Joseph Antonecchia Fellowship Fund

To my Classmates and Fellow UB School of Law Alumni,

It is hard to believe it has been more than 20 years since our classmate Joe Antonecchia unexpectedly left us too soon. Most of you, I am sure, remember Joe quite well. He was a very kind, intelligent and thoughtful person who planned to enter public service before his life ended tragically during our final year of study. Many members of our law school community, including me, still miss him very much.

Thanks to the generosity of our classmates, the Joseph Antonecchia Fellowship was established at our law school to honor Joe’s memory in a most fitting and constructive way. Joe used to say that one of the reasons he wanted to become a lawyer was Rousseau's observation that "everywhere I see the strong armed with the fearful power of the laws against the weak." The fellowship in his name helps UB Law students continue Joe's commitment to public justice by providing a stipend of at least $3,000 to a student who works at a public interest organization over the summer.

I am writing today to ask for your support of the Antonecchia Fellowship.  Every single dollar counts and helps ensure we continue to change the lives of today’s students while honoring Joe’s amazing legacy.

On behalf of all of us - your classmates, the law school dean and faculty, and especially the students - thank you for your attention to this request and your support of our law school. Together, we will ensure that Joe’s legacy lives on through each of us and the Antonecchia Fellows.                                 

With my thanks and best wishes,                         

Joseph W. Belluck
Class of '94