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“An Orange Family”

HOW THE COLES KEEP THEIR SCHOOL SPIRIT ALIVE

2021 Law School Graduation: Lenore Cole (Lisa’s mom, Vinny’s wife), Vinny Cole, Joey Cole (brother), Lisa Cole, Chris Cole (twin), and Josephine Ymer (grandmother).
2021 Law School Graduation: Lenore Cole (Lisa’s 
mom,Vinny’s wife), Vinny Cole, Joey Cole (brother), 
Lisa Cole, Chris Cole (twin), and Josephine 
Ymer (grandmother).

In the first few days of law school, Lisa J. Cole L’21, G’21 entered her torts class knowing good and well that 40 years before her father had completed the same course with the exact same professor—Peter Bell, his first course teaching her father and one of his last teaching her.

“He pulled me aside after to say he remembered my dad—Vincent J. “Vinny” Cole L’81,” Lisa recalls. He even had a seating chart from that year. “He showed me exactly where my dad used to sit. It was special that we had that continuity four decades later.”

But Lisa didn’t always know she wanted to be a lawyer. “I think because my dad was a lawyer, I grew up thinking I wanted to do something totally different.” But while studying business at Babson College, a required business law course shifted her mindset. “This was when I was first exposed to business law, and it piqued my interest.” 

Next, Lisa completed a summer internship at Cerberus, a private equity firm, where her work straddled the border of business and law. “I became really interested in the legal side of it. That’s when I decided on law.”

Before her final year of undergrad, Lisa told her father she wanted to apply to law school. Needless to say, the former Board of Advisors member hoped for Syracuse. “Obviously, she was free to go wherever she wanted, and she had choices,” Vinny recalls. “I was just absolutely thrilled when she decided to go to Syracuse.”

For Vinny, his passion to study law was motivated by two things: Perry Mason and a prominent lawyer working in his Pennsylvania town who had graduated from the College of Law. “He’s long since deceased—Mike DeSisti L’41—but all three of his daughters attended Syracuse University. There’s a long heritage of connection with Syracuse University.”

Cole Family Connection

As a family, visits to Syracuse were frequent because of a long history with Syracuse. Vinny not only graduated from the College of Law but attended Syracuse University as an undergraduate. His son, Joey Cole, also attended SU for computer science, graduating in 2019. Vinny’s cousin, Janine Stover Yates, was a few years ahead of Vinny at SU and his goddaughter, Sarah Skerpon, attended as well.

“We used to go back frequently for homecomings and various events,” Vinny says. “We’ve maintained that connection with the school and lasting friendships.”

“We’re an Orange family,” adds Lisa, describing the many times she’s cheered on SU in a big, crazy orange wig holding a pair of metallic pom poms. “I grew up coming to campus a lot as a kid. I remember seeing the school and meeting all of the lifelong friends that my dad had made.” 

She remembers feeling a real sense of community at Syracuse. “It was really special to follow [in my father’s footsteps]—albeit quite a few years later than my dad —at the law school as well.”

Staying Connected & Helping Students

In 2014, the family dedicated two vitally important suites to the school as Dineen Hall opened: the Lenore & Vincent J. Cole Admissions & Financial Aid Suite and the Career Services Suite.

“My theory was to help them get in and then make sure they get out successfully into their professional careers,” said Vinny of his reasons for making gifts in support of the two offices. 

“My theory was to help them get in and then make sure they get out successfully into their professional careers.”

Vincent J. Cole L’81

Vinny says he’s been very fortunate over his career and has always felt it important to give back, “not just financially, but also of time and effort.” In 2004, he joined the school’s Board of Advisors and stayed on for 12 years. “Everyone is trying very, very hard to advance the law school’s mission and improve its reputation,” Vinny notes.

