The Cardozo Alumni Association honored Bonnie Steingart ’79 with the Alumna of the Year Award. She was recognized for her exceptional commitment and service to the Law School. A member of the Cardozo Board of Directors since 1999, Ms. Steingart has helped the Law School reach significant milestones. Her contributions include extraordinary leadership in the creation and coordination of Cardozo Women, one of the most successful alumni programs at Cardozo; guidance in producing her 25- year class reunion, which has become the model for such events; and assistance with the Law Firm Challenge that contributed to increased alumni giving in 2005.

   Dean Rudenstine, Bonnie Steingart ’79, and Judge Jack B. Weinstein Among the special guests who spoke at this third Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony were the Honorable Jack B. Weinstein, Ms. Steingart’s mentor and for whom she clerked, and Leon Silverman of Fried Frank Harris & Shriver, where Ms. Steingart has been a partner since 1987. Dean Rudenstine, Cardozo Board Chair Kathy Greenberg ’82, and classmate Leonard Benowich ’79 also spoke of the awardee’s great contributions to Cardozo.

Graduates who have been state or federal judicial clerks were given special recognition during the evening for the important roles they have played in promoting Cardozo among judges across the country.

The event raised more than $27,000 and will fund public interest summer stipends for students, who will be called Steingart Scholars. Alumni who served as law clerks

A Study of Undivided Loyalties
No story better demonstrates the benefit of building strong relationships with law school classmates and then maintaining the connections than the formation of Seeger Weiss LLP. The friendship between Christopher Seeger ’90 and Stephen Weiss ’90 began when they were Cardozo Law Review editors. Their shared experiences ultimately led to a successful partnership and a joint commitment to Cardozo. Even the relationship between their families has prospered: their wives have become close friends, as have the three children in each family, who track each other closely in age.

Upon graduation, Chris and Steve began their legal careers at prestigious law firms, Shearman & Sterling and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson respectively. However, they didn’t leave each other behind. They continued to collaborate on ideas and share ambitions, relying on each other for advice and support.

Chris, always an entrepreneurial spirit, left Shearman & Stearling after two years to join a firm formed by the partner who had hired him, fellow alumnus Nathan Eisler ’83. Then, a year later, Chris opened his own firm handling everything from real estate and wills to litigation matters. In 1995, he was given an opportunity that changed the course of his practice when Steve urged his father, noted class action attorney Mel Weiss, to appoint Chris a claims advocate on behalf of thousands of New York Life Insurance customers participating in a class action settlement. Chris’s performance cemented his role in a number of similar insurance class action settlements. In a case against Prudential Life Insurance, for example, Chris and scores of lawyers working under his auspices provided representation to more than 53,000 claimants who elected to arbitrate claims arising from the sale of vanishing premium life insurance policies, achieving a nearly 90 percent success rate.

Meanwhile, Steve was developing an expertise in environmental law at Fried Frank, defending large companies not unlike the insurance companies Chris was fighting. He was on Fried Frank’s partnership track when Chris invited him to join his blossoming practice. Unable to go to his trusted friend for advice, Steve turned to his father, who encouraged him to choose the path that he believed would offer the greater opportunity for career satisfaction. At that moment, Steve decided to join Chris and on April 2, 1999, the firm Seeger Weiss LLP was born.

Chris and Steve quickly earned the respect of peers and opponents. The skill sets they developed at Cardozo and then honed during their large-firm experience made them exceptionally qualified to take on large corporations. They represented individuals who had been harmed physically or financially, but lacked the resources to fight multi-billion dollar multinationals. Seeger Weiss grew quickly and dramatically. With the addition of David Buchanan ’93, a former colleague of Steve’s at Fried Frank, the nucleus of Seeger Weiss was formed and its reputation as smart and tough but fair advocates grew among opposing counsel.

One of the firm’s early successes was against MCI in 2001 in a consumer rate litigation that settled for $88 million, the largest telecommunications settlement up to that time. The case was pivotal for the firm, as it set its sights on bigger and broader client representations. Since then, the firm has tried a number of highprofile cases. Chris has received national press attention for his pharmaceutical litigations against Pfizer, winning a trial verdict involving the drug Rezulin; Eli Lilly, serving as the lead negotiator of a $700 million settlement of personal injury claims involving Zyprexa; and, most recently, Merck in connection with its withdrawal of Vioxx. He served as colead counsel in the federal and state court coordinated proceedings.

Steve’s representations, similarly notable, focus on consumer and environmental matters. Included among his successes was a $110 million class action settlement on behalf of the nation’s corn farmers for market losses resulting from the Starlink™ brand genetically modified corn scare.

Seeger Weiss prides itself on the breadth of its practice. The firm handles everything from individual catastrophic injury cases to nationwide antitrust, consumer, and securities class actions. Steve says he rejects the idea of relying on any one area of specialty, claiming, “At Cardozo, we were encouraged to be critical thinkers, which is a skill that can be applied to any practice area. By keeping our minds open and our management unwed to any customs or dogma, we’re able to be nimble, which gives us a competitive advantage over many of our peers.”

As the firm has grown— there are now about 25 full-time attorneys and 70 employees on staff—Chris and Steve have hired a number of Cardozo graduates Steve describes as “superb advocates” and “at the top of their game.” Many of their hires come from major defense firms where attorneys learn to produce high-quality briefs. In addition, they seek to hire those who share their commitment to disadvantaged and disenfranchised individuals. The result, they say, is a cadre of young lawyers who are fully committed to the firm and its causes, like Michael Farkas ’01 who chose Seeger Weiss over big-firm offers because of the atmosphere and opportunity to gain frontline experience. Laurence Nassif ’98 has been with the firm since graduation; he describes its practice as “razor’s edge” and enjoys the opportunity to do work that can effect change for literally millions of people.

