Chief Judge of the State of New York, Jonathan Lippman, to Deliver Cardozo 2012 Commencement Address Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, will deliver the commencement address at YU's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law’s 34th Commencement Ceremony on June 4, 2012 at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. As Chief Judge of the State of New York, Lippman has implemented a wide number of changes that have increased access to justice for all New Yorkers. “Chief Judge Lippman is a superb judicial leader,” said Cardozo Dean Matthew Diller. “He is a champion of the cause of justice in the tradition of Benjamin N. Cardozo.” Lippman has called for a philosophical shift in the traditional role of judges and courts, saying it is the moral obligation of the judiciary to “speak out and take bold steps on behalf of New Yorkers, particularly those struggling to access the essentials of life­­.” Judge Lippman’s career in the court system spans four decades. Prior to becoming Chief Judge, he served as the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department; Chief Administrative Judge of all New York State Courts; Justice of the Supreme Court for the Ninth Judicial District; and Associate Justice of the Appellate Term, Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts. He started his career as an entry-level court attorney and served as a law clerk in Supreme Court and Surrogate’s Court, and as Principal Court Attorney for the Supreme Court, New York County, Civil Term. He was named Chief Clerk and Executive Officer of that court in 1983. Judge Lippman was then appointed Deputy Chief Administrator for Management of the statewide court system in 1989. In 1995, he was appointed by Governor Pataki as a Judge of the New York Court of Claims and was subsequently reappointed to a full nine-year term on that court in 1998. “At this year’s commencement we will be honoring the Innocence Project’s 20 years of service to those who are underserved by the legal community,” said Diller. “I think it is fitting with the mission of the Innocence Project and so many of our other programs that Judge Jonathan Lippman will be delivering the address. Judge Lippman has made it his priority to increase access to our judicial system and to remove many of the hurdles to justice that many New Yorkers are forced to navigate every day.” A native of Manhattan, Judge Lippman received his B.A. in 1965 from New York University, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1968. He and his wife Amy live in New York and they have two children, Russell and Lindsay. Visit the Commencement Schedules Page for dates, times, locations and directions to ceremonies for all Yeshiva University schools and affiliates. none

ABC7 Reports on Cardozo Students Who Have Come to the Defense of Occupy Wall Street Protesters Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters have been arrested since the movement began. Some local law students are going from the classroom to the courtroom to help defend them. The Occupy Wall Street movement occupied the headlines for weeks, especially when protestors began to get arrested. [hana-code-insert name='ABC7-Cardozo' /] "So you needed a lot of lawyers?" asked Art McFarland, Eyewitness News Education reporter. "A lot of lawyers, early on. It was one of the first working groups that got set up and actually some of the people that were involved in the planning prior to September 17th were lawyers and we were training in that area," said Amin Husain, OWS organizer. Third-year students from Manhattan's Cardozo Law School helped answer the call. "Instead of sitting in the classroom and reading books and studying cases that already happened, you have your own cases, and that's where I really think the legal education, the emphasis, should be," said Connor Gleason, a Cardozo Law Student. They are part of Cardozo's criminal law clinic, set up to handle actual cases, under the supervision of professors. "You can think of a clinic a little bit like a residency; a medical residency, where students are learning about the law and they're learning the practical skills that they need to implement the law," said Jennie Blasser, Clinic Coordinator. See full story at ABC7... none

