The Harry A. Rachlin (1926) Oral History Project

Hon. James H. Dillon ’76 was a justice of the State Supreme Court in the 8th Judicial District of New York, elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2008. He previously served as a judge for Erie County Family Court after being elected to the seat in 1991 and re-elected in 2001.

Hon. Kevin M. Dillon ’76 was a justice of the Erie County Supreme Court in the 8 Judicial District of New York. He was elected to the position in 1997 and re-elected in 2010.

Douglas W. Dimitroff ’89, a senior partner with Phillips Lytle LLP, focuses his practice on telecommunications law, commercial real estate and public-private partnerships. He is a longtime alumni leader at the law school and a former chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Hon. Vincent E. Doyle ’56, State Supreme Court judge and administrative judge for the Eighth Judicial District, was recognized with the 25 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow. He has provided exceptional leadership and made significant improvements in the judicial system.

Hon. David Edmunds Jr. was the first African-American elected president of the Bar Association of Erie County. His commitment to public service and his leadership in multiple state agencies and legal organizations have substantially advanced minority representation in the legal profession throughout the state.

John V. Elmore, a personal injury and criminal lawyer in Buffalo, is a founding partner of Law Office of John V. Elmore. A leader and role model in the African- American community, he is committed to community service and works with the Minority Bar Association on criminal justice reform and mentoring.

Ann E. Evanko ’79, a well-regarded attorney in the Western New York legal community, took on major leadership roles in community service while serving as managing partner of the Buffalo law firm Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. She is a role model and trailblazer for female attorneys, and received the 42 annual Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow.

Hon. Eugene M. Fahey ’84 is a justice of the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, 4 Department, in Buffalo. He served two six-year terms on the Buffalo Common Council and worked in private practice before ascending to the bench, first on Buffalo City Court and then on State Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Appellate Division in 2006.

Herald P. Fahringer ’56 was a celebrated New York City-based attorney who believed in the importance of individual rights. He focused his practice on white-collar criminal defense and First Amendment issues, taking 14 high-profile, controversial cases to the U.S. Supreme Court and losing only once.

Hon. Paula L. Feroleto ’82 served as the district administrative judge for the 8 Judicial District of New York since 2009. Elected to the Supreme Court bench in 2005, she was previously in private practice for 20 years.

Robert P. Fine ’68, a founding partner of Hurwitz & Fine, P.C., concentrates his practice in business/corporate law. An alumni leader, he has served as an adjunct professor, president of the UB Law Alumni Association, chairman of the Annual Fund and on the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Ilene Fleischmann, vice dean emerita, was vice dean for alumni and executive director of the UB Law Alumni Association for almost four decades. She expanded alumni engagement and elevated the School of Law’s profile with award-winning events, public relations and publications, serving under four UB presidents, 10 law school deans and 39 alumni association presidents.

Hon. John J. Flynn ’95 was elected Erie County’s district attorney in 2017. He directed a staff of 180 people, about half of them attorneys, who prosecuted 30,000 cases a year. Flynn was known for combining relentless energy with a deep sense of purpose and compassion.

Hon. Lenora Foote-Beavers ’97 has been a longtime leader in the Minority Bar Association, the Western New York chapter of the Women’s Bar Association and the UB Law Alumni Association. She has devoted much of her career to public service. She has worked tirelessly to increase diversity in the profession.

Kenneth B. Forrest ’76 was recognized with the 33 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow. One of UB Law’s most accomplished alumni and past chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, he has been an invaluable adviser to four deans.

David E. Franasiak ’78 is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Williams & Jensen PLLC, where he consults on legislative and administrative matters related to tax, securities, financial institutions and natural resources.

Maryann Saccomando Freedman ’58 was the first female president of the Bar Association of Erie County, the first female president of the New York State Bar Association and a former president of the New York State Bar Foundation. She is a role model and mentor for female attorneys in Buffalo.

Hon. Paul L. Friedman ’68 is a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia since 1994. He is a member of the American Law Institute and its Council. He received the University at Buffalo School of Law’s 45 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award — the highest honor the law school and the Law Alumni Association can bestow.

Hon. Julio M. Fuentes ’75, Sr. United States Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, received the 2024 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the law school and the UB Law Alumni Association can bestow. He has mentored dozens of UB School of Law students and welcomed over 50 of them as summer interns.

Jodyann Galvin ’98 is a partner in the Buffalo office of Hodgson Russ LLP, where she focuses on complex business disputes and heads the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Since 2012, Galvin has been involved as a mentor with the law school’s Discover Law Undergraduate Scholars Program for minority and first-generation students.