Quinnipiac Law Winter 2011

QUINNIPIAC•LAWQUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW MAGAZINE WINTER 2011

Secrecy Shattered

WikiLeaks controversyraises questionsabout freedom

of speech

1SPRING 2011 • QUINNIPIAC LAW

FeaturesSECRECY SHATTERED 12WikiLeaks’ attempt to flood the Internet with classified government documents has raised questions aboutfreedom of speech, the nature of journalism and the conduct of diplomacy.

HEADING THE BAR 16Ralph Monaco ’93, one of the Connecticut Bar Association’s youngest presidents, is leading lawyers into a new era.

A CASE OF A LIFETIME 18Stephen Longo ’83 immersed himself in a case teeming with dramatic escapes, sacrifice and betrayal in his quest to find justice in an Australian courtroom for a woman who spent 45 years in Albanian prison camps.

SETTING UP SHOP 24Frank Caruso ’94 built a firm in Shenzhen, China, that guides multinational companies into the booming Chinese market.

QUINNIPIAC•LAWSpring 2011 • Volume 17 • Number 1

On the cover: Professors and First Amendmentexpert Floyd Abrams weigh in onthe WikiLeaks controversy.

Left photo: Frank Caruso ’94 out and about in Shenzhen, China, where hefounded Caruso and AssociatesLTD. His firm specializes inmergers and acquisitions includingjoint ventures between foreign andChinese companies, among otherareas. Photo by Ken Tam

Vice President for Public AffairsLynn Mosher Bushnell

EditorJanet Waldman, MS ’09

Director of Publications & DesignThea A. Moritz

Assistant EditorAlejandra Navarro

Contributing Writers • Rhea Hirshman,Rita Pacheco, Donna Pintek, DavidRosettenstein, Stephen P. Schmidt, MS ’11

Senior Graphic DesignerCynthia Greco

Manager of Photographic ServicesMark Stanczak

Photography • Stan Godlewski, John Hassett, Robert Lisak, Ken Tam, Gale Zucker

The Quinnipiac University School of Lawmagazine is published twice a year by the Public Affairs office of QuinnipiacUniversity for alumni and friends of the law school. Visit us on the Web athttp://law.quinnipiac.edu. Publication and editorial offices are located at theDevelopment and Public Affairs Building,Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount CarmelAvenue, Hamden, CT 06518-1908.

Quinnipiac University admitsstudents of any race, color, creed,gender, age, sexual orientation,national or ethnic origin, anddisability status to all the rights,privileges, programs and activitiesgenerally accorded or made availableto students at the school. QuinnipiacUniversity does not discriminate inthese areas in the administration ofits educational policies, scholarshipand loan programs, and athletic andother school-administered programs.

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DepartmentsQULaw Briefs 2

Faculty Focus 4

Book Shelf 8

Student Spotlight 9

Alumni Notes & Profiles 26

In Closing 32

Making Connections IBC

Events Calendar OBC

C O N T E N T S

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Cert no. SW-COC-002556

In November, newly electedU.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal

visited the School of Law to takepart in a Veterans Day event. The Veterans Advocacy Group, a student organization, organizedthe event, which included a pres-entation by Rory Riley ’07, aclerk at the U.S. Veterans’ Courtof Appeals in Washington, D.C.She talked about the VeteransAffairs claim process and careersin her field.

Blumenthal praised the workof the Veterans Advocacy Groupand others like it that are workingto improve the lives ofveterans.

“It was a hugecompliment,” saidBrian Gregorio, asecond-year lawstudent and presidentof the group. “Ourbiggest goal is to getthe word out aboutveterans’ issues. Tohave him here, saying,‘We hear you,’ reallyvalidates us and thework we are doing.”

Blumenthal also notedQuinnipiac had provided a steadyflow of graduates to the staff atthe Connecticut AttorneyGeneral’s Office. He held thatoffice for two decades.

The Veterans Advocacy Groupis gearing up for its annualSleeping Giant 5k Run/WalkChallenge on the Tower Trail ofSleeping Giant Mountain onApril 16. Proceeds will benefitthe Wounded Warrior Project.For more information, visitwww.sleepinggiant5k.com.

2 QUINNIPIAC LAW • SPRING 2011

QULAW•BRIEFS

Blumenthal visits veterans event

From left, Rory Riley ’07, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthaland second-year student Brian Gregorio at an eventhosted by the School of Law Veterans Advocacy Group.

This spring, the School of Lawwill choose the first

recipients for grants from theGregory A. Loken LoanRepayment Assistance Program.

Applications were acceptedthrough January. Eligible alumniare from the class years 2006–10.They must be working full time for a nonprofit public interest laworganization, make $50,000 or lessannually and be $50,000 in debt.

Professor Melanie Abbott ’84,who serves on the LRAP

committee with Professor MaryFerrari, said they expect to award up to three grants for atotal of $7,500. The awards willvary from year to year.

“Greg Loken would have beenvery pleased to have his nameattached to this. He had a longpublic interest and communityinvolvement history,” Abbottsaid.

Anyone wishing to contributeto the fund can visitwww.quinnipiac.edu/give.xml.

First LRAP grants planned

COMING TO AMERICA

Quinnipiac senior Lorella Praeli dreams of becoming a U.S. citizen andfinding a job after graduation. The Peru native, who was brought to theU.S. as a child and overstayed her immigration visa, can do neither. Sheand thousands of other young people are working to revive the recent-ly failed federal DREAM Act that would allow the more than 65,000academically achieving, undocumented high school graduates to quali-fy for in-state college tuition and put them on a path to citizenship.

Hers was one of the legal challenges discussed at the “Coming toAmerica and Staying?” conference sponsored by the InternationalHuman Rights Law Society, the Latino/a Law Student Association andthe Albert Schweitzer Institute in February.

Along with Praeli, other panelists described the day-to-day vulnera-bilities and challenges immigrants face in the U.S.

Renee Redman, executive director of the Iran Human RightsDocumentation Center and an adjunct professor, reviewed immigrationstatistics and early laws. Sheila Hayre, a lawyer at the New HavenLegal Assistance Association, discussed laws protecting immigrants,such as the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. Alina Das, director ofNYU Law School’s Immigrants Rights Clinic, reviewed some of today’sstringent immigration laws, such as the federal Secure Communitiesprogram that targets immigrants for deportation.

QU senior LorellaPraeli at conference

In January, the School of Lawhosted the “Juries and Justice”

forum, which had paneldiscussions on Connecticut’s voirdire practices, and the role of thejury in criminal sentencing.

Proponents of Connecticut’spractice of individually interview-ing prospective trial jury membersargued that the responses of onejuror could influence others in agroup interview. Opponents saidthe practice is timely and costly.

Selecting a civil trial jury takeson average about 16 hours in Con-necticut, but the state with thesecond longest time, California,takes only about four hours, saidSuperior Court Judge Carl J. Schu-man. He was on the panel withKevin Kane, chief state’s attorneyof Connecticut; Linda K. Lager,chief administrative judge of civilmatters, Connecticut SuperiorCourt; Norman Pattis, The PattisLaw Firm; and Richard Silver, Sil-ver Golub & Teitell.

Silver countered that the delaysare caused by a lack of jurors tointerview. He added that lawyerscan’t ask a personal question, suchas one dealing with cancer, andexpect the prospective juror toanswer openly and honestly in aroom full of people.

Pattis said in about 100 cases,perhaps three or four would deal

with an issue that is sen-sitive in nature. “We arebeing killed by costlydelays,” he said.

Lager favored anapproach permitting vol-untary use of a panelselection process. Thisallows lawyers to submitquestions for the judge toask, which could immedi-ately disqualify potential jurorsand eliminate the need for individ-ual interviews and allow lawyers touse preemptory challenges wisely.

The second panel evaluatedConnecticut trial juries’ role insentencing. Some panelistsargued that jurors should bemade aware of the various sen-tencing possibilities of a guiltyverdict. Panelists also delved intoproblems that could arise if jurieswere to play a role in sentencing,such as jury nullification. Othersargued that judges should contin-ue to mete out sentences. Pan-

elists in this discussion includedLeonard Boyle, deputy chiefstate’s attorney of Connecticut;Robert Devlin Jr., chief adminis-trative judge of criminal matters,Connecticut Superior Court;Timothy Moynahan, Moynahan& Minnella Law Firm; and Shel-ley Sadin of Sadin, Zeldes, Needle& Cooper, PC.

Attending the forum wereConnecticut State Sen. EdwardMeyer, father of Professor JeffreyMeyer, and State Rep. GaryHolder-Winfield. The CBA co-sponsored the event.

S H O RT S


� Death penalty on trial — AuthorBob Curley, whose 10-year-old sonwas killed by two pedophiles inCambridge, Mass., shared his trans-formation from death penalty advo-cate to opponent in a fall programat the law school that happened tooccur during the trial of StevenHayes, who has been sentenced todie for his role in the murders of aCheshire family.

Devastated by the loss of his son,Curley became an outspoken sup-porter of rein-stating the deathpenalty in hisstate. But whenthe mastermindbehind his son’smurder receiveda lighter sen-tence than hisco-conspirator,Curley began to see the inequities inthe justice system. “After the trial, I had a much more objective look atit,” said Curley, who tells his story in “The Ride.” The event was co-sponsored by the school’s WillinghamAbolition Society.

� Bar passage — The Class of 2010achieved an 89 percent first-timepass rate on the Connecticut barexam last year, surpassing thestatewide first-time pass rate of 82percent. The state of Connecticutoverall pass rate was 74 percent,while QU’s was 84 percent.

� Bound for Guatemala — TheInternational Human Rights LawSociety is expanding its annualCentral America Law and ServiceProject to include trips to Nicaraguain May, and for the first time,Guatemala. Law students will be inGuatemala from March 11–18 to meetrepresentatives from severalorganizations, including theRigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation,to establish relationships for futureservice projects in the country.

Forum explores juror roles

Top: Norman Pattis of the Pattis Law Firm discusses voir dire questioning as Linda K. Lager, chief administrative judge,Connecticut Superior Court, looks on. Center, left: Leonard C. Boyle, Connecticut deputy chief state’s attorney. Right: SuperiorCourt Judge Carl J. Schuman with a forum attendee.

Jennifer GerardaBrownProfessor

Brown presented“The ExpressiveValue of E-Marriage”at the Modernizing MarriageThrough E-Marriage symposiumat Michigan State University Col-lege of Law in November 2010.She was a visiting lecturer at YaleLaw School teaching AlternativeDispute Resolution in Fall 2010.Brown served on the ConnecticutBar Foundation’s John A. SpezialeADR Symposium Planning Com-mittee and moderated a panel atthe symposium in October 2010.She also chaired the search com-mittee for a health law facultymember.

Jeffrey A. CooperProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

“Shades of Gray:Applying the Bene-fit-the-Beneficiaries Rule to TrustInvestment Directives,” BostonUniversity Law Review, Vol. 90, p. 2383 (2010).

“2009 Developments in Con-necticut Estate and Probate Law,”(with John R. Ivimey), Vol. 84,Connecticut Bar Journal, p.73(May 2010).

Cooper was selected as a James W.Cooper Fellow of the ConnecticutBar Association. Election requires“demonstrated superior legal abili-ty and devotion to the welfare ofthe community, state and nation,as well as to the advancement ofthe legal profession.”

William DunlapProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

“Jurors Must FollowStrict Death PenaltyGuidelines,” the Hartford

Courant, October 2010, onConnecticut’s death-penaltyprocedures.

“After Election Day Snafus, NewLaws Needed,” Connecticut LawTribune, November 2010, aboutthe vote-tallying problems inConnecticut’s gubernatorialelection.

“Human Rights During the IraqOccupation and Transition,”Encyclopedia of Human Rights,Oxford University Press (2010).

Dunlap was chosen in January aschair-elect of the Association ofAmerican Law Schools Sectionon International Human Rights.He moderated a panel, “PoliticsMatter,” organized by the PublicService Committee of the NewHaven County Bar Association,in which the public radio hostColin McEnroe, State Rep. RosaRebimbas, Hamden Mayor ScottJackson and other public officialsdiscussed the value of politicalparticipation with high schoolstudents.

