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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng will deliver the law school’s commencement address and receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa at its 2022 Commencement, to be held on May 16, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. This is the first year that the law school will join Pace University for a university-wide commencement celebration of all Pace graduates. The ceremony will also include recognition of the Classes of 2020 and 2021, who were not able to have a traditional celebration due to pandemic-related restrictions.

Additionally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams will address all graduates at the University’s main ceremony to be held prior to the law school’s commencement ceremony, where he will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. Finance and philanthropy leader Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, a Pace alumna, will also be recognized with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa.

“Congresswoman Meng is a dedicated public servant with a long and accomplished career as a lawyer and legislator. Among her outstanding work, she he has tirelessly advocated for justice and equality for people of all backgrounds and genders,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “She is an incredible role model to our students and recent graduates and we are pleased to welcome her to deliver the Law School’s Commencement Ceremony address.”

U.S. Representative Meng is serving her fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and represents the borough of Queens in the Sixth Congressional District of New York. She is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State, and the first female member from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.

She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is Vice Chair of its Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She also sits on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, as well as the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. She is a founder and Co-Chair of Kids’ Safety Caucus, which promotes child-safety issues.

Rep. Meng has been responsible for several pieces of legislation including bills protecting religious freedom, making Queens historic sites part of the National Park Service, striking “Oriental” from federal law, and protecting public housing residents from the cold. Also signed into law were her measures to assist veterans, and to improve consumer protections for children.

As a second-generation Chinese American, she has spoken out against anti-Asian violence, and she has been a tireless advocate of immigrants’ rights and immigration reform. She has also made a bold public stand against sexual assault and harassment of women, and in support of the #MeToo movement.

Parts of her Menstrual Equity for All Act have led to legislation making menstrual products available for incarcerated and detained individuals, allowing FEMA funds to be used to purchase menstrual products for those in need after natural disasters, and making menstrual products eligible for Flexible Spending Account purchases. Her work has served as an example to faculty and students at Haub Law, and last year the law school’s Women’s Association of Law Students recognized her with its annual Pioneer of Justice Award.

Born and raised in Queens, Rep. Meng attended local schools and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Michigan. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a public-interest lawyer before entering public service as a member of the New York State Assembly, then Congress.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Commencement Ceremony will be live-streamed at 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, May 16, 2022.

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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University awarded Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office with the 2022 Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence at an award ceremony held at the law school on Tuesday, April 26. The event brought together District Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys from across the region and state, civic leaders, members of the judiciary, and the Haub Law community to recognize the outstanding contributions of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in the field of criminal prosecution and excellence in prosecutorial practice.

“District Attorney Clark and the Office of the Bronx District Attorney embody the true meaning of public service and have dedicated their careers to pursuing a fair and just criminal justice system for all people of the Bronx, with an emphasis on criminal justice reform,” said Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “We are pleased to recognize her with the Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence, along with the entire Bronx DA’s office, many of whose member we are proud to call Haub Law alumni.”

The award was presented by Robert S. Tucker, Chairman and CEO of T&M, whose generous gift has endowed the annual prize. “District Attorney Clark’s remarkable career has been a testament to the values and commitment to equal justice that we seek to honor with this award,” said Robert S. Tucker. “DA Clark’s push to crack down on gun crimes and gang violence has been matched only by her tireless efforts to achieve true criminal justice reform and fairness for residents of the Bronx. She has fought for the rights of the mentally ill to ensure that the system seeks treatment whenever possible before jail. She has been a steadfast champion of ethics and integrity and has worked hard to give our prosecutors the resources and support they need to keep our city safe. We are so grateful to present her with this award as recognition of her extraordinary achievements in public service.”

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law has had the privilege to enjoy a long history with District Attorney Clark and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. In 2016, DA Clark was honored by Haub Law with the Pioneer of Justice Award which recognizes the achievement of phenomenal women in our society who are breaking glass ceilings and laying down foundations for a more equal future. Additionally, DA Clark has participated in several events at the law school, including a prosecution roundtable sponsored by Haub Law’s Criminal Law Society. Throughout the years, dozens of Haub Law alumni have worked at the Bronx County District Attorney’s office, with 64 currently employed in every capacity from Line Assistant to Chief of Staff.

