Beginning in Fall 2023, Pace University will offer a new Bachelor’s of Science in Computational Economics, housed in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems and offered on both the New York City and Westchester campuses.

This interdisciplinary program will empower students to answer economic questions and inform business practices using computer science and information technology, including focuses on programming, big data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and econometrics. Students will learn to code fluently and manage large datasets using R, Python, and SQL, and take courses such as Economic Data Analysis, Applied AI with Deep Learning, and Econometrics: Models and Organizations.

Quantitative strategies and data analytics are skills that are in high demand in today’s workplace. According to Burning Glass in 2022, employment in data analysis and mathematics is expected to grow 27.61 percent while jobs that utilize Python skills are expected to grow by 48.02 percent. Potential career paths for students with a degree in computational economics can include data scientist or data analyst, financial quantitative analyst, economist, chief information officer, business intelligence analyst and statistician.

Learn more about this exciting new program.

Haub Law is committed to diversifying and advancing the legal profession by exposing, educating, and preparing underrepresented students for careers in law. The Law School aims to advance civic and legal education to empower youth in our community and beyond. Each year, the Law School hosts numerous pipeline programs in partnership with local organizations, government, court systems and legal firms who share our mission.

Pipeline programs are an important part of Haub Law’s Access to Justice Project, which was announced by Dean Horace Anderson in 2020. Pace A2J incorporates curricular, experiential, research, and policy advocacy components, all designed to increase student, faculty and staff engagement in pro bono and community work, and to support the local community in addressing justice gaps. Already, Pace A2J has made notable strides in building community connections and engaging students in efforts to address justice and inequity gaps through curricular, pro bono, and programmatic innovations.

Verizon Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program

In addition to our annual pipeline programs, Haub Law has entered into two major diversity focused partnerships in 2022-23.

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In March 2023, Haub Law students partnered with attorneys from Verizon to deliver its Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, a global program aiming to advance civic and law education to empower youth. The four-part program included classroom workshops on law-related topics at New Rochelle High School, culminating with a full-day capstone experience at the Law School.

The program was spearheaded by Haub Law alumnus Jerome Silber ’83, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Verizon Business Group. Sibler, along with six volunteer attorneys from across Verizon’s legal department, has been running the program for five years. Verizon currently supports Street Law programs in 11 cities, and has reached out to Haub Law to expand its Westchester County program.

“Our partnership with Haub Law was a natural fit,” said Silber. “I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with my alma matter and the law students have been such an asset to our program. They bring a fresh perspective on the curriculum we’ve developed and are great role models for high school students. It has been a rewarding experience for all of us to teach young people in our community about the law and legal profession. Our goal is to provide a support system to help them get where they need to go.

In coordination with the host teacher from New Rochelle High School, eight Haub Law students joined the Verizon attorneys to prepare and teach classes on Immigration Law, Advertising Law, and Search and Seizure to 20 students enrolled in a business law class.

During the seminars, students examined different areas of the law and engaged in discussion and role playing, acting out scenarios such as reasonable search and seizure during a routine traffic stop based on the Fourth Amendment. They learned how to evaluate truthful vs deceptive advertisements and to determine what kind of immigration visa is required for different situations.

The class took a trip to the Law School for the final capstone of the program, which included workshops where students prepared arguments on each topic and presented before a panel of judges. As part of the day’s agenda, students enjoyed a tour of the Law School and casual career conversations with law students, faculty, and Verizon lawyers.

“Programs like this are so important to educate students to know and understand the law, and to be empowered to use it,” said Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson. “We are thrilled to support partners like Verizon who share our commitment to addressing the dearth of diversity in the legal profession and who devote their energy on impactful ways that can improve access to justice in our community.”

Second Circuit Pipeline Program

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The second diversity-focused partnership is with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Named The Honorable Robert A. Katzmann Justice For All: Courts and the Community Initiative, the civic education project of the Second Circuit federal courts, was launched by the late Second Circuit Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann in 2014. The two-part program brings students first to the federal courthouse and then to a law school.

The first part of the program was held on November 10, 2022, at the federal courthouse in White Plains, and featured speakers including U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah, and several federal judges from the Southern District of New York.

