Scott Gutterson '83 ~ September Alumnus of the Month

Touro Law Center's Office of Institutional Advancement is proud to announce that Scott Gutterson ’83 has been selected as the alumnus of the month for September 2014. Mr. Gutterson is a member of Touro Law Center’s inaugural graduating class of 1983 and a leading tax arbitrator known as The Taxx Man.

On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Scott Gutterson.

As a practicing solo attorney with almost 30 years’ experience in tax strategy, tax preparation, and financial planning, Scott provides direct services, as well as referrals, to other excellent and trustworthy professionals when needed. He has built his practice into one that manages over 2,300 clients in 40 states and 15 countries.  With a main office on Madison Avenue, he handles all areas of Wills, Trusts & Estates, Real Estate and Acquisitions and often works in conjunction with the attorneys who make their practice in rented space on his 40th floor suite.

Mr. Gutterson attributes the fulfillment he derives from his career to the ability to develop close relationships with clients, whom he treats as friends. The viewpoint of clients as friends drives him to work harder for those he serves and to think about financial issues from a myriad of different angles. The diversity of his client base has provided him with an education about the vast array of professions and talents that exist in the world.  In addition to providing direct services, Mr. Gutterman maintains an informative blog covering topics such as; Budgeting, Saving, Retirement, College Tuition, Rainy Day Savings, Investing, Insurance, Estate Planning and First Time Home Buying.

In May of 2014 Scott established the Gutterson Family Scholarship at Touro Law Center with a gift of $100,000. The scholarship is to be awarded annually to 2 continuing students who are interested in the fields of business, tax or entrepreneurship. That same month, his son Matthew also received his Juris Doctorate from Touro and will officially join The Taxx Man team upon acceptance into the Bar.

Dehai Zhang '00 Shares His Journey to Law School

In a new Alumni Spotlight featured on the Touro Law website, alumnus Dehai Zhang discusses his law school experience and shares words of advice for current students.

As a native of China, Dehai Zhang’s earliest desires to become an attorney began with watching American movies about lawyers and realizing that he wanted to become more educated about the American legal system. Ultimately, it was his desire to make a difference in people’s lives that pushed him to apply to law school. He attributes the decision to select Touro Law specifically in part to Dr. Susan Thompson, Touro Law Center Director of Enrollment, whom he met at a Law School Forum in Boston in 1996. Dehai recalls, “she gave a very persuasive and warm-hearted introduction about Touro Law Center. She is very knowledgeable, super-friendly.” He decision to apply was reaffirmed by his discovery that Touro Law Center offers first class legal education with convenient access to comprehensive court systems just across the street.

The decision to attend law school signaled a drastic career change and did not come easy to Dehai. He was teaching English in a college in China before obtaining his Master’s degree in Theological Studies. He states, “I now realize that those experiences laid a necessary foundation for me to study law and I would readily take the same journey again. I believe that when one loses passion for his or her current career path, it is time for a change.” Legal practice requires a tremendous amount of rational and passion but he finds it wholly rewarding in terms of being able to make a difference in people’s lives. He first felt the satisfaction of being able to help others while working as a teaching assistant in Contracts as part of Touro Law’s Legal Education Access Program (LEAP). The experience gave him the opportunity to utilize what he had learned in class to help other minority students academically.

Read more here:

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Congratulations to Connie Corsentino ’01 - Touro Law's August 2014 alum of the month!

 

 

Before entering law school, Connie Corsentino was a Medicaid Investigator on the joint team effort of the Nassau County Department of Social Services and Department of Health where she reviewed and investigated allegations of fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system on the part of providers. As a result of her efforts large recoveries were procured in settlement.

Connie earned a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration to supplement her health care knowledge while working at Nassau County and later at a local health care provider in the Administrative office assisting with day to day operations. She later attended Hofstra University to obtain a second Masters Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology; she left the program after ultimately deciding to achieve a life dream of becoming a lawyer.

Connie was accepted to Touro Law Center in the fall of 1997 and the rest is history. While working during the day and attending law school at night for most of her law school career, she received her Juris Doctor in 2001, and was also honored with the Cali Award for Excellence in Employment Discrimination Law.