Being fresh out of school, Lisa has yet to make a mark through financial contributions to the College, but she follows her dad’s example of giving one’s time. She helps coach the advocacy Honor Society trial teams and continues her work with the Syracuse Law Review. “Even though I’ve graduated, I think it’s important to still stay connected and help students,” said Lisa, who notes she often is contacted by students through LinkedIn and is happy to jump on a Zoom call to answer questions on the career search process as well as the J.D./M.B.A. joint degree. “Serving as a mentor is another valuable way to give back.”

While Lisa says her father has provided a lifetime of advice when it came to law school and now her career, he advised her to work hard, do her best and explore. “He’d say, as many have, ‘once you find something that you love if you can make a career out of it, you’ll never work a day in your life.’”

Vinny offers much the same advice to law students he meets: Keep an open mind and try everything. 

“Hopefully, you’ll find passion, and that passion will guide you to do what you like in life.”

“I think when you start in the legal profession, you need to try as many and as diverse opportunities as you can because no one coming out of law school really has a clue what they want to do,” he adds. “Until you get in there and do it, you really don’t know.”

Compare & Contrast

Homecoming Weekend: Vinny Cole, Joey Cole, Lisa Cole, and Lenore Cole (Vinny’s wife).
Homecoming Weekend: Vinny Cole, Joey Cole, 
Lisa Cole, and Lenore Cole (Vinny’s wife).

In Vinny’s final year with a job offer already in hand, he says his final months were quite social, with many hours spent at Varsity Pizza and Faegan’s Pub. “I kicked back a little bit and enjoyed my year, but unfortunately for Lisa wrapping up during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was socially distant from everyone and didn’t have that same luxury.”

“I’ve made an appearance or two at both Faegan’s and Varsity,” Lisa says with a laugh. “But yes, for me, a lot of my law school experience was virtual because of COVID.” The pandemic impacted almost half of her time in law school, but there were still highlights during her law school experience, such as participating in Advocacy Honor Society trials, which provided her invaluable mentorship from fellow students and coaches and gave her exposure she could not have gotten in the classroom. 

“A highlight of my law school experience was when my trial team got to travel to Washington, D.C. to compete in the Tournament of Champions — we finished as semifinalists.” Lisa and her team went on to compete in the National Trial Competition, where her team won Regionals but could not compete in Nationals due to COVID. 

Now as the ink is still drying on her diploma, Lisa has passed the bar and started her first job at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in New York City. She’s opted to work in-person four days a week and remotely one. 

“It’s been very, very busy,” she observes. “But a lot of fun.” She’s found that her J.D./M.B.A. joint degree provides a leg up amongst her peers, many of who attended top-ranked law schools. “It’s proved advantageous because a lot of the work that I do now is corporate law,” she says. “The J.D./M.B.A. curriculum —particularly the finance courses—has given me an early understanding of the work that I do and what is important to our clients.” 

Similarly, her father, who also began at Cahill and later moved on to Lexmark International, started in the field doing both litigation and corporate work.

“Utilizing my vague memory, my first year out of law school was exciting as hell,” Vinny recalls. “It was very intense, but so was law school. I enjoyed working long hours, but what I was most thrilled by in my first year, is how well I thought Syracuse prepared me to participate in that work environment.” 

He says Syracuse graduates should not be intimidated as they move into a career and face colleagues who may have attended Ivy League schools. “I feel Syracuse prepared me well,” he said, stressing he competed perfectly on par with others and felt adequately prepared. “And not just theoretical preparation, but also a good, practical, common-sense level of training.”

Feeling thoroughly prepared from her time at Syracuse Law, Lisa is now embarking on a new chapter of her life as an attorney, following in her father’s footsteps in proud Syracuse Orange fashion. 

Giving Through the Years: Michael A. Kaplan L’11 

PHILANTHROPIC PROFILES

Our alumni’s generosity underwrites the College of Law’s success. For many alumni, a tradition of lifelong giving is often tied to personal stories and fond memories of their alma mater. And what better time to reflect on their College of Law days than on the occasion of a class anniversary! 
Here, alums celebrating years ending in one share their philanthropic journeys. Tell us yours by emailing us at SULaw@syr.edu.