Wurzweiler School of Social Work Announces Spring 2012 Conference Series Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work has announced its 2012 Spring Conference Series. Addressing topics as varied as the composition of North American Jewish family and what professionals can do to combat poverty, the series will convene educators and social work professionals on three Fridays in March and April to immerse themselves in some of the biggest challenges facing Jewish communities. On Friday, March 23, a Symposium on Poverty and Professionals, titled “From Concern to Action,” will be held at the Yeshiva University Museum, 15 West 16th Street, New York City. Keynote speaker Bob Herbert, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and renowned New York Times journalist, will focus on how poverty affects political, economic and social conditions in American society, with follow-up comments delivered by Dr. Robert L. Hawkins, McSilver Assistant Professor in Poverty Studies at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work, and Ruth W. Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service. A panel exploring the professional response to poverty will feature Dr. Paris R. Baldacci, clinical professor of law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Dr. A. Hal Strelnick, chief of the division of community health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Dr. Richard Caputo, professor at Wurzweiler. The Sixth Annual Joanna M. Mellor Aging Conference will be held on Friday, March 30, at the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room in Cardozo, 55 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Keynote speaker Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging, will discuss changes in New York City that will impact services and policies affecting older populations. Co-sponsors of the conference include Emblem Health and the Washington Heights-Inwood Council on Aging. On Friday, April 20, a half-day conference titled, “The Diversity of the North American Jewish Family: Challenges and Opportunities,” will also be held at Cardozo’s Moot Court. Keynote speaker Dr. Sylvia Barack-Fishman, chair of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department and Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Contemporary Jewish Life at Brandeis University, will bring her expertise to a discussion of some of the dynamic changes that have taken place within the Jewish family structure, such as later and smaller families, blended families, and evolving status and gender hierarchies. A panel featuring Rabbi Andy Bachman, senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim; Paul Levine, executive vice-president and chief executive officer at JBFCS; and Rabbi Joy Levitt, will respond to her remarks. “These conferences represent the diversity within the social work profession and at Wurzweiler,” said Dean Carmen Ortiz Hendricks. “These are cutting-edge topics that professionals and students need to understand. The faculty and administration at Wurzweiler are very excited to bring this range of issues to the forefront with such scholarly speakers and forums.” For more information about any of these conferences or to register, visit www.yu.edu/wurzweiler/events. none

New Application Offers Users Enhanced Cardozo Publication Cardozo Life, the magazine of YU's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, is now available on the iPad. Cardozo Life reports on the Cardozo's activities, faculty and alumni, and includes interviews, articles and insights about current issues and compelling legal topics. Rich with media, the application is created especially for the iPad. Users can scroll stories, watch video, share information and connect to Cardozo Law in a full interactive experience. Publication features include stories on high-profile initiatives like the Innocence Project and WikiLeaks symposium; links to information about cases and issues discussed in the articles; photo galleries and videos featuring accomplished teachers, alumni and students; information about how the school thrives in New York City through internships, programs and courtroom experiences; links to the school’s Web site on related classes and programs; and a Class Notes section for alumni with sharing options. Download the free app on iTunes today. none

From New Master’s Programs to a Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education, Yeshiva University Expands its Offerings Graduate education at Yeshiva University continues to thrive—and grow. A new Executive MBA program and master’s programs in arts and education join an academic landscape already home to one of the nation’s top medical schools, one of the finest law schools, and leading graduate schools for social work, psychology, Jewish studies and Jewish education and administration. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Hv2ALnJno&feature=relmfu In the past year, the University has introduced a variety of new master’s and certificate programs and expanded existing ones, in response to student demand and interest.

The Center for Executive and Professional Education at the Syms School of Business will launch an Executive MBA program in August, featuring classes on Sundays.

Syms’ MS Program in Accounting, now in its third year, is continuing its successful expansion and has nearly tripled in size since its inception. A new feature offers classes during the summer for non-accounting majors who choose to attend.

YU’s Graduate Programs in Arts and Sciences is also expanding its offerings. The math department unveiled a new PhD program in Mathematical Sciences this past fall, a selective program open to students who have already completed 60 credits of graduate-level study.

The math department is also continuing to offer its MA program in mathematics, currently in its second year, in addition to a BA-MA option that is now open to current YU students who wish to take graduate level courses during their senior year on campus and apply those credits toward a master’s degree.

The department of economics is launching a new MS program in quantitative economics (MQE), slated to begin in September. It is considered a pre-experience program, open to recent college graduates. Similar to the master’s in math, the MQE also includes a BA-MS option open to current YU students who wish to earn credits towards their graduate degree.

