Alumni Events
Celebratory Alumni Dinner Reunites Classmates, Honors Esteemed Graduates
The March 15 gathering, held as a dinner rather than in the lunch format typical in previous years, inspired an overwhelming outpouring of support from alumni in more junior positions, especially those who found it easier to attend an evening event.
Alumni Association Board President Deborah Riegel ’93 led the program, welcoming the evening’s three honorees, including Alumnus of the Year Bernard Nash ’66, Distinguished Service honoree Debbie Epstein Henry ’94, and Rising Star honoree Aubria Ralph ’19.
Nash, who is co-chair of the nationally acclaimed State AG Group at Cozen O’Connor, credited colleagues, friends, and family for his success and the ability to give back to Brooklyn Law School.
“I would not be here tonight but for the many people who helped me in so many different ways over the past 50-plus years. Success is not a solo journey,” Nash said.
The Distinguished Service Award honor went to Henry, who is the founder of DEH Consulting and co-founder of Brooklyn Law School’s Women’s Leadership Circle, which she chairs, and the broader Women’s Leadership Network, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year.
“Two words capture the essence of the Distinguished Service Award: relationships and impact. But for me, these words go well beyond this award. They demonstrate my goals to build a meaningful life and a purposeful career,” Henry said.
Ralph, who is an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and active in pro bono work, was born in the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and changed careers multiple times before following her mother’s advice to become a lawyer.
“If anyone thinks that the American dream is not real, I am the American dream,” Ralph said. “I’m not 40 yet and I’m on my third career, and it’s because of the people in my life who just believed in me and allowed me to just be the one beating my own drum, dancing to my own song, and being who I am.”
