” Lanier says. “It’s important that people understand that we, as Americans, have a lot of protections that have been put into place, but right now many are at risk of being taken away.”
In addition, Lanier is eager to explore her options when it comes to her legal career.
“Right now, I’m open to all possibilities. I want to go into some kind of disability law and/or civil rights law for a nonprofit— but then maybe it will be civil litigation. I’m just looking forward to soaking in everything I can during my last year here, and I’m so appreciative for all the opportunities Syracuse has afforded me,” she says. “When we receive our degrees at graduation next May, you can be sure I’ll be the one cheering for each and every classmate as they cross that finish line alongside me.”
The Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law (SPL) and the University of Bergen Faculty of Law recently hosted a group of national security scholars from 16 universities and 12 states at the first Transatlantic Alliance for Law, Outreach, and National Security (TALONS) Conference at the University of Bergen, Norway.
Scholars and officials from sixteen universities and institutions from the frontline states came together for the topic, “Best Practices in National Security Law: The Frontline State Perspective.” The conference included participants from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States.
The Conference had four goals:
(1) establish an ongoing and lasting alliance of security scholars in the frontline states committed to teaching national security law;
(2) create an ongoing forum to exchange ideas about national security and teaching national security in the frontline states;
(3) give participants an opportunity to publish their work and reach a wider audience; and (4) identify best practices derived from experience to help all the frontline states to identify and address present and future security threats and do so consistent with our shared legal and democratic values.
Outcomes from the Conference were immediate:
• The Eastern European Journal of Transnational Relations will publish articles on the conference and its key findings, and articles from conference participants on topics ranging from Russia’s efforts to subvert the Romanian presidential election, hybrid warfare, cybersecurity, and Russian and Chinese threats to the Arctic.
• University of Bialystok Professor and JDi Distinguished Lecturer Charles Szymański, with the Hon. James E. Baker, Director of Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law, will edit as well as contribute to a treatise on National Security Law in the Frontline States.
• The University of Eastern Finland will host the Second Annual TALONS Conference on Best Practices in National Security Law in June 2026.
“The Conference was the culmination of several years’ work on furthering the field of national security law in the wake of the war in Ukraine,” says Baker. “The free exchange of ideas and recommendations that resulted from the Conference is critical to supporting the frontline states and, in the case of Ukraine, preparing for post-conflict resolution.”
Baker continues, “Law is both a democratic and national security value. At a time when law and security are threatened, recognizing and communicating these values is vital. Courage loves company. And as with any alliance – and this is an academic alliance based on shared values – one cannot overemphasize the importance of showing up.”
Professor Gregory Germain provided insight into the Blaze article on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Trump’s birthright citizenship case.
“I disagree with the 9th Circuit that the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause is clear on its face,” said Germain. “The clause on its face contains a limitation on birthright citizenship, requiring that the child be ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the U.S. Why was that language put in the Constitution if it was intended to be meaningless? So that language means something — the issue is what it means.”
Germain noted that the Supreme Court held in the case U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark that:
“Children born to permanent residents were subject to the jurisdiction of the United States even though the parents were citizens of China. But the Court also held that children of foreign soldiers occupying U.S. land or diplomats (or Indians) were not “subject to the jurisdiction” and not citizens. So the Court recognized that there were some exceptions to birthright citizenship, but did not clearly define them.”
The article examines how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has evolved to perpetuate the medical model of disability, rather than the social model of disability, regarding documentation of a disability to receive accommodations. The article features a personal experience Macfarlane encountered when requesting accommodation for a disability.
Macfarlane writes, “Documentation of disability can be so expensive that it is impossible for people with disabilities to obtain it. However, documentation requirements also impose costs on the employers — and colleges and universities — that create them. Someone must collect and review the documentation. Follow-up requests for additional documentation, which are common, are also time-consuming. The bureaucracy that has arisen around the documentation requirement is incredibly expensive. And for what? Is it truly necessary to have an employee on staff whose sole job is reviewing forms and records submitted by a person asking for an additional restroom break? What do we accomplish with bloated systems like these?
Not much, I argue. It’s time for the extra-statutory documentation requirements to be re-examined, if not abandoned outright. This sort of change can happen immediately. No law requires documentation.”
Macfarlane will participate in the ABA webinar “Disability Rights: A Conversation with Human Rights Magazine Authors.” The free webinar is scheduled for Friday, July 25, from 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET. Register at: https://www.americanbar.org/events-cle/mtg/web/452129295/?login
The article appears in the July 2025 issue on Disability Rights: The Work Continues.
“Now what am I supposed to do with my life?” Veterans often face this question as they transition from active duty to civilian life. The thought terrified U.S. Marine Corps veteran Anthony Ruscitto ’22, G’23, L’27 when he contemplated his future in the spring of 2019.
Today, Ruscitto is a two-time Syracuse graduate and a rising second-year law student in the College of Law.
