Prof. Kenneth F. Joyce and Prof. Louis A. Del Cotto '51

Segment Synopsis: KJ Attended series of Boston College schools, referring to his education as a triple eagle. Met wife in law school, clerked after grad school. LD Born in Italy, was brought to US as a child, raised in Buffalo by father who was a tailor and mother who was a seamstress. Met his wife in high school, they married after his military tour during WWII. Worked with Jaeckle Fleischmann, research, planning advisement for lawyers, litigation and tax field. Negative experience based on being accused of being absent during classes. Asked by Fleischmann to teach a class on equity. KJ Studied Latin, the Greeks pursuing education in classics until he translated his knowledge into the practical field of law. Father was a clerk at a water meter company, mother was a housewife. Never was in contact with lawyers, had no perception of them. Attending Boston College High School and Boston College permitted him to meet people who came from high-powered families. Obtaining scholarships to get through college and law school. LD Parents' salaries supported family with rent. East Side home in Buffalo was torn down for new housing. Knew nothing about law school or lawyers, GI Bill was the best thing to happen to the country, paid for his education. Step by step by step, Internship with Fleischmann firm. Parents discouraging about law school, thought he was giving up a good, secure manufacturing job. KJ Parents education, 3 Irish aunts gave him support, tested him weekly, encouraged him to succeed.

Segment Synopsis: LD Had ties to UB, it was local, and he couldn't afford to go anywhere else, lived at home, GI Bill paid $90/month; played in a band, guitar. KJ Faith prompted KJ to go to Boston College for Law School, but later went to Harvard for teaching degree. Clerked for a Supreme Judicial Court Judge, then for Judge Paul Kirk, a trial judge who later joined the Appellate Court, then Federal Judge on Court of Appeals John Danner. No specializations at Harvard. Legal School Education was the only specialty permitted. Learned from Ernest Brown, mentor. LD Graduated 1951. Worked as an associate in the Fleishmann firm which joined with the Jaeckle firm in 1955, became partner, stayed until 1960. Thought of Columbia as a finishing school, but it gave insight into the importance of writing skills. Description of the test and taking it on a Saturday, test results, and a control test the following year. Location of the school next to 77 W. Eagle Street. Refers to a residential structure. Moved into law school during second year. 52 students graduated from 55-60, two women, many vets with similar background. Most classmates lost track of each other, saw each other at reunions. Seasonal work as a musician at weddings and saloons, in the Winter during Christmas.

Keywords: Application process; Career / Early; Choosing UB Law School; Class Composition; Columbia University; Eagle Street Campus; Ethnicity / Diversity; Experience as Student; Financial Support; GI Bill; Graduate / Professional Training; Harvard University; Judiciary; LSAT; Law Firms; Law Students; Legal Education; Other Law Schools general; Publications; Religion; Social Life; Specialized Training; Tuition; UB Law School general; Undergraduate Education; Value of Education

Subjects: UB LAW AS STUDENT

Segment Synopsis: LD: Louis Jaffe was dean when Del Cotto arrived at UB, taught torts, later went to Harvard to teach. Met in the school bookstore, parted ways, but later came to teach at Buffalo at the same time. Flemming invited LD to teach for a year at Pace University before they returned to UB. Teaching strategy - "guns blazing." UB opened his eyes to opportunities, particularly Lenhoff, development of close friendships, began teaching, turned life around, never dreamed of what he became. Disliked tax and corporations, preferred courses that involved working with people. Little Horn book for tax, believed he received a C for a grade on an exam. Al Mugel taught taxes. Mugel helped LD start with the Jaeckle Firm, needed help with taxes, looked around at firm and saw LD. Success in school related to pro success. Theory and history of law were key and often carried the day. Coursework helped in his role as tax council. Did not attend moot courts. To study trial technique, he visited real courts. Thought the court rooms should be downtown. Regrets loss of downtown courts, notes that UB is only school with own court.

Keywords: Academic vs. Career Success; Amherst Campus; Anecdote; Classes; Deans; Experience as Student; Flemming, Bob; Fondest Memory; Intellectual Tradition; Jaffe, Louis; Law Courses; Law Faculty; Law Firms; Law Professor; Legal Education; Location; Mugel, Albert; Pace University; Relationships; Tax Law; Teaching Law; Trial Practice; UB Law School general

Subjects: UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: LD Beer blast, parties, dances, spent the parties playing music. Friday night dinner group, close class. Basement recreation room in 77 W Eagle, students played bridge. Different interests in study methods, difficulty understanding cases sometimes due to lack of clarity by judges.Never considered quitting law school. Drifted away from pre-law friends, lost track as people became divided geographically and based on interests, preferred talking to musician friends. Lists longtime friends from law school. Learned a lot about life, was a different person, read clearly, spoke clearly. Teaching helped as well. KJ Connections between the two, training oneself to look into theoretical and beyond. Personal responsibility to make something of yourself. (Good quote about being a good person) After 2nd year, knew he wanted to be a teacher not a practitioner. LD Was happy working as a partner with Jaeckle-Fleischmann, taught part time at law school, was able to compare both. Chose teaching.

