The Harry A. Rachlin (1926) Oral History Project

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.

Richard D. Schwartz, a prominent sociologist, made significant contributions to the field of law and society, particularly during his tenure as dean of the University at Buffalo School of Law from 1971 to 1976. Notably, he was the only non-lawyer to hold this position. 

Robert C. Schwenkel ’82 has unswervingly advised and supported our graduates who hope to work in the New York City office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. A partner since 1989, he serves as co-chair of the Corporate Department and global head of the M&A and Private Equity practices.

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 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, 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.

Thomas F. Segalla ’72, founding partner of Goldberg Segalla LLP in Buffalo, is a nationally recognized authority on bad faith, reinsurance and insurance, and an ARIAS-U.S. Certified arbitrator and mediator. The firm employs about 285 lawyers in 19 offices in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Marilyn Tebor Shaw ’79, associate judicial administrator of Cornell University, serves in the New York State Bar’s Attorney Emeriti Program in the field of estate planning for the elderly, and serves pro bono on Ithaca’s Board of Zoning Appeals. She has served as legal counsel for the Nomadic Kenyan Children’s Educational Fund.

UB School of Law celebrated the 100 graduation anniversary of its first two female graduates, Hon. Cecil B. Wiener and Helen Z. M. Rodgers, in the Class of 1899, with a conference titled “Sisters in Law: 100 Years of Women at UB Law.” The event recognized the remarkable contributions of women to the legal profession over the past century.

Hon. William M. Skretny, senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, was confirmed to the District Court in 1990. He was formerly an assistant U.S. attorney in Illinois and New York, a first deputy district attorney in Erie County and in private practice in Buffalo.

Carmen L. Snell '92 is vice president and deputy general counsel at Highmark Western and Northeastern New York, a major insurance and healthcare corporation. A role model for women and a champion for diversity and inclusion initiatives, her professional achievements include extensive service on various boards and committees and mentoring young attorneys.

Michael J. Surgalla Jr. ’82 is an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section, Criminal Division, in Washington, D.C. He joined the DOJ in 1987. His current areas of focus are border security and violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

Jeffrey L. Tanenbaum ’76, a retired partner in the New York City office of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, focused on bankruptcy and reorganization. He was named 2010 Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer for his role as counsel to General Motors in the bankruptcy of auto parts manufacturer Delphi.

Hon. Michael A. Telesca ’55 was a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, he served until 2020. He was its chief judge from 1989 to 1995. He received the 31 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor bestowed by the University at Buffalo School of Law and the Law Alumni Association.

Hon. Shirley Troutman has served in the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court’s Fourth Judicial Department since 2016. She has been a judge for almost three decades, previously serving on the state Supreme Court, Erie County Court and Buffalo City Court.

James A. Ullman ’71 is one of the leading attorneys in the United States whose practice focuses on franchising, licensing, distribution and intellectual property law. He has worked on significant deals for national and multinational corporations and major financial institutions, including private equity and venture capital groups.

Hon. Thomas M. Van Strydonck ’73, a Supreme Court justice for the 7 Judicial District until 2012, served as chief administrative judge from 2000 to 2010. Appointed by Gov. George Pataki to the Supreme Court in 1998, he previously served as an assistant Monroe County district attorney and worked in private practice.

Hon. Lawrence J. Vilardo is a United States district judge for the Western District of New York. He was in private practice with Terry Connors in the Buffalo law firm of Connors & Vilardo LLP from 1986 until he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the federal bench in 2015.

Hon. Dale M. Volker ’66, a Republican, served as a New York State Assemblyman and Senator from 1972 to 2010. He led the Senate’s Western New York delegation and was chair of the Senate Codes Committee, which plays a key role in shaping criminal justice policy for New York State.

Steven J. Weiss ’91, founding partner of a Buffalo affordable housing law firm, is deeply committed to serving his community. He is president and board chair of the Buffalo Jewish Federation; a board member of Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center; and serves on the New York State Housing Finance Agency.