(left to right) Patricia C. Sandison '07, Albany Chapter Co-Chair; Ilene Fleischmann, Vice Dean for Alumni Affairs; and Caroline B. Brancatella '07, Albany Chapter Co-Chair
Building on the law school’s capital connection
There’s a lot going on in Albany, which followers of New York State politics know all too well. As the state capital since 1797, for lawyers and others with a stake in state government, it’s the place to be.
But there’s also a substantial health care sector; a significant collection of colleges and universities; and most recently, a major push in the tech industry.
Against that backdrop, the Albany Chapter of the UB Law Alumni Association is making strides in bringing together law school alumni and in helping students and recent graduates to find a foothold in the tight-knit Albany legal community.
“As New York State’s law school – the only SUNY law school – it’s very important that we have a visible presence in the capital,” says Ilene Fleischmann, who as vice dean for alumni serves as executive director of the UB Law Alumni Association and guides its five regional chapters. “We have so many connections in Albany, including a close working relationship with the New York State Bar Association and alumni connections with the Court of Appeals.”
Albany Opportunities
If you’re a UB School of Law student who plans to be in Albany this summer, please be sure to let the Career Services Office know. They will connect you with our Albany alumni network.
law-careers@buffalo.edu
716-645-2056
The UB Law alumni chapter is making Buffalo’s presence known among the several hundred of our graduates living and working in the Capital District. The chapter is led by two alumnae who were good friends as members of the Class of 2007: Caroline Brancatella and Trish Sandison.
Brancatella, who is of counsel with the Albany office of Greenberg Traurig, focuses her practice on health care issues, including counseling clients on regulatory and compliance matters. She previously was counsel for a member of the state Assembly.
She sees the role of the alumni chapter as building connections among UB School of Law alums as well as opening doors for those who want to work in the region.
“Obviously, the alumni base in Buffalo and Rochester is extremely strong, because most of the lawyers in those cities went to UB,” Brancatella says. “Here, most of them went to Albany Law School or one of the downstate law schools. But there’s a substantial base of UB School of Law alums here, and we’re working very hard to bring them together.”
That work has included a well-attended lunch in November featuring Dean Aviva Abramovsky. “The dean asked questions of everyone, and it sparked a great conversation about what role an alumni group can play and how we can do things better,” Brancatella says. “She communicated to us her vision for the law school. That gave us a sense of ownership and vision that we might not otherwise have.”
The chapter helps people make connections, including students and new graduates. “Albany is all about networking,” Brancatella says. “It’s a company town, and the company is the state government. But the Capital Region is unique in terms of its legal opportunities, especially its entry-level opportunities. So many associations and unions are headquartered here; there’s a huge presence of the regulatory industry.
“Sometimes students don’t really understand all the legal opportunities that are out there, and we’re working to educate students about that. We want to better identify students who are coming to Albany and want to work in one of those Albany-specific fields.”
Sandison, her co-chair, is a partner with the Buffalo-based firm Hodgson Russ, where she advises nonprofit organizations on legal requirements and best practices in governance and operations. A native of the Capital Region, she returned to Albany in 2015.
“Our goal is to reinvigorate and expand the UB School of Law alumni network here,” Sandison says. “Albany is an interesting place – it’s the hub of New York State. People are constantly coming through here, and there are a lot of transplants who never really thought this is where they would land and don’t necessarily have ties here. So we want to help them make that connection, both veteran alums who have been in the Capital Region for decades and recent grads coming in. We want to be able to keep our finger on the pulse of who’s coming, and import them directly into the alumni association.”
She credits Dean Abramovsky with helping to build loyalties to the school 300 miles to the west. “The dean has been instrumental in restarting some excitement and momentum,” Sandison says. “She makes Albany a frequent stop now in her travels, and we’re trying to capitalize on that momentum.”