Dunlap participated in draftingan amicus brief for the NationalAssociation of Criminal DefenseLawyers in a federal case chal-lenging the constitutionality of aFlorida statute that makes drugpossession a strict liabilityoffense subject to life imprison-ment. He is also a deputy editorof the “Year in Review” issue ofThe International Lawyer, a journal of the American Bar Association.

Robert FarrellProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

“The Two Versionsof Rational BasisReview and Same-Sex Relation-ships,” the Washington LawReview, Vol. 86 (forthcoming May2011).

Neal FeigensonCarmen TortoraProfessor of Law

PUBLICATIONS

“Visual CommonSense,” in R. Sherwin & A.Wagner (eds.), Law, Culture, andVisual Studies (Springer,forthcoming 2011).

“Audiovisual Communication andTherapeutic Jurisprudence: Cog-nitive and Social PsychologicalDimensions,” International Jour-nal of Law and Psychiatry, Vol. 33p.336-340 (2010).

“Seeing Justice Done” (review ofDaniel Stepniak, “AudiovisualCoverage of Courts”), Interna-tional Journal for the Semiotics ofLaw, DOI 10.1007/s11196-010-9195-4 (2010).

In October, he presented “Fan-tasies of Visual Proof: VisualMemory Reconstruction viafMRI” at the Brain Sciences in theCourtroom Symposium, MercerLaw School, Macon, Ga. Feigen-son traveled to Japan in September2010 to present “Visual Technolo-gies in Court: Current Issues,Future Challenges,” at the Inter-national Seminar on the Psycho-logical Impact of Visual Technolo-gy in the Courtroom, RitsumeikanUniversity in Kyoto and also at theJapan Association of Law and Psy-chology seminar, Tokyo. In August2010, he presented “PersuasiveEffects of Courtroom Visual Dis-plays: An Overview,” at the Ameri-can Bar Association annual meet-ing in San Francisco, Calif.

Mary FerrariAssociate Professor

PUBLICATIONS

“Congress Eases aPenalty, but Squan-ders Reform Opportunity” (withToni Robinson), Tax Notes, Vol.130, p. 333, (January 2011).

Marilyn FordProfessor

In October 2010,Ford served as co-chair for the UrbanLeague Women’sEmpowerment Summit inStamford. The honorees/speakersincluded Desmond Tutu’sdaughter Naomi, Kerry Kennedy,and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

Samuel FreedmanAdjunct Professor

Judge Samuel S.Freedman receivedthe 2010 Sportsmenof Westport’sCitizenship Award. He is amember of the Dean’s Council.

Stephen G. GillesProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

“The Supreme Court and LegalUncertainty,” DePaul LawReview, Vol. 60, (2010).

Martin MarguliesProfessor Emeritus

“Valour Does NotWait,” a book reviewof Arran Johnson,The Jacobite, No.134:9 (Winter 2010).

Harry MazadoorianDistinguished SeniorFellow, Center forDispute Resolution

PUBLICATIONS

“ADR and Healthcare: AnOverview,” Dispute ResolutionMagazine (American BarAssociation, Spring 2010).

In October 2010, Mazadoorianserved as a faculty member at anational program sponsored bythe American Arbitration Associ-

FACULTY•FOCUS

QUINNIPIAC LAW • SPRING 20114

ation on Exploring AlternativeDispute Resolution Solutions inHealthcare Disputes in Chicago,Ill. Steve Ronai, an adjunct pro-fessor at the law school, alsoserved on the faculty.

Jeffrey MeyerProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

“Dual Illegality andGeoambiguous Law:A New Rule for ExtraterritorialApplication of U.S. Law,”Minnesota Law Review, Vol. 95, p.110 (2010).

Linda MeyerCarmen TortoraProfessor of Law

PUBLICATIONS

“On the Conjoiningof Law and Love,”(with Martha Merrill Umphrey),Quinnipiac Law Review, Vol. 28,p. 585 (2010).

Sarah FrenchRussellAssistant Professor

Russell moderated apanel at the Juriesand Justice forum

sponsored by the School of Lawand the Connecticut BarFoundation in January. The paneldiscussed “Juries and CriminalSentencing: Should Our JuriesHave More Say?”

John ThomasProfessor

PUBLICATIONS

Article on theBuddy Holly GuitarFoundation, Acoustic Guitarmagazine (2011).

“Buddy’s 1942 Gibson J-45,”Acoustic Guitar magazine (2011).

“Running on Passion: JacksonBrowne, Embedded on theFrontline with the Leader of theGuitar-Geek Nation,” FretboardJournal (2011).

“From the Scrap Heap to Art ofthe Ages,” Fretboard Journal (2011).

“The Impact of the Convention onInternational Trade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) on International CulturalMusical Exchange,” Athens(Greece) Institute of Educationand Research Publications (forth-coming 2011). He presented thispaper in July at the Athens Insti-tute for Education and Research.

Neal Feigenson, CarmenTortora Professor of Law,

has published a chapter titled“Visual Common Sense,” in R.Sherwin & A. Wagner’s “Law,Culture, and Visual Studies”(Springer, forthcoming 2011).

Feigenson begins his chapterwith the following:

“Visual and multimedia tech-nologies—from digital video andphotography to computer anima-tions, from PowerPoint to spe-cialized, interactive trial presen-tation software—have become anincreasingly common feature oflegal proceedings in the UnitedStates and other countries inrecent years. In large part this isbecause digital technologies have

made it easier to record or, in thecase of computer animations, tore-create legally relevant realityvisually. It is also due to an ever-greater receptivity in the cultureas a whole to visual sources ofknowledge.

“Pictures can indeed tell us alot—but not as much as we tendto think they do. This pervasivemetacognitive error and some ofits consequences for legal deci-sion making are my focus in thischapter. I claim that a particularcommon sense attitude towardpictures, naïve realism, tends tomake people overconfident intheir interpretations of visual evidence and less receptive toalternative viewpoints.”

Lawyer brings cases to class

Timothy S. Fisher, a partner

at McCarter & Eng-lish LLP in Hart-ford, is providingstudents with a win-dow to the contemporary legalworld this academic year.

As the distinguished practi-tioner in residence, Fisher is work-ing with a half dozen faculty mem-bers, teaching a session of theirclasses or speaking with studentsin one of the clinics or extern-ships. He has been a guest lecturerin courses taught by ProfessorsJennifer Gerarda Brown, JeffreyMeyer and Emanuel Psarakis; thelegal skills program directed bySusan Dailey; the civil clinic,taught by Kevin Barry; and extern-ship classes taught by DahliaGrace and Carolyn Kaas.

“Tim’s collaborative work withour faculty has enriched our stu-dents’ experience significantly. Iknow they have benefited from hisinsights as a lawyer in a challeng-ing and successful practice,” DeanBrad Saxton said.

Fisher works within his firm’sreal estate/construction practice

group and is an experienced prac-titioner in alternative dispute reso-lution. “The students seem toappreciate the chance to under-stand the practical application of aconcept they are learning, and Iuse specific examples from mypractice,” he said.

Fisher currently serves aspresident of the Connecticut BarFoundation. He and Saxton metwhen they co-chaired a task forceon the future of the legalprofession for the ConnecticutBar Association. Since then,Fisher has become a member ofthe law school’s Committee onthe Future of Legal Education,where he shares his perspectiveson the changing employmentmarket, among other things.

“Fewer law school graduatesare getting jobs based solely onacademic performance these days.More jobs are going to studentswho can show a well-developed setof skills and professional valuesrelevant to their employer. Bigfirms once liked to hire raw mate-rial—‘bright young minds’––butnow they prefer lawyers who arealso client-ready,” Fisher said.

KING QUOTED IN LSAT ARTICLE

Associate Dean David King was quoted in aConnecticut Law Tribune article on Jan. 17 aboutmaking LSATs voluntary.

An American Bar Association committee reviewing thestandards is mulling whether to drop the rule that lawschools require applicants to take the admissions test. King,who teaches an LSAT prep course, thinks it’s a good idea toreassess the merits of the test.In the article, King explained that the LSAT’s purpose is

to predict first-year law school grades. He said it doesn’tpredict performance over three or four years of law school,what kind of lawyer someone will be or whether he or shewill pass the bar exam. He also said the correlation betweenLSAT score and first-year law school grades is not all thathigh. He favors the idea of reducing the emphasis on the LSAT

and focusing on the “whole person,” mentioning that somepeople who have done well in college, perhaps even havingearned a master’s degree, have trouble with the test.

SPRING 2011 • QUINNIPIAC LAW 5

Feigenson writes book chapter

NEW PROFESSOR

WANTS TO SEE

JUSTICE FOR

PRISONERS

BY DONNA PINTEK

FIGHTING for Rights



WHILE WORKING AS A PUBLICDEFENDER at the Federal PublicDefender’s Office in New Haven, SarahFrench Russell noticed a trend. Judgeswere imposing stiffer sentences foroffenders who had prior drug convictions.

“For years, federal courts in Connecti-cut routinely imposed enhancements tosentences when defendants came beforethem with prior Connecticut drug saleconvictions on their records,” explainedRussell, a new assistant professor of law atQuinnipiac. She thought this practiceresulted in sentences that were too longfor her clients, and she discovered a novelway to challenge it.

In United States v. Savage, Russell suc-cessfully obtained a shorter sentence for aclient who was convicted of gun posses-sion and had a prior drug conviction.After closely examining the language ofthe sentencing guidelines, Russell arguedthat the government needed to prove thatdrugs were distributed, and not justoffered for sale. The sentencing judge dis-agreed and ordered an increased sen-tence. However, the Court of Appealssided with Russell, and her work helpedto greatly reduce the number of lengthiersentences imposed due to prior drug con-victions in Connecticut.

Russell elaborated on the topic in herarticle, “Rethinking Recidivist Enhance-ments: The Role of Prior Drug Convic-tions in Federal Sentencing,” published bythe UC Davis Law Review in 2010. In thearticle, she explained that the increasesare not justified because there is little evi-dence that longer sentences preventrepeat behavior or deter others fromcommitting crimes.

These days, Russell is tackling theseand other issues in the classroom. She isone of two professors who head Quinnip-iac’s Civil Clinic, which offers a host oflegal services free of charge to low-income individuals. She supervises a

group of students who assume primaryresponsibility for the cases, which rangefrom unpaid wage battles to benefitclaims, housing disputes, special educa-tion issues, child support and more.

“Students in the clinic represent realclients with actual legal problems,” saidRussell, who co-teaches the Civil Cliniccourse with Kevin Barry, assistant profes-sor of law. Typically, the clinic handles upto 30 cases at a time. Cases often arereferred from other organizations, such asNew Haven Legal Assistance Associationor Connecticut Legal Services.

As certified legal interns, the studentscan go to court, make arguments andpresent evidence, with either Russell orBarry in attendance. “The students arelearning to be lawyers for clients by actu-ally doing it,” Russell said.

Prior to Quinnipiac, Russell was direc-tor of the Liman Public Interest Projectat Yale Law School. She also taught in theprisoners’ rights, criminal defense andSupreme Court clinics.

While at Yale, she helped superviseteams of students who represented pris-oners in state and federal conditions ofconfinement cases. They won a major vic-tory in Forde v. Baird, a case in which afederal district court recognized the rightof a female Muslim inmate not to be pat-searched by the male guards.

“IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE,”Russell said. “The trial only went on for aweek, but the preparation was years inthe making. Many different students hada hand in the research, deposition, briefsand settlement conference.”

She also worked with students whowere submitting proposals for public inter-est fellowships. It’s an area where the needis great, but the money is scarce, she noted.

After earning both her BA and JDfrom Yale, Russell clerked for two federaljudges in New York, then-Chief Judge

Michael B. Mukasey of the U.S. DistrictCourt, and Judge Chester J. Straub of theU.S. Court of Appeals for the SecondCircuit.

When she returned to New Haven towork in the public defender’s office, sherepresented indigent clients facing federalcriminal charges. “I was very excited to be a federal public defender. I wanted torepresent clients and have contact withreal people who I could try to help,” said Russell.

At Quinnipiac, Russell is looking for-ward to writing on a broader range ofissues, and ultimately impacting policydecisions, something that she did nothave as much time to do with thedemands and pace of the public defend-er’s job. She is also excited about spend-ing more time with students.

