Alumni – FORUM

Celebrating Excellence in Public Service: 20th Annual Exemplary Public Service Awards

Cornell Law School students, alumni, faculty, and staff gathered on February 27, 2025, to honor outstanding contributions to public service at the 20th Annual Exemplary Public Service Awards ceremony. Hosted by Akua Akyea, associate dean of career development, the event highlighted individuals whose work exemplifies the highest ideals of justice, advocacy, and service to the community.

Dean Ohlin, the Allan R. Tessler Dean and Professor of Law, delivered an inspiring address, emphasizing that justice requires both fair outcomes and fair processes:

“When Ezra Cornell founded this university, he envisioned an institution that would ‘do the greatest good.’ That principle has never been more relevant than today. ‘To do the greatest good’ is not merely an aspiration—it’s a duty.”

Drawing on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s framed quote from Deuteronomy 16—‘Justice, justice you shall pursue’, Ohlin reflected:

“Why does the word justice appear twice? Because it is not enough to get the right result; we must also have a just process to achieve it.”

He concluded by commending the award recipients: “The arc of history bends toward justice, but bending it requires human agency—it requires you.”

Cornell Law School professors in the Experiential Learning Program pose with Barry Strom ’74 (center), a clinical professor from 1975 to 2011 and namesake of the Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award

Following his speech, Dean Ohlin introduced Professor Rachel Goldberg, chair of the Public Service Faculty Committee, who further reinforced Cornell Law’s dedication to public service.

Honoring Alumni Commitment to Justice

Clinical Professor Rachel T. Goldberg, chair of the Public Service Faculty Committee

SIX EXCEPTIONAL ALUMNI RECEIVED PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS FOR THEIR TIRELESS ADVOCACY:

Arturo Castellanos-Canales (LL.M. ’17, J.S.D ’20) has championed immigrant rights as policy and advocacy manager at the National Immigrationm Forum. His extensive policy work and advocacy efforts have influenced national discussions on immigration reform.

Allison A. Franz ’21 is a dedicated staff attorney at Justice 360, representing death row inmates and juveniles facing life without parole. She has led training programs for public defenders and fought against systemic injustices in South Carolina’s parole system.

Julie B. Friedman ’93 has spent over three decades advocating for individuals with disabilities through the Mental Hygiene Legal Service, shaping legal protections for vulnerable populations.

The Hon. Ellen M. Yacknin ’77 has served as an acting Monroe County court judge and was instrumental in securing a landmark $12 million settlement for Attica uprising survivors. She also founded the Rochester Human Trafficking Intervention Court.

PRO BONO AND CLINICAL TEACHING RECOGNITIONS

Scott O’Connell ’91 was honored for his exceptional pro bono service in the private sector.

Professor Paul D. Bennett ’76 received the Barry Strom Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award for his pioneering work in clinical legal education, particularly in child and family law and veterans’ advocacy.

STUDENT AWARDS CELEBRATE RISING ADVOCATES

Several outstanding students were recognized for their dedication to public service:

FREEMAN AWARD FOR CIVIL-HUMAN RIGHTS:

Rodrigo Tojo Garcia ’25, Griffin Perrault ’25, and Allayne Thomasm ’25 were honored for their extensive work in immigration advocacy, human rights litigation, and criminal justice reform.

SEYMOUR HERZOG MEMORIAL PRIZE:

Cormac Frank-Collins ’25 and Angela Pan ’25 were awarded for their contributions to international human rights law and environmental justice.

STANLEY E. GOULD PRIZE FOR PUBLIC INTEREST LAW:

Angelo D’Ercole ’25 and Sarah Stevenson-Peck ’25 were celebrated for their advocacy in capital defense, criminal justice reform, and prison education programs.

Student Public Service Award winners, all of whom are J.D. candidates for the Class of 2025, (L to R) Oliver Wang, Griffin Perrault, Allayne Thomas, Cormac Frank-Collins, Shay Storz, Sarah Stevenson-Peck, Angela Pan, Rodrigo Tojo Garcia, and Angelo D’Ercole

Akua Akyea, associate dean of career development

ADDITIONAL RECOGNITIONS:

Shay Storz ’25 and Oliver Wang ’25 were commended for their dedication to LGBTQ+ rights, tenant advocacy, and legal education.

