Patrick McGlashan named December Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center’s Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that Patrick McGlashan '06 has been selected as the December Alum of the Month. Mr. McGlashan is an associate with the firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP and was an active member of the Touro Community while attending law school and has attended various alumni and student events throughout the years. Please Click Here to view his accomplished bio. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Patrick McGlashan.

Touro Law Reunion 2008 and "With Liberty & Justice for All" Dinner Wrap Up

On Saturday, November 8, Touro Law Center held Reunion 2008 celebrating the classes of 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003. It was a truly memorable evening in Touro’s still-evolving history as the class of 1983 was the first to celebrate a 25th reunion. Alumni came together to reminisce with friends, classmates and professors, as well as tour the new facility in Central Islip. Thank you to the entire Reunion Committee and to everyone who attended to make this year’s reunion a successful and memorable event.

Touro Law Center held its annual “With Liberty & Justice for All” Dinner on Wednesday, November 12 at the Garden City Hotel. Dean Lawrence Raful presented Thomas Rosicki ’97 with the Paul S. Miller “With Liberty and Justice for All” Award for all his support of Touro Law Center and our students, along with his outstanding contribution to the community through his work with AHRC and representing those with disabilities. Touro College President Dr. Bernard Lander together with Dean Raful presented the “Friend of Justice” Award to Alan L. Fuchsberg for continuing the legacy of his mother and father along with his continued support and commitment to Touro Law Center and the community. The Dean also recognized the Honorable Leonard D. Wexler and the Honorable H. Patrick Leis III for their extraordinary work with Touro Law Center’s Court Observation Program. Thank you to our honorees, Dinner co-chairs John Bishar and Seymour Liebman, journal chair Cynthia Nierer, Dinner committee members, all our generous sponsors, alumni, friends and special guests who helped to make this year’s dinner a wonderful event.

Touro Law Students Volunteer to Make a Difference in Katrina-Affected Region

Thirty-six students from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center recently volunteered for a week in New Orleans, a city and region still trying to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina hit the area in 2005. The students volunteered with eight different organizations, using their legal education to benefit the groups they worked for and the people of the Gulf Coast.

Students worked with the New Orleans Public Defenders, Common Ground, the Common Ground Legal Clinic, and The Alliance for Affordable Energy, among others. Students worked on a variety of projects including searching a community group’s documents to determine whether the community had groundwater contamination claims, helping to revive legislation, exploring employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, working on cases of contactor fraud, and so much more.

To read the full press release, please click here.

November Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center’s Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that Randy Schaefer has been selected as the November Alum of the Month. Ms. Schaefer is of counsel with the firm of Silverman Acampora LLP and was an active member of the Touro Community while attending law school. She remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Alumni Association, Alumni Council and Mentor Program as well as attending various alumni and student events throughout the years. Please click here to view the Alum of the Month page and her accomplished bio. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Randy Schaefer.

Judge Leon D. Lazer Atrium Dedication

On Wednesday October 29, Touro Law Center celebrated the dedication of the Judge Leon D. Lazer Atrium. Touro faculty, staff and students as well as several judges, alumni, family and friends were present to help celebrate the event. Dean Lawrence Raful, Dean Emeritus Howard Glickstein, Professor Eileen Kaufman, the Honorable James Lack and the Honorable Gail Prudenti spoke tributes to Judge Lazer and his remarkable career as an attorney, judge and professor. The ceremony concluded with Judge Lazer and his wife Renee revealing the plaque and lettering honoring Judge Lazer and formally naming the Judge Leon D. Lazer Atrium.

Leon Lazer, formerly a Justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department, is now a professor at Touro Law Center and serves as special counsel to the firm of Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella & Yedid, PC. One of his many great accomplishments has been his 30-year stewardship of the Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, which annually produces a four-volume set of model jury instructions for use by judges in civil trials. Judge Lazer also runs the annual “Leon D. Lazer Supreme Court Review,” which has become the largest continuing legal education program on Long Island, this year drawing its largest crowd of almost 400 attorneys.