This past fall, Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration introduced an Accelerated Master’s Program in Jewish education.  The one year, full time program balances intensive course study alongside practical teaching experience in the classroom.  A select cohort of ten students proceed through the program together, enriching one another by sharing their knowledge and learning experiences.  The program is fully sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation and applications are currently being accepted for the fall, 2012 cohort.

Azrieli Graduate School continues to expand program offerings and was recently approved by the New York State Education Department to offer two new Master’s degrees leading to New York State teaching certification.  Students who hold an initial certification in Childhood Education 1-6 can now enroll at Azrieli in the 36-credit Advanced Childhood Education 1-6 program leading to NYS professional teacher certification.  Students who wish to teach at the middle/high school level can enroll in a 42 credit Adolescence Education program leading to initial/professional certification in grades 7-12 biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, social studies, English and Hebrew.  Additionally, undergraduate students can begin these MS programs as seniors in the joint BA/MS program with Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women.  Both certification programs will begin in the fall, 2012.

The Institute for University-School Partnership, with generous support from the Jim Joseph Foundation, currently has 51 educators enrolled in the 2nd year of its Online Certificate Programs in Differentiated Instruction, Educational Technology Integration, and Student Support. In the coming year they will be adding a brand new program in Online/Blended Instruction and Design. Each online program lasts 30 weeks and is broken up into 3 courses of 10 weeks each. These programs are taught entirely online and asynchronously with weekly assignments and outstanding instructors who provide weekly feedback and practical take-aways to enhance the learning of students in the classroom.

For the first time this year, the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) partnered with the Machon Puah Institute to offer a certificate program for graduates of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary to educate them on halachic and medical issues related to infertility.

In June, the CJF will launch the second installment of its Certificate Program in Experiential Jewish Education, sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation. The curriculum comprises four seminars that focus on the theories and applications of experiential education: imparting values, creating experiences, cultivating communities and self development. Participants are also connected with a mentor who works with one on one and guides them in developing a final focal project.

Learn more about all of YU’s graduate schools by visiting www.yu.edu/academics/graduate-schools/. none

$2M Gift to Law School Will Fund Initiatives in Family and Public Service Law Dean Matthew Diller has announced that alumna Susan Halpern ’84C has donated $2 million to Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. In keeping with Halpern’s wishes, the funds will endow initiatives in family law and public service law, two areas in which Cardozo has a distinguished history. The generous gift underscores Halpern’s commitment to advancing access to first-rate legal representation for underrepresented New Yorkers, as well as her desire to encourage more lawyers to choose these fields of practice. “Susan’s gift speaks to her overwhelming desire to use the law to strengthen families and help provide access to justice for those who need support,” said Diller. “We are very grateful that she has chosen Cardozo Law to partner with in expanding and improving the practice of family law and public service law in New York City.” The programs will be named in honor of two individuals with long-standing ties to Cardozo. The Program in Family Law, Policy and Bioethics will be renamed the Gertrud Mainzer Program in Family Law, Policy and Bioethics, in honor of the late Judge Gertrud Mainzer. Judge Mainzer was a distinguished family court judge and beloved Cardozo professor, who played a major role in strengthening the family law program. Her life story was tragic, but ultimately uplifting. In the winter of 1944 during the Holocaust, Mainzer’s two children were taken from their hiding place in the Netherlands by the Nazis, and placed in a concentration camp. Mainzer smuggled herself into the camp and she and her children survived. This experience ultimately informed both her legal and teaching careers. “Judge Mainzer was a pioneer in teaching,” said Professor Toby Golick, director of Clinical Education at Cardozo. “She believed passionately in the importance of strengthening families and doing everything possible to keep them intact. Thousands of children and their families have benefitted from her efforts. Her influence on Cardozo students was enormous.” The donation will also fund the David Rudenstine Fellowship Program which will provide financial support to students and graduates working in public service law. Professor Rudenstine has been teaching at the school since 1979 and served as Cardozo’s dean from 2001 to 2009. He is currently the Sheldon H. Solow Professor of Law. Prior to becoming a professor at Cardozo, he was acting executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, the executive director of the Citizens’ Inquiry on Parolee and Criminal Justice, and an attorney in the New York City Legal Services Program. The fellowship will support summer internships for current Cardozo students, as well as post-graduate fellowships for alumni in public service. “David launched Cardozo’s Public Service Program, which has propelled so many of our graduates into careers pursuing social justice,” said Diller. “It is wonderful to be able to acknowledge his contributions in this way.” Susan Halpern worked for the City of New York as an attorney in the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and then the Department of Consumer Affairs. She served as general counsel at the Citizens’ Committee for Children, an advocacy group, before becoming an adoption lawyer in private practice in 1991, working primarily with the city foster care system. She was on the Cardozo Board of Overseers in the 1990s, and has been an advocate for Cardozo’s family law program over the years. “Susan decided to become a lawyer not only because she was interested in law but also because she understood how law could be used for the public good,” said Golick. “Her career after law school showed her commitment to helping others, and now this magnificent gift will help new generations of students and graduates pursue careers in family law and public interest law generally.” none

