International Law Firm Celebrates Its Corporate Partnership with City University of New York Program

NEW YORK, May 18, 2015—International law firm Duane Morris LLP will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York (CUNY) with a reception for current students, alumni and friends on May 19, 2015, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Duane Morris has supported the program since 2008, providing internships for students and hiring Macaulay alumni as attorneys.

Macaulay Dean Ann Kirschner will speak about the future of the program and the value of corporate partners like Duane Morris. In addition, Macaulay alumni will also share their experiences and describe how their work at the college shaped their legal careers. One of the tenets of the program is to help students who want to go to college in New York City to stay in the city and afford it. Many students are first-generation Americans who speak of seeing their first opera and visiting Ellis Island during their Macaulay scholarship years. "I lived in New York my whole life but never really saw it until I was a Macaulay scholar," remarked Reshma Shah, a Duane Morris Wealth Planning associate.

The Macaulay Honors College is a unique, tuition-free program within CUNY. Students enroll in one of eight CUNY senior colleges. They then participate in interdisciplinary honors seminars and receive individualized academic advice to connect them to the resources needed to pursue internships, academic awards, professional or graduate school, and jobs in their desired fields. Class size is small, and the community is very tight-knit. (Macaulay has even reported that more than half of their graduates have married others from the program in the years following graduation.)

Duane Morris has hired many Macaulay graduates and currently employs four lawyers who are graduates of the college. The current Duane Morris attorneys include:

• Shah, who says that her Macaulay experience was life-changing. She uses her knowledge of different cultures in her wealth planning practice. Shah gives back to the Macaulay community by frequently participating in panel discussions at the school on career decisions and the legal profession. She is from India.
• Lily Gao, who became a law clerk at the firm after a Macaulay advisor told her about a networking breakfast, is now an associate who uses her bi-lingual skills frequently in her corporate law practice (recently serving as a translator in key client meetings). She is a native of the People's Republic of China.
• Anna Kordas, from Russia, graduated cum laude from law school and focuses her practice on business reorganization and financial restructuring. She joined Duane Morris immediately after law school and is thrilled to be working with a firm that is so supportive of her alma mater.
• The fourth alumna, Jordana Garellek, is a Duane Morris IP attorney. Though currently on maternity leave, Jordana plans to attend the May 19 event.

About Duane Morris

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