DU-Lawyer Summer 2014-FINAL[1]

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ALUMNIYoung Alumni Profile:Melissa R. Ruggiero, L’03Home: Pittsburgh, Pa.Education: John Carroll University, BA’99; Duquesne University,L’03; Queen’s University Belfast and National University ofIreland, Galway, LL.M’07 (Human Rights and Criminal Justice,Cross Border). Her LL.M dissertation was Establishing the Rule ofLaw in the Republic of Macedonia after the 2001 Conflict.International Experience:• Legal Officer, Special Court for Sierra Leone, The Hague,Netherlands (January 2012 to October 2013;Court mandate fulfilled October 2013)• International Legal Officer for Court of Bosnia andHerzegovina, Sarajevo (January 2008 to December 2011)• Researcher at the Irish Centre for Human Rights,National University of Ireland, Galway Researcher(March to December 2007)• Intern, International Service for Human Rights,Geneva, Switzerland(June 2004 to September 2004)• Law Clerk, British United Provident Association (BUPA),London, England (January to June 2004)• Intern, Interights (NGO), London, England(March to May 2004)Case of interest: The appeal judgment case of Prosecutor v.Charles Taylor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).Charles Taylor was the former head of Liberia and was chargedwith 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity foratrocities committed by the rebels against civilians during thecivil war in Sierra Leone. On Sept. 26, 2013, the Appeals Chamberupheld Taylor’s conviction on 11 counts and affirmed the50-year sentence imposed by the Trial Chamber. The SCSL isthe first international court since Nuremberg to indict, try andconvict a former head of state.Of Note: In May 2007, Ruggiero participated in a study visitorganized by Barbara Carlin, L’82, former Department of Justice,Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training(DOJ/OPDAT) Resident Legal Adviser at the U.S. Embassy inSkopje and Sarajevo. This provided the opportunity to interviewU.S. Embassy officials, local professors and organizationsregarding various projects to assist with establishing the rule oflaw in the Republic of Macedonia after the 2001 conflict.Ruggiero in SarajevoLasting Impression: “During my second year of law school, DeanKen Gormley organized a memorable trip to see oral argumentsat the Supreme Court. As part of the visit, we had the amazingopportunity to meet and talk with former Supreme Court JusticeSandra Day O’Connor. When asked what advice she would givefuture lawyers, I was surprised when she told us to make surewe exercised. I have remembered that advice. While in Sarajevo,I enjoyed running and hiking, and in The Hague I rode mybike to work every day, was a member of the women’s soccerteam and the Den Hague Touch Rugby club, and participated intournaments in Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.”The value of a Duquesne Law Education: “My law schooleducation provided the foundation for my career as a lawyer.I use the skills I learned at Duquesne every day to do my job well.Professor Kirk Junker provided invaluable advice on how to goabout having a career in international law, while the law schoolprovided courses such as international law, international businesstransactions and European union law that enabled me to pursuemy career.”Why I give back: “The encouragement and advice of familyand friends have helped me in my professional and personal lifein many ways, and I am fortunate to have this kind of support.One way of showing my appreciation to them is by trying to giveadvice and provide assistance to other students and lawyers whowant to pursue a career in international law.”22 THE DUQUESNE LAWYER
