Hon. Eugene F. Pigott, Jr. '73

Segment Synopsis: Family background, grew up on farm near Rochester, NY. Father was also auto worker machinist, mother was telephone operator. Third of 8 children. DesMoine College in Syracuse for undergrad. Applied to UB Law, best bargain in law schools, goes six seeks and then is drafted. Comes back on GI Bill and tuition is waived. Perceptions of lawyers, has every single episode of Perry Mason and wanted to be a lawyer at age 12 and it was indoor work. Wanted to be trial lawyer, intimidated by law school. Applied to Fordham, Boston College, and also Albany Law School. Campus was 77 West Eagle when he stared in Fall of 1968 and graduated out of new Amherst campus when he finished. 130 or 140 students starting out, separated into two groups, limited interaction with classmates. Still meet twice a year with a group from law school. Hyman and then Red Schwartz were deans. Schwartz was not a lawyer. Location of law school. Fondest memory was finishing. Clerked and those that worked wore ties. Remembers the grading system at law school went from a tenth of a point numeric basis to pass fail. Applied the law to what was going on with the Attica Uprising as a teaching tool. Tom Rickard was favorite professor, taught uniform commercial code, practicing attorney with Moot, Sprague, et al. Jim Adelson who taught labor law. Trial technique class and exposure to courts downtown. Academic success versus legal success. Depends on how you define success. Clerking so time was limited, mentors were practicing in the law firm he worked at. Social life. Remembers Terry Connors and Charlie Davis playing basketball. Law school preparation. First year versus second and third and specialized courses for a well-rounded education. Hired by law firm he clerked at, Offerman, Fallon, Mahoney and Adner.

Keywords: Amherst Campus; Attica Prison; Attrition; Choosing UB Law School; Class Composition; Classes; Eagle Street Campus; Experience as Student; Family; Father; GI Bill; Graduate / Professional Training; Law Firms; Law Professor; Military Draft; Mother; Perceptions; Social Life; Student Culture; Undergraduate Education; Value of Education

Subjects: CAREER: MILITARY; FAMILY HISTORY; UB LAW AS STUDENT

Segment Synopsis: Greatest achievement? Being on NYS Court of Appeals. Firm he started with had as partners, Bill Lawless, who left to become dean at Notre Dame. John Doerr who went to Appellate Division Fourth Department. Leo Fallon went to Appellate Division. Dave Mahoney elected to NYS Supreme Court, firm is active politically and in the Bar Association. Offerman and Mahoney both past presidents of Erie County Bar. Gained great experience at firm from real estate closings to trial work. Becomes chief trial counsel and then served as county attorney under Rutkowski for four and a half years. Became judge in 1997. UB law as only law school in WNY has a huge influence and the UB Law grads are well trained. Professional opportunities changed and the job search. Advises students to find firms in areas they are interested and clerk or volunteer for them. Opportunity to get into area of law a student likes. Would choose law again. Son is attorney in Colorado now. Law training gives confidence to help him deal with people. Constitution and laws are tools of legal trade constantly changing and evolving as well as areas of practice. Advice? Find the area of law you like. Talks to UB Law students annually. Diversity and caliber of law students at UB Law. He hires them and urges others to do the same. Change UB Law? Make New York Practice number one and as a public university, be on the cutting edge of legal issues and NY law part of core curriculum. Service with Moot Court and Dean's Advisory Council. Story of inviting faculty and judges to get together and judges would benefit from the scholarship of the faculty, so a closer connection between the two is needed.

Keywords: Advice; Bar Association; Children / Grandchildren; Greatest Achievement; Intellectual Tradition; Judiciary; Law Firms; Laws; NYS Court of Appeals; UB Law School general; UB Preparation

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS