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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University honored three distinguished leaders of the legal community, as well as outstanding young alumni, during its 27^th Annual Law Leadership Dinner, held in person once again at the Rye Country Club on March 10, 2022. The celebration was the law school’s most successful fundraiser in history, raising vital funds in support of student scholarships.

The Law Leadership Dinner, first held in 1995, is the signature fundraiser for Haub Law and provides the setting for the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the legal community, as well as the Rising Star Award, recognizing excellence in practice among alumni in the first 15 years after graduation. This year, Haub Law introduced the inaugural Haub Impact Award to honor an individual who has made a lasting impact on the Haub Law community.

More than 250 alumni, faculty, students, elected officials and members of the judiciary, and distinguished lawyers attended the event. Among this lively crowd of community leaders, a spirit of service and celebration was palpable.

“The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has produced generations of talented, committed attorneys,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “We’re proud that our alumni and friends have supported us in such a spectacular way. The generosity of our honorees and sponsors speaks volumes about their commitment to Haub Law, to the legal community, and to the future of the profession.”

The 2022 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mayo Bartlett '92, Principal Attorney at the Law Offices of Mayo Bartlett, PLLC, and to Brian S. Hermann, a 1991 graduate of Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and a current Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP. The first-ever Haub Impact Award was presented to John C. Lettera ’99, Founder & CEO, RealFi Financial, LLC.

A member of the School’s Board of Visitors, Mayo Bartlett was commended for his impactful work in human rights. A former Westchester County prosecutor, Mayo is a criminal defense lawyer and civil rights attorney. Over the course of his career, he has built strong professional relationships throughout the Westchester County legal community, using his platform to advocate for change in the legal system. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment in the fight against discrimination and hate crimes, and works for promoting equal access to justice, inmate rights, and police reform.

Brian Hermann, who also received the Distinguished Service Award, has had a prominent career with Paul, Weiss, which represents some of the world’s largest publicly and privately held corporations, financial institutions and asset managers, and clients needing pro bono assistance. Recalling his humble upbringing and his journey to partner at an AM100 law firm, he credits his early success to hard work and a good education at Pace University. He has since been committed to giving back and opening doors for young and disadvantaged lawyers seeking careers in “Big Law.” The dinner’s emcee Paul Saunders, a member of the law school’s Board of Visitors and a retired partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, credited Brian and his firm as a “symbol of the best our profession can become.”

John C. Lettera was presented with the Haub Impact Award by Anthony Balbo ’18 and Sabrina Blefgen ’19 who are now employed by his firm, RealFi Financial, LLC. These alums are just two of 16 Haub Law graduates who John has hired and mentored over the past decade. John has had a successful 27 year career in real estate debt originations and acquisitions as well as equity investing, founding and has successfully managing two financing funds worth over $100 million. He is a member of the School’s Board of Visitors, an adjunct professor at the Law School, and a generous donor to the Law School, recently providing a five-year grant to name the law school’s Investor Rights Clinic. In 2013, he also received the law school’s Distinguished Service Award. Ever a champion for the law school, John’s remarks challenged alumni at the dinner to tell their stories and represent the Pace Law name proudly and, as lawyers, to “do good, besides just doing well.”

“John has gone above and beyond to support our students and has made a truly meaningful impact at the Law School, sharing not only his resources, but his time, intellect, and connections for the benefit of the school,” said Dean Anderson. “We are grateful for his passion and conviction. He is a mentor for our students and role model for all of us.”

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An early highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the Rising Star Award to: Cherie Phoenix-Sharpe ’07, General Counsel to Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Fatima Silva ’08, Managing Attorney at Silva Law and Co-Host of Reasonable Doubt on Investigation Discovery at Discovery Inc.; Michael Bauscher ’10, Partner at Carter Ledyard; Kevin Sylvester ’14, Chief of Police at Ossining Police Department; and Cayleigh Eckhardt ’15, Attorney-Advisor at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“This award is always a proud moment for so many of us at the Law School,” said Dean Anderson. “These five successful alumni represent what our mission is all about. By already demonstrating leadership in the profession and a commitment to giving back to those who follow in their footsteps, they are sure to leave a substantial and lasting influence upon the legal community, and the broader public.”

Sponsors of the 2022 Law Leadership Dinner included: Susan Stoner Brown, RealFi Financial LLC and its Founder and CEO John Lettera, Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt, LLP and Cuddy & Feder, LLP, Balbo Management Group, Mayo Bartlett, Class of '92, Broadfield Realty Capital, DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr LLP, Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, Fontana Giannini, LLP, Freedom Land Title Agency, Goldschmidt & Genovese, LLP, Mavrides, Moyal, Packman & Sadkin, LLP, Senator Shelley Mayer, John T. O'Connor, Class of '86, Keane & Beane, P.C., Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman '80 and Jerry Ruderman, and Mike Tellone.

