Issue 7: October 20, 2014 Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

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SBA NEWS
A Message From Tom
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I hope everyone had a
great and energizing
weekend as we pass the
halfway mark of the
semester.
As many of you know, last
week the SBA held our
first Town Hall of the year
and hosted Fall Ball. I
want to thank the students
who voiced their concerns
to the many deans and
administrators who were present. The first
step to any progress is making clear what the
issues are. With this step accomplished, our
next move is to focus on addressing key issues
raised. Accordingly, in the next few weeks,
the SBA will be conducting surveys on these
issues so that we have a full sense of what the
student body would like us working on.
Please keep an eye out for this poll!
I am also happy to report that Fall Ball was a
complete success. Thank you to everyone
who attended and to those involved in the
process of making the event go so well.
Lastly, be sure to check out this weeks
Alumni Spotlight, featuring Robert DeLeo,
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of
Representatives. The premise of the Alumni
Spotlight is to give current students advice
Contents
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A Message From Tom
SBA Happenings
Student Spotlight
Nicole Cocozza

Budget Information
Alumni Spotlight
Speaker Robert DeLeo

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Contact List & Preamble
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from some of Suffolk Laws established
alumni, so we are particularly honored to
have Speaker DeLeo participate.
Thank you,
- Tom Davis
SBA President


Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

suffolklawsba.com Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA Twitter: @SULS_sba

! The first Appropriations supplemental funding meeting will take place tonight. Email
Suzanne Graziano at sgraziano@suffolk.edu if you have any questions.
! Alumni Weekend is this weekend (October 23-25). Go to the Alumni tab on the law
school website for information about events and to register for events.
o The Alumni Affairs Committee will be at a table on the fourth floor today,
Tuesday, and Wednesday to help register students for Alumni Weekend events.

! Student Bar Association/Alumni Golf Outing
o October 24, 11am-4pm
o At the Robert T. Lynch Memorial Golf Course, 1281 West Roxbury Parkway,
Brookline.
o Staff/Student Cost: $30
o Alumni Cost: $40
o Transportation will be provided
o Registration can be found on the Suffolk Law website under Alumni Weekend
2014
! The first Town Hall meeting of the year took place last Tuesday. The Student
Concerns Committee put together a great panel of deans and administrators to answer
many questions and concerns from students.
! OFFICE HOURS with Tom: Tuesday @ 12:00-1:00pm & Thursday @ 6:30 7:30pm
! Next Thursday (October 30) at 5pm, the SBA Sustainability Committee will be
hosting a Conference on Sustainability in the first floor function room. There will be a
great panel of speakers addressing policy and legal challenges on how to move the
state and nation to a more sustainable environment. For more information, visit the
calendar tab on the SBA website.
SBA Executive Announcements & Happenings
Suffolk Law SBA logo design contest!
What: We are looking for a new Suffolk Law SBA logo. What
you design is up to you. Please submit your entry by emailing it
to marketing director Jess Murray at jmurray3@suffolk.edu.
When: We will accept entries between now and October 25th.
Prize: A $50 gift card to Boston Brewin
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Your
Logo
Here!


Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

suffolklawsba.com Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA Twitter: @SULS_sba
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Tip of the week
Get up and stretch!
As law students, most of
us spend the majority of
our day sitting down
doing work. This can lead
to tight shoulders, back
pain, tight hips, and more.
At a minimum, for each
two hours that you are
seated, you should stand
up and stretch for five
minutes. This will help
you loosen up and be more
flexible. It could also serve
as a quick break for your
mind so you can have
greater attention when you
return to your work.

SBA Executive Budget
2014-2015

SECTIONS
1A $500.00
1B $500.00
1C $500.00
4A $500.00
1L Cup $2,500.00
2L (at large) $2,500.00
3L (at large) $3,000.00
4L/7L (at large) $1000.00
Section Total: $11,000
GENERAL
Reserves $10,000.00
Operations $8,000.00
Orientation $2,000.00
General Total: $20,000
COMMITTEES
Academic Affairs $4,500.00
Alumni Affairs $4,500.00
Appropriations $200.00
Diversity and Inclusion $3,500.00
External Affairs $3,300.00
Graduation $4,000.00
Marketing and Advertising $1,000.00
Student Affairs - Concerns $1,000.00
Student Affairs Social $32,500.00
Sustainability $1,000.00
Committee Total: $55,500.00
LIAISONS
Bar Association Liaisons (ABA,
FBA, BBA, MBA)
$1,500.00
Liaison Total: $1,500.00

Total Executive Budget:
$88,000.00
We are very pleased with the outcome of how SBA Executive
Committee funding is being invested this year. Thanks to a
massive team effort of all SBA members, we were able to invest
500% more to Student Concerns, 225% more to Academic
Affairs, 200% more to Sustainability, and 175% more to
Diversity.


Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

suffolklawsba.com Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA Twitter: @SULS_sba

Nicole Cocozza, a 3L and graduate of St. Johns University, is both the
president of Suffolk Laws Sports and Entertainment Law Association
as well as being in Suffolk Laws IP Clinic.

What is your job and what do you most enjoy about it?
I currently work for a firm that specializes in tax law and trusts and
estates. I really enjoy the practical experience I am gaining through
working directly with clients in trust and estate matters.

What is your main role as part of the IP Clinic/what does one do as
part of the IP clinic, and also what have you learned from it so far?
Working as a student attorney, I counsel clients on a broad spectrum of
intellectual property and business related issues, conduct interviews, mediate disputes,
perform legal research, and draft transactional and litigation documents. I have gained
valuable knowledge and experience in each of these areas and learned what it takes to be
successful in the field of intellectual property.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?
Graduation!

