Haub Law Names Inaugural LLM Sustainable Business Law Fellow and Faculty Director
Haub Law announces Barbara Ballan has been named the inaugural LLM Sustainable Business Law Fellow of Haub Law’s newly launched Sustainable Business Law Hub.
New Adventures and Business Ventures
Lubin international student Sara Puccitelli '25 is not only double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Economics, she also dedicates her time to helping other students learn new languages. On top of that, Sara started a business with her father to help bring tourists to New York City.
Sara Puccitelli
Class of 2025
Currently Studying: BBA in Entrepreneurship and BA in Economics (double major)
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Starting college in a new country is never easy, but international student Sara Puccitelli is going all in at the Lubin School of Business. Not only is she double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Economics, but she also dedicates her time to helping other students learn new languages. On top of that, Sara started a business with her father to help bring tourists to New York City.
Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?
I chose Pace University because I was looking for a university in New York that could provide me with knowledge to start my own business. I read about Pace and I immediately liked it. Plus, I really love where the University is located—it is near every subway line, and the view of the Brooklyn Bridge is wonderful.
Tell us a bit about being an international student at Pace.
Being an international student a Pace is not hard. It was easy to apply, and tutors and advisors always have helped me.
You started a travel agency with your dad. Tell us about your business and other ventures you're exploring.
I started a travel agency with my dad to help bring tourists—specifically Italian tourists—to New York City. We want to help them visit and participate in sports and events here, like the NYC Marathon. We create customized plans for tourists, which include flights, hotels, and either tours or sporting events. I am also starting a new business, Pucci's Crescia. My plan is to make crescia, an Italian snack similar to pizza, stuffed with meats and cheeses of choice and deliver it in the NYC area.
The Lubin School of Business has been really helpful when it comes to running my two new businesses. Thanks to what I have learned, I was able to make business and financial plans by myself. As I keep studying at Pace, I continue to learn new skills every day and find important resources on how to manage my businesses.
How have the skills and concepts you learned within the Lubin School of Business helped you run your businesses?
The Lubin School of Business has been really helpful when it comes to running my two new businesses. Thanks to what I have learned, I was able to make business and financial plans by myself. As I keep studying at Pace, I continue to learn new skills every day and find important resources on how to manage my businesses.
You also tutor other Pace students in Italian, French, and Spanish. What motivates you to help other students?
I had a friend who was always asking me questions about her Italian homework, so I decided to apply to become a tutor to help other students with the same problems I had while studying different languages. Italian is my native language, so I had to learn Spanish and French. I noticed that most students learning those languages are—for the most part—facing the same problems I had. It makes me feel good to help them.
What has been your favorite opportunity at Pace?
There are a lot of different clubs to join at Pace. I am also a dancer so having the opportunity to share my passion with other students has been great. There are also clubs related to my majors, which help me understand how to apply what I am studying in real life.
Do you have any advice for other Lubin students?
Listen and learn as much as possible. Lubin professors have a lot of experience in what they teach, so learning from them is extremely worth it. If you are having problems understanding something, or if you just want their opinion on a topic, you can reach out to them. Do not be scared or shy to reach out because they are here to help.
What does #LubinLife mean to you?
#LubinLife means friendship and opportunity. I met two of my closest friends at Pace. #LubinLife means meeting people with business mindsets, which makes it easier to share and discover new ideas. People are willing to support you, and with Lubin located in a city like New York, you will have access to the best resources, which will definitely help you succeed.
Connect with Sara:
Sara S. Price '08: From Behind the Bench
Haub Law alumna Sara Price grew up in Larchmont, fifteen minutes from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law Campus. Coupled with the fact that her mother, Elaine Price, attended Haub Law, she was familiar with the law school long before becoming a student there.
Haub Law alumna Sara Price grew up in Larchmont, fifteen minutes from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law Campus. Coupled with the fact that her mother, Elaine Price, attended Haub Law, she was familiar with the law school long before becoming a student there. “As an undergraduate student at the University of New Hampshire, I fell in love with environmental policy and sustainable urban development. After taking an Environmental Law and Policy class in college, I decided I wanted to study environmental law and one day head the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s how I ended up at Pace. I knew about the environmental law program initially because of my mother, but the more I researched the breadth of it, the more I knew it was a perfect fit for me,” said Sara.
Once she was at Pace, Sara had a very positive experience. “I really liked all my professors, and I could talk a lot about them. Professor Cassuto was incredible; his Animal Law class really opened my eyes to issues I had never previously thought about. Professor Crawford deserves a medal for making tax law interesting, accessible, and fun. Thanks to Professor Gershman I developed a love for criminal law, and I can’t think of prison reform without thinking of Professor Mushlin.”
After graduating from law school, Sara had spent over 20 years in Westchester and wanted a change. “I had spent some time visiting friends in Colorado and felt that it would be a good fit for me. I moved to Denver right after graduation, studied for the bar and struggled through the recession like the rest of us new lawyers at that time. I began an internship with a Judge which turned into a clerkship. As soon as I started my internship at the court, something clicked and I knew my place was in the courtroom. It was then I knew my path was to the bench.”
Today, Sara is a Magistrate Judge for the 17th Judicial District in Colorado. “One thing I love about my job is that the day to day is always changing. Primarily I have a probate docket so I’m conducting hearings related to estates, trusts, guardianships and conservatorships. I also conduct protection order hearings and non-contested divorces. I rule on all the motions filed in the probate cases, I also get to review, and sign arrest warrants. Finally, we have a really great team of Magistrates in the 17th Judicial District so we’re always training in other divisions so that we can cover for each other.”