The “Day in Law School” was the second segment of a two-part immersive experience designed to provide Westchester high school students with opportunities to learn about the law and the legal system, including careers in that system. On March 24, 2023, the Second Circuit, Haub Law, and the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Community Youth Court held an event at the Law School for high school students throughout Westchester County and beyond.

U.S. Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco and Haub Law Dean Horace Anderson welcomed high school students to the Law School, where they engaged with law students and faculty, toured the Law School campus, participated in a mock law school class taught by Professor Emily Gold Waldman, took part in a Supreme Court argument simulation, and heard from a variety of speakers, including former New York Jets player, and now New York City-based attorney, Michael Catapano. The two-part program is the first of its kind for the Second Circuit.

Summer 2022 Pipeline Partnerships

The Scales of Justice Academy was founded in 2009 by Haub Law Adjunct Professor the Honorable La Tia W. Martin, New York State Supreme Court Justice. Each year, promising young women from diverse backgrounds are selected to participate in this two-week program, which is designed to inspire future educational paths that might lead to careers in the law.

Haub Law participated in a Mock Legislature event with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ Youth Advisory Council, at the New York State Judicial Institute. The event provided hands-on experience in the State legislative and democratic process for Westchester County youth, promoting skills that foster civic engagement.

The New York Legal Education Opportunity Program, organized by the Hon. Kathie E. Davidson of the New York State Judicial Institute, returned to the Haub Law campus this past summer. The intense six-week program promotes academic success in law school for those historically under- represented in the legal profession. Haub Law welcomed five of the program’s 2022 graduates to its class of 2025 this past fall.

Haub Law hosted the White Plains Youth Bureau’s Youth Court Law Day 2022, bringing together bright and ambitious students with a passion for social justice to learn about the field of law. Students had a chance to meet law leaders including Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah and Dean Horace Anderson, as well as law students who joined a career panel to provide advice about law school.

From a young age, Basil Seggos ’01 was always interested in the outdoors and with nature itself. As he went through high school, and college, he gained a greater appreciation of the amount of injustice in the world and was motivated to be a part of the effort to try to help resolve some of these issues, specifically environmental issues being faced by people and by the planet. Law school proved to be the perfect fit for him, and he was able to merge his passion for the environment with his sense of and desire for justice. From 2015-2024, Basil served as the longest-tenured Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, leading an agency of over 3,000 professionals. Today, Basil serves as Partner and Senior Policy Director for the firm Foley Hoag in New York City. In the interview below he shares his successes as DEC Commissioner, as well as his sentiments from his time at Haub Law.

You accomplished so much as DEC Commissioner, what are you most proud of?

I am most proud of the passage of the state’s climate law and the work we have done to begin its implementation. That would be number one. Number two is rebuilding the agency and reinjecting a sense of purpose through a bolder agency budget, increased staff, and a modernized mission for the challenges over the horizon. DEC was heavily impacted by the economic downturn of the late 2000s. It took the better part of eight years to rebuild the agency to where it is now. Number three is securing billions of dollars for water quality infrastructure across the state. Starting with almost no grant money for infrastructure when I first took this job, we now have a nearly $5 billion grant fund, and the largest revolving loan program in the country. Number four is bringing a sense of environmental justice into the everyday work we do as an agency. This includes helping to guide the agency in a positive way and ensuring we are making decisions and investments with the goal of righting the wrongs of the past. Finally, the last thing would be keeping New York at the lead of important environmental issues, whether it is climate, water, emerging contaminants, or environmental justice. We have set the tone nationally for many important initiatives. And, while we haven’t solved all the state’s legacy issues, we are on the right track.

You were instrumental in the passage of the state’s nation-leading climate change law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act – how did you achieve that tremendous milestone?

We are confronting an existential crisis, so the questions are: what do we do about it? What actions can we take to address the crisis and reduce burdens on front line communities while keeping the state economically competitive? Those questions served as the foundation for the law, and it will likely be one of the most challenging undertakings in state history. We’re now in the implementation phase, and while we develop new policies and investment programs, we’re also doubling down on communicating with New Yorkers. Change of any kind is difficult and change on this scale and in this polarized environment can be frightening if we don’t emphasize constant communication and stakeholder engagement. It was important for us to lay the groundwork in a collaborative way and ensure that the various stakeholder groups had a voice. We worked with environmental justice groups, industries, unions, businesses, and local government officials to create a groundswell of stakeholders who would help craft and implement solution. Goals and targets are critical, but ultimately, the process needs to be collaborative and empowering.