“I was always interested in doing theclinical side of law teaching, working oncases with students, rather than strictlyfocusing on the classroom,” said Russell,who is married to fellow Yale Law Schoolgraduate Sean McElligott, a trial lawyerwith Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder inBridgeport, Conn. They have two chil-dren: Charlie, 3, and Henry, 1.

Russell also is committed to improvingaccess to justice and legal services for the incarcerated or newly released. Thissemester at Quinnipiac, the students inthe Civil Clinic will work on a newcategory of cases—prisoner re-entryservices.

“The idea is to help people who arecoming out of prison with various legalmatters in the hope that they will be ableto get back on the right track and not re-offend,” said Russell. She is disappoint-ed at the lack of support newly releasedindividuals receive, such as finding a jobor housing. “A huge amount of money is invested in locking people up, but notin helping them when they come out,” she said.

QU Law goes to outer spaceBy Professor John Thomas

Quinnipiac School of Law isheading to Jupiter’s moon,

Ganymede. And not via spacetravel, but via the magic (and veryhard work) of film.

Upon learning about my latestnonprofit, The Buddy Holly Gui-tar Foundation, the producer ofthe film “Alive and Well” contact-ed me to request that I consult onthe film’s soundtrack. I recentlywas named an executive producer.

The mission ofThe Buddy HollyGuitar Foundation isto provide childrengrowing up in chal-lenging circum-stances with achance to expresstheir own musical

visions. A guitarist myself, Iformed the foundation and am afounding member of its board. Myrole as executive producer is toline up artists to perform BuddyHolly cover tunes and incidentalmusic for the film’s soundtrack.

The film is an adaptation ofBradley Denton’s 1991 award-winning novel, “Buddy Holly IsAlive and Well on Ganymede.”The book combines sciencefiction, comedy, political satire,and, of course, rock ’n’ roll toform the perfect platform for amovie. The film will star JohnHeder, who co-wrote and playedthe title character in 2004’s“Napoleon Dynamite.”

Molly Mayeux, who formerlyworked with Stephen Spielbergand is now CEO of Dahlia StreetFilms, will produce it. The direc-tor is Robert Rugan, who hasdirected for television and film,

including the award-winningindie film “Alice’s Misadventuresin Wonderland.”

As anyone who has ever setfoot in the School of Law knows,our students possess an incrediblydiverse array of interests and tal-ents. We try our best to presentthem with opportunities that suittheir skills and serve their personal

and professional goals. At leasttwo QU law students have back-grounds that are tailor-made forthis project.

Second-year student Eli Peterson, who has long writtenfor the online music magazineTwangville, has come on board towork on all things musical, includ-ing contractual and intellectual

property law issues. First-year student Kiel Walker, a film majorat Yale and several-year veteran ofthe film industry, will be educat-ing and working alongside me.

Filming begins in New Mexico this summer. Check theQuinnipiac Law magazine forupdates and, as Buddy himselfput it, remember to “Rave On!”


FACULTY•FOCUS

LAW ALUMNUS WRITES BOOK ON MEDIA CRITICS

Critics of the press seldom find themselves under themicroscope, but that is just where Arthur Hayes ’88 placedthem in writing his first book, “Press Critics Are the Fifth

Estate: Media Watchdogs in America” (Praeger Publishers, 2008).Only a handful of books had been written on the topic, and none

made a clear distinction between professional critics reviewing theirpeers’ work and citizens who are critical of the media they consume. Hayes, of Stamford, Conn., wrote the book during a sabbatical in

2007 from his position as an associate professor of communicationand media studies at Fordham University. Hayes began his career as a journalist and earned his law degree while writing for Tennismagazine and then American Lawyer magazine. He served as thedirector of the undergraduate and graduate journalism programs forQuinnipiac’s School of Communications from 2001–03.Hayes’ book was named a finalist for the Association for

Education in Journalism & Mass Communication’s Tankard Book Award in 2009. “It combinesmy legal reasoning skills, First Amendment doctrine and theory, mass communications theory,and my first-hand knowledge of the newsroom and how journalists think,” Hayes said.In the book, Hayes expands on the public sphere concept of renowned German philosopher

Jürgen Habermas. Citizens should be encouraged to criticize the press, Hayes says, “despite thefact that they might have an ideological agenda, despite the fact that they may be uncivil indiscourse…and it is generally a good thing for democracy to have more citizens engaged in thiskind of discourse.”Hayes created a list of notable press critics by putting potential candidates through a rigorous

set of criteria, the toughest of which was whether the critic had a direct impact on changing pressbehavior. Although the book has cable TV satirist Stephen Colbert on its cover, Hayes said Col-bert’s Comedy Central counterpart on “The Daily Show” has led all critics in this regard for years.“There’s no doubt the most influential press critic based on my criteria is Jon Stewart, and

since my book’s been published, he’s done more things to underscore the argument I made for his impact,” Hayes said. Other critics who made the list include Ben Bagdikian, Steven Brill andJeff Cohen.Hayes is currently working on a textbook, “Mass Media Law: The Printing Press to the

Internet,” which is scheduled for publication later this year. It will serve as a prelude to a secondbook, “Law and Media Technology: How Law Shapes Our Use and Development of MassMedia.”—Stephen P. Schmidt, MS ’11

B OOK S H E L F

The Society for Dispute Reso-lution fielded two teams in

the Second Annual Securities Dis-pute Resolution Triathlon compe-tition sponsored in October bythe Financial Industry RegulatoryAuthority, also known as FINRA.

The team of Alexandra Bue-naventura ’12, Nicole Fernandes ’11and Taryn Porzio ’12 finished firstin the mediation portion, besting21 other teams in the challenging,two-day competition that attractslaw students from around thecountry. Quinnipiac Universitywas matched against teams fromTexas, Florida, New York, Ver-mont, Pennsylvania and others.

Abraham Hurdle ’10 coachedthe winning team. That team and a second QU team composed of Elana Bertram ’11, CaitlinMcGrory ’11 and Carminia Munoz’11 were recognized for their col-laborative methods, preparationand professionalism. Cara Platt ’11coached the second team.

FINRA challenges competi-tors’ advocacy skills in negotiation,

mediation and arbitration. Thecompetition focused on the secu-rities issues of investment suitabil-ity, portfolio diversification, riskand return profiles, the fiduciaryduties of a broker/dealer, conflictsof interest arising between thebroker-dealer and issuer, and theobligation of broker-dealers toconduct reasonable investigationsin Regulation D offerings.

Porzio serves as president ofthe Society for Dispute Resolu-tion Executive Board.Other officers arePlatt, vice president ofexternal competitions;Adam Larue, vice pres-ident of internal com-petitions; Tiffany Sabato, vice presidentof membership devel-opment; Courtney Dillon, treasurer; Buenaventura, secre-tary; Fernandes andAlex Copp, competi-tion chairs; and MelissaRoy and Dan Schofield,

community service chairs.“In the alternative dispute

resolution community, our teamshave established a good reputa-tion, not only for our continuedsuccess, but also for our qualitydemeanor toward our competi-tors,” said Porzio.

Porzio said the team receivesinvaluable guidance from facultyadvisers Carolyn Wilkes Kaas,Jennifer Gerarda Brown andCharles H. Pillsbury.


STUDENT•SPOTLIGHT

More than 100 law students were honored for outstanding academicwork at the annual Family Day Awards ceremony in November.

In addition to several named scholarships that honor students in suchcategories as the best oral advocacy and legal writing, the School of Lawgave Distinguished Academic Achievement Awards to law students whoearned the highest grade point average in each section of a course during the previous academic year.

Showing off their medals, from left: Taryn Porzio ’12,Nicole Fernandes ’11 and Alexandra Buenaventura ’12.

Family Day Awards ceremony

From left: Allan Song, Erin Sheets, Robert Shepherd, Chris Smedick and Jonathan Slivawith Dean Brad Saxton. They received distinguished academic achievement awards.

Team No. 1 in FINRA competition

At left: Professor Robert Farrell congrat-ulates Colleen Kozicz ’10 on her distin-guished academic achievement award;Jennifer Brady, recipient of the JamesDeFonce Memorial Scholarship, withRobert and Roberta DeFonce; ParthibanMathavan with his wife and daughters.

Two third-year law studentshave anything but a hazy, lazy

summer ahead. Heather McKay,the lead articles editor of theQuinnipiac Law Review, will begina clerkship in the chambers ofConnecticut Supreme CourtChief Justice Chase T. Rogers,while Katharine Casaubon, theeditor-in-chief of the QuinnipiacLaw Review, will begin clerking for Connecticut Supreme CourtJustice Flemming L. Norcott Jr.

They will take a brief breakfrom their yearlong positions tostudy for and take the bar exam inJuly. During their clerkships, bothstudents expect to examine briefs,hear oral arguments, research casesand compose drafts the justicesmay use when writing opinions.

McKay noted that some of theadvantages to clerking after lawschool are the ability to perfectone’s research and writing skills,and the opportunity to observeappellate-level oral arguments.

A law clerk’s job is very writing-intensive, and Rogers told McKayshe was impressed with the writ-ing sample she submitted in herapplication. McKay previouslytook the Judicial Clerkship Semi-nar taught by Professor MelanieAbbott, and used an assignmentshe wrote for that class as herwriting sample when applying forclerkships.

An article McKay wrote—“Fighting for Victoria: FederalEqual Protection Claims Availableto American Transgender School-children”—will appear in a forth-coming issue of the QuinnipiacLaw Review.

McKay is amember of theWomen’s LawSociety and theFamily and Juve-nile Law Society.During Fall 2010,she served as aresearch assistantto Professor Jef-frey Meyer. Lastsummer, she wasa summer associ-ate at Shipman& Goodwin LLP,and during the spring semester,she externed in the chambers ofFederal District Court Judge JanetBond Arterton in New Haven.During her first year of law school,she was a research assistant forProfessor Linda Meyer, and spentthe summer as an intern at theNew York State Office of theAttorney General and in thechambers of Monroe CountyCourt Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr.

Casaubon is excited about hernew role as well. She said JusticeNorcott was the last of five jus-tices with whom she interviewed,and she felt an immediate connec-tion with him.

“I am confident that this willbe a valuable learning experience,and I am really looking forward toworking in Justice Norcott’s cham-bers after graduation,” she added.

Casaubon previously internedin the chambers of three otherjudges and really enjoyed it. “I findthe process of assisting in draftingjudicial opinions appealing. I thinkmy strengths lie in research andwriting, and clerking for Justice

Norcott will give me the perfectopportunity to further developthose skills.”

She served as president of theAnimal Law Society last year, andis a member of the IntellectualProperty Law Society and theWomen’s Law Society. In Spring2010, she externed in the cham-bers of Chief Judge AlexandraDavis DiPentima at the Connecti-cut Appellate Court. For summer

internships, she interned after herfirst year with Judge Jack W. Fisch-er at the Meriden Superior Court,and last summer, with JudgeVanessa L. Bryant at the FederalDistrict Court in Hartford.

Outside the law school,Casaubon served on the board ofdirectors for the University’s Cen-ter for Excellence and is a gover-nor of law for the University’sGraduate Student Council.


STUDENT•SPOTLIGHT

Students clerking withConnecticut SupremeCourt justices

Heather McKay, left, and Katharine Casaubon will clerk for Connecticut Supreme Court justices Chase T.Rogers and Flemming L. Norcott Jr., respectively.

MOOT COURT WINNERS

Third-year student Cara Platt wasthe winner of the 2010 Dean TerenceH. Benbow Intramural Moot CourtCompetition. She was recognized forhaving the best oral argument.

Marybeth Gordon received theaward for best brief, and Platt wassecond. Darren Pruslow received anaward for the second-best oralargument.

Skilled translatorBio background suits future IP lawyer

By Donna Pintek

As a pharmaceutical sales representative, ElanaBertram found that one of her greatest assetswas the ability to translate technical productinformation into easy-to-understand terms fordoctors and nurses.