Michael Kaplan is a partner at Lowenstein Sandler LLP focusing on litigation in the areas of bankruptcy and restructuring litigation, business litigation, product liability, and specialty torts. 

As a student, you helped to implement important changes to the Advocacy Honor Society—what were they?

When I took over, I felt there was little organization in the Advocacy Honor Society, and, in my view, there was nothing distinctive about it—purely just people who were good at arguing, and there were a lot of us who met that standard. This seemed absolutely wrong. So we did a complete reinvigoration. 

First, we set a GPA minimum. This was because I hold the firm belief that academics are the most important thing when you go to Syracuse. Then we created the 1L advocacy competition, now called the Hancock, Estabrook First Year Oral Advocacy Competition, to give first years an opportunity to hone their skills and establish credentials. It is rewarding to see it still thriving. 

We also changed the Mackenzie Hughes LLP Edmund H. Lewis Appellate Advocacy Competition in a couple of ways. We stopped using a ready-made problem from a book that also delivered the answers. A classmate, Jared Mason, volunteered that year and wrote the problem, and he set the precedent! We also packed the final round with some serious judicial firepower. We brought in seven actual judges (i.e., members of the judiciary), reaching out to alums who had been elevated in their judicial careers. It was a nice way to honor and engage alumni. It made for a truly great competition. 

With respect to the Lionel O. Grossman Trial Competition, we assigned one presiding judge and then two judges in the jury box. It always bothered me immensely that there were three judges sitting up on the panel for what was a trial. We wanted to model reality but also wanted the benefit of additional evaluators, so that solution seemed as simple as it was appropriate and realistic. 

Lastly, we created the Frank H. Armani L’56 Advocacy Award, another collaboration between the honor society and the alumni relations team. The award was established for a deserving competitor who would embody the character of advocacy that Frank showed throughout his career. I was glad that he could present the initial award. And to this day, he and his family often attend the final round!

Which law professors had a lasting impact on you?

Lisa Dolak L’88 who I had for civil procedure. For four solid weeks, every time I raised my hand, she told me I was wrong. She really made me work and taught me that a cursory level of understanding wasn’t enough to be successful. The other was Lucille Rignanese L’99 who was my LCR professor. She was a huge supporter of mine and just an unbelievable human being who really understood the art of legal writing. I owe the entirety of my legal writing ability to her.

When and why did you start to give to the College of Law?

It was pretty much right away. At first, I donated my time, because that’s all I really could give when I was a judicial law clerk. When the building campaign started, that’s when I made a meaningful financial contribution, which extends to this day, also in support of the Law Annual Fund.

How did it feel to celebrate your 10th class reunion and have your firm sponsor Law Alumni Weekend 2021 as the first-ever title sponsor of a Law Annual Weekend?

Being the first is always great; having others follow suit and expand a platform is even more rewarding. The idea to sponsor that weekend started as an off-the-cuff comment, but good on our alumni engagement team for following up on that because why not have my firm become the first title sponsor? I think it was fantastic for the College of Law and fantastic for the firm. And, I would be remiss if I did not thank Lowenstein Sandler LLP for its unwavering support.

I hope to see someone take up the mantle next year. This was a great marketing platform for the firm and me personally. Anyone interested can call me and I’ll tell you how to do it!

Giving Through the Years: Cora True-Frost L’01

PHILANTHROPIC PROFILES

Our alumni’s generosity underwrites the College of Law’s success. For many alumni, a tradition of lifelong giving is often tied to personal stories and fond memories of their alma mater. And what better time to reflect on their College of Law days than on the occasion of a class anniversary! 
Here, alums celebrating years ending in one share their philanthropic journeys. Tell us yours by emailing us at SULaw@syr.edu.
Cora_True Frost

Specializing in international, constitutional, and human rights law, Associate Professor Cora True-Frost is the Bond, Schoeneck and King Distinguished Professor of Law. She is a co-editor, with Martha Minow and Alex Whiting, of The First Global Prosecutor: Promise and Constraints(University of Michigan Press, 2015). 