The partners hope to grow Seeger Weiss in a considered and controlled way, so as to continue to serve the needs of their clients. Difficult times such as 9/11, which devastated their downtown location, seem only to have sharpened their commitment to effecting corporate and social change. They offer this kind of commitment to Cardozo as well. A few years after graduation, Chris and Steve attended a Cardozo Law Review alumni party. A conversation about fundraising with Dean Paul Verkuil led Steve to a position as an ex-officio member of the Cardozo Board of Directors. Steve and Chris chaired one of the first alumni fundraising drives, which raised more than $25,000—a record amount at that time. Then, in 1998, Steve was elected a full member of the Board.

Steve and Chris have continued to increase their involvement with the Law School. Steve, with his wife, Debra, also a 1990 graduate, exhibited leadership during the Law School’s first Capital Campaign while Chris and Moshe Horn ’93, counsel at Seeger Weiss, teach a popular mass torts course. To memorialize their friendship and the important role the Law School played in their lives, the partners made a generous gift to Cardozo and had the law review office named the Seeger Weiss LLP Law Review Office.

LLP Law Review Office. The two partners said, “Cardozo was barely 10 years old when we began our studies there. It’s absolutely amazing that in an incredibly short period of time, it has only continued to raise its reputation nationally and internationally. With its maturing alumni base, remarkable physical transformation, and stellar faculty and scholarship, it’s clear that the school’s opportunities for future growth and success are limitless, and we’re committed to be part of it.”

Dean Launches New Speaker Series
Dean David Rudenstine inaugurated a new luncheon series at which successful Cardozo graduates from various fields shared their experience and expertise with students to help them focus on their professional goals. The series brought back to campus three alumni: Isaac Palmer ’79, managing director of Fortress Investment Group in Los Angeles and former senior vice president of corporate development at Paramount Pictures; Leslie Payson ’91, vice president for the information technology division and manager of organizational development and training at Lehman Brothers; and Susan Panisch ’96, vice president for original programming at Outdoor Life Network. At the informal gatherings held in the dean’s conference room, the speakers offered valuable insights into their fields. The series will continue in the spring.

Law Firm Challenge Kicks Off at Power Breakfast
Breakfast at the Regency Hotel is the way New York’s power elite start their day. Therefore, it was the perfect location for the 2006 Law Firm Challenge kickoff. This year, 22 alumni from 16 large firms met at the elegant Park Avenue hotel to begin the competition and try to unseat last year’s first-place winner, Fried Frank, the firm with the greatest level of participation by Cardozo alumni in last year’s Annual Fund. Any firm with five or more Cardozo graduates is eligible to compete. Winners will be named at the end of June.

Harold Gordon ‘88 of Jones Day, last year’s secondplace winner; Shai Waisman ‘96 of Weil Gotshal, the firm that raised the most money; and Bonnie Steingart ‘79 of Fried Frank told of the meaningful relationships their firms have with Cardozo. They spoke also of the importance of alumni being actively involved in the life of the Law School, not only by making annual financial contributions, but through hiring, mentoring, and admissions. To join the Law Firm Challenge, e-mail cardozoalumni@yu.edu.

REUNIONS ARE COMING UP!
Classes of 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001
Thursday, May 18, 2006, 7–10 pm
Manhattan Penthouse on Fifth Avenue
80 Fifth Avenue, New York City

Class of 1981 to Celebrate 25th Reunion
Thursday, June 8, 2006, 7–10 pm
Cardozo School of Law Lobby
55 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, New York City

To complete a questionnaire, to rsvp, and for more information visit www.cardozo.yu.edu or call 212-790-0293.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING
OPEN TO ALL GRADUATES
You are invited to the Alumni Association’s Annual Meeting for the installation of the new members of the executive committee

Thursday, June 15, 2006, 6:30 pm
Jacob Burns Moot Court Room

The members of the executive committee welcome ideas and suggestions from fellow graduates. Please attend and share your thoughts on strengthening Cardozo’s growing alumni network. A reception will follow in the Lobby. Please rsvp to cardozoalumni@yu.edu or call 212-790-0293.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPONSORS MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT DEBATE
Former New York City Council Members Eva Moskowitz and Bill Perkins and Assembly Member Scott Stringer joined the other democratic Manhattan borough president candidates for a debate in the moot court room. The event was cosponsored by Cardozo’s Alumni Association, The Daily News, The League of Women Voters of the City of New York, and the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, who televised the event. Scott Stringer won the election.

What’s the best thing about being a lawyer?
I wonder about that sometimes, myself! Really, the versatility. You can do a lot of different things with a law degree, including nontraditional legal work. My field of labor relations was not historically performed by lawyers, but has become much more so. Being a lawyer provides you with a good general background and solid foundation.

Did you want to pursue labor law when you were in law school?
No, I never even thought about labor law. When I entered law school, I was more interested in real estate and land use law. During law school I became interested in litigation.

What law school experiences influenced that change? I really enjoyed ITAP and appellate advocacy, which I took with Michael Ross.

How did you end up in labor relations?
Landing in labor relations was a bit serendipitous. I took a job with the Advocates Office of the New York City Parks Department, doing internal employee investigations and discipline. From there, I decided to pursue labor relations because I enjoyed the union dynamics and the legal component of labor relations. I’m one of those people who happily landed in a field that I never would have predicted.

