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Menin to deliver NY Law School commencement address
City Council Speaker Julie Menin will have the honor of speaking to the graduating class of 2026 and their families at the New York Law School’s 134th commencement ceremony next month.
Menin will address the graduates during the ceremony scheduled to take place on May 18 at the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. The New York Law School is graduating 316 total candidates this year.
“It’s an honor to join New York Law School’s commencement and celebrate a new generation of graduates who are ready to lead,” said Menin. “New York has always been shaped by those willing to step up and serve, and I look forward to encouraging these students to bring their talents and values to the work of strengthening our city and our democracy.”
In recognition of her accomplishments and becoming the City Council’s highest-ranking official, Menin will receive an honorary doctorate from the New York Law School, which has through the years seen its graduates go on to serve in elected posts around the city, including several mayors.
“We are honored that City Council Speaker Julie Menin will join ‘New York’s’ law school and speak to our graduates,” said Anthony W. Crowell, dean and president of the New York Law School. “From helping rebuild our school’s lower Manhattan and Tribeca neighborhood after 9/11, to directing the City’s 2020 census efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading two City agencies and now leading the City Council, she has an inspiring story and unmatched set of experiences to share with our students.”
In recent years, NYLS commencement speakers have included Gov. Kathy Hochul, TV Icon Judge Judy Sheindlin ’65, then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the Emmy Award-winning co-creator of “Making a Murderer” Laura Ricciardi ’96, former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), and the late Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Robert A. Katzmann.
Several NYC lawyers to receive NYS Bar awards for pro bono service
Among the NYC winners of the Pro Bono Awards is Jeffrey Xu, Manhattan, a partner in Morrison Foerster’s finance group.
A number of New York City lawyers will be feted this Friday in Albany as the New York Bar Association presents its 35th annual Pro Bono Service Awards on Law Day.
The awards recognize barristers “who have made an exceptional commitment to serving the public,” according to the association. The group particularly recognizes attorneys who volunteer their time and expertise to serve people in need, such as survivors of domestic violence, tenants trying to remain in their homes, and immigrants facing deportation.
“The Law Day theme this year is ‘The Rule of Law and the American Dream,’ which speaks to our core mission to promote equal justice,” said New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet. “On Law Day we recognize attorneys who take on cases for the neediest clients. Lawyers from Buffalo to Albany and the North Country to New York City are contributing countless pro bono hours to New Yorkers in need.”
Among the NYC winners of the Pro Bono Awards is Jeffrey Xu, Manhattan, a partner in Morrison Foerster’s finance group advising financial institutions and other companies on a broad range of financing transactions. In addition to his practice, Xu assists elderly and low-income New Yorkers in preparing essential life-planning documents.
Mark Reinharz of the Bronx will also receive a Pro Bono Award. He practiced labor and employment law for 40 years on behalf of management and local governments. In retirement, he volunteers with Mobilization for Justice, counseling individuals on all aspects of labor law, including wage discrimination, paid leave, and unemployment benefits.
Charles DeStefano of Staten Island is being recognized for his pro bono work in preparing Last Wills and Testaments for terminally ill patients and staffing the Legal Help Desks set up at community events.
Matthew Chachere will receive the Senior Attorney Pro Bono Award. He currently serves as a volunteer emeritus attorney with Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Legal Services in Washington Heights.
Daniel Bugingo, a third-year law student at Columbia School of Law, will receive the Pro Bono Award for Law Student. He is using his background in computer science and math to build new computerized workflows for uncontested divorces in the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York.
For more information, visit nysba.org.
Veteran prosecutor joins AWKO firm helping domestic violence survivors
Kathleen Devlin previously served more than 12 years at the Rockland County District Attorney’s office
A veteran prosecutor recently joined AWK Survivor Advocate Attorneys (AWKO) to help victims of domestic violence and trauma achieve justice.
Kathleen Devlin previously served more than 12 years at the Rockland County District Attorney’s office, where she led up its Special Victims Unit. In that role, she supervised attorneys, trained law enforcement and victim advocates on trauma-informed interviewing, and helped establish an Internet Crimes Against Children Unit in partnership with the New York State Police.
Devlin obtained her Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law in 2013 and her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Northeastern University in 2009. She is currently a member of the New York State Bar Association, as well as the Women’s Bar Associations of Westchester and Rockland Counties.
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