View Photos from the Event

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For the second year in a row, one of Haub Law’s advocacy mock trial teams placed first in their region in the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Student Trial Advocacy Competition held March 10–13. With a region of law schools in the Northeast, Haub Law’s team rose above and competed in five rounds of competition ultimately defeating Syracuse in the final round, becoming the regional champions. Mattison Stewart (3L), Regina Rubino (3L), Kathryn Facelle (2L), and Michael McNally (2L), along with their trial technician, Angelo Spedafino (3L), and their fantastic and dedicated coaches (and alumni), AJ Muller, Esq. and Michael Luterzo, Esq. will be taking on the AAJ National Finals for the second year in a row on April 7–9. With 160 teams that competed this weekend, only 20 moved on to the National Finals, including our hardworking team from Pace. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication to the Advocacy Program and we cannot wait to see them back in action next month at the National Finals!

Haub Law 3L and member of the winning mock trial team Mattison Stewart stated, “After placing as National Finalists last year at AAJ, overall placing 2^nd out of 192 teams, our team was determined to win our region and advance to Nationals for the second year in a row. The dedication that this team has shown is admirable. We put in countless hours into preparation on our own, as a team, with our co-counsels, and during scrimmages. We push each other to be better advocates, perform better, and overall become better people. None of this would be possible without the guidance and support of our coaches, who are also both Haub Law alumni. Our fearless leader, AJ Muller, Esq., has provided us the support, guidance, and attention that we need to succeed. Additionally, our assistant coach, Mike Luterzo, Esq. has been incredibly helpful in preparing for regionals. I cannot wait for AAJ Nationals, where we plan on bringing home the trophy for our school!”

Director of Advocacy, Moot Court and Client Counseling programs, Professor Louis Fasulo, stated, “This represents the best of the best. The commitment, skill and confidence of these students exemplify the success of all our efforts. The tireless coaching effort by AJ and Mike really has made these students strong advocates. Most importantly Pace is recognized for our stellar program and committed efforts to give our students premier experiential learning opportunities. I am beyond proud.”

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s trial advocacy program was ranked #24 in the nation according to the 2022 U.S. News and World report rankings.

Fred Mauhs '21 spent 32 years in the banking industry before deciding to shift his focus to environmental law and completing his LLM at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Fred’s concern about climate change coupled with his love for the outdoors ultimately helped him come to the realization that he desired to use his legal skills to help avert the climate crisis. A day after quitting his banking law position, Fred applied to Haub Law’s LLM program. Learn more about Fred’s career before becoming an environmental lawyer and since becoming one, how many mountain peaks he has climbed, and what he feels is the most pressing concern of environmental law for the next few years, and also for the foreseeable future in this Q+A.

What was your background prior to enrolling at Haub Law School?

Well, I spent 32 years in the banking industry. I served as General Counsel for the US branches of two foreign banks and their affiliated broker-dealers—24 years with a German bank and then 8 years with the Spanish Bank BBVA.

Interesting. Why did you get into banking law?

After graduating law school, I got a job out in Oregon. I was a young associate at a large law firm and it was grueling work. I had to work most weekends. I spent what free weekends I had mountain climbing, particularly Mount Hood, near Portland. I discovered that virtually every time I climbed Mt. Hood I would run into a lawyer who seemed to never have to work on weekends. I learned he was inhouse counsel for a bank in Portland. I later left Oregon to study law in Germany on a scholarship program, the last segment of which was an internship. While all the other scholarship recipients applied to law firms for their internship, I decided instead to apply to the legal department of an international bank headquartered in Düsseldorf—mainly because of that in-house bank lawyer in Portland who spent all of his weekends mountain climbing.

After finishing the internship it happened that the bank was looking to hire its first lawyer for its New York branch. They chose me for the position, which worked out swimmingly well for me, in that it was fun and challenging work--and I was able to spend most weekends rock climbing in the Shawangunks near New Paltz.

So how did you end up doing an LLM?

In 2019, I decided to quit banking law partly because, after 32 years, it wasn’t intellectually challenging anymore, but mainly out of my concern about climate change. I realized that I should be using my law license and my legal skills to help avert the looming crisis. So I gave notice, and on the return home that evening on the commuter train along the Hudson River, I was thinking okay, now what am I going to do? How do I fight climate change when I'm not even an environmental lawyer. And I suppose looking out at the river helped me recollect that Pace has had a famous role advising the organization Riverkeeper. And so I figured they must have good environmental law classes there. I googled the law school and discovered that they offered an LLM in environmental law, with a specialty and energy and climate law. I thought, wow, this is precisely what I need to do right now to kick start an environmental law career, so the next day I applied.

