Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

SBA NEWS
Contents
Message from SBA
President Tom Davis

Student Spotlight
Emanuela Pepaj
2
Alumni Spotlight:
John Hugo
3-5

Hello everyone,
First, congratulations to Kelley Sweetser and Brendan
Murphy for being elected as the next SBA President
and Vice President. They will take over on April 26.
As we publish the final issues of the newsletter, thanks
to those who have worked hard throughout the year to
make this newsletter possible. 4A Section Rep Jess
Barton organized and put together each issue. The
SBA Technology Committee of Rajat Bhardwaj and
Jeremy Koufakis designed suffolklawsba.com and
featured the newsletter on the front page. Also, a big
thank you to the Alumni Affairs Committee Erin
Knight, Eunice Aikins-Afful, and Melissa Gaied for
their diligence in providing the Alumni Spotlights.

Alumni Spotlight:
David Ianelli
3-5
Alumni Spotlight:
Cory Schauer
6
Contact List & Preamble
7

I hope that these newsletters have been helpful in

keeping you informed.
Best,
- Tom Davis
1

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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

Student Spotlight
Emanuela Pepaj
Interview conducted by Erin Knight

What year are you?

2L
Where are you from?
New York City.
Where did you attend undergrad?
Pace University.
What do you enjoy doing outside of law
school?
I have a passion for seeing the world and
interacting with different people and
cultures so I travel every chance I get;
whether its just a short trip across town
or a trip across the world.
Do you plan to focus on a certain area of law?
While I dont necessarily have a concentration, I do enjoy various areas of the law,
including Immigration, real estate, corporate.
Favorite place to study: At home
Favorite study break: When its nice out: walking through the commons. When its cold:
watching hilarious YouTube videos or reading various articles about life in general I love
random facts.
Favorite part of Suffolk Law: The professors. They have all been very helpful and
encouraging. Not to mention the 5th floor reading room- I enjoy all the natural lighting!!!
Favorite movie: Breakfast at Tiffanys
Anything else you would like to add?
Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived. - Eleanor Roosevelt

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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

Alumni Spotlight
David Ianelli & John Hugo --- 1994

John Hugo

David Ianelli

This interview was conducted by Eunice Aikins-Afful, Co-Director of the SBA Alumni
Affairs Committee.
When you talk to friends that have known each other a long time, it might feel like walking into a
familys annual picnic; filled with genuine caring and remember the times. I first encountered the
mutual admiration society that is John Hugo and David Ianelli during alumni weekend. The duo
agreed to grant me the privilege of a phone interview where there were equally as entertaining.
Dave Ianelli (1994) is a Business Litigation Partner at McCarter English and John Hugo (1994) is
a Products Liability/Complex Tort Partner at Manion Gaynor & Manning. Both Dave and John
attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for their undergraduate studies.
John and David have been friends since being alphabetically seated next to each other in their section
as 1Ls. They studied together, lived together and did moot court together.
Work/life balance:
Dave: Johns busier than I am. He has offices on both coasts and has the related burden of
cross-country business travel. Im locally busy, and theres a big difference. All my time is
spent between my family and my job and I am most content when it is in that order. My
work life is equal parts actual lawyering and business development, with a growing firm
management component.
3

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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

John: The thing that has kept us friends is that we have similar goals and priorities in life.
I would say the same thing, that all my time is spent between my family and my job, and
hopefully in that order. I do work with our offices and clients on both coasts, so my
responsibilities are definitely time consuming.
Favorite legal movie:
Dave: A Few Good Men is the first one to come to mind, likely because I recently watched
it with my kids.
John: The Verdict. Its a little depressing but its a good movie. When my wife and I watch
The Good Wife on TV, I regularly have to tell her, its not this exciting in real life.
Favorite SCOTUS justice, living or dead:
Dave: The truth? I dont have one.
John: Justice Brennan. He was a fascinating conciliator on the Warren Court.
Favorite SULS professor:
John: Tom Lambert, Advanced Torts. He was brilliant and able to distill the finer points
of tort law in a memorable way that sticks with you. I always remember he said, You
never lose just a leg. Give me a hammer, theres a fly on the babys head.
Dave: Charles Wittenberg. He had an incredibly quick wit, which was quite entertaining if
you werent his target for the day. If you were willing to live with the risk, it was very
entertaining for the other 99%. Socratic but not abusive.
Greatest Personal Achievement:
Dave: My family. My kids are still the most fun I have every day.
John: See what I mean, we have similar sensibilities. I would also say my family and my
children. My wife and I met in college and have been together since the 1980s.
Greatest Professional Achievement:
Dave: I dont know that I have one. Ill guess winning my first trial, which was a copyright
infringement case, because as much as the facts and the law, my trial strategy had a
meaningful impact on the successful result.
John: Im not sure theres just a single thing that Im proud of. In 2000, we only had 10
lawyers working on Toxic Torts cases and now weve grown to 50 lawyers in multiple
offices.
Dave: Dont believe him, hes being modest! Toxic Torts was not the favored practice at
the firm, and John spearheaded the growth of that area into what it is today. He flew back
and forth to California on an asbestos case at least once a week forever. Now, his team has
five national accounts.
John: Dont let Dave fool you! After we graduated, he went to clerk for a year in
Connecticut and then joined another firm where he made partner. I know how important
he is to his current firm.
4