How did you ultimately choose the law as a career and specifically Haub Law?

I was working at the NRDC after college, specifically with the urban environmental team and I got to know a bit about Haub Law. There were some Haub Law professors who were active with the NRDC and they encouraged me to think about law school. It was the perfect opportunity to create a career centered on justice and the environment. I’m so glad that I chose Haub Law.

Which professors at Haub Law had the biggest impact on you?

I distinctly remember Karl Coplan, he was the toughest and most outstanding professor I ever had. Karl managed the Environmental Litigation Clinic at the time, and no one had a better handle of the science, facts, and the law—if you were in his clinic, you better come prepared. He very effectively put students into challenging situations and helped us learn how to become attorneys. And then of course there was Nick Robinson, an absolute legend. He was my first environmental law professor. He had a global view of the law and understanding of how to use environmental law and policy to improve lives. Ann Powers was another terrific professor. All three of them took great care and interest in their students.

What were some of your most impactful experiences during your time at Haub Law?

My time in the environmental litigation clinic was certainly formative and challenging. We students were quickly immersed in real-life cases. During my first two weeks in the clinic, I was handed a case that was headed towards an appeal in federal court. It forced me to evolve from being a mere student into a young practitioner with real clients, briefs and appearances in court. Professor Karl Coplan quickly prepared me for that opportunity. That was the first time that I really felt the ability of a person to impact change in a meaningful way in a court of law.

My time in the environmental litigation clinic was certainly formative and challenging. We students were quickly immersed in real-life cases.

What are your thoughts on New York’s recently passed Green Amendment?

One of the things I take away from it is the fact that New Yorkers value the environment—they went the polls and said yes, the protection of the environment should be enshrined in the state’s constitution. As someone who works on the environment every day in New York, I take pride in knowing that New Yorkers value these issues. Now, the courts will ultimately decide what the green amendment means. There are several cases working their way through the courts to determine the implications of the amendment.

You have an active presence on social media – how do you feel that social media helps to push forward movements for change?

Social media has been an important tool to advance environmental progress. From spreading awareness of issues to galvanizing movements, we’re fortunate to have these tools to help knit us together as a society. In the same breath, social media can also be divisive, and it is often rife with misinformation, and often much worse. There has to be a balance. Use social media as one of the ways to rapidly and widely communicate with the public, but don’t let it supplant the obligation to get out of one’s seat, hit the ground, and be present to speak to people face to face—and listen to what they have to say.

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about climate change law?

The biggest misconception about climate change law is that action is incompatible with progress. That it is hostile to jobs. And the economy. I believe it is the exact opposite. A state or nation that safeguards its environment ultimately protects its economy. All of our climate initiatives are part of a larger theme of progress for New York State.

How did you build equity into the climate law?

Equity and justice are at the heart of the climate law. The law requires us to hit our statewide emissions reduction targets, but it also requires us to ensure we are investing at least 35% of our environmental investments- with a higher goal of 40%- in our frontline communities. We have extended that beyond climate law to our water funding and the recently passed $4.2 billion Bond Act. The status quo of inequity is unacceptable, and it may take years to unpack this and do better for all New Yorkers. It means putting a greater emphasis on equity, now, focusing our work where the conditions have been the worst so we can reverse fortunes and improve health and people’s lives. That is the greatest takeaway of the climate act – the trajectory it has put us on. We now have an ability to truly improve lives of millions of New Yorkers, especially those who have been historically marginalized.

In the fall of 2022, you took a leave of absence to go to Ukraine to aid in humanitarian efforts as the Russian invasion was escalating. You recently went back on another humanitarian mission. What were those experiences like?