Upon completion of law school, Connie began her legal career by starting her own practice in the state of New Jersey and serving as a court appointed mediator on the New Jersey Superior Court roster where she successfully handled and mediated the resolution of dozens of cases involving all matter of pending lawsuits prior to Trial. She regularly engages in ongoing professional development to keep her mediation/negotiation skills honed and to assist persons needing objective guidance to help resolve their legal disputes before more time, money and personal resources were depleted.

She is currently serving as a Deputy County Attorney representing Nassau County as Attorney and Counsel for diverse legal matters including employment disputes with Public Assistance clients at Fair Hearings, municipal liens and recoveries, and previously prosecuting child neglect cases by parents or guardians in Family Court.

Connie is admitted to the bars of the state of New Jersey, Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey, state of New York, District of Columbia, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the United States Supreme Court. She is well versed in all aspects of legal work including Health and Social Services Law, Municipal Law, Real Property Law, Trusts and Estates, and Mediation and Negotiation. She is also a member of the New Jersey, New York, District of Columbia and Nassau County bar associations. Other than when she learned she had passed the Bar Exam, and the first days of semester classes at the Law Center, the most exciting day in her legal career was the day of admission to the bar of the United States Supreme Court in 2010 with her classmates from Touro Law Center. Connie recounts it as a truly joyous and humbling experience.

Connie has assisted in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts after the storm, performed pro bono work in New Jersey to help war veterans with legal matters in Court, and volunteers at Touro Law Center as a member of the Alumni Council.
Connie Corsentino attended St. Bonaventure University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is a resident of Locust Valley and East Marion, New York and maintains a law office in Pennington, New Jersey.

Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. Creates New Scholarship at Touro Law

Touro Law Dean Patricia Salkin is pleased to announce the creation of the Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. scholarship. Each year for the next five years, a second or third year Touro Law student who shows academic promise will receive the $5,000 Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. scholarship.

“Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. is a well-known and respected law firm on Long Island that has always had a great relationship with Touro Law,” said Dean Salkin. “This new named scholarship shows a true commitment from the firm to our students and our law school. Touro Law alums at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. include senior partners and associates in the firm’s financial services, trusts and estates, real estate and health law departments and we are excited to continue to work with them to foster the relationships especially in growth areas for legal services.

Read more about this collaboration here. 

NYCLA to Hold Public Forum on the Mandatory Reporting of Voluntary Pro Bono May 27th

NYCLA will hold a Public Forum on May 27, 2014 to address new rules that now require New York attorneys to report certain information about their pro bono service, as well as their charitable contributions to organizations that provide pro bono legal service, on their biennial registration statements.

Speakers, through a series of panel discussions, will address:

• The mechanics of and rationale for the new rules.
• Whether the Administrative Board of the Courts had the statutory authority to impose mandatory reporting.
• Whether the new rules advance legitimate public policy goals.
• Whether they impermissible infringe on the privacy rights of New York lawyers.
• Whether the definition of “pro bono” used in the new rules is appropriate.

   Presenters include:

• Barbara Moses, President, NYCLA, Counsel, Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC
• Hon. A. Gail Prudenti, Chief Administrative Judge of the Courts of New York State
• John McConnell, Counsel to the New York Unified Court System 
• Sarah Jo Hamilton, Partner, Scalise & Hamilton LLP
• Lisa E. Cleary, Chair, NYCLA Pro Bono Committee, Partner, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
• Samuel B. Cohen, Chair, NYCLA Civil Rights and Liberties Committee, Partner, Stecklow Cohen & Thompson
• Hon. Barry Kamins, Administrative Judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York, Chief of Policy and Planning for New York State's Unified Court System
• Glenn Lau-Kee, President- Elect, NYSBA, Partner, Kee & Lau-Kee, PLLC
• Richard M. Gutierrez, Attorney, Queens County, former President of Queens County Bar Association
• Robert L. Ostertag, Partner, Ostertag, O' Leary, Barrett & Faulkner, Former President of NYSBA
• Geoffrey Bickford, Co-Chair, NYCLA Criminal Justice Section, Court Attorney, New York City Criminal Court
• Hon. Fern Fisher, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge, New York City Court   
• Bruce Green, Louis Stein Chair of Law; Director, Stein Center, Fordham Law School
• Ronald C. Minkoff, Chair, NYCLA Task Force on Professionalism, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC
• Ronald J. Tabak, Special Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, & Flom LLP & Associates            

     Click the link for registration information.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph M. Fairfield ’99 is our May Alumnus of the Month!

