The DANCING Project investigates the extent to which the protection of the right to participate in culture of people with disabilities and the promotion of cultural diversity intersect and complement each other in the European Union (EU) legal order.
True-Frost will speak on the June 19 panel “DANCING Contribution to Advance the Human Rights Model of Disability” at Maynooth University.
The College of Law recently held a virtual swearing-in ceremony for summer semester student attorneys in the Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC). U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Judge Grant Jaquith performed the swearing-in of the students.
“The swearing-in ceremony is an important part of the clinic experience as it reinforces the professional nature of the work they are going to be doing on behalf of their clients,” says Professor Beth Kubala, director of the VLC and executive director of Clinical Legal Education. “Having Judge Jaquith perform the ceremony means a lot to the students as he is a federal judge, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of NY, and retired Army J.A.G. officer.”
The VLC provides representation to veterans and their families who are seeking benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or upgrading an unfavorable discharge through the various military services. While representing real clients, student attorneys gain an understanding of military culture, interact with government agencies, develop case management skills, improve advocacy skills, and instill the value of pro bono service.
There are 18 students in the clinic – four are veterans, two are active-duty service members, one is a National Guardman, and four are military spouses.
The oath concludes with the student attorneys promising to abide by the New York State Rules of Professional Conduct.
“The swearing-in was a unique experience that underscored the fact that we as student attorneys get to do actual legal work, representing real-life people with real-world problems. The JDi program allows me to do this important work while still maintaining full-time employment, and from over 700 miles away. Having no military background has not impeded me from feeling like I’m contributing usefully to the lives of our veterans, and getting to help those who have served our country has already been the most rewarding experience of my law school career.”
Reid Surles L’26
“Taking the oath was surreal. Knowing I will have real clients with real problems—the realization that I am out of the academic and into “the grey” of actual practice—makes me both anxious and excited.”
Joe Creager L’25
“The VLC swearing-in ceremony marked a turning point in my legal education—it symbolized not just readiness, but responsibility. As a retired Navy officer, it was deeply personal and an honor to stand before a Federal judge and be formally entrusted to advocate for fellow veterans. The ability to participate in the VLC remotely has made my legal education more meaningful, showing me firsthand how the law can serve those who have sacrificed so much. It reaffirms that distance does not limit our ability to make a real impact in people’s lives.”
Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks and Professor of Law Mark Nevitt of Emory University School of Law have co-authored “The Mounting Crisis of Militarizing Immigration Enforcement” at Just Security.
The article covers the historical, political, and legal aspects of the recent deployment of the military to Los Angeles for immigration enforcement. This includes the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act, among other statutes.
In summary, the writers state, “The United States has historically been widely respected for its tradition of entrusting law enforcement to civilians–federal agents, local and state police, sheriffs, constables. By contrast, the uniformed military fights wars and keeps Americans safe from foreign adversaries and it is only episodically needed for domestic assignment. American traditions are reflected in the Constitution and are explained in part by antipathy to the English Crown and the heavy-handed use of the British military in the colonies. Although the Constitution enabled Congress to Call Forth the Militia (today’s National Guard) to “repel invasions,” the grant of authority was understood to anticipate the possibility of war being brought to the United States, not to facilitate reaching arbitrarily assigned deportation quotas.”
Professor Gregory Germain spoke with Bloomberg on the president’s recent court hearing to have the New York jury verdict in the hush money case dismissed. Trump’s goal has been to get the case out of state court and into federal court.
“That’s clearly what he’s trying to do, but the question is whether they’re going to let him do it,” said Germain. “He wants to get it out of the state system, that’s his goal.”
Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh spoke with the BBC about the lawsuit brought by Disney and Universal against artificial intelligence (AI) company Midjourney.
“A lot of the images that Midjourney produces just seem to be copies of copyrighted characters that might be in new locations or with a new background,” says Ghosh, director of the Syracuse Intellectual Property Law Institute.
“It doesn’t seem like they’re being transformed in a creative or imaginative way.”
He added that there is a recognition in copyright law that creativity can build on other works as long as it adds something new.
Visiting Assistant Professor Maria Cudowska has published the article “Negotiating Food Security” in the Journal of Food Law & Policy. The article is in Volume 21, Number 1 (2025).
From the abstract: “This Article examines how national security impacts food security in the United States. It explores conflicts and synergies between municipal, state, and federal law developments related to the right to food and investigates recent developments in how those commitments have been negotiated.”
Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks has discussed the deployment of the National Guard and Marines with several media outlets. Banks is an expert in civil-military relations who wrote the book “Soldiers on the Homefront.”
