New avenues to the New York experience
New York City has many of the most sophisticated legal practices in the world, and, by one estimate, over 175,000 lawyers work there. That means plenty of fascinating opportunities for UB Law graduates to explore in our nation’s largest legal market, and the law school continues to ramp up its efforts to help students and graduates find success in the Big Apple.
Chief among those initiatives, of course, is the law school’s signature New York City Program in Business and Law. Previously known as the New York City Program in Finance and Law, the new moniker more accurately reflects the program’s full scope. Students may learn from high-level practitioners not just in traditional financial topics, such as capital raising in public and private markets and the role of investment banks, but across a range of practices, which over the years have included asset management, banking (including syndication, distressed debt, and the like), central banking and monetary policy, commercial real estate, corporate governance, executive compensation, fund formation and operation, mergers and acquisitions, reorganization, securities regulation (especially in the crypto space), sports law, tax, and white collar crime.
Marc Alpert '86, of Loews Corp, advises students at a Plan Your Path panel presentation organized by Marc Davies '03 and the Career Services Office.
Dean S. Todd Brown, who will teach a session of the program in the coming spring semester, says the law school is focused on making it easier for students to take part. “The New York City Program has always been a jewel in our crown, creating pathways for our students who are interested in working in the City,” Brown says. “We want to make sure that the program is accessible to all our students. We are very focused on providing housing support to remove barriers to participation and increasing scholarships to attract more students from downstate to UB Law.”
Living in New York is expensive, acknowledges Professor David A. Westbrook, co-director of the New York City Program. “In the past,” he says, “students who didn’t have family in the City have sometimes been deterred by the cost of housing. So, the law school’s support for housing is really key to expanding who can participate in the program, and by extension, to expanding the school’s footprint downstate.” The law school is working with local organizations in New York City, including 92NY, to arrange affordable housing options for students. In addition, generous donor support to the program helps offset housing costs for students who need it.
“Since New York City is the epicenter of business finance and technology, the NYC program is designed to give law students an excellent opportunity to experience all that the city has to offer in terms of job opportunities,” says David E. Franasiak ’78, principal at Williams and Jensen, PLLC, and a longtime supporter of the program. “I have supported the program for decades and applaud the Dean for making this program a priority effort going forward.”
The New York City Program is just one of many ways the law school is forging inroads in the City for its students and alumni to expand its presence downstate, and to attract more future law students from that market. “We are, after all, the only law school in the SUNY system, and it is important that we serve the entire state,” says Westbrook. I think it is fantastic that the Career Services Office offers programming to help students get a handle on what it’s like to work in New York City, in a variety of practice areas.”
A recent “Plan Your Path” panel presentation featured Marc Alpert ’86, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Loews Corp.; Deborah Amponsah ’22, an associate attorney with Martin Clearwater & Bell; Giovanni Gaglianese ’23, a compliance officer with KKR (and a participant in the New York City Program as a student); Katherine Kio ’25, who worked as a summer associate with Weil Gotshal & Manges; and Prof. Westbrook.
The panelists encouraged the law students in attendance to build their professional networks and move forward with confidence.
“You have to be persistent,” said Alpert, who recalled one day during his own job search when the day’s mail brought 24 rejection letters. “Buffalo students tend to work harder...It only takes one job, and once you’re in, you’re in.”
And for Kio, who initially wasn’t thinking about practicing in New York City, a conversation with the Career Services Office expanded her horizons. “As we got talking,” she said, “the idea became, what do you want to do later on? You can do more for yourself the bigger you open yourself up. It’s this idea of building growth and opportunity for yourself.”