Alumni-Faculty Articles 1
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middle-class, mostly Jewish enclave. He Hal Braff, WHS 1952 has warm memories of a close family life, a happy childhood and a “spectacular” WHS Alumni Association co-founder to receive law group’s high school experience. O’Hern Award for a life and practice devoted to giving back When his parents told him he could go to From The Bar Report, NJ State Bar Association any college he wanted, he picked the University of Wisconsin. “There was an aura of liberalism and openness that the bar with an outstanding record of attracted me,” he says. After college he commitment to professionalism, career came home and enrolled at Rutgers achievement, and service to the commu- School of Law in Newark. nity, was presented October 17th at the commission’s professionalism awards Eight years after he graduated, the city luncheon in Somerset. erupted in riots. By then Braff was living 25 miles south of Newark, and the firm “Hal lives his daily life helping all com- had moved to East Orange. But he was ers. He is selfless. He is the ultimate devastated by the destruction to his professional,” wrote Robert E. hometown. Margulies, of Margulies Wind in Jersey City, in nominating him for the award. LIFE AS A LAWYER Since 2003, Braff has been of counsel at Braff gained extensive trial experience the firm, where he serves as mediator, in varied areas. In 1982, he was certified arbitrator, special discovery master and In the summer of 1953, Hal Braff took as a civil trial lawyer and became expert counsel to select clients. a long walk with his father along the at insurance and product liability defense boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. Soon A FATHER FIGURE AND MENTOR work. In his free time he acted in after returning to college that year he regional theater and became active in got word that his father, a 50-year-old To Rayvon Lisbon, a former gang mem- the American Inns of Court, a movement Newark lawyer, had died, apparently of ber at Weequahic High School, Braff is fostering legal ethics and professional- a heart attack. the father he never had. “Hal’s been in ism. Braff chaired the Arthur T. Vander- my corner, guiding me and showing me a bilt Chapter of the Inns of Court in Essex When he came home for the funeral, his different life,” says Lisbon, whom Braff County. In 1991 he was elected to the father's law partner put his arm around took under his wing seven years ago. organization’s national board of trustees, his shoulder and said the firm would keep Both were featured in Heart of Stone, a and in 1994, he received it’s A. Sherman the Braff name and hold a spot open for documentary about Ron Stone, the late Christiansen Award for exceptional him. Hal was only 19, but his future principal of Weequahic High, and his leadership. path was set. Six years later, he passed efforts to purge the struggling school of the bar and took his place at Braff & In the meantime, Braff had become an violence. “He let me know there is some- Litwak. adjunct at Rutgers School of Law in one by my side. He’s made me want Newark, teaching negotiating skills and more out of life. He’s given me inspira- Braff, who is still practicing law at trial presentation. (He continues to teach tion,” adds Lisbon, now a 24-year-old 79, spent much of his career trying civil the trial presentation course.) In class he college student. cases. He liked the profession and was emphasized that being a lawyer was a very successful. “1 was pretty effective In fact, Braff has four children of his privilege, “As an attorney you are among as a trial lawyer. But what really excited own, including actor and director Zach the few people who are licensed by the me about being a lawyer was being Braff, former star of the TV comedy able to make a difference in the Scrubs. He also has two stepdaughters community,” he says. through a second marriage to Elaine And he did; from serving as counsel to Braff, a couples therapist. the Newark chapter of the Congress of Their blended families comprise a Racial Equality to building the American creative and collaborative clan. With Inns of Court movement across the coun- his wife, Hal Braff teaches a therapeutic try. In recent years, he’s helped raise course for couples seeking to improve hundreds of thousands of dollars for their relationships. Hal and Elaine will graduates of Weequahic High School be extras in “Wish I Was Here,” Zach in Newark, his alma mater. Braff’s newest movie (which he wrote with his brother Adam). To honor his contributions, the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism A SON OF WEEQUAHIC in the Law has awarded Braff the 2013 Hal and wife, Elaine Braff grew up in Weequahic during an Daniel J. O’Hern