What inspired you to study law?

As a kid, I was focused on addressing what I saw as inequities in our society. I tried to bridge the gaps I saw. I interned as a social worker at a jail while in college and I taught middle school with Teach for America at two under-resourced middle schools in Baltimore and Harlem. 

Ultimately, I chose to attend law school because I wanted to address social stratification at a systemic level and litigate education financing cases. I hoped that as a lawyer, I would have access to the keys to unlock the door to more social justice. 

Why study at the College of Law?

The opportunity to pursue dual J.D. and M.P.A. degrees at the nation’s top policy school was very appealing to me. A truly fantastic feature of our law school is the number of dual degree offerings we offer students so they can really tailor their skill set to their proposed studies.

Syracuse Law and Professor Donna Arzt’s Global Law and Practice Center were engaged and generated tremendous work around the Lockerbie Trial, offering me an opportunity to develop and deepen my international knowledge. 

What part of law school made a lasting impact?

My most useful, meaningful, and memorable law school classes were the seminars where we were able to critically analyze cutting-edge topics and the role of law in mediating new questions for society. 

The seminar on bioethics with Professor Leslie Bender, who was a key role model and mentor for me, stood out, as well as regulatory law and policy with Professor Richard Goldsmith. Then there were professors whose classes led to amazing debates between us students in the halls, such as Professor William Wiecek’s Constitutional Law II class, a class I teach today. Professor Chris Day was always willing to debate me about corporate law. We continue to engage now that we’re colleagues. 

Why is giving back important?

To build a better future for us all, we need to invest in and work to strengthen institutions that make positive change possible. Syracuse Law gave me the skills to pursue my passions, and I want to give back. I also give because of the transformative potential of education.

When I was in law school, I helped in the admissions office and felt a sense of gratitude and desire to help because of the fellowship that I had been awarded. Receiving fellowship support was a real game-changer for me. While my father was a military officer, no one in my immediate family had been a lawyer. I really appreciated being able to study law with the support of the fellowship, so I still designate my gift to fellowships to support students whose lives will be changed by education. 

In addition to teaching, you are involved with a number of student groups as a mentor. Why is this important to you?

Our students come to law school with ideas about what they want to do with their law degrees after graduation, and student organizations give them an opportunity to pursue these goals with colleagues and with the support of faculty.

I am very involved with the Women’s Law Student Association, serve as the faculty advisor to the Journal of Global Rights and Organizations/Impunity Watch News, and mentor the International Law Society. The time I put in reflects my commitment to support what our students want. Our students work hard, and it’s an honor to work with and help them organize events, bring in speakers, and, in the case of the Journal, write and publish on areas of the law that are often very new to them. 

These groups offer students the opportunity to build comfort and develop a sense of accomplishment before they enter the job market. The students also experience the power and potential of the law through their organizations. When our students can combine their law tools with the subject of their passion, such as international law or gender equity, magic happens, and happy practicing lawyers are born.  

Georgia on Our Mind

FROM HER HOME IN TBILISI, CHIORA TAKTAKISHVILI LL.M.’19 KEEPS HER SYRACUSE CONNECTION STRONG

During the visit of members of the Georgian Bar Association (GBA) to Syracuse on September 15, it was inevitable that Chiora Taktakishvili’s name was mentioned. 

After all, it was the LL.M. Class of 2019 Taktakishvili who introduced GBA President David Asatiani and Executive Director Giorgi Tchekhani to Assistant Dean of International Programs Andrew Horsfall L’10. This introduction led to a fall visit to Syracuse and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to promote scholarly exchange and cooperation among Syracuse Law, Syracuse University, and GBA.

“Chiora was the linchpin of the connection,” says Horsfall.  

