In this powerful episode, we sit down with Vincent O'Neil, a 2L at Albany Law School, to hear his remarkable story of resilience and transformation. Growing up in Wisconsin, Vincent had what he calls a "typical middle-class upbringing" but struggled with addiction and legal troubles starting at age 13. After years of battling substance abuse, multiple stints in jail, and trying to find his footing, Vincent reached a turning point.
Now, five years sober, Vincent reflects on the pivotal moments that led him to turn his life around, including the decision to move to Nevada with his parents and ultimately pursue a law degree. He shares how his past shaped his passion for justice and how he plans to use his experiences to make a difference in the world.
Tune in to hear how Vincent’s journey from addiction to law school is not just a story of overcoming obstacles, but of finding hope and purpose in the most unexpected places.
Click here to read more about Vincent's story: https://www.albanylaw.edu/spotlight/student/vincent-oneil-26-finding-community-albany
In this episode, Jacob Skoda '25 shares his journey from serving in the Air Force to pursuing a law degree, driven by a passion for advocating on behalf of veterans. He explains why it's so important to fight for veterans' rights and secure the benefits they deserve.
With Veterans Day approaching, Jacob also highlights the upcoming Veterans Law Day at Albany Law School, a free event presented by the Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School’s Veterans' Pro Bono Project. The event offers one-on-one legal consultations for veterans, active service members, and their families, with expanded resources from the McNulty Veteran Business Center and The Legal Project.
Tune in to hear how Jacob and the Veterans' Pro Bono Project are making a real difference for those who have served our country.
More info on Veterans Law Day here: https://alumni.albanylaw.edu/s/977/21/1col.aspx?sid=977&gid=1&pgid=4537&crid=0&calpgid=2100&calcid=7315
Episode Overview: In this episode, we dive into Mental Health Awareness Week at Albany Law School, organized by the Colby Fellowship and the Albany Law Student Wellness Society. Our guests discuss the importance of prioritizing mental health in law school, strategies for fostering supportive conversations, and the resources available to students.
Featured Groups:
1. Colby Fellowship
2. Albany Law Student Wellness Society
Resources Mentioned:
Meet Yuna Midani (Oh), a recent graduate of the Albany Law School Class of 2024. While at Albany Law, Midani made significant strides, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and a passion for the legal field. In this interview, she shares insights from her summer legal clerk internship at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) in Belgium, reflecting on her experiences and the skills she developed. Join us as we delve into her story and learn about her time at BCLP and the impact this opportunity had on her legal journey.
In this episode, we share President and Dean Cinnamon Carlarne's recent State of the School address.
Addressing alumni, students, faculty, and staff, Dean Carlarne reflects on our achievements and future. Be sure to subscribe and like so you don’t miss any updates!
Today’s episode is especially exciting as we reflect on two unique events illustrating the incredible opportunities Albany Law School offers its students.
Recently, Albany Law School held two events a week apart, with the Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals as the headliner, hence the name Chief Week. Part one of Chief Week was the final round of the prestigious Domenick L. Gabrielli Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Competition, which was held in front of a panel of esteemed judges, including Chief Judge Rowan Wilson.
Just days later Albany Law School welcomed back Chief Judge Wilson to speak to students alongside former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman for the Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke State Constitutional Commentary Symposium as part two of Chief Week.
The leaders of two Albany Law School groups that played a key role in making these incredible opportunities happen—Marie-Therese Witte, editor-in-chief of the Albany Law Review vol. 87, and Abraham V. Frangie, executive director of the Anthony V. Cardona ‘70 Moot Court Program—are here to discuss how those events unfolded.
APALSA president Isuri Poththewela and member Ambreen Aslam (rising 2L) join the Albany Law School podcast during Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month to discuss the importance of creating a welcoming and diverse campus environment while encouraging involvement with issues touching the legal profession, the law school, and the Asian and Pacific communities.
The Asian Pacific American Law Student’s Association is a student-run affinity group at Albany Law School that coordinates a range of activities, from academic, professional, and cultural events to school support.
Anthony Sokolowski '19 enrolled at Albany Law School as a father; balancing fatherhood and law school was anything but easy. Sokolowski is forever grateful that the Albany Law School community embraced him and his situation with open minds and arms. He credits much of his success as an attorney and a father to his time at Albany Law School and recounts one of the most memorable moments he has had with his son by his side.