“On the one hand, I needed to talk in medical terms withdoctors, then talk sales numbers and marketing phrases withmy boss. It helps to be able to translate in differentdirections,” explained Bertram, whose job with BoehringerIngelheim in Ridgefield, Conn., involved convincing doctors toprescribe specific drugs. Bertram knew that some senior citizens paid exorbitant

rates for their prescription medicines. She recognized that aproblem existed with the Medicaid system. The only way to fixit, she realized, would be to move into a more legislative orpolicy role. So Bertram did what she considered the logicalthing—she decided to go to law school. Bertram, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological

sciences from Mount Holyoke College, said the biologybackground provided an ideal springboard into the intellectualproperty field. “Within the IP concentration, there are a lot ofengineers, some chemists and people with varied technicalbackgrounds, but very few with biology backgrounds.”She found her communication skills to be an asset again.

“As an IP attorney, I will need to be able to translate frominventor to attorney and then back again,” she said. She wasintrigued when she realized she was eligible to be a registeredpatent agent with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. “The great thing about it is you are dealing with cutting-

edge technology every day—all the new stuff people areinventing, selling, licensing. I like the idea that part of my jobwould be to continue to learn,” Bertram said. Bertram, who will earn her JD in May, is attending the

University on a Dean’s Fellow scholarship, which covers herthree years of tuition. In the spring, she will take the exam tobecome licensed as a patent agent. She also works part timeas a lawyer referral service consultant at the New HavenCounty Bar Association.For the past year and a half, Bertram has put her

communication skills to work on Quinnipiac’s Health LawJournal, initially as a staff member, and most recently aseditor-in-chief. In that role, she not only writes, but also editssubmissions from practicing attorneys, professors andphysicians. Her paper, “How Current Informed Consent Protocols Flunk

the Sham Surgery Test: A New Frontier in Medicine,” waspublished in the December 2010 issue.

Last spring, Bertram also took on the role of studentadviser to the Gregory A. Loken Loan Repayment AssistanceProgram, which offers financial assistance to recent lawgraduates working in public service. For Bertram, coming to law school also meant giving up

one of her other passions: dressage—which she describes as“figure skating with horses.” An equestrian since the age of 3,Bertram competed in national championships in high schooland college, where she won two consecutive individualnational championships. She trained her horse, Lancelot, an 8-year-old American

Quarterhorse stabled in Newtown, Conn. She rides him asoften as she can. Recently, Bertram has had to cut back oncompetitions, which are time consuming. “It’s difficult tocontinue in a steady program. I can barely make it to the gym,let alone the barn,” she said. She has no regrets, however. “Law school is a great

experience. It is like learning a new language,” she said.


Third-year student ElanaBertram with Lancelot, whom she trained in dressage.


“Once the Xerox copierwas invented, diplo-macy died,” lamentedAndrew Young, for-mer U.S. ambassador

to the United Nations during the Carteradministration.

That was more than 30 years ago. Sincethen, with the advent of the Internet, thephotocopier has become the least of theworries of officials around the world look-ing to conduct government business insecret. Referencing the whistle-blowingwebsite WikiLeaks, noted First Amend-ment attorney Floyd Abrams thinks it willbe more and more difficult to protectsecrets, regardless of the validity of thedecision to keep the information secret.

The ability of even democraticallyelected representative governments tokeep some information under wraps has

been considered essential to the conductof international affairs. American presi-dential administrations since the begin-ning—regardless of party affiliation—have asserted that some governmentactivities needed to remain secret for thegreater or long-term good.

Even Thomas Jefferson, an architect ofdemocracy, “loved the sense of freedomfrom oversight which diplomacy gave,”wrote historian Henry Adams. Jeffersonhimself said, “All nations have found it nec-essary that, for the advantageous conductof their affairs, at least some of these (exec-utive) proceedings should remain known totheir executive functionary only.”

Abrams acknowledged in an interviewwith Quinnipiac Law that WikiLeaks’actions may sometimes have served thepublic interest. But, he says, “They havereleased an enormous amount of material

without good reason, and with the poten-tial to create considerable harm.” Abramsrepresented The New York Times in thePentagon Papers case. He was the recipientof the Fred Friendly Lifetime AchievementAward from Quinnipiac University in 2008.

WikiLeaks’ activities raise severalquestions about freedom of speech athome and abroad, the nature of journal-ism, the definition of “whistle-blowing,”the limits and possibilities of diplomacy,the intersections of the American andinternational legal systems, and the con-duct of international affairs.

Founded in 2006 by a group led by Australian activist and journalist JulianAssange, WikiLeaks has the stated purposeof “exposing oppressive regimes,” and“revealing unethical behavior in govern-ments and corporations by making publicclassified, censored or otherwise restricted


SECRECYshattered

WikiLeaks controversy raises questions about freedom of speech, the nature of journalism

and the conduct of diplomacy

B Y R H E A H I R S H M A N

material it receives from other sources andthat is not already publicly available.”

The site has published documents asdiverse as information about toxic dump-ing in Africa, protocols from GuantánamoBay, the “secret bibles” of Scientology,reports of Iranian nuclear accidents, emailmessages from Sarah Palin’s personalaccount, and 9/11 pager messages. Assangerecently has indicated his intention to usedata from an executive’s hard drive to takedown a major American bank and reveal an“ecosystem of corruption.”

But the WikiLeaks activities gettingmost of the attention of late, and raisingConstitutional issues here in the U.S., arethe release of tens of thousands of confi-dential military field reports about thewars in Iraq and Afghanistan in July 2010,followed by the release in December of aquarter of a million diplomatic cables from250 U.S. embassies around the world. In-depth reports based on those cables werepublished by The New York Times andfour European newspapers.

Criminal investigation plannedThe release of the field reports wasdenounced by officials as potentiallyendangering the lives of both soldiers andcivilians. The release of the cables has pro-voked consternation in diplomatic circlesworldwide. The U.S. Department of Justicehas stated its intention to conduct “anactive criminal investigation” of Assange,looking to ascertain whether he was a con-spirator encouraging the extraction of clas-sified files, or simply the passive recipientof the information from another party.

The American law usually cited in rela-tion to legal action against WikiLeaks is theEspionage Act of 1917. Among other stipu-lations, the act states that the unauthorizedpossession and disclosure of informationrespecting the national defense to be “usedto the injury of the United States, or to theadvantage of any foreign nation” is illegal.The law has been subject to several chal-lenges, but has been upheld, at least in part.

Most recently, according to Abrams,who represented The New York Times inthe Pentagon Papers case, “The JusticeDepartment took the position that itcould enforce the Espionage Act against

journalists in a 2006 case—U.S. v. Rosen—that it later dropped.” In that case, two for-mer officials of the American Israel Politi-cal Action Committee were accused oforally giving an Israeli diplomat classifiedinformation they had been told by aDefense Department employee.

Abrams explains that the federal judge inthat case concluded that “to obtain a con-viction of individuals who had not workedfor the government but had received infor-mation from individuals who had, prosecu-tors must prove bad intent; that is, provethat the defendant actually intended toharm the U.S. or to help an enemy, ratherthan that he was simply following a deeplyheld view that government secrets shouldbe exposed. This ruling holds that actionbased on such a belief could be protectedby the First Amendment.”

Assange’s own public statements couldexpose him to prosecution under thisreading of the law. He is quoted in a NewYorker profile as arguing that a socialmovement to “expose secrets could bringdown many administrations that rely onconcealing reality—including the U.S.administration.” And Attorney GeneralEric Holder noted recently that the Jus-tice Department is looking beyond theEspionage Act to other possible offenses,including conspiracy or trafficking instolen property. “We have other statutes,other tools at our disposal,” he said.

Jurisdiction is cloudyIf prosecution were to go forward, JeffreyMeyer, professor of law, believes that com-plex jurisdictional issues would have to beresolved. He asks, “Who can legitimatelyassert jurisdiction with a defendant who isan Australian national, who has hidden inEngland and is working with authorities inIceland, is wanted for unrelated charges inSweden, and who published documentsthat were apparently provided withoutauthorization to WikiLeaks by a U.S. citi-zen who was a soldier in Iraq at the time?”

Meyer says, “Jurisdictional rules have tobe neutral as to outcome and not turn onthe merits of underlying disputes; they arenot the same as rules of conduct. The U.S.cannot assert authority simply to regulateconduct it finds offensive; on the otherhand, if someone has stolen U.S. govern-ment property, others should not be free to traffic in it.”

But these guidelines, Meyer notes, donot address the extent to which provisionsof our Constitution apply abroad. He asks,“Would Assange win an argument that hehas First Amendment rights abroad? Doesthe Constitution protect people in generalfrom our government’s doing anythingconstitutionally forbidden, or does it protect only U.S. citizens and/or certainconduct that occurs within the U.S? If I go overseas, I can be protected as anAmerican citizen if I speak against the


The issue is whether WikiLeaks has goneso far that the First Amendment maysimply not protect it, according to FloydAbrams, a First Amendment expert.

U.S. government. But do the same protec-tions apply to foreigners abroad involvedin actions related to the U.S.?”

Additional questions involve whether agovernment regulates by where conducttakes place, or where conduct has itseffect. “Regulating the first is easier,”Meyer says, because it is more objectivelyidentifiable. “If you’re just over the borderin Canada and shoot someone in the U.S.,the venue for prosecution is pretty clear,at least in Canada.” But, he continues,“What do these questions mean whentalking about the Internet, which is every-where and nowhere, and where everythingoccurs simultaneously?”

Some discussions of legal issues sur-rounding WikiLeaks have focused onwhether or not Assange can be considereda journalist. Meyer and Abrams find thisissue irrelevant. “We don’t ordinarily con-dition First Amendment protections onthe identity or condition of the speaker,”Meyer says.

Abrams adds, “We all receive broadFirst Amendment protection. The issue iswhether WikiLeaks has gone so far thatthe First Amendment may simply not pro-tect it. Whoever gave them the info couldbe prosecuted. But WikiLeaks has bothsome source-like qualities and some jour-nalistic qualities; we have never seen a caselike this before.”

Chilling effect on journalismJournalists themselves are divided on the“journalistic qualities” of WikiLeaks. Last December, syndicated columnistClarence Page published a piece titled,“WikiLeaks Can Make Us Less Free,” inwhich he argues that “the biggest irony ishow the consequences of Assange’s nosyrevolution undoubtedly will be quite theopposite of what he says he wants.Instead of opening up the world to moreprivate information and honest views, hewill make leaders and diplomats morecautious and less candid. With fewer

guarantees of secrecy in this Internet age,it will be more diffi-cult for national lead-ers and diplomats togain the confidencethat can lead to frankdiscussions and use-ful ends.”

But in the samemonth, nearly twodozen faculty mem-bers of the ColumbiaGraduate School ofJournalism sent a letter to PresidentObama and AttorneyGeneral Holder, saying, “Any prosecu-tion of Wikileaks’staff for receiving,possessing or pub-lishing classifiedmaterials will set adangerous prece-dent… potentiallychilling investigativejournalism and otherFirst Amendment-protected activity.

Prosecution … would greatly damageAmerican standing in free-press debatesworldwide and would dishearten thosejournalists looking to this nation forinspiration.”

For Richard Hanley, assistant professorof journalism and QU graduate journalismprogram director, WikiLeaks “shows howincapacitated the profession of journalismhas become in relation to reporting ondiplomacy and international affairs”—areas he says are most affected by budgetcuts in mainstream news organizations.

“News outlets used to pride themselveson international coverage,” Hanley says.“Journalists should have been all oversome of the stories that those cableshighlighted. Yes, some of the material inthe leaked dispatches falls into thecategory of gossip. But those are exactlythe kinds of leads that journalists followin order to get real news. With newsbureaus shut down, there is noopportunity to follow leads, to dig deeper.What we have with WikiLeaks is a datadump. Information is not the same asnews. News—good journalism—providescontext and depth. Simply postingdocuments is not doing journalism.”

Still, Hanley is optimistic about hisprofession and even the lessons it cantake from WikiLeaks. “I hope that what’shappened sparks a renewal of aggressiveinternational reporting, but not fromtraditional news organizations. Startupswill use the power of the Internet withouthaving costs like printing presses andpaper. They could post reporters aroundthe world and package and distributegood journalism to domestic mediacompanies.”

Susan Filan ’91, senior legal analyst forMSNBC, says she isn’t sure at this pointabout who wins the First Amendmentargument, but hopes a new definition ofright and wrong emerges from theWikiLeaks story.