“GBA is a relatively young organization as compared to the American Bar Association,” explains Taktakishvili, who has worked with GBA on policy and legislative issues in the past. “To deepen ties to the United States and GBA’s understanding of the US rule of law and civil society functions, Executive Director Tchekhani is interested in a cooperation plan with American universities. I was happy to help introduce GBA to the Syracuse University College of Law, and I am pleased to see the fruits of that introduction.”

Chiora Taktakishvili
Réaffirmer le rôle de l’Assemblée comme forum paneuropéen de dialogue et de coopération interparlementaires – Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgie

“WHAT I WANTED TO DO”

Assisting her nation’s bar association is just one of many initiatives Taktakishvili has pursued since returning to her native Georgia after graduating with her master of laws degree, with a specialization in international human rights law, and completing her postgraduate work experience at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

“I’m now working as a Senior Researcher at Policy Daily LLC, a policy consultancy company based in Tbilisi, where I help Georgian and foreign NGOs with organizational development training and non-discrimination policies,” says Taktakishvili, who also holds a law diploma from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and a master’s in public law from Université Paris 8. 

Taktakishvili’s current work leverages not only her knowledge and experience of human rights and American law but also her previous government experience. From 2004 to 2008, she was the head of the Georgian Ministry of Education and Science Legal Department, and from 2008 to 2016, she was a member of the Georgian parliament and served as the First Deputy Chairperson of the Legal Issues Committee, a Deputy Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, and a member of the parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe. 

“Chiora is a burst of energy—

“engaged and responsive. She gets it.” 

In addition to her research position at Policy Daily, Taktakishvili is a guest lecturer at Ilia State University, where she teaches a course on “Emerging Technologies from a Constitutional Law Perspective” to master of laws students. Taktakishvili’s course is inspired by one she took at Syracuse from the Hon. James. E. Baker. “That course was on emerging tech and global threats, but we also looked at artificial intelligence and its effects on human rights, collection of data, and privacy,” Taktakishvili recalls. “Judge Baker’s class was so impressive to me. My opening lecture always acknowledges my experience at Syracuse Law and especially Judge Baker’s class.” Taktakishvili adds that her current combination of policy and academic work is “exactly what I wanted to do.”

“REALLY HELPED ME”

Taktakishvili also benefitted from Syracuse’s writing instruction. “When I joined the LL.M. program, I wanted to bolster my writing and research skills, and I was always looking for classes with lots of papers to write. These classes have really helped me.” 

Specifically, Taktakishvili’s training at the College of Law has helped her to co-author a new book (with Giorgi Beraia, Davit Zedelashvili, and Maia Kopaleishvili) that further illustrates her extensive knowledge of rule of law matters. 

Funded by a USAID Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia (PROLOG) grant, Right to Fair Trial: Institutional Guarantees for the Independence and Impartiality of Judges (Free University of Tbilisi, 2021) is a comparative analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court, European Court of Human Rights, and Constitutional Court of Georgia case law concerning the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. 

“Independence and impartiality standards for tribunals and judges is the most pressing issue in Georgia currently,” Taktakishvili explains. “I’m happy that lawyers and students will now be able to learn more about the American and European standards for fair trials in their own language.”

Dean Craig M. Boise (right) and Georgian Bar Association (GBA) President David Asatiani sign a September 2021 Memorandum of Understanding to promote scholarly exchange and cooperation among Syracuse Law, Syracuse University, and GBA.
Dean Craig M. Boise (right) and Georgian Bar Association (GBA) President 
David Asatiani sign a September 2021 Memorandum of Understanding to 
promote scholarly exchange and cooperation among Syracuse Law, 
Syracuse University, and GBA.

“SHE GETS IT”

Horsfall notes that Taktakishvili remains close to the master’s degree program in other ways. “This year, we tapped Chiora to help with an LL.M. Orientation Zoom call between program alumni and new students,” he says. “She’s always happy to give her perspective. Chiora is a burst of energy—engaged and responsive. She gets it.” 

Notably, this year, when two new Georgian students—Nino Elbakidzeand Nana Gochiashvili—joined the master’s degree program, they turned to Taktakishvili for advice. 

