State Sen. Mary Lou Rath, who represents New York's 60th senatorial district, will receive the Aaron N. Block Memorial Award "for outstanding service to the community by a non-alumnus." A graduate of Buffalo State College, she was elected to the Erie County Legislature in 1978 and the state Senate in 1994. She serves as chair of the Senate's Committee on Local Government and chair of the Administrative Regulations Review Commission.

In addition, a special award will be given to Barry Boyer, who is stepping down after six years of service as dean.

Awards will be presented to:

- The Hon. Paul L. Friedman, '68, U.S. district judge for the District of Columbia, who will be honored "for his conscientious and diligent performance in the judiciary." Nominated to the bench by President Clinton in 1994, he ordered the Rose Law Firm of Little Rock-where Hillary Clinton was a partner while President Clinton was Arkansas governor-to give the inspector general of the Resolution Trust Corp. a list of its clients dating to 1985. As an attorney, Friedman was one of five deputies to Lawrence E. Walsh, special prosecutor in the Iran-contra affair.

- Peter J. Fiorella, Jr., '63, senior partner with Fiorella, Palmer & Zakia, who will receive an award "for his leadership by example as a private practitioner." A specialist in matrimonial law, he is vice chair of the Western New York Matrimonial Trial Lawyers, past president of the UB Law Alumni Association and co-chair of the Erie County Democratic Party Judicial Screening Committee. He also received a bachelor's degree from UB.

- George M. Hezel, '73, UB clinical associate professor of law and director of the law school's Affordable Housing Clinic, who will be honored "for his commitment to public service." Hezel co-teaches courses in affordable housing transactions and community development law and has received public service awards from Niagara University and Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME). A graduate of Fordham University, he is a judge in the Town of Aurora.

- Paul C. Weaver, '61, a partner with the firm of Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel LLP, who will receive an award "for his many contributions to the betterment of our community." A specialist in business and corporate law, he has been an active member of the New York State Bar Association's Business Law Section for 29 years, is a member of the state bar association's House of Delegates and serves on two New York Office of Court Administration task forces. He is a past president of the UB Law Alumni Association.

- Michael A. Amico, '58, a co-founder and chair of the board of Valu Improvement Home Centers, Inc., will receive an award "for his exemplary achievement in business." He is chair of the board, president and chief executive officer of Orchard Park Distributors; chair of the board of directors of Arena Distributors Inc., and vice chair of the board of directors of JMA Distributors Inc. and Dick Urban Distributors Inc. He also is a former sheriff of Erie County and a leading authority on organized crime.