When Russia invaded Ukraine, I felt compelled to act. For me it wasn’t enough to speak out on the outrage of the invasion of a democratic ally. I couldn’t just sit on the sideline. I had the ability to go the extra step to provide just a little bit of help where it was needed. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to link up with some veteran and humanitarian groups who were bringing aid into the country, so I went over in the fall and became an ambulance driver for 2 weeks, all the way to the front. And I just returned from another two weeks behind the wheel of an ambulance. Our group also built playgrounds, repaired a roof on a recently bombed community center and provisioned some orphanages. I don’t believe any of us slept during those missions, it was intense. I saw the worst and best of humanity at the same time. We worked in villages that were completely shattered, apartment blocks with massive holes in them, craters in farm fields, people fleeing the invasion, babies left without parents, and yet the Ukrainians were so strong and optimistic for their future. Seeing the resilient Ukrainians and their appreciation for the global outpouring of support for their cause was inspiring. All of us can and should help in our own way, whether on the ground in Ukraine or from the states. And there is so much demand for legal assistance, whether in documenting war crimes or helping displaced persons piece their lives back together. Lawyers and law students can always play an important role to help stabilize the impacts of conflict. Getting involved in the cause of Ukraine has been life changing.

Many of our students participate in summer internships with the DEC and over the years, the DEC has employed many Haub Law graduates – what makes our students stand out?

Haub Law students are always the best prepared lawyers when they come into this agency. Because they have gone to Haub Law they are also driven by a sense of commitment to the environment. And they come in with that energy, passion, and knowledge and quite often they have gone through one of the clinics and with practical experience. If I have a choice between a Haub Law student and comparable student from a different school, my instinct is to go with the Haub Law student because I know that person will excel. Right now, in my office, we have at least 19 Haub Law graduates in our counsel’s office and in other leadership positions in the agency. A Haub Law graduate is also serving as Assistant Counsel to the Governor for the environment portfolio.

What advice would you give to a student who wants to pursue a career in environmental law?

It is the most exciting time ever to get into a career in the environment given the scale of regulation and investment in climate action, environmental justice, and environmental infrastructure. Whether you are going in to work at a firm, a company, non-legal work, or in policy, it is an extraordinarily busy field. We need the best minds on this given the scale of the challenge.

Your wife, Rose, is a 2004 graduate of Haub Law – did you meet in law school, and does she share your same passion for the outdoors and environment?

Rose and I met because of our shared passion for the environment. We had the chance to work together on a case when she was a student in Haub Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and I was with Riverkeeper, so it is fair to say that we owe our relationship to the negligence of a polluter (whom we brought to justice). We both love the outdoors and do our best to adventure with our family in some wild and beautiful places. She’s just as dedicated as I am to ensuring that we can bequeath to our kids a clean and healthy planet.

What are some of your hobbies outside of your profession?

Dad time. I spend most of my free time with my kids coaching their lacrosse teams, supporting their sport or art interests, and spending lots of time outside. Boating. Hiking. Fishing. Skiing. I spend my own time running, watching the Yankees, and restoring my old house. And I love reading-- nonfiction exclusively. Reality is more interesting than fiction, and history is always there to teach us about the present and the future.

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After spending 30 years on the bench, Haub Law alumnus Justice Joseph Suarez has recently retired. Born in Cuba, Justice Suarez attended City College in New York while working as an electrical worker in NYC Transit to help support his family. After a tragedy hit home, he and his fiancée became guardians of three children. “I had a responsibility to my family and at that point, I knew I had to support them,” said Suarez. “I decided that obtaining my teaching license would be prudent and I started a career as a science teacher in the South Bronx.” During that time, Justice Suarez supplemented his teaching salary as a S.E.C. registered Investment Adviser and Tax preparer and continued his educational studies, ultimately receiving an MBA in finance from Baruch. With a passion for learning and a drive to go further, he ultimately pursued and obtained a MS in Educational Administration and a NYS license as a District Administrator.

“By the time I had started thinking about law school, I had moved my family to Rockland County,” Suarez recalled. “I was interested in law, I truly enjoyed being a student, and there was a competitive value of a law degree that was appealing.” Ultimately, he was accepted to a number of law schools, but once he heard that Pace was to open a law school in White Plains, the choice was made. “It was the perfect circumstances for me. I would not have to commute far, and I could attend at night.”

