Five distinguished alumni join advisory council
Experience is a powerful teacher—and the Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) continues to harness that wisdom to help guide the law school as it prepares its students for the future of legal practice.
As its name implies, the DAC serves as a strategic sounding board for Dean S. Todd Brown, offering insight and advice across a broad spectrum of law school priorities. From curriculum and alumni engagement to public service, government relations, and administrative planning, the Council plays a vital role in shaping the school’s direction. While formal meetings take place twice a year, members remain actively engaged and available for informal consultation year-round.
“Our DAC members are essential partners in our mission,” says Dean Brown. “They bring a front-line view of the legal profession’s evolving demands. Their expertise helps us make informed decisions about how to best prepare our students and strengthen the education we provide.”
The newest additions to the Council bring unique perspectives from careers in private practice, public service and the judiciary. Their collective experience adds new energy to the DAC’s work.
Allison J. Tam ’97
“I am honored to join the Dean’s Advisory Council to support the dean and the law school,” says new member Allison J. Tam ’97, partner at Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in Manhattan. “I have a particular interest in UB law student recruitment initiatives in the New York City area. As a practitioner in New York, I have spent over 25 years mentoring and helping UB law students find opportunities in New York City. I look forward to my role on the Dean’s Advisory Council helping me further expand these efforts. I am also delighted to give back to the law school that provided me with a wonderful foundation for my legal career as well as introducing me to my husband.”
Hon. Trini E. Ross ’92
Hon. Trini E. Ross ’92, former US attorney for the WDNY, rejoins the council this year. “I am excited and honored to rejoin the Dean’s Advisory Council as an important way to serve and support UB Law School,” she says. “As a member of the DAC under three previous Deans, I understand the significance of this advisory role to support the Dean. I will use my knowledge, experience, and energy to ensure that UB Law remains a top law school, to guarantee the success of future UB Law graduates, and to continue to enhance the value of having obtained a UB Law degree."
Hon. Kathy J. King ’84
Also new to DAC this year is Hon. Kathy J. King ’84, New York State Supreme Court Justice for the Second Judicial District. “I am humbled and honored to return to UB Law as a member of the DAC 41 years after receiving my law degree,” says King. “As a first generation lawyer, UB Law has been instrumental in shaping my core values as a lawyer and judge committed to championing justice with professionalism, integrity, and compassion. I look forward to a tenure of enthusiastic service on the DAC as I contribute to the next generation of lawyers at UB Law.”
Additionally, two alumni will serve one-year terms on the Council as representatives of the law school’s alumni organizations. They are Patricia S. Ciccarelli ’93, partner and founding member of Schnitter Ciccarelli Mills PLLC in Buffalo, and president of the UB Law Alumni Association; and Marina A. Barci ’18, attorney at the Buffalo law firm of Kahana & Feld, LLP and president of the UB Law GOLD Group.
Patricia S. Ciccarelli ’93
Marina A. Barci ’18