Alumni in the News: Michelle Vega '99 - Practicing Law in India

This National Law Journal article, “India Beckons to U.S. Lawyers,” examines outsourcing firms looking to hire those with American litigation experience. The article highlights the experiences of Michelle Vega ’99 who is practicing law in Pune, India.

"I like to travel and have always been interested in the world outside New York," said the 35-year-old Brooklyn native, who is still living in Pune. "I wanted to be able to use my legal skills and training, but was not necessarily interested in practicing anymore."

Vega, who graduated from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, said she enjoys using her litigation knowledge to guide the young Indian attorneys who do the company's legal research, document review and contract management work. Training Indian employees often means putting things in context for them. For instance, she might have to explain the relative value of a building on Park Avenue in New York by comparing it to an upscale street in Mumbai, Vega said.

Click here to read the full article.

Laura McCabe Brandt '96 Named July Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center's Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that Laura McCabe Brandt '96 has been selected as Alum of the Month for the month of July. Ms. Brandt was an evening student while attending law school and has participated as a guest speaker in conjunction with the Career Services Office. She participates in programs for students, works with a number of Touro Law Center students in her office and is a member of Touro Law Center’s Alumni Council.

Ms. Brandt is currently the US General Counsel for H&M where she has partnered with various internal business counterparts to undertake a practical approach to meeting the company's neds from these various points of view. These relationships have allowed Ms. Brandt to work with her internal clients to set up policies and procedures to limit legal risks and ensure legal compliance, document relationships with landlords and vendors, and work on labor issues. In this role, Ms. Brandt works on contracts including the negotiation of retail leases, participates and aides in strategy for negotiations with labor unions, facilitates resolutions on various legal issues as they arise, oversees the regulatory compliance function, collaborates on various sweepstakes promotions,a dvises on company policies and internal investigations and oversees outside counsel, among other tasks including compiling historical trending data for litigation costs, insurance claims and the like to better forecast the company's needs for the future.

Ms. Brandt is licensed to practice law in the state of New York, and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, American Corporate Counsel Association, NYC Retail and Chief Legal Officer Subgroups, National Retail Federation, General Counsel’s Forum & Employment Law Committee and the Alexander Hamilton Inn of Court.

To read Laura McCabe Brandt's full bio, please click here. On behalf of the entire Touro Law community, we extend our congratulations to Laura McCabe Brandt.

Touro Law Center Welcomes New Members to the Board of Governors

Touro Law Center is pleased to announce that Frank MacKay, National Chairman and New York State Chairman of the Independence Party, and Jeffrey Starr, Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel for Capital One, N.A., have joined the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors, chaired by Howard M. Stein, a partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP, includes approximately 45 members and has had a significant role in the development of the law center.

In 1995, Frank MacKay became an organizer in Ross Perot’s run for the Presidency and became active in local third party politics. By the year 2000, at the age of 31, MacKay became the youngest State Chairman of a political party in New York State history, and has been re-elected as State Chair of the Independence Party of New York five times. The Independence Party has grown significantly under his leadership – it is the largest third party political organization in the nation with more than 350,000 members.

Jeffrey Starr is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel for Capital One, N.A. He joined Capital One in 2006 with its acquisition of North Fork Bank. Starr served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at North Fork Bank from 1997 until the 2006 acquisition. Prior to that, he was employed by Wickham, Wickham & Bressler for five years acting as legal advisor to North Fork. Jeff began his legal career in the Los Angeles office at Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey with a focus on labor and employment law matters. He then spent four years at the New York firm of Lord Day & Lord, Barrett Smith as an associate specializing in corporate and real estate transactions.

To read the full press release, please click here.

Barry Smolowitz '84 Named June Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center's Office of Development, Alumni Relations and Communications is proud to announce that Barry Smolowitz ’84 has been selected as Alum of the Month for the month of June. Mr. Smolowitz was an active member of the Touro community while attending law school and remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Alumni Council and special event committees; as well as attending various alumni and student events throughout the years. He is also the first Touro graduate to lead a major Bar Association as president of the Suffolk County Bar Association from 2007-2008.

Barry M. Smolowitz currently has his own law practice in Kings Park, N.Y. He is also an adjunct professor at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center and Long Island University C.W. Post. He is founder and administrator of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Research Center (ERC), is the Director of Technology for the Suffolk Bar Center and is a past dean of the Suffolk Academy of Law.

Mr. Smolowitz is a CLE presenter, has appeared on local television business and technology programs, lectures extensively for bar associations throughout the state on both technology and ethics, and has co-authored the publication “Internet Guide for New Lawyers.” He is a two time-recipient of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s President Award (1994 & 2009), recipient of the Suffolk County Bar Association Award of Recognition (1996) and the recipient of the Suffolk County Bar Association’s Service Award (1999).