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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

Interview Tips:
John: Theres no magic bullet thats going to get you a job. Persistence is the key to success
there are a lot of ways to get in the door. Do your research and most importantly, be
yourself.
Dave: Im involved in a lot of the hiring here and I would echo that be yourself. It
sounds simple, but its true. I look for maturity, confidence and a comfort level that gives
me a sense that youre someone I could to work with. Im assessing how you handle
yourself and whether I can put you in front of a client. Things like that.
Also, keep an open mind with respect to a particular practice area. The day to day job may
actually be much different than it looks from the outside. For example, understand what a
litigator does before claiming to want to be one. Oral arguments are 2% of the work.
Research, writing and legal analysis are so much more of the job. Everyone enjoys oral
advocacy, but the argument is the result of tens of hours behind the scenes. If you dont
enjoy the behind the scenes work, you wont enjoy litigation.
John: Dave makes an excellent point. I like my job and so does Dave. You have to
understand why youre doing it. You cant fake it. You cant be successful if you dont like
what youre doing. It doesnt mean youll love everything about it.
Dave: These days, building a practice is as much about people and problem solving as it is
the law. In the end, we are in a professional service business.
John: The point is that you dont have to devote your whole life to the law; that can be
difficult. Sure you have to get clients and work hard, but clients appreciate lawyers who
are well-rounded.
One piece of advice:
John: I wish I could get people before they went to school. If its what you really want,
you can be a success. Success looks differently for each person happy in your practice
and enjoy showing up to work every day.
Dave: Totally agree. I cant say it better than that.
Type of lawyer you wanted to be upon entering law school:
Dave: I was quickly steered in the direction of litigation. As a 1st year in LPS, I was arguing
and getting positive feedback and that was the beginning of the path for me. I might have
been more transactional otherwise. Again, keep an open mind here. I have several
partners who tried their hands at something else before finding their niche. Its great if you
find your lane early, but if not, then dont be afraid to try something new.
John: Im similar. I always thought I would be a litigator and Im happy thats what Im
doing. After I left the DAs office, I came here and stayed. If youre starting out in your
career in that first job and you dont like it, theres an opportunity to reset if you need to.

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Issue 20: April 13, 2015

Alumni Spotlight
Cory Schauer --- 1994

Cory Schauer is a member of the class of 1994 and he is

currently the director at Deutsche Bank Asset and Wealth
Management in Boston. This interview was conducted by
Eunice Aikins-Afful, Co-Director of the SBA Alumni Affairs
Committee.

What is your current position and where?

Director at Deutsche Bank Asset and Wealth Management in Boston, MA.
Where did you attend undergraduate?
University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
What was your favorite class while at Suffolk?
Property.
Who was your favorite professor?
Professor Rounds.
Any interview tips?
Be genuine and explain to the employer how you will help their firm succeed and grow.
One piece of advice?
Network, Network, Network. Your current classmates could be your best future referral
sources. After graduating keep close contact with and network with them to help grow
your business.

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Suffolk University Law School SBA Executive Newsletter

Issue 20: April 13, 2015

Contact Information
Name
Tom davis
Monica Bellevue
Neil Lindquist
Callie grossman
Kelley Sweetser
Nicholas Smalley
Colette Heefner

Position

Email

President
Vice President
Chief of Staff
Chief of Operations
Treasurer
Chief Justice
COP Laision

trdavis@suffolk.edu
mkbellevue@suffolk.edu
nlindquist@suffolk.edu
cgrossman@suffolk.edu
ksweetser@suffolk.edu
ndsmalley@suffolk.edu
csheefner@suffolk.edu

For a full contact list of all SBA Directors please visit our website at
suffolklawsba.com

Vice President Monica Bellevue and

President Tom Davis

SBA Constitution Preamble

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 School.
7

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