Visiting Scholar Hannah Kasher to Discuss Ultimate Punishment According to Jewish Philosophy at Feb. 15 Center for Jewish Law Lecture The Yeshiva University (YU) Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization (CJL) at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law will present their Annual Ivan Meyer Lecture in Jewish Law on Wednesday, February 15 at 6 p.m. in the Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, 55 Fifth Avenue at 12th Street, New York City. Dr. Hannah Kasher, the Ivan Meyer Visiting Scholar in Comparative Jewish Law at Cardozo, will discuss“On Ultimate Punishment According to Jewish Philosophy: Between R. Saadia Gaon and Moses Mendelssohn.” [caption id="attachment_9548" align="alignleft" width="141" caption="Dr. Hannah Kasher, Ivan Meyer Visiting Scholar in Comparative Jewish Law"][/caption] Kasher is an associate professor of Jewish philosophy at Bar-Ilan University. Her scholarly interests include medieval exegesis of the Bible. Kasher edited Joseph ibn Kaspi’s Shulhan Kesef and is the author of Heretics in Maimonides’ Teaching (in press), as well as numerous scholarly articles. She is on the editorial board of Da’at and sevres as director of the Schneeweiss Chair for Jewish Philosophy and Ethics. The lecture is named for the late Dr. Ivan Isaak Meyer, who practiced law in Germany and New York City and was a generous supporter of Jewish education in the New York area. Admission is free and open to the public. To register online, visit www.cardozo.yu.edu/cjl/registration or call 212-790-0258. For more information on The Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization visit www.cardozo.yu.edu/cjl. none