A 3L at Syracuse University College of Law, Kaitlin Sommer L’26 is always planning ahead. Throughout her life, she has continuously asked herself, “Is there a better or more efficient way to do this?”, “Am I advocating for what I need?”, “How can I figure this out by myself?” And, while this way of operating is a great skillset for any lawyer, Sommer has developed this method out of necessity and independence, as she navigates the world as a wheelchair user, as well as a child of Deaf adults (CODA).
Sommer attended Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as a political science major for her undergraduate degree as part of a 3+3 program with Syracuse Law, which allows students to transfer from RIT to the Law School after three years to finish their bachelor’s degree and at the same time start studying law.
As she prepares for her last year at Syracuse Law, Sommer has taken full advantage of many of the opportunities that come from being a law student—attending the Ms. JD Fall 2024 Leadership Academy Intensive hosted by the Harvard Women’s Law Association at Harvard Law School, and presenting at her alma mater’s third annual Together RIT: A Day of Dialogue centered on the theme of Deaf culture, disability and neurodiversity in her first ever public speaking appearance.
In January, Sommer added another responsibility to her already busy schedule: co-president of the Disability Law Society (DLS) at Syracuse Law, a position she shares with Emely Recinos L’26. The organization serves as a community for students with disabilities and their allies at Syracuse Law, while also raising awareness and providing related information across the greater University.
“This is a new venture that I’m really excited about. We are a small group of students at Syracuse Law, and it’s important that we have our voices heard,” she says, noting that only about 1.4% of lawyers in the U.S. self-identify as having a disability according to the American Bar Association. “Emely, who also has a disability, and I have a new take, which revolves around being more vocal about disabled students’ experiences and how the University can best support us. I want the Disability Law Society to see where we can set permanent roots and have a noticeable space to make our voices heard. And, of course, having this kind of community at the Law School has helped me to know that I’m not alone.”
When Sommer started at Syracuse Law, it seemed to make sense that she go into disability law, but some great advice from Professor of Law Katherine Macfarlane, a leading expert on civil rights litigation, disability law, and civil procedure, gave her the freedom to consider other areas, as well.
“Professor Macfarlane said that just because I’m a person with a disability doesn’t mean I have to go into disability law,” Sommer explains. “She made me see that being a disabled person in any legal space is also representative, and my personal experience will make me a better professional no matter which field of law I choose. She has been such a good mentor and support system for me and has encouraged me to advocate for what I want and need.”
Now, Sommer is very interested in pursuing national security law, while possibly finding a way to intersect that with disability law, too. She has since taken courses through Syracuse Law’s National Security Program and is working on her Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism.
Her hope is to live and work in Washington, D.C., in the future. As an undergraduate, she interned for Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY) in the nation’s capital. Sommer recently completed an intern at the POPVOX Foundation, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for improvements in Congress. And, this summer, she is interning with The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, PLLC, in Washington, D.C. Despite these impressive opportunities, she is eager to learn more through her coursework and seek out other experiences to prepare to graduate from Syracuse Law in 2026.
“Having a disability does make things harder, but, at the end of the day, I’m so grateful. My own life experiences, along with lessons from the Law School, like critical thinking, have really helped me see how important it is to assess facts to see if what seems to be true really is true. This has made me a more open-minded person and will make me a better lawyer, too,” she says.
“After all, I never want people to make assumptions about me just because I use a wheelchair. I hope to be a positive example of a compassionate and knowledgeable disabled lawyer who can better connect with my work through my life experiences, and Syracuse Law is helping me get there.”
Syracuse University College of Law’s Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC) has been awarded a Justice for Heroes grant by the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services. This competitive grant provides funding for the VLC to deliver high-demand legal services to veterans in Central New York. The College of Law is one of just five law schools in New York State selected for this honor.
“This grant will enable the VLC to build upon its 10-year track record of delivering exceptional level services and representation to the veteran community and their families,” said Professor Elizabeth Kubala, Director of the VLC. “This grant program demonstrates New York State’s dedication to improving the lives of veterans and their ongoing support of law school outreach programs.”
With this funding, the VLC will expand its legal support for local veterans and launch a new initiative to serve military-connected students, faculty, and staff at Syracuse University—a first-of-its-kind effort in higher education. The grant will also strengthen the College of Law’s capacity to provide legal representation in areas such as VA health and disability benefits, while simultaneously training the next generation of veteran-focused legal advocates.
“The Veterans Legal Clinic exemplifies our commitment to experiential learning, community service, and public interest law,” said Terence Lau, Dean of Syracuse University College of Law. “We are proud of the clinic’s impact and grateful to the Department of Veterans’ Services for supporting this important work.”
“Working in the VLC has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my law school journey,” said Raul Rosique L’27, a student attorney and Navy veteran. “This grant will help ensure more veterans get the legal support they deserve, while giving students like me the chance to serve those who’ve served our country.”
The Veterans Legal Clinic represents veterans and their families in claims for VA benefits and military discharge upgrades. Student attorneys, under faculty supervision, gain hands-on experience with real clients, navigating federal agencies, and honing their legal skills—all while learning the value of pro bono service and engaging directly with military culture.
