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WELCOME TO IN BRIEF
Greetings,
We're pleased to bring you another edition of In Brief, our quarterly e-newsletter for and about St. John's Law alumni. This curated content spotlights how graduates give back to alma mater in a variety of ways and make their mark in the field. We also offer a sampling of Class Notes and tell you about events, programs, and initiatives brought to you by the Law School and our Alumni Association. Enjoy!
Best,
Brian J. Woods
Associate Dean for Law School Advancement
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| An Historic Pledge Helps Students Make a Difference This year, Rose DiMartino '81 played a key role in launching the Law School's Alumnae Leadership Council and its signature Mentoring Circles Program. Building on her commitment to support the women of St. John's Law, DiMartino recently made an historic, multi-year pledge to fund the Rose DiMartino Women in Public Service Fellowships. With her generous support, this summer alone 12 students will gain practical knowledge and skills working in a range of settings, including legal service providers, judicial chambers, and government agencies. You can read more about our 2021 Summer Public Interest Fellows and the invaluable opportunities they have thanks to our alumni and friends.
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Honoring a Lifetime of Service and Impact In 1979, World War II U.S. Navy veteran Victor D. Russo, Jr. '53 joined a consortium of Long Island plaintiffs' lawyers handling the Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation, one of the largest product liability cases in American history. He traveled extensively to interview Vietnam veterans about their exposure to the toxic defoliant. After the case settled in 1984, awarding $180 million to veterans and their families, Russo continued to work as a negligence trial attorney, eventually retiring after 60 years at the Allstate Insurance Company. He passed away in May 2020. Now, to honor his lifetime of service and impact, his wife, Dr. Christine Fiorella Russo, has made a bequest to St. John's Law establishing the Victor D. Russo '53L scholarship.
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Let’s Get to Work St. John's Law students are eager to learn the law hands on, but the pandemic continues to impact the job market. That's where our Student Opportunity Fund comes in, providing stipends for summer employment, including:
- Research positions at the Law School
- Clinical work representing underserved and marginalized New Yorkers
- Public interest fellowships
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Behind the Mask A chance encounter leads to a meaningful (virtual) reunion for Daniel McCabe '74 and Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa '61, '87HON. Read all about it.
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Marking a Milestone Four ceremonies. Many words of wisdom. One amazing milestone for our J.D. and LL.M. graduates who persevered and emerged resilient in this year like none other. Here’s the story about Commencement 2021 and our newest St. John's Law alumni.
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Sneak Peek The stories in the Fall 2021 issue of our biannual print magazine will celebrate the women of St. John's Law, including some of the wonderful mother-daughter pairings in our alumni family, like:
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Kate Christoforatos '84 and Kathryn Christoforatos '15. Kate is a real estate attorney at Kulakis & Christoforatos, Esqs. in Astoria, Queens. Katheryn, who was a St. Thomas More Scholar and a managing editor of the St. John’s Law Review, is an associate in the real estate practice group at Simpson Thacher.
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The next pairing is actually a trio! St. John's Law is a family tradition for Hon. Jeannine Baer Kuzniewski '86, who presides in the New York City Housing Court in Brooklyn, and her daughters, Megan Kuzniewski '17 and Kayla Kuzniewski '19. Megan is an associate at Clyde & Co. and Kayla works as an agency attorney at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services.
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In the News Hon. Karen Gopee '97 has been appointed to the bench, marking the first time an Indo-Trinidadian woman was chosen to sit on the New York City Criminal Court. Read more.
His advocacy on behalf of sexual abuse survivors has put Adam Slater '04 and his firm, Slater Slater Schulman LLP, in the media spotlight.
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Class Notes Roy Breitenbach '91 has joined Harris Beach, PLLC as a partner on the firm’s health care industry team.
Sean Conroy '95 of the U.S. Air Force’s Louisiana Air National Guard was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Alicia (Ellis) Tallbe '06 has been elevated to partner at Yankwitt LLP.
You can read the latest Class Notes online at stjohnslawseeinfra.com. And, next time, let's hear from you! The submission deadline for the Summer 2021 edition of Class Notes online is 8/15. Whether you want to tell us about a new job, a promotion, an honor, or an important activity, you can email your news to mckeevec@stjohns.edu.
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Drive. Putt. Chip. Any way you swing it, join us for the Hon. Theodore T. Jones, Jr. '72, '07HON Memorial Golf Outing. This year, there are two great ways to play and support the Honorable Theodore T. Jones, Jr. '72 Memorial Scholarship. Come to the live event on 6/21, or play your own course any time between 6/14 and 6/20 and report your score to us. Learn more and register online.
Summer Schooling Grab a cool drink, kick back, and join us online for our 2021 Summer CLE Series. Next up is My Lender Said That I Don't Need a Survey (6/30). Register to attend here and email Claire C. McKeever '80SVC, 93L, Assistant Dean for Alumni Relations and CLE, at mckeevec@stjohns.edu with any questions.
Together at Last Save the date for Class Reunions 2021! We’re gathering in person in Manhattan:
September 23, 2021 | 7 to 10 p.m. | New York Athletic Club Classes of 2011, 2010, 2005, 2006, 2000, 2001, 1996, 1995, 1991, 1990, 1986, 1985, 1981, 1980, and 1976, and 1975
September 30, 2021 | 7 to 10 p.m. | Connolly’s Pub Classes of 2020, 2015, and 2016
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Welcome Aboard! During the annual meeting of the St. John's Law Alumni Association Board of Directors (BOD), Ralph Carter '14 assumed the presidency from Michelle Johnson '05. Bob Gunther '84 was elected president-elect and we welcomed new directors Samantha Alessi '11, Michael Goldsmith '91, Kpish Goyal '07, Michael Henry '97, Maurice Sayeh '17, Alfred Williams '14, David Wollmuth '87, and Kathryn Zunno '06. The BOD's Nominating Committee was chaired by former BOD president, Michael Mattone '91. You'll find the full 2021- 2022 BOD list on our Alumni Association website.
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Lights. Camera . . . All the action was in the parking lot just outside the Law School when the Alumni Association’s Alumni of Color Chapter hosted a Drive-In Movie Double Feature showing of Sonic the Hedgehog and Just Mercy. Dean Michael A. Simons was in the audience and family-friendly refreshments rounded out this fun evening.
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Two Wonderful Souls Our beloved alumna, colleague, and friend Erica B. Fine '82 passed away suddenly last month. This story shares some of the many ways she touched our lives and hearts.
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| The St. John's Law community also mourns the loss of Professor Robert E. Parella '11HON, an esteemed colleague and teacher, who passed away in May. You can read our remembrance here.
We're gathering expressions of sympathy and remembrances to share with the Law School community and Professor Fine's and Professor Parella's loved ones. We invite you to email your to Brian Woods at brian.woods@stjohns.edu. Please include your full name and year of graduation in the message.
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| Comments, Suggestions, or Content Ideas?
Please email Brian Woods, Associate Dean for Advancement, brian.woods@stjohns.edu.
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