GCELS Plays Integral Role at IUCN WCC

OF NOTE

Internship Honors A Dedicated Alumnus

WHEN PHILIP FOGLIA PASSED AWAY on April 21, 2020, the NYC Office of the Inspector General’s Office began to think of ways that they could honor his memory and the impact he had made on the office during his time there. Described by colleagues as the backbone of the Inspector General’s NYC Office and an integral, longtime member of the office, he was known for being a mentor to interns and young attorneys, spending time helping them develop their legal craft and hone their prosecutorial abilities. Soon after the appointment of Inspector General Lucy Lang, she and Deputy Inspector General Jessica Silver together came up with the idea of honoring Phil by creating The Philip Foglia Summer Legal Internship for students at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Philip Foglia ‘80

Phil retired from the Office in 2019 as Chief of Investigations and Special Deputy Inspector General. "The world lost an inspiring figure when Phil Foglia passed away," said Inspector General Lucy Lang. "His love for the law, passion for justice, and dedication to serving New Yorkers can only be described as enduring and indelible. This internship was created to give students pursuing careers in law an opportunity to gain valuable experience working for the Office of the Inspector General and to honor Mr. Foglia’s commitment, dedication, and service to the Office during his time here."

“Phil was a dogged investigative attorney who was undeterred by the political sensitivity or high-profile nature of a particular investigation and encouraged and supported his staff to do the same,” said Phil’s colleague, Jessica E. Silver, Deputy Inspector General. “In his position as Special Deputy Inspector General and leader of the NYC office, he led numerous significant high-profile investigations. Most notably, Phil led the investigation that uncovered a bid-rigging scandal involving the initial franchise to operate a casino at the Aqueduct racetrack. He also led the investigation into the Nassau County Forensic Evidence Bureau which resulted in Nassau County’s only forensic lab’s closure and reconstitution at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner under new leadership.”

The inaugural Philip Foglia Summer Legal Intern will be Haub Law rising 2L Mandi Bruns. “I applied for the internship to further my interest in government investigations. I worked on government investigation matters while working as a legal assistant at a law firm for many years. I am inspired by Phil Foglia's commitment to fighting organized crime and public corruption, as well as his notorious devotion to community. I hope to honor his legacy and make the Foglia family and Pace community proud with my work at the New York State Inspector General's office this summer,” said Mandi Bruns.

The summer law internship program at the Offices of the Inspector General kicked off on June 13th and runs through August 5th. "The purpose of this internship is to provide law students with the opportunity to work in a government oversight office, learn about how government entities are run at an operational level, and get first-hand experience in the practice of law for public service," said Lucy Lang, who was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to be New York's 11th Inspector General. "Interns will work with our office in a different kind of way—one that gives them an opportunity to shape the future of the work we do here at the OIG; to build their portfolios so that they can become the next generation of leaders in this State's fight for integrity, transparency, and innovation; and for Phil’s family, friends and colleagues to keep his legacy alive. Phil’s integrity, and commitment to duty will forever be carried forth by the program he inspired."

Haub Law Professor Bennett Gershman remembers Phil Foglia well as both a student and a dedicated Haub Law alumnus. “The loss of Phil Foglia is immeasurable and incomprehensible. Phil was a leader at our law school as a student and alum, a champion in the fight against public corruption, and a hero to all Italian-Americans seeking to preserve their heritage. I am proud to remember Phil as my wonderful student and friend and honored that the Office of the Inspector General will help keep Phil’s legacy alive through this internship in his name for a Pace student.”

“We are honored to carry on the legacy of Phil through this internship opportunity for Haub Law students,” said Jessica E. Silver. “Aside from his dedication to the Inspector General’s Office, Phil had many interests; he was an avid revolutionary war historian, reader, theatre goer (he loved Hamilton), beloved colleague, beloved husband and father. Phil was also an Italian American activist. He was extremely proud of his heritage and campaigned against negative Italian American stereotypes and discrimination. He established the Italian-American Legal Defense and Higher Education Fund and was a founding member of the board of the Italian American Museum. Phil was a key advocate for the inclusion of Mother Cabrini (‘Frances Xavier Cabrini’) in the “She Built NYC” program, which nominated historically significant women who made contributions to New York City. He was appointed to a 19-member commission created to oversee the Cabrini Memorial location and design.”

A member of Haub Law’s Class of 1980, Phil began his legal career at the Bronx DA’s Office. He was later a Special Assistant US Attorney in the SDNY, a partner at a private firm, the Executive VP of SEBCO, and in August 2019, he retired after a lengthy career with the Office of the New York Inspector General as Chief of Investigations and Special Deputy Inspector General. He was also very dedicated to charitable and community work, serving as the pro bono legal counsel for the Bronx Special Olympics and co-founding the Child Reach Foundation. When Phil retired in 2019 from the Inspector General’s office, a retirement party was held at the historically significant White Horse Tavern in lower Manhattan, honoring Phil’s interest in the revolutionary war. n

HAUB HEADLINES

Five Join Haub Law’s BOV

The new members include Jeffrey Delaney, Susan Galvão, Paul Humphreys, John Lettera, and Chris Wallace—all are alumni of the Law School.

Chris Wallace

John Lettera

Susan Galvão Jeffrey Delaney

Paul Humphreys