While Sara learned early in her career that her place was in the courtroom, she did not necessarily know that it would be in her current capacity as a Magistrate Judge, but she felt very prepared for it based on the variety of experiences she opened herself up to prior to that point. “My advice for current students would be to not pigeonhole yourself to a certain area or practice and to learn with an open mind. If you start studying something that piques your interest, lean into it. Everyone has a different path and what you learn along the way is going to be helpful in ways that you could never anticipate. Pace helped shape my career path because it opened my eyes to all the possibilities that come with a law degree. The law is such a big field and as an attorney your opportunities are endless."
"Pace helped shape my career path because it opened my eyes to all the possibilities that come with a law degree. The law is such a big field and as an attorney your opportunities are endless.”
When Sara is not behind the bench, you can find her running, paddle boarding, playing tennis, traveling, and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.
‘Nightmare’ Warehouse Fire Erases Evidence in Many Unsolved Cases
Adjunct Professor Debra Cohen spoke with The New York Times regarding the massive fire that took place at a Police Department warehouse in Brooklyn, erasing decades of evidence for cases that ranged from reckless driving to murders and cold cases.
Upping the Pace
Pace University is embarking on a transformation of One Pace Plaza, the central building of its Lower Manhattan campus, to include new academic spaces, a modernized residence hall, and a state-of-the-art performing arts center. The rebuilt theater is slated to serve not only the university’s performing and creative arts programs, but also to act as a central gathering space and cultural venue for the Lower Manhattan community. The modernized One Place Plaza is also being designed to lower carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Trump Companies Are Convicted in NY Criminal Tax Fraud Trial
The firm faces “a host of intangibles,” said Bennett Gershman, a professor at Pace University’s law school. “The parent company, as a felon, could be barred from having contracts with government agencies, and it could make it more difficult to do business with banks,” Gershman said in an interview before the verdict. “This is a big deal.”
Fraud Trial Conviction Could be "Death Knell" for Trump Organization
"It spells doom for the Trump Organization — I really see it as a death knell," Bennett Gershman, a professor at Pace University's law school and a former prosecutor in the New York State Anti-Corruption Office, told CBS MoneyWatch. "It would be implausible for any responsible lending institution, bank, insurance company or institutions that provide financial support for companies to have anything to do with the Trump Organization now."
Here's the Fallout the Trump Org. Conviction Could Wreak
“The consequences could potentially be devastating for the company,” said Ben Gershman, a former prosecutor in the New York State Anti-Corruption Office and law professor at Pace University. “The Trump Organization is now toxic. Nobody wants to touch them.”
Cheapest Car Insurance in New York
Professor Edmund H. Mantell was featured in WalletHub's piece about Cheap Car Insurance in New York.
Pace University Announces Plans to Revitalize One Pace Plaza
Pace University is pleased to announce the transformation of One Pace Plaza, its central building in lower Manhattan, to include new academic spaces, a modernized residence hall, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center that will serve its performing and creative arts programs and act as a central gathering space for our community and our neighborhood.
University’s Primary Building to Include New Academic Spaces, Modernized Residence Hall, and State-of-the-Art Performing Arts Center
New York, N.Y. (December 9, 2022) – Pace University is pleased to announce the transformation of One Pace Plaza, its central building in lower Manhattan, to include new academic spaces, a modernized residence hall, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center that will serve its performing and creative arts programs and act as a central gathering space for our community and our neighborhood.
The Board of Trustees approved moving forward with the project at its meeting Wednesday. Once complete, Pace will have a modernized building that reduces carbon emissions and improves energy efficiency while providing faculty, students, and staff with the facilities they need.
“Our Campus Planning and Facilities team has spent many months meeting and consulting with stakeholders while conceptualizing this project,” said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “This project is a major step forward for Pace University. I am excited for this next chapter, and I look forward to continued discussion in the coming days, weeks, and months.”
While the final details of the renovation are still in development, here is the broad outline of the work:
- Reconstruction of the lower floors of One Pace Plaza East, creating an inviting and modern building with classroom and creative arts spaces, collaboration spaces, and a Performing Arts Center that will include a proscenium theater to replace the Schimmel Center plus other theater and support spaces. This provides the up-to-date instructional, creative, and performance spaces we need, and it keeps our large gathering space—used by the entire University and the broader community— at the center of our campus.
- Renovations and upgrades to Maria’s Tower, providing additional, desirable residential spaces for students. This added capacity, when combined with the addition of 15 Beekman, will allow Pace to exit its leased residence hall at 55 John Street.
- When complete, One Pace Plaza will be fully modernized, including its outdated central plant, reducing carbon emissions. All code issues—present and upcoming—will be addressed for the entirety of One Pace Plaza.
Construction is expected to start in the fall of 2023 and be completed in early 2026. Pace’s Campus Planning and Facilities team has spent many months meeting and consulting with stakeholders while conceptualizing this project.
Funding for this ambitious project is coming from a variety of sources, including money set aside in Pace’s construction fund, the ability to issue debt, and fundraising. New York State and the federal funding will also complement a targeted fundraising campaign.
About Pace University
Since 1906, Pace University has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in its Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, School of Education, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.