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In the forefront, (L to R) Anne Marie Bowler '00 and Sari Gabay '00, who founded Gabay & Bowler, and were recently joined by Donald Gabay ’61 (inset right), who is Sari's father, and is serving as of counsel. When Sari Gabay ’00 and Anne Marie Bowler ’00 first decided to leave Big Law and start their own law firm, Gabay & Bowler, it was 2006 and they were looking to practice law on their own terms. Observers questioned the wisdom of their decision.   They were both litigation associates at Proskauer, and walking away from a highly paid position and going out on one’s own just six years out of law school simply was not done. “What they thought of both of us, was ‘You're crazy,’” Anne Marie recalled. “We did not have any clients. But we did it—and we grew our business.”  Plus, they seemed not only sane but also sage when, several years later, the U.S. financial crisis prompted law firms to shed staff and the two were featured in a 2011 New York Times article as a success story amid an apparent legal trend among younger lawyers exiting the partner track to go solo. Sari and Anne Marie ended up mentoring other Brooklyn Law School alumni and acquaintances, including partners, who wanted to start their own firms and needed advice on topics like securing malpractice insurance and renting office space.   Today, nearly two decades later, there is a family twist to their thriving venture. A highly experienced attorney from Big Law has joined Gabay & Bowler as of counsel: Donald Gabay ’61, a longtime adviser who specializes in insurance law and who also happens to be Sari’s father. Like his daughter, he has stayed in close touch with his own Brooklyn Law School classmates, personally and professionally.   Before spending four decades working for the Wall Street firm Stroock’s insurance practice, Donald was First Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services, a founder of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers in New York, and chief counsel to the state Assembly’s Committee on Insurance. After Stroock dissolved last fall, so did the pension rules that restricted him from working for another firm. A certain upstart law firm caught his eye.   “Sari and Anne Marie have been doing this for 18 years, and they’ve done a beautiful job,” said Donald, whose delight for his new colleagues is mutual.   “Donald has always been a source of encouragement and guidance to us, and he has a wealth of experience of just how to speak to clients, how to deal with sensitive issues with clients, how to advise them, and always provide options,” Anne Marie said. “That’s why we started our firm: to be the best communicators and advisers when dealing with clients.”  Her father’s experience with a diversity of clientele, Sari said, will help further grow their business, which is a New York City-certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise. “He’s great at bringing in business and clients, and business development and advising on insurance matters and all kinds of other case strategies.”.     Friendships Forged in Learning Together  Decades-long relationships are part of the secret sauce that have helped Gabay & Bowler and its three alumni thrive as attorneys. Sari and Anne Marie were not in the same section at Brooklyn Law School and their paths did not cross until they became new associates at Proskauer. They were both recruited to the Manhattan-based firm as 3Ls, after meeting with Bruce Fader ’74, the head of the litigation department at the time, Anne Marie recalled. Many of their new colleagues had been summer associates at Proskauer, but the Brooklyn Law alumnae were complete newbies.  “That’s what Sari and I bonded over,” Anne Marie said. “We both had the same hard-working work ethic, and it helped us join a firm where we would work alongside graduates of Harvard and Columbia.”  The two have stayed active with Brooklyn Law School over the years: Anne Marie is a member of the Law School’s Women’s Leadership Circle, while Sari has revisited the school to serve as a Moot Court judge.   Donald is also a proud alum. The first law school graduate in his family, he studied accounting at City College but decided to become a lawyer instead, a career shift that his mother enthusiastically endorsed. At Brooklyn Law School, he made some lifelong friends through the alphabetical-order seating system used in class, including Allen Berman (deceased) Stanley Cohen, Herb Chavez, David Epstein (deceased), and Stanley Friedman. Over the years, Donald and his Law School friends attended each of their children’s bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, and later their weddings. More than 60 years after graduating, they continue to routinely get together in Boca Raton, Florida, where they now have homes, and where Donald and Herb Chavez live in the same community.    “We see each other as often as we can, and our friendship developed by sitting in Brooklyn Law School classrooms in the front row,” Donald said. Donald’s Law School friendships even extended beyond the front row; he plays golf on Fridays with Herb Posner, another classmate. Working with the Law School and his own network, he helped recruit other Brooklyn Law alumni to Stroock, including Marty Minkowitz ’63, and is a strong proponent of going to law school, as his daughter can attest.   “Sari used to write poetry, and she’s a very good writer,” Donald said, but added that he saw something more, too. “Growing up as the third child in the family, she always had an answer for everything. I encourage people to go to law school even if they do not practice because it helps whatever they go on to do in their professional life.”  Building a Lean, Agile Business  Still a lover of words, Sari recalls a Law and Literature class with Ruth Bader Ginsburg Professor of Law Susan Herman, that piqued her interest in copyrighted work and led to her receiving the Law & Literature Prize at Brooklyn Law School and interning at The Author’s Guild, advocating for writers on issues of free expression and copyright protection. She continued with intellectual property work at Proskauer, and now at her own firm. She and Anne Marie learned together how to diversify beyond litigation, which comprises about half of their overall business, into other areas, such as drafting and revising contracts, which represents another substantial portion of their work.   “When someone first came to us and asked us to do a contract, we’d never drafted a contract before, but from litigation, we knew the problems with them, the loopholes, and the things that people litigated over,” Sari said. “We’re always learning something new.”  In addition to mastering insurance regulatory law from Donald’s (the insurance guru’s) influence, their latest move is taking on trust and estate litigation. Crucially, too, they know what they do not know. If they need someone with expertise in an area to help them, they call former classmates or colleagues from Proskauer or elsewhere to assist in delivering the best possible experience and advice for clients. “We’ve always believed your best referral is a happy client,” Sari said.   Consulting other attorneys, and being conservative on expanding their team’s head count, is part of the lean approach they have taken to their business.   “We found that that’s been a good way to be able to survive crises like COVID and not have to worry about substantial overhead,” Anne Marie said.    “I know what is going on in Sari's cases and she in mine. And the same with Don,” Anne Marie said. They can readily step into one another’s cases, if needed.   “It’s not like the partner’s billing the client and there are associates on the call,” Sari said. “We do not overly staff matters and no one complains about our bills and our clients send us more business or refer friends and colleagues. We like it the way it is.”   Those interested in starting their own law practice should be aware that taking time off is not as easy as it is at a big firm, Sari and Anne Marie said.   “There’s always something to do,” Sari said. “When the firm is yours and you are growing, you are not going to ignore it if the client has an issue on the day you are planning to be on vacation. We never shut off entirely, but at the same time, we can control cases we take, we control our work schedule.”  Indeed, Anne Marie was able to work remotely in Italy for two weeks while traveling, without missing a beat, and Sari said she can attend her children’s events without getting supervisor approval.   At the end of the day, the freedom they sought through Gabay & Bowler, has been achieved in an environment that seems like (or literally is) family, all with roots in Brooklyn Law School. 

To the Brooklyn Law School Community: On Saturday, most of us awoke to news that Hamas had launched a surprise attack on Israel. Coming in the midst of a Jewish holiday, the attack included a coordinated assault on a music festival, killing hundreds, and the mass kidnapping of civilians, including children, as hostages. Whatever the complexities of the historic conflict in the Middle East, there can be no moral ambiguity that the targeted killing and abuse of civilians is repugnant and reprehensible. Events continue to unfold rapidly and already include a declaration of war and the imposition of a blockade of Gaza. All of this, and further developments inevitably to come, will entail further suffering, trauma, and loss of life. I write to acknowledge these profound events not only because they are now upending the lives of millions in Israel and Gaza, but also because they are directly threatening the wellbeing of a great many within our own Brooklyn Law School community. For all of us, the horrific images and news reports of the last three days have been deeply disturbing and upsetting. But for many members of our community, these events are also deeply personal, and they are grieving the loss of family members or other loved ones who have been killed, are presently missing, or otherwise now in harm’s way. The seismic events of the past few days are likely to play out for years to come and will generate legitimate questions of policy, justice, and law. For many, these questions are urgent and deeply felt. And as a law school, it is part of our mission to explore and debate questions of law and justice. It is important, however, that we all understand that many members of our community are hurting and that we pull together consciously as a community to support and value one