Banks responded to questions from The Conversation about the historical and legal nature of President Trump deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles.
In response to a question about American military troops being used in the U.S., Banks says, “They can, but it is an extraordinary exercise of authority to use troops domestically. It has rarely been done in the U.S. as a way of responding to a civil disturbance. Congress has delegated that authority of deploying American troops domestically to the president in limited circumstances. Otherwise, the only authority is exercised by governors, who have control of the National Guard.”
Professor Emeritus William C. Banks Discusses the Posse Comitatus Act with NPR
Professor of Law Emeritus William C. Banks spoke with Up First From NPR on the deployment of the military to Los Angeles. Banks discussed what the military can do as outlined in the Posse Comitatus Act.
“For sure, they can’t arrest. If the crowds are trying to push through them or throwing rocks at their face, they can protect themselves, but they can’t enforce the law,” says Banks.
He speaks at 3:25 of the audio clip.
Professor Banks spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle for the story, “DHS secretary seeks military arrests in Los Angeles in leaked letter.” “This is a grave escalation,” said Banks. “It may presage the invocation of the Insurrection Act.”
At KJZZ (Phoenix, AZ) Banks said, “The last time a president did something like this — that is to federalize the National Guard without the participation of a state governor — was in 1965,” when then-President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect Black civil rights activists from local authorities ahead of a voting rights march in Selma, Alabama.
The Latin Times “Kristi Noem Reportedly Requested Hegseth Direct Military To Make Arrests In Los Angeles: ‘A Grave Escalation'”.
The Straits Times “Trump flexes strongman instincts over Los Angeles protests”.
Nicole L’25, Robert L’25 and Matthew Gelb L’25 have the distinction of being triplets who graduated together from the Syracuse University College of Law in May. But that’s not the only unique thing about this close knit trio. They are also the fourth generation of their family to attend Syracuse Law and the only set of triplets to graduate together in the law school’s history.
The legacy started with Robert Miller L’29 who enrolled at Syracuse Law nearly 100 years ago. After that, his son, the Hon. Michael J. Miller ’60 (MAX), L’63; and daughter, Joan Miller ’58 (SOE), attended Syracuse. Joan married Allan Wolk ’58 (WSM), L’60, who graduated from the Law School. The couple had a daughter, Sandra Wolk Gelb L’92, who also attended Syracuse Law and is a real estate attorney. And this spring, Sandra and her husband, Jay, watched proudly as their triplets, Nicole, Robert and Matthew, crossed the stage to receive their law degrees, continuing the family tradition.
The triplets have been achieving challenging goals since the day they were born at only 29 weeks gestation. Matthew weighed only 1.5 lbs., Nicole 2 lbs. and Robert 2.5 lbs. They were given less than a 50% chance of survival, but these feisty micro preemies fought hard and three months later emerged from the NICU at Rochester’s Golisano Children’s Hospital as thriving babies.
Growing up, all attended grade school together, and then each made their own decision to attend their mother’s undergraduate alma mater, The University of Rochester (U of R). Robert and Matthew studied business, while Nicole pursued psychology, and all three participated on the U of R swim team. The triplets had individual college experiences but remained close, so when all three decided to pursue law school, they jumped at the chance to continue the family legacy at Syracuse Law.
While they are sometimes lumped together as “the triplets,” each have their unique strengths and interests. Matthew is drawn to real estate law, and he has wanted to be a lawyer since his mother brought the children into her law firm to meet the partners years ago. Nicole describes her brother as “the kindest person I’ve ever met” and says he stands out among everyone they know.
Nicole has wanted to pursue law school since she was a high school student with a particular interest in elder law sparked from volunteering at a nursing home. “She’s the CEO of the group,” says Sandra. “Nicole was born in the middle, and she’s been in charge of both boys ever since.” Her brothers describe her as a “people person” who is very caring but likes to argue, a good quality in a lawyer. Nicole hopes to eventually pursue a career in family law/elder law.
Robert, the youngest of the triplets, is described by his siblings as “funny and a great storyteller,” something his family thinks will benefit him in his law career, as he is often able to diffuse a tense situation with his humor. Named after his great-grandfather Robert Miller, the original family member to attend Syracuse Law, he is known for his strict study schedule and intends to specialize in tax law. “Robert is the most studious of the three of us. He takes it to the next level,” says Matthew.
