New Voices Among the JD Faculty

Visiting Assistant Professor of Law

On the horizon is another international voice, as Theophilus Edwin Coleman joins the faculty in January as a visiting assistant professor. A human rights specialist, Coleman holds a bachelor of laws degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and master of laws and doctor of laws degrees from the University of Johannesburg, where he is a senior postdoctoral research fellow.

Lecturer in Law

David Coombs brings an exceptional skill set from a 21-year career in the Army JAG Corps, where he worked as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney. He draws on that experience teaching Evidence in the JD program, and Military Justice as well as Criminal Procedure Investigation to both undergraduate and law students. Coombs most recently taught at Roger Williams School of Law in Rhode Island. He holds bachelor’s and JD degrees from the University of Idaho, and an LLM from the Judge Advocate General’s School.

Associate Professor of Law

A native of Columbia, Jorge Luis Fabra-Zamora earned a bachelor of laws degree from the Universidad de Cartagena before moving to Canada for master’s and doctoral degrees in philosophy from McMaster University. At the law school, he teaches Torts and Conflict of Laws. In keeping with his scholarly interest in legal philosophy, his recently published and co-edited book, Objectivity in Jurisprudence, Legal Interpretation and Practical Reasoning (Edward Elgar Publishing), gathers essays from scholars worldwide on the meaning of objectivity in the law.

Associate Professor of Law

John Harland Giammatteo comes to UB Law following a clinical teaching fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, master’s degrees from the University of London and London’s City University, a JD from Yale Law School, and an LLM from Georgetown. He also served two year-long clerkships for judges at the U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals levels. Giammatteo’s particular interest is in civil procedure, which he teaches, and the ways it affects the administration of justice.

Associate Professor of Law

Clayton Masterman’s background in economics offers a unique look at how our legal system functions. After his undergraduate work at Vassar College, he earned a JD and, concurrently, a PhD in Law and Economics from Vanderbilt University. His scholarship has explored the legal implications of public policy around opioid abuse, and the public health sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Masterman, who teaches Torts at the law school, served two yearlong clerkships for federal Court of Appeals judges, and has extensive experience in private practice.

Professor of Law

Tanya Monestier holds an LLM from the University of Cambridge in England and an LLB from Toronto’s Osgoode Hall Law School, in addition to her bachelor’s degree from York University in Toronto. Her teaching portfolio at UB Law includes courses in Contracts, Sales, and Transnational Litigation. Monestier came to Bufalo from Roger Williams School of Law. Her research interests center around issues of the law of jurisdiction in Canada and U.S. cases, and her law review articles have been widely cited, including by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Scholar at Risk

The School of Law’s global presence took another step forward this fall when Mihreteab Tsighe Taye joined the faculty as a lecturer.

Taye, a native of Ethiopia, came to UB through the university’s Scholars at Risk fellowship program, which provides a safe and supportive academic home to scholars who face threats in their country of origin.

“The risk of persecution in Ethiopia manifests in several ways,” Taye says. “Academics and researchers who address sensitive topics or expose human rights violations face threats to their personal safety and academic freedom. In the past two years, the risk of persecution has been deeply concerning, particularly regarding academics targeted based on their ethnicity.”

“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Taye join us,” says Professor James Wooten, vice dean for research and faculty development. “He is a gifted young scholar who has done highly regarded research on the creation and development of regional international courts in Africa. He also has expertise in international commercial law, criminal law and human rights law that will be welcome additions to our curricular offerings in these areas.”

Taye’s academic background includes a PhD in law from the Center of Excellence for International Courts (iCourts) at Copenhagen University, an LLM in international law from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a bachelor of laws degree from Addis Ababa University. Most recently he was a postdoctoral fellow and human rights researcher at New York University. At UB Law, he’ll teach courses this spring on international commercial arbitration and comparative regional human rights systems, and will continue his research into the workings of international courts.