Mother’s Day Spotlight: Deborah Gross-Quatrone ’90 & Gigi Quatrone ‘25

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From the moment she learned about Abraham Lincoln in the first grade, Deborah Gross-Quatrone knew she wanted to be a lawyer. “I was fortunate enough to attend a college that had an ABA approved Paralegal program which was very progressive for the 1980’s and that further solidified my interest in the law,” shared Deborah.

When it came time for Deborah to choose a law school, Pace Law (now the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University), was the perfect fit. “It was close to home, and my father actually attended Pace University,” said Deborah. “When my daughter, Gigi, decided to attend Haub Law I was thrilled. It was another generation continuing our family legacy with Pace.”

Deborah describes her law school experience as demanding, but ultimately rewarding. “Prior to my law school experience, I had always been capable of handling my studies, but this took it to a new level,” said Deborah. “The reading requirements, the case briefing, and the legal research, all at a time when computers and Westlaw were not available. The work was very intense.”

While Deborah and her daughter, Gigi, have had many differences in their law school experiences, certain aspects remain the same. “Gigi and I shared one professor that I know of and that was Professor Humbach,” shared Deborah. “He was my professor for property law and Gigi had Professor Humbach for property and criminal law. It is amazing to see that kind of continuity.”

Much has changed since Deborah attended Pace Law. “When I was in law school, the gender ratio was very different - women were significantly underrepresented in both the student body and faculty, however, that progressively improved each year. During my third year Janet A. Johnson was appointed Dean, which was inspiring.”

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Today, Deborah looks back fondly on her time at Pace and is eager to see her daughter graduate from Haub Law this year. “I am so proud of what Gigi has accomplished. It takes dedication and resilience to graduate law school. The fact that we’ve both had this shared experience of not only attending law school, but the same law school has only strengthened our bond.”