Dean Ohlin left the audience with a powerful reminder:

“As Justice Sonia Sotomayor once said, ‘The greatest threat to justice is indifference.’ I see no indifference in this room tonight. Justice happens one case, one client, one person at a time.”

The evening was a resounding celebration of legal excellence, public service, and the profound impact of Cornell Law alumni, students, and faculty in shaping a more just world.

Macht Haran & Williams. Admitted prospective students also attended the event.

“It’s just a great opportunity for everybody to come together,” noted Michael Wright ’94, president of the Cornell Law School Alumni Association Board. “People are coming in from all over, which makes for a great, diversified event. . . . We all started in a very small, close knit law school, and we branched out all over the country.”

New York Annual Alumni Luncheon Highlights Cornell Law Clinical Program

On January 30, 2025, a panel of clinical professors and students spoke about the impactful work of the Cornell Law clinical program to around 100 attendees of the New York Annual Luncheon.

“As we reflect on the transformative experiences that define a Cornell legal education, it is important to recognize the central role that hands-onlearning through our clinical programs plays in shaping our students into practice-ready lawyers and leaders,” said Dean Ohlin during opening remarks. “The caliber of our students and the excellence of our clinical programs are made possible by the commitment of alumni and friends like you.”

Some of those alumni and friends included the event’s sponsors, Foley & Lardner, A&O Shearman, Cravath, Paul Hastings, Proskauer, Skadden, Urban American, and Walden.

Real-World Impact

Beth Lyon, associate dean for experiential education, moderated the panel discussion on “Empowering Justice: Real- World Impact through Cornell Law’s Experiential Clinics and Practicums,” featuring three of Cornell Law’s fifteen clinics and thirteen practicums. Students and clinical faculty from the Veterans Law Practicum, First Amendment Clinic, and Asylum and Convention Against Torture Appellate Clinic (“ACAT Appellate Clinic”) spoke.

For clinic students like Evan Deakin ’25, Peter Burke ’25, and Aziz Ali ’26, who spoke on the panel, clinics are often the first opportunity to work with clients and apply what they learned in class.

“My experience in the asylum clinic was the highlight of my law school education,” Burke said in an interview after the event. “It was such impactful work. . . . It was my first-ever client in real life, and it was quite an amazing experience, because asylum work is such impactful work, and can be very sensitive in terms of the facts involved. It was really like getting thrown into the deep end with having to communicate with a client who’s in a detention facility and communicate with [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] in order to get him things that he needs.”

Deakin, a student in the First Amendment Clinic, spoke on the panel about his work with a newspaper that lost its designation as an official county paper, which provides important advertising revenue for publishing legal notices, after it published unfavorable coverage of the local government. According to Deakin, “I’ve stayed with the First Amendment Clinic for four semesters because I think it’s the most important thing that I’m doing in law school to prepare me for my future practice.”

Deakin’s advisor is Mark Jackson ’85, director of the First Amendment Clinic. Before founding the clinic, Jackson worked on First Amendment and other media issues for decades in private practice and in house for media companies including Dow Jones. “As an alumnus, I am proud that Cornell Law School is supporting these clinics in their important work, and I think other alumni should hear that and hopefully find ways to be supportive of that effort,” said Jackson.

Estelle McKee, clinical professor of law and co-director of the Asylum Clinic, and James Hardwick, adjunct professor and supervising attorney for the Veterans Law Practicum, rounded out the panel.

Supporting Future Cornell Lawyers

Support for the school and clinical programs is multifaceted, Jackson noted. “Part of my message to the alumni group was, ‘Look at all the great work we’re doing. We’re having an impact on the free speech field. We’re having an impact on the local journalism field in a real way. And if you wanted to help us, think about co-counseling with us on a matter,’” he said.

Prospective and current students also benefit from meeting alumni at the luncheon and other events. Third-year student Burke said, “When you interact with the broader alumni community, you see that there’s a lot of different interesting ways that your career can go and different things that you can do with your career and that you shouldn’t be so closed off to those opportunities. . . . Just having those human relationships can be important, and I think are important for sustaining the quality of the education at the school, especially things like the clinical program.”