While they are always there for one another, the Gelbs did not live together as undergraduates or in law school, each taking different classes and pursuing various interests. Nicole was drawn to the law school’s newly established Housing Clinic, assisting low-income tenants with issues like eviction and rental housing conditions, and the new Syracuse Medical Legal Partnership, a collaboration between SUNY Upstate Medical University’s pediatrics department and the Law School that provides advocacy to vulnerable members of the community and works together with medical professionals for positive health outcomes. Matthew also participated in the Housing Clinic, enjoying the challenge of juggling multiple clients. Robert was interested in the Transactional Law Clinic, assisting clients with contracts, copyright protection and more. However, all three did participate in the College of Law’s Bankruptcy Clinic, helping individuals in need of financial relief, and they also joined an International Tax Law residency last summer in Switzerland led by former Dean Craig Boise.
“We all excel at different things while having our love of the law in common, but I think the experience at Syracuse Law has been outstanding for all of us, as we not only earned our law degrees but have honored our family legacy times three,” says Nicole.
Now that the triplets have graduated, they have wasted no time studying for the bar exam in both New York and Florida, giving them more flexibility in their career paths. Their first steps are to work for the family business , which operates in both states.
Sandra and Jay could not be more grateful to the law school for their children’s success, and Sandra is especially proud to see the fourth generation graduate from Syracuse Law. The couple has also followed the family’s legacy of generosity to the Law School. Sandra’s father established a scholarship for deserving students in 1995. In 2000, Sandra and Jay decided to renew that gift with the establishment of the Robert Miller L’29, Joan ’57 and Allan Wolk ’58, L’60, Jay and Sandra Wolk Gelb L’92 Family Scholarship, providing financial assistance for students at the Law School with demonstrated financial need.
“Helping others succeed in the law is what we stand for,” says Jay. “The cost of any law school education is difficult for some to handle without outside support, so we like to give back to the Syracuse community and help others.”
Certainly, the Miller/Wolk/Gelb legacy is firmly cemented in the history of Syracuse University’s College of Law, as is the generosity and support of the family. “Our children are true miracles, and they are achieving goals beyond anything we could have ever expected on the day they were born,” says Sandra, who is a member of the College of Law’s board of advisors.
“The Law School has long been important to generations of my family, and today it is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility with everything a future lawyer could need. The Syracuse network, both the Law School’s and the University’s, extends far and wide, and now our children are a part of that, too. We are so appreciative of the many opportunities the Syracuse University College of Law has given four generations of my family over the past century, and we are especially excited to see how our three brand new lawyers will succeed in the future.”
Last year, the College of Law and Syracuse University School of Social Work launched the Legal-Social Work Partnership Program to provide free, high-quality legal services for veterans, along with social work insight and guidance.
Established in 2023 with the help of Wendy Goidel ‘84, Esq., the partnership has worked to help reduce veteran homelessness and suicide rates while improving the lives of veterans and military families. The program provides Falk social work students who are interested in the intersection of law and social work with a Fellowship that allows them to conduct field work through Syracuse Law’s Betty and Michael D. Wohl Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC).
“I hear the collaborative energy, and see the law and social work students learn from one another and contribute their unique skills to the cause, which is certainly inspiring,” Assistant Dean of Online and Distance Education, and Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Social Work, Ken Marfilius said. “That’s exactly what Wendy set out when she first wanted to bring this model to life in this capacity.”
Benetta Dousuah G’25, the program’s first Fellow, played a key role in bridging the gap between legal support and social services, creating stronger student-attorney/client relationships by providing the law students with a better understanding of the empathy and awareness needed for the bigger picture, rather than an individual legal problem. Law students began adopting more holistic approaches, realizing the need for non-legal services and recognizing when they should find a resource that is better suited to handle certain problems to create outcomes for veterans seeking support. As a result, more than 100 veterans were served through the 2023-24 Legal-Social Work Partnership Program.
“Sometimes the VLC might be able to get that veteran access to VA healthcare and VA compensation, but they’re still having challenges with their family or getting a job or with their landlord,” Executive Director of both the VLC and Syracuse Law’s Clinical Education, and Director of Veteran and Military Affairs, Elizabeth G. Kubala said. “As a lawyer you want to make sure that your impact is sustainable, and sometimes you realize for that impact to be lasting, there are a number of other things that need to fall into place as well.”
Building on its first year success, the Goidel Law Group Internship Fund expanded the Legal-Social Work Partnership program to include two Fellows for their second year, bringing in undergraduate Paige Esposito and graduate Margo Lance, to leverage their social work skills alongside the law school students tackling challenging legal issues for veterans. Realizing the various barriers and challenges it took for veterans to come to campus to receive support from the clinic, the team started travelling to Altamont, a local VA residential program in Syracuse, once a week to provide their services directly to clients.