The DEI office is crucial to Albany Law School as we look to welcome and support students of all races, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. The work this team has done and continues to do is inspiring as we commit to providing a supportive and inclusive environment for our ever growing student population.
We welcome two members of The Albany Law School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team as we discuss DEI initiatives on campus like our 3rd annual Diversity Week! Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion Bria Barnes and the Coordinator of Student Programs, Owen Collier.
Instagram: albanylaw_dei
Email: bbarn@albanylaw.edu
On March 27, Albany Law School celebrated the 30th Anniversary of Kate Stoneman Day! This tradition celebrates women in the law in honor of the law school’s first female graduate, Kate Stoneman, Class of 1898. Albany Law School's prestigious Stoneman Awards are presented to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to seeking change and expanding opportunities for women within the legal profession. Albany Law School’s Kate Stoneman Honorary Committee is proud to honor Verna L. Williams the CEO of Equal Justice Works, with this year’s Miriam M. Netter '72 Kate Stoneman Award. Additionally, The Honorable Llinét Beltré Rosado ’97—NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, and advocate for women and girls to pursue legal careers as well as Prof. Laurie Shanks, emeriti professor at Albany Law School and luminary in the field of criminal defense. Prof. Laurie Shanks - 14:11 The Honorable Llinét Beltré Rosado ’97 - 32:17 Verna L. Williams the CEO of Equal Justice Works - 50:15
The Government Law Center at Albany Law School hosted the third and final program in the series, Transcending Gender, Sex, and the Law, on December 7, 2023. In this program, panelist discussed the future of legal rights and protections for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGNCI) people in New York State, including potential statutory reforms, regulatory reforms, and litigation that may impact rights and protections. Panelists also discussed lessons learned from other states and the role of New York State government and the broader legal community in upholding legal for TGNCI people.
Participants:
Prof. Ava Ayers (moderator) – Albany Law School
Allie Bohm – New York Civil Liberties Union
Shain Filcher – LGBT Bar Association of Greater NY
Faris Ilyas – The NEW Pride Agenda
Melissa Sklarz – Equality New York
Hon. Seth M. Marnin (closing remarks) – New York State Court of Claims
This series was presented with support from the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Albany Law School.
Legal experts and government officials discussed the possibilities and challenges of implementing statewide sustainable development initiatives at the municipal level during the annual Edwin L. Crawford Program on Municipal Law at Albany Law School on Friday, November 17, 2023. The program, hosted by the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, examined how state initiatives impact local governments, the role of local governments in implementing them, existing sustainability initiatives in municipalities across the state, and the future of local action around sustainable development.
The program included a keynote address by Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Two panel discussions addressed the role of local government in building decarbonization and investing in renewable energy, respectively.
Panelists included:
• Elizabeth Bough Martin — Mayor of the Village of Chittenango, New York
• Susanne DesRoches — Vice President, Clean and Resilient Buildings, NYSERDA
• Malak Nassereddine — Senior Manager, New York Utility and Regulatory Policy, Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Niki Armacost — Mayor of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
• Anthony Fiore — Chief Program Officer, NYSERDA
• Madison Hertzog — New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
Panel moderators included:
• Prof. Keith Hirokawa — Distinguished Professor of Law, Albany Law School
• Javid Afzali ’12 — Partner, Harris Beach, PLLC
The Government Law Center at Albany Law School hosted the second of three programs in the series, Transcending Gender, Sex, and the Law, on November 9, 2023. In this program, panelists discussed some of the many challenges that transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex youth and families encounter in New York State, the myriad ways in which the legal community, advocacy groups, and state government have worked to address these challenges, and remaining needs of TGNCI youth and families. Topics discussed include health care decision making and informed consent for minors, access to education free from discrimination and harassment, name and gender-marker changes on identity documents, custody issues involving parents of transgender youth, and more.
Participants:
Bria Brown-King – interACT Advocates for Youth
Lisa Campo-Engelstein – Institute for Bioethics & Health Humanities, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Julius Faulkner – In Our Own Voices
Bobby Hodgson – New York Civil Liberties Union
Joe Williams ’15 – Copps DiPaola Silverman
Mary Ann Krisa, II, ’19 (moderator) – New York State Unified Court System, Appellate Division, Fourth Department
Judges, journalists, attorneys, and law enforcement officials discussed the rights, responsibilities, and liability of the media, courts, and law enforcement in a fictional criminal trial during the Fair Trial/Free Press Conference: Gag Orders, Anonymous Juries, and the Media, on Friday, November 3, 2023, at Albany Law School.
