Elisabeth Haub School of Law News

Professor Gershman also pens an op-ed in amNewYork examining the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. Drawing on eyewitness accounts and video evidence, he challenges official narratives defending the use of deadly force and questions whether government responses adequately reflect constitutional protections and accountability standards. In a separate New York Law Journal piece, “A Diminished Constitution,” Gershman and co-author Theodore A. Keyes warn that escalating political rhetoric and post–January 6 actions are eroding democratic norms and weakening public trust in constitutional safeguards.

Pace’s environmental leadership is recognized nationally as  Haub Law Professor Achinthi Vithanage is named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Environmental Lawyers, honoring top legal minds advancing environmental and climate justice, The Green 500 reports.

In Newsweek, Pace Haub Law Professor Bennett L. Gershman weighs in on whether ICE agents can be prosecuted for fatal shootings. Gershman explains that federal agents do not enjoy absolute immunity and could face state murder charges or federal civil rights violations, depending on the facts. “Police officers charged with crimes or civil rights violations never enjoy absolute immunity,” he said, underscoring the constitutional limits on law enforcement authority.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University welcomed Tyler Maulsby, Deputy Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz PC, to deliver the 2026 Philip B. Blank Memorial Lecture on Attorney Ethics speaking on, “Legal Ethics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Held virtually on Monday, January 26, Tyler examined how the expanding use of generative AI is reshaping the legal profession and raising critical ethical questions for lawyers, clients, courts, and the public.

In a recent essay published by Harvard Law School’s Bill of Health, Pace Haub Law Professor Lauren Breslow and co-author Vanessa Smith call for stronger ethical and legal safeguards to protect genomic data from misuse, particularly when children and vulnerable communities contribute DNA for research purposes. The authors highlight recent reporting that pediatric DNA data shared for adolescent brain development research was later exploited to support racist “race science” claims, underscoring how systems built for public-health advancement can be co-opted for harmful and stigmatizing ends. Drawing on the Belmont Report’s core principles of respect, beneficence, and justice — as well as past research transgressions like the Havasupai Tribe case — they argue that genomic research must be governed with heightened oversight and an assumption that bad actors will seek to exploit shared data repositories. “Precisely because so much genetic data is now collected, stored, and shared, the Times account raises the specter of a broader ethical vulnerability in genomic science: data systems built for beneficial research can be exploited for purposes to which volunteers who contributed their DNA did not agree,” write Breslow and Smith.

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to announce that Achinthi Vithanage, Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program and Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law at Pace Haub Law, was named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Environmental Lawyers: The Green 500. Professor Vithanage has been recognized on this list five times since the publication of the inaugural Lawdragon 500 Leading Environmental & Energy Lawyers list in 2021.

Law Professor Bennett Gershman provides expert legal analysis to amNewYork on the distinction between New York City’s corporation counsel and chief counsel. Gershman explains that while the Law Department represents the city in litigation, the chief counsel serves as the mayor’s personal legal adviser, operating under attorney-client privilege on sensitive policy and legal matters— and New York Metropolitan Magazine has the story.

In her recent op-ed published in the Albany Times Union, Pace Haub Law Professor Bridget J. Crawford examines a new federal tax rule that would allow tipped workers to claim a deduction—unless their tips come from what the Treasury Department defines as “pornographic activity.” Professor Crawford argues that this exclusion is not a question of morality, but of labor and tax fairness, warning that it disproportionately harms the modern digital workforce, especially women who earn income through subscription-based platforms. She notes that creators on sites like OnlyFans and Fansly are already taxed as independent contractors and receive 1099s like other freelancers, raising a critical question: why should one group of tipped workers be denied a benefit available to everyone else? “Tax policy should meet women where they actually work, not exclude them from deductions,” writes Professor Crawford. “The IRS’s job is to review income, not to judge women’s bodies or the way they earn a living. Women working in digital creator spaces deserve the same neutrality, fairness and access to deductions that the tax code offers other workers.”

Every Pace degree carries a promise. Middle States accreditation helps ensure that promise endures. In this Q+A, Pace leader Nancy DeRiggi explains how the University is assessing its progress, planning ahead, and building momentum that benefits students and alumni alike.

Broadway stages. Global policy wins. A first-of-its-kind AI degree. Record-breaking generosity. And students leading real change—from healthcare and environmental advocacy to protecting New York’s wildlife. The Winter 2026 edition of "10 Things to Inspire You" captures just a snapshot of the momentum driving the Pace Community forward.