“It’s not easy being a prosecutor,” said the Bronx DA’s Chief of Staff Odalys Alonso, a Haub Law Alumnus, who accepted the award along with DA Clark and Derek Lynton, Chief Assistant DA. She attributed their success to the mission that DA Clark has established as a guiding principal for the Office: Pursuing Justice with Integrity. “We look to Pace to bring us the brightest, the smartest and the most creative to help us achieve this,” she added.

DA Clark acknowledged the challenges of the past two years with rising crime rates throughout New York City and limited staff to meet the demand. The pandemic has especially impacted the Bronx, a county that has been historically underserved.

“I am so blessed to run an office full of attorneys and professional staff who really love the work that we do for the people of the Bronx. [They] strive every day to do what is right for public safety and for a fair justice system,” said DA Clark. “Our priority has always been to make sure we give a voice to our victims and their families. We know we have to be tough on those who are causing the harm in our community. But we also seek alternatives for those who suffer from afflictions that cause them to come into the criminal justice system and give second chances to those who really need them.”

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Darcel Clark became District Attorney for Bronx County on January 1, 2016. She is the first woman in that position and the first African-American woman to be elected a District Attorney in New York State. Since serving as District Attorney, Clark has enacted a vertical prosecution model to streamline the criminal charging process, while also implementing reforms to address wrongful convictions and administrative case backlogs. Since becoming elected, she has opened the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau focused on investigating crimes committed by inmates and visitors, the Public Integrity Bureau which investigates corruption and crimes by public servants, government employees and elected officials, and the Conviction Integrity Bureau. The Conviction Integrity Bureau was created when DA Clark took office and, in addition to handling wrongful convictions, it recently moved to dismiss 500 old convictions that relied on a detective who was later charged with perjury. She has also pioneered initiatives focused on drug avoidance and reco very, a Bronx Community Justice program, and focused many of her efforts on positively engaging the Bronx community, such as the Saturday Night Lights program, where kids can play basketball and soccer or engage in other activities in a free, safe place.

Clark is co-chair of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, and a Board Member of both the National District Attorneys Association and the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. Before her election as District Attorney, Clark served as an Associate Justice for the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, First Department; a New York State Supreme Court Justice in Bronx County; and a Criminal Court Judge in Bronx and New York Counties. She begin her legal career at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted drug felonies, violent crimes and homicides, and eventually served as a Supervising Assistant District Attorney in the Narcotics Bureau and the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Court Bureau. A lifelong Bronx resident, Clark was raised in public housing and educated in public schools. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Boston College, where she serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, and her law degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

The Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence is awarded annually to an individual or a group of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of criminal prosecution and who demonstrate excellence in prosecutorial practice. Honorees are selected each year by a jury comprised of former prosecutors and faculty members from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. The award ceremony brings together Assistant District Attorneys from across the region and state, civic leaders, members of the judiciary, New York City government and the Haub Law community to recognize these distinguished individuals for their work. The prize is made possible by the generous support of Haub Law alumnus and Pace University Board of Trustees member Robert S. Tucker. Past Award Recipients include, Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney, Barbara Underwood, New York Attorney General, and Richard Brown, Queens District Attorney.

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Reigning National Finalists, Haub Law’s Trial Advocacy team was back at this year’s American Association for Justice (AAJ) National Final Competition for the second year in a row. From April 8–10, 2022, Haub Law faced off against the top 20 Regional Winners from across the country. The Haub Law team, consisting of Mattison Stewart (3L), Regina Rubino (3L), Kathryn Facelle (2L), and Michael McNally (2L), along with their trial technician Angelo Spedafino (3L), and their coaches AJ Muller, Esq. and Mike Luterzo, Esq., were ranked as the first seed in the preliminary rounds of the national competition as they embarked on another run for the National Championship.

