Past All Rise Events

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

5:30 p.m. ET– Speaking Program and Awards Ceremony (hybrid)
7:00-8:00 p.m. ET – Networking Reception (in-person)

Many thanks to those who joined us for our sixth annual All Rise event, where our community networked, united, and honored Suffolk's rich history of alumnae trailblazers and changemakers. The All Rise event celebrates remarkable alumnae who have made lasting impacts in the Suffolk Law community and in the field of law.

Our annual event included an award presentations and alumnae speaking program. Our 2023 All Rise Fireside Chat focused on lessons in leadership with a specific focus on our alumnae founders and CEOs. Thank you our 2023 speakers: Julia Rodgers JD'15, CEO and Co-Founder of Hello-Prenup; Kendalle Burlin O'Connell JD'06, CEO and President of MassBio; and Marie-Louise Skafte JD'96, Founder of Skafte Global Law, P.A.

Congratulations to our 2023 All Rise Award Recipients:

Catherine T. Judge Teaching and Service Award

Kathleen Elliott Vinson, JD ‘95
Professor of Legal Writing and Director of Legal Writing, Research, and Written Advocacy, Suffolk University Law School
View Bio [PDF]

Marian Archer “Trailblazer” Award

Nina Mitchell Wells, JD ‘76
Former Secretary of State for New Jersey
View Bio [PDF]

All Rise Rising Star

Alyse I. Constantinide, BA ’07, JD ‘10
Principal, Beveridge & Diamond, PC
View Bio

 

Thank You to our Sponsors

Platinum

Regina C. Sullivan, JD ‘88

Gold

 

Nina Mitchell Wells, JD ’76

Silver

Bronze

Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C.
Atwood & Cherny P.C.
Beveridge & Diamond P.C.
Cetrulo LLP
Karen M. Blum JD '74
Burns & Levinson LLP
Sarah N.A. Camougis JD '92
The Hon. Joan N. Feeney (Ret.), JD '78
Jane Freedman Law, LLC
JAMS
Lawson & Weitzen LLP
Morrison Mahoney LLP
Skafte Global Law, P.A.
Susan M. Myers, JD '91
The Hon. Amy L. Nechtem JD '85
Prince Lobel Tye LLP
The Honorable Mary Dacey White (Ret.), JD' 78 and John C. White, Esq., JD '80
Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.

Thank you to our 2023 All Rise Advisory Committee:

Cara Thompson, JD '10, Chair

Tamela E. Bailey, JD '04
Kendalle Burlin O'Connell, JD '06
Sarah N. A. Camougis, JD '92
Jennifer K. Crawford, JD '07
Alexandra R. Hassell, JD '15
Kayla R. Kassim, JD '24
Paulette R. Marie, JD '88
Divya A. Mathew, JD '24
Susan M. Myers, JD '91
The Honorable Amy Nechtem, JD '85
Carol A. Starkey, JD '88
Regina C. Sullivan, JD '88
Chayla C. White, JD '13
The Honorable Mary Dacey White, JD '78 (Ret.)
Cherina D. Wright, MBA '17, JD '17

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Many thanks to those who joined us for our fifth annual All Rise event, where our community networked, united, and honored Suffolk's rich history of alumnae trailblazers and changemakers. The All Rise event celebrates remarkable alumnae who have made lasting impacts in the Suffolk Law community and in the field of law.

Our annual alumnae speaking program was led by partner, Carol Starkey JD'88 and associate, Dayana Donisca JD'21 colleagues from the law firm of Conn Kavanaugh. They hosted a "fireside chat" to discuss the importance of navigating industry challenges and opportunities resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, including strategies to maintain intentional relationships. We also honored this year’s Marian Archer Alumnae Trailblazer and Professor Catherine T. Judge award recipients. 

Our program this year was a hybrid event with attendees joining in-person or virtually.

