The Harry A. Rachlin (1926) Oral History Project

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.

James A. Gardner, SUNY Distinguished Professor and interim dean of UB School of Law, was recognized with the 40 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow. A renowned scholar, he provided exceptional leadership during a period of transition.

Bradley M. Gayton ’91 rose to the top ranks of the global Ford Motor Co., headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., becoming group vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, capping a career there spanning 27 years.

Hon. Frank P. Geraci Jr. became chief U.S. district judge for the Western District of New York as of March 9, 2015, presiding over criminal and civil cases.

Terrence M. Gilbride ’88, Sr. Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for the Buffalo Bills, LLC., was a partner in Hodgson Russ LLP, where he focused on real estate, energy, and finance from 1997 to 2023. He serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and was president of the Law Alumni Association.

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.

Professor Marjorie L. Girth became the first tenured female faculty member at UB School of Law in 1971 and the first female associate dean in 1986. A national leader on bankruptcy/commercial issues, she was an activist for feminist causes.

Hon. Judith J. Gische ’80 was designated an associate justice of the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, 1 Department, in October 2012.  She has been a longtime advocate for women in the legal profession and for family-friendly changes.

Neil A. Goldberg ’73 is a co-founding partner of the law firm Goldberg Segalla LLP, which employs about 285 lawyers in 19 offices in the United States and the United Kingdom. He focuses his practice on personal injury, product liability and legal malpractice.