Hon. Eugene M. Fahey '84

Segment Synopsis: He was a councilman and had been involved in public life, and it seemed like a natural extension to go to law school. Also, he always wanted to be a lawyer since a young age. His ability to handle conflict was strong, and it made him a better legislator. He was a city court judge and he felt close to peoples problems. Advocacy is a key component to success in law and legislation.

Keywords: Being a Lawyer; Career / Early; Choice of Law; Choosing Law School; Law Faculty

Subjects: EDUCATION; LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: He believes that he should have participated in more during law school, like moot court for example. He enjoyed his public sector law and origins of judicial review class. He favored the second because he was taught good fundamentals of judge work. He notes he could have been a better student, but he had great professors. He went to law school at the age of 30, so he was already married and elected into office. He found it tough to get in, but once he did, he followed his game plan.

Keywords: Choice of Law; Choosing UB Law School; Graduate / Professional Training; Law Courses; Relationship with UB Law; Undergraduate Education

Subjects: EDUCATION

Segment Synopsis: He has been through 16 elections, so he can note that they aren't always easy and you have to ask for help. Also, since we live in a Democracy, everyone must be voted in (including judges). The state Supreme Court is the only system that could be changed; maybe to a merit selection process or retention election. Money is always at stake and places varied importance on elections. Merit selection would change politics by creating a dynastic cycle of needing connections to get a job, which has its own problems. In city court, he was intimidated at the start. He needed to go back and learn about the pace of city court/community. There are serious consequences for any mistakes made in the procedural part of the law. After two years of city court, he was elected into the supreme court. He felt heavily prepared for that job and enjoyed his time. He was a part of the Appellate Division but his city court experience was invaluable because this new job dealt with criminal cases.

Keywords: Being a Lawyer; Choice of Law; Elections; Elections / Political History; Expectations; Law Faculty; Law Firms

Subjects: LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; TEACHING

Segment Synopsis: He had trial experience, but wished he had more in diverse areas. All his experience was within civil defense insurance litigation, and some criminal. Judges are generalists, and trial attorneys are specialists. He notes that judges need to respect the knowledge of the attorneys, and same vice versa. Therefore, we wishes he could do more diverse work. His favorite work was his time spent in city court.

Keywords: Career / Professional Experience; City Court; Trial Practice

Subjects: LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: Drug court has been a great success, and 60% of city court is related to the use or abuse of drugs and alcohol. The "good" part of specialized courts is how judges develop expertise in unique social services issues. The "bad" part is the emphasis of work on such a fine degree. From what he can see from serving the victims and defendants, specialized courts are deemed effective. The best assessment of the commercial sector is "what do the lawyers think?". He believes this specialized sector is effective for the bar and for the people being advocated for. It's important to New York and for the parties that litigate.

Keywords: Advice; Specialized Training; US Supreme Court; Values

Subjects: LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; REFLECTION

Segment Synopsis: He was a wild kid. He started school at St. John's Collegian and then went to Canisius college for a year. It wasn't the right timing for him, so he dropped out and worked; he was as a cab driver and dish washer, and was living on his own for the first time. He wanted to pursue a career in music, but his health problems kept him from it. He went back to UB because it was all he could afford. Initially, he went to UB for history but got caught up in politics. He worked on a George McGovern campaign, and he went to UB for undergraduate. After, he got elected into office. This snowballed into all of his experience as a councilman, election city-wide, etc. He consciously thought about becoming a lawyer because he felt he needed to grow and evolve more skills. He went back to law school and it worked out well. Besides music, his other intellectual joy was studying history, and he got a masters degree in it.

Keywords: Career / Early; Character and Values; Choosing UB Law School; Communism; Education / Early; Employment / Jobs / Wages; Hobbies; Legal Education; Undergraduate Education; Value of Education

Subjects: EDUCATION; LAW; PERSONAL ISSUES; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: He belongs to the UB alumni association, and he spoke at a lot of graduations, but he notes that he doesn't do enough for UB. A lot of his relatives went, and are going to, UB. His father didn't go to college, fought in a war, and ended up becoming a police captain in Buffalo. His mother had a high school diploma, worked as a clerk in the Board of Education, and she had six children. He notes that education was his way up in the world, and it would not have happened if it wasn't for UB. Universities like UB transform lives and offer endless opportunities. He notes: When you start law school, you read a lot of incomprehensible tracks and papers, but you learn to work your way through it. There is no other way to learn, and the university did a great job preparing him.

Keywords: Alumni; Alumni Association; Impact of UB; Other Relatives; Parents; Relationship with UB Law; UB Preparation

Subjects: EDUCATION; FAMILY HISTORY; LAW; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; TEACHING

Segment Synopsis: He liked being a trial court judge, but he admits it was isolating. The Appellate Division has more work and is an intimate job. There are lots of emotional disagreements, so you have to prepare yourself. He compares this work with being in a rock band; the intimacy of the relationship requires balancing. Judge work is always varying and depends on how you work with people. Lastly, it's important to recognize validity, even if you don't necessarily agree.

Keywords: Academic vs. Career Success; Being a Lawyer; Character and Values; Ethnicity / Diversity; Judge; Law Faculty; Law Firms

Subjects: LAW; PERSONAL ISSUES; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: Behavior is corrected when there is awareness in the bar exam and judiciary. He believes that awareness of the effect of the hysterical media culture has helped the local bar. A lot of times as a judge, if you let a case slip by you won't see a similar one for years; he finds himself to lose patience when this happens.

Keywords: Bar Admissions and Exams; Bar Association; Character and Values; Legal Topics

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; LAW; PERSONAL ISSUES; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE