Law Alumni Association Report

Creating opportunities in perpetuity

The UB Law Alumni Association, always a steadfast supporter of UB law students, has taken steps this year to ensure their support is everlasting.

Under the leadership of its 2023-24 president, Michael J. Hecker ’09, and current president Robert C. Brucato ’90, the association has significantly augmented its contributions to fund scholarships and other student-focused initiatives.

Among the ways the UBLAA has put its resources to work:

  • It established a $250,000 endowment to support UB Law Alumni Association Scholarships, which are awarded to first-year students and renewable for all three years.
  • It created a similar endowment of $100,000 to help fund the GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Group’s Scholarship.
  • It expanded its contributions to the school’s endowed Social Justice and Racial Equity Fund, which provides a summer fellowship for eligible law students.
  • And it made a substantial donation to help pay for bar prep support and incentives as part of the law school’s new Rally the Pass initiative, a comprehensive effort to ensure new graduates’ success on the New York State Bar Exam. “Our board was very interested in supporting that initiative,” Hecker says.
  • All of those investments came on top of the Law Alumni Association’s robust roster of events and activities, including CLE programs, social and networking events, mentoring activities and the annual gala presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Awards.

It makes a difference to have alumni so committed to the school’s continuing success. “The Law Alumni Association has been a steady partner to the law school for many decades,” says Dean S. Todd Brown. “The association’s generous contributions have enabled us to expand the level of student support we provide, contributing to significant improvements in our most recent placement and bar passage rates.”

Distinguished alumni awards recognize excellence and impact

May 8, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Buffalo

Established in 1963, the UB Law Alumni Association’s annual dinner for the presentation of its Distinguished Alumni Awards recognizes the valuable contributions made by UB Law graduates to their profession and their community.  This year, five outstanding graduates and one non-alum were recognized by their peers at the Association’s signature event.

Zoom image: View photos from the event. Honorees Left to Right: Hon. Henry J. Nowak ’93, John V. Elmore, Bruce Karpati ’96, Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders ’00, Erin M. Barclay ’98, Terrence M. Gilbride ’88.

For the Judiciary
Hon. Henry J. Nowak ’93 
 Associate Justice, New York State Supreme Court
Appellate Division, Fourth Department
 Buffalo, N.Y.

For Outstanding Service by a Non-Alum
John V. Elmore  
 Partner and Founder
Law Office of John V. Elmore, PC
 Buffalo, N.Y.

For Business
Bruce Karpati ’96 
 Partner and Global Chief Compliance Officer
KKR & Co., Inc.
 New York City

For Community Service
Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders ’00  
 Judge, New York State Court of Claims
 Buffalo, N.Y.

For PUBLIC SERVICE
Erin M. Barclay ’98 
 Acting Director
U.S. Department of State’s Office of Civil Rights
 Washington, D.C.

For Private Practice
Terrence M. Gilbride ’88  
 Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
Buffalo Bills LLC
 Buffalo, N.Y.