The Curia Society History

In the decade beginning in 1930, in response to discrimination against Jewish Cornell Law students by legal fraternities that excluded them, they formed an unrestricted club. They named it “Curia” in order to implement Myron Taylor’s belief that law should serve a wide range of social needs. Curia continued at the Law School until World War II forced the organization to disband, never to return to the student body. However, Curia had a rebirth in the form of an amorphous, informal group of alumni in the New York Metropolitan area. The born-again Curia Society functioned principally to hold an annual dinner to hear a worthy speaker, renew camaraderie and share memories of the law school. 

The custom of holding annual dinners has continued unbroken to this day. At these dinners a distinguished speaker addresses the audience on a topic of contemporary interest; and the attendees use the occasion to renew friendships from law school and to network among law alumni. The list of guest speakers is long and illustrious. It includes most of the Law School Deans, many faculty and other noteworthy public figures. 

In addition to the annual dinner, Curia Society members have provided leadership and guidance to the Law School as officers of the Cornell Law Association, as members of the Law School Advisory Council, and as generous benefactors. Participation in the Curia Society is open to all alumni of Cornell Law School. 

Curia Charter Members

Alfred Appel, AB ’26, JD ’28

A. Lawrence Abrams, AB ’28, JD ’29

Maxwell H. Tretter, AB ’27, JD ’29

Edward M. Brandriss, AB ’28, LL.B. ’30

Hon. H. Sol Clark, AB ’28, LL.B. ’30

Melvin J. Koestler, AB ’28, JD ’30

Arthur Leff, AB ’29, JD ’30

Robert Pomerance, AB ’28, JD ’30

Charles Snitow, AB ’28, JD ’30

Morris P. Glushien, AB ’29, JD ’31

Leo P. Katzin, AB ’29, JD ’31

Col. Jerome L. Loewenberg, AB ’29, JD ’31

Morton Milman, AB ’31, LL.B. ’31

Irving E. Cantor, AB ’30, JD ’32

John S. Corwin, AB ’30, JD ’32

Hymen Knopf, AB ’30, JD ’32

James B. Gitlitz, AB ’30, LL.B. ’33

Milton S. Gould, AB ’30, LL.B. ’33

Carl Hoffman, AB ’31, JD ’33

Past Curia Speakers

CURIA SOCIETY ANNUAL DINNER PAST FEATURED SPEAKERS

1985 – Hon. Theodore R. Kupferman
1986 – Hon. Judith S. Kaye
1987 – Hon. Stewart F. Hancock, Jr. ’50
1988 – Dean Russell K. Osgood
1989 – Hon. Stephen G. Crane BS ’60, JD ’63, Barry I. Skolnick, and Gregory Waples
1990 – Hon. Sol Wachtler
1991 – Hon. Sol M. Linowitz, JD ’38
1992 – Hon. Eve Preminger
1993 – Governor Mario Cuomo
1994 – Charles J. Hynes
1995 – Milton S. Gould, AB ’30, LLM ’33
1996 – Norman Siegel and William Murphy
1997 – Jan Schlichtman, JD ’77 and Donald Federico, JD ’79
1998 – Steven Emerson
1999 – Koigi Wa Wamwere
2000 – Eliot Spitzer
2001 – David Boies
2002 – Hon. Mary Jo White
2003 – Hon. Alan G. Hevesi and Hon. Louis B. York, JD ’63
2004 – Hon. Raymond W. Kelly

2005 – Jack Clarke, LLB ’52
2006 – Robert A. DuPuy, JD ’73
2007 – David B. Rivkin and Barbara J. Olshansky
2008 – Robert M. Morgenthau
2009 – Hon. Jonathan Lippman
2010 – Hon. Cyrus Vance
2011 – Hon. Preet Bharara
2012 – Sheila L. Birnbaum and Kenneth R. Feinberg
2013 – The Honorables Alison J. Nathan, AB ’94, JD ’00, Anne M. Patterson, ’83 and Loretta A. Preska
2014 – Zachary W. Carter, AB ’72
2015 – Kim Azzarelli, AB ’93, JD ’97
2016 – Robert B. Diener, JD ’82
2017 – Mark Jackson, JD ’85, Ari Melber, JD ’09, Arthur Siskind, AB ’60, JD ’62
2018 – James Grimmelmann
2019 – Leonard Leo, AB ’87, JD ’89
2022 – Nelson Tebbe
2023 – Ambassador Beth Van Schaack

Curia Planning Committee

Committee members are responsible for planning the annual dinner and selecting speakers. If you are interested in joining the Curia Planning Committee, please contact Kristine Hoffmeister, Director of Alumni Affairs at 607-255-3037 or ksh54@cornell.edu.

Honorable Ariel E. Belen, JD ’81
Ronald Chillemi, JD ’96
Jeffrey Cooper, JD ’80
Honorable Melissa Crane, JD ’91
Honorable Stephen Crane, BS ’60, JD ’63
James Dugan, JD ’93
Alfred Fatale III, JD ’07*
William Fields, JD ’11
Gerald Fisher, JD ’69
Neil Getnick, AB ’75, JD ’78

Jonathan Hochman, JD ’88
Megha Hoon, JD ’16
Thomas Kurland, JD ’10
Sally Anne Levine, AB ’70, JD ’73
Barbara Jo Lubitz, AB ’78, JD ’83
Laura Miranda, AB ’86, JD ’89
M. Usman Piracha, LLM ’16
Renee Pristas, JD ’09*
Carl Rizzi, JD ’16
Jerold Ruderman, AB ’64, JD ’67

Sarah Ryu, JD ’15
Chris Salib, LLM Tech ’19
Milton Strom, JD ’67
John Vukelj, JD ’03
Jay Waks, BS ’68, JD ’71
Donald E. Watnick, JD ’88
Scott J. Watnik, JD `03
Laura P. Wexler, AB ’02, JD ’09
Randolph E. White, JD ’84
Michael Wolfson, B.Ch.E. ’63, LL.B. ’67

*Co-Chairs