Filan, also a principal in her ownFairfield County law firm, says, “We are ata place where morality, technology, policyand the law all meet up. The idea of whatis best for the greater good may bemoving out of the hands of governmentsand becoming all of our responsibility.”


Richard Hanley, director of thegraduate journalism program atQuinnipiac, says WikiLeaks dumpsdata that may or may not yieldnews leads.


BARheading the

As CBA president, Ralph Monaco ’93 is leading

lawyers into a new era

BY ALEJANDRA NAVARRO

An online search for a casemight be faster, but RalphMonaco ’93 still thinksthere’s something to begained by looking up a

case in a book. Scrolling through the pages of Shepard’s

Citations for Case Law often yields aninteresting case he may not have encoun-tered using keywords in a database, explainsMonaco, motioning to the weatheredbooks that line one conference room wall atthe law firm of Conway, Londregan, Shee-han & Monaco PC in New London, Conn.

“At 43, I’m probably part of the last gen-eration that still feels comfortable doingresearch in books,” says Monaco, a board-certified trial lawyer specializing in civil andcommercial litigation. He is also presidentof the Connecticut Bar Association.

When Monaco was in law school, stu-dents shared one LexisNexis terminal. Herecognizes that times have changed. Whenhe joined the firm in 1993, it had a lawlibrary. Today, books are decorative featuresin the 130-year-old Victorian home thathouses the law offices. To keep up withdemand for information, the CBA is refin-ing an app for the BlackBerry and iPhonethat would give its members access to Case-maker, the association’s online legal library.

New technologies and online resourcesare changing the legal profession, in waysmore far-reaching than research. The Inter-net has made lawyers more accessible toclients; it also has given people alternativesto hiring a lawyer.

Many people who don’t think they canafford a lawyer are turning to online legalsites that offer cheap and convenient legaldocuments, but with little or no legalexpertise. This combination can lead tocostly mistakes, explains Monaco.

Monaco and his colleagues have hadclients who have used these self-help sitesand prepared documents that are not accu-rate, appropriate, or legally valid, he says.He has encountered small business ownerswho sign contracts and negotiate dealswithout the benefit of a lawyer.

“It’s unfortunate that people have grown

reliant on these sites because they are miss-ing out on the counseling that lawyers do:counseling on which document is appropri-ate, why the document is appropriate, andwhat alternatives are available,” he says.

With the rise of pro se litigants andonline legal services, Monaco has led theCBA in an effort to “unbundle” legal servic-es, which would allow lawyers to file limitedrepresentation in court. For example,instead of handling an entire divorce, alawyer can handle just the child custodymatters.

“A challenge of the bar is to tell peoplehow they can afford us,” says Monaco, whonotes that some firms use alternative pay-ment options instead of billable hours.

Monaco tries to be up-front about thepotential costs of a case with his clients,giving a best-and-worst-case scenario of thecosts, as well as the merits of the case.

“I enjoy taking on cases where there arenew legal issues involved,” says Monaco.The majority of his practice is in personalinjury, medical malpractice, product liabilityand wrongful death in superior court and inthe U.S. District Court. He also has han-dled appeals at the Connecticut SupremeCourt, as well at the U.S. Court of Appealsfor the Second Circuit.

Monaco has been involved in mass tortcases involving the Dalkon Shield, a contra-ceptive device that caused injuries, andVioxx, a medication that was found tocause strokes and heart attacks. He success-fully participated in the 2003 Rhode Islandnightclub fire litigation that resulted in a$176 million settlement. He’s currently rep-resenting families who have had a memberinjured by “hot bats” or high performingaluminum bats that can hit balls at speedsbeyond human reaction time.

Monaco has been on the Connecticutand New England Super Lawyers list annu-ally from 2006–10. In 2009, he received thePublisher’s Award from the ConnecticutLaw Tribune for challenging the state’sattempt to remove funds from the AttorneyClient Security Fund.

He most appreciates helping families inneed. He recalls getting a settlement forone young widow with children that pro-vided twice the income that her deceasedhusband was earning, without touching the

principle. “It’s very rewarding to give a fam-ily that financial relief,” says Monaco, whohas two young daughters—Abby, 11, andAnna, 9—with his wife Dina.

“I know few more passionate or appro-priately focused advocates,” said friend andcolleague Vincent Cervoni ’93, a lawyer atGesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari,LLC, in Hamden. “As a leader, Ralph has away of calmly seeing beyond the fray, organ-izing, delegating, and getting people towork for the common goal.”

His most recent goal is to improve civicseducation. It has become the theme of hisCBA presidency, an endeavor inspired byformer U.S. Supreme Court Justice SandraDay O’Connor.

“Surveys have shown that more peoplecan name a judge on American Idol thancan name a Supreme Court justice,” says aslightly frustrated Monaco. He has estab-lished a CBA committee that is workingwith educators on the issue.

“Who better to understand the impor-tance of civics education than the peoplewho are involved in civics day in and dayout?” reasons Monaco. “It gets young peo-ple excited about government. It encour-ages respect for the rule of law.”

Recalling the horror of the recentshooting rampage that targeted U.S. Rep.Gabrielle Giffords, he says, “I’m remindedof how we need to do more to educateyoung people that government works.Democracy requires participation andrespect for different views.”

He encourages young lawyers to volun-teer and join community boards as well asprofessional organizations, such as theCBA, to make sure their opinions areheard. He also hopes to build a connectionto law school students to create a smoothertransition into the profession. He plans toexpand the mentor program that is current-ly in New Haven and Hartford.

Not everyone has supported his work.When the CBA passed a proposal tochange the statute that requires the state’sattorney general have 10 years of trial expe-rience, he came under criticism. Monacowelcomes the debate.

“People have called to disagree,” he sayswith a boyish smile. “My response is ‘getinvolved.’”


As CBA president, Ralph Monaco ’93 works toimprove civic education in schools.


Stephen Longo ’83, a solo practitioner in Prospect,Conn., was hard at work oneFebruary day in 2006 wheninto his office walked a man

in his early thirties whom Longo had metin the course of a routine commercial realestate transaction.

“I want justice for my grandmother,”said the new arrival. And thus began thesaga of what both Longo and the high-profile lawyer he would team with on theother side of the world in Australia woulddescribe as “the case of a lifetime.”

The tale of the grandmother, Sanije K.(her last name is omitted in deference toAustralian court efforts to keeps partiesin domestic cases anonymous), drewLongo into some of the darkest corners

of European 20th-century history. Elements of the case included daringescapes, horrific prison conditions,political and familial betrayals, savvy legalmaneuvering, espionage and faith in theAmerican legal system.

The case also led Longo to reach outto a QU faculty member with whom he’d had no contact since graduating,Professor David Rosettenstein. It is astory that Longo feels deserves a book,and he has taken a year off from hispractice to write it. Here is Sanije’s story.

In the mid-1930s, Sanije and her husband, Mehmet K., lived in Albania.Mehmet had fought alongside the Com-munists in World War II against theNazis and also served as an escort for theBritish army stationed there. At the endof the war, Mehmet rose to the rank ofpolice chief in Tirana. In 1946, the gov-ernment, led by Enver Hoxha, began tosuspect that Mehmet was offering secret


CASEof a lifetime

Grandson implores alumnus to seek justice for his grandmother, who spent

45 years in Albanian prison camps

BY JANET WALDMAN

Sanije’s husband, Mehmet K., former police chief inAlbania, fled the country to escape prosecution, buthis family suffered.

Stephen Longo ’83 was part of an international legal team that represented Sanije K., at left, in aremarkable divorce/inheritance case.

information to the British mission inTirana. The state security office detainedhim, and he knew his days would be num-bered. Mehmet escaped from detentionthrough his window using bed sheets andfled to neighboring Greece. But he leftbehind his wife and children.

The Greeks, in the midst of a Com-munist insurgency bordering on a civilwar, detained Mehmet upon his arrival inthat county. “They knew he was a high-ranking officer, so they grabbed him, hop-ing he’d help them by testifying against


This prison in Korcë, Albania,was home to Sanije K. and herthree children, who were raisedhere and in prison camps untiladulthood.

Gurie S., above, befriended Sanije in prison, whereGurie was sent after her husband, Ali, fled to escapepersecution. Ali managed to send Gurie money overthe years, and that fact bolstered Sanije’s case.

his Albanian compatriots and help theGreeks in their quest to claim southernAlbania for Greece, with the promise ofrelease after,” Longo said. Mehmet testi-fied before a United Nations Commissionhearing in Salonika, Greece, on the role ofAlbanian Communists in smuggling armsto the insurgents. In return for his testi-mony and with the help of the Britishgovernment, the way was cleared forMehmet to immigrate to Australia.

When the Albanian authoritiesdiscovered Mehmet gone, they seized

Sanije, then 28 and seven monthspregnant, along with the couple’s twodaughters, and imprisoned them inKorcë, Albania. They were labeledenemies of the people, which made themsocial and economic outcasts. Their onlycrime was being related to Mehmet.

In the Korcë prison, a stone fortressbuilt in 1916 by the French, Sanije gavebirth to their son, Boris K. For 45 years,the mother and children were shuffledamong prisons and labor camps. Theylived in mud huts without plumbing, heator adequate rations. They were requiredto perform hard labor, often working infields without shoes, in freezing weather.One of their more odious tasks involveddigging up bodies of prisoners andreburying them. Boris suffered countlessbeatings, but he and the family endured.In Albania, the sins of the father were thesins of the son and of the family. Borismarried another prisoner, and they hadtwo children, including a son namedGezim K. Once communism fell in 1991,the family was released.

Leila S., right, daughter ofGurie, grew up in Albanianprisons with Boris K. Thefriends since childhood werereunited when Leila testifiedin the case. At left is Sanije,Boris’s mother.

New lives for all?Shortly afterward, Sanije and one daugh-ter journeyed to Australia for what theyimagined might be a new life withMehmet. However, Mehmet told Sanijethat she was too old for him. The daugh-ters also learned that under Australian law,only one family member would be permit-ted to stay with Mehmet. Sanije was“returned” to Albania while Mehmet con-tinued to reside on his 3,600-acre farm.She became estranged from her daugh-ters, who sided with Mehmet.

In 1997, Gezim turned to New YorkLaw School’s Immigration Clinic for helpin obtaining political asylum in the U.S.for himself and his immediate familymembers, including Sanije. He and Boristoiled long hours for minimum wages asroofers, restaurant help and constructionworkers in Brooklyn, N.Y., struggling toattain the American dream and eventuallybecome American citizens. Father andson saved to buy a home in Waterbury,Conn., then bought a shopping plaza innearby Prospect and moved the familythere. Gezim opened a café in that plaza.Boris and the family help out every day.

Life was better, but something wasmissing. “I just want justice for my grand-mother,” said Gezim. And so beganLongo’s relationship with Sanije, Borisand Gezim.

From a lawyer’s perspective, the initialchallenge was to identify what formjustice might take. The couple was stillmarried––Sanije was 87 and Mehmet, 95.Was a divorce called for, or would timeand inheritance laws suffice? What werethe Australian divorce and inheritancerules and how would they play out in this scenario?

At this point, Longo turned to Roset-tenstein. He remembered from his FamilyLaw and Remedies classes that Rosetten-stein had a background both in SouthAfrican and English law. Longo hopedRosettenstein might have a feel for thelegal regimes of the British Common-wealth and, with a bit of luck, might evenhave some knowledge of the Australian bar.

As luck would have it, Rosettensteinhad participated in a workshop at OxfordUniversity a few years prior. Among the

participants was an Australian barristernamed Richard Ingleby. Contacted byRosettenstein, Ingleby was able to pro-vide the name of another lawyer “on site”named Andrew Davies. Thus was formedthe legal team with which Longo wouldwork for the next four grueling years.

Longo describes Davies, whom he nowconsiders a friend, as one of Australia’smost respected family lawyers. They com-municated over the four years via email,phone and Skype, all the while con-fronting a 13-hour time difference.