Once enrolled at what was then known as Pace Law School, Justice Suarez immersed himself in his legal studies. “Immediately I knew I was in the right place. And, fortunately, despite having a young family, I had the unwavering support of my wife, Della, without which none of this would have been possible.” During his time at Pace, Justice Suarez recalls the many professors who helped him along the way. “I was most impressed by Professor Jay Carlisle, Professor Bennett Gershman, and the late Ralph Stein. Their passion and skills for imparting knowledge on the particular subject matter was amazing.”

After graduating from Pace in 1980, Justice Suarez remained very involved with the School, serving as a member of the alumni association for thirteen years, as president, treasurer, and on various committees of the association. “I developed strong friendships with classmates during my time at Pace. We all fostered a mutual sense of wanting to give back to Pace through our involvement, which included scholarships, outreach to minorities, and more.”

I developed strong friendships with classmates during my time at Pace. We all fostered a mutual sense of wanting to give back to Pace through our involvement, which included scholarships, outreach to minorities, and more.

Once he was admitted to the bar, Justice Suarez accepted the position of District Director of Management Services in his South Bronx School District. When the position of labor negotiator for Rockland County became available, he applied and became the first Hispanic Assistant County Attorney in the process. During this time, he also helped found the Village of Chestnut Ridge, becoming the Village Attorney for the first 6 years of its operation and serving as the first Hispanic Village Attorney in the County.

With a passion for involvement in community causes, Justice Suarez was deeply involved with the Haverstraw community, helping to form: the Hispanic Coalition of Rockland County, the Alliance of Latino Leaders; and HOGAR (Home), an organization which focused on establishing first-time home buyers. Ultimately, through HOGAR, Justice Suarez helped close for nearly 200 families, over the years. “Giving back to the Hispanic community has always been a passion and priority of mine.”

It was in 1992 when the Acting Village Justice of Chestnut Ridge moved away that the mayor asked him to assume the position of Acting Village Justice and he accepted- becoming the first Hispanic judge in the Hudson Valley. For the next nearly 5 years, Justice Suarez served in that capacity. With a need for a second justice, it was in 1997 that Justice Suarez was elected to fill that role and since then, he has been re-elected continuously. “Being on the bench was not something I foresaw all those years ago when I was pursuing different educational paths and degrees. My career and the path of my career has been circuitous and rewarding. The ability to effect change, and ensure justice is served, has been life changing. It was the honor of my lifetime to have served in that capacity.”

Now that he is retired, Justice Suarez looks forward to taking the time to reflect on how he can efficiently effect positive change. “I am excited for the next chapter, connecting with friends, spending time with family, and a Havanese puppy we recently got, who takes up much of our time. I also look forward to continuing my work with the Hudson Valley Hispanic Bar Association.”

Julie Tokar has always had a passion for justice and knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in law. After graduating from college in three years, Julie studied for the LSAT during COVID and decided Haub Law was the place for her. Now, she is a rising 3L who is pursuing an Advanced Certificate in International Law and just completed an internship with NASA. Learn more about Julie and her law school experience in this Q&A.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

My parents are from Eastern Europe and migrated to the US for a better life. My older sister and I were born in New York and raised in New Jersey. We are the only ones in our families to graduate from university and I am the only one in my family to attend law school.

What was it about Haub Law that interested you?

Haub Law really drew me in because I wanted to be close to home and have opportunities to practice law in New Jersey and New York. I also fell in love with the campus, it feels like a close community.

Which classes have stood out to you so far?

Professor Bennett Gershman’s Evidence course has been my favorite so far. His classroom experience is unlike anything else – even though cold-calling can be scary, it is an experience unique to law school, which all law students can bond over. Professor Gershman’s class in particular is a very interactive class and he makes what can be a difficult course, a fun and intense learning experience.

This past Spring you completed the Legal Honors Internship with NASA, what was that experience like?

It was wonderful. I assisted the Office of the General Counsel with various legal issues that occur within the Agency, which touched on intellectual property law, ethics, international law, and more. I spent a lot of time researching and analyzing international space law agreements, which was fascinating. During my internship, I was working on a research project, and it ended up connecting to a law review note that I was working on. I was able to reach out and connect directly with the international attorneys over at NASA's headquarters office and one of the space law agreements that I decided to write on happens to be one that those attorneys drafted themselves.