“They asked about how to get settled, what to expect—and the Syracuse winter,” she recalls. “I was happy to share my experience. I told them I actually enjoyed the Syracuse winter, as well as the Finger Lakes and the fall colors. I didn’t really know Syracuse before I went, so I know how they were feeling.”  

Taktakishvili’s perspectives are also critical for the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association, where she serves as both a board member and a member of the Law Honors Committee. 

“Having master’s degree alumni on the SULAA Board offers a nice mix of experiences. After all, we shared so many classes and professors with the J.D. students,” Taktakishvili observes. “It was also a great honor to be involved in this year’s alumni awards. It was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about so many of Syracuse’s bright alumni.”

“Despite living far from Syracuse now, Chiora remains enthusiastically engaged with SULAA and the College of Law, and we’re all the better for it,” says Director of Alumni Relations Kristen Duggleby. “It’s important to have SULAA reflect the perspective of master’s degree students. I hope her involvement and counsel inspire future LL.M. graduates to do the same.”

Forever Syracuse Law!

Forever Orange Logo

We are in the home stretch of Forever Orange, a campaign that will help Syracuse Law continue to graduate Extraordinary Lawyers who will go on to lead Extraordinary Lives.

Led by your remarkable generosity, as of fall 2021, we have raised close to 70% of our $38 million goal. And with 28.7% of our alumni meaningfully engaged with their alma mater, we are within touching distance of our 30% campaign engagement goal, which exceeds the University’s 20% engagement goal.

Your gift to our Forever Orange campaign ensures that we can continue our forward trajectory.  We are experts at innovating legal education for the 21st century—and with your support, we can  do even more to … 

  • Attract the best and brightest students and offer them appropriate financial aid to help make their career dreams a reality. 
  • Recruit and support a world-class faculty whose practical experience and intellectual scholarship meet the needs of students and employers and advance the research and programs that are our hallmark.
  • Ensure we have financial stability and flexibility now and into the future. 

The bottom line? Forever Orange is all about the extraordinary things that we can do together to  take the College to the next level.

To donate to your alma mater and to learn more about volunteering, visit law.syr.edu/giving.

Forever Orange 2021

Giving Through the Years: Laurence Stein L’91 

PHILANTHROPIC PROFILES

Our alumni’s generosity underwrites the College of Law’s success. For many alumni, a tradition of lifelong giving is often tied to personal stories and fond memories of their alma mater. And what better time to reflect on their College of Law days than on the occasion of a class anniversary! 
Here, alums celebrating years ending in one share their philanthropic journeys. Tell us yours by emailing us at SULaw@syr.edu.
Donna (Kenney) Stein L’92 and Laurence Stein L’91
Donna (Kenney) Stein L’92 
and Laurence Stein L’91

Larry Stein is Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, and Business Unit General Counsel for General Re Corporation and its various subsidiaries. He specializes in securities law; transactions and regulation; commercial real estate; commercial litigation; reinsurance and insurance; corporate governance, structure, and regulation; and international regulation and transactions.  

What inspired you to study law?

Watching my father help others. I was struck by how he made a difference in people’s lives with difficult problems. I used to go to his office and saw how his practice and life were very social and there seemed to be comradery among the attorneys and the larger community where they practiced.

What law school memories stand out?

Hanging out in the old law student lounge with classmates, and, when thinking back to classes, Professor Sam Fetters’ quips at students who asked silly questions—I laugh just thinking of moments like that. 

My time as president of the Student Senate and dealing with controversies or trying to make law school better with improvements or social events such as The Libel Show, Barristers Ball, and Halloween Party also stand out. Many other great memories include places I love in Syracuse, such as Pastabilities, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Skaneateles Lake, and Doug’s Fish Fry. 

Most of all, meeting my wife, Donna (Kenney) Stein L’92, there and the great times we and our classmates had top them all.

Did a particular law professor have a lasting impact?

