Vice Dean Ilene R. Fleischmann

A New Jersey native, Fleischmann moved to Buffalo in 1968. After a successful journalism career in New York City and Buffalo, she joined the law school as the first executive director of the UB Law Alumni Association, hired by Acting Dean John Henry Schlegel and Law Alumni President Leslie Greenbaum ’73. She was tasked with creating UB Law Forum, an alumni magazine; the first issue featured an interview with the law school’s most prominent graduate, Edwin F. Jaeckle ’15.

Working collaboratively with Alan Carrel, Fleischmann’s role quickly expanded to include alumni relations and event planning, building on Dean Jacob D. Hyman’s efforts in the ’70s to revitalize the alumni association. In 1987, she helped organize the law school’s centennial celebration, which included a gala, a historical display and a commemorative history book.

In 1988, Fleischmann planned the first alumni events beyond Buffalo, in New York City, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse and Washington, D.C., and helped establish the first Buffalo Law Review Dinner and the inaugural Students of Color Dinner. Over the years, she elevated signature alumni events, such as the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Jaeckle Award; helped create new events, such as Sisters in Law: 100 Years of Women at UB Law and the 125^th Quasquicentennial Celebration; and publicized visits from global figures such as the Dalai Lama and the prime minister of Kenya.

She facilitated and organized the visits of Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which she recalled as among her greatest accomplishments. Justice Ginsburg’s 2018 visit included an honorary SUNY doctorate, a private constitutional law class for students, and additional events in collaboration with the local bar associations.

Fleischmann’s responsibilities eventually grew to include online and print communications, marketing and public relations. She highlighted alumni and faculty achievements, enhancing the law school’s visibility. She also worked closely with faculty, administrators and students to develop a cohesive communications strategy, overseeing the production of the law school’s viewbook; introducing publications such as a faculty scholarship booklet and a monthly online newsletter emailed to alumni; and donor publications.

She launched UB Law’s first website in 1995 and pioneered international online marketing efforts at the university. Fleischmann also produced and hosted the public service TV show Mind Over Myth on WKBW-Channel 7, featuring law faculty and alumni discussing cutting-edge legal topics.

Fleischmann emphasized building strong relationships with alumni. She organized class reunions, continuing legal education programs and social events. She also partnered with the law school to establish a mentoring program that paired first-year law students with alumni mentors.

She helped recruit hundreds of alumni who judged moot court competitions, assisted with student recruitment and supported the law school through scholarships. She consistently highlighted the law school’s reputation for producing graduates with a strong work ethic and practical skills, and emphasized experiential learning opportunities, including externships and clinics.

Fleischmann cared deeply about the law school’s history, documenting and publicizing the legacies of such figures as John Lord O’Brian, Christopher Baldy and Charles Sears in UB Law Forum. In 1999, with her leadership, the Law Alumni Association began recording alumni oral histories. An extensive archive of alumni interviews is now available on the law school’s website so the voices of past generations of lawyers will not be lost. Fleischmann is gratified that her interview will now be part of the ongoing Harry Rachlin Oral History Project.