What do you hope to do after Law School?

I am pursuing my Advanced Certificate in International Law and I hope to continue my career path in international law. My opportunity with NASA was a step towards pursuing that goal as I worked with their international law attorneys at the Headquarters and Kennedy Space Center.

What advice would you give to future law students?

I think it is important to take the time away from studying and reading textbooks to spend quality time with family and friends. It's important to have a break from law school. The books can wait (sometimes.)! I would also tell new 1Ls to work and do law school at their own pace and not focus on what others are doing.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is pleased to announce that Paul Rink will join its faculty as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Law. Prior to joining the Haub Law faculty in 2023, Professor Rink worked at the climate law firm, Our Children’s Trust, representing young people from around the world in strategic, legal efforts to secure their right to a safe climate system. He is one of four new faculty members who will be joining Haub Law this fall.

"The Elisabeth Haub School of Law has a reputation around the globe as the premier institution for environmental law,” said Professor Rink. “I look forward to sharing my passion for climate law with the Haub Law community and to collaborating with its top-tier faculty and students to develop ideas and strategies for effectively combatting the climate crisis.”

After graduating with a BS from the University of Michigan, Professor Rink spent a year and half teaching soil science and environmental science to Singaporean students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic as a Princeton in Asia Fellow. He then extended his fellowship for an additional year, working on policy advocacy at the International Water Management Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Immediately after earning his JD from Yale Law School and his Masters of Environmental Management from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, he spent time in Australia working as a forest restoration consultant for Conservation International. Following this consultancy position, Professor Rink researched the impact of business interests on international environmental law as a Fox Fellow in Mexico City before relocating to Portland, Oregon for his position as a Global Staff Attorney at Our Children’s Trust. While at Our Children’s Trust, he co-implemented a successful campaign to enshrine 100% renewable energy targets in Florida law; drafted comments responding to the Office of Management and Budget’s draft Technical Support Document on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases; and co-developed third-party intervention filings before multiple judicial bodies, including the Mexican Collegiate Court in Administrative Matters of the First Circuit, the European Court of Human Rights, and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.

Professor Rink’s research interests include climate and energy law, human rights and climate change, sustainable investment and net zero policy, and administrative cost-benefit analysis in the context of the climate crisis. At Haub Law, Professor Rink will teach several courses, including Torts this coming semester. “Professor Rink brings a unique perspective to our Haub Law community,” said Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “He has spent time around the globe advocating for the environment and enacting positive change. The Haub Law community will benefit greatly from his unique background and learning more about his targeted research interests.”

Professor Rink has written academic articles ranging from the household economic benefits of rainwater harvesting systems to a comparative analysis of the forestry policies in Indonesia and Brazil. He has also contributed chapters to the Oxford Handbook on International Environmental Law (2021) and the 2019 Yale University Press publication, A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future.­ Professor Rink is originally from Gaylord, MI.

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Twenty-five years ago, what was then known as Pace Law School launched a summer Environmental Law Externship program in Washington, DC. Beyond giving students direct experience with environmental law and policy, one of the key goals of the externship from the outset, as described by Professor of Law Emerita Ann Powers and champion of the program, was “to introduce students to the lawyer’s role as responsible, ethical decision-maker, with an emphasis on the special discretion of the government lawyer.” In 1997, students experienced an intensive “bootcamp” on environmental law taught by environmental legal pioneer and Pace Law Adjunct Professor David Sive. In DC they worked as externs and took a seminar taught by Adjunct Professor Steve Solow, formerly Co-Director of the Law School’s environmental litigation clinic and then Chief of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section. Today Professor Solow is a partner at Baker Botts and still at the helm of this impactful and transformational program.

Over his tenure, Professor Solow has recruited five co-professors, all Pace alumni. One former student turned co-professor, Robyn Emeson, who serves as Senior Assistant Regional Counsel in the Regulatory Enforcement Section of EPA’s Denver Regional, credits her time in the externship program as refining her introspective approach to the practice of environmental law. She recalls that “from day one, Professor Solow taught his students to critically analyze the happenings around us in our practices, no matter what the context, and to periodically take pause to ensure our actions align with how we want to be remembered one day as lawyers, colleagues, and neighbors.” Former co-professor Lauren Bachtel, now in private practice after spending the beginning of her career in the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor, credits Solow as “one of the main reasons the DC Externship is so special. His experience, energy, and inquisitive nature made every class very exciting and rewarding.” Another co-professor, Lauren Fischer, notes that “Steve is the consummate teacher/mentor whose wisdom and guidance provides Pace students with critical lessons on how to avoid life’s potential pitfalls and achieve excellence.”