“The legal process can be very overwhelming, confusing and frustrating,” Esposito said. “On top of having to navigate all the factors of homelessness, they’re getting a bunch of legal jargon and serious technical terms thrown at them, so we take a step back and touch on different things that the legal system does not, to focus on the person.”
The student-attorney’s main focus is on getting each veteran discharge upgrades that will lead to improved healthcare and financial support, but sometimes it takes a village to accomplish a simple step that is only one part of the overall legal process. While lawyers may not necessarily pick up a client and take them to a doctor’s appointment, for example, there are people who will, and understanding the different facets of a holistic veteran support team has only improved the VLC’s services. Getting client referrals directly from the Syracuse VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans program, Lance and Esposito have integrated themselves into the VA social work team as well, working with case managers and program directors that provide additional services to homeless veterans.
“What’s evident in year two is expansion of collaboration, it’s grown in both scope and impact,” Marfilius said. “Expanding the focus beyond traditional legal advocacy to really include comprehensive trauma-informed assessments and case management.”
While the law students are working to connect veterans with benefits, the social work Fellows assist with the intake process, figuring out what they think each veteran needs alongside the requests made by the clients themselves. Using enhanced communication platforms like UniteUs and SyracuseServes, Lance and Esposito are able to streamline referrals and coordinate care across disciplines, ensuring the veterans’ needs are being met.
“My role is to serve them outside of everything that this student attorney is doing…I interpret how I think social work can play into all the things that they do,” Lance said. “I focus on treating the whole person and that can be anything from food stamps up to if they’re interested in joining a church or engaging in community events.”
By working with the social work Fellows, law students can recognize how this support system helps to alleviate certain needs of their clients, understanding that veterans often face a whole host of challenges that must be addressed to move forward. By holistically identifying the needs of each client, the student-attorneys are able to focus on the areas in which they are best equipped to serve.
“You see tangible improvements in veterans’ stability, not just from a legal standpoint with discharges and upgrades, but also well-being in that stability,” Marfilius said. “There’s interdisciplinary success, the integration of law and social work has resulted in more comprehensive care that addresses both legal and psycho-social challenges.”
Building Up the Community, One Person at a Time Link
The legal challenges veterans face are unique, typically related to the details of their service, and require a specialized legal background and understanding to solve. As veterans age, these barriers can worsen and begin to involve different areas of their physical, social, and emotional health. Without an appropriate discharge status, many are unable to access the very services designed to support them.
“My dad is a U.S Army veteran and he’s now 100% service-connected. These benefits were something he earned, and the Syracuse Veterans Legal Clinic played a huge part in helping him finally get them,” Lance said. “Watching these student attorneys just jump right in and take care of all the things my dad once had to handle alone is incredible. Now, I’m able to assist people in this process where he didn’t have assistance, helping other veterans access the support they deserve. It’s the most rewarding thing in the world.”
Since its creation, the Legal-Social Work Partnership program has helped a large number of homeless veterans move into permanent housing and access VA healthcare. Now, almost ten clients have achieved an 100% VA rating, meaning they receive $4,000 in disability compensation each month.
“You want to know how to make a difference in a homeless veteran’s life? Get them eligible for healthcare in the VA medical center right here in town and get them monthly steady income,” Kubala said. “That is the kind of impact we’ve seen. We’re impacting veteran homelessness right here in our community.”
Every veteran’s story is different, and the Legal-Social Work Partnership program has proven the need for empathy, patience, and a willingness to figure out what will actually help in each case. What began as an innovative collaboration between Syracuse Law and School of Social Work has evolved into a model for community-driven change, and by meeting veterans where they are, both physically and emotionally, the Legal-Social Work Partnership program is helping to rebuild lives piece by piece.
“We’re taking an underserved and deserving population, and setting them up for a successful life,” Lance said. “It feels like it’s building up the community one person at a time.”
Crandall Melvin Professor of Law Shubha Ghosh contributed the article “The Rent IS Too High: Blame Zoning and Supply Caps, Not Rental Apps” to the Daily Economy.
The article examines the reasons contributing to the high cost of housing and why seeking to stifle the use of artificial intelligence (AI) pricing tools will not address the cost of housing.
Ghosh writes, “Moreover, this crackdown on AI rent tools is not a principled stand against monopoly or collusion. It’s a case of political theater — an attempt to externalize blame for inflation that was caused by governments and central banks themselves.”
