Law Students Receive Commencement Awards

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo Law School students received honors and awards at the school's 117th commencement ceremony held on May 20.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York system. UB's more than 27,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. The university offers the only degrees in law, pharmacy and architecture in the SUNY system, and is the home of the only comprehensive public school of engineering in New York State.

The award recipients are:

• Elizabeth M. Fox-Solomon of Delmar, the Max Koren Award, given to the graduate who exemplifies the highest standards of the profession by virtue of scholastic achievement, leadership and dedication to the ideals of the law. Fox-Solomon also received the Harry A. Rachlin Prize in Real Property Law and Real Estate Transactions Award.

• Geoffrey Adam Kaeuper of Rochester, the John N. Bennett Achievement Award for the highest scholastic achievement in the graduating class. Kaeuper also received the Judge Matthew J. Jasen Appellate Practice Award for appellate advocacy and was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Michael D. Mann of Woodmere, the Dale S. Margulis Award for having contributed the most to the Law School and the community. Mann also received the UB Law Alumni Association GOLD Group Award for leadership and excellence, and the New York State Bar Association Law Student Bar Association/Law Student Bar Association Achievement Award. In

addition, he was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Nicole E. Bayly-Henshaw of Scottsville, the Birzon Prize in Clinical Legal Studies. Bayly-Henshaw also received a Law Faculty Award, presented to graduating seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the Law School community.

• Renee M. Root of East Amherst, the American Bankruptcy Institute Medal.

• Sara Louise Couch of Williamsville, Dianne Andrea Thoben of Buffalo and Dennis J. Wiley of Syosset, the American Bar Association and the Bureau of National Affairs Award for Health Law. Thoben also received the Ryan J. Mullins Award for criminal law and a Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award. Wiley received a Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award. Couch also received the Activist's Gavel Award for progressive politics, government accountability and social activism.

• Robert Charles Atkinson of Buffalo and Jodi Anne Reynolds of Amherst, the American Bar Association and the Bureau of National Affairs Award for Intellectual Property Law.

• Kimberly Arnold Colaiacovo of Kenmore, Keith Jared Gross of Glen Head and Ryan Keith Micklus of Amherst, the American Bar Association and the Bureau of National Affairs Award for Labor and Employment Law. Micklus also received the Adolf Homburger Law Alumni Association Award for civil procedure. Gross also received a Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award and was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Jonathan James Bevilacqua of East Amherst, the Charles Dautch Award for real property.

• Jennifer G. Flannery of Buffalo, the Professor Louis DelCotto Award for taxation. Flannery also received a Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award.

• Rekha Trivikram of Grand Island, the Maurice Frey Award for family law.

• Kevin Joseph Mulvehill of Pittsford, the Edith and David Goldstein Award for debtor-creditor and bankruptcy law.

• Fan Zhang of Amherst, the Tom Headrick "Trees and Forest" Award for corporate finance.

• Teresa N. Chen of Jackson Heights, the David Kochery Award for service to the student community and courses in procedures and remedies.

• Enam Hoque of Buffalo, the Laidlaw Law Alumni Association Award for commercial law. Hoque also was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Bryan Philip Fauci of East Meadow, the Moot Evidence Award.

• Nicole Marie Stolba of Lockport, the Albert R. Mugel Award for future interests and estate planning. Stolba also received the Women Lawyers of Western New York Award.

• Marie A. Butchello of Williamsville, the Judge William J. Regan Award for estates and surrogate's law. Butchello also received the Justice M. Dolores Denman scholarship/award for a custodial single parent and was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Allison Terrell Corey Milne of Buffalo, the Linda S. Reynolds Award for commitment to equal justice for the poor. Milne also was the first recipient of an award presented in honor of Virginia Leary, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emerita in the UB Law School, who taught international law and developed the sequence of courses and externships in international law at the school.

• Nicholle Dragone of Williamsville and Babak Rejai Mohassel of Buffalo, the Milton Kaplan Law and Social Development Award for exceptional commitment to the study of law and social development in an American, comparative or international context.

• Crystal Jeanette Rodriguez of Buffalo, the Kenneth A. Gomez Memorial Award for equality and justice for minorities. Rodriquez also received the Minority Bar Association of Western New York Award and a Law Faculty Award, presented to graduating seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the Law School community.

• Elisha Dunn-Georgiou of Buffalo, the National Association of Women Lawyers Award.

• Sarah Elizabeth Wesley of Livonia, the first James M. Kieffer Award for outstanding trial advocacy, named in memory of Kieffer, a nationally recognized trial attorney who practiced in Western New York.

• Amanda Catherine Conner of Buffalo and Meredith A. Conner of Buffalo, the New York State Bar Association Law Student Bar Association Ethics Award. Meredith Connor also

received a Law Faculty Award, presented to graduating seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the Law School community.

• Sachin Kohli of Rochester, the Carlos C. Alden Award for service to the Buffalo Law Review.

• Angel M. Overgaard of Mosinee, Wis., the Justice Philip Halpern Award for writing on the Buffalo Law Review. Overgaard also was elected a member of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists.

• Benjie Gachette of Valley Stream, the Minority Bar Association of Western New York Award. Gachette also received a Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award and a Law Faculty Award, presented to the graduating seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the Law School community.

The Robert J. Connelly Trial Technique Award was presented to:

• Scott James Bizub of Cheektowaga.

• Meghan McLean Brown of Williamsville.

• Bartholemew Chacchia of Buffalo.

• Michael Paul Fellicetta of Buffalo.

• David H. Frech of Hamburg.

• Allison Rebecca Hind of Niskayuna.

• John Joseph Laboda of Gansevoort.

• Miles Jackson McNeil of Buffalo.

• Carla Jean Miller of West Seneca.

• Jacqueline Ann Stachowiak of Lakeview.

• Joseph Frank Verciglio of Buffalo.

• Shawn Weed of Pine Bush.

Law Faculty Awards were presented to graduating seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the Law School community. Recipients are:

• Jennifer Behrens of Lockport.

• Todd Andrew Bolster of East Amherst.

• Andrew O. Guglielmi of Buffalo.

• Elsa Johanna Schmidt of Cowlesville.

• Huiqun "Cindy" Zhu of Buffalo.

Newly elected members of the Order of Barristers, a national honor society for oralists, are:

• Lauren J. Cutuly of Buffalo.

• Gwendolyn R. Higley of Cheektowaga.

• Robert H. Middlemiss of Evans Mills.

• Amber E. Storr, of North Tonawanda.

The Class of 2006 selected a faculty member and staff member who have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication. The faculty award was presented to Professor Rebecca French of Buffalo and the staff award was presented to Associate Dean Ilene R. Fleischmann of East Amherst.