Again, Professor Fetters and, also, professors Rod Surratt, William Wiecek, Christian Day, Thomas Maroney L’63, Travis H.D. Lewin, Samuel Donnelly, and William C. Banks for their impact and lasting (often humorous) memories. What stands out most is their approach to teaching and supporting students. 

I also loved the extent to which students became friendly with professors outside the classroom at social events, dinners, or the occasional card games held at students’ houses.

When and why did you start to give back to Syracuse Law?

It started while I was still a student. Back then, I wanted to help make the law school experience better for everyone. I volunteered or served in many capacities and enjoyed being part of student organizations. 

When Donna and I started our legal careers and could do more, we gave back for many reasons, not the least of which is the great education we received along with the opportunities that followed. My public grade school education, my undergraduate degree, and my legal education built for me a strong foundation for success, and I want these institutions to thrive and provide the same for others.

Of course, Donna and I also met at law school and had an amazing time in Syracuse. We love the College of Law, Syracuse University, Syracuse, and the surrounding areas and happily support them. Over the years, we have returned to visit often and brought our children as well.

Do you have a message to recent graduates about giving back?

Stay involved and support those who have supported you and contributed to your success. I think it is important for students to keep in mind that no matter how they feel while in school, they don’t know where they will be in five, 10, 20, or 30 years. 

If you want to make a difference and help others, you don’t need to be wealthy or have a special career; you can make it part of your life now. Supporting institutions, charities, and people can begin at any time. It is being part of the community and supporting the community that has meaning. 

Perhaps over time what you do and how you give will change, but the help you provide today and the feeling you get from giving will always be worth it. 

Giving Through the Years: Joseph M. DiOrio L’81 

PHILANTHROPIC PROFILES

Our alumni’s generosity underwrites the College of Law’s success. For many alumni, a tradition of lifelong giving is often tied to personal stories and fond memories of their alma mater. And what better time to reflect on their College of Law days than on the occasion of a class anniversary! 
Here, alums celebrating years ending in one share their philanthropic journeys. Tell us yours by emailing us at SULaw@syr.edu.
JosephD iOrio L’81

Joseph M. DiOrio runs a boutique firm—DiOrio Law Office—in Providence, RI, with practice areas focusing on commercial finance, bankruptcy, and creditors’ rights. Before following his entrepreneurial calling in 2005, he worked for more than two decades at large firms. 

In 2020, he was honored by the Hall of Fame of the Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly Excellence in the Law, receiving a special lifetime achievement award for senior leaders of the profession.

What brought you to study law?

It’s interesting. I majored in chemistry at Boston College. I feel very fortunate that BC had a strong liberal arts requirement. I was able to study much of the same material that those who studied political science or philosophy studied. As I considered my next steps, I felt my choices were to pursue a Ph.D. in organic chemistry or polymer chemistry or a law degree. My roommate and several others I knew were going to law school, and I wasn’t in love with chemistry. I thought law would be a good fit. 

At the end of the day, working for a large chemical company that could relocate me and my family was not as appealing as earning a law degree, which would allow me to chart my own course. I found that option an exciting prospect—to control my own destiny—and it turned out to be true. At 22, making those decisions was dicey, but it turns out I was right.

What law school memories stand out?

In my experience, all the professors worked very hard in the classroom. Each had their own style, but each put great effort into teaching. They were enthusiastic. Reading the law was quite different from solving chemical equations. I was able to pick it up, and candidly it was easier for me than chemistry. 

Also, my college roommate went to SU with me, and we made three other good friends. We all stay in touch to this day, 41 or so years later. We participated in intramural sports. Somehow, we ended up in the super league for intramural basketball and played against the football players’ team. We got crushed, but we had fun. Finally—a great strength of the school, and I think the University overall—is its diversity. There were people from all different backgrounds. That was a real positive. 

Did a particular law professor have a lasting impact?