2022 Award Recipients

Catherine T. Judge Teaching and Service Award

Renée M. Landers
Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Health and Bio Med Law Concentration
and Master’s of Law: Life Sciences Program
View bio [PDF]

Sharmila L. Murthy
Professor and Director of Faculty Scholarship and Research
View bio

Marian Archer "Trailblazer" Award

Hon. Elspeth B. Cypher JD’86
Associate Justice, Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts
View bio [PDF]

Thank You to our 2022 Sponsors

Platinum

Regina Sullivan JD’88

Gold

Christine Newman Garvey JD’72

Silver

Lisa Aidlin JD and Andrew Perlman JD, LLM
Linda J. Wondrack JD'95

Bronze

Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C.
Atwood & Cherny P.C.
Karen M. Blum JD’74
Sarah N.A. Camougis JD’92
Burns & Levinson LLP
Casner & Edwards, LLP
Cetrulo LLP
The Hon. Joan N. Feeney JD’78 (Ret.), JAMS, Boston, MA
JAMS
Lawson & Weitzen LLP
Deborah Marson JD’78
Susan M. Myers JD’91
Nixon Peabody LLP
Rubin and Rudman LLP
Welch & Forbes LLC

Monday, March 8, 2021 

All Rise celebrates Suffolk Law’s rich history of successful alumnae and their ongoing contributions to the legal field. In honor of International Women’s Day, join us for the second part of our alumnae panel discussion titled Grit & Grace: Leadership, Inclusivity and Change. Our discussion will feature distinguished Suffolk Law alumnae – trailblazers and leaders – who will share lessons in leadership that support inclusion, advance racial and gender equity, and leverage diverse thinking.

This program is an extension of our November event ("Rise Up, Speak Up, Lift Every Voice”) and is the official launch event of Suffolk Law’s Diversity Week.

Panelists

Hon. Marcine S. Anderson JD'84 has served as an appointed and elected judge with the King County District Court (KCDC) – West Division – Shoreline in the state of Washington for eight years. She currently hears civil and criminal calendars in Shoreline and Seattle. When she was sworn in on March 12, 2010, Judge Anderson became the first woman and the first Asian American to serve as a district court judge at the Shoreline District Court. Judge Anderson’s previous experience includes working for the King County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and clerking for the Hon. Joyce London Alexander in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. Judge Anderson received her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University School of Law, and her B.A. and a Certificate in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon. In 2004 she was sworn in as the first Asian American member of the Board of Governors of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA). She served for ten years on the Advisory Board of the award-winning WSBA Leadership Institute. Judge Anderson currently is on the board of the Japanese American Citizens League – Seattle chapter, is president of the William L. Dwyer Inn of Court, and vice-president for Programs, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Judicial Council.

Jessica A. Massey JD'03 is an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where she represents the United States in the investigation and prosecution of complex, transnational narcotics trafficking, firearm, and gang‐related offenses. Prior to her current role she was Senior Associate Counsel at Walmart Inc., where she conducted legally privileged compliance investigations around the world and provided daily legal advice to Walmart’s Global Ethics Department. Jessica has held numerous leadership positions in legal and civic organizations including the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). She was the 2014 President of the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys (MAHA), and continues to serve on MAHA’s Advisory Board. Jessica is the current Chief Compliance Officer of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). Jessica received her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and her B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross. She has been recognized repeatedly for her leadership and volunteerism, was named a Top Latino Lawyer in the U.S. by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2017 & 2018, and received a Young Hispanic Corporate Achiever Award from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility in 2018.

Tara Spann JD’95 is the Chief People & Strategy Officer for MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, where she is responsible for developing people, processes and strategies with a focus on ensuring that MENTOR’s greatest asset – its staff – is best positioned to achieve ambitious organizational goals. Previously, Tara served as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Eversource Energy where she led strategy development and execution for Diversity & Inclusion. In previous corporate Diversity & Inclusion leadership roles, Tara was the Director, Global Economic Inclusion & Supplier Diversity for Merck & Co. Inc., the Associate Director & Executive Lead, Supplier Diversity for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Executive Director, Diversity Initiatives for Staples, Inc. Tara earned a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. She has been featured in numerous publications and has been the recipient of and responsible for a multitude of prestigious Professional and Diversity & Inclusion Awards.

 

Moderator

Renée M. Landers
Professor of Law and Director of Health Law Concentration and
Faculty Director, Masters of Science in Law Life Sciences Program
Suffolk University Law School

 

View our November Panel

For questions about this event, please contact Alison E. McManus, Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, by email or at 617-305-6354.