Did you play a role in the negotiations leading up to the first transit strike in 25 years?
NYC Transit has a Labor Research and Negotiations Division within its Department of Labor Relations. It’s relatively small, composed of four people, including me. During negotiations with the TWU, all of the labor relations staff is involved. I had many roles during the negotiations, sort of a “jack-of-all-trades”: I was a lead spokesperson on a departmental bargaining committee, was involved with half-a-dozen bargaining teams helping formulate bargaining strategies, and was a note taker. I also trained the labor relations staff on the intricacies of mandatory/non-mandatory/ prohibited subjects of bargaining and helped train the operations people on NYC Transit strike procedures. Then, I drafted contract language for the agreements. Since the strike, I’ve been assisting with the implementation of the Taylor Law penalties.

Was there one standout moment for you in the negotiations?
There were two. The first was midnight, December 16, the initial contract deadline. The second was the union’s second scheduled strike deadline of December 19–20. There was a lot of speculation as to how the union would play its cards, and we were strategizing on how to respond. Once the union went on strike, I felt as if all the built-up anxiety and suspense of the preceding weeks evaporated. As I think back, I would even include a third standout moment—the union membership’s rejection of the agreement; needless to say, that was unexpected.

Did you think the TWU would go on strike?
Even inside opinions were divided. We often got current news from NY1 while at the hotel. We were just focused on getting the deal done.

Was the TWU’s threat of a strike just business as usual?
The TWU contract is negotiated every three years, and the union almost always uses the strike threat as a bargaining tactic. So, developing a strike plan has become a routine part of our negotiating plan. We consider backup plans, do Taylor Law training throughout the agency on what to do and say with the employees, and what to do with employees that show up to work even if there is a strike.

What’s your average day at work like?
Depends on the day. I recently moved to the Administrative Trials and Hearings division, which primarily involves doing arbitrations, traditional case preparation, like reviewing files, preparing witnesses, and engaging in settlement discussions.

During the Transit Workers Union negotiations, I was busy coordinating bargaining sessions, attending committee meetings, preparing notes afterwards, and participating in strategy sessions. Now, we’re spending a lot of time implementing Taylor Law sanctions against all employees who participated in the illegal strike. This is a unique experience since it doesn’t happen very often. And because there still isn’t an agreement in place, we are pursuing interest arbitration, which also doesn’t happen often. Did you meet Roger Toussaint? If so, what was he like? I have met Roger Toussaint. I prefer not to attempt to characterize him.

What courses do you recommend law students take if they are interested in a career in labor relations?
Contracts is very important since collective bargaining agreements form the backbone of relationships between management and labor. Even though I didn’t take one, I would suggest a labor law course to provide a good foundation. An alternate dispute resolution course would be helpful in learning methods of reaching agreements. Courses such as administrative law, ITAP, and appellate advocacy are very useful in doing arbitrations and administrative hearings.

Did you take ADR?
I took ADR in my third year of law school. Aspects of ADR were used during contract negotiations with the TWU, but perhaps not how it’s taught. I think that two sides need to be interested in trying to make ADR work, and that was not always the case during the negotiations.

Is there a gadget you can’t do without?
No. I have a Nextel for work, but I try not to carry it around.

Do you have a favorite travel destination?
I’d like to find time to take a vacation, anywhere other than Manhattan.

Do you have a family?
Yes, a wife of eight years and two daughters, who are four and one.

Do you live in New York City?
After getting married during my third year of law school, I moved out of Manhattan—after living there for about four years— to Forest Hills. In 2003, I moved to Oceanside, in Nassau County.

Have you seen a good movie recently?
I haven’t seen a movie in five years.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m an avid Mets fan and I like to run and read non-fiction.

Do you have any regrets?
No.

What do you see for yourself in the future?
I want to work and grow as an attorney in the field of labor and employment law.

Parents Help Center for Student Life Become a Reality

In the past several years, Cardozo has completed $45 million of capital improvements that have transformed the Law School campus. Among the major changes have been the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, a state-of-the-art facility where conferences, symposia, special lectures, and moot court competitions are held; the Law Library, which occupies four floors and is one of several areas that allows wireless Internet access; and a residence hall. There has been continuous modernization of classrooms, all of which now have new furnishings and advanced, multi-media instructional equipment. In summer 2005, faculty facilities, student journal offices, and new seminar rooms were completed. In addition, the construction of an internal staircase connecting the ninth and tenth floors contributed immeasurably to community life at the Law School.

This summer, construction begins again on the final phase of major renovations, with a focus on the third and fourth floors. The third floor will be transformed with the creation of a Center for Student Life. The Center, scheduled to open in fall 2006, will feature a new café and a comfortable student lounge for study and relaxation—a place to gather with friends. Plans also call for two new seminar rooms, handsome wooden lockers for students, and new internal staircases from the second through the fifth floors. New windows will be installed on the third floor as well.

This summer, construction begins again on the final phase of major renovations, with a focus on the third and fourth floors. The third floor will be transformed with the creation of a Center for Student Life. The Center, scheduled to open in fall 2006, will feature a new café and a comfortable student lounge for study and relaxation—a place to gather with friends. Plans also call for two new seminar rooms, handsome wooden lockers for students, and new internal staircases from the second through the fifth floors. New windows will be installed on the third floor as well.

According to Dean Rudenstine, “This is a wonderful moment in the life of Cardozo. With the completion of this summer’s projects, we will be able to say, unequivocally, that our physical facilities now match the excellence of Cardozo’s faculty, programs, students, and alumni.”