I got the book award in the future interests course. We studied the rule against perpetuates, which I understand has been abolished in every single state. Professor Samuel M. Fetters was brilliant as he described the machinations behind the rule—how it applied and didn’t apply. I enjoyed all my classes, but perhaps the thought process in his course was like organic chemistry, which resonated with me. 

Why is philanthropy important to you personally?

Our charitable efforts go toward education. If I’m going to give, I give to my schools or the schools that educated my children. I wouldn’t say I’m a big donor, but I’m a consistent donor. Sometimes I give a little more, sometimes less depending on, say, whether we had to pay for my children’s college educations. 

It’s important not to forget the value you received from your schools. Syracuse gave me the tools to become a lawyer, and I don’t want to forget that.

Do you have a message to recent graduates about giving back?

Don’t forget the value you receive from your education because it pays dividends all your life.

Status of The ’Cuse? Boosted!

Thank you to alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who made gifts to Boost the ’Cuse on Oct. 7, 2021, the University’s annual day of giving. 

Once again, this 24-hour campaign was a huge success. The College of Law ended the day with 466 donors, easily beating its 310-donor goal. For good measure, Syracuse Law helped the University beat its 5,000-donor goal—SU logged an incredible 5,109 donors!

Special gratitude goes to the Board of Advisors and the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association Board for renewing their $10,000 matching challenge, which was unlocked early on October 7, around 10:30 a.m.

Boost the 'Cuse 2021

Law Firm Giving Challenge Returns!

Paul Lyons L’09 and Fritz Diddle

The 2022 Law Firm Giving Challenge is on! The fourth annual Challenge is a friendly competition that encourages Syracuse Law alumni at Central New York law firms to make a gift to their alma mater, in solidarity with their colleagues. 

Once again, the challenge kickoff coincided with Boost the ’Cuse, Syracuse University’s Annual Day of Giving in October.

To show appreciation for the generosity of our area alumni, Syracuse Law staff visited participating firms with doughnuts in October. Pictured are Paul Lyons L’09, Member at Bottar Law, and Fritz Diddle, Assistant Director of Development, along with a box of Syracuse-based Glazed & Confused’s finest. 

The Law Firm Challenge continues through June 30, 2022. To learn more, call Fritz Diddle at 315.443.1339 or email fjdiddle@syr.edu.

Bousquet Holsetin Law Firm Giving Challenge team

Orange lawyers and staffers at Bousquet Holstein are pictured with their 2020 Law Firm Challenge Award. From left: Jeffrey Fasoldt L’20; Larry Bousquet L’80 (recipient of a 2021 Law Honors Award); Rosemary Lepiane L’04;  John Valentino L’87; and Philip Bousquet L’89. Congratulations to the other 2020 winners: Bond, Schoeneck & King, Hancock Estabrook, and Bottar Law.

A Strong Start for Class Act!

Class Act 2021 students holding a giant check with otto the orange

The Class of 2022 has hit the ground running with their class giving campaign! Class Act! encourages all seniors at Syracuse University to launch their philanthropy in support of SU and make a gift in honor of their graduation year—in 2022, the suggested amount is $20.22. 

Led by J.D. Class President Gabrielle Kielbasinski, the 2022 College of Law Class Act! committee kicked things off in style by tabling during Boost the ’Cuse with coffee and doughnuts. A visit from Otto capped off the day. More than 30 gifts from classmates marked a strong start for the campaign, which has consistently led the University in participation. 

In a Syracuse Law first, the Class of 2022 also raised enough gifts by the time of the College’s annual Fireplace Lighting Ceremony on November 8 to “fire up” that event with a friendly and sweet pie-in-the-face challenge, featuring Dean Boise and Director of Student Affairs Sarah Collins!  

Best of luck to the Class of 2022, and thanks to the dedicated student volunteers who make up the 2022 Class Act Committee. Special thanks to Board of Advisors member Alan Epstein L’74, co-founder of the College of Law’s Class Act! campaign. 

Your efforts, and creative leadership, are greatly appreciated.

Class Act Group 2021 students sitting together at table
Class Act Group 2021