Touro Law Center's Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Joseph M. Fairfield ’99 has been selected as the alum of the month for May 2014. LTC Fairfield is a leader in his profession, serving as an active duty judge advocate in the U.S. Army since November of 1999. Since 9/11 he has served over 53 months deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq.  His accomplished career is highlighted in the bio below. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Joseph Fairfield.

LTC Joseph Fairfield is currently deployed to Afghanistan, serving a 12 month deployment which ends this June.  He is the Staff Judge Advocate for the Special Operations Joint Command-Afghanistan (SOJTF-A) and Senior Legal Advisor for the NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan (NSOCC-A).  SOJTF-A/NSOCC-A is a division-level headquarters and is commanded by a two-star general and encompasses all in-country NATO special operations forces and assets, close to 13,000 special operators, staff, and support from over 25 different nations. The SOJTF-A/NSOCC-A mission spans the entire spectrum of special operations in a counterterrorist and a counterinsurgent environment. The missions range from direct action to capacity-building.  As the senior legal advisor, LTC Fairfield oversees over 20 attorneys from three different nations and 15 legal support personnel.  He is responsible for providing advice to the command and staff regarding the rules of engagement, international law, administrative law, fiscal law, contract law, and military justice.     


LTC Fairfield’s first assignment as a judge advocate was with the 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC, from 1999-2002, where he served as the Division’s family law attorney, Administrative law attorney, Operational law attorney, and prosecutor. From 2002-2004 he was assigned as the Deputy Detachment Legal Advisor for 1^st Special Operations Detachment-Delta (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC.  During this time he made numerous deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2004 he was assigned to the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NC, as an associate professor, teaching Constitutional and Military Law.

Following his assignment at West Point, he attended The Judge Advocate General’s School and Legal Center, Charlottesville, VA, where he received his LLM in military law.  From 2007-2010 he returned to Fort Bragg, NC to serve as the Command Detachment Legal Advisor for 1^st Special Operations Detachment-Delta (Airborne), where he again made numerous deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  In 2010 he was awarded the US Special Operations Command’s Major General William F. Garrison Award for his years of support to US Special Operations Forces.

In 2010 he attended the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS. From 2011-2013 he served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate (DSJA) for Fort Benning, GA, where he oversaw the day to day operations of over 125 attorneys and legal support personnel.
Following his current deployment, he will become the Director of the Center for Law and Military Operations (CLAMO), located in Charlottesville, VA.   CLAMO is a joint, interagency, and multinational legal center responsible for: (1) collecting and synthesizing data relating to legal issues arising in military operations, (2) managing a central repository of information relating to such issues, and (3) disseminating resources addressing these issues IOT facilitate the development of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, personnel, and facilities as these areas affect the military legal community.

LTC Fairfield is married to Mrs. Sandi Fairfield.  They met in Savannah, GA, while she was attending SCAD and he was assigned to the 24^th ID, at Fort Stewart, GA.  They have two children.  Emily is age 10 and Gavin is age 8.

Franchise Law Journal's Call for Articles for Rising Scholar Award

The deadline for the Franchise Law Journal Rising Scholar Award is just a few months away.  To be eligible, entrants must be members of the ABA Forum on Franchising and zero to four years out of law school. Qualified participants should prepare articles according to Franchise Law Journal author guidelines. The due date is July 14, 2014. The submissions will be judged by current and former members of the Franchise Law Journal and The Franchise Lawyer editorial boards. The current Forum chair will also be consulted and provide input on the selection of the winning article.

The author of the winning article will receive the following: (1) the article will be considered for publication in a future edition of Franchise Law Journal; (2) the author will be recognized and presented with a plaque at the Annual Forum on Franchising; (3) the author will receive a small financial award to reimburse in part expenses for traveling to the Annual Forum for the award presentation; and (4) the author's registration fee for attending the Annual Forum will be waived.

Articles must be submitted to Bethany L. Appleby, the current Editor-in-Chief of the Franchise Law Journal, by no later than Monday, July 14, 2014, to be considered in this year's competition.  All inquiries about the competition should be directed to:  bappleby@wiggin.com.

Rosemarie Tully '92 Is Our April 2014 Alumna of the Month!

Touro Law Center's Office of Institutional Advancement is proud to announce that Rosemarie Tully ’92 has been selected as the alumna of the month for April 2014. Her accomplished career is highlighted in the bio below. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Rosemarie!

Rosemarie Tully, a Huntington resident, is immediate past chair of the 1,700+ member Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.

Tully is the owner of Rosemarie Tully, P.C. and is of counsel to Quatela, Hargraves &
Mari on Long Island and Diane Krausz & Associates in New York City. She concentrates her practice in entertainment, business and real property law.

Rosemarie represents and counsels clients in the areas of entertainment law (including music, film, theatre, dance, tv, and internet), publishing, copyright, business law, real estate, commercial/corporate transactions, and general matters.

Her clients include authors, composers, screenwriters, producers, actors, artists, sound studios, record labels, publishers, and production and distribution companies. She manages a wide variety of projects and transactions for clients, assists them on copyright and related matters, and guides them in general business matters as well as individual legal needs.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Tully worked in the legal department of the New York Islanders hockey team, dealing with personnel, intellectual property, and general legal and business issues associated with a professional sports franchise.

A 19-year member of the State Bar, Tully serves on the Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Section, the Membership Committee and the House of Delegates. She is a member of New York Women in Film and Television and is a past director of the Suffolk County Bar Association, currently serving on the Scholarship Committee.

Tully is a graduate of Adelphi University and Touro Law Center, where she is an adjunct professor teaching entertainment, arts and sports law.  Her practice is in Huntington.

Captain James Van Thach '02: An American Hero

The Epoch Times recently profiled Touro Law Center graduate Cpt. James Van Thach '02:

"It can be reasonably assumed that, upon their graduation, most of the several hundred students of Touro Law School’s Class of June 2002 were preparing to take their upcoming bar examinations and looking forward to starting their careers in the public or private legal sector once (and if) they passed them.

Such is the professional path followed by most law school graduates across America. But that generalization has its exceptions, and a most notable one is Captain James Van Thach.

Thach, who had served in the Army reserves beginning in 1994, his freshman year at St. John’s University, was commissioned a lieutenant in 1998. In 2002, because he had a law degree, the Army offered Thach the position of attorney within the Army’s legal division."

Read more here.

WOMEN IN THE LAW: HISTORIC FIRSTS IN NY STATE AND SUFFOLK COUNTY

Touro Law Center and Suffolk County Historical Society  in cooperation with the Suffolk County Judicial Women in the Courts Committee  Present… Women in the Law: Historic Firsts in New York State and Suffolk County Suffolk County Historical Society (SCHS), through the cooperation of the Suffolk County Court Administrative Judge Randall Hinrichs, is pleased to announce that SCHS will be celebrating women from New York State who have left an indelible mark on the court system.   A Photography Portrait Exhibition will be displayed at Touro Law Center in honor of Women’s History Month. This exhibition was created by the Suffolk County Judicial Women in the Courts and the Suffolk County Historical Society.   An opening reception will be held at Touro Law Center Monday, March 10, 2014, 5:30-7:30 PM 225 Eastview Dr., Central Islip, NY Honorees represented with images and biographies include: ·     Hon. Judith Kaye – First Woman appointed to the N.Y.S Court of Appeals; First Woman chief Judge of the N.Y.S Court of Appeals ·     Hon. Gail Prudenti – First Woman Presiding Justice, Appellate Division, 2nd Department * ·     Hon. Birdie Amsterdam – First Woman elected to N.Y.S. Supreme Court ·     Hon. Jane M. Bolin – First African-American Woman Judge in both N.Y.S. and the United States ·     Sonia Sotomayor – First Latina Supreme Court Justice in the United States  ·     Kate Stoneman, Esq. – First Woman to pass the N.Y.S. Bar ·     Charlotte Smallwood, Esq. – First Woman District Attorney elected in N.Y.S. ·     Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsberg –  First N.Y.S. Woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court ·     Hon. Syrena Stackpole – First N.Y.S. Woman elected to public office* ·     Judith Lewis Meggesto, Esq. – First female Native-American attorney in N.Y.S. Suffolk County Firsts* ·     Hon. Catherine T. England – First female president of the Suffolk County Bar Association; First female justice to sit in Suffolk County Supreme Court; First  female judge to sit in Suffolk County Family Court.* ·     Hon. Anne Mead – First female District Court judge in Suffolk County.* ·     Hon. Mary M. Werner – First female District Administrative Judge in Suffolk County.* ·     Valerie S. Manzo, Esq. – Co-founder and first president of Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association.* ·     Rita Adler, Esq. – First female Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County * ·     Christine Malafi, Esq. – First female Suffolk County Attorney * ·     Marguerite A. Smith, Esq. – First female Native-American attorney in Suffolk County (Shinnecock Nation.) * ·     Patricia E. Salkin, Esq. – First female law school Dean in Suffolk County *