Fundraising continues to secure this transformation of Cardozo’s facilities. Kathryn O. Greenberg ’82, chair of the Cardozo Board, and her husband, Alan C. Greenberg, gave the leadership gift to support the Center for Student Life and to honor Dean Rudenstine in appreciation for his contribution to Cardozo’s remarkable achievement.

Cardozo parents and all members of the Cardozo community are invited to participate in this great endeavor. Gifts contribute to the best of Cardozo, to the lives of the students, and to the Law School’s very strong future.

Please contact Patricia Weiss, director of institutional advancement, for information at 212-790-0270 or by e-mail: pweiss@yu.edu.

UPDATE
Final Phase of Cardozo’s Major Renovations
2006–2007

Costs*
Center for Student Life: Floor 3 $ 2,000,000
Faculty Facilities: Floors 4 and 10 $ 1,300,000
Windows: Floors 3–11 $ 1,400,000
Facade Construction $ 300,000
Bathrooms: Floors 3 and 4 $ 600,000
Signage: Outside and inside building $ 80,000
Donor Wall: Lobby $ 60,000
Residence Hall Lounge $ 80,000
Total Costs $ 5,820,000
Cash and Pledges
Cash received $ 2,160,500
Pledges received $ 1,335,000
Total Cash and Pledges $ 3,495,500
New Gifts and Pledges to be Raised $ 2,324,500

*As of March 31, 2006. The above costs are subject to change.

IN MEMORIAM

Harriet Rothfeld ’79

Dr. Madeline Pelner
Cosman ’95

BERG FOUNDATION HONORED The David Berg Foundation, a steadfast friend and supporter of Cardozo’s public interest program, was honored on February 28 at a luncheon attended by 20 students who won Berg Public Interest Summer Stipends for internships last summer. Dean David Rudenstine and Kathryn O. Greenberg ’82, chair of the Cardozo Board of Directors, are shown above with the students and Michele Cohn Tocci, president of the Berg Foundation (fifth from right, second row) and Dean H. Jerome Zoffer, board chair of the Berg Foundation (on Dean Rudenstine's left).

The Berg summer stipends have been critical in allowing students to take unpaid summer internships in the public and non-profit sectors, where they gain invaluable professional experience working for the public good. The students shared stories of the public law experiences they gained at an array of agencies, organizations, and government offices, including the Office of the Mayor, Appleseed Foundation, Legal Aid Society, New York Legal Assistance Group, Hebrew Aid Immigrant Society—Vienna Office, Georgia Capital Defenders, the Department of Justice, and several district attorney’s offices. Attending the luncheon, as well, were Noach Korman, executive director of Miklat and representatives of other organizations where students take summer internships.

1981

In October, Anthony Rafel opened a boutique litigation law firm, Rafel Manville, PLLC in Seattle, WA.

Martin Shulman was sworn in as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in December.

1982

Loretta Gastwirth was named one of Long Island’s top 50 women in Long Island Business News. She is a partner at Meltzer Lippe Goldstein and Breitstone and is involved in commercial, intellectual property, and Indian gaming law; trade secrets, securities and employment litigation, and arbitration.

Steven Mosenson, general counsel of the Cerebral Palsy Association of New York State, was elected chair of the New York State Bar Association’s corporate counsel section.

1983

Howard Leib was appointed to Manhattan’s Community Board 5 by former Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields.

Michael Schloss is of counsel at Thelen Reid & Priest in the labor and employment department.

1984

Ilene Shifrin was appointed adjunct professor in the Applied Skills Program at New York Law School.

SRFF & PIPEs (From left) Gregory Sichenzia ‘87, Thomas Ross ‘86, and Michael Ference ‘95 are partners at Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP (SRFF), a boutique law firm specializing in the niche practice of private investments in public equities (PIPEs). According to the industry newsletter, The Pipes Report, SRFF, a seven-year-old firm, has done more deals as the representative of public companies than any of its older competitors.

1985

Magda Deconinck and Susan Sanders founded the Law Offices of Sanders & Deconinck LLP, offering consultation and litigation services to attorneys and clients in the area of New York City employee pensions. She retired from the pensions division of the New York City Law Department after 20 years of service.

Eric Herschmann was appointed senior executive vice president of the Southern Union Company in November and remains a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman, specializing in litigation.

Joan Waks was elected secretary of the board of trustees of Chilton Memorial Hospital in New Jersey. She is a partner at Waks & Mecky and associate counsel for the Passaic County Board of Social Services.

1986

Susan Kettner was appointed chair of the New Rochelle Zoning Board. She concentrates her law practice in trusts and estates, adult guardianship, and real estate.

Michael Schneck opened Schneck Holtzman LLC with partner Lee Holtzman. He will be the managing partner at the firm, specializing in tax appeals and real estate law.

Mary WanderPolo was profiled in the Verona- Cedar Grove Times, with a focus on her elder law practice in New Jersey.

1988

Michele Schwartz became a partner at Hughes & Luce in Dallas. She concentrates her practice in intellectual property law.

FLORIDA ALUMNI Alumni, parents, and friends joined Dean David Rudenstine in February for a wonderful evening at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton. The event, hosted by Todd Rosenberg ’02 (right), shown here with Paul Labiner ’79, featured an inspiring update on the Law School by Dean Rudenstine. Parents enjoyed the opportunity to talk with alumni, who also reconnected with local colleagues.

