University at Buffalo Libraries

Finding Aid for the Records of the Law School Alumni Association, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1962-1995

Law Spec. Coll. 01

Charles B. Sears Law Library

Finding aid prepared by Lauren Schroeder with Karen L. Spencer.
Finding aid encoded in EAD by Karen L. Spencer, March 2007.
Finding aid written in English.
Finding aid prepared using DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard )

© 2007. State University of New York at Buffalo. All rights reserved.

Collection Overview

Administrative Information

[Specified item], Box/Folder #, Law Spec. Coll. 01, Records of the Law School Alumni Association, 1962-1995, Charles B. Sears Law Library, State University of New York at Buffalo.

The Archives acquired these records after the Law School Alumni Association's longtime secretary, Robert Schaus, gave fellow Law School Alumni Association member Dean Ilene Fleishmann his copies of the Board of Directors minutes after his retirement in 1991. Some portions of the collection were filled in with copies of materials from the Law School's own collection of Law School Alumni Association records in 2005.

Materials may be examined by qualified researchers in the Law Library during hours of operation during which Law Reference Librarians are present. In order to insure access, researchers are advised to contact the Law Library in advance of visits.

Copyright for the materials in the collection does not reside with the Law Library. Therefore, patrons wishing to publish any item, or part of an item from this collection for any purpose, are responsible for securing requisite permissions. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Processed by Lauren Schroeder with Karen L. Spencer, November 2006.

Future additions may be acquired irregularly from the University at Buffalo Law School Alumni Relations office.

Historical Note

The Buffalo Law School was founded in 1887, and the first known Law School Alumni Association was established in 1893, according to a pamphlet from May 1900. The purpose of the Law School Alumni Association, according to its constitution, adopted on June 2, 1894, was to "perpetuate old friendships, to bring graduates into closer contact, and to advance the interests of the school." Repeated attempts to make the Law School Alumni Association more vital were unsuccessful until 1961, when law school dean Jacob Hyman wanted to reorganize the Law School Alumni Association in anticipation of the law school's 75th anniversary one year later. The current incarnation of the Law School Alumni Association marks its beginning from 1962, and has grown steadily since then.

Minutes for the monthly meetings of the Law School Alumni Association's Board of Directors have been kept since 1962 onward. These meetings were held at the Buffalo Athletic Club until 1973, when they moved to the Statler Hotel for the next 17 years. They relocated to the Plaza Suite in the M&T Plaza from 1980 to 1986, and then to the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The Law School Alumni Association's annual meeting is usually held in April or May, where candidates for the Board of Directors are elected to three-year terms, and the Law School Alumni Association president and treasurer present their annual reports. The Law School Alumni Association's annual dinner is also the occasion for the presenting of the Distinguished Alumni Awards, which were begun in 1963. These awards are presented to alumni in three fields: the judiciary, public service, and private practice. The Law School Alumni Association Convocation was established in 1976 to foster better relations between the alumni and the law school. The Jaeckle award, developed jointly by law school and the Law School Alumni Association, is presented at the Convocation luncheon, and is the law school's highest honor.

This Historical Note was compiled from information gathered from University at Buffalo Law School 100 Years – 1887-1987: A History by Robert Schaus (longtime Law School Alumni Association Secretary) and James Arnone, as well as consultations with Dean Ilene Fleischmann and Mr. Schaus via email and telephone, respectively.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains materials generated by or about the Law School Alumni Association. It contains minutes from the Law School Alumni Association's monthly Board of Directors meetings, as well as the minutes from the Law School Alumni Association's general Annual meeting. In some series, there are also monthly Treasurer's reports and/or their associated bank statements showing the status of the Law School Alumni Association's finances. Also included are memoranda, letters to and from various members of the Board of Directors, and other ephemera. There are also directors, officers and presidents lists, Law School Alumni Association bylaws and revisions, distinguished alumni award winners, and materials from the Centennial Celebration committee.

Arrangement

This collection is divided into six series:

I. Officers, Directors, and Presidents Lists.

II. Association Bylaws and Bylaws Revisions.

III. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes.

IV. Law School Alumni Association Annual Meeting Minutes.

V. Distinguished Alumni Awards.

VI. Centennial Celebration 1887-1987

Most series are organized chronologically. Please note, some Board of Directors and Annual Meeting minutes are missing within their respective series, either due to a meeting not being held on a certain month, or no record of a meeting existing in the collection.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog.

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