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 85 - 90 of 147. (0.37 seconds)
  • Nicole C. Lee ’02
    12/1/25
    Nicole C. Lee ’02, an organizational and public policy leader with the Lee Bayard Group in Washington, D.C., served as the first female president of TransAfrica, the nation’s premier African-American foreign affairs organization. Appointed in 2006, she served for nine years.
  • Francis M. Letro ’79 - Jaeckle Award 2012
    12/1/25
    Francis M. Letro ’79, a prominent Buffalo trial attorney, received the 35 Edwin F. Jaeckle Award for enhancing the quality and reputation of the law school through exceptional philanthropic leadership. This award is the highest honor the University at Buffalo School of Law and the UB Law Alumni Association can bestow.
  • Richard Lipsitz, Sr. ’43
    12/1/25
    Richard Lipsitz Sr. ’43, a founder of Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria, is a Buffalo attorney renowned as a legal heavyweight in labor and civil Rights. He was an early supporter of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and a staunch opponent of the Vietnam War.
  • James L. Magavern ’59 - Jaeckle Award 2001
    12/1/25
    James L. Magavern ’59, a civic leader who has addressed critical issues in health care, corporate, and state and local government law during a distinguished career spanning 42 years, is the recipient of the Jaeckle Award, the highest honor the School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow.
  • Marianne Mariano ’94
    12/1/25
    Marianne Mariano ’94 is the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of New York, appointed in May 2008.
  • Hon. Edmund F. Maxwell ’49
    12/6/25
    Hon. Edmund. F. Maxwell ’49 is a federal magistrate judge for the Western District of New York. Previously a private practitioner, he became one of the first magistrate judges in the nation when that position was created in 1971.
Results 85 - 90 of 147. (0.37 seconds)

Additional Campus-Wide Resources

Learn More About Our History