What do you enjoy doing outside of law school?
I enjoy running. Having run competitively in both high school and college, my passion for
running remains strong. Last year, I ran for Team USA Endurance in the ING New York
City Marathon and this year I will be running the Boston Marathon.

Nicoles Favorites:

Favorite place to study: My favorite place to study is in the Suffolk Law Library on the
seventh floor.
Favorite study break: I like to get out of school and take a walk to Faneuil Hall or the
North End. I usually stop at Starbucks on my way back to study.
Favorite part of Suffolk Law: The professors and staff who are always there to support
students in any endeavor they may undertake. Suffolk Law offers so many different
opportunities to gain valuable experience that I have utilized such as JHTL, IP Clinic, and
SELA.
Favorite coffee shop near school: Starbucks on School Street.
Favorite movie: Crazy Stupid Love

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Student Spotlight
Nicole Cocozza


Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

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Alumni Spotlight
Speaker Robert DeLeo --- Class of 1976
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House Speaker Robert DeLeo has been the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of
Representatives since 2009. Prior to becoming speaker, he was the chairman of the House
Committee on Ways and Means. DeLeo has served in public office since graduating from
Suffolk Law, becoming a Winthrop Town Meeting Member in 1977.
Interview by Jen Bonniwell, Director of Admissions and Digital Communication and formatted for use
by the SBA Alumni Affairs Committee.

What is your best advice to young lawyers?
It may sound trite but it cannot be said enough: be prepared, be polite and be professional in all
of your actions.

What are the most rewarding or challenging aspects of your political and legal work?
Since assuming the Speakership in 2009, probably the worst time possible with respect to the
economy, Ive made it my mission to make Massachusetts the place to do business. From
gaming and blue-collar workers to biotech to the innovation economy, weve kept our focus on
creating and retaining jobs in MassachusettsWeve made our state a better place to work and
live by improving transportation, investing in education and giving our cities and towns the
support they need. Growing the economy is part of a larger strategy to make Massachusetts a
thriving, dynamic state in many ways The achievements are real Our stabilization fund is
one of the largest in the nation, a testament to our economic wisdom.

Why did you choose your form of law?
Prior to joining the Legislature I was in probate. Whats interesting about that is that, at the
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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

suffolklawsba.com Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA Twitter: @SULS_sba
Alumni Spotlight | Speaker Robert DeLeo
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heart of it, being a probate attorney and being the Speaker of the House have a lot in common:
Its all about how you treat people. With probate law youre helping individuals deal with
some of the most challenging times in their lives. You have to be strategic and empathetic at the
same time, thats something that can be very hard and its something that we have to do often
at the State House Whether its at the local level or now at a post with statewide
responsibilities I keep my constituents in mind. As elected officials, my colleagues and I
remember that we are the communicators for those in our districts. It is our responsibility to
ensure that their needs are addressed and opinions are heard.

Is there a professor or alum you recall who inspired or mentored you in a profound way?
I was very fortunate to be taught by some of the greatest legal minds in the state and in the
nation while at Suffolk Law. For example, Justice Joseph Nolan of the Supreme Judicial Court
and Professor Thomas Lambert who taught tort law. I remember Professor Lambert, when
speaking without notes, was able to rattle off the citations of cases and, sometimes, the exact
pages he was quoting from!
Its amazing how directly my education and my teachers have affected my work as a legislator.
I was speaking to journalists the other week about non-compete clauses which weve been
debating at the State House and actually brought up Professor Catherine Judge. I still use the
principles she taught me in her equity law class. Finally, one of my favorite teachers, who later
became a great friend and mentor, was Len Lewin, who was chief legal counsel to Governor
Cellucci.

How did Suffolk prepare you for your professional career?
Suffolk prepared me incredibly well as an attorney, as a state Representative and now as
Speaker by honing in on critical thinking skills while at the same time combining that teaching
with practical solutions.

General comments on Suffolk
As Speaker of the House I feel that Im uniquely positioned to comment on the immense
contributions that Suffolk Law makes to our state. The House of Representatives is fortunate to
employ some of the best legal minds in Massachusetts, many of whom are Suffolk graduates
Suffolk has always been highly regarded by folks in the legal field but I am incredibly proud
that the school is now becoming widely recognized as a top national institution. Visiting the
new building on Tremont and meeting with students there absolutely instills a sense of pride.
In fact, its central location, within walking distance of the state and federal courts, the State
House and City Hall, is a boon to all Massachusetts residents. You can often see Suffolk Law
students and graduates walking the halls of these historic buildings, helping to craft the laws
which are often used to shape national policy and distinguish Massachusetts as the bedrock of
American democracy.




Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter Issue 7: October 20, 2014

suffolklawsba.com Facebook: Suffolk Law SBA Twitter: @SULS_sba

Contact Information
Name Position Email
Tom davis President trdavis@suffolk.edu
Monica Bellevue Vice President mkbellevue@suffolk.edu
Neil Lindquist Chief of Staff nlindquist@suffolk.edu
Callie grossman Chief of Operations cgrossman@suffolk.edu
Kelley Sweetser Treasurer ksweetser@suffolk.edu

We the Students of Suffolk University Law School, in order to support and
encourage academic excellence and professional development; to preserve the
right of students to acquire a quality legal education in a just and reasonable
environment; to provide a means of communication between students and the
Law School; and to maintain a connection with alumni, do herby establish
this Constitution for the Student Bar Association of Suffolk University Law
SBA Constitution Preamble
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For a full contact list of all SBA Directors please visit our website at
suffolklawsba.com
Vice President Monica Bellevue and
President Tom Davis