A delegation from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University spent February break in India, collaborating with OP Jindal Global University on an academic conference and a conclave with local ESG practitioners, and fostering collaborations with new academic institutions.

Taking part in the noteworthy trip were Haub Law School’s Dean Horace Anderson, Haub Law Professors Smita Narula, Katrina Fischer Kuh, Margot Pollans, Sasha Greenawalt, Adjunct Professor Rama Rao, Associate Director of Graduate Programs and International Affairs, Diana Ramirez, Associate Vice President, International Programs and Services at Pace University, Barry Stinson, and student Haub Scholar Hannah Dauray.

The visit was planned around a two-day conference on the Rule of Law and Environmental Justice that was jointly organized by Haub Law School and OP Jindal Global University’s Jindal Global Law School. The conference featured faculty and student panelists from both institutions and from King’s College London. On day two, Haub Law faculty members taught classes on Intellectual Property, Environmental Law in Action, and International Human Rights Law. The visit also featured a Business and Corporate Conclave on Corporate Governance and ESG that was jointly organized by Jindal and Pace. Haub Law faculty participated in a conversation on corporations and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices alongside leaders of the most prominent law firms in India.

During the visit, Haub Law also formalized a new academic partnership with BITS Law School. Dean Anderson had the opportunity to meet with Ashish Bharadwaj, founding Dean of BITS Law School, which is based in Mumbai, India. During their time in Delhi, the Pace delegation also visited the National Law University Delhi, where they had the opportunity to meet with Dr. G.S. Bajpai, the Vice Chancellor and discuss potential areas of collaboration.

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The Westchester Women's Bar Association Foundation (WWBAF) has awarded the Justice Sondra M. Miller Scholarship in honor of WWBA founding member and past President Hon. Sondra M. Miller to Haub Law student Remila Jasharllari. The WWBAF evaluates scholarship applicants on a number of criteria: community and/or public service, clinic and internship involvement, life balance, academic record, personal adversity in pursuit of a legal education and intent to make future contributions to Westchester County.

“This year, the Foundation Board was tasked with selecting a 2024 recipient of this prestigious award from fourteen well-qualified applicants,” said Susan Corcoran, President of the WWBAF. “It was, as always, a difficult decision. Our goal is to identify a deserving recipient whose future in the law carries on the ideals of its namesake, Judge Miller.”

“As an 18-year-old immigrant to the US who arrived here ‘completely on my own’, Remila’s journey to law school is inspirational,” said Susan Corcoran. “Remila’s journey inspired her to help other law students to excel academically. In her own words, ‘I started law school seeking to improve myself and to help carve a path toward success for those who feel, like I once did, lost or excluded.’ Becoming a trail blazer starts at a young age with a willingness to jump into the unknown; whether it is Judge Miller who took the leap to become one of the first women admitted to Harvard Law School or Remila Jasharllari who took the leap to journey to the US (again, in her own words) ‘… to learn, contribute and succeed.’ The WWBAF could not ask for a more perfect candidate to represent the values and pioneering spirit of our own Justice Sondra Miller.”

Remila Jasharllari described being selected for the prestigious Justice Sondra M. Miller award as the utmost honor. “Justice Miller has a history of firsts throughout her extraordinary career- from being a member of Harvard Law School’s first class of admitted women to her historical appointment in the Second Department,” said Remila. “I had the pleasure of meeting her, and was moved by her unmatched wisdom, elegance, and kindness. I consider myself fortunate for connecting with so many brilliant judges and attorneys of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association, and I am inspired by their fortitude in navigating the legal profession, while upholding the ideals of justice, integrity, and inclusion. There is power in mentorship, and I look forward to fostering the ideals of the WWBA in my legal career and making an impact in the Westchester community and beyond.” This summer, Remila will be joining Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP as a 2024 Summer Associate.

Lauren DeMaio (BS in Computer Science '24) is a senior at the Seidenberg School, who mixes the art of dance with the science of computing. Join us as we walk through Lauren's typical day on campus, her lattes, her algorithms, and the story of how her decisions have led to an adventure in learning and teaching, at Pace.

Lauren’s typical day begins with a brief stop at the Seidenberg building where she is greeted by fellow students and faculty collaborating on projects, doing homework, or simply catching up from the weekend. These interactions set the tone for Lauren’s day and are a reminder of the fun and collegial community she has found at Seidenberg.

Lauren’s path to Pace was a bit less traditional than some. During her senior year in high school, and driven by a passion for dance, Lauren decided to leave public school to attend the Joffrey Ballet School as a Jazz and Contemporary Trainee. “I was commuting each day from my home in Dutchess County to New York City,” noted Lauren. Though the dance program was supposed to be four years long, Lauren decided to apply to a handful of colleges. “I just wanted to keep all possible paths open for myself,” shared Lauren. “I had very little interest in most of the schools I applied to, but when I received my acceptance to Pace, I was so thrilled that I accepted the offer.” Lauren ended up deferring her acceptance for one year, as she continued her studies at Joffrey.

When the COVID pandemic hit, however, it inspired Lauren to re-evaluate her path. “I took a look at my deferral from Pace and just jumped,” advised Lauren.

Computer Science was the only major that ever spoke to me, so I just took that idea and ran with it. Here I am in my senior year of undergrad, and I could not be happier with the decisions I made, especially with choosing Pace.

Lauren has filled her time at Pace with more than just studies. She has been able to nurture her love for teaching (she previously taught dance) through being a Teaching Assistant, with Dr. Carmine Guida as her mentor. In this role, Lauren is able to transfer approaches she’s used in teaching dance to help students in CS 241 Data Structures & Algorithms and CS 321 Intro to Game Programming. “Breaking down abstract computer science topics is just like breaking down the mechanics of a tendu,” shares Lauren. “Seeing that spark moment for the student where they finally understand has just further fueled my love for teaching.”

In addition, Lauren participates in the Design Factory project. During the Fall 2023 semester, Lauren and her teammates, led by the Design Factory program director Dr. Andreea Cotoranu, focused on responsible consumption and production, and looked for opportunities to address them. As part of their journey, they travelled to CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland, and spent two weeks developing solutions alongside other schools from the Design Factory Network. Lauren’s team is currently in the prototyping phase of their project, expecting to finish it by the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

Everyone on the team is so welcoming and passionate about what they are studying. It is truly inspiring to be part of such an aspiring group of students.

Despite her busy schedule, Lauren finds time to socialize (and caffeinate) throughout the day. You can find her each morning grabbing a latte from Variety Coffee Roasters. She also takes the opportunity to enjoy an espresso when she visits Dr. Guida to discuss her research and the progress of students in CS 241 and CS 321. After class, Lauren and her friends often walk over to the McNally Jackson bookstore, with a quick stop at the Funny Face bakery, to get hot chocolate and browse new books.

Despite changing gears, Lauren continues to be influenced by her background in dance. “Dancers have this beautiful ability to create a welcoming space for others where self-expression and being fully oneself in the present is key,” offers Lauren. “Not to make it seem like a science, but there is a power that comes with having the ability to make people feel comfortable in any particular space.” Lauren tries to apply this openness and promotion of self in all her interactions. “Giving people the space to express their passions really helps me see people as they are, and I have dance to thank for the ability to do that.”