The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains honored three distinguished leaders of the legal community, as well as distinguished young alumni, during its 27th annual Law Leadership Dinner, held in person at the Rye Country Club on March 10. The celebration was the law school”™s most successful fundraiser in history, raising vital funds in support of student scholarships
The Law Leadership Dinner, first held in 1995, is the signature fundraiser for Haub Law and provides the setting for the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the legal community, as well as the Rising Star Award, recognizing excellence in practice among alumni in the first 15 years after graduation. This year, Haub Law introduced the inaugural Haub Impact Award to honor an individual who has made a lasting impact on the Haub Law community.
More than 250 alumni, faculty, students, elected officials and members of the judiciary and distinguished lawyers attended the event.
“The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has produced generations of talented, committed attorneys,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “”¦The generosity of our honorees and sponsors speaks volumes about their commitment to Haub Law, to the legal community and to the future of the profession.”
The 2022 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mayo Bartlett ”˜92, principal attorney at the Law Offices of Mayo Bartlett PLLC, and to Brian S. Hermann, a 1991 graduate of Pace University”™s Lubin School of Business and a current Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. The first-ever Haub Impact Award was presented to John C. Lettera ”™99, founder and CEO, RealFi Financial LLC.
A member of the School”™s Board of Visitors, Bartlett was commended for his impactful work in human rights. A former Westchester County prosecutor, he is a criminal defense lawyer and civil rights attorney.
Hermann, who also received the Distinguished Service Award, has had a prominent career with Paul, Weiss, which represents some of the world”™s largest publicly and privately held corporations, financial institutions and asset managers and clients needing pro bono assistance. Recalling his humble upbringing and his journey to partner at an AM100 law firm, he credits his early success to hard work and a good education at Pace University.
Lettera was presented with the Haub Impact Award by Anthony Balbo ”™18 and Sabrina Blefgen ”™19 who are now employed by his firm. These alums are just two of 16 Haub Law graduates whom Lettera has hired and mentored over the past decade. He has had a successful 27-year long career in real estate debt originations and acquisitions as well as equity investing, and founding and successfully managing two financing funds worth more than $100 million. He is a member of the school”™s Board of Visitors, an adjunct professor and a generous donor to the law school. In 2013, he also received the law school”™s Distinguished Service Award.
The Rising Star Award was presented to: Cherie Phoenix-Sharpe ”™07, general counsel to Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz; Fatima Silva ”™08, managing attorney at Silva Law and co-host of Reasonable Doubt on Investigation Discovery at Discovery Inc.; Michael Bauscher ”™10, partner at Carter Ledyard; Kevin Sylvester ”™14, chief of police at Ossining Police Department; and Cayleigh Eckhardt ”™15, attorney-advisor at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
