Hon. Eugene M. Fahey ’84

Judge Fahey comes from a family in which he was encouraged to pursue education and was nurtured in an environment that emphasized the love of learning for its own sake. Since high school, every degree he has received—B.A., M.A. and J.D.—have come from UB.

He was a legislator before he was a lawyer. As a legislator, his ability to handle conflict was helpful. He didn’t go to law school until he was 30 years old, married and an elected official.

In law school, Fahey had many fine teachers, including Wade Newhouse, Elizabeth Mensch, Virginia Leary and Jim Magavern. “To be in their classrooms was to have your mind opened to an expanded way of viewing the law in relation to the world. The faculty served as an inspiration, encouraging us to pursue justice through the rule of law.”

He is grateful to his wife, Colleen Maroney, whom he considers a great friend, wife and mother, and to his daughter Ann.

In beginning his legal career, Fahey was fortunate to have two role models: Hon. Edward C. (Mickey) NeMoyer and Richard L. Woll. They stressed the value of professional courtesy and thorough preparation.

Judge Fahey has been through 16 elections. His judicial career began with his election to Buffalo City Court in 1994, then State Supreme Court in 1996. He was appointed to the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, 4^th Department, in 2006.

He said he enjoyed his two years in City Court the most, and felt it was helpful.

In the Appellate Division, he developed close relationships with his fellow judges, whom he considers people of the highest caliber: exceptionally hard-working and intelligent. He describes appellate work as an intimate job. There are a lot of emotional disagreements, he said, so you must prepare yourself. Judge Fahey compared appellate work with being in a rock band.