Former Congressman John LaFalce Joins the Empire Justice Center Board
For Immediate Release
June 18, 2012
Contact: Kristi Hughes, (585) 454-4060
Jack O’Connell, Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of Nassau University Medical Center and Chair of the Empire Justice Board of Directors, announces the election of former Congressman John LaFalce of Buffalo to the Board of Empire Justice, a statewide leader working to achieve social and economic justice in New York State.
Hon. John J. LaFalce has been Special Counsel to HoganWillig since 2007 and is a well-respected figure in the local and national political landscape. His congressional career spans six United States Presidents, from President Gerald Ford to President George W. Bush, and for many of those years Congressman LaFalce was Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, with jurisdiction over all Small Business laws, and Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, with jurisdiction over all financial issues, including banks, housing and community development, international financial institutions such as The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund.
Throughout his career, Congressman LaFalce has been a passionate consumer advocate, his efforts prescient in working to reform a troubled financial system and winning many legislative battles for workers, taxpayers, consumers and small business. His efforts provided a legal framework for corporate reform and accountability, for the clean-up of abandoned toxic waste sites like Love Canal, and for expanded housing and community development opportunities.
Mr. O’Connell also noted the departure of Board member David Schraver, partner at Nixon Peabody, who stepped down from the Empire Justice Board as he assumes his duties as President-elect of the New York State Bar Association.
In addition to its new member, the Board also re-elected three members:
Christine C. Rutigliano, Legislative Director of The Roffe Group in Albany, Dave Munro, NYS Energy Research and Development Authority and Laura Gonzalez-Murphy, NYS Research Foundation at the University of Albany.
Newly elected members join the current Board, which includes:
Joe Casion, Partner at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP; Thomas Maligno Executive Director of the Public Advocacy Center at Touro Law School; Lyn Kelly, Controller and Assistant Treasurer of the Rochester Institute of Technology; Candice Lucas, Director, Health Partnership at the University of Rochester Medical Center; Edward Premo II, Partner at Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP; Michael Harren, Partner at Chamerblain D’Amanda; Melanie Wolk, Special Counsel at Goldberg Segalla, LLP; and Latonia Early-Hubelbank of The Law Offices of Anthony A. Capetola.
All board members serve as volunteers; affiliations noted for informational purposes only.
Empire Justice Center is a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy, public interest law firm focused on changing the “systems” within which poor and low-income families live. Empire Justice protects and strengthens the legal rights of people in New York State who are poor, disabled or disenfranchised through: systems change advocacy, training and support to other advocates and organizations, and high quality direct civil legal representation. Empire Justice has a staff of 56 working out of four offices in Albany, Rochester, White Plains and on Long Island.
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