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It’s never too late for that bachelor’s degree
UB law grad receives bachelor’s degree at age 77
By KEVIN FRYLING
Reporter Staff Writer
As thousands of graduates in the Class of 2006 crossed the stage in Alumni Arena during UB's general commencement ceremony on Sunday, there was one who stood out in the crowd.
Despite success in the legal field, Ralph Halpern never got over the fact that he did not have a bachelor's degree. The UB Law grad returned to campus on Sunday to finally pick up that sheepskin.
PHOTO: NANCY J. PARISI
Ralph A. Halpern, 77, a partner at the Buffalo law firm of Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel LLP, received a bachelor's of arts in mathematics in the ceremony.
"I've been told I was the only one in the undergraduate procession with a doctor's hood," he says.
Halpern graduated cum laude from the UB Law School in 1953. He earned his degree at a time when an undergraduate diploma was not mandatory for admission to law school.
A Buffalo resident who's practiced in the area for almost 50 years, Halpern's practice concentrates on mergers and acquisitions, administrative law and corporate law. One of his longtime business relationships has been as counsel to the Buffalo Bills.
Halpern rushed to start his legal career in the late 1940s. After graduating from high school, he studied math at UB, but opted to enter law school before receiving his bachelor's degree.
After receiving his law degree, Halpern pursued a master's degree and taught as an associate in the School of Law at Northwestern University.
But the Korean War cut short his career as an academic. He served three years in the Army Judge Advocate General Corps.
In 1957, Halpern returned to Buffalo and embarked upon a distinguished career in the community. In addition to his position as a partner in one of the region's largest law firms, Halpern has been a member of the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics for 36 years and served as its chairman from 1971-76.
He also has served as president of the Buffalo Council on World Affairs, president of Temple Beth Zion, chairman of the Buffalo Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and president of the Bureau of Jewish Education.
Halpern's commitment to education is reflected in his continued involvement in the UB Law School. He has served as a judge in the moot court since the late 1950s and as a mentor to freshmen law students
"I think a lawyer has an obligation to pass on his knowledge to the next generation," he says.
But despite his success in the legal field, Halpern says he never got over the fact that he did not have a bachelor's degree. Throughout his career, there have been numerous papers and forms he has had to fill out that have reminded him of the fact, he says. While his professional achievements increased, the line for "undergraduate education" remained blank. And people in his profession fill out a lot of forms, he notes.
So Halpern contacted UB to have someone look into his academic records. He learned—to his surprise—that there were enough math credits on his transcript from the '50s to earn him his bachelor's degree with no additional coursework.
Halpern says he's "pleased" his request turned out so well, and wishes he had looked into the matter sooner.
"Mathematics was a good background for law [because of] the logic of it all," he reflects.
Halpern says it was important to him to participate in the commencement ceremony. "I like the pomp and circumstance of the graduation ceremony," he says. "It caps a milestone in one's life."
Even if, in his case, it took more than 50 years to officially wear the "cap."