Kernochan Center Intellectual Property Fellowship

The Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts at Columbia Law School (CLS) is accepting applications for a two-year fellowship opportunity for a future legal academic interested in researching and writing on intellectual property issues, particularly on issues concerning creators’ rights. 

The fellowship will begin in September, 2014 and end in August, 2016.  The fellow will spend approximately half of the time conducting his/her own research and half of the time on Kernochan Center programs and projects. 

The fellow will receive a salary of $65,000 per year, benefits, space to work in the law school, research facilities, and opportunities to interact with CLS faculty, other fellows, staff and students. 

Applicants should be 2-5 years out of law school and have demonstrated an interest in entering academia.  To apply, applicants should send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, proposal for scholarly research (5-8 pages), two letters of recommendation, law school transcript and a list of additional references by April 15 to the address listed below.

June M. Besek

Executive Director

Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts

Columbia Law School

435 West 116 ^th Street, Box A-17

New York , NY 10027

jbesek@law.columbia.edu

Free Webinar: National Association of Women Lawyer's Management Series

Management 101: What They Didn't Teach You In Law School
(But You Wish They Had)

Regardless of where you are in your career (junior, mid-career or senior attorney) or where you are practicing (law firm, in-house, non-profit or government), managing others is likely a big part of your day, whether you are mainly managing "up" to those above you or "down" to those below you. Doing it well is critical to your success. 

Join the webinar on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific/2:00-3:00 PM Eastern. 

For more details, click here. 

Congratulations to Our February Alumni of the Month!

Hon. Deborah Poulos, Class of 1988

  

In November of last year, The Honorable Deborah Poulos was elected to the Family Court Judge, County of Suffolk after being endorsed by both the Republican and Conservative Parties. She was honored on January 30th at the Touro Law Center Annual Alumni Winter Reception in NYC in front of colleagues and former classmates.

Hon. Poulos graduated from Touro in 1988 after successfully completed four years of law school during which she was an evening student working full time during the day.

In 1990, Deborah Poulos became a founding partner in the Law Offices of Lefkowitz & Poulos, Esqs. located in Hauppauge, New York.  Since 2000, after her partner retired, Ms. Poulos has single-handedly continued to build a highly successful law firm specializing in Matrimonial and Family Law.  Ms. Poulos has litigated hundreds of cases including several jury trials.

She has developed a professional reputation, well-known among her colleagues, peers and clients, for a reasoned and diplomatic approach to Matrimonial and Family Law. 

Read more on the Touro Law website!

Albany Alumni Reception

All Albany area alumni are invited to join us for a reception for alumni & friends. Come mingle with fellow Touro Law graduates in the area and members of the New York state legislature.

This event takes place on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

New York State Bar Association, Great Hall
One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207

Kindly respond to alumni@Tourolaw.edu or call (631) 761-7064 on or before Monday, February 3, 2014.

Tom Santucci '83 Establishes Scholarship to Honor Dad

Touro Law Dean Patricia Salkin is pleased to announce the establishment of the John Santucci Justice Scholarship created with a gift of $100,000 donated by Tom Santucci ’83 and friends and family in honor of his father John Santucci former District Attorney of Queens County. The scholarship will be awarded annually to a rising second year student who demonstrates a commitment to perseverance and personal integrity. 

“We are delighted to have this scholarship in honor of John Santucci donated by one of our most active and philanthropic graduates Tom Santucci as well as his family and friends,” said Dean Salkin. “This scholarship will greatly benefit a Touro Law student who is dedicated to using their legal education to pursue justice through pro bono or government work.”

John Santucci played an integral role in the establishment of Touro Law Center. He was exceptionally proud of the role he played in appearing before the Committee on Accreditation. He was impressed with the ability and quality of Touro Law’s first graduates whom he employed in The Office of the District Attorney of Queens County and those Touro Law students he recommended to other potential employers. He served as a New York City Councilman, New York State Senator and from 1977 until his retirement in 1991 as District Attorney of Queens County. 