Touro Law PAC Featured in NYLJ

The New York Law Journal's Tom Adcock wrote a Back Page feature article on Touro Law Center’s Public Advocacy Center. The article covers how the Center came to be at Touro Law, some of the work our students are doing within the Center and how Touro Law obtained funding for the Center through the generosity of the Hearst Foundation. Below is a portion of the article. To read the full article, log on the New York Law Journal’s web site.


Touro's Public Advocacy Center Benefits Students, Community
By Thomas Adcock

October 24, 2008

The William Randolph Hearst Public Advocacy Center of Long Island, a warren of tiny offices on the Central Islip campus of Touro Law Center, was created for the likes of Maria T. DeGennaro.

Never mind that five years ago neither Touro Law Dean Lawrence Raful nor the Hearst Foundations had ever heard of Ms. DeGennaro, who at the time found it ethically challenging to work as she was in the mortgage loan industry with the deals and debentures she saw as portents to the current economic crisis.

"I'm not a whistleblower," said Ms. DeGennaro, today a 44-year-old 2-L evening student at Touro Law. "I found another way."

As a law student with familiarity with the questionable practices of her former line of work, Ms. DeGennaro was a natural fit for Long Island Housing Services, one of 16 public interest agencies housed on campus at the public advocacy center.

The nonprofit agencies each pay $100 monthly for office, phone and Internet service - along with access to the Touro Law library and faculty, as well as proximity to state and federal courts adjacent to the campus. In return, the agencies pledge to use the passions of Touro Law students as legal support.

Touro Students Making A Difference

Thirty-seven Touro Law students are preparing to head down to New Orleans again on October 12 for another week of pro-bono legal advocacy work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Click here to check out great coverage of our students and the work they have been doing, and continue to do, on Newsday.com.

The Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner Named October Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center’s Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that the Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner has been selected for the month of October. Hon. Spinner is Judge, County Court Of Suffolk County, New York; Acting Judge, Family Court Of Suffolk County, New York and Acting Justice, Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County. Judge Spinner was an active member of the Touro Community while attending law school and remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Mentor Program as well as attending various alumni and student events throughout the years. Please click here to view the Alum of the Month page and his accomplished bio. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to the Honorable Jeffrey Arlen Spinner.

We Called, You Answered

On September 22, the Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications kicked off this year’s fall phone-a-thon. Despite the current state of the economy, our alumni still showed their support by donating to Touro Law Center’s Annual Fund. Student volunteers raised $5,670 in pledges from 36 donors. Thank you to all our alumni who participated. We truly appreciate your generosity and dedication to your alma mater. On October 27, students will begin calling the classes of 1983, 1988, 1993 and 2003 for a one-week Reunion phone-a-thon.

We would also like to thank the student volunteers who reached out to our alumni during the phone-a-thon:

Patrick Loman, 3L
Farije Dalipi, 3L
Kathleen Herr, 3L
Nathalie Martelly, 2L
Stephanie Juliano, 2L
Annemarie Grattan, 2L
Jennifer DeGroot, 1L
Crystal Pannell, 1L
Christopher Chimeri, 1L
Despina Manoloudas, 1L

If we were unable to reach you, but you would like to donate to the Touro Law Center Annual Fund, please contact Kristie Sclafani at (631) 761-7065.

Professor Jack Graves Quoted in Newsday

Touro Law Center Professor Jack Graves is quoted in Newsday today in an article titled “Dems say bankruptcy proposal is big homeowner fix.” Click here to read the full story!

Touro Law to Welcome the President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Danilo Türk

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is pleased to announce that the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Danilo Türk will visit the Law Center to address students, faculty and the community. He will present “Global Human Rights at the Age of 60: The Key Lessons of the Universal Declaration” at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24.

“Dr. Türk previously served as a professor of international law at the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana and as an Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations before he was elected president of the Republic of Slovenia,” said Dean Lawrence Raful. “We are thrilled to have him - a law professor turned head of state - visit our law school and address our community.”

If you would like to attend this event, please contact Dreena Kutch at (631) 761-7103 or dkutch@tourolaw.edu.

For the full press release, including Dr. Türk's biography, please Click Here.

Touro Law Welcomes Michael S. Ettinger to Board of Governors

Touro Law is pleased to announce that Michael S. Ettinger, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Henry Schein, Inc. joined its Board of Governors. The Board of Governors, chaired by Howard M. Stein, a partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, includes approximately 40 members and has had a significant role in the development of the law center.

“We are thrilled that Michael has joined our board and look forward to his input and expertise in further developing Touro Law Center,” said Touro Law Center Dean and Professor of Law Lawrence Raful.

Michael S. Ettinger currently serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Henry Schein, Inc., the largest distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, and a Fortune 500® Company with operations in 19 countries. In his current position, Mr. Ettinger is charged with overseeing Henry Schein’s global legal affairs. Mr. Ettinger began his career at Henry Schein in 1994 as Associate General Counsel. Prior thereto, Mr. Ettinger held legal positions at Bower & Gardner and Arthur Andersen. Mr. Ettinger holds a J.D. / M.B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

“With Liberty & Justice For All” Dinner Celebration

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is pleased to announce that this year’s annual “With Liberty & Justice For All” Dinner Celebration will be held on Wednesday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Garden City Hotel. This year, the Paul S. Miller “With Liberty and Justice For All” Award will be presented to Thomas Rosicki ’97, founding principal of Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates, P.C. and a member of Touro Law Center’s Board of Governors. Tom is a tremendous supporter of Touro and all of its programs. The “Friend of Justice” Award will be presented to Alan L. Fuchsberg, managing partner of The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm, for all his efforts as a member of Touro Law Center’s Board of Governors and the continued support of the Fuchsberg family to the law school over the past 28 years.

The Honorable Leonard D. Wexler, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the Honorable H. Patrick Leis III, District Administrative Judge, Suffolk County, will be recognized at this year’s dinner for their work with Touro Law Center’s Court Observation Program.

Please Click Here for sponsorship and journal ad package information, or contact Aimee Pearlman in the Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications at (631) 761-7064 or apearlman@tourolaw.edu.

New Associate Dean and Assistant Dean Named at Touro Law

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is pleased to announce that Professor Louise Harmon has been named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development, and Professor Tracy McGaugh has been named Assistant Dean for Academic Advising.

In her new capacity, Associate Dean Harmon will work closely with faculty members to assist them in research and in the publication of the resulting scholarship from that work. She will continue teaching classes at Touro Law Center.

“With the creation of this position, we now have an added focus on faculty development. The selection of Professor Harmon for this position will ensure that a senior faculty member with a distinguished record of scholarship will spend a significant amount of time on faculty research, scholarship and development and the related broader issues of academic affairs,” said Dean Lawrence Raful. “I believe this is an important step for Touro Law Center and am confident that the work and efforts of Associate Dean Harmon will showcase Touro Law in a new light by promoting and supporting our community of scholars.”

Assistant Dean McGaugh will work in the Student Services Office advising and counseling students on curriculum and other matters. She will collaborate with the Assistant Dean for Student Services and will continue to teach courses in legal process.

“Professor McGaugh is a perfect fit for this new position,” said Dean Lawrence Raful. “She is an authority in American legal education on Generation X and Millennials. Millennials are the generation of students born after 1982, who now comprise a significant portion of our student body. Her expertise will help her guide students through their law school experience at Touro Law.”

To read the full press releases, Click Here for Professor Harmon and Click Here for Professor McGaugh.

Annual Winter Alumni Networking Reception, Awardees Named

The Touro Law Center Alumni Association Annual Winter Reception will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the New York Marriott Marquis during the New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. We are pleased to announce that this year’s alumni awards will be presented to:

Joseph Rosenberg ’87 will receive the Exceptional Law School Service Award for his outstanding commitment as Executive Vice President of Touro’s Alumni Association Executive Board and the creation of the alumni donor Leadership Giving Council.

Christine Malafi ’91 will receive the Public Service Award as the top attorney for Suffolk County and an active member of Touro’s Alumni Council.

Melanie Hendry ’04 will receive the Emerging Leader Award for her energetic support as the current recording secretary of Touro’s Alumni Association Executive Board and her contributions to several non-profit boards and the legal profession.

For further information, please contact Aimee Pearlman in the Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications at (631) 761-7064 or apearlman@tourolaw.edu.

The Alumni Awards Program made its debut during the 2008 Annual Winter Alumni Reception. To view photos from the 2008 Winter Reception, please Click Here.

Kathleen Rice '91 on ABC's Primetime

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, a member of Touro Law Center’s Class of 1991, was highlighted on ABC's Primetime for her efforts in launching an innovative program to clean up Hempstead and reform drug dealers. The intervention program is clearly a success – with the targeted section of Hempstead safer than it ever has been before.

Congratulations to Kathleen Rice!

Click Here to view an excerpt of the segment, or Here to read the accompanying article, "New Program Reforms Drug-Torn Neighborhood."

Family Day Festival Fun!

Touro Law Center’s annual Family Day Festival will be here before we know it. This year, the event is being held Sunday, September 21 from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. here at the law school in Central Islip. As always, students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited with their families to join in the day’s activities.

Registration will begin bright and early at 10 a.m. If you haven’t gotten a chance to tour our beautiful new building, you’ll want to get here by 10 a.m. to hop on a tour led by some of the people who know the building best – our students. From 11 a.m. until noon, you’ll have the chance to sit in on one of three simulated law classes. This is a great opportunity for family members to get a taste of what their kids experience in their Touro Law classes, and to maybe even learn something new. Alumni get to see what has changed since they’ve been sitting in those classrooms, and current students can enjoy a class with their favorite professors without having to worry about being tested on the material later. This year you’ll get to choose from Property Law with Associate Dean and Professor Louise Harmon, Family Law with Professor Lewis Silverman or Torts with Professor Peter Zablotsky.

At noon, you’ll get a world-class welcome from Touro’s Dean and Professor of Law Lawrence Raful and the new President of the Student Bar Association Nick Avila. After, head outside to our patio for a delicious barbecue and fun family activities including a DJ, pony rides, cotton candy, face painting, apple picking and more.

It’s sure to be a wonderful day, so don’t forget to RSVP to Aimee Pearlman at (631) 761-7064 or apearlman@tourolaw.edu. We look forward to seeing you there on September 21!

Touro Law Center Golf Outing - A Great Success

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center hosted its sixth annual Susan M. Dietrich Clyne ’88 Memorial Golf Outing on Monday, July 21st at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack. The outing honored Jack O’Connor of Newmark Knight Frank for his outstanding leadership in commercial real estate and industrial brokerage, and his commitment to the community. It was a beautiful day of golf and our most successful outing to date. Thank you to our honoree, all of our sponsors, golf committee members, alumni and friends who helped to make this outing a great success.

The tournament honors the memory of Susan M. Dietrich Clyne ’88, an esteemed graduated who was lost on September 11th, 2001 in the World Trade Center. Proceeds from this year’s outing will benefit the Susan M. Dietrich Clyne Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For further post-event information and to view additional photos from the 2008 golf outing, please Click Here.

Touro Law Alumni Welcome Classes of 2011 and 2012!

On Monday, August 11, 2008, more than 25 Touro Law Center alumni attended the Orientation Alumni Reception to welcome this year’s incoming class. All first-year students, both full-time and part-time, kicked off their orientation week with the reception, followed by a welcome ceremony and small-group classes on professionalism and justice.

At the reception, our alumni mingled with students, giving advice and encouragement for the years ahead. Many shared success stories and reflected upon their own first days at Touro Law Center. A special thanks to all of those alumni who participated and helped welcome our new class of first-year students!

Welcome!

Welcome to Touro Law Center’s Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications blog! On this site we will post information about upcoming events, alumni news, law-related items of interest, campus-wide developments, fundraising updates, new programs and so much more. The first-rate Development Office team stands ready to keep you up-to-date with timely tips, newsy tidbits and critical information that will add value to your professional career while keeping you plugged into your law school friendships and the continuing Touro experience. We’ll bring it all together for you to read in one place! So bookmark the page, check back often, and enjoy!