2020-2021 Sponsors

Platinum

Kevin Fitzgerald JD'82
Regina Sullivan JD’88
Nina Wells JD'76

Gold

Nixon Peabody LLP
R. Stanton Dodge JD'94

Silver

Lisa Aidlin, JD and Andrew Perlman, JD, LLM
Jeffrey A. Blum JD'74 and Karen M. Blum JD’74
Casner & Edwards
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP
Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP
Lando & Anastasi, LLP
Deborah Marson JD’78
McLane Middleton

Bronze

Adler, Pollack & Sheehan P.C.
Cetrullo LLP
Atwood Cherny P.C.
Burns Levinson
Sarah N.A. Camougis JD'92
Jane E. Currier JD'81
The Hon. Joan N. Feeney JD’78
Christine Newman Garvey JD’72
JAMS
Lawson & Weitzen LLP
The Hon. Amy Nechtem JD’85
Murphy Donoghue Partners
Murphy & King
Susan Myers JD'91
New England Cable & Telecommunications
National Grid
John “Jack” Ryan JD’94
Serlin Haley
Welch & Forbes
Wolf Greenfield
Linda Wondrack JD'95

Virtual Awards Ceremony & Rise Up, Speak Up and Lift Every Voice Alumnae Panel

All Rise’s 2020 alumnae panel discussion explored solutions and efforts to advance racial and gender equity and justice in the legal profession. Suffolk Law Black alumnae — trailblazers and leaders — highlighted the collective and individual actions we can all take to build a more inclusive industry and profession.

Panelists

• Tamela Bailey JD’04, Commercial Legal Senior Counsel, National Grid
• The Honorable Stacey J. Fortes JD’90, First Justice of Lowell District CourtNina Mitchell Wells JD’76, Former Secretary of State for NJ and former Director of the Metropolitan Washington
• Airports Authority (MWAA)

Moderator

• Lolita Darden JD’91, Associate Clinical Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School and Director of Suffolk’s Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic

2020 Award Recipients

The Marian Archer “Trailblazer” Award
The Honorable Marianne B. Bowler
Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

The Catherine T. Judge Teaching and Service Award
Victoria J. Dodd
Suffolk University Law School, Professor Emerita of Law (Posthumously)

2020-2021 Sponsors

Platinum
Kevin Fitzgerald JD'82
Regina Sullivan JD’88
Nina Wells JD'76

Gold
Nixon Peabody LLP
R. Stanton Dodge JD'94

Silver
Lisa Aidlin, JD and Andrew Perlman, JD, LLM
Jeffrey A. Blum JD'74 and Karen M. Blum JD’74
Casner & Edwards
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP
Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP
Lando & Anastasi, LLP
Deborah Marson JD’78
McLane Middleton

Bronze
Adler, Pollack & Sheehan P.C.
Cetrullo LLP
Atwood Cherny P.C.
Burns Levinson
Sarah N.A. Camougis JD'92
Jane E. Currier JD'81
The Hon. Joan N. Feeney JD’78
Christine Newman Garvey JD’72
JAMS
Lawson & Weitzen LLP
The Hon. Amy Nechtem JD’85
Murphy Donoghue Partners
Murphy & King
Susan Myers JD'91
New England Cable & Telecommunications
National Grid
John “Jack” Ryan JD’94
Serlin Haley
Welch & Forbes
Wolf Greenfield
Linda Wondrack JD'95

2020-2021 Event Advisory Committee

• The Honorable Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) JD’78, Event Chair
• Tamela E. Bailey JD’04
• Professor Emerita Karen M. Blum JD’74
• Sarah N.A. Camougis JD’92Jessica M. Duhamel JD’06
• Joy B. Kete JD’15
• Deborah Marson JD’78
• Susan M. Myers JD’91
• The Honorable Amy Nechtem JD’85, Panel Co-Chair
• Carol A. Starkey JD’88, Panel Co-Chair
• Regina Sullivan JD’88
• Linda J. Wondrack JD’95
• Cherina D. Wright JD/MBA’17

