Six Law Students Named LAWR Fellows

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Dean Makau Mutua of the University at Buffalo Law School has announced this fall's Legal Analysis Writing and Research (LAWR) Writing Fellows. "These Fellows were chosen by the LAWR faculty for their outstanding ability in legal writing and analysis," he said, noting that the Law School's enhanced research and writing curriculum is a cornerstone of its focus on practical skills.

In the first two semesters of research and writing, students learn the rubrics for how lawyers conduct research, organize an argument and write clearly and persuasively in a legal format. This year, the Law School has required an additional third semester. This semester-long course, initiated in response to interviews with judges, judicial clerks and attorneys, as well as a survey of other top U.S. law school curriculums, offers students additional coaching in these indispensable skills.

The six Fellows will assist LAWR faculty by providing support to first year students taking LAWR I or II. Their responsibilities will include attending class; holding office hours; providing support for students with citation, research and other questions; and meeting with students individually to provide additional guidance on grammar, punctuation and style.

This fall's Fellows are:

Donald Herbert Jr. '13, who grew up in South Buffalo as the oldest of four brothers. He graduated from Bishop Timon High School and Alfred University, where he majored in philosophy and comparative cultures. During college, he spent a semester abroad in Southwest China studying language and minority culture. After graduation, he taught English to college students and adults in Jiangsu Province, China. He will be working with Johanna Oreskovic.

Galena Duba '13 is a native of Jamestown, N.Y. Both her bachelor's and master's degrees are in English literature, with a focus on 20th century women's poetry, post-colonial literature and the American Romantics. For the past 10 years, she has been the coordinator of a tutoring and mentoring program for at-risk high school students. She will be working with Stephen Paskey.

Frank Ewing '12, graduated from LeMoyne College and worked as a consultant with KPMG before law school. At UB, he was recently elected to a second-term as Student Bar Association president. He is also part of the law school's National Mock Trial Team and served as a senior associate for the Buffalo Human Rights Law Review. In the fall, Ewing will be a judicial extern for the Honorable Carl L. Bucki in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York. He will be working with Laura Reilly.

Frances Stephenson '13 is originally from Toronto, Canada. She attended UB on a swimming scholarship and graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in business administration, with a concentration in marketing. She was a member of the UB swimming and diving team, acting as a team captain during the 2006-07 season. Before law school, Stephenson worked for AM FM Consulting Group Inc., a Toronto based asset management consulting firm. She will be working with Christine Pedigo Bartholomew.

Jonathan Cantil '12, is managing editor of the Buffalo Law Review, a finalist in the Charles S. Desmond Moot Court Competition and the former president of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court. Cantil went to Clarkson University as an undergraduate and worked in biotechnology in Boston, Mass., for three years prior to law school. He is from Utica, N.Y., and is currently working for Hancock Estabrook LLP in Syracuse. He will be working with Chris Pashler.

Martha Donovan '12 is a native of Buffalo and completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University. She has a graduate degree in education and was a teacher in a Buffalo charter school before coming to UB Law. She is fluent in Spanish. She will be working with Nan Haynes.