FLORIDA ALUMNI Alumni, parents, and friends joined Dean David Rudenstine in February for a wonderful evening at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton. The event, hosted by Todd Rosenberg ’02 (right), shown here with Paul Labiner ’79, featured an inspiring update on the Law School by Dean Rudenstine. Parents enjoyed the opportunity to talk with alumni, who also reconnected with local colleagues.

Washington, DC Alumni and Parents Reception For graduates in Washington, DC, the Cardozo reception in January was not only an opportunity to see former classmates but to catch up with faculty and administrators. They heard from Professors Malvina Halberstam, Justin Hughes, Toni Fine, and Lynn Wishart, as well as Dean of Student Services Judy Mender. Alumni were joined also by parents and friends, who enjoyed a video of the first days of law school for this fall’s entering class. The reception was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools, at which many Cardozo faculty present papers.

1990

Mark Berman published four articles in the New York Law Journal, “E-Discovery Under New York Law,” “The Information Trial,” “Are Private E-Mails Really Private?” and “Forensic Inspection of Computer Hard Drives.” He was interviewed on Report On Business Television regarding the Enron case.

Janice Schacter was appointed to the FCC’s Consumer Advisoryv Committee as a representative for the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

1991

Lisa Post Gershon became special counsel at Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, practicing in the area of commercial mortgage securitization, representing issuers, underwriters, mortgage loan sellers, and institutional investors in primary and secondary capital markets.

1992

Stephen Abrams joined the investment firm of ICON Advisors as associate general counsel.

Gustavo Brückner and his wife, Bena Medjuck- Brückner, had a son, Noam Nadav, in June.

Barbara Davidovits-Ifrah and Jeff Ifrah had a daughter, Shoshana Davida, in October.

In February Alissa Makower spoke on a panel, “How to Go In- House,” at the New York City Bar Association.

1993

Evan Glassman joined the firm of Piliero Goldstein Kogan & Miller as a partner, practicing litigation and intellectual property law.

Barry Marenberg and his wife, Lisa, had a daughter, Kenni Paige, in August.

Melissa Michalsky joined Luper Neidenthal & Logan in Columbus, OH as an associate focusing on business, construction, and real estate law.

Marc Mukasey joined the firm of Bracewell & Giuliani as a partner specializing in corporate investigations after many years as an assistant US Attorney.

Tanya Kennedy was sworn in as a civil court judge of the city of New York on December 8, 2005 by the Honorable Barry A. Cozier. She was his law clerk for a combined six-and-a-half years in the Commercial Division of the NY State Supreme Court, Civil Division, and in the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department. Her mother, Ms. Eleanor Kennedy, stood at her side.

1994

Joshua Cohen is of counsel at Day Berry & Howard in New Haven, CT, specializing in commercial litigation.

Kevin Koplin married Danielle Morgan in November. He is an associate at McCabe Flynn & Arangio, specializing in securities law.

Juan Otero became the director of economic development and commerce at the National Governors Association. Prior to his appointment, he was deputy director of the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility at the Homeland Security Department.

Mark Treitel and his writing partner, Shoe Schuster, were finalists on the Bravo reality series Situation: Comedy in which they wrote and produced an original sitcom pilot.

1995

Peter Graham was appointed to the board of directors of Angio- Dynamics. He is currently senior vice presidentchief legal officer, global human resources and secretary of E-Z-EM, Inc., the former parent company of AngioDynamics. He has practiced in general corporate, intellectual property, and securities law for medical technology companies for almost 10 years.

Allen Popowitz married Emily Rand in July. He is a partner in the real estate practice group at Wolf Block.

1996

Karen Cushman married Asaf Peled in August. She is an attorney with Verizon.

Joshua Gerstin and his wife, Melissa, had a daughter, Eden Rachel, in February. She joins sister Isabella.

Richard Horowitz published www.International- SecurityResources.com, a compilation of Internet resources on international security, covering topics such as the arms trade, human rights, and money laundering, and providing legal and investigative tools.

Ray Patterson is an associate professor and associate director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Evan Seideman became a partner at Edwards & Angell in the Stamford, CT office. He is a member of the corporate department, concentrating on earlystage and middle-market technology companies, individuals and entities providing seed and venture capital, private companies, and Fortune 1,000 companies engaged in mergers and acquisitions.

1997

Daniel Forman became partner at Crowell & Moring in Washington, DC. His practice focuses on government procurement law, including bid protests, False Claims Act and qui tam litigation, and investigations of potential civil and criminal matters.

Jason Goldstein became a partner at Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner in the real estate division.

Nathan Paul and his wife, Batya, had a son, Jonathan Daniel, in June.

Adam Rosenberg became chief of staff at the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, managing the executive department and strategic initiatives. He had been a prosecutor for seven years.

ANNUAL ALUMNI-STUDENT NETWORKING RECEPTION Cosponsored by the Alumni Association and the Office of Career Services, this fall tradition offers students an opportunity to network with successful graduates from all areas of practice. More than 100 participants shared career experiences and made valuable contacts. Cardozo Board member Rick Perkal ’81 (shown here), vice president at Bear Stearns, offered words of encouragement to job-seeking students, crediting his Cardozo education for his career success.

1998

Jonathan Bayer became vice president in the Office of the General Counsel/Investment Banking Department at Lehman Brothers.

Arun Chandra joined the firm of Hogan and Hartson as an associate concentrating in intellectual property litigation. Previously, he was a law clerk to the Hon. William H. Pauley III, US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

David Orbach formed Gallant Funding, LP, a private equity firm in Florham Park, NJ.