A panel of clinical professors and students spoke about the impactful work of Cornell Law’s clinical program

Cornell Law Women’s Summit Addresses Leadership and Making Bold Moves

The second Cornell Law Women’s Summit, held March 7, 2025, at the Washington, D.C., office of Mayer Brown, highlighted the leadership of alumni in a range of positions and discussed leading through change and crisis.

The summit focused on the theme of “Women in Leadership: Leaning In, Out, and Through.” In opening remarks, Dean Ohlin outlined the history of women at Cornell Law since the first woman, Mary Kennedy Brown, graduated in 1893.

“The history of women at Cornell Law School, I should point out, is still being written,” said Ohlin. “It’s being written by the people gathered here today and scattered across the country. It’s being written by the record number of women attending Cornell Law School and the record number of women assuming leadership roles.”

Challenging Perceptions

During a panel on “Leading Through Change and Crisis,” speakers considered how they have dealt with past crises and what they’re doing as they face current changes as female leaders. Moderated by Margaret Bae, J.D./M.B.A. ’04, partner at Dorsey & Whitney, the panelists shared about instances in which they or their colleagues were subject to stereotypes, like being mistaken for the court reporter or being in conversations in which colleagues disparage other female leaders.

The group also delved into the recent, highly publicized backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including President Trump’s executive order signed his first day in office rolling back DEI in federal agencies and funding. Panelists urged listeners to be thoughtful rather than reactionary in the face of changes like these.

“The executive order did nothing to change the underlying federal employment laws,” noted Jenny Champlin ’02, global DEI strategy and alignment leader for GE Vernova. “It did not introduce any legal requirements. It did not say that private employers or any of these other organizations could not have DEI programs or practices, but it was big and ambiguous enough, inviting federal agencies to target employers or companies, that many organizations are starting to shrink in upon themselves. I think what you’re going to see primarily is commitment to internal programs, but some tweaks, potentially, depending on how the programs were designed, and a lot less conversation externally around what organizations are doing.”

Addressing the idea of the “diversity hire,” Maria Fernandez ’92, New York State deputy secretary of education, questioned the biases of any perceived lack of qualification. “What has often driven me as a leader, especially as a woman of color, is to question a person’s perceptions of a diverse employee,” she said. “And if someone is not viewed as ‘ready,’ which can be a result of conscious or unconscious bias, then to really probe the perception by asking, ‘What is it that they’re missing? How do we get them that experience? How do we get them that exposure?’ Because oftentimes, what they’re missing is just that the person has never looked at them clearly, objectively, and is afraid to do something that is viewed as a ‘stretch’ for an employee that is a woman or a person of color, because of, again, the biases and stereotypes. Even if still viewed as not “ready” then how do we facilitate getting them there?”

Erin Koeppel ’00, managing director of the Government Relations and Public Policy Counsel of the Certified Financial Planner Board, rounded out the panel.

Making Bold Moves

Keynote speaker Kelly Mahon Tullier ’92, vice chair and chief people and corporate affairs officer for Visa, encouraged the audience to lead with a balance of hard work and bold moves, but also heart. She told listeners how she took chances on career opportunities, starting out in intellectual property practice with a firm, to general counsel positions, and then to a non-attorney position with Visa that touches every aspect of the employee experience.

“I really do believe that you cannot achieve your full potential without making some bold moves, without taking some risk in your career, without putting yourself out there,” Mahon Tullier said. “And when you do that, that’s where the growth comes.”

Bookending those two sessions, the day began and ended with panels on leadership at different career stages. First, Jacquie Duval ’92, partner at Perkins Coie, and Stacy Walsh ’00, assistant vice president of corporate legal operations for the Travelers Companies, talked about what they’ve learned about leadership from Cornell Law to various phases of their careers. Duval and Walsh are the past president and president, respectively, of the Cornell Law School Women’s Alliance, formerly known as the Mary Kennedy Brown Society. According to Walsh, she attended Cornell Law in part because of its proximity to Seneca Falls, New York, the epicenter of the women’s suffrage movement.