Award. The annual era when the neighborhood, bordering award, presented to a senior member of Continued on page 17 Hillside in Newark’s South Ward, was a 16 and Indianapolis, and I am very pleased that he has agreed to WHS 1964 Edwin Marshall, continue to serve as chair of the IU Public Health Coordinating Retires as diversity leader Council," he added. for Indiana University Marshall called his decision to retire “a challenging one,” giv- en his deep ties to the university, but said he looks forward to Edwin C. Marshall, Indiana remaining involved at IU through his ongoing work on the IU University (IU) vice president Public Health Coordinating Council and as chairman of the for diversity, equity and mul- search committee for the next permanent chancellor at IU ticultural affairs since July Southeast. 2007, retired July 31st after 42 years as a professor and “Over the course of my time at IU, I have had the pleasure of administrator at 1U. working with great individuals across different disciplines on each of our campuses,” Marshall said. “While there are many “Ed Marshall has made things I will miss as I phase into retirement, what I will miss enormous contributions to most is working as part of a collaborative team to promote IU for more than four dec- academic excellence through diversity and inclusion at IU.” ades, first as one of the na- tion's leading optometry pro- Under Marshall's leadership, the percentage of minority stu- fessors and scholars, and for dents across all IU campuses, as a percentage of domestic en- the past six years as IU's leading voice on vitally important issues rollment, increased from 14.5 percent in 2007 to 19.8 percent related to diversity and equity,” IU President Michael A. at the end of 2012. McRobbie said. “His intellect, experience and passion for IU will be deeply missed, and I wish him nothing but the best in Additionally, he directed the creation of diversity plans at all his retirement. IU campuses, launched and led the President's University Diversity Initiative - and also worked with the IU Bloomington “Ed has also been instrumental in the successful launch last provost to more than double the amount of scholarship funds year of lU's two new schools of public health in Bloomington available through the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program. BRAFF continued from page 16 Association. The idea of connecting alumni from the school’s glory days to Miriam Nusbaum state to intervene on behalf of people current students came to him after he who cant speak for themselves and who attended his 35th reunion. Span, WHS 1960 are very often, especially in litigation, in “Weequahic was now an ‘inner city’ distress because they’ve been injured or Retired Superior Court school. The kids were using the same charged. They’re saying, in essence, Judge receives lockers as we did, and living in the same ‘Take care of me.’ That’s a huge respon- professionalism award houses, but they did not have the same sibility,” he says. opportunities. I just thought to, myself, FOCUS ON MEDIATION ‘What if we could do something with the energy the alumni put into the reunions, After 40 years of trying cases, though, he and use it to benefit the people there decided to try something new. now’” “The culture was shifting to encourage He paid a visit to his old school, but mediation. I knew I had the skills to be failed to get much support from the effective,” he says, “Litigation is time school’s leadership. He was also consuming, stressful, and unpredictable, shocked to find the school’s proud and someone always loses. In mediation traditions had disappeared. “The faculty I try to help people resolve cases.” had no idea about the school’s history. At the same event where Hal Braff was He sold his interest in Braff, Harris and They didn’t know the songs, and a lot of honored, another WHS grad, Superior Sukoneck in Livingston and joined the them didn’t know who Philip Roth was,” Court Judge Miriam Span, received the Margulies firm. Ten years later, Braff he says. 2013 Professional Lawyer of the Year says he has no regrets, and no plans to Braff persisted, and eventually found a from Union County award. However, she retire: “Mediation is a perfect fit. I like more welcoming environment. Since its says that her “proudest award was the what I do, and I love those guys.” founding 16 years ago, the Association Bamberger Medal at my Weequahic High School graduation in 1960.” ALUMNI PASSION has raised more than $600,000 for schol- arships and other opportunities, including Miriam attended Rutgers Newark Col- Yet of all his achievements, Braff says he trips to France, Montreal, and Washing- lege of Arts & Sciences, Rutgers Law is most proud of his role as co-president ton, D.C.