The first woman elected president of the Law Student Senate at Syracuse University College of Law. The first woman first assistant district attorney, first woman judge, and first woman elected to the New York State Supreme Court in Oneida County, New York. There’s no disputing that Hon. Bernadette Romano Clark L’89 is a trailblazer, particularly for women in the legal field, and she credits much of her success to Syracuse Law.
This spring Clark receives a 2026 Law Honors award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to the law, her advocacy for women in the profession, and her generosity to Syracuse Law as an engaged speaker, mentor, and philanthropic supporter over the years.
Immersing Herself in the Law School Experience
Although law school was always on her radar, Clark worked in pharmaceutical sales and marketing for 13 years. However, in 1985, she attended her brother, Bernard J. Turi’s L’85, commencement ceremony at Syracuse Law and was so moved by a speech at the event about justice and how important lawyers are to the system that she took the LSATs the next month and applied to Syracuse Law.
Clark’s academic record at St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame and her professional experience spoke for themselves— giving her a place at Syracuse Law despite an LSAT score she says was not as high as she had hoped.
“It was love at first sight. I loved the environment, the professors, and everything there motivated me. I was like a sponge, always in the front row asking questions. I never missed a class,” says Clark.
She quickly joined many organizations and clubs, including student government, the trial and appellate teams, and the Survey Edition of the “Syracuse Law Review,” for which she served as technical editor.
By her final year of law school, Clark became the first woman to serve as Student Senate president. She graduated magna cum laude and was a member of the Justinian Honorary Law Society.
Finding Her Niche in Litigation: From ADA to NYS Supreme Court Judge
After graduating with numerous awards for her achievements, she went on to Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC, where she discovered how much she enjoyed litigation.
“The litigation attorneys there were bright and articulate,” she says. She felt especially fortunate to be mentored by attorneys Catherine Richardson L’77 and Deborah Karalunas L’82, who, like Clark, went on to be a Supreme Court Justice.
In 1994, she was appointed first assistant district attorney in Oneida County, a position she held for seven years. At the time, she was expecting her second child and remembers being “flabbergasted” at those who questioned her abilities to do the job as a woman and mother.
“I didn’t fully realize the barriers for women in the legal field, as I had attended an all-women’s high school and college, and my father had always instilled in me that I could do and be whatever I wanted,” she explains. “I never experienced any obstacles due to my gender in law school, either.”
She persevered, earning the respect of her community through a strong conviction rate as first assistant district attorney, her work with law enforcement to establish a special victims unit, her improvements to the county’s child advocacy center, and her firm stance against domestic violence and elder abuse.
Seven years later, she ran for family court judge and again faced scrutiny as a female. “There had never been a woman judge in Oneida County, and people actually put out flyers claiming I wore too much make-up and my skirts were too short,” she explains. “People said, ‘We don’t need a Barbie doll judge.’” Despite these challenges, she won the election and served in family court for five years.
When she ran for New York Supreme Court in the Fifth District in 2005, she thought she had finally proven herself, but she says she was up against an opponent hand-picked by those with influence.
“People told me not to run, and that I would never win,” she explains. ”I kept hearing that the numbers were against me and that a woman would never get elected in Oneida County. But my LSAT numbers were against me, too, and that didn’t stop me from going to law school.”
Her determination paid off, as she won the Supreme Court seat by almost 20,000 votes. Today, three out of five Supreme Court justices in Oneida County are female.
Crediting Syracuse Law for the Foundation of Her Career
Clark has spent more than three decades blazing her own trail in the courtroom, including 25 years on the bench. Through it all, Clark has never forgotten the strong foundation provided at the College of Law that made it happen.
Clark returns often to give back to the place where she began her legal career and enjoys participating in classes, competitions, and other student events. She often takes on Syracuse students as summer law clerks, and she is proud to say that one of her daughters, Alexandra J.L. Romano ’16, L’21, also graduated from the College of Law.
Support for Clark’s nomination for the Law Honors award was outstanding, with community leaders like Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick ’74, L’76; Hon. Deborah Karalunas L’82; Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente; Peter Angelini L’92, certified mediator and special claims attorney; Laura Casamento, former president of Utica University; New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo; Hon. Julie Grow Denton, and Hon. Elizabeth Snyder Fortino, both Oneida County Supreme Court justices; and Michael Arcuri, partner, Ward Arcuri Law Firm, touting her outstanding accomplishments and impact on the legal profession.
Clark appreciates all who have supported her from law school to the bench.
“The Syracuse Law Honors award is the crowning achievement of my career because it highlights my devotion to the Law School,” she says. “It’s very special to be recognized, and I am really touched because I worked so hard to get into Syracuse Law, and they took a chance on me. And for that, I am truly grateful.”