More than 450 Brooklyn Law School alumni, faculty, trustees, and guests gathered at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City on February 7 for the annual Alumni Association Luncheon. Three alumni, all founding partners at their firms, were honored for their outstanding contributions to the Law School community and the legal profession: Harriet Newman Cohen ’74, of Cohen Rabin Stine Schumann, and David A. Berger ’89, of Allegaert Berger & Vogel received the Alumni of the Year awards; and Jason Jia ’11, of Jia Law Group, was honored as a Rising Star. As a special surprise, Board of Trustees Chairman Emeritus Stuart Subotnick was presented with his portrait in recognition of his leadership and service. (See story below.)

Alumni Association President Valerie Fitch ’88 kicked off the program by announcing the formation of the association’s executive committee, which will create new opportunities for alumni involvement. She also introduced president-elect Deborah E. Riegel ’93, a partner at Rosenberg & Estis, who was featured in the Fall 2018 Brooklyn Law Notes as one of the Law School’s “Titans of Real Estate.”

Cohen was introduced by her daughter, Patricia Epstein Putney ’89, who spoke movingly of the challenges her mother faced as a divorced single parent, attending law school and launching a legal career in her late 30s.

“This wonderful law school was the beginning of my second life,” said Cohen in accepting the award. “I didn't know whether I was going to be able to do this…but I needed to do something more. Brooklyn Law School was the more.” Cohen cited the Hon. I. Leo Glasser ’48, U.S. District Court Judge of the Eastern District of New York and former dean of the Law School, as an instrumental teacher, mentor, and friend, who was present to share in the honor. 

Associate Dean Stacy Caplow introduced Jia, who thanked Oberweger for his mentorship. As a student with English as a second language, he attributed much of his success in law school and his legal career to retired legal writing professor Barbara Gartner, in whose name he has established a scholarship “so even more students from diverse backgrounds can unlock opportunities and potential, some day paying it forward as well.”

Professor Michael Gerber introduced Berger, who he considered “born into the Brooklyn Law School family.” His mother, Professor Margaret Berger, was a member of the faculty from 1973 to 2008, and Berger and his brother, Joshua, created a scholarship in her honor. He praised Berger’s commitment to mentoring law school students and noted that nearly a third of his firm’s attorneys are Law School alumni.

“I am committed to Brooklyn Law School not only because of what it has done for me, but because of the values and first-rate education it continues to provide,” said Berger. “Here today are many leading lights of the profession…Brooklyn Law School prepared them for the critical thinking and wherewithal that are at the heart of what they do today.”

“A strong alumni network depends not only on having successful alumni, which we do, but on having tight connections between those alumni,” said Dean Michael T. Cahill. “Every time one of you visits or teaches a class, comes to a student event, answers a phone call or an email from one of our current students, offers them a job, or points someone to an opportunity, you are paying it forward to those who are going to follow you.”

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Chairman Emeritus Stuart Subotnick ’68 Honored with Portrait for Lifetime Service

A surprise was in store for Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees Stuart Subotnick ’68 at this year’s Alumni Luncheon, when the Law School unveiled a framed portrait in recognition of his outstanding leadership and philanthropy.

The portrait was presented at the start of the Luncheon by current Chairman Frank Aquila ’83, Dean Michael T. Cahill, and Alumni Association President Valerie Fitch ’88. It will hang in the Law School in the event space that bears his name, the Subotnick Center, along with those of past deans and other luminaries of the Law School.

Subotnick has served on the Law School’s board of trustees for over 30 years, 16 of thom as its chairman. In that time, he helped steer projects that led the school into the 21st century, including the renovation and expansion of the main Law School building at 250 Joralemon Street, the construction of Feil Hall, and the opening of the clinical, legal writing, and administrative offices at 111 Livingston Street. He stepped down as chairman in 2019, but remains on the board as chairman emeritus.

“I hate to get ‘taken,’ but by this school, take me anytime you want,” said Subotnick upon the unveiling of his portrait. “All of us owe our lives and what became of our lives to this institution.”

Subotnick has also led the Law School community in philanthropy. In addition to the Subotnick Center, he has endowed the Anita and Stuart Subotnick Professor of Law chair at the Law School, currently held by Professor Anita Bernstein, as well as two scholarships.

“Those amazingly generous monetary gifts mask the true contributions that Stu Subotnick has made to Brooklyn Law School,” said Aquila. “Stu has generously given of his time and talent over many decades, serving with four deans and three interim deans. Through all his efforts, Stu has made Brooklyn Law School a far, far better law school. Clearly, such a legacy as Stu’s needs to be commemorated in a special way.”

In the 2018 Commencement ceremony, Subotnick was presented with a special honorary degree to celebrate his 50th reunion year recognizing his “many decades of outstanding leadership, dedication, vision, and unparalleled service and support to Brooklyn Law School.” 

Subotnick is the president and chief executive officer of Metromedia Company. His career with the company began in 1967, and he served as its general partner and executive vice president from 1986 to 2010. In that role, he pioneered forms of leveraged buyout financing. He is a member of the boards of directors of several companies and nonprofit organizations including Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc., the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, the Central Park Conservancy, and Park East Synagogue. A Brooklyn native, he grew up subsidized housing in Williamsburg.

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