Keywords: Academic vs. Career Success; Class Composition; Classes; Columbia University; Intellectual Tradition; Law Students; Legal Education; Other Law Schools general; Quit; Relationships; Social Life; Student Culture; Study Habits; Teaching Law; UB Law School general; UB Preparation

Subjects: UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: KJ Kept life and school separate, because his education was more extensive than theirs, but maintained closeness with family. Maintained friendships with Greek major classmates. LD Immigrant parents didn't understand choosing education over steady manufacturing work, close with sister. Closer with wife's siblings. KJ Full scholarship, no need to pay rent or tuition costs, didn't eat well though. No legal jobs during summers. LD Clerked for the Fleischmann firm during law school. Chuck Webster taught criminal law, helped him get the Fleischmann firm position. KJ Interest in Administrative law, Jaffe was one of foremost in field, gravitated to him. Jaffe asked about interest in Buffalo. Unaware of Buffalo, Jaffe gave him directions. Jaffe arranged interview for him with Bob Flemming. Recalls weather. Wife had supported him, then he earned more than she did. Describes course methodology and flaws of tax course. Told to teach course in Wilson Trust, LD asked KJ to look at a law review article, saw theoretical side to taxes. Playing bridge with LD's wife while he searched for a tax professor. LD came home and reprimanded him until he agreed to try teaching tax.

Keywords: Anecdote; Career / Early; Deans; Del Cotto, Louis; Employment / Jobs / Wages; Experience as Student; Family; Flemming, Bob; Jaffe, Louis; Law Courses; Legal Community; Legal Education; Other Law Schools general; Peers; Publications; Salary; Tax Law; Teaching Law; Trusts; Tuition; UB Law School general

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; EDUCATION; FAMILY HISTORY; UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: KJ Development of the Tax 2 course. Most challenging topic for him, amount of research and theoretical study was gratifying. Involvement in various committees all of which deal with law reform legislation as a public service. Superstructure, with large variety of types of tax law. Also enjoyable to work with passing legislation. Article 81 mental hygiene law revisions. Dealing with the stigma attached to incompetence, provide assistance rather than limitations. Trust law advisory committee. Got rid of the Right of Election Trust in New York.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Greatest Achievement; Laws; Perceptions; Service; Tax Law; Teaching Law

Subjects: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: LD Student growth was his most gratifying experience. Saw novices become lawyers. Tax 2 course and courses that were not available anywhere else. Article was used to write a statute, was groundbreaking. Diane Bennet claimed to be using LD and KJ's article when writing a statute. Response to a decision pertaining to tax statute. When ignored by the Court, wrote an article and went public about situation. Statute was finally done right, they were given credit and article was published. KJ Yes, believes that rule of law is the key to a successful society, Brick to Citadel. LD Not an easy way to make a living. Lawyer has a lot to manage, which is not as true with teaching.

Keywords: Caliber of Students; Classes; Contributions; Law Courses; Publications; Satisfaction; Significant Cases; Tax Law

Subjects: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: KJ Increase of women was a harbinger for the success of all; men, women and minorities. Thinks growth is positive, same type of intellectual spectrum present in minorities. After teaching at other schools, sees UB as being interested in theory, interdisciplinary other word for theory, says LD did this years before. LD Female viewpoint adds to the intellectual viewpoint. Minorities have just recently been given chance. Notes change in curriculum in that there is a practical emphasis, teaching students skills they can use immediately, cross fertilization. Teach law correctly, engage community. Students able to meet lawyers in the bar before graduation. KJ Tax program has been noticed across the country. School has good theoretical and practical grounding, relaxed attitude. Notes that the role of the dean has changed at UB and at other universities. Statement about "first among equals." Power shifted to faculty. Complimenting how well Dean Olsen has worked with the faculty. Brief contrast of Olsen and Hyman under the changing role. LD Considering Dean Olsen's approach to working with faculty.

Keywords: African American; Caliber of Students; Class Composition; Classes; Contributions; Deans; Ethnicity / Diversity; Gender; Intellectual Tradition; Law Students; Legal Community; Legal Education; Olsen, Nils; Perceptions; Reputation; UB Law School general; Women; Women and Gender

Subjects: UB LAW FACULTY

Segment Synopsis: LD Difference between undergrad and law school. Maintaining an open mind, don't regurgitate information. No specific approach may be correct, must consider all options before finding the appropriate path. Suggests attending class, know the professor's views, participation. Review materials to find unifying elements. LD would move the school back downtown, near courts and lawyers. KJ Course loads are too big, money is needed to hire more professors. Advanced income tax course was lost when LD retired and KJ had too many other courses to teach. LD It was unique to Buffalo, no other school gave it the same emphasis. Capital gain is figment of imagination. KJ Caliber of students, changing from local. More interesting to teach students from a spectrum of backgrounds. LD Was a place to mark time, now place to get skills to find work, few come with a love of law, broadening interests. KJ Gives credit to Dolores Denmann as an alumnus, sees alumni association participation as "putting stuff back into the bank."

Keywords: Advice; Alumni; Alumni Association; Amherst Campus; Caliber of Students; Classes; Ethnicity / Diversity; Graduate / Professional Training; Intellectual Tradition; Law Professor; Law Students; Legal Education; Legal Topics; Location; Perceptions; Tax Law; UB Law School general; Undergraduate Education; Value of Education

Subjects: UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS