Hon. Judith J. Gische ’80 accompanies members of the NYC Chapter of the UB Law Alumni Association in a tour of the magnificent and historic Appellate Division, First Department Courthouse.
New energy among our New York City alumni
Buoyed by energetic leadership and increasing numbers of UB School of Law graduates living and working in New York, the Law Alumni Association’s New York City Chapter is stronger than ever.
The chapter has more members than ever before – and beyond that, they’re all in on helping current and even prospective students make the most of their law school experience.
“It takes a lot of drive, ambition, work ethic and dedication to be a lawyer in New York City,” says Daisy Tomaselli ’13, who has provided leadership to the alumni chapter for the past three years. “The city is very fast-paced. But where there’s a lot of work, there’s a lot of reward. The opportunities are essentially limitless. We just want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to pursue whatever path they want to pursue here.”
Ilene Fleischmann, Vice Dean for Alumni, with NYC Co-Chairs Daisy A. Tomaselli '13 and Patrick J. Reinikainen '12
“Our New York City alumni chapter is key to our strategy of connecting law students with alumni contacts in their chosen fields,” says Ilene Fleischmann, the law school’s vice dean for alumni who works closely with all the chapters. “We have more than 2,000 alumni who live or work in the New York City metropolitan area, and the city is becoming increasingly important as a job market for our law students, many of whom don’t realize the amazing and unique opportunities available to them there.”
The chapter’s recent record of events and programs includes social gatherings, career advancement and service to the school and its students. These include:
- Periodic happy hours that afford opportunities for networking.
- A tour of the newly renovated and architecturally resplendent Grand Central Station, with one of its architects as guide.
- A tour of the ornate First Department courthouse.
- A group expedition to see a Broadway play.
- A mentoring program for current UB law students who have caught the eye of New York City firms. When the students come to New York for interviews – typically a multi-day trip – the chapter matches them with an alumni mentor to help prepare them with mock interviews and advice.
Networking Event at One World Observatory
May 16, 2019
5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: 285 Fulton Street, New York, NY
Cost: $45 per person
To attend, please register online.
Questions? Contact Daisy Tomaselli (daisy.a.tomaselli@gmail.com) or Patrick Reinikainen (patrick.reinikainen@ropesgray.com)
- A recently launched outreach program for students who’ve been admitted to UB School of Law but have not yet committed to the school. “We’re trying to expand how our graduates can help,” says Tomaselli, who works as an Equal Employment Opportunity Investigator in the Office of the President of New York University. That includes connecting accepted students with UB law alums who practice in the prospective student’s field of interest or who have had extraordinary success. Of particular interest, Tomaselli says, are students who did their undergraduate work downstate or are from the area, and who are on the fence about heading to Western New York for law school.
Next up: a sunset networking social on the 100th floor of the One World Observatory on May 16th, followed by the quintessentially New York experience of a Yankees game this summer. The July 13 game at Yankee Stadium is open not only to chapter members, but to any alums who happen to be in New York City on that weekend.
“We aim for four or five events per year and try to engage as much of our alumni network in the New York City area as possible,” says Tomaselli. “We’re trying to make it possible for our alumni in all fields to stay engaged with the school.”
The Chapter is co-chaired by Patrick Reinikainen ’12. “We’ve really tried to expand the number and types of events we do, to try to appeal to more of our alumni,” adds Reinikainen, who practices with the firm Ropes & Gray in Manhattan. “Our goal is to have as diverse a crowd as we possibly can – recent graduates, graduates from years past, different areas of the legal profession. We want to bring everybody together from a social perspective, but also to share professional experiences and to connect our law school professors, administration and students with the alumni.”
Importantly, that includes working with the law school’s Career Services Office and helping job-hunting students make connections with UB law alumni in the New York City legal market. It also includes a partnership with the school’s New York City Program on Finance & Law where alumni often serve as guest lecturers and mentor law students to help them learn the lay of the land.
“I hope students of the law school realize that if they have want to pursue a legal career in New York City, they can,” Reinikainen says. “I genuinely feel a lot of excitement about the New York City alumni chapter and strengthening our connections with the students. We're looking forward to a great year ahead."