Alumni Association

UB Law alumni mark 15 years of going for GOLD

By Annie Deck-Miller, Buffalo Law Journal

The GOLD Group rocks out to the music of alumnus Michael Bly at the Pearl Street Brewery in downtown Buffalo. From left to right: Elizabeth M.Tertinek '06, John P.Feroleto '07, Megan E.Misiti '06 and Sara T.Wallitt '06 Lisa M.Goodberry '06 and Michael Bly Santamaria '99 Paul Jones and Kevin Hunt, sponsor

A group founded 15 years ago to meet the needs of recent UB Law School graduates has been a boon for the Law School as a whole.

"They are a volunteer organization that is completely integrated into the life of the Law School. They help with admissions and recruiting, and since they are young and recently graduated from law school, they can talk to our applicants about life at UB Law," Ilene R. Fleischmann, a law school vice dean and executive director of the UB Law Alumni Association, said of the Graduates of the Last Decade, or GOLD Group.

"GOLD Group members also serve as volunteers for our moot court and mock trial," Fleischmann said. "They are invaluable in that way, and also help with our development efforts, mentoring program and our class reunions. "

Originally based on a similar program at Hamilton College, the GOLD Group was founded by a group that included Doug Dimitroff, Mark Brand, founding President Catherine Wettlaufer and Fleischmann, among others, as a way to ease the transition from law school into practice for new UB Law graduates.

"It became increasingly apparent to us 15 years ago that we needed a different kind of alumni structure to benefit our younger alumni," said Fleischmann. "They needed opportunities to network with each other, and they wanted less formal, less expensive events than our older alumni."

"There's a wonderful camaraderie in law school, and students form seminars or study groups. The idea was to capture and retain that. Part of it was also to support our graduates and help them become successful members of the legal community," said Wettlaufer, now a partner at Hiscock Barclay LLP.

Continuing legal education seminars are a core of the GOLD Group's mission, and its UB Law Downtown Breakfast Series has presented a number of one-hour, one-credit courses skewed toward newer practitioners, as well as longer trainings. Some seminars have taken the GOLD Group to Niagara and Wyoming counties.

And opportunities for socializing in no-pressure, low-key settings such as cafes, sporting events and the Fort Erie Race Track and Slots help to gel the friendships among recent UB Law alums.

The GOLD Group marked its 15th anniversary this year with a party at the Pearl Street Grill and Brewery. The event featured UB Law alumnus Michael Bly and his band. Says former President Marc Brown, an associate at Phillips Lytle LLP, "It's really just a group that likes to have fun, to extend their fun years."

Reporter Jodi Sokolowski contributed to this story.