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The Food and Beverage Law Clinic at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce a new collaboration with GrowNYC, operators of the New York City Greenmarkets, the largest network of urban farmers markets in the country. The clinic will provide expanded legal support to Greenmarket farms and food businesses by welcoming Jack Hornickel as its first Staff Attorney. Jack brings seven years of experience representing small farm and food businesses on transactional and regulatory matters from his service in the GrowNYC Farmer Assistance Program. This collaboration is made possible by the gift of an anonymous donor.

As Staff Attorney, Jack will continue in direct representation of Greenmarket farms, focusing on farm succession, conservation, and land access. Other clients of the clinic will benefit from his distinct knowledge of direct-market business practices and agricultural real estate. Jack will also supervise law student interns in the clinic, manage research, scholarship, and policy projects, and assist with developing the clinic’s CLE programs.

Jack is a proud alumnus of Vermont Law School, graduating in 2015 as a Juris Doctor and Master of Environmental Law and Policy. He served as Treasurer of the Food & Agriculture Law and Animal Law Societies, as well as staff editor of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. His free time is occupied by outdoor adventures, homestead crafts, and choral music. Raised in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Jack has been described as “Minnesota nice.”

“We are pleased to welcome Jack to Haub Law, and to have the opportunity to collaborate with GrowNYC,” said Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson. “This relationship will multiply the impact of the Food and Beverage Law Clinic’s transformative work in supporting entrepreneurs and farmers in our regional food system. It will also provide even more opportunities for our students to get valuable hands-on experience in practicing transactional law in the public interest.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jack on a number of projects and couldn’t be more thrilled that he is now joining our clinic,” said Professor Jonathan Brown, the Director of the Food and Beverage Law Clinic. “He is an excellent lawyer and brings a unique set of skills and experience that will greatly benefit both our clients and our students.”

“GrowNYC is excited to formalize our long-standing relationship with the Haub Law School Food and Beverage Law Clinic,” said GrowNYC Food Access and Agriculture Director Michael Hurwitz. “We are thrilled for Jack and for what his addition to the Clinic means for Northeast agriculture.”

The collaboration with GrowNYC builds on Haub Law’s growing Food Law program, which, in addition to the clinic, includes five full time faculty members, a range of course offerings and externship opportunities, and a collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Professor Jason Czarnezki, Associate Dean for Environmental Programs and the Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, added, “Food law is a cornerstone of our #1 ranked environmental law program, and we are thrilled to collaborate with an organization doing such important work in improving our regional food system.”

About the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and the Food and Beverage Law Clinic

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers JD and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, N.Y., opened its doors in 1976 and has more than 9,000 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. World and News Report.

Haub Law’s Food and Beverage Law Clinic is the first in the country entirely dedicated to providing direct, transactional legal services to food and beverage clients. With faculty supervision, law students in the Clinic represent farmers, food and beverage entrepreneurs, and non-profit organizations seeking to improve our food system.

About GrowNYC

GrowNYC is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve New York City's quality of life through environmental and food access programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. Reaching millions on New Yorkers every year, GrowNYC operates Greenmarkets, Fresh Food Box sites, and Farmstands; engages New Yorkers in zero waste education; builds and maintains green spaces; and engages people of all ages in hands-on education.

Greenmarket annually operates 50+ farmers markets with a mission to promote regional agriculture and ensure a continuing supply of fresh local produce for New Yorkers.

GrowNYC’s Farmer Assistance program provides established Greenmarket farmers and aspiring farmers with professional services, such as estate planning, land conservation, financial analysis, land use / zoning analysis, strategic marketing support, and access to capital. These services are provided by Farmer Assistance staff members and through the engagement of outside consultants.

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The National College for DUI Defense announced the appointment of 1992 Haub Law alumnus Steven Epstein as co-chair of the newly created National Task Force Trial Advocacy Committee. The Trial Advocacy Task Force provides members with information and resources regarding trial techniques useful in impaired driving cases, as well as assisting members who seek advice on how to approach specific fact patterns related to impaired driving defenses. Additionally, the Task Force will also submit articles to the NCDD Journal and suggest topics for webinars and national CLE seminars on trial tactics in an impaired driving case. Steven is a founding partner of Barket, Epstein, Kearon, Aldea & LoTurco, LLP and head of the firm’s DWI and Vehicular Crimes group. He is also an adjunct professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law teaching trial advocacy and the head of the Steven Epstein DWI Defense Institute. The Steven Epstein DWI Defense Institute is an educational program designed to teach lawyers how to defend DWI cases.

“I am honored by the appointment. Having spent the past 29 years of my career defending DWI cases and over 24 years teaching Trial Advocacy here at Pace I look forward to creating the curriculum for this new national task force and assisting attorneys with trial advocacy skills across the United States," remarked Steven Epstein, Esq.

Congratulations, Steven!