Whalen standing behind a podium and speaking into microphones at an indoor formal event. The podium is draped with a blue banner reading “University at Buffalo School of Law.” The setting includes warm lighting, draped curtains, and a wall mounted light fixture, suggesting a ceremonial or academic event.].

Appellate division’s presiding justice will address new graduates at Commencement

A well-known and highly respected jurist who has presided over the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, Fourth Department for over a decade, will serve as the keynote speaker as UB School of Law gathers for its 137th Commencement ceremony.

Hon. Gerald J. Whalen ’83, who has served in the Appellate Division since 2012 and was appointed its presiding justice in 2016, will address graduates and their families during the ceremony, to be held Sunday, May 17, at UB’s Center for the Arts on the North Campus. The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

“I was honored to be asked by Dean [S. Todd] Brown to make remarks at this year’s Commencement event,” Whalen says. “I have taken part in the procession in the past, and watching the new generation of bright and energetic future lawyers receive their diplomas always leaves me feeling confident that our profession will be in good hands. It is my hope that my small contribution as a speaker will add to what is sure to be a wonderful day for the candidates and their families.”

Event Details

137th Commencement Ceremony
 Sunday, May 17
1:00 p.m., Center for the Arts
University at Buffalo (North Campus)

Event Details

137th Commencement Ceremony
 Sunday, May 17
1:00 p.m., Center for the Arts
University at Buffalo (North Campus)

Before taking the bench, Justice Whalen was in private practice for 21 years, handling complex civil and criminal cases, including as a litigation partner with Hiscock & Barclay LLP, where he was also the firm’s associate and hiring partner for its Buffalo office. He was first elected as a New York State Supreme Court justice for the Eighth Judicial District in 2005.

Justice Whalen’s service to the legal profession is extensive. In 2012, he served as president of the Supreme Court Justices Association for the Eighth Judicial District, and he served from 2002 through 2012 on the Committee on Character and Fitness for the same district. He also has taught as an adjunct professor at Canisius College (now University) and was a member of the Canisius Pre-Law Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2014. In addition, he has lectured at UB School of Law on constitutional law topics and is a frequent speaker at New York State and local bar association events.

In the community, he was a member of the Judge John D. Hillery Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships for children in need, and was named the foundation’s Man of the Year in 1997. His professional work has been recognized many times: as Trial Lawyer of the Year by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, in 2012; with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for the Judiciary from the Law Alumni Association in 2017; and most recently with the New York State Bar Association’s Vincent E. Doyle Jr. Award for Outstanding Judicial Contribution in the Criminal Justice System, conferred this year.

Eldridge wearing a blue suit jacket, light blue dress shirt, and pink patterned tie stands indoors in a modern building with glass walls. The background shows a softly blurred interior with natural light and architectural details, suggesting a professional or institutional setting.

Sean C. Eldridge ’10

During the Commencement ceremony, the celebrated Ken Joyce Excellence in Teaching Award will be presented to Sean C. Eldridge ’10, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. As an adjunct faculty member at UB Law, Eldridge teaches courses including Federal Court Practice and Procedure, and Persuasive Legal Writing.

Eldridge also regularly judges at the law school’s annual Herbert Wechsler National Criminal Moot Court Competition and its Charles S. Desmond Moot Court Competition, and he

serves as an appellate brief grader and oral argument judge for the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

In his professional role, Eldridge conducts first-chair criminal trial and appellate litigation on behalf of the United States in the Western District and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He previously served as legal counsel to the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section in Washington, D.C., and before that, served as law clerk and special counsel to then-Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr.

Beane wearing a blue suit jacket, light blue dress shirt, and pink patterned tie stands indoors in a modern building with glass walls. The background shows a softly blurred interior with natural light and architectural details, suggesting a professional or institutional setting.

Jonathan S. Beane ’98

Also at this years’s Commencement ceremony, UB will confer an honorary degree upon Jonathan S. Beane ’98, senior vice president for league leadership and inclusion with the National Football League.

Beane graduated from UB in 1998 with both J.D. and MBA degrees. He has served in his current role with the NFL since 2020, spearheading the League’s diversity and inclusion strategy and implementation. His initiatives include enhancement of the Rooney Rule, which mandates interviewing diverse candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs, and the establishment of the NFL’s first-ever diversity and inclusion report, which tracks and shares the league’s progress on its DEI goals. In 2025, Beane began overseeing talent development efforts at the league as well. Before joining the NFL, he was the senior vice president of global diversity and inclusion for 21st Century Fox.

An active member of the UB community, Beane serves on the law school’s Dean’s Advisory Council and the UB Foundation’s Stewardship Committee.

Person wearing a gray blazer over a dark top stands against a plain gray studio background. The individual is wearing a necklace and small earrings, and the image is tightly cropped at the shoulders, presenting a professional portrait style.

Patricia Ciccarelli ’93

Person standing indoors with hands clasped, wearing a blue sweater and dark pants. The individual stands in front of a blue wall display featuring the text “University at Buffalo School of Law” and a UB logo. Wood paneling and a counter are visible on either side, suggesting a professional or academic setting.

Naomi Goni '26

New graduates will also be greeted at the Commencement ceremony with remarks by Patricia Ciccarelli ’93, president of the UB Law Alumni Association and a founding member of Schnitter Ciccarelli Mills PLLC in Buffalo. Graduating law student Naomi Goni is this year’s student speaker. Goni, who holds master’s degrees in social work and public health, was inspired to go to law school by her experience counseling survivors of human trafficking in a safe house.