For full details, click here. 

Touro Law Center to Honor New Judges and Outstanding Alumni at Alumni Reception

From the Touro Times...

Two new judges, Maria Vazquez-Doles ’97, NY State Supreme Court, 9^th Judicial District, and Deborah Poulos ’88, Suffolk Family Court,  will receive their robes at the Annual Winter Alumni Reception on Thursday, January 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Le Marais, a kosher bistro/steakhouse, 150 W. 46th St., Manhattan.  Justice Vazquez-Doles is the first Latina alum to serve on the State Supreme Court. Judge Poulos was elected to Family Court after a distinguished career as a Suffolk matrimonial practitioner.  

In addition to the judges being robed, alumni awards will be presented to John Cooney ’08, an associate at the leading Long Island firm Ruskin, Moscou Faltischek and Law Center adjunct professor,  for Exceptional Law School Service;  Edward Nitkewicz Jr. ’91, Senior Attorney at The Sanders Law Firm and a long-time community leader in Autism awareness, Public Service Award; NY State Senator John J. Flanagan, Jr. ’90, the Keith Romaine Elected Official of the Year (named in honor of the late Brookhaven Town Councilman Keith Romaine, ‘03); Whitney Montgomery ’12, an associate in Morgan Lewis’s Business and Finance Practice Department , Emerging Leader; and Kelly Ann Poole ‘91, directing partner of foreclosure operations at Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates, Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.  

For information or reservations email alumni@tourolaw.edu, or call 631.761.7064.

Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center: Alumni On the Move!

Jeffrey S. Wells ’93

Jeffrey S. Wells ’93 was hired as an Associate in the Real Estate Practice Group at Certilman Balin. He began working at the firm as a Legal Extern while he was a student at Touro Law Center. On the Dean's List, he ranked 11th in his class,  won CALI Awards for Academic Excellence in Real Estate Transactions and Drafting Commercial Documents, and earned his Juris Doctor in 2013. He also completed internships at the United States Attorney's Office EDNY, at the law firm of Carter DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP, at the Office of the District Attorney of Nassau County, and at the Long Island Advocacy Center.

After he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2000 from Fairfield University, Mr. Wells sharpened his business skills through various positions in the financial industry and as a business owner. He worked two years as a Business Analyst at Fleet Bank/Quick and Reilly in Manhattan; another two, as an Insurance Underwriter/Licensed Broker/ASIG Registered Representative for First Heritage Group; and then for one year as a Sales Representative at M2 Aerospace, a distributor of private aviation products.

From 2006 until 2010, Mr. Wells was the Owner/President of Long Island Mobile Car Wash, Inc. in Greenlawn. This venture allowed him to combine his business acumen with his interest in automobiles. Mr. Wells is a nationally certified high performance driving instructor.  In his spare time, he races cars and also plays hockey and he is admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Raymond A. Castronovo ‘12

Raymond A. Castronovo was hired as an associate at Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, LLP.   He graduated Touro Law Center in 2012, cum laude. He concentrates his practice in the areas of construction law and commercial litigation.  Prior to joining the Firm, he was an associate at Agovino & Asselta, LLP.  He represents clients from all segments of the construction industry in connection with public and private projects in matters involving nonpayment, extra work, payment and performance bond claims, delays, design and construction defects, changed conditions, mechanic’s liens, terminations and defaults.

While at Touro Law Center, Mr. Castronovo served as Research Editor for the Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity and interned as a Law Clerk for the Hon. Emily Pines, Suffolk County Supreme Court, Commercial Division.  He also finished second runner-up in the 2011 American Bar Association’s regional negotiation competition at Albany Law School.  In addition, as a member of the Veterans’ and Servicemembers’ Rights Clinic, he represented veterans in matters involving disability and pension benefits, as well as various civil issues.  In this capacity, he also appeared before the Veterans’ Court of the Suffolk County District Court, Central Islip, New York. 

Mr. Castronovo is admitted to the New York State Bar and the Federal Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.  Mr. Castronovo is also a member of the Nassau and Suffolk Bar Associations.  He earned his B.S. from the State University of New York at Oneonta.