Before practicing law, he was a Police Officer with the New York City Police Department where he received nine medals for police bravery and was nominated as Officer of the Month.

To read Barry Smolowitz's full bio, please click here. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Barry Smolowitz.

7th Annual Susan M. Dietrich Clyne '88 Memorial Golf Outing to be held Monday, August 10, 2009

Touro Law Center's Seventh Annual Susan M. Dietrich Clyne '88 Memorial Golf Outing will be held Monday, August 10, 2009 at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack, NY. This year's event honors Frank Boulton, Principal Owner and CEO of the Long Island Ducks.

Touro Law Center tragically lost Susan M. Dietrich Clyne, an esteemed graduate of the class of 1988, on September 11, 2001. This annual golf tournament honors her memory. All proceeds benefit the Susan M. Dietrich Clyne Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Our honoree, Frank Boulton, is in his tenth season as founder and CEO of the LI Ducks, Baseball America's 2009 Organization of the Year. He has also owned three other farm teams, and the Long Island Rough Riders professional soccer team. Frank has been involved with many local charities throughout the years including the Great South Bay YMCA, where he chaired the capital campaign that raised $6.2 million dollars to construct the YMCA. Frank and his wife Karen purchased the old Regent Theatre and donated it to the Great South Bay YMCA. The Boulton Center for the Performing Arts recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and is a point of pride in the downtown Bay Shore community.

In January of 2005, Frank was named one of Long Island’s 100 most influential people by Long Island Business News. Presently, he serves as chairman of the QuackerJack Foundation, the charitable arm of the Ducks, and is a member of the Board of Trustees at both Dowling College and Empire National Bank.

For more information and to view photos from last year's outing, click here, or contact Aimee Pearlman at (631) 761-7064 or apearlman@tourolaw.edu.

Danielle Schwager '98 Named May Alum of the Month

Touro Law Center is proud to announce that Danielle Schwager ’98 has been selected as the Alum of the Month for the month of May. Ms. Schwager was an active member of the Touro community while attending law school and remains engaged through Touro Law Center’s Alumni Council, as well as by attending various alumni and student events throughout the years.

Danielle Schwager has well over a decade’s worth of expertise as a trial attorney. Incorporating her past experience as a former Assistant District Attorney for Suffolk County and as a Litigator for Martin, Clearwater & Bell, LLP, Ms. Schwager opened her own practice in 2004 with an emphasis on Family Law. A Member of the Law Guardian Panel and the Suffolk County Family Court 18(b) Panel, her practice specializes in abuse, neglect and termination of parental rights cases as well as custody, visitation, juvenile delinquency. Ms. Schwager practices in the Family Court as well as matrimonial cases in Supreme Court. She also appears regularly before the Appellate Division Second Department in her representation of children.

Ms. Schwager is currently in the process of launching a new company, Ivy Legal Outsource, Inc. that will specialize in the outsourcing of matters related to the running of a law practice that will maximize receivables and decrease overhead for law firms.

To read Danielle Schwager's full biography, please click here. On behalf of the entire law school community, we extend our congratulations to Danielle Schwager.

Senator Foley Announces $50,000 Grant to Create Foreclosure & Bankruptcy Clinic at Touro Law Center

Senator Brian X. Foley (D – Blue Point) was joined by administrators from Touro Law Center and community leaders as he helped launch a major initiative to take on the foreclosure crisis in Suffolk County. Foley announced that he has successfully secured a $50,000 grant to create the Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Law Clinic at Touro Law Center.

The Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Law Clinic at Touro Law Center will serve residents from Central Islip – one of the areas hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis – and the surrounding communities of Suffolk County. The clinic will pair exceptional law students specializing in foreclosure and bankruptcy law with faculty supervisors who will offer free-of-charge legal services to local residents. Clients for the law clinic will include home owners in danger of losing their homes, individuals filing for bankruptcy, and people who have received notices from their bank.

“I am proud to announce that I’ve been able to secure $50,000 in funding for this extremely important initiative in combating home foreclosures,” said Foley, who is Chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee. “We need to stand up for Long Islanders who are facing the brunt of this economic crisis. The Foreclosure and Bankruptcy Law Clinic at Touro Law Center will assist families right here in Suffolk County and help alleviate the foreclosure crisis on a local level.”

“We are immensely grateful to Senator Foley for recognizing the importance of this new initiative and securing the funding to make it possible,” said Dean Lawrence Raful of the Touro Law Center. “This clinic will enable Touro Law students to help some of the most vulnerable citizens in our local community while providing valuable skills training in a vital area of the law.”

PHOTO CAPTION: From left to right: Touro Law Center Dean Lawrence Raful, Central Islip Civic Council Executive Director Nancy Manfredonia and Senator Brian X. Foley.