James L. Magavern ’59 - Jaeckle Award 2001
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.
About this Interview
Date
Nov. 3, 2001
Occasion
Presentation of the 26th annual Edwin F. Jaeckle Award
Place
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Buffalo
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About James L. Magavern
James L. Magavern, a member of the Buffalo law firm Magavern, Magavern & Grimm, has concentrated his practice in health care, corporate, and state and local government law. Also a scholar, he has written extensively on the role of local government, municipal planning and urban development, among other subjects. Magavern is widely known for his civic work—notably leading the revision of the City of Buffalo Charter.
He has served as counsel to the New York State comptroller, Erie County attorney, and New York State assistant attorney general.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, Magavern received his J.D. degree from UB School of Law in 1959, where he served as editor in chief of the Buffalo Law Review. A long-serving and brilliant adjunct professor at the law school, he has taught full and part time since 1963. He is a member of the law school’s Dean’s Advisory Council.
In the 1970s, Magavern served as a legal consultant and expert for the United Nations Development Program in the Philippines and as a legal adviser on national housing policy for the government of South Korea. He also served as a senior fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu in its program on law and the city.
He has served as president of the Bar Association of Erie County and as chair of the New York State Commission on Government Integrity. He has co-chaired the Citizens Council on Human Relations.
Born Feb. 1, 1933—Died March 7, 2022
Speakers
Master of Ceremonies: Ernest J. Norman, Law Alumni Association president.
Remarks presented by R. Nils Olsen Jr., UB School of Law dean; William J. Magavern II, Magavern, Magavern & Grimm; Anthony Masiello, Buffalo mayor; and Thomas E. Headrick, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor at UB School of Law.
Dean Olsen presents the Jaeckle Award to James L. Magavern, who offers acceptance remarks.
About the Jaeckle Award
The Jaeckle Award is given annually to a person who exemplifies the highest ideals of UB School of Law and the Law Alumni Association and has made significant contributions to the school and the legal profession. It is named for Edwin F. Jaeckle ’15, a founding partner of the Buffalo law firm Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel, and a major benefactor of the school.