Taxi Mogul and Cardozo Graduate Shares Journey to Success with YU Students On January 25, students at Yeshiva University’s Syms School of Business gathered around a conference table in Belfer Hall for a discussion with Evgeny Freidman, the business mogul who has made hundreds of millions in the taxi industry. [caption id="attachment_9505" align="alignleft" width="387" caption="Evgeny Freidman oversees New York's largest taxi fleet."][/caption] The event, called “Crazy Taxi,” was the first in the Syms Student Council Spotlight Series. The series seeks to introduce students to entrepreneurs from an array of surprising fields and backgrounds. In Freidman’s case, that included immigrating to New York from the Former Soviet Union at the age of five and a rough-and-tumble adolescence that got him kicked out of Skidmore College and working at a local video store in Queens, NY. “I looked at myself and said, ‘Never again,’ ” said Freidman. After packing six semesters’ worth of coursework into three, Freidman received his bachelor’s in accounting/business from Skidmore and was accepted to YU’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he graduated at age 23. As students listened keenly and asked questions, Freidman detailed the beginnings of his business career in venture capital projects in Russia for billionaire Sam Zell and an argument with his father that changed everything. Freidman’s father, who had been a thermonuclear engineer in Russia, owned a medallion of 60 yellow cabs when he was hospitalized following a heart attack. As his son sat at his bedside, the elder Freidman began to explain the family business in case the worst happened. “But something didn’t sit right with me,” said Freidman. “I’d ask simple questions like, ‘Why does it have to be this way? Isn’t there another way to do it?’ and he’d say, ‘No, this is how it’s done.’ ” [caption id="attachment_9508" align="alignright" width="398" caption="Freidman, a Cardozo alumnus, took questions from students at the Jan. 25 event."][/caption] Freidman walked students through the inspired and strategic business decisions which have made him the manager of the largest taxi fleet in New York and revolutionized the taxi industry as a whole. He stressed innovative thinking and discussed basic challenges, such as securing financing, as well as the impact of unique and potentially debilitating crises like the 2008 blackout. “I had 850 taxis and not one of them could fill up their tank,” Freidman said. He’s ready for the next time, though: after the blackout, he bought gas stations and now has a reserve of gas to keep his fleet running no matter what happens. Today, as principal of Taxi Club Management, Inc., Freidman is worth more than $600 million and has been featured in Crain’s New York “40 Under 40” series. The evening’s intimate, conversational atmosphere gave students the opportunity to ask Freidman about everything from his logic in bringing hybrid taxis to the industry to insight into the taxi driver workforce. They also debated the pros and cons of expanding Freidman’s business across the country and overseas. “It’s fascinating,” said Isaac Harari, a sophomore majoring in management. “I’d never have thought it was possible to make that much money in a business like the taxi industry.” [caption id="attachment_9510" align="alignleft" width="398" caption="Prof. Michael Strauss and Freidman"][/caption] Michael Strauss, associate director of student advising and administration and clinical professor of management at Syms, pointed to Freidman’s high-risk, high-reward philosophy as a thought-provoking aspect of the night’s discussion. “I think this is a tremendous opportunity for our students to get hands-on insight into how someone who is entrepreneurially-motivated can start a business and become a multimillionaire at the young age of 42,” he said. Syms Student Council President Benjamin Blumenthal initially thought to ask Freidman to speak after a taxi driver began telling him and a friend about the steep value of medallions. “We got out, looked at each other and said, ‘We have to learn more about this,” said Blumenthal. Their research led them to Freidman’s story. Blumenthal is also committed to sharing others like it. He’s hoping that an Israeli venture capitalist will be Syms’ next visitor in the Spotlight series. “There is so much happening on campus this semester,” he said. “From administrators to professors to students, everyone is engaged in furthering our education in any way possible and bringing more opportunities like this to campus.” Freidman sensed that passion. “I don’t speak often, but I knew that speaking here, in a place where everyone is studying Torah, I’d be working with an intelligent and cerebral audience,” he said. “It is incredible to share something you’re passionate about with students like these, who ask all the right, hard-hitting questions.” none