And what was your experience like once you got to Haub Law? Any particularly memorable moments there?

Well, I arrived at Haub with high hopes and high expectations, and I have to say that all of my expectations were exceeded many times over. I also ended up having far more fun than I thought you were supposed to have at law school.

The most memorable moment for me was actually before classes started, at the LLM orientation. I went there with more than a little trepidation at the thought of probably studying with people that were half my age. But when I arrived I discovered that nearly all my future classmates were accomplished lawyers and committed environmentalists from every continent of the world. And just hanging out with these classmates was like a course in environmental law unto itself. It was a great group, and we developed some very deep and lasting friendships.

Talk to me about some of the professors you had while you were here?

Haub Law attracts very high caliber professors, and I had the good fortune of taking classes from a bunch of them.

Professor Kuh, for example, brought to her Environmental Survey and Climate Law classes not just a wealth of knowledge but also her experience from private practice at a large law firm. Similarly, Prof. Brown brought his terrific transactional law experience to bear in the Food and Beverage Law Clinic. Professor Robinson, who taught me Environmental Impact Assessments, and Professor Nolon who taught me Land Use law—there are simply no other professors with their breadth and depth of knowledge in their respective fields. Professor Narula is perhaps the most inspiring professor I’ve ever had. Professor Valova and the team at the Pace Energy and Climate Center under Craig Hart’s leadership gave me a terrific grounding in one area I now practice in, which is energy law. And Haub Law’s externship at UN missions, then under the leadership of Prof. Tafur, is an experience that is simply unmatched elsewhere.

Haub Law attracts very high caliber professors, and I had the good fortune of taking classes from a bunch of them.

Do you have any advice for lawyers who may want to switch their area of practice?

Yes! For other Wall Street lawyers out there and experienced lawyers in any practice, who are interested in or concerned about the environment – my message to them would be: quitting a comfortable business law position on Wall Street to become an environmental lawyer should not be viewed as a strange or quirky thing to do--although I admit I myself initially had doubts about making the jump. But, in retrospect, it was the most natural and important decision I could have made in my entire legal career. For any lawyer who is concerned about the looming environmental catastrophe, which is climate change, switching your practice to environmental law should be the easiest career decision you could make. And I'm not the only Wall Street lawyer out there to have made that change. But there should be more. And you can do what I did, which is wait until you're 60 to make the move, but you can also do it in your 40s and your 50s, which is in retrospect what I should have done myself.

Did anything else about your experience at Haub help shape, or influence what you're doing now?

With the exception of my work on conservation easements for land trusts and land owners, which began before I enrolled at Haub, everything I do now has been shaped by Haub and by its professors. I use what I learned there in both my practice and my advocacy. More broadly, though, Haub has sharpened my understanding of our environmental threats and the ability—and oftentimes the failure—of our current laws and international institutions to address them.

So what are some of your passions besides environmental law? You mentioned mountain climbing.

I got into mountain climbing in a big way both during and after my JD program at GWU, and climbing was the primary reason I moved to Oregon after graduation. Now I'm an “Aspiring Adirondack 46er”—thus far I’ve climbed 28 of the 46 peaks there since I turned 60.

But I have enjoyed just about any activity that's outdoors:--bicycling, hiking, backpacking, climbing—whether rock, ice or snow--and water sports like swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. During migration season I’m nuts about birdwatching, and in winter I love cross-country and backcountry telemark skiing. I love it all, like so many others students and professors at Pace.

What do you feel is the most pressing concern of environmental law for the next few years, and also for the foreseeable future?

Well, I think that is an easy one. Climate change is the most pressing environmental problem. It defines our Anthropocene Era in which we now live and in which we could perish relatively soon in geologic time. And the most pressing environmental law issue is the astounding total absence of effective climate change law in the United States in light of that existential problem.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce that Professor Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe will deliver the 2022 Philip B. Blank Memorial Lecture on Attorney Ethics. Professor Joe joined the faculty at the UC Davis School of Law in 2016. Her lecture, Learning from Mistakes: Ethical Considerations for Public Defenders, will take place virtually on Monday, April 4, 2022 at 12:45 p.m. EST.

