Contact: Darren Johnson, (631) 761-7062
May 27, 2007
Touro Law Students Share Their Stories at Sunday
Commencement
230 Graduate in 25th Annual Ceremony
(Photos by Kathy Stanley -- more graduation photos will
appear on her web site,
www.KathyStanley.com, starting on Friday, June 1, 2007.)
Manhattan, N.Y. – Top students shared their stories as a part of
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center’s commencement
exercises this Sunday. In the 25th anniversary of the
law school’s first graduating class, nearly 230 students
received law degrees, including 214 juris doctor
recipients and candidates and 13 master’s degree (LL.M.)
recipients.
The ceremony took place on Sunday, May 27, at Avery Fisher Hall,
Lincoln Center. The Honorable Gail Prudenti, Presiding Justice
of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second
Judicial Department, made commencement remarks. An honorary
Doctor of Laws degree was presented to André Schmitz,
the Permanent Secretary for Cultural Affairs
of the federal state of Berlin, Germany.
Four local residents received top honors: Daphne G. Vlcek of
Rocky Point is Full-Time Valedictorian; John R. Cahill of St.
James is Part-Time Valedictorian; Courtney Elizabeth Liotti of
Greenlawn is Full-Time Salutatorian; and Patrick A. Walker III
of Middle Island is Part-Time Salutatorian. Both valedictorians
shared their insights with an audience of over 1200 family
members and well-wishers.
Vlcek’s mother, 14 months ago, was given a prognosis of only
having two months to live after being diagnosed with inoperable
pancreatic cancer, but has surprised doctors by reaching her
goal of seeing her daughter graduate. Colleen Bazata, of Mastic,
was in the front row at the Sunday ceremony as her daughter
achieved a lifelong dream.
“Mom, I want to thank you for keeping that promise, and for
being here today. You have shown me that life is about hope,
happiness and love, and about who we have touched and what we
have given,” Vlcek said in her speech, holding back tears.
“Because you believe in me, I believe in myself. Know always
that your support, love and encouragement have been instrumental
in my success, and that I will follow your example and never
give up.”
Vlcek had tried accounting, but longed to attend law school.
After having performed well in a summer associate position with
the large firm Nixon Peabody LLP last year, Vlcek is expected to
take a full-time position there this fall. She also credits
husband Christopher with lending support in helping her earn her
law degree with the law school’s highest honor. As well, she
thanked Touro Law Center in her remarks:
“As new members of the legal community, we are fortunate to
graduate from a school that is on its way up, a school that
employs faculty and administration who truly care about the
students and the advancement of the legal profession. We have
all seen amazing transformations during our time here, and we
are all aware of the many improvements just beginning to take
shape. And that is where we come in. It is the responsibility
of each and every one of us to continue the upward trend of our
school’s reputation. It is our duty to ourselves and to one
another to show by example that graduates from Touro are
hard-working, ethical, humble members of the legal community. I
am proud to be graduating from this fine school, and I am proud
to be graduating alongside this dedicated, respectable,
honorable group of individuals. I am confident that with our
combined efforts, we can achieve immeasurable success, both
personally and as an institution.”
Cahill is a Suffolk County Police lieutenant who studied in
Touro’s flexible four-year program while also working full-time
patrolling as a plain-clothes officer in Hauppauge. His
self-discipline has made him a top cop and, now, a top law
student. He is nearing his 20-year retirement, and now will be
able to pursue a second career as a lawyer.
With a B.S. in Computer Science, he also was valedictorian of
his undergraduate class at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, N.Y., in 1985. His legal interests include real estate,
personal injury and corporate law. He credits his close-knit
family including wife, Carol, and children, Nicole and John,
with giving him the support needed to excel in law school.
Cahill noted in his speech that Touro Law students should go out
and take stands on tough issues and fight for change. He was a
part of a team of 31 Touro students that headed to New Orleans
this past spring break to help local residents solve the myriad
legal issues down there.
“They fully believed that the world had forgotten about them –
and then 31 students from Touro arrived,” Cahill said. “We
gathered addresses of homes condemned for demolition in
violation of due process rights. We met with city hall officials
to produce a written guide to assist homeowners in rebuilding
their homes and obtaining grant money. We searched the internet
in an attempt to locate homeowners unaware that their properties
would be demolished. I know we made a difference in at least 61
lives that week – and we made some friends, too.
“That’s what going to law school should be about. It’s not about
getting rich. It’s not about fame. It’s not about prestige. It’s
about making a difference in the world, helping those who have
given up all hope, using the education that you have acquired
over the last few years to change someone’s life – and maybe
even make a friend along the way.”
Changes at
Touro Law Center
Touro, with a student body of 750, is a law school on the rise
with a new, cutting-edge academic plan and 180,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art law campus adjacent to and working with state
and federal courthouses in Central Islip, N.Y. Touro’s $35M new
campus provides a learning model like no other for law students,
combining practical courtroom experience with a rigorous
curriculum taught by expert faculty.
### |