Erica Rosengarten married Paul Tropp in November. She is an assistant district attorney in the special victims bureau in the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Spencer Schneider married Marisa Lax in August. He is an associate in the corporate department of Ropes & Gray in New York.

CARDOZO WOMEN CONTINUE MOMENTUM Cardozo Women is a group of alumnae dedicated to acknowledging alumnae accomplishments, creating a network of allies, and celebrating Cardozo. Since its founding two years ago, the group has hosted 14 events, including special speakers and networking luncheons that draw large numbers of attendees. Among more recent events was Creating a Culture of Compliance in a Zero-Tolerance Environment held in association with The Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Center on Corporate Governance. During the fall semester, a networking event brought more than 75 alumnae to campus to hear the professional journeys of Randi Weingarten ’83, president, United Federation of Teachers; Shoshana Bookson ’82, partner, Shandell, Blitz, Blitz & Bookson; and Cara Londin ‘89 (shown here), first vice president, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

1999

Michael Bachrach was elected treasurer and a member of the board of directors of the New York Criminal Bar Association.

Jason Vogel has joined the firm of Kilpatrick Stockton as an associate in the intellectual property practice group.

2000

Adam Cohen joined Hodgson Russ as an associate in their immigration practice group. He advises and counsels foreign nationals on all immigration matters.

Tahra Kerman Mastour and her husband, Benny, had a daughter, Chloe Juliet, in August.

Rebecca Morris married Matthew Hannafin in October. She is a lawyer at WNET, the public television station in New York.

Jesse Redlener was appointed cochair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Boston Bar Association. He is an associate in the business department at Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP in Boston.

2001

Chloe Epstein joined Stribling and Associates as a real estate broker.

Jillian Erdheim married Tyson Lomazow. She is a prosecutor for Manhattan Family Court.

David Feuerstein joined the firm of Herrick Feinstein as an associate.

Sheree Gootzeit married Justin Donath in August. She is a senior associate at Sklover & Associates, specializing in employment and labor law.

Anne Mogilevich and Alexander Lumelsky were married in 2004 and had a son, Samuel Michael, in February 2006.

Michael Waldinger is a deputy public defender at the Law Offices of the Los Angeles County Public Defender.

2002

Grace Meng married Dr. Wayne Kye in June. She is the coordinator for the office of Assemblyman Jimmy Meng (D-Flushing 22nd Assembly District).

Roger O’Sullivan opened O’Sullivan PLLC, specializing in biotechnology law.

David Tawil and his wife, Yehudit, had a son, Ralph, in October.

2003

Peter Katzman joined Forchelli Curto Schwartz Mineo Carlino & Cohen in Mineola, NY, concentrating in commercial and corporate transactions.

2004

Melissa Kho married Peichung Chiu in October. She is an associate at Boies Schiller & Flexner, specializing in complex civil litigation.

Avi Muchnick’s Web site, Worth1000.com, which he started while a student at Cardozo, received media attention for its digitally enhanced celebrity photos.

Michelle Miller (Rosen) joined Chamlin Rosen Uliano & Witherington in New Jersey, focusing on matrimonial law.

AFTER INNOCENCE The award-winning documentary film After Innocence, cowritten and produced by Marc Simon ’01, was screened at Cardozo in January for alumni, students, and guests. The film had its national premiere in New York in October. The special presentation was highlighted by a panel discussion with Mr. Simon, a former Innocence Project participant; Prof. Barry Scheck, cofounder and codirector of the Innocence Project; exoneree J. Scott Hornoff, who is featured in the film; and Madeline deLone, executive director of the Innocence Project. The panelists shared some behindthe- scenes details about the film and answered questions from the audience. After Innocence is now being released in cities across the country. For more information about the film and the Life After Exoneration Program, visit www.afterinnocence.com.

2005

Jesse Capell joined the family court division of the New York City Corporation Counsel.

Eric Chartan joined the Bronx District Attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney.

Tammy Harris joined the Queens District Attorney’s office as an assistant district attorney.

Suzanne Herrmann joined Saiber Schlesinger Satz & Goldstein as an associate specializing in employment and labor law.

Lauren Lipson joined the firm of Blank Rome LLP.

1999

Roberta Kraus is assistant counsel at Lumenis Inc. in NYC.

Nicole Topperwien is legal advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia in Skopje.

2000

Germana Giordana is an attorney at Engel & McCarney in NYC.

Ruth Hay is assistant general counsel at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company in Ohio, where she is responsible for managing the company’s IT legal issues, patent program, and IP/IT contracts and due diligence activities.

Mark Peto has started his own law firm in Budapest.

2001

Albana Bollati is working in the office of the general counsel of the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA). She has been assisting the vice president and general counsel in assuring the participation of the SCA in New York City’s September 11 captive insurance program.

David Foox is in-house counsel for Eicon, a technology company in Montreal. He handles the firm’s intellectual property matters, including patents for new technologies. David also has an online US immigration business, Easy Visa USA www.easyvisausa.com.

2001

Cecilia Baunsoe married her long-time partner, Fernando Luis Quirindongo, on April 16, 2005, at the Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brooklyn. Ann Cho, Vesselin Dittrich, Francisco “Pancho” Javier Augspach, and Svetlana Vinogradova all attended the wedding.

Daniel Biene is in Hamburg working for Ganske, a publisher of books and magazines about travel, food, and architecture. He is advisor to the CEO and manager of the office and of the company’s board of directors and has been re-elected to the executive board of the German- American Lawyers Association.

