Alumni help the College of Law in many ways: you speak at orientation, host classes in your offices, sit on advisory boards, and so much more. Your generosity contributes to the success of our students and the College of Law.
Here are just a few examples:
Job Placements
The Honorable Stewart D. Aaron L’83
The Hon. Stewart D. Aaron L’83, United States magistrate judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, has been mentoring and hiring students from the College of Law throughout his career. It’s not only a means of giving back but also a way to help budding attorneys progress in their careers. “I was the first lawyer in my family, so I didn’t have a sense of what the law was or how to practice it,” he says. “The College of Law gave me a legal community that impacted the trajectory of my life.” The clerks, interns and externs Aaron hires get real exposure to what it’s like to work in a judge’s chamber, and he enjoys being a resource as they prepare for job interviews. Aaron recalls the transformational power of College of Law alumni, including Richard Alexander L’82, who urged him to join Arnold & Porter LLP, where he became a partner before joining the bench. His commitment to the College of Law can also be seen in Aaron’s planned estate gift. “I’ve been fortunate in my career, so sharing some of that after I’m gone seems like a sensible thing to do in recognition for what the College of Law means to me,” he says.
“The College of Law gave me a legal community that impacted the trajectory of my life.”
The Hon. Stewart D. Aaron L’83
Distinguished Lecturers
Richard Furey L’94
Richard Furey L’94 enjoys sharing his legal expertise. To that end, he recently coordinated a residency for students in the JDinteractive (JDi) program on asset finance in the aviation sector through Holland & Knight LLP, where he is a partner. The idea came out of a conversation he had a few years ago with Dean Craig M. Boise, which eventually morphed into an in-person residency for College of Law students earning degrees online through JDi. Not only did Furey host the session at his New York City firm, but he was also invaluable in pulling together contacts from the aviation industry to participate. Students saw the full scope of this niche legal space from inside the offices of Holland & Knight, where they focused on subjects like secured transactions, then went onsite at JetBlue, interacting with the airline’s legal and fleet management teams on practical aspects of aircraft financing. Says Furey, “We had a remarkable group of students, who really impressed us with their work experience and the level of commitment and engagement they gave to their studies.” Thanks to Furey’s enthusiasm, Holland & Knight also recently created an externship with the College of Law, which is particularly impactful as the firm has not traditionally recruited on the Syracuse campus.
“We had a remarkable group of students, who really impressed us with their work experience and the level of commitment and engagement they gave to their studies.”
Richard Furey L’94
Scholarships
Cheryl Kimball G’95, L’95
Cheryl Kimball G’95, L’95, decided to pursue law school when she had two small children. Syracuse University College of Law offered her a fellowship, which covered Kimball’s tuition and provided her a stipend, making it possible for her to achieve a law career. When she later had the financial means to give back to the College of Law, Kimball decided to honor a colleague and mentor who, while not connected with Syracuse, had “accepted me as a complete equal” when she began working in the utilities field where there were few women at the table. To that end, she established the Joseph R. Nolan Jr. Power Forward Scholarship in honor of her mentor, currently the CEO of Eversource, an energy provider. “He didn’t see me as an outsider because I was female. He brought me in, gave me every opportunity and opened up a lot of doors for me,” says Kimball, who today is a managing partner/owner at Keegan Werlin LLP in Massachusetts. As a way of paying it forward, Kimball also directed that the scholarship help those who might not otherwise have the financial resources to attend law school.
Mentorship and Networking
Mark O’Brien L’14
Mark O’Brien L’14, chief deputy clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, served as the president of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA) from 2022-2023 and was instrumental in establishing an Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Advisory Committee. Urged by others at the College of Law, including Teaching Professor Mary Szto, O’Brien worked towards a greater degree of engagement for Asian American students by helping to create a group of alumni to specifically interact with students involved with the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. “I didn’t really have that kind of experience as a student, as the organization wasn’t formalized in that way back then. So, accomplishing this has been exciting,” he explains. His commitment to serve as president of the College of Law’s alumni association was also a way to give back. “The alumni family was one element that drew me in when deciding to attend the College of Law in the first place,” he says, “and many were integral in helping me decide which opportunities to pursue in my career. That’s something I want to do for today’s students of all backgrounds.”
