New alumni leaders join the Dean’s Advisory Council
Four new members and one returning member have joined the advisory body that provides critical guidance and support to law school leadership. The Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC) welcomed its newest additions at its spring meeting, all well-respected leaders in the legal community, and active and supportive alumni.
DAC members advise Interim Dean S. Todd Brown on a wide range of policies and plans for the law school. These include guidance on curriculum, development, alumni relations, governmental relations, diversity initiatives, public service, and administrative matters. The council meets formally twice a year, but members make themselves available for informal consultations as needed.
“It’s been a pleasure meeting with the Council this past year,” says Dean Brown. “DAC members provide insight on the evolving needs of the legal profession and that is critical to our planning processes. It informs how we can best prepare our students for practice. I am grateful for their counsel and support.”
The most recent voices added to the Council bring a wide range of experience in both private practice and public service.
H. Todd Bullard ’87 is a member of Harris Beach LLP in Rochester, N.Y. where he advises organizations on commercial contracts and procurements and represents counties, cities, legislatures, school districts, local development corporations and public authorities in litigation defense. He also provides outside general counsel services related to operational matters and leads the firm’s diversity compliance legal team.
‘’I am excited to return to the DAC and contribute to building a strong UB Law for generations to come. It is gratifying to reconnect with alumni whom I haven’t seen for many years. I am very pleased to return to be of service.”
John P. Comerford ’95 is a senior partner at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC in Buffalo, a personal injury law firm focused on mesothelioma and catastrophic injury cases. Over the course of his career, Comerford has helped hundreds of people recover financial awards for injuries, obtaining several multi-million-dollar verdicts for his clients. He is also accredited to present and prosecute claims for veterans’ benefits before the Department of Veteran Affairs.
“I am so excited and humbled to join the DAC. I have spent nearly three decades working on cases for clients with terminal cancer caused by corporate malfeasance and indifference. I hope my role on the DAC will give a voice to those in the shadows of society that have been disenfranchised for far too long. I will work in earnest with my DAC members to shape policy that opens doors for young attorneys who share such a mission statement."
Hon. Michael M. Mohun ’80, retired Wyoming County Court judge, presided over the Wyoming County Treatment Court in Warsaw N.Y. for many years, a re-entry initiative that assists defendants who require treatment or help with drug addictions or other issues. He also previously served as an acting New York State Supreme Court justice for the 8th Judicial District, a town justice for the Town of Bennington, and chairman of the Attorney Grievance Committee for the 8th Judicial District.
"If I had not been accepted by the Law School, I would not have been able to afford a legal education anywhere else. My debt of gratitude to the UB School of Law is profound. To serve on the Dean's Advisory Council gives me an opportunity to begin to repay the debt.”
Neil A. Pawlowski ’10 is a founding partner at Duggan & Pawlowski LLP in Buffalo where he represents clients in both residential and commercial real estate transactions including purchases and sales, title examinations, foreclosures, mortgage lending, leasing, and landlord/tenant law. From 2015 through 2021, he was listed as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Real Estate Law, an honor bestowed to only 2.5% of attorneys in Upstate New York each year.
“I am honored to join the Dean’s Advisory Council to support the dean and the law school in the fulfillment of its mission. I am hoping that my service will be an effective avenue to be able to give back to the law school and to help ensure that both current and future students receive the best possible legal education that the law school can offer. I am also excited to bring diverse experiences to the Council as a small firm owner and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Kathi S. Westcott ’94 is deputy general counsel and senior director of legal affairs at The Pew Charitable Trusts where she is responsible for overseeing the provision of legal assistance to all program areas across Pew and its government relations functions. Prior to joining Pew, she was senior counsel for the American Association of University Professors and she has worked for several national non-profit organizations as well as the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“I am honored to have been asked to join the DAC in support of the dean and the law school community. My experience at UB Law was incredibly pivotal to my life and career. In addition to the excellent course work I received, the clinical programs and extracurricular opportunities the school offered solidified my desire to become a nonprofit lawyer. My hope is that serving on the DAC allows me to give back to UB Law and to support the upcoming generations of attorneys dedicated to advocating for the underserved and bettering our society.”