New Dean’s Scholars Program Offers Medical School Courses to YU Undergrads With this year’s launch of the Einstein Enrichment Program, Yeshiva University is offering 10 select undergraduates the opportunity to take courses at YU’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. [caption id="attachment_9473" align="alignleft" width="331" caption="Einstein's Dr. Moshe Sadofsky addresses YU undergraduates as part of the Deans' Scholars Program"][/caption] "The program will entail exposure to our top scientists, independent reading and highly interactive problem-based learning," said Dr. Edward Burns, executive dean at Einstein and the program’s director. "It is designed to ignite a passion for biomedical science and medicine as it is practiced in the laboratory and clinic today, rather than from textbooks." Titled "Deans' Scholars Program: Frontiers in Biomedical Sciences," the credited cooperative academic program is being overseen by Dr. Karen Bacon, the Dr. Monique C. Katz dean at Stern College for Women, and Michal Jaff, the Beatrice Diener Presidential Follow. Fall lecture topics included Epochal Moments in Biology, Cells and Organelles, Genetic Material, Enzymes and Metabolism, Cell Communication and Stem Cells, covering material rarely taught to freshmen. In the spring semester, new topics will correlate basic science and clinical entities. Designed specifically for first time on campus students who are interested in the biomedical sciences, the program meets six Fridays during each semester, and will require abundant involvement from participants, who will meet “very senior, famous scientists and will have to strut their stuff,” said Burns, and have access to state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. [caption id="attachment_9472" align="alignright" width="344" caption="The program, in its first year, will expand to 20 incoming students next year."][/caption] The current cohort of Scholars will continue the program for three more years, with increasing responsibility, independence and exposure as they advance through college. Next year, up to 20 incoming students will be offered spots in the program, "assuming this pilot is a success," said Dean Bacon. “This program is a really great opportunity,” said participant Anne Buzzell, of Clayton, NC. “The Einstein professors are highly qualified and give really interesting and smart lectures." Charles Lavene, a Yeshiva College participant, said that, although he has already set his sights on attending Einstein, "the program so far has sold me on Einstein even more." Buzzell noted that Einstein, too, hopes to benefit from this program. "The Dean mentioned that he hopes to see more undergraduate students take advantage of what Einstein has to offer," she said. The administration hopes that this program will prove "a competitive advantage," for students when applying to medical school, said Dr. Burns. "It will be as useful for getting into Einstein as it would be to get into any other medical school," he stressed. The idea for the program first emerged last year, when YU President Richard M. Joel approached Dr. Burns to create a unique initiative “that would tie Einstein to the undergraduate YU programs in such a way to make Yeshiva and Stern Colleges unique in the sciences," said Dr. Burns. With assistance from Provost Morton Lowengrub, several deans, the YU pre-med advisors and Dr. Victoria Freedman, associate dean for graduate programs in the biomedical sciences, the program was formed. Although the program is the first of its kind at YU, there are tentative thoughts of expanding the model further. "Based on this experience, we would like to try to develop something similar between the undergraduate schools and our Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law,” said Dean Bacon. none

Professors Lela Love and Ellen Yaroshefsky Debate the Merits of Cardozo's Pioneering Litigation and Mediation Programs “It’s one thing to learn theory,” says Benjamin N. Cardozo alumna, Hon. Gia Morris ‘95, “but that will never compare to actually doing something for real.” httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OeuPf8Oh6M Morris knows what she’s talking about. As a newly minted Interim Civil Court judge assigned to Bronx criminal court—only recently appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg—she’s still in training, sitting in on cases with her more experienced colleagues, and performing in mock trials with her peers. “It’s really the best way to learn,” says Morris. Rebecca Auster Freedman, Cardozo ’10, agrees. A contract specialist at NYU School of Medicine who often handles delicate negotiations, she says that “many classes in law school employ the Socratic Method—listening to lectures and then getting called on to answer questions. But you learn so much more when you’re forced to do whatever it is you’re being taught.” This sort of experiential learning drew both women to Cardozo Law, and it remains central to two of the school’s most innovative programs: Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) and Intensive Mediation Advocacy Program (IMAP). The courses sit on opposite sides of the same coin: ITAP teaches students to litigate while IMAP teaches them to mediate. But while the goals might differ, each program relies on a similar methodology. Both ITAP and IMAP force students to step out from behind their text books—and often their comfort zones—to practice the techniques of their trade in front of experts in the field. The hours are long, the work load intense, and the pace unforgiving, but in the end, students emerge from what is often described as legal boot camp with practical experience that, according to Morris—who took the program in 1995—”gives you a level of training, and an advantage, that your peers won’t have in your first jobs.” “This is the first time students get to be lawyers,” she says, after a pause. “Don’t underestimate how amazing that can be.” Read full article in the current issue of Cardozo Life... none