“The alumni family was one element that drew me in when deciding to attend the College of Law in the first place.”
Mark O’Brien L’14
Alumni Leadership
Colleen Gibbons L’17
Senior program manager, national training and technical assistance at the Center for Justice Innovation, Colleen Gibbons L’17 is giving back as the current president of SULAA. Past president of the Student Bar Association, Gibbons was contacted after graduating and asked to join the alumni association’s board. Active on committees at first, she eventually joined the executive board, working her way up to president. “There is a lot of passion in our alumni network, and everyone is proud of the education we’ve received and eager to support other Orange alums and current students,” she explains. “Our board members want to engage alumni and students. We recognize the path students are on because we’ve been there, too.” According to Gibbons, the alumni association is currently making an effort to reengage with those who have not been involved with the College of Law in some time. The goal is not about a monetary ask but is a way to get alumni talking to each other and current students through support, training or creating career opportunities. “All alumni have something valuable to give in one way or another,” says Gibbons. “We want to tap into those talents for the benefit of everyone at the College of Law.”
“There is a lot of passion in our alumni network, and everyone is proud of the education we’ve received.”
Colleen Gibbons L’17
Serving on a Committee
Tiffany Love L’22
Tiffany Love L’22 credits her ability to attend law school to the College of Law’s JDinteractive (JDi) online program, as, at the time, she was a military spouse living in Japan and then Germany, while also a mom holding down a full-time job. Due to the time difference, she often did her law school work in the middle of the night. Still, she found the JDi program rewarding, praising the professors for their availability and acknowledging that the experience prepared her for a career as an attorney. Recently, she was asked to join the SULAA board as the first JDi alumnus. Love always admired Tiffany Love L’22 credits her ability to attend law school to the College of Law’s JDinteractive (JDi) online program, as, at the time, she was a military spouse living in Japan and then Germany, while also a mom holding downthe strength of the College of Law’s alumni, particularly during residencies where alumni were present, so she was eager to be a part of the board. “My goal is to make sure that JDi students are well represented as part of the alumni association,” says Love, who is now a litigation association at Phelps Dunbar LLP in Tampa, Florida. “Many in JDi come to the program as very accomplished people, and I want to assure they are both supported and have a means to support others at the College of Law.”
“My goal is to make sure that JDi students are well represented as part of the alumni association.”
Tiffany Love L’22
Staying Connected
Lotta Lampela LL.M.’23
When Lotta Lampela LL.M.’23 came to the College of Law with several years’ experience in international law and security policy from across Europe, she didn’t believe she could take on a role in American law. But as she launched into a second career in the States, her professors made a lasting impact on her career trajectory. “The law school is the best thing that has happened to me since I arrived in the U.S. Professors Gary Kelder and James Baker ignited my passion for Constitutional law. Professor Richard Risman gave me the confidence that I could do legal research to the standards that are required of a law clerk. They believed in me so I started to envision myself practicing law in the U.S.,” says Lampela. While pursuing her degree, Lampela worked in the College’s Institute for Security Policy and Law (ISPL) with its director, the Hon. James E. Baker. She was instrumental in helping to establish the Ring Around Russia: Partnership for Law and Policy initiative, an interdisciplinary network of scholars from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia’s frontline states. “I was able to tap into the network I had created, and I also had the cultural background in how to communicate our message in a way that was digestible to various European audiences,” says Lampela. After graduation, Lampela continued to support ISPL’s Ring Around Russia project before starting her clerkship at the Trial Court of the Vermont Judiciary in September. She remains active in the ISPL by providing pro bono guidance and input to Judge Baker on Ring around Russia. “Thanks to the professors and the tools they gave me, I love what I do and plan on remaining active with the College and ISPL,” concluded Lampela.
“The law school is the best thing that has happened to me since I arrived in the U.S.”
Lotta Lampela LL.M.’23