Eunhyang “Ann” Cho is working at Cho & Associates in NYC.

Lisandro Frene, who is working in Argentina, recently redesigned his law firm’s Web site: www.rctzz.com.ar. He has published “Protection of Databases under IP Law” in El Derecho; and “New Criteria for Comparative Advertising in Argentina,” in Infobae Profesional.

Clemens Kohnen has been accepted to the Goethe Institut program for young leadership. He began his training in Munich and is spending six months in Jakarta, Indonesia. Upon completion of the program, he will be posted as the head of administration in one of the Institut’s foreign offices.

Sean Levinson is a public defender in Cook County, IL.

Guizeng “Wayne” Liu has joined the CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office in Beijing.

Carla Moreschi is working at Fuller and Fuller LLP in NYC, a firm specializing in immigration law.

Gustavo A. Rodriguez is working in the Caracas office of Clarke, Modet & Co.

2003

Aviya Goldin Chill is working at Porat, Sagiv, Shlomi, a law firm near Tel Aviv that specializes in tax and real estate law.

Rotem Rosen is CEO of Africa-Israel Properties & Developments USA, in NYC.

Noam Schechter wife, Shlomit, announced the birth of their child, a son, Itay, November 3.

Erica Schlesinger is at DigComm Consulting, LLC. In addition to Web site and e-commerce consulting, the firm performs extensive domain name analysis and other research audits. Erica writes, “We are currently working to build a global network of attorneys and new media professionals. I encourage those of you working in areas dealing with the Internet and new media to contact us so that we can explore the possibilities. Please visit www.digcomm.info.” You can e-mail Erica at ewass@digcomm.info.

Vivian Williams is the principal of Vivian A. Williams & Associates in NYC.

2004

Ingvil Conradi Andersen has returned to Norway and is legal advisor to the Norwegian Media Authority.

Xavier Gomez Velasco is the office director of IP Gomez, a patent prosecution law firm in Quito, Ecuador. Visit his Web site at www.ipgomez.com.

Efi Harari and his wife, Cheryl, announced the birth of Elior Lynn Harari, born October 13, 2005.

Berna Karaahmetoglu has returned to Istanbul where she is working at the K&K Law Firm.

Elodie Siliart is business affairs manager of Le Maquis, a small music label.

Scott Sisun ’01 is a trademark examining attorney at the US Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, DC. (See story, p. 36.)

Yoshihiko Wakida is foreign legal advisor at Barst & Mukamal LLP, an immigration law firm in NYC.

Leon Wang is a member of the intellectual property group at Baker & McKenzie in Hong Kong.

Yael Weingarten-Nayman is an associate in the corporate department of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in NYC. She is part of the Institutional Investment and Benefits Counseling Group.

Nilesh Zacharias is a senior consultant in the privacy practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

2005

Yu Bo completed internships at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and at the Security Council Peacebuilding Commission, both at United Nations headquarters in New York.

Florian Bruno is working at Haese, LLC in Boston, a law firm with Fortune 100 and governmental entities as clients.

Vilma Dedvukaj and her husband, Louie, announced the birth of a son, Anton Martin Dedvukaj, on June 24, 2005—a month before his due date.

Erica Ellis is an assistant district attorney in Hobbs, NM. She had been associated with Riley, Shane, and Hale in Albuquerque.

ADVICE FROM THE BENCH In September, Cardozo welcomed (from left) Justices Steven Pesner, Angela Mazzarelli, Betty Weinberg Ellerin, and Stephen G. Crane to discuss Appellate Issues in Commercial Litigation. Coordinated by alumnus James d’Auguste ’96, the judges offered practical, real-world advice to both students and graduates.

Veronica Gutierrez has returned to Mexico and is teaching at the law school of the University of Guadalajara.

Petra Hansmersmann is working at Eaton & Van Winkle LLP in NYC.

Steffen Hemmerich works at Estandards Forum, a not-for-profit organization that monitors the efforts of numerous countries to comply with international standards in such areas as macroeconomic policy and data transparency, institutional and market infrastructure, and financial regulation and supervision.

Yossi Kurzberg is pursuing his doctoral law degree at UCLA.

Robert Kleinman has relocated with his family to western Massachusetts.

Ken Matsuzaki completed an internship at Pitney Hardin LLP in NYC and returned to Tokyo where he is at Dentsu Corporation. Before leaving New York, he earned a yellow belt in krav magna (Israeli contact combat) and was a regular at the Monday Night Jam at the Village Underground. His book of photography, People, is sold in NYC at St. Mark’s Bookshop, Asahiya Bookstore, and Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Lili “Agnes” de Monseignat has returned to Paris, where she is working in the legal department of M6 Television. Prior to leaving New York, she took an intensive course in filmmaking at NYU.

David Moya has returned to Barcelona, where he is on the law faculty of the Universidad de Barcelona.

Stefan Wiesli is an associate at Rinderknecht Klein & Stadelhofer in Zurich.

2006

Contessa Nyree is staff counsel at Audible.com, a publicly traded company based in Wayne, NJ, that provides online books, magazines, and newspapers in audio format that can be downloaded and played on iPods and other electronic devices.

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JAUNARY GRADUATION CELEBRATION
In early December, Dean Rudenstine hosted a reception in the lobby for the 20 J.D. and 22 LL.M. students receiving degrees in January 2006. He gave each student a copy of the The Nature of the Judicial Process, a treatise on judicial reasoning written by Benjamin Cardozo.

