Wilmarie Vazquez Milian, senior communication sciences disorders major, is a dedicated and hardworking student with a passion for helping children.

The choice to enter the dynamic field of communication sciences and disorders was a path she always knew she would take from a young age. Wilmarie was inspired by the fact that this profession allowed her to work with children and help make a difference in their lives while giving her the opportunity to focus her education on medicine.

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Once she received her undergraduate degree, Wilmarie started her career as a speech language-pathologist assistant in Florida. After looking for a master’s program that could provide her with the certification to become a speech-language pathologist, Wilmarie gravitated toward Pace University due to the vast number of opportunities available in the program. CHP's exceptional externship experiences drew Wilmarie all the way from Florida to study at Pace.

This competitive and rigorous program has given her the chance to advance her education and career. Wilmarie landed an externship at a private pediatric clinic in Astoria, Queens and prior to her May 2022 graduation date, she was offered a placement with the practice to complete her clinical fellowship.

Wilmarie recommends working at this facility due to the blend of different populations and disorders; she also appreciates the chance to gain a different point of view from learning outside of a school environment. “My hopes after graduation are to continue to soak up as much information as I can to better expand my network and career opportunities, be that in New York, Florida, or anywhere else across the state."

Oysters rely on the ebb and flow of the tide for flavor. Their survival is determined by their farmers, deeply rooted in their tradition and connection to the water. In the nineteenth century, oysters were a plentiful source of protein that was as popular with the affluent as with the everyman in Manhattan’s oyster saloons. When the city grew, the oysters began to disappear, and so did their place as potent water filters in rivers, bays, and estuaries.

Through the grit and dedication of oyster farmers, modern aquaculture technology, and efforts to better understand their ecological value, oyster beds are being protected while once depleted regions are being restored.

In this documentary produced by Professors Maria Luskay and Lou Guarneri, and Pace University’s documentary film team—PaceDocs—filmmakers speak with scientists, historians, shellfish constables, and farmers across the flats of Cape Cod, the shores of Connecticut’s Long Island Sound, and the urban waterways of New York City.

In the process, they uncover what gives an oyster its merroir, or taste that is unique to its region; how communities are utilizing oysters to improve local water conditions and counteract the effects of human activity; and the plight of the oyster farmer braving unpredictable circumstances to lead a life by the tides.

Join the PaceDocs crew

Pre-Screening Reception
Tuesday, May 10 | 6:00 p.m.

Screening of Tide to Table
Tuesday, May 10 | 7:00 p.m.

Location:
Jacob Burns Film Center
364 Manville Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570

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The Haub Law Trial Advocacy team set a precedent for the School when they placed first in the recently held Puerto Rico Trial Advocacy Competition, hosted by Inter American University. The Competition was held in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Jose V. Toledo Federal Building and United States Courthouse from April 7–9, 2022. After two plus years of virtual competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first in-person competition for the Haub Law competitors, Krittika ‘Kye’ Shah (3L), Alina Rizhinashvili (3L), Phillip O’Meara (3L), and Daniel Petrillo (2L).

The Haub Law team competed against 12 other schools under the guidance of their outstanding and dedicated coaches Giuliana Trivella, Esq., Andre Ingenito, Esq., and Joseph Russo, Esq. All of the Haub Law coaches are also alumni of the law school and the advocacy program. In addition to placing first in the overall competition, team member Daniel Petrillo won ‘Best Advocate’, Alina Rizhinashvili won ‘Best Direct’, Krittika ‘Kye’ Shah and Phillip O’Meara won perfect scores, and every award category included a nomination for at least one Haub Law competitor advocate.

“The moment of victory was a bittersweet one. As we received a standing ovation, we also came to realize this would be the last time most of our team competed under the guidance of our fantastic coaches,” said Haub Law 3L and team captain, Krittika ‘Kye’ Shah. “Phil has been with our coaches since the second semester of his 2L year, Alina, and I since the first semester of our 3L year. Every single advocate on this team has at one point or another won an individual award under these coaches. Not only are they phenomenal teachers but the love, care, and attention they have provided us all on an individual level has helped us grow as lawyers and as people. I cannot thank the advocacy program enough for connecting me with these advocates and coaches for my last competition in law school. I could not have asked for a better team and friends.”

Haub Law alumna and coach, Giuliana Trivella, Esq. said “I am so proud of all my students for always working hard, always performing to the best of their abilities, and always being kind to each other throughout the process.” She continued, “These advocates represent the best of the advocacy program. I am also thankful for my fellow coaches, Andre and Joey. The long-nights we spent teaching evidence, deciphering through the fact pattern, and running over directs and crosses were all worth it. This was a fantastic competition, I am thankful to Inter American University for graciously hosting us in beautiful San Juan. We are proud to have represented Haub Law in such a positive light and we hope to keep making the school proud.”

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.

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On Monday, April 4, 2022, Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe virtually delivered the 2022 Philip B. Blank Memorial Lecture on Attorney Ethics. Professor Joe is a member of the UC Davis School of Law faculty, having joined it in 2016. The topic of her lecture was “Learning from Mistakes: Ethical Considerations for Public Defenders.”

Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Horace E. Anderson, introduced the 2022 Blank Memorial Lecture and provided background on the history of the lecture and Philip Blank. Professor David Dorfman introduced this year’s speaker, noting the timeliness and importance of the topic. Professor Dorfman indicated that Professor Joe comes to this particular lecture topic with “the highest credentials” and an “illustrious career” dedicated to ethical considerations for public defenders.

Professor Joe’s engaging lecture focused on not only ethical considerations for public defenders, but the importance of the role of public defenders and provided concrete and tangible considerations for the future. She said, “Who the public defender is, what the public defender does and how the public defender does its job within our system of legal ethics and professionalism are important questions that have been the primary motivation in my scholarship so far.”

Throughout the lecture, Professor Joe discussed the role of the public defender. She also discussed how the design of the criminal process affects the ability of institutional attorneys to manage overwhelming caseloads and comply with ethical requirements. She also made note that, “Public defenders can’t just exist to point out the mistakes of others and then be defensive when it comes to considering their own and unwilling to learn from their own.”

Professor Joe concluded her lecture by engaging the audience with something to think about as we move forward, “Conviction integrity units have become more common in prosecutor offices throughout the nation in response to calls for criminal justice reform and recognition of the failures that might occur in prosecuting those accused of criminal behavior. There has been no similar widespread creation of units dedicated to reviewing public defender actions in the indigent defense arena and it is important for us to consider what a walk down that path would look like as part of a general more expansive move forward in this moment of racial reckoning and consideration of the problems with the criminal process.”

Following the lecture, Professor Margot Pollans moderated a question and answer session with the audience where several in depth questions were asked and thoughts were shared. Professor Joe noted that it was an honor for her to present this lecture as part of Phillip Blank’s legacy, which “clearly conveyed commitment to the advancement and better understanding of the legal profession and the rules that guide it.”

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.

Watch the 2022 Philip B. Blank Memorial Lecture on Attorney Ethics below.