The legal nitty-grittyAn examination of the relevant inheri-tance laws coupled with the fact thatSanije’s health was failing (so thatMehmet could well outlive her), militatedin favor of a divorce suit. But where?Jurisdiction could be established in bothConnecticut and Australia. What wouldeach jurisdiction make of a marriagewhere the couple effectively had beenseparated for more than half a century?Connecticut divorce law certainly recog-nizes a spouse’s role in contributing to thehousehold and the children, but by andlarge that approach is restricted to intacthouseholds and minor children. Davies

flew to Connecticut to review state lawand to compare it to what Australia hadto offer. While there, he found time to sitin on one of Rosettenstein’s classes.

Davies and Ingleby concluded thatAustralian courts might be persuaded thatAustralian law should recognize Sanije’scontribution in keeping the family intactthrough the decades of repression, com-pounded by an absence of any contribu-tion from Mehmet.

But Sanije was now 87 and delay was problematic. Australian family lawrequires a bifurcated trial, the granting ofthe divorce first and then litigation overproperty division. Sanije was divorced inDecember 2007, thereby locking in herclaim. With the divorce granted, theproperty division case was set for trial ayear later. Unfortunately, Sanije died at 89,four months before the trial. Her estatewas substituted as the plaintiff, andGezim and Boris carried on for her as she always instructed them to do.

For the property division litigation, the legal team wanted to show what aneffort it required on Sanije’s part to salvagethe family under the conditions thatprevailed in Albania half a century ago. Thelegal team then hired Stephanie


Stephen Longo ’83, left, sought the advice of his former professor, David Rosettenstein, on the mostchallenging case of his career.

Schwandner-Sievers, a social anthropologistand expert in Balkan history, to detail thehorrific conditions that existed in theextensive prison system implemented bythe Albanian Communist regime.

The case proceeded with Longo doingresearch and legwork in America whileIngleby and Davies served as barrister andsolicitor in court. Davies said, “My pri-mary role was to coordinate the evidenceand strategy, working closely with Steve.He gave me background to shape andstructure the case.”

Geography, the time difference, lan-guage barriers and access to old recordswere complicating factors. “At times itwas heartache, frustration and just hardwork, but Steve always maintained a senseof humor. I found him to be an incrediblytalented and clever lawyer, and I was deadimpressed with his work. We would nothave achieved the outcome without him,”Davies said.

Longo purchased Owen Pearson’s trilo-gy, “Albania in the 20th Century: A Histo-ry.” He gave Gezim and Davies copies aswell. “Gezim called me soon after andtold me his grandfather’s name appearedin the book––his testimony from the U.N.hearing in Salonika, Greece, in March1947…we couldn’t believe what we


Around this time, with the help of anAlbanian human rights organization, thelegal team was put in touch with anAlbanian author, Agim Musta, who hadwritten a book about Albanian prisoncamps and was signing them at an eventin New York City. Gezim attended andfilled him in on the case and its recentroadblock.

Musta mentioned that his neighbor inTirana might have information. ElsaBallauri, an Albanian human rightsactivist and collaborator on the case,contacted the neighbor on Gezim’sbehalf. “It turned out that Musta’sneighbor was a one-time member of theSigurimi (the Albanian secret police) andthat he was at that hearing in Salonika,Greece, as part of the Albaniandelegation,” Longo said. He eagerlyagreed to testify by affidavit. Heconfirmed that Mehmet was at thehearing and that Mehmet had testifiedagainst the Albanian government.

“We were surprised because he knewhow harshly his family would be pun-ished,” the testimony read. It went on tostate: “There is no doubt in my mind thatthe initial imprisonment of Mehmet’swife was as a result of his escape fromAlbania. Her continued incarceration andthat of her children were…prolongedindefinitely as a direct result of his testi-mony and denunciation of the Albaniangovernment in Greece at the hearing….He was the only one to come out as a wit-ness against Albania.”

Contribution key to caseSanije’s contribution was one part of thecase. Mehmet’s lack of contribution wasthe other. Mehmet’s position basicallywas that he could not provide support.But, while researching the case, Longolearned that many other Albanians whohad fled the country did indeed manageto send money to their imprisonedfamilies to supplement the meager foodand clothing given to prisoners.

Gurie S., whom Sanije befriended inprison, was one such recipient. Her hus-band, Ali S., was a known intellectual andanti-Communist. When the Communistscame to arrest him, Gurie’s uncle and

found,” said Longo, adding, “It went wellbeyond serendipity.”

The redacted testimony did not tellthe whole story, so Longo contacted theU.S. and Greek ambassadors to the U.N.,who sent him the original 1947 transcriptin which Mehmet discussed how he knewthe Albanian government was providingGreek Communists with war supplies.

“He gave dates, names, places andtimes and what horrible living conditionsand oppression existed in CommunistAlbania, an Albania where his wife andthree children remained. It was no exag-geration to state that he knew where allthe bodies were buried. But in his testi-mony, he never mentioned a wife or chil-dren. For our purposes, that was highlypertinent,” Longo related.

Mehmet had never seen the testimony.When he was confronted with it, heclaimed he was not the person who testi-fied. “This was a missile lobbed on his lap.His lawyers claimed we were making thisinto a war crimes trial, which was absurd.Basically, he told us to prove it was him,”Longo said. The U.N. had a drawer ofphotos from the hearing. “We scouredevery one, but there was not one ofMehmet, the main witness.” They weredespondent.

Australia attorney Andrew Davies, whose office affords a view of the Swan River in Perth, Australia.

brother-in-law, both high-ranking govern-ment officials—visited her and advisedher to divorce Ali, put their two childrenup for adoption, and disassociate herselffrom this “enemy of the people.”

Gurie refused. Ali escaped toYugoslavia and left his young wife behindto face the same fate that had befallenSanije. Later, Ali returned after a falsereport circulated about amnesty for all.The Hoxha regime re-arrested him, buthe escaped certain death for the secondtime, fleeing to Europe and years laterending up in New Jersey. From there, hewrote his wife and daughters regularly,sending them money and telling themhow much he loved and missed them, but that his hands were tied to free them.Gurie saved the letters by burying themin a cornfield. Longo had them translatedto bolster the case that others did manageto support their imprisoned families.Gurie testified in the case by affidavit andher surviving daughter, Leila, attendedthe trial in Australia.

With the trial over, a new legal threatemerged. While Sanije’s claim was pro-tected by bifurcating the proceedings, the entire litigation would become mootshould Mehmet die before the matter was resolved. To compound the litigationteam’s misery, the trial judge, havingdeferred the trial for a year, then tookanother year to render an opinion. Davieschalked up the delays to the overbur-dened court system in Australia.

Then came the decision, and it was adisappointment. The trial judge, inessence, had treated the suit as a form of inheritance claim and awarded Sanijeessentially one-third of the marital estate.“Our position, in accordance with Sanije'sexplicit instructions, was that asMehmet’s spouse, her basic entitlementwas to half the marital assets,” Longosaid. Ingleby and Davies launched anemergency appeal to persuade the courtthat Australian law should recognize thecontribution Sanije had made, albeitunder the most unusual circumstances. “If Mehmet ( then aged 98) died before an appellate court decision, then, underAustralian law, we were stuck with thetrial court’s decision,” Longo added.

The appellate brief with supportingdocuments was more than 700 pages.

The appellate court, in a unanimousdecision, expanded the conceptualizationof a spouse’s “contribution” to the family.Recognizing the exigency involved, thecourt facilitated the property distributionSanije’s estate had sought rather thanreturning the matter to the trial court for a new determination.

Gezim said, “It is good that we won. We got our name back, which was impor-tant compared to any award. I don’t thinkanyone would have worked as hard as Stevedid 24/7 for four years, thinking every sec-ond about how to move the case along. We were on the right side of the case, andwe had the truth on our side,” he declared.

For Longo, getting the story’s manytwists and turns on paper has opened up

a new chapter in his career. “This casetook four years of my life. I thought,‘What do I do now, put the files away and go on with the practice as usual? I decided to make a significant careerchange and dedicate whatever time ittakes to tell Sanije’s entire story and what happened in the dark days ofCommunist Albania…there’s so muchmore to tell,’” he said.

Rosettenstein was invited to attend areunion of sorts in New York City lastOctober where everyone involved in thecase gathered to celebrate the successfuloutcome.

“Gezim and Boris pinned their faith onthe American legal system and got justicein a meaningful way,” Rosettenstein said.“There’s a reason why American citizen-ship matters.”


From left, Sanije’s grandson, Gezim K., his father, Boris K., and Gezim’s children, Cleo, left, and Angelo.

From the 40th floor of hishotel room in the Chinesecity of Dongguan, FrankCaruso ’94 had a view of whatlooked like an entire metrop-

olis under construction. “When I saw that, I said, ‘Wow, there’s

something going on here,’” recalls Caruso,who was there in 2002 consulting on amajor project in the factory city about twohours north of Hong Kong.

Caruso was then an attorney in the techindustry in Maryland when a Singaporeanbusiness associate invited him to assist indeveloping the world’s largest shoppingmall in Dongguan, a region that produces abulk of the country’s products, from shoesand handbags to toys and furniture.

Even as twilight fell, he rememberswatching more than 80 giant cranes busilyswinging and lifting materials that wouldbuild a new, more impressive skyline. Andthat was just on the side of the city hecould see from his room.

In that same corner of the world, he,too, would begin his own constructionproject: building a firm that would ulti-mately help multinational corporations setup shop in this booming region. He found-ed Caruso and Associates LTD in Shen-zhen, specializing in general corporate

24

Settingup shop

Frank Caruso ’94guidescompanies into China

BY ALEJANDRA NAVARRO

Frank Caruso ’94 has become an expert in Chinesebusiness and law.

matters, mergers and acquisitions, intellec-tual property, contracts, compliance andlabor and employment law. He also struc-tures mergers and joint ventures betweenforeign and Chinese companies.

After the 18-month mall project wascomplete, owners of a Hong Kong com-pany who were raising capital asked himto do some due diligence work. Otherfirms soon came seeking his technical andlegal assistance, including Huawei, nowone of the largest telecommunicationequipment companies in the world, andLenovo, which had bought IMB’s person-al computer business.

“At the time, there weren’t many Chinese companies with cutting-edgetechnology and infrastructure experience,as well as legal experience. I was an Englishspeaker with technical expertise,” he says.

Eight years later, he has become a Chinese business expert. Foreign govern-ments, as well as Chinese provinces, havehired his firm, particularly to negotiatecontracts. Although as a foreigner he can-not practice law in China, Caruso’s firmhas Chinese lawyers. He has collaboratedwith good friend Sean Hayes ’02, a lawyerat J & S Law Firm’s International PracticeGroup headquartered in Seoul, SouthKorea. They helped South Korean compa-nies establish offices in China.

Caruso’s services have grown to includeinvestigative work, translating and socialmedia consulting. He tries to be selectivein the clients he takes.

“I’m really only interested in focusingon good clients with interesting projectsthat we know we can have an impact on,”says Caruso, who often lectures at universi-ties in Asia. The firm keeps him jettingfrom Hong Kong, where he has a home, tohis office in Shenzhen, China, and the U.S.

He learned Chinese business and lawthe same way he learned Mandarin—on hisown. Having served as an officer in the U.S.Marine Corps for 10 years, he was accus-tomed and eager to accept such challenges.Chinese laws are straightforward; it is theinterpretation of them and the applicationof the law that has Western business lead-ers seeking his assistance, he says.

“Chinese law wasn’t nearly as consistentas it is today,” he explains. He quickly

learned to keep his clients out of the Chi-nese court system that favored its nation-als. Instead, he made sure all of the parties’expectations were clearly identified inboth English and Chinese before a projectbegan. That has proven to be challengingwhen entrepreneurs are sprinting to gettheir foot in the Chinese market.

“Western companies come into the Chi-nese market with dollar signs in their eyes,and they often forget about the fundamen-tals of doing business,” he says.

China has come under criticism for itslenient intellectual property laws, but hehas seen the rules improve over the pastdecade. Caruso encourages them to beproactive and build their own securityinstead of relying on Chinese laws.

“His career has been difficult butrewarding, and now he is one of a few for-eign legal experts on Chinese corporateand transactional law,” says Marilyn Ford,professor of law. While in school, Carusoserved as her research assistant when sherepresented the Eyak Tribe of southeasternAlaska in its efforts to save its ancestralland from clear cutting.

