The Harry A. Rachlin (1926) Oral History Project

Featuring some of the best-known names in New York State’s legal community and beyond, the Oral History Project hosts a collection of interviews compiled since 1999 with alumni, faculty members and friends of the School of Law. Scroll down to explore and search all of our interviews.

Pillars of the Legal Community
“The Oral History Project memorialize(s) a great law school, which I think UB is, and a great legal tradition, which is the Western New York legal tradition.”
12/1/25

Lauren Rachlin Esq., son of Harry Rachlin ’26 

“The Law School is constantly changing... [however] the values that our Law School was founded on in 1887 are the same values we have today. ”
12/1/25

Ilene Fleischmann, Vice Dean Emerita for Alumni Affairs

“The law school experience made me a better student and a better person than I could probably have ever imagined.”
12/1/25

Hon. Craig D. Hannah ‘95

“Law is the conscience of the community. ”
12/1/25

Hon. Ann T. Mikoll ’54

“I remember a great deal about then Professor Hyman and Dr. Lenhoff, whose voices rang through in the Bar Exam. ”
12/1/25

Carl A. Green '50

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Featured Interviews

  • Hon. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg - A Conversation 2019
    12/1/25
    Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice, professor of law and attorney, was a champion of gender equality. Her legal brilliance and unwavering dedication to justice defined her career. Known for her powerful dissents, she became a cultural icon, symbolizing strength and resilience. Her legacy endures, inspiring generations.
  • Lillian E. Cowan ’27
    12/1/25
    Lillian E. Cowan was only 18 years old when she began Buffalo law school in 1924. She graduated in 1927, the 45 woman to graduate. An accomplished and pioneering woman, she practiced law until she was 98 years old.
  • Jonathan S. Beane ’98
    12/1/25
    Jonathan S. Beane ’98 is a nationally recognized leader in forming and implementing strategies that foster an inclusive culture across companies. He is a strong proponent of change in workplace diversity and inclusion philosophy.
  • Hon. Trini E. Ross ’92
    12/1/25
    Trini E. Ross ’92 is senior litigation counsel for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York. She also teaches Trial Technique at UB School of Law.
Harry Rachlin in front of bookshelves.

About the Project

The Oral History is a project of the Law Alumni Association, funded in part by the Rachlin family as a tribute to the memory of Harry A. Rachlin, a 1926 graduate. (Read our FAQs to learn more.)

Make a gift to this project
This is a group photo of the first Buffalo Law Review editorial board (1951-52). The Law Review's inaugural issue was published by a group of law students under the guidance of Professor Charles W. Webster. The issue was 350 pages and had an initial run of 100 copies without having any subscribers. The lead article in Volume 1 was written by Charles S. Desmond who was then an Associate Judge on the New York Court of Appeals and would later become the Chief Judge of New York's highest court.

The first Buffalo Law Review editorial board (1951-52).

Our History

Explore the rich history of the School of Law, including our accomplished alumni, prominent faculty and global impact.

Law School History

Filter interviews by clicking one (or more) of the categories below.

Results 109 - 114 of 147. (0.21 seconds)
  • Hon. Robert T. Russell, Jr.
    12/1/25
    Hon. Robert T. Russell Jr., an innovative Buffalo City Court judge in the Eighth Judicial District and acting judge for Erie County, created and began presiding over the nation’s first Veterans Treatment Court in 2008. He also established and presided over Buffalo’s Drug Treatment Court and the Buffalo Mental Health Court.
  • Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders ’00
    12/6/25
    Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders ’00,  judge, New York Court of Claims, is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. She has volunteered with organizations such as the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Erie County Bar Association, the American Red Cross, and the Minority Bar Association.
  • David C. Schopp ’82
    12/1/25
    David C. Schopp ’82 is executive director of the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, the largest provider of criminal appellate services for indigent defendants in Erie, Genesee, Cattaraugus and Orleans counties, among other areas of assistance. He has served as head of the agency since 2000.
  • Hon. Rose H. Sconiers ’73
    12/1/25
    Hon. Rose H. Sconiers ’73 was appointed to the New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department, by Gov. David A. Patterson on Feb. 1, 2010. A longtime leader in civic, philanthropic and legal organizations, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award for the Judiciary at the 38 Annual Dinner.
  • Hon. Hugh B. Scott ’74 - Jaeckle Award 2021
    12/1/25
    Hon. Hugh B. Scott ’74 posthumously received the Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the Law School and the Law Alumni Association can bestow. An innovative jurist and the first African-American to serve as a federal judge in the Western District of New York, he spent more than three decades on the bench.
  • Karen Andolina Scott ’09
    12/1/25
    Karen Andolina Scott ’09, executive director of the nonprofit agency Journey’s End Refugee Services Inc., oversees the organization’s administration, programs and strategic plan in Buffalo. She develops and implements legal services that offer holistic immigration representation to low-income refugees, asylees and other vulnerable immigrant populations.
Results 109 - 114 of 147. (0.21 seconds)

Additional Campus-Wide Resources

Learn More About Our History