The program explored the legal, political, and ethical issues that could arise in a hypothetical scenario in which a fictional gubernatorial candidate was indicted on federal financial fraud charges and a turbulent trial ensued. Panelists discussed the interplay of the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial and First Amendment rights to attend and report on trials, including social media, gag orders, anonymous juries, police conduct, and protection of the press and its sources. The full scenario is here: https://www.albanylaw.edu/media/20391/download
Panelists included:
• Rosemary Armao — Investigative reporter, news editor, and
Adjunct Professor at the SUNY University at Albany
• Martin Bell, Esq. — Partner at Simpson Thacher &
Bartlett LLP and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New
York
• Natalie Brocklebank, Esq. — Deputy Director of the New York
State Defenders Association
• John M. Czajka, Esq. ’04 — Division Counsel for the New
York State Police
• Hon. Mae D’Agostino — United States District Judge for the
Northern District of New York
• Carla DiRienzo — New York State Police Bureau of
Criminal Investigation, Field Command Office
• John J. Flynn, Esq. — Erie County District Attorney and
President of the District Attorneys' Association of the State of New York
• Prof. Roy Gutterman — Director of the Tully Center for Free
Speech and Professor of Communications, Magazine, News, and Digital Journalism
at the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Mark Mahoney —Journalist and Editorial Page Editor at the
Schenectady Gazette
The discussion was moderated by:
• Hon. Albert Rosenblatt – Retired Judge on the New York
Court of Appeals
• Rex Smith – Former Editor of the Albany Times-Union
The program was presented by the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and the New York Fair Trial/Free Press Conference.
Jane M. Spinak, the Edward Ross Aranow Clinical Professor Emerita of Law at Columbia Law School delivered the 9th annual Katheryn D. Katz ’70 Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.
Professor Spinak is a renowned advocate for children’s welfare, family rights and juvenile justice. She presented the lecture titled The End of Family Court.
The Government Law Center at Albany Law School hosted the first of three programs in the series, Transcending Gender, Sex, and the Law, on October 26, 2023. In this program, panelists discussed some of the many challenges that transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex adults encounter in New York State, the myriad ways in which the legal community, advocacy groups, and state government have worked to address these challenges, and potential strategies for the future.
Participants:
Jillian T. Weiss, Esq. – Law Office of Jillian T. Weiss
Kym Dorsey – S.T.Y.L.E. (Self Turnaround Your Living Environment) and Gender Equality New York
Ezra Cukor – Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
Charlie Arrowood – Richard C. Failla LGBTQ Commission of the New York Courts and Gender Equality New York
Dena DeFazio ’18 – Barclay Damon and New York State Bar Association, Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Chel Miller (moderator) – Government Law Center at Albany Law School
In honor of Domestic Violence Month, the Government Law Center and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Albany Law School and community partners co-hosted “Cultural Responsiveness in Domestic Violence Services.” Panelists discussed the role of culture in violence prevention, how victims experience abuse in culturally specific ways, and strategies to practice cultural responsiveness and cultural humility in domestic violence services. Participants: Norina Melita, Esq., as emcee Prof. Jaya Connors, Director of the Field Placement Clinic at Albany Law School, former Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic Somaia Sharif Zada, Afghan attorney refugee, part of the Unified Court System’s Judges for Career Opportunities for Refugees (J-COR) program Demekia Santana, Advocate and Assistant Program Director, Catholic Charities of Fulton & Montgomery Counties, Montgomery County Domestic Violence & Crime Victim Services Anna Breitegger ’24, J.D. Candidate and Co-Chair of the Women’s Law Caucus at Albany Law School Hon. Lisa M. Fisher, Justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department, as moderator Elizabeth Cronin, Esq., Director of the NYS Office for Victim Services Lindsey Crusan-Muse, Director of St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services for St. Peter’s Health Partners Remla Parthasarathy, Managing Attorney for Crime Victims at Empire Justice Center and Project Leader for the Crime Victims Legal Network William Rivera, Crisis Intervention Director for Opportunities for Otsego, as moderator Keri Boedigheimer, Rensselaer County Domestic Violence Courts Resource Coordinator Hon. Esther M. Morgenstern, Justice of the Supreme Court, Kings County, National Mentor Court for IDV Hon. Brian D. Burns, Justice of the Supreme Court, Otsego County IDV Hon. Rebecca A. Slezak, Justice of the Supreme Court, Montgomery County IDV, as moderator Partners/Presented By: Montgomery County Bar Association Women’s Leadership Initiative at Albany Law School Women’s Law Caucus at Albany Law School Government Law Center at Albany Law School Third Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee Fourth Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee National Association of Women Judges, New York Chapter New York State Bar Association, Women in Law Section The Capital District Women’s Bar Association Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association Albany County Bar Association Adirondack Women’s Bar Association Schenectady County Bar Association Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York The Legal Project Vella Carbone & Vinson, LLP Copps DiPaola Silverman, PLLC
Albany Law School Professor Jonathan Rosenbloom, recently released his new book, Remarkable Cities and the Security and Sovereignty of Food and Nutrition: 41 Ways to Regenerate the Local Food System.