CLASS ACTIONS1961Peter Vaira was appointed by PhiladelphiaMayor Michael Nutter as executivedirector of a 16-member panel to lead anindependent review of the Department ofLicenses and Inspections, an action spurredby a building collapse that killed six peoplein Center City in June 2013.1969Hon. Robert E. Colville was presented aLifetime Achievement Award at the AmenCorner 54th Annual Judicial Reception.1977Phoebe A. Haddon was named Chancellorof Rutgers University-Camden. She wasalso honored on the Power List 2014 of theNation’s Most Influential Minority Attorneysby Lawyers of Color. Haddon was againnamed as one the top 25 Most Influentialin Legal Education by the National Juristmagazine.1980Hon. Robert A. Sambroak was elected to theCourt of Common Pleas of Erie County.Manning ’72Conti ’731972Hon. Jeffrey A. Manning was elected by theboard of judges of the Fifth Judicial Districtof Pennsylvania to serve a five-year term aspresident judge.1973Hon. Gary P. Caruso retired after 28 years asa Westmoreland County Court of CommonPleas trial judge and has embarked on acareer in mediation with Noblemediation,LLC in Greensburg, Pa.Hon. Joy Flowers Conti was selected forthe Women of the Year award by The LegalIntelligencer.John W. Peck won a fifth term asWestmoreland County district attorney.1974Samuel W. Braver received the 2013Professionalism Award from the AlleghenyCounty Bar Association’s Civil LitigationSection.Ernest B. Orsatti joined Rothman GordonP.C. as a partner, continuing his practice inlabor and employment law.Vince Quatrini, L’74, Peter J. Gough,L’90, and Ronald J. Fonner, L’94, havebeen officially certified as specialists in thepractice of workers’ compensation law bythe Pennsylvania Bar Association Workers’Compensation Law Section.John S. Vento was recently appointed to theboard of directors for the Florida DefenseContractors Association.Bruce J. Teitelbaum joined Farrell &Reisinger, LLC as of counsel.1981Jennifer Fox Rabold has been elected chairof the board of Pressley Ridge, a $70 millionPittsburgh-based nonprofit organizationhelping children in need and families incrisis.Joseph A. Macerelli has been appointed analternative dispute resolution mediator andarbitrator by the United States District Courtfor the Western District of Pennsylvania.1982Hon. Paul E. Cozza was elected to theAllegheny County Court of Common Pleas.1983Carol A. Behers and Robert Raphael(Raphael, Ramsden & Behers) authored the10th edition of the Pennsylvania Family LawCitator published by the Pennsylvania BarInstitute.1984Jerry S. Eisenberg was promoted to directorof operations at AIG in Pittsburgh, Pa.Jeffrey A. Ramaley, president of the boardof Zimmer Kunz PLLC from 2006-2013,continues to serve on the 2014 board asimmediate past president.Edwin W. Smith has been elected as the 2014president of the Erie County Bar Association.1985Paul J. Gitnik has been appointed toserve on the City of Pittsburgh’s PlanningCommission by Mayor Bill Peduto.Orsatti ’74Vento ’74Haddon ’77 Macerelli ’81Joni Mangino-Selep was re-elected as vicepresident of the board of Zimmer Kunz PLLCfor 2014.1987Gretchen J. Fitzer, L’87, Susan A. Kostkas,L’96, and Amanda M. D’Amico, L’10,joined the firm Walsh, Barnes, Collis, Gill &Zumpella, P.C.John P. Goodrich was named grand marshalfor the 2014 St. Patrick’s Day Parade inPittsburgh, Pa.1988Edythe Gaiser Nash, deputy clerk of theWest Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals,has been elected to the executive committeeof the National Conference of AppellateCourt Clerks.SUMMER 2014 23
Page 1 and 2: THESUMMER 2014The Duquesne Universi
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSFEATURESLee Weidman’s Pag
Page 5 and 6: On a different note, I’d like to
Page 7 and 8: Westinghouse represented a myriad o
Page 9 and 10: A Passion for Giving:New Scholarshi
Page 11 and 12: would be to provide on into the fut
Page 13 and 14: emember things but must remember wh
Page 15 and 16: LAW SCHOOL NEWSNew Family Law Clini
Page 17 and 18: Marking Higher EducationJacob H. Ro
Page 19 and 20: FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTSSteven Baicker-
Page 21 and 22: Ronald J. RicciPUBLICATIONS/ARTICLE
Page 23: Mayor Bill PedutoClass of 1973 rece
Page 27 and 28: Amanda H. Sargent was promoted tome
Page 29 and 30: Daniel R. Schimizzi accepted a posi
Page 31 and 32: 2013 AlumniReceptionsPittsburgh, Pa
Page 33 and 34: STUDENT BRIEFSTrial AdvocacyDuquesn
Page 35 and 36: The Trayvon Martin Case: Was Justic
Page 37 and 38: Corporate Law SocietyOn Jan. 16, th
Page 39 and 40: ENERGY & MINERAL LAW LUNCH & LEARN:

DU-Lawyer Summer 2014-FINAL[1]

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