Current co-professor Kristen DeWire, a student when the program celebrated its 15th anniversary, reflected on the “profound” effect the program had on her career – “[i]nterning at the EPA and meeting many of the alumni practicing environmental law in the DC area opened my eyes to the wide range of opportunities in environmental practice. The experience was instrumental in my decision to return to DC to pursue a career in government service.” Professor DeWire is currently Senior Counsel of the EPA Environmental Appeals Board.

Not surprisingly, Professor Solow notes the crucial role of alumni participation and engagement. The list is dozens long of former externs who come back to support and give advice to the current class. Anne Carpenter, a former extern who then spent the last 15 years working alongside Steve in private practice regularly comes back to guest lecture once every summer; former Dean of the Environmental Law Program Alexandra Dunn also joins the class and helps open doors. In the truest proverbial sense, the DC externship program is a village. Professor Solow also credits the large network of attorneys at DOJ, EPA, Interior, the Coast Guard, FERC and elsewhere who have opened the door to Pace externs.

A member of the 2019 summer class, Anxhela Mile, says it was the deep relationships she was able to build with classmates and alumni from different sectors of the environmental law field that expanded her understanding of what opportunities may exist after graduation, and helped her career trajectory towards becoming a practicing climate change lawyer.

Danielle Schreiber, a participant in the 2010 summer session says that the DC externship was by far her favorite class in law school and that “Unlike traditional lectures, the DC Externship Program provides students with practical advice based on the real world legal experience they are getting over the summer. Having Steve’s expertise navigating issues relating to the public interest and tying in his private practice experience is invaluable.”

Another former student, Zaheer Tajani, who was recently appointed by the Department of the Interior as Senior Advisor for Oversight, remarks that even when it was not immediately apparent, the connections that Professor Solow helped foster with established environmental law professionals and peers alike built a network of support which would scaffold future professional success in both the public and private sectors.

In a region where there is huge competition for positions, Pace students are in the mix in part because of this growing network of Haub graduates. Professor Solow recalls that when he came to DC in 1997, he didn’t see enough Pace alumni in the environmental agencies and government offices. In his view, the biggest change over the last 25 years is how Pace students are received in the DC marketplace – they are recognized for a combination of practical skills, solid research know-how, and agency savvy, often gained through the DC program. He believes that the success of so many of his former students has helped in its own way to keep the Environmental Law Program atop the rankings for so long.

An example of how the extern program’s network impact continues to grow is the story of Samuel Capasso. A student in the 2008 summer session, Capasso is now a mentor and supervisor in his role as Branch Chief of the Community Infrastructure Resilience Branch in FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division. Capasso notes that “The DC Externship program gave me the confidence to apply for DC jobs. I learned I was up to the task of serving the people of the United States and it helped me set working at FEMA Headquarters, where I now am a leader, as a career goal. I’m proud to pay this experience forward to new students!” Capasso received the 2022 Nicholas Robinson Award for Distinguished Environmental Achievement from the Law School.

Since its inception, over 225 students have participated in the Environmental Law DC Summer Extern Program. They all received the training and mentorship from Professor Solow in this programs format that Professor Powers describes as “especially effective, complementing and enriching the students’ more traditional academic experience.” Professor Robyn Emeson adds that “for 25 unwavering years, [Steve] has remained a phenomenal mentor and advocate for law students, making his mark as a foundational pillar of the Law School’s DC Externship program.”

As he prepares for the 26th summer class, Professor Solow describes how the class helps students explore the real-world issues they face. From negotiating for better work assignments and dealing with ethical dilemmas as government or private-sector attorneys, to addressing issues such as environmental justice and navigating government bureaucracies. Separately, he looks forward to the continued expansion of the Law School’s network in Washington DC.