All Rise 2019: November 19, 2019 

Panelists

• The Honorable Marianne B. Bowler JD’76
• United States Magistrate Judge, District of Massachusetts
• Andrea J. Cabral JD’86
• Chief Executive Officer, Ascend Mass, LLC
• Leigh-Ann Durant JD’92
• Head of North America Medical Governance, EMD Serono, Inc.
• Regina C. Sullivan JD’88
• Managing Partner, Gaman Real Estate Group, LLC

Moderator

• Carol A. Starkey JD’88
  Partner, Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP

Sponsors

We would like to thank the following sponsors:

Platinum

• Nixon Peabody, LLP
• Regina C. Sullivan JD’88

Gold

• Laura J. Cella-Donovan JD’88, MBA’94
• Doherty Cella Keane, LLP
• Hogan Lovells
• McLane Middleton

Silver

• Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C.
• Lisa Aidlin, JD and Andrew Perlman, JD, LLM
• Karen M. Blum JD’74 and Jeffrey A. Blum JD’74
• Brown Rudnick LLP
• Cervizzi & Associates
• Choate Hall & Stewart LLP
• Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP
• Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
• Fish & Richardson P.C.
• The HYM Investment Group, LLC
• JAMS
• Lando & Anastasi, LLP
• Deborah Marson JD’78
• Wendy Tarricone and Anthony Tarricone BS’75, JD’77
• Kreindler & Kreindler LLP
• Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.

Bronze

• Barrett & Singal P.C.
• Burns & Levinson LLP
• Cetrulo LLP
• Colucci, Colucci, Marcus & Flavin P.C.
• Creed & Formica
• EMD Serono
• The Honorable Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) JD’78
• John F. Gallagher, III JD’87, MBA’91 and Cynthia F. Gallagher JD'85
• Professor of Law Joseph W. Glannon
• Christine Morgan JD’89 and David Morgan
• Murphy & King
• National Grid
• The Honorable Amy L. Nechtem JD’85
• John “Jack” Ryan JD’94
• Welch & Forbes LLC
• Womble Bond Dickinson

Sponsorships are tax-deductible and will help subsidize tickets for student attendance. A portion of all sponsorships and donations will benefit the Professor Catherine T. Judge Scholarship at Suffolk Law School. An award from The Catherine T. Judge Scholarship will be made to one or more students who are in good academic standing and who are in their third year of the day division or their fourth year of the evening division at Suffolk University Law School.

2019 Award Recipients

We are excited to announce this year’s awardees:

• Catherine T. Judge Teaching and Service Award Recipient
  Research Professor of Law Valerie C. Epps
• Marian Archer MacDonald "Trailblazer" Award
  The Honorable Joan N. Feeney (Ret.), JD ’78

Valerie C. Epps, Research Professor of Law

2019 Catherine T. Judge Award Recipient

Over the course of her career at the Law School, Professor Valerie C. Epps has taught many subjects including Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Wills and Trusts, and even Chinese Law: American and Modern. Most recently, she taught International Law, The Laws of War, and Immigration Law. During the 2016 spring semester, she served as a Fulbright Specialist at the Women’s Law College, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she taught International Law, International Human Rights, and The Laws of War. She also advised school administrators on a variety of academic issues. During the 2008 spring semester, she was a visiting professor at Hongik University, College of Law, in Seoul, where she taught international law and international human rights. She was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Lectureship for the 2006 spring semester to teach international law and international human rights at Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Professor Epps has also taught at Boston University Law School, Brandeis University, and the University of San Diego School of Law’s programs in Paris and Mexico City, and has served as co-director of Suffolk Law’s summer program on international and comparative law in Lund, Sweden. She has lectured on human rights for the International Bar Association in Dubai and on international law for the UMKC–Suffolk Continuing Legal Education Program in Oxford, England.

Professor Epps is an accomplished scholar and publisher. In August 2019, her most recent book was published: International Law 6th Edition (Carolina Academic Press 2019 with Cerone and Roth).

