Lecturer Bernadette Gargano to receive Woman Lawyer of the Year award

Women Lawyers of Western New York (WLWNY) has chosen Bernadette Gargano Esq. as 2015 Woman Lawyer of the Year. Gargano, a Lecturer in Law at SUNY Buffalo Law School, is being honored because of her legal work, her civic engagement, and her commitment to diversity in the legal profession. The annual luncheon will take place at the Hyatt Buffalo on December 9. Gargano has spoken on panels throughout the country and in Europe on various topics related to social justice and social change.

Gargano is co-founder of the Federal Pro Se Assistance Program for the Western District of New York, which provides pro bono services to underrepresented communities. As the attending professor for this program, Gargano teaches an experiential learning practicum, manages students who assist volunteer attorneys, and practices as a volunteer attorney who advises pro se litigants. The program was awarded The Erie County Bar Association Justice Award in 2015.

Gargano has consistently promoted the practice of law among underrepresented groups, mentoring and tutoring Bennett High School Law Magnet students, serving as advisor to a student organization promoting rights for people with disabilities, and working with the Law School Admission Counsel to create and teach undergraduate courses encouraging passion for the law. She was part of the team that was honored by the New York Law Journal earlier this year for the Law School’s Diversity Initiative Project. The mentoring relationships she forms with students can last well beyond graduation.

“In law school, I would talk to Bernadette about how to pursue my passion for social justice without leaving Buffalo,” says former student, Rebecca Hoffman '10, an attorney at the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo. “When I started practicing at a private firm where there were no female partners in my group, having her as a mentor was invaluable.”

After graduating cum laude from Cornell Law School, Gargano served as a Confidential Law Clerk to the Hon. William M. Skretny in the WDNY, and has represented local and international businesses, entrepreneurs, and universities. She currently serves as general counsel, on a pro bono basis, to multiple women-owned businesses.

“Through my interaction with SUNY Buffalo law students, it’s clear she has a special impact on the women she teaches,” says Kim Colaiacovo '06, a board member for WLWNY and associate at Barclay Damon. “Her impressive work history and pro bono work both in federal court and in support of women-owned businesses make her an excellent Woman Lawyer of the Year.”

WLWNY is a non-profit whose members socialize, network, learn from each other, and support the community through scholarships and charitable endeavors. Founded in the early 1900s, WLWNY is the oldest women's legal organization in Western New York. Membership is open to lawyers and law students.