Walsh identified empathy, optimism, and trust as her pillars of leadership. “I know in my heart that that’s what I like to see in a leader, and what I really, really try to do. And at the end of the day, if you do that— empathy and optimism—you get trust, and trust is the foundation of every single well- or even high-functioning team.”

While Duval and Walsh noted the importance of seizing opportunities and saying yes to work opportunities, they encouraged attendees to be selective and say no to optional activities. “You can’t make everyone happy,” Duval said, quoting a message posted in her office. “You’re not tacos.”

The final panel of the day, “Building Your Leadership Chops,” featured alumnae Natalya Johnson ’10, senior counsel for Johnson & Johnson, along with panelists Nora Ali ’15, associate managing counsel for litigation at Adobe; Monica Harris ’12, vice president and assistant general counsel for JPMorgan Chase; and Jennifer Chu, M.B.A. ’19/J.D. ’20, associate at White & Case.

Natalya Johnson ’10 at the podium for the “Building Your Leadership Chops” panel

The panelists discussed leadership across spheres, including work, work-adjacent activities like bar association activity, and in the community. Speakers encouraged junior and mid-level attorneys to take initiative and speak up during meetings. “Sometimes you wear different hats on different days, but when that day comes where it’s your time to kind of take charge and be bold, don’t be afraid to do it,” said Harris.

Following the event, sponsored by Arnold & Porter, Dechert, Dorsey & Whitney, Mayer Brown, Morrison Foerster, and Perkins Coie, participants transitioned into a networking reception. The next day, the Cornell Law School Women’s Alliance partnered with Dress for Success Washington, D.C., for a “Cornell Community Cares Project.” As part of the initiative, alliance members participated in the Dress for Success program, serving as panelists for a presentation titled “Building a Legacy: Women’s Role in Economic Empowerment and Community Change.” Members of the Cornell Law School community also donated professional clothing items for the cause. “It was a nice way to cap off the Women’s Summit 2025 by giving back to the community the Cornell way,” said Kristine Hoffmeister, director of alumni affairs.

Mosaic Mixer 2025

On January 31, 2025, over one hundred alumni, students, faculty, and staff gathered in New York City to celebrate Cornell Law School’s strong commitment to diversity at the Annual Cornell Law School Alumni and Student Mosaic Mixer. Before the mixer, alumni organized a panel discussion titled “Navigating Workplace Unwritten Rules” for the students who traveled to the city for the event. The panelists shared valuable advice on the “do’s and don’ts” that can make or break the early stages of a law career—insights not typically covered in law school. Following the engaging Q&A session, the panelists and students joined the rest of the alumni, faculty, and staff for an evening of networking and socializing. A special thanks to David Furman ’86 and Andrew Kaplan ’11, who hosted the event at Gibson Dunn.

Cornell Law School Alumni International Gatherings

Cornell International Alumni Network 2025 Law School Chinese New Year Forum: A Recap and Outlook

On January 12, 2025, the China Chapter of the Cornell International Lawyers Alumni Network (CILAN) successfully held the “CILAN2025 Law School Chinese New Year Forum Review and Outlook” at the Cornell China Center, which co-sponsored the event. With over fifty alumni in attendance, the event became a significant gathering for the Cornell Law School community in China. The event was organized and sponsored by Annie (Guohua) Wu ’01, head of the CILAN China Chapter.

Panel discussions focused on the rapid changes and developments in the legal market in China, leaving a deep impression on the attendees.

The CILAN 2025 Law School Chinese New Year Forum was a grand success. It provided a platform for alumni to come together, share knowledge, and discuss the future of the legal profession in China. As the new year unfolds, the insights and connections gained from this forum will surely continue to benefit the Cornell Law School community in China.

Cornell Law Alumni Gather in New Delhi

(From left to right): Aishwarya Chaturvedi (LL.M. Class of 2021), Devyani Gupta (LL.M. Class of 2017), Girija Vyas (LL.M. Class of 1999) & Vikrant Pachnanda (LL.M. Class of 2014).

An engaging discussion on education and economic development in the digital age took place on February 28, 2025, at Le Méridien Hotel in New Delhi. The event featured Interim Cornell University President Michael I. Kotlikoff and Professor Kaushik Basu, Carl Marks Co-Professor of International Studies and Economics. Several Cornell Law School alumni were in attendance.