Ultimately, the Haub Law team advanced to the semi-finals, losing only to UCLA, the current and past champion, by a spilt decision with a tiebreaker deciding the round. The superstar team advanced to the National Finals after placing as Regional Champions just one month before out of a field of 160 competing teams from across the nation. This past fall, the team also advanced to the National Semi-Finals of the All-Star Bracket Challenge, placing in the Top 4 out of 64 of the nation’s top teams. Additionally, last spring, the team placed as National Finalists in the AAJ, ranking them 2^nd out of 192 teams nationally.

“This is an outstanding group of dedicated and talented students. The 3Ls on this team have been AAJ Regional Champions in back-to-back years, advancing the National Final round (2021) and Semi-Final Round (2022), solidifying Pace’s reputation among the top trial advocacy program in the country,” said head coach and mentor, Adjunct Professor AJ Muller, Esq. “Adding to that yet another national advancement and successes in the Fall’s All-Star competition, this team has brought Pace’s Advocacy Program unquestionable national recognition and respect. This team graduates, Ms. Rubino and Ms. Stewart, accompanied by our outstanding technician, Mr. Spedafino, have done more than just put-up high scores and win trophies, they have taken the time to develop the 2L’s to foster a sustainable future of excellence for the Advocacy Program. This year’s victory was a true team effort with stellar performances all around. We expect to make another run at national victory next year with our outstanding 2L’s, Ms. Facelle and Mr. McNally, who will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Haub Law 3L, member of the winning mock trial team, and Executive Director Mattison Stewart stated, “I am so proud of our team that I have been fortunate enough to compete with. Every semester we put in countless hours practicing, scrimmaging, and meeting to perfect our sides of the case. We individually put in over 200 hours each because we all have a common goal: win. I have become a better student, advocate and person because of the Advocacy Program. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to be on competition teams since the beginning of my 2L year, no less make national runs for three semesters in a row. None of this would be possible without our coach AJ Muller, who truly puts in so much energy and time into making us better advocates, not only for mock trial but real life. Mike Luterzo has been an amazing addition to the coaching here too; his out-of-the-box thinking really helps us one-up the other teams. I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my last two years doing anything besides putting everything I have into the Advocacy Program and this team.”

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s impressive trial advocacy program once again ranked in the top 15% of law schools, coming in at number 26 this year. Over the last few years, Haub Law has had 28+ Mock Trial and Moot Court Teams, with an average of over 124 student participants on these teams as a whole. The Law School’s Mock Trial and Moot Court teams regularly place at or near the top in competitions. In the fall of 2021, Haub Law hosted its first Advocate in Residence, Gillian More, a lifelong prosecutor with a worldwide reputation in advocacy. Haub Law’s trial advocacy program is led by Lou Fasulo, Director of Advocacy, Moot Court and Client Counseling programs.

“This result shows the quality of our students, the dedication of our coaches and the commitment of our program to remain a leader in training advocates for the benefit of future clients. I will be watching our graduates as they accomplish even greater successes in their career,” said Haub Law’s Director of Advocacy, Lou Fasulo.

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On Earth Day, the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s Energy and Climate Center and its partner the Westchester County Association (WCA), were honored for their work developing a Clean Energy Program Portal at the 3^rd annual Westchester County ECO Awards. The awards ceremony was hosted by Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle to recognize outstanding contributions to the environment and sustainability made by residents, students, schools, municipalities, businesses, and other organizations throughout the county.

The Clean Energy Program Portal is a dynamic searchable guide to clean energy incentives, tools and technical support for businesses in Westchester and the surrounding region. Pace and WCA developed the portal to support the local business community in embracing sustainable business practices in the Westchester County and beyond.

“While the Center works on a broad range of initiatives internationally, nationally and state-wide, there is no more important work than our work in our own community,” said Craig Hart, Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center who accepted the award along with Michael Romero, President and CEO of the WCA, and Horace E. Anderson, Jr, Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. “Our collaboration with the Westchester County Association is important to our encouraging greater sustainability among the business community in Westchester.”

Along with the Pace Energy and Climate Center and the WCA, Westchester County recognized several other non-profit organizations and volunteers whose innovation and support to municipalities has helped the county remain a leader in its sustainability efforts compared to many other counties, states, and regions.

Read more about the ECO Awards