O'Brian Hall
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Buffalo, New York 14260-1110
USA
Phone: 716 645-2047
Fax: 716 645-3860
Email: asklaw@buffalo.edu
URL: http://law.lib.buffalo.edu
© 2007. State University of New York at Buffalo. All rights reserved.
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.
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.
This collection is divided into six series:
Series I. Officers, Directors, and Presidents Lists
Series II. Association Bylaws and Bylaws Revisions
Series III. Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
Series IV. Law School Alumni Association Annual Meeting Minutes
Series V.Distinguished Alumni Awards
Series 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.
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 1.1 | Officers, Directors, and Presidents Lists, 1967-1990 |
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 1.2 | Association Bylaws and Bylaws Revisions |
Minutes for the business year usually begin in June following the annual meeting of the association.
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 1.3-3.6 | Meeting Minutes, February 1962 to June 1995 (24 folders) |
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 4.1-4.2 | Annual Meeting Minutes, 1964-1984 |
| 4.3 | Annual Meeting Minutes, 1986, 1993, 1995 |
| 4.4 | Annual Meeting brochures |
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 4.5 | Distinguished Alumni Awards |
| Box/Folder | Contents |
| 4.6 | Centennial Celebration Committee |
| 4.7 | Centennial History Project Research |
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog.
