For Immediate Release:
Jun 2, 20092009, 06, 02
Hofstra Law Announces 2009 Graduation Awards
Hofstra Law Announces 2009 Graduation Awards
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Hofstra Law proudly hosted the 2009 Graduation Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2009 on the Hofstra University campus. Administrators, faculty members, graduates, along with friends and families, gathered in the Adams Playhouse for the festivities.
Speakers included Dean Nora V. Demleitner, Jessica Horowitz '09, Richard Facundo ’09 andProfessor Mitchell Gans, Professor of Law, this year's recipient of the Teacher of the Year award.
Student award winners included:
Sara Ali of South Ozone Park, New York - Pro Bono Service Award of Excellence
Gregory Beck of Franklin Square, New York - Citation of Excellence in Torts Law Courses
Andrea Brodie of Scottsdale, Arizona - Citation of Excellence in Child Advocacy Clinical Courses
Diana Buchanan of Vermillion, Ohio - Pro Bono Program Certificate Bronze Level
Angela Burton of Decatur, Mississippi - Citation of Excellence in Family Law Courses and The William Eric Goldberg Scholarship
Megan Canepari of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts - Outstanding Law Student Award
Heather Canning of Scituate, Massachusetts - Citation of Excellence in Commercial Law Courses
Gianfranco Cuadra of Newburgh, New York - Citation of Excellence in International Law Courses
Barbara Ann Dillon of Rockville Centre, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificates Silver Level and Pro Bono Service Award of Excellence
Dr. Frank Dolisi of Astoria, New York - Citation of Excellence in Health Law Courses
Dennis J. Drehner of San Antonio, Texas - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Viviane Dussek of Maplewood, New Jersey - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Charles Shane Ellison of Pueblo, Colorado - Citation of Excellence in Political Asylum
Clinical Courses
Mary Ernst of Saint Petersburg, Florida - Monroe H. Freedman Excellence in Criminal Justice Award
Andrew Garbarino of Sayville, New York - Citation of Excellence in Estate Planning Law Courses
William Geddish of Carle Place, New York - Citation of Excellence in Estate Planning Law Courses, Gina Maria Escarce Memorial Award
Melissa Gerrow of Hempstead, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Silver Level and Citation of Excellence in Community and Economic Development Clinical Courses
Michael Guerriero of Hicksville, New York - Citation of Excellence in Law Reform Advocacy Clinical Courses
Drew Gulley of Downers Grove, Illinois - Citation of Excellence in Procedural Law Courses and Hofstra Law Review Alumni Writing Award
Zacharie Harden of Sandyston, New Jersey - Citation of Excellence in Criminal Law Courses
Eric Hannas of Madison, Connecticut - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level and Pro Bono Service Award of Excellence
Jessica Horowitz of Cleveland, Ohio - Pro Bono Program Certificates Bronze Level and Pro Bono Leadership Award
Adam Hughes of Uniondale, New York - Citation of Excellence in Mediation Clinical Courses
Jennifer Karapetian of Orange County, California - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Lindsey Karl of Copiague, New York - The Maurice A. Deane Award
Caroline Kinsey of Export, Pennsylvania - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Jennifer Koo of Dayton, Ohio - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Natalie Khalatov-Kirimnus of Woodmere, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Nadia Kruler of Brooklyn, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Jaime Laginestra of North Babylon, New York - Third-Year Scholastic Achievement Award
Emily Madden of Derwood, Maryland - The Stephanie E. Kupferman Juvenile Justice Endowed Scholarship
Rachel Marin of Sussex County, New Jersey - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Matthew McKenzie of Grand Ledge, Michigan - D. Carl Lustig III Award for Outstanding Performance in Tort Law
Vesselin Mitev of Cedar Falls, Iowa - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Sarah Moore of Huron, Ohio - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Danielle Moran of Dix Hills, New York - Citation of Excellence in Tax Law Courses
Erin Murtha of Farmingdale, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Danielle Notaro of Southold, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Bronze Level
Juan Jose Perez of Columbus, Ohio - Citation of Excellence in Government Law Courses, Citation of Excellence in Securities Arbitration Clinical Courses, The Deborah Sloyer Memorial Scholarship in Trial Advocacy and The William Eric Goldberg Scholarship
Michael Piekny of Yorktown, New York - Citation of Excellence in Bankruptcy Law Courses
Anika Price of Brooklyn, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Gold Level
Sonja Pollack of Oyster Bay, New York - Citation of Excellence in Corporate and Securities Law Courses
Megan Ramsey of Lafayette, Indiana - Gina Maria Escarce Memorial Award
Jessica Reznak of East Moriches, New York - Citation of Excellence in Constitutional Law Courses
Valina Rudolph of Far Rockaway, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Silver Level
Christopher Max Russell of Ogden, Utah - Citation of Excellence in Advocacy and Litigation Courses
Michael Ryan from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania - Citation of Excellence in Intellectual Property
Law Courses
Daniel Satterfield of Hopkinsville, Kentucky - Leon Stern Award of the Criminal Courts Bar of Nassau County
Timothy Schmidt of Richmond Hill, New York - Citation of Excellence in Labor and Employment Law Courses
Brittany Parker Shea of Los Angeles, California - The Judge Edward Hart Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Trial Advocacy and Monroe H. Freedman Excellence in Criminal Justice Award
Taryn Shechter of Westbury, New York - Citation of Excellence in Criminal Justice Clinical Courses, Pro Bono Leadership Award and Pro Bono Program Certificate Bronze Level
Cindy Shiau of Bayside, New York - Herman Hillman Memorial Scholarship
Brittany Shrader of Frederick, Maryland - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Award for Excellence in Family Law
Caitlyn Slovacek of Norfolk, Massachusetts - Citation of Excellence in Environmental and Natural Resources Law Courses
Micah Snitzer of St. Louis Park, Minnesota - The Benjamin Weintraub and Alan Resnick Bankruptcy Law Award
Tracy Sorensen of Farmingdale, New York - Citation of Excellence in Bankruptcy Law Courses
Gary Steen of Kearny, New Jersey - Herman Hillman Memorial Scholarship
Robert Szyba of Garfield, New Jersey - Distinguished Service to the School Award
Shirley Wang of Bayside, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificate Bronze Level
Michael Ward of Malverne, New York - Citation of Excellence in Property Law Courses
Tole Zacharia of Farmingdale, New York - Pro Bono Program Certificates Bronze Level
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The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University is located 40 minutes from New York City in suburban Long Island. Hofstra Law is home to nearly 1,100 students, an alumni base of more than 10,300 members and a distinguished full-time faculty of 50 professors and approximately 80 adjunct professors, including many scholars recognized as national and international experts in their field. The law school is part of Hofstra University and is fully accredited by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association.