The environment, climate, and society are rapidly changing. However, government regulations for land utilization and urban expansion lag behind. This powerful book delves into how local governments and communities can proactively transform zoning and development codes to effectively respond to changes by embracing a self-sustaining, local food and nutrition system that is accessible and equitable. The book provides dozens of best practice recommendations, supported by dozens of enacted ordinances.
Listen as Prof. Rosenbloom speaks about his recommendations and shares how we can rethink the role of development and how communities can grow while fostering a strong, inclusive, affordable, accessible, and healthy food system.
Albany Law School’s President and Dean Cinnamon P. Carlarne, a leading international expert in environmental and climate change law policy, also joined the conversation as well as some other special guests offering tributes throughout the event.
Event photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/albanylaw/albums/72177720312032590
About the Book
This book, the second in a under the Sustainability Development Code project, produced by Prof. Jonathan Rosenbloom and the Environmental Law Institute, seeks to share different ways to jumpstart a move toward healthier, more equitable, and more environmentally-friendly communities. The book examines ways local governments regulate development and how that impacts the food system and offers 41 recommendations to amend development codes to increase food and nutrition security and sovereignty and create healthier communities.
A full description of the book is here.
The Albany Law Review and Government Law Center at Albany Law School hosted a panel discussion exploring judicial selection methods for state high courts employed across the nation. Panelists discussed how judicial selection methods can affect judicial independence, accountability, diversity, and public confidence. Panelists also discussed issues that can arise during the selection process and potential solutions to address these issues. The panel took place via Zoom on October 10, 2023.
Participants:
Hon. Leslie E. Stein (ret.) ’81 (moderator) — Director of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and former Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals
John F. Kowal — Vice President of Program Initiatives at the Brennan Center for Justice
Prof. Chad Oldfather — Professor of Law at Marquette University Law School
Prof. Noah Rosenblum — Assistant Professor of Law at the New York University School of Law
David J. Sachar — Director of the Center for Judicial Ethics at the National Center for State Courts
Jonas Caballero ‘24 is doing incredibly important, difficult, and necessary work helping incarcerated individuals. He speaks in-depth about it on this week’s podcast.
For those who are sensitive to the topics, there is discussion about rape and sexual abuse in this episode.
Jonas recently went to Washington to be part of a Congressional Briefing regarding the 20th anniversary of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). He is also on the Board of Directors and the Survivor Council for Just Detention International.
While the work is draining and tough, he does find time to spread joy. Most notably, he has helped bring therapy dogs to help Albany Law students through finals for years now!
Jonas Caballero - President of 1L Class, Candid Leader: https://soundcloud.com/user-952955809-873766748/jonas-caballero-25-president-of-1l-class-candid-leader
Students Gain Real-World Courtroom Experience Through Unique Opportunity with United States District Court, Federal Bar Association: https://www.albanylaw.edu/news/students-gain-real-world-courtroom-experience-through-unique-opportunity-united-states
Therapy Dogs at Albany Law: https://www.flickr.com/photos/albanylaw/albums/72177720307320426
