The Harry A. Rachlin (1926) Oral History Project

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, 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, 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, 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.

Isabel Marcus, a UB Law professor from 1982 to 2019 and a scholar of women’s rights and gender equality, was remembered for her legal scholarship, activism and advocacy. She significantly advanced reproductive rights and civil liberties in Buffalo and beyond, leaving a transformative legacy.

Marianne Mariano ’94 is the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of New York, appointed in May 2008.

Carol M. Matorin ’76, an intellectual property lawyer, is senior vice president and general counsel for Marc Jacobs International in New York City. She also serves as a director of Cool Culture, which partners with over 90 cultural institutions to provide low-income children with free access and experiences that improve literacy and learning.

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.

Sen. Shelley B. Mayer ’79 is a Democratic New York State Senate member representing the 37 Senate District. She is chair of the Committee on Education. Before her Senate election in 2018 and three subsequent re-elections, she served in the state Assembly for six years.

Hon. Joseph P. McCarthy ’61, an Erie County Court judge since 1978, was the former second in command in the Erie County district attorney’s office under two former district attorneys.

Dennis R. McCoy ’77 is a senior litigation partner at the Buffalo law firm Hiscock & Barclay. He represents clients in major, complex litigation throughout New York State and the Northeast, focusing on legal and health care professionals facing malpractice actions. He also serves as a court-appointed mediator.

Hon. Ann T. Mikoll ’54, a pathbreaker for women in the judiciary, was one of the first two women appointed to a New York State appellate court, the Appellate Division, 3rd Department (1977-1999). She served as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Buffalo, as a Buffalo City Court judge,and was the first woman elected to the state Supreme Court outside of New York City. She received the 29th Edwin F. Jaeckle Award after serving with distinction as a New York State judge for 44 years. The Jaeckle Award is the highest honor the UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association can bestow.

Dr. Teresa A. Miller, known as Teri, was a teacher, advocate and champion of social justice who focused on criminal procedure, immigration and prisoner law. She held administrative and faculty positions at the University at Buffalo and SUNY. Notably, she championed inclusive excellence, leaving a lasting impact on higher education.

Hon. Joseph D. Mintz ’56 was a State Supreme Court justice until he stepped down in 2009. In 1958 he founded the Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society of Erie County, which became a model for similar programs throughout the state and nation.

Hon. Michael M. Mohun ’80 is a New York State (Acting) Supreme Court Justice, 8 Judicial District, and a Wyoming County Multi-Court Judge in Cowlesville, N.Y. He has presided over the County, Family and Surrogate courts in Wyoming County.

Tasha E. Moore ’98, deputy district executive for the 8 Judicial District, is dedicated to the inclusive initiatives of the court system and the wider legal community. She previously served as regional director of the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Albert R. Mugel ’41, a lawyer’s lawyer and professor, taught law students tax and estate law for more than five decades. He was a brilliant dean of the Buffalo legal profession and a founder of Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, one of the region’s largest law firms.

Makau W. Mutua is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and the Margaret W. Wong Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Law, where he served as dean from 2008 to 2014. He teaches international human rights, international business transactions and international law. He lives part time in Kenya, where he is politically active.

John M. Nesper ’55 focused his practice on government work. He was the Town of Amherst’s lawyer and negotiator when Gov. Nelson Rockefeller surprised the University at Buffalo by deciding to develop the North Campus, in Amherst.

Wade J. Newhouse Jr. was a longtime faculty member who served as dean from July 1986 to December 1987. Newhouse also served as director of the Charles B. Sears Law Library, as director of the Edwin F. Jaeckle Center for State and Local Government Law, and as an assistant dean and associate dean.