The Honorable Joan N. Feeney JD ’78

2019 Marian Archer Award Recipient

Judge Feeney is a neutral for JAMS, which provides mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation services in complex disputes worldwide. In this role, she has successfully facilitated settlements in multi-party mediations in a number of bankruptcy cases and adversary proceeding disputes. She was a United States bankruptcy judge for the District of Massachusetts for over 26 years, serving as its chief judge from 2002 to 2006. She served as a member of the United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the First Circuit for 24 years and as its chief judge from 2015 to 2019. Judge Feeney is the co-author of Bankruptcy Law Manual and The Road Out of Debt.

A fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy since 2005, she currently serves as a vice president and member of the board of directors, bankruptcy. Judge Feeney is a past-president of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and has served that association in numerous capacities. From 2016 to 2018, she was the business manager of The American Bankruptcy Law Journal. Judge Feeney is a founder and co-chair of the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy Project and was a member of the International Judicial Relations Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States (2006–2012). She also was the founder and co-chair of the District of Massachusetts Bankruptcy Court’s various public outreach initiatives. She is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Judge Feeney is a frequent panelist and lecturer on bankruptcy law topics in Massachusetts and across the country. Her most recent accolades include the Boston Bar Association’s 2018 Charles P. Normandin Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Excellence in Education Award, and the 2019 American Inns of Court Bankruptcy Inn Alliance Distinguished Service Award. Prior to her appointment, Judge Feeney was an associate and partner in the Boston law firm Hanify & King, P.C., a career law clerk to the Hon. James N. Gabriel, US bankruptcy judge for the District of Massachusetts, and a partner in the Boston law firm Feeney & Freeley.

2019 Event Advisory Committee

• Jennifer L. Parent JD’95 - Event Chair
• Tamela E. Bailey JD’04
• Professor Emerita Karen Blum JD’74
• Laura J. Cella-Donovan JD'88, MBA’94
• Maria R. Durant BA’88, JD’91 – Fundraising Chair
• Honorable Joan N. Feeney (Ret.) JD’78 
• Deborah Marson JD’78
• Jessica A. Massey JD’03
• Honorable Amy Nechtem JD’85
• Carol A. Starkey JD’88 – Alumni Panel Chair
• Regina C. Sullivan JD’88
• Linda J. Wondrack JD’95

All Rise 2018: November 15, 2018

The first All Rise: Uniting to Advance Women and the Future of Law event took place on November 15, 2018 at the Boston Park Plaza. This event honored and recognized our distinguished law alumnae community.

The celebration began with a multigenerational panel discussion moderated by Carol Starkey and featuring alumnae sharing their experiences and how they have been able to rise above challenges and achieve professional success. Following the panel, a fundraising dinner commemorated and celebrated distinguished alumnae from across the country, and Judy Perry Martinez, American Bar Association President-Elect delivered the keynote address.

Fundraising proceeds from this event benefited the Catherine Judge Memorial Scholarship. Known as the "grande dame of Suffolk Law," Catherine T. Judge JD ’57, LLM ’60 served as the Suffolk University Law School Registrar from 1955–1967. In 1967, she became the Law School's first female full-time teacher and the first female full professor in 1974. She served on the faculty until her death in 2006. Annual awards are made to one or more students who are in good academic standing and who are in their third year of the day division or their fourth year of the evening division at Suffolk Law.

2018 Event Committee

• Carol Starkey, JD ’88, Partner, Conn Kavanaugh Rosenthal Peisch & Ford, LLP - Event Chair
• Patricia Annino, JD ’81, Partner, Rimon PC
• Karen Blum, JD ’74, Professor of Law Emerita, Suffolk University Law School
• Maria Buckley, JD ’84, General Counsel, Joslin Diabetes Center
• Loletta Darden, JD ’91, Director Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship Clinic, Suffolk University Law School
• Darly David, JD ’00, Partner, Lawson & Weitzen, LLP
• Honorable Joan Feeney, JD '78, United States Bankruptcy Judge, District of MA
• Deborah Marson, JD ’78, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Iron Mountain
• Ivana Magovcevic Liebisch, JD ’99, Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer of Ipsen
• Jessica Massey, JD ’03, Senior Associate Counsel, Walmart
• Kim McLaurin, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Director of Clinical Programs & Clinical Professor, Suffolk University Law School
• Honorable Amy Nechtem, JD ’85, Chief Justice of the Juvenile Court (MA)