another, especially in times of grief and loss. So in the days ahead, please be sensitive in your actions to the pain and distress your classmates and colleagues may be experiencing and reach out to offer your support to others. While the situation remains fluid and the law school will continue to update its response, I want to highlight resources and steps we are taking to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for all students at BLS: The law school is making special arrangements for trauma counselors to be available, on site and remotely, for any member of our community who is struggling with loss or anxiety as a result of the violence. As always, counseling and support services are available to all students free of charge through providers who have a wide range of backgrounds and areas of expertise; and all BLS students have free and confidential access to unlimited 24/7, on-demand urgent care for both physical and mental health care. The attacks have also heightened concerns for public safety in New York and elsewhere. The Law School’s Director of Campus Safety is in active and ongoing contact with law enforcement leaders in our community to be alert to any emerging threats and to ensure that our campus remains safe and secure. I will be holding special open office hours for students the remainder of this week, and will follow with a Zoom link for those who cannot attend in person. In closing, I want to thank you for the kindness and concern that so many of you have demonstrated for one another at this extraordinarily difficult time. Brooklyn Law School is blessed to have an uncommonly diverse, robust and vibrant community of students, staff, and faculty, and I am grateful for your partnership in helping ensure that every member of that community feels valued, safe, and respected in the difficult days yet to come. Respectfully, David Meyer President, Joseph Crea Dean, and Professor of Law

The Brooklyn Law School Board of Trustees has elected Dexin Deng ’16 and Garynn Noel ’15 as Recent Graduate Trustees. Dexin Deng is a law clerk for the Honorable Esther Salas in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. Previously, she was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Garynn Noel is a vice president in the Fixed Income division at Morgan Stanley. She joined Morgan Stanley in 2016 as an associate in the International Securities division. Prior to that, she was an associate at Shipkevitch, PLLC. "We are so pleased that Dexin and Garynn will be joining us on the Board for the next two years as Recent Graduate Trustees,” said Frank Aquila ’83, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “The success that they have each achieved in less than five years from graduation attests to both their individual abilities and the stellar preparation that they received at Brooklyn Law School. We look forward to working with Dexin and Garynn as we move into the next chapter of Brooklyn Law School's storied history under the leadership of Dean Cahill. I'm certain that their insights, as recent graduates, will help us to innovate as we strive to remain at the forefront of legal education.” "It is a great honor to join the Board of Trustees,” said Deng. “I know I will benefit immensely, both personally and professionally, from the school's continuing efforts to foster intellectually stimulating discussions on legal skills, professionalism, mentoring, and social responsibilities. I look forward to working alongside my fellow board members to continue the tradition." Deng did her undergraduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Leeds and Dartmouth University. After graduating from Leeds, she managed a laboratory at University of California San Diego and earned a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University. She worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Newark and interned for Judge Salas before she began law school. At Brooklyn Law School, she was an editor on the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law, was a Health Law and Policy Fellow, and interned for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Noel obtained her undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy from Rutgers University. While in law school, Noel worked at Collen IP, Cullen and Dyckman LLP and Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and she interned at the Law School’s Office of the General Counsel. She was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review, participated in the BLIP Clinic, and served in leadership roles in the Black Law Students Association. She wrote for The Advocate and was a member of the International Legal Honor Society, Phi Delta Phi, and the International Property Law Association. Since graduation, she has been actively engaged in Business Boot Camp and the Women’s Leadership Network. “In many ways, Brooklyn Law School kick-started my life,” said Noel, “It gave me access to incredibly smart and caring professors who connected me to career opportunities, and, both directly and indirectly, introduced me to a majority of the people in my life whom I now cherish the most. I look forward to working with the board and doing my part to help shape the lives of future generations of Brooklyn Law students.”