“Our Blank Lecture on Attorney Ethics regularly features a renowned expert speaking on a timely and important topic. This year, we are honored to have Professor Joe present our Blank Lecture focusing on the topic of ethics as related to public defenders. Public defenders adherence to the rules of ethics are integral to a fair and just system of law and we look forward to Professor Joe sharing her insights with us in April,” remarked Horace Anderson, Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

At the UC Davis School of Law, Professor Joe teaches Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure,

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Professional Responsibility (Legal Ethics), and Voir Dire (Jury Selection). She is an accomplished scholar, whose research focuses on how the design of the criminal process affects the ability of institutional attorneys to manage overwhelming caseloads and comply with ethical requirements. Her scholarly work was most recently published in the Iowa Law Review, California Law Review, Stanford Law Review Online, SMU Dedman School of Law Review, Duke Law Journal Online, and more.

Prior to joining the UC Davis faculty, Professor Joe was a fellow for the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama and completed a federal clerkship with the Honorable Napoleon Jones of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She served as a line defender and the Assistant Special Litigation Counsel at the Orleans Public Defenders, a public defender office newly created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She was also the Assistant Training Director with the Louisiana Public Defender Board where she was responsible for creating and implementing statewide training programs for the public defenders, investigators, mitigation specialists and administrative staff tasked with providing constitutional and ethical representation to defendants facing misdemeanor, felony and capital charges. Professor Joe received her JD from Stanford Law School and graduated with a BA in Government and African American Studies from University of Texas at Austin.

The Philip B. Blank Memorial Lecture on Attorney Ethics was established by the family, friends and colleagues of the late Philip B. Blank, Associate Dean for External Affairs and Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. In honor of Dean Blank's commitment to legal ethics, the Blank Lecture has presented distinguished members of the legal community recognized for their leadership in the area of attorney ethics and practice. Dean Blank was a member of the Law School's faculty from 1979 until his death in 1989. He taught courses in Professional Responsibility, Wills, Estate Planning and Legal Methods. He is remembered as an outstanding teacher of the law and a caring mentor to his students. A model citizen of Westchester County, Dean Blank served as Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Mount Pleasant and held leadership positions in the Westchester County and White Plains Bar Associations. The last Blank lecture was given by Mimi Rocah, District Attorney for Westchester County.

After graduating from Lehigh in 1991, studying for a Master’s Degree in English Literature, and raising a family, Melissa Eydenberg decided to attend law school, which had been in the back of her mind for nearly 30 years. Now a 3L at Haub, Melissa’s advice for someone thinking about pursuing a degree in law is to “Do it in your own time- but do it!” Learn more about Melissa, why it is the people at Haub Law who make Haub Law stand out, and more in this Q&A.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I grew up in suburban New Jersey, my parents ran a small publishing company that specialized in supplements for gifted education i.e., “film strips” back in the day then videos and digital videos, critical and creative-thinking workbooks, literature guides and social studies materials. I graduated from Lehigh in PA in 1991 with a double major in English and Government – even then I couldn’t make up my mind about what I wanted to do! I went to UMD for studies in English Literature and left with a Master’s Degree, got married, worked very briefly as a recruiter in the European Equity Market, had kids and all of a sudden it’s 2022.

What inspired you to attend law school?

I needed to learn about the world, my place in it, and “why is this happening?” I always wanted to go to law school. After having kids, I was basically a stay-at-home mom. When I divorced in 2006, I still had it on my mind and even advocated for some school funding in the settlement agreement! It took 12 more years before I felt like I had the time to spend on myself, but here I am! Also, my fiancé runs a law firm out of my house, and I am surrounded by lawyers and I eventually got tired of telling everyone “I’m not a lawyer.”

Well, now that you are here, what have you found you like most about Haub Law?

The people. All of them: students, professors, staff. I can’t tell you how many times Michelle, JoAnn, Josie, or Tony have helped me out – especially with my technological challenges! Because I’ve been part-time, I’ve gotten to know more students than most people, and from all backgrounds, ages, races, religions, from literally all over the world, but all with a lot in common. I have loved learning with and from the lawyers of tomorrow and seeing where they are going and have gone. The “millenial” and “gen z” students have very different perspectives and life experiences and sharing with them has been invaluable. Because I am not THEIR mom they explain to me as a colleague, not as they would to a parent - but I have been known to hand out tissues, Band-Aids, masks, and snacks.

You are taking the Feminist Legal Theory seminar with Professor Crawford – can you talk about that class a bit?

What has been very interesting and helpful is listening to the younger students because they literally live in a world different from the one in which I grew up. It is impossible to understand what is going on in the law, in politics, in society without expanding my viewpoint and trying to see through their lenses. This is also my fourth class with Professor Crawford - Wills, Trust, and Estates; Corporations; Federal Taxation, and now Feminist Legal Theory.

