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 73 - 78 of 147. (0.38 seconds)
  • Hon. Matthew J. Jasen ’39
    12/6/25
    Hon. Matthew J. Jasen ’39 (Ret.) was an associate judge of the state Court of Appeals from 1967 until 1985 and is a celebrated presence in Buffalo’s legal community. He also served as a U.S. judge for the Third Military Government Judicial District at Heidelberg, Germany, in postwar Europe.
  • Hon. Barbara R. Johnson-Lee ’86
    12/6/25
    Hon. Barbara R. Johnson-Lee ’86, elected a Buffalo City Court Judge in 2014, is now an Acting Judge for Erie County Court. Her judicial assignments have included domestic violence court, general civil and criminal rotations, and currently, she presides over the treatment courts—veterans, mental health, and drug court. 
  • Professor Kenneth F. Joyce - Jaeckle Award 2003
    12/1/25
    Kenneth F. Joyce, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, received the Edwin F. Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow. For 40 years, Professor Joyce has helped define the UB Law experience for the thousands of students he has taught.
  • Anne E. Joynt ’05
    12/1/25
    Anne E. Joynt ’05, a personal injury partner with Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford LLC, has been involved in volunteer leadership roles in multiple legal and non-legal organizations in Western New York, including as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the law school and president of the UB Law Alumni Association.
  • Harvey L. Kaminski Classroom Dedication
    12/6/25
    Harvey L. Kaminski ’77, retired president and CEO of Prestige Capital Corp., was honored by the SUNY Board of Trustees and the School of Law when a renovated first-floor classroom in John Lord O’Brian Hall was named the Harvey L. Kaminski Classroom.
  • Bruce Karpati ’96
    12/6/25
    Bruce Karpati ’96 is a partner and global chief compliance officer at KKR & Co., Inc., an American global private equity and investment company, which is principally engaged in holding, managing, and investing securities. He’s also a member of the law school’s Dean’s Advisory Council.
Results 73 - 78 of 147. (0.38 seconds)

Additional Campus-Wide Resources

Learn More About Our History