More than 200 first-year Brooklyn Law School students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Big Law firms at the Career Development Center’s very successful second annual “Meet the Firms” event Wednesday evening. Representatives from 41 law firms – up from 32 last year– offered the students information about the firms’ 2L summer internship programs. Students, in turn, shared their résumés and networked with the firms’ attorneys, including 57 Brooklyn Law alumni who were recruiting on behalf of their firms. “We’re delighted by the strong and growing turnout of top law firm employers for this event, and look forward to expanding it further next year,” said President and Joseph Crea Dean David Meyer.  “We’re also gratified by the huge presence of BLS alumni representing the firms. It’s a reflection of Brooklyn’s continued strong placement into the nation’s largest law firms and the dedication of our alumni to our current students.” Brooklyn Law was ranked No. 38 on the National Law Journal’s “Top 50 Go-To Law Schools” list, based on placement of the Class of 2023 graduates at the nation’s 100 largest law firms. “With recruitment cycles moving ever earlier, we started this event last year so our 1L students would have the chance to connect with the country’s largest law firms,” Associate Dean of Career and Professional Development Heather Spielmaker said. “This year, we welcomed even more firms than last year, and were thrilled that over half the 1L class attended.” The chance to meet with so many different firms and to make meaningful connections so early in their law school career was extremely helpful, students said.  “I’m interested in a firm that focuses on IP and trusts and estates,” said Lauren Carole Ritter ’27. “It was nice to meet them face to face. It was a great experience.” Cody Hazboun ’27 said he had researched five firms he hoped to meet with and had a plan going into the event. After meeting with one firm’s representative, Hazboun said, “I had prepared an elevator pitch, and I gave her my résumé. I had a good interaction.” As for the alumni, several of them said it was a great experience for them as well, and a chance to pay it forward to Brooklyn Law, which had given them a start and continued support in their own careers.  Brooklyn Law School thanks the participating firms:Arnold & Porter; Ashurst; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Cahill Gordon & Reindel; Clifford Chance US; Clyde & Co; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Debevoise & Plimpton; Faegre Drinker; Freshfields US; Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Goodwin; Haynes Boone; Harris Beach Murtha; Holland & Knight; Hunton Andrews Kurth; Ice Miller; Katten Muchin Rosenman; Kelley Drye & Warren; King & Spalding; Latham & Watkins; Lowenstein Sandler ; Mayer Brown; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Olshan Frome Wolosky; Paul, Weiss; Pillsbury; Polsinelli; Rivkin Radler; Ropes & Gray; Schulte Roth & Zabel; Seward & Kissel; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Thompson Coburn; Troutman Pepper Locke; Vedder Price PC; Venable; Weil, Gotshal & Manges; and Winston & Strawn.  

The Brooklyn Law School community mourns the death of Professor Emeritus John J. “Jack” Meehan, a beloved teacher and colleague at the Law School for 50 years, until his retirement in 1993. He died on October 7, 2024, in Huntington, Long Island, at age 100.    Meehan, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, joined Brooklyn Law School after his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, for which he received the World War II Victory medal, Good Conduct medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal. He was a noted scholar of real property law, and taught generations of Brooklyn Law students, as well as being a long-serving member and chair of the Law School’s Admissions Committee.  To celebrate Meehan’s 50 years of extraordinary teaching and service to Brooklyn Law School, a scholarship  was established in his name by Nancy Munson '65 and other colleagues and friends to encourage and support students who excelled in the field of property law.  Before and after retirement, Meehan was a lover of world travel, poetry, and writing.   Faculty colleagues remember Meehan fondly and well. “Jack was a quiet, kind force who was dedicated to the Law School’s best interests for many, many years. He was gracious to us when we were newbies,” said Professor and former Dean of Clinical and Experiential Education Stacy Caplow. “He was a class act,” said Michael Simmons and Michael Gerber Professor of Law Michael Gerber.  Professor Samuel Murumba recalled the late professor contributing to the warm reception he received from colleagues when he joined Brooklyn Law in 1990. “Jack Meehan was one of the kindest people I met at BLS in 1990. We later served together on the BLS Admissions Committee (which Jack chaired) along with [Professors] Dick Farrell, Joe Crea, and John Ronayne (the latter two, like Jack, were WWII Veterans). Jack had a kindness and generosity of spirit… and an inimitable sense of humor, which made our weekly Admissions Committee meetings so much more fun. Jack and Joe and Dick and John are all no longer with us, but they left indelible lifetime memories in my heart.”   Former students also shared fond recollections. In a tribute in Meehan’s obituary, alumnus John Radonic ’74 recalled how Meehan had interviewed Radonic when he had applied to Brooklyn Law School. “In going over my background, it came up that I was a Vietnam veteran, and that Jack was a WWII veteran,” Radonic said. “My LSAT scores were on the low side. Jack said that the admissions committee would ask me to retake the exam, but that he was going to recommend me, notwithstanding my low LSAT score. I came up only slightly in my next LSAT, and I have always felt certain that it was because of Jack's recommendation that I was granted admission to begin classes the following September.”   Radonic went on to study with Meehan, and crossed paths with him after graduation, when Radonic was working as an editor in the forms department of West Publishing Co. where Meehan wrote the commentaries for West’s McKinney’s real property practice forms. “When Jack visited the office…,” said Radonic, “he was always smartly dressed in a tweed sport coat, with shirt and tie, and always his tweed fedora hat with a feather in it. Jack never stopped being of the old school. I loved Jack's quiet, low-key demeanor, but yet with a sense of humor. He was a lovely man.”