“I initially rejected the client’s requestfor pro bono representation,” Ford recalls.“Frank would not let it go. On his own, hedid some research and presented me with apersuasive memorandum explaining whythe proposed litigation would present a‘valuable learning opportunity’ for him andother law students who volunteered towork on the case.”

Caruso managed other students’research and drafted court filingdocuments—often between midnight and 6 a.m.—to be ready for Ford in themorning, the professor recalls.

“With his extraordinary ability, tenacityand sense of adventure, it did not surpriseme when Frank decided to be a pioneer—one of the first U.S. lawyers—to takeadvantage of opportunities in China,” Fordsays. “I wasn’t even surprised when hestarted a China Business Blog to encourageHong Kong-Mainland China Cross BorderTrade Settlement in Yuan. That’s character-istic of Frank.”

Today, Caruso writes a more humorousblog about the quirky issues he’s encoun-tered while doing business in China—suchas the growing use of fake divorces to get abetter mortgage rate. While he jests in hisblog, he maintains deep respect for thecountry and culture. Many Westernershave misconceptions about China.

“People here are busy trying to make aliving,” he says. Given that the country’seconomy has grown in double digits forseveral years, Caruso says China is one ofthe greatest capitalist countries.

One of his proudest moments was beingasked to consult for the 2008 BeijingOlympics. He advised the Olympic com-mittee on potential legal issues that couldsurface with athletes as well as spectators.

“I think they wanted to show theworld there are a lot of good things inChina, and I was honored to have helpedthem do that,” he says.

Caruso also has participated in thecountry’s athletic events. With little sailingexperience, Caruso led a team in the firstChina Cup International Regatta in 2005,becoming the first American to sail intoChinese waters since leader Mao Tse-tungwas in power. His team came in last, but in2008, the group sailed into first.

It’s just another example of Carusokeeping pace with the fast-paced regionthat keeps his firm working seven days aweek. While he occasionally gets an urgefor New Haven pizza and misses goodfriends, including Ford, he admits,“Where China has been and where it isgoing, it’s really moving too fast for me tomiss much.”


Caruso keeps in touch with Professor Marilyn Ford.

26

T he reaction was simple, but poignant:“Wow.” That was the overall sentimentwhen Kate Curran ’94 told her co-workers in 2007 that she was steppingdown from her post as vice president forexternal affairs at General ElectricMoney-Americas in Stamford, Conn.

“People were shocked,” Curran said. “People don’t resign fromthese jobs very easily.” And if they do, they usually have a plan forthe next phase of their careers.

Curran went on to found The Giving Project, a nonprofitorganization based in Bridgeport. Its mission is to bring “the giftof quality education to the children of the developing world” bybuilding schools, driving the supply of learning materials, trainingteachers and engaging parents. But three years ago, all she knewwas that her life needed a new direction.

She and her five siblings were coping withthe loss of a brother and their two parents,Hugh and Eleanor, within two years’ timefrom 2005–06. Their father had been a WorldWar II fighter pilot before serving as mayor ofBridgeport in the ’60s and later, a state Supe-rior Court judge. Their mother was a “remark-ably generous person,” in Kate’s words.

“They led amazing lives,” Curran said. “Isaw a recipe of family, public service,accomplishment and generosity.”

While at GE, the Milford, Conn., residentdesigned the company’s first large CommunityReinvestment Act program, overseeing more than $100 million incommunity development grants and investments, a large portionof which went into revitalization projects for her native Bridge-port. But she wanted to do more to carry on her family’s humani-tarian legacy. After all, she earned her law degree from Quinnipiac,summa cum laude, with the intent of starting a nonprofit organiza-tion that focused on juvenile rights.

She spent most of 2008 traveling the world, visiting and learn-ing the cultures of places such as Argentina, Spain and Tanzania.

“Traveling to places like Argentina and Africa, you very quicklymove to a place of gratitude, seeing how fortunate you really havebeen, in part by virtue of where you were born,” Curran said.

Through the help of a career coach, she realized her nextcalling: to found The Giving Project in September 2009. Theorganization has raised money to build seven schools for about1,000 students in Guatemala. The new schools, in some cases,are replacing “dark, cold, wet dirt shacks.” In addition, theorganization has funded a water recycling system for anorphanage in Honduras. Curran visits the sites about every twomonths to make sure all operations are running smoothly.

After she decided to concentrate on Central America first,Curran called an executive of a major bank in the region, BAC-Credomatic, which at the time was a joint venture with GE. Theexecutive agreed to pay 50 percent of the costs for the first

project in each Central American country.That would be just the start of her GEconnections financially aiding her cause. Infact, a significant percentage of The GivingProject’s funding has come through formerco-workers, whose donations are thenmatched by the company’s GE Foundation.

“Part of what motivates me is creatingreally meaningful philanthropic experiencesfor others so they can share in the benefitsof being generous,” Curran said.

Curran hopes to hire staff members bythe end of the year. Currently, she relies on ateam of five interns, two of whom are

Quinnipiac students: Collean Toupin ’14, a public relations majorand Danielle Hunter ’11, an interactive digital design major.

“She’s motivated,” Toupin said of her boss. “She gets thingsdone. When she puts her mind to something, the ball gets rollingand she makes things happen.”

Curran said the needs of the children she helps are daunting.“But I am inspired when I connect with them. A little girl namedMichaela followed me around at one school inauguration. I had anote from her a few weeks later saying, ‘I like my new schoolbecause it is clean and there is no garbage, but I would like somebooks now please.’ I can’t wait to see her with books in her hands.”

Change is goodFormer GE executive helping

to educate Central American childrenBy Stephen P. Schmidt, MS ’11 � Photo by Stan Godlewski


Kate Curran ’94 founded The Giving Project.

THE CURRAN FILE

� Education — BA in English,College of the Holy Cross; JD’94, Quinnipiac School of Law.

� Career — Founder, The GivingProject; former vicepresident for external affairs,General Electric Money-Americas, Stamford, Conn.

—1980—Donald Doyle joined VidaCura, Inc., inFarmington, CT, as an adviser andmanagement consultant. He will work toreduce the escalating costs of medicalequipment to Workers’ Compensationpayors. He lives in Essex, CT.

—1985—Lynne Pantalena was appointed to theboard of trustees of La Rabida Children’sHospital in Chicago, IL, where she lives.

Kerry Wisser of Weatogue, CT, has beenrecognized by Cambridge Who’s Who fordemonstrating dedication, leadership andexcellence in all aspects of legal services.He is a principal at Weinstein & Wisser,P.C., in West Hartford, CT.

—1986—Pamela Jones is the first female to bejudge of probate, for the 2010–14 term, in Fairfield, CT, where she lives. She is alegal and business affairs attorney withA&E and Lifetime television networks.She also volunteers at the FairfieldOrganic Teaching Farm.

—1987—Edward Smith III is a director in theprivate client wealth services groupwithin the tax and accountingdepartment at Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP in Boca Raton, FL, wherehe lives.

—1991—Richard Carella, a principal withUpdike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C., recentlyopened the firm’s Middletown, CT, officewhere he lives. His areas of practice arefederal, state and local law regardingcommercial, industrial, coastal, riparian,agricultural and residential land useplanning and real estate development.

Howard Pierce is a partner with SeigerGfeller Laurie LLP in the firm’s healthcare cost containment practice group inWest Hartford, CT.

Maria (Pepe) VanDerLaan is a partnerwith Murtha Cullina LLP’s litigation andhealth care department in Hartford. Sherepresents clients in the areas ofcommercial litigation, managed care

reimbursement, insurance recovery,liability defense and mediation andarbitration. She lives in Southbury, CT.

—1994—Michael Brandt has been electedprobate judge for the towns of NorthHaven and East Haven, CT. He lives inNorth Haven with his wife, Kristen(Brighindi) Brandt ’95, and children,Matthew, Kylie and Michael.

Adam Schwartzstein of Old Greenwich,CT, is a partner with Lewis BrisboisBisgaard & Smith LLP in the firm’s NewYork office. He practices in the areas ofgeneral tort liability and transportation.

—1996—Lynn (Mendoker) Chiota is a taxattorney with Grill & Partners, a publicaccounting firm. She provides taxplanning, compliance and filing assistancefor their offices in Fairfield andGreenwich, CT. She lives in Fairfield, CT.

John Van Lenten of Ridgefield, CT,joined Pullman & Comley, LLC, as anassociate in the firm’s Bridgeport, CT,office. His practice focuses on complexcommercial litigation and appellatematters in both the federal and statecourts.

—1999—Jonathan Ciottone of Stafford Springs,CT, joined Goldberg Segalla LLP asspecial counsel in the firm’s Hartfordoffice. He practices in the areas ofproduct liability, construction law,premises liability and toxic tort.

Marc Nocera of Marlton, NJ, iscorporate counsel for HoltecInternational, a global supplier ofequipment in the energy industry.

—2001—Jared Alfin of West Hartford, CT, is anassociate in the litigation departmentwith Pullman & Comley LLC in the firm’sHartford office. His practice deals withcommercial litigation, business disputesand criminal defense.

Gregory Allen is a managing partner atTrendowski & Allen, P.C., in Center-brook, CT. He was named one of the NewEngland Rising Stars for 2010. He lives inWallingford, CT, with his wife and threechildren.

QULAW•ALUMNI


Debra Kelly-Woodward ’97 was appointed assistant cityattorney in Milford, CT. She lives in Fairfield, CT.

Bruce McGuire ’91From lawsuits to hedge funds

By Alejandra Navarro

In 1998, Bruce McGuire ’91 often would get off the NewYork City subway at the Wall Street station, even thoughthe next stop was closer to his job at Goldman Sachs. Thestroll by the historic financial buildings, including the NewYork Stock Exchange, reminded him how far he had come.

“I would always think how improbable it was that I could endup working at one of the most prestigious banks in the world,”explains McGuire, a lawyer-turned-finance executive. At the time, McGuire didn’t realize he was just beginning to

make his mark in the financial industry. His career would includefounding the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association (CTHFA) in2004 and the Global Alpha Forum, an annual investment man-agement and economic conference, in 2005. By December 2010,he climbed the ranks to vice president and senior member of theclient relationship team at Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Inc.,one of the world’s largest alternative investment managers. McGuire’s father had attended law school as well. “He

thought it was valuable training. It helped him think more logi-cally and methodically, which was important in business,” saysMcGuire, who also found this to be true. After earning a BA from the University of Miami and a JD

from Quinnipiac, he started his legal career at Trotta and Trottain New Haven. The firm was on the same floor as a financialservices company. He was intrigued by the bustling activity—excited conversations and screens flashing financial news—that greeted him every morning before he stepped into hisquiet, solitary office. “I wanted my professional life to be more connected with the

broader world, and finance seemed to do that,” says McGuire.“Everything that happens all over the world affects the finan-cial markets.”In 1993, he became the legal liaison in the retirement servic-

es division at MFS, a large Boston-based mutual fund company.He transitioned into the role of product manager for the com-pany’s IRA and 401k products. “There is a lot of crossoverbetween the training and skills we received as litigators and theskills necessary for financial sales,” he explains.“At that point, Boston was starting to seem small to me,” he

says with a laugh. When the president of his division left forGoldman Sachs, McGuire went too. While at Goldman, he honedhis financial skills and watched many of his colleagues begin tomake profits through merger arbitrage and shorting the mar-ket, and eventually launching their own hedge funds. “I decided that I wanted to be in the growing and more

dynamic part of the asset management business,” saysMcGuire, who lives in Darien, Conn, with his wife Anne, and twochildren Alex, 17, and Caroline, 14.

He then began working for a boutique hedge fund placementagency, and parlayed this experience into a position at MerrillLynch. He also was becoming the ringleader of Goldman SachsConnecticut alumni networking group, organizing happy hours.He noticed the need for a formal networking organization foralternative investment professionals in Connecticut, home tothe second largest cluster of hedge funds in the world. He had the legal know-how to incorporate the association.

He tapped into his network to form a board of directors.The CTHFA, which hosts educational, networking and charita-

ble events, now has 150 members. In collaboration with Bank ofAmerica Merrill Lynch, the CTHFA joined Quinnipiac Finance Professor Osman Kilic and his students to complete an investorsurvey. The survey found that investors were not only continuingto invest, but also looking for returns that hedge funds can pro-vide. His group worked with former Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s office toentice more hedge funds to the state to help boost the economy. The association’s 2011 Global Alpha Forum is expected to

attract 500–600 participants from hedge funds and otherfinancial institutions. Given the regulatory changes in the financial industry,

McGuire hopes to expand the CTHFA. “It’s never been more critical to have a strong advocate for

Connecticut’s growing hedge fund industry,” he says.