Growing Leadership Circle Celebrates With Dean

It’s always nice to be invited to a dinner in your honor. So, it was no surprise that more than 50 of the Law School’s most dedicated alumni, friends, and parents attended a dinner to mark the success of the Dean’s Leadership Circle, of which they are members. Those individuals who contribute $1,000 or more to Cardozo annually are automatically designated Dean’s Leadership Circle. Now in its third year, the group has increased its membership by nearly 50 percent in the past year, with the number of alumni at 72.

Dean David Rudenstine and Board Chair Kathy Greenberg ‘82 thanked the attendees for their generosity and offered a peek at Cardozo’s future plans. Guests, who came from as far away as California, included board members, graduates from the classes of 1979 through 2005, and parents of current and past students. These supporters inspire the entire Cardozo community with their leadership and commitment to making a significant difference in the life of the Law School.

(Clockwise, from left) Board Member Nate Kacew ’98, Arlene and Jeffrey Cohan, Dean Rudentine, Board Chair Kathy Greenberg ’82, Fred Siegel ’82, Sylvia Posner, Rabbi David Posner, and Jack Hartog ’05.

IN MEMORIAM

Dr. Madeleine Pelner Cosman ’95 passed away March 2, 2006 in Escondido, CA. She was 68. A medical lawyer and healthcare policy analyst, Cosman was active in conservative political circles, published numerous books and articles, appeared on radio and television, and testified before Congress. She also lectured at the Cato Institute and the Galen Institute among others.

Cosman’s first career was in medieval and Renaissance studies. She was a longtime faculty member at the City College of New York where she founded the Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and was its director for many years. The author of many books, she is best known for Fabulous Feasts: Medieval Cookery and Ceremony (George Braziller, 1976), an illustrated study of culinary practice in the Middle Ages.

Prior to attending Cardozo from which she graduated when she was in her late 50s, she founded Medical Equity, a brokerage of medical and surgical practices. Her diverse work was united by her interest in the history of medicine. Most recently her interest in health care policy led her to study the effects of illegal immigration on the United State’s health care system.

After moving to San Diego in 1999, she became a volunteer patrolwoman with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and a director of the California Rifle and Pistol Association. She was a board member of Wake Up America Foundation, an organization opposed to illegal immigration, and a member of the Council for National Policy.

Cosman received a B.A. from Barnard, an M.A. from Hunter, and a Ph.D. from Columbia. She was married to Bard Cosman (1930–1983) and is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

GREENBERG RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE

Cardozo Board Chair Kathryn O. Greenberg ’82 received an honorary degree at Yeshiva University’s 81st Annual Hanukkah Dinner and Convocation held at The Waldorf- Astoria in December. YU President Richard M. Joel also conferred honorary degrees on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and four community leaders: Linda Altman, Jay Feinberg, Rose Yavarkovsky, and Jack M. Nagel. Senator Clinton delivered the Convocation address.

Greenberg was recognized for combining her passion for the law and dedication to serving the less fortunate by conceiving and launching the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), which has provided free civil legal services for low-income New Yorkers since its founding in 1990. As a result of her efforts, NYLAG has grown into a full-service, not-for-profit law firm for seniors, immigrants, survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, children, Holocaust survivors, and sufferers of chronic illness.

Born in Minnesota, Greenberg graduated with honors from the University of Colorado and then cum laude from Cardozo. After graduation from law school, she was associated with the law firm of Shea & Gould, and served as a supervising attorney at Cardozo’s Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic.

BEREN FAMILY IS HONORED Robert M. Beren (on left), a Chairman Emeritus of the Yeshiva University Board of Trustees, and the Beren family were honored when Cardozo’s ninth floor was named the Israel Henry Beren Floor in honor of Robert Beren’s uncle, who would have turned 100 in 2005. The ninth floor is home to faculty offices and a new seminar room. Mr. Beren and his family, who toured YU’s four Manhattan campuses, saw the recent renovations at Cardozo with YU President Richard Joel (on right), YU Chairman Morry J. Weiss, Cardozo Board Chair Kathryn O. Greenberg, and Dean David Rudenstine, who hosted a luncheon in the family’s honor.

TWO BOARD MEMBERS ELECTED

A former member of the Cardozo Board and a graduate from the class of 1991 were elected to the Cardozo Board of Directors. They assume their positions in June 2006.

Morris Goldfarb, father of Jeff Goldfarb ‘02, sat on the Cardozo Board from 2001 to 2004. He is chief executive officer and chairman of the board of G-III Apparel Group, Ltd, which designs, manufactures, imports, and markets men’s and women’s apparel. The company, which holds licensing agreements with such designers as Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Sean Jean, and sports licenses with the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and others, is traded on the NASDAQ exchange. Goldfarb is involved in the real estate business and has sat on the boards of Grand Casinos, Inc.; Wilson’s; and Panasia Bank, the first Korean-American commercial bank in New Jersey. He also serves on the board of directors of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. He lives in New York City and has a home in Mamaroneck, NY.

PARENTS BRUNCH Lisa Alperin and her daughter, Stephanie Alperin ’08, joined nearly 300 parents and students for one of the Law School’s most popular events— the annual Parents Brunch, a program that includes mock classes, tours, and a chance to meet Dean Rudenstine and members of the faculty and administration.

Leslie Payson, who lives in New York City, graduated from Cardozo in 1991 and holds a BA from Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is vice president of Lehman Brothers where she has worked since 1994. In her current position, she serves as global manager of organizational development and training for the information technology division. After graduating from Cardozo, Payson was a bankruptcy associate at Strook & Strook & Lavan.