Who are some of the most inspiring women in your life?

Looking back, a significant majority of classes I have taken at Haub Law were taught by female professors. As I am in the midst of my fourth class with Professor Crawford, you might have deduced I'm a fan. I'm kind of like that front-row seat that a rock star sees on tour at every show- is it a little creepy? She doesn't seem to mind. Prof. Crawford is the most enthusiastic, engaged, invested, and organized teacher I have encountered at any level of education. Besides providing all her classes with every possible tool to learn, including a self-produced manual for success, she is a prolific writer and contributor in multiple fields and if you follow her on Twitter (yes, I admit it, super-fan), you might ask yourself, as I have, "how is she doing all of this?" It is inspiring and a bit daunting. She's who I would have wanted to be when I grew up if I still had the time. On an even more personal level, I think both my daughters are "inspirational women." My elder daughter came out, fairly recently, as trans and her quest to be her best self inspires others, who she reaches with her music (and can be found under "A Small Bird" on all the things!). My younger daughter has taken on the challenge of graduating college in a pandemic and going out into this crazy world with bravery and humor! They have both grown into compassionate, kind women and they inspire me every day!

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about pursuing a degree in law?

Do it in your own time- but do it!

Student Government Ambassadors (SGA) for the College of Health Professions (CHP) are inspired by advocating for students just like they will be advocating for patients. Health Science student Alexa Slack and Nursing student Grainne McGinley are CHP's Pleasantville Campus SGA ambassadors. They took on this position to build connections between students and professors within all CHP programs. "We want to get more students involved and excited about CHP's opportunities. We're all here for academics, but there's so much more CHP has to offer, and we want to make students aware of that," said Alexa. This role allows them to be part of the many changes within the rapidly growing health care field. In addition, SGA gives students support for their ideas to promote diversity and inclusion within an educational setting.

"We want to get more students involved and excited about CHP's opportunities. We're all here for academics, but there's so much more CHP has to offer, and we want to make students aware of that." —Alexa Slack

Creating a strong and welcoming community while encouraging collaboration between all the different CHP programs is the main goal for Alexa and Grainne. Their desire is for students to gain a better understanding of the curriculum and expand upon networking opportunities. Grainne explained that it's a very empowering experience to be able to get this knowledge from being a part of student government and getting to see behind the scenes to help make certain decisions.

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Grainne, a nursing student in her senior year, always knew she wanted to be a nurse. After an injury she suffered, she wanted to help support patients who went through similar experiences. Grainne's interest in the field grew when she started volunteering at her local ambulance corps in high school. Once her college search began, she expressed that the "lights started glowing on Pace University” because of the opportunities CHP provides. As a first-generation college student, Grainne felt slightly overwhelmed with the confusing application and FASFA process, but Pace advisors guided her through it. "I was able to learn more about how accepting they were as a school, to how progressive they are within their programs, especially within CHP. They have connections with the top hospitals in the area. I've been able to go to hospitals all around New York City, ranging from the VA system to NewYork-Presbyterian.”

When it comes to educating individuals for careers in nursing, CHP strives to prepare students for a complex work environment. “Something unique about Pace is the vast opportunities that you can do within our clinical simulation lab. I get to work with professors that have different specialties within each course. I am provided an area and space where I can learn, retry, and grow my clinical skills.”

Grainne is grateful for the connections she has built and the medical education she has received throughout her four years. “The advanced equipment that CHP has allows the chance for your mind and your abilities as a student to be above so many others. It's like an out of world experience.”

Her goal is to become a burn ICU nurse in a critical care unit. She currently works at White Plains Hospital within the emergency room and recommends this amazing critical care experience to other students.

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Alexa Slack came to Pace as a Political Science Major. She soon realized it was not the right choice for her. With the help of her academic advisors, she found the transfer process into CHP smooth and easy. After looking into more of CHP's programs, she realized health science combined her love of advocacy with her interest in healthcare. This led her to enroll in the public health minor.

Alexa noted the amazing connections she has made through CHP, and she acknowledged the incredible faculty members. “We're a smaller program compared to the nursing program, but all the faculty members are truly wonderful. They have such a wide variety of knowledge, and you get a different experience each time you go into the classroom.”

As an SGA ambassador, Alexa appreciates the open environment professors create within CHP. “They don't just stand there and lecture you for hours. They're really interested and invested in their students and helping them get ahead and not only in their academic life, but their personal and their future careers. I know that any time I need to, I can email my professors, and they'll always make time to help me out.”

Alexa hopes to go into the public health field after graduation, with a focus on epidemiology or community health education. Eventually, she would like to get her master's degree in Public Health.