Tanya (Wolanic) Bovée is a partner inthe Hartford office of Jackson Lewis LLP.She defends employers in claims ofdiscrimination, harassment, retaliationand wrongful discharge. She was named a2010 Rising Star by Connecticut SuperLawyers. She lives in Guilford, CT.

Donald Campbell Jr. is a shareholder ofGiordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C., in RedBank, NJ, where he lives. He practices inthe area of bankruptcy litigation,

commercial foreclosure, creditors’ rightsand related financial transactions.

Metta (Rehnberg) Delmore opened herown elder law firm in Kent, CT. She liveswith her husband, Jonathan, and theirchildren in Warren, CT.

Jessica Grossarth of Fairfield, CT, hasbeen named a partner at Pullman &Comley LLC, where she practices in theareas of bankruptcy and creditors’ rights.

She joined Pullman & Comley in 2002,and is co-chair of the firm’s orientationcommittee. She also serves as a memberof the firm’s recruiting and diversitycommittees.

Jay Hershman was named a ConnecticutSuper Lawyers Rising Star for 2010. Hispractice areas are real estate law, estateplanning and corporate and businessorganization at Baillie & Hershman P.C.in Cheshire, CT.

—2002—Joseph DiMauro is a sole practitioner inPlantsville, CT, where he lives. He focuseson tax law, estate planning and elder law.

Michelle (Mase) Morrell is a litigationattorney with the law offices of CarterMario Injury Lawyers in Milford and NewBritain, CT. She lives in Northford, CT,with her husband, Paul, and their son.

—2003—Jonathan Cerrito is a partner in the lawfirm Blitman & King, LLP in Syracuse,NY. He practices in the areas of benefitslitigation, employment and severanceagreements, fiduciary responsibility andinvestments, and related matters. He livesin Liverpool, NY, with his wife, Nicole.

Eric Contre of Woonsocket, RI, is anassociate in the litigation department atDuffy & Sweeney, LTD, in Providence, RI.

—2004—Michael Menapace is an associate inWiggin and Dana’s litigation department.He works in the firm’s Hartford, CT, and New York City offices. He wasrecently selected by the American BarAssociation to co-edit “The Handbook


QULAW•ALUMNI

J O I N P RO F E S S O R RO B I N S ON I N S U P P O RT O F L R A P

T he Gregory A. Loken LoanRepayment Assistance

Program provides financialsupport for some alumni whochoose to pursue careers inpublic interest law. Loken was anadvocate of public service workand those who chose to practicepublic interest law. Professor ToniRobinson feels the same way asher late colleague.

“Greg Loken could have gone toWall Street at a high salary.Instead, he chose to work for anonprofit, helping homelesschildren and teens,” Robinsonsays. “His example reminds us allof the importance of providing legal services to those who are served by not-for-profit organizations.”

In June, the first awards will be made. Robinson invites you to join her in makingan impact on this deserving fund. Go to www.quinnipiac.edu/give.xml to donateor contact the Office of Law Development & Alumni Affairs at 203-582-3745.

on Additional Insured.” He lives in NorthGranby, CT.

Robert Migliorini is an in-house intellectualproperty attorney at ExxonMobil Corp. Hecounsels clients in patent preparation, patentprosecution, patent opinions and technologycontracts. He lives in North Haven, CT.

—2005—Dustin Blumenthal is an associate withthe law firm Lydecker Diaz in Miami, FL,where he lives. He practices in the areasof complex commercial and constructionlitigation.

Richard Finkelstein of East Hampton,CT, is a patent attorney. He recentlyopened his own law firm, the Law Office ofRichard S. Finkelstein, LLC, in Glaston-bury, CT, to provide patent procurementfor solo investors and small businesses.

Jennifer (Gottlieb) Elazhari of EastLyme, CT, has been appointed programcenter coordinator for the Office ofPublic and Indian Housing Division atthe U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development in Hartford.

—2006—Tamarah Evanko and her husband,Robert, announce the birth of a daughter,Victoria Lynn June, on Jan. 28, 2009. Thefamily lives in Hamden.

Michael Harrington of Stamford, CT, is a sports reporter for the Fairfield Patch(www.fairfieldpatch.com), a websitedevoted to news and events occurring inFairfield, CT.

Kruti Patel joined Tarshis, Catania, Lib-erth, Mahon & Milligram, PLLC, in New-burgh, NY, as an associate. Her practiceareas are corporate and commercial trans-actions. She lives in New Paltz, NY.

—2008—Michael Brothers is a partner in the lawfirm of Brown, Werner & Brothers LLP,based in Philadelphia, PA. His areas ofpractice are energy and employment lawand litigation. He lives in Niantic, CT.

Sylvia Rutkowska is an associate withDzialo, Pickett & Allen, P.C., in

Middletown, CT, where she lives. Herpractice areas include civil litigation,personal injury and estate administration.

—2010—Refai Arefin of Middletown, CT, is anassociate with Trendowski & Allen, P.C.,in Centerbrook, CT. He practices in theareas of commercial law, appellate law,personal injury and liquor liability.

In Memoriam

Erin Kallaugher ’85Erika Riebel-Trauring ’93Gary Roush ’86

D E A R L AW A L UMN I

It’s hard to believe it’s been just about a year since I waselected president of the Quinnipiac School of Law Alumni

Association. It’s certainly been a very busy year, both forme and for the association and the School of Law. On apersonal note, I was married in October and have taken thename of my husband, Joe Markim. I share this information,not because I’m begging for congratulations, but to apologize for any confusionthis union may have caused. To set the record straight, my classmate and dearfriend Amy Markham is now Amy Markham DeCesare and I have become Amy(Drega) Markim.

I attended several successful School of Law alumni events this year. I joined fellow alumni at the annual bar results party at Union League Café in New Havenon Nov. 17, 2010. This fun event celebrates the success of our most recent barexam takers. This year’s attendance grew by more than 25 percent! Also, wehosted the second annual Public Interest Law Project alumni party. Alumni bid onalumni-only auction items before joining the school’s students and faculty in theGrand Courtroom for the PILP auction, one of the school’s most popular and successful events.

It’s been great to see so many of you networking and reconnecting with facultyand fellow alumni at these events. If you haven’t been able to make it to an eventyet, there’s still time. Join us on Tuesday, April 12, 2011, for the Fairfield Countylaw alumni event, which will be back at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, Conn.See you there!

Sincerely, Amy E. (Drega) Markim ’08, [email protected] President, Executive Board, Quinnipiac University School of Law Alumni Association


Let your fellow alumni know where you’re working and what you’ve been up to.

Submit your class note at www.quinnipiac.edu/qulawnet.xml

Career servicespromotes skillsfor successKathy Kuhar ’02, author of this article, is assistantdean for law student and career services.

For the past six years, I have helpedQuinnipiac University’s School ofLaw recruit students with dreamsof becoming lawyers. I now havethe wonderful opportunity to assist

these students as they pursue their dreams. While these are challenging economic

times, our staff is prepared to help studentsfind summer positions while in school andreach their career objectives upon graduation.And please remember, we are here to assistcurrent students and alumni alike.

From networking opportunities to work-shops on effective interviewing skills, we pro-vide the services and programming to comple-ment the learning that takes place in theclassroom and in our clinics and externships.

Recently, I met with local practitioners,including alumni, who emphasized the need tobe flexible in this economy. As many of us know,our careers do not always follow the path weplanned. During my last year of law school, Ihad a job offer from the large accounting firm,Arthur Andersen. This was the type of positionI had hoped for when I started law school.

However, the Arthur Andersen I knewceased to exist by the time I graduated. Sevenmonths later, I was performing title searchesand closing real estate transactions in a smalllocal law firm. In this job, I developed newskills, which led to career advancement oppor-tunities. I keep this in mind as I counsel stu-dents. I encourage them to be prepared for achanging environment and to make the most ofevery opportunity they encounter.

Our staff, faculty and alumni work collabora-tively to support current students by participat-ing in programs and sharing their expertise. Iwould like to thank everyone who has deliveredpresentations on different practice areas andparticipated in mock interviews! For those

alumni who have not had the opportunity toparticipate, please let me know if you are inter-ested in assisting with any of our initiatives. Youcan reach me at [email protected].

Currently, we are developing a mentoringprogram between alumni and students. Thecommitment of the mentor can be as minimalas answering emails from students interestedin a particular practice area, or perhapsmeeting with students and introducing themto a typical day of a practicing lawyer. This

partnership is an ideal way for lawyers to getto know some of the students who will bejoining the legal community soon.

The Office of Career Services is available toassist alumni, whether to help in the search fora new position or to help find a candidate for aposition. We encourage alumni to take a look atour online job posting service, QU Law CareerConnections at law.quinnipiac.edu/x13.xml

Please stop by to say hello if you are on campus. We look forward to working with you!

IN•CLOSING


Assistant Dean Kathy Kuhar ’02reviews an alumna’s resume.

SPRING 2011 • QUINNIPIAC LAW

Alumni, faculty and students participated in a variety of events overthe last few months.

1. Linda K. Lager, chief administrative judge, Connecticut SuperiorCourt, with Karen Berris ’02, deputy director/jury administrator for thestate judicial branch, at the Juries and Justice forum hosted by theSchool of Law in January.

At a fall reception for Hartford area alumni at Max’s DowntownRestaurant: 2. From left, Paul White ’93, Joseph Passaretti ’93 and Tad Bistor ’93.

3. From left, Bindi Desai ’10; Michael Dolan, an associate at Sinoway,McEnery, Messey & Sullivan; Adrienne Roach ’10; and Kristen Boyle ’10.

4. Professor Robert Farrell was among the professors socializing withstudents at the annual Barrister’s Ball in January at the TrumbullMarriott. From left: Alisa Polaski, Kristianna Sciarra, Elizabeth Grimm,Allison Rago, Farrell, Amita Patel and Mikhael Borgonos, all first-yearstudents.

5. Second-year students Alexandra Buenaventura and James Roccoenjoy a dance at the Barrister’s Ball.

6. Katie Curran ’09, Meaghan Cooper ’09 and Denise Taccogna ’09 at aNovember reception to honor those who passed the 2010 bar exam atthe Union League Cafe in New Haven.

7. Sixty-three alumni passed the 2010 bar exam. Some who attendedthe Union League Cafe reception posed for this group shot.

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PAIDBurlington, VTPermit No. 151

275 Mount Carmel AvenueHamden, Connecticut 06518-1908

Address Service Requested

� March 17— Join alumni marching in the 250th annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade and 2 p.m. reception at the Waldorf Astoria*

� April 5— Author Daniel Pink will present a lecture, “Motivating Creatives,” 7 p.m., Burt Kahn Court, Mount Carmel Campus. Free. Pink is the author offour books about the changing world of work including the New York Timesbestsellers, “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future”and “Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us.”

� April 12— Fairfield County Law Alumni Reception, 6–8 p.m., MaritimeAquarium, South Norwalk, Conn.*

� April 16— Second annual Sleeping Giant 5K Run/Walk Challenge, 9 a.m., to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project. Sponsors: the QUSL chapter of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, the Veteran’s AdvocacyGroup, the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, the Federalist Society,Intellectual Property Law Society and the Student Bar Association.

� May 15— School of Law Commencement, 3 p.m., TD Bank Sports Center,York Hill Campus. Commencement speaker: Connecticut Supreme CourtJustice Flemming L. Norcott Jr.

� May 23— President’s Cup Golf Tournament hosted by President John L.Lahey and Bill ’71 and Barbara ’71 Weldon, The Ridge at Back Brook, Ringoes, N.J. $500 per person. Call 203-582-8641 for details.

� July 18— Alumni Golf Championship, New Haven Country Club, New Haven, Conn. $200 per player*

*Register online at www.quinnipiac.edu/events.xml

J O I N U S F O R T H E S E E V E N T S

Documents

Quinnipiac Law Winter 2011