At Hofstra Law, innovation becomes Exhibit A

By GREGORY ZELLER //

A $1 million alumnus gift has spearheaded a new Institute for Legal Technology & Innovation at Hofstra University.

The Hempstead-based university’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law on Wednesday announced the creation of the new interdisciplinary hub, crediting its arrival to $2 million in philanthropic support – including a $1 million contribution from 1991 graduate Samuel Ramos, the former chief legal officer for the Global Atlantic Financial Group.

Occupying key real restate at the intersection of law and technology, the institute will leverage state-of-the-art research, promote technological literacy among law students and otherwise encourage the development of “innovative solutions to legal and societal challenges,” Hofstra University said in a statement.

Ultimately, the new framework aims to prepare future lawyers to thrive in a legal landscape shaped, and constantly reshaped, by rapid technological changes – a progressive plan that might not have been possible, according to Hofstra University President Susan Poser, without Ramos, a member of the university’s high-caliber Board of Trustees.

“We are grateful to … Samuel Ramos for this generous gift and for his continued commitment to Hofstra Law,” Poser said Wednesday. “The Institute for Legal Technology & Innovation will foster interdisciplinary collaboration, support meaningful community engagement and equip students with the skills and perspectives they need to lead in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.”

Ramos, also a member of the Hofstra law school’s Dean’s Board of Advisors, has cultivated a reputation for groundbreaking legal strategy and financial-services innovation. His lengthy career includes long stints as an associate with New York City law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and as a managing director for the Goldman Sachs Reinsurance Group, a Global Atlantic predecessor also based in NYC.

The trustee and former practicing engineer, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, is also a longtime member of the Federal Reserve Board’s Insurance Policy Advisory Committee.

His familiarity with emerging technologies and shifting regulatory environments will significantly inform the development of the new institute, which is being designed to “give students hands-on exposure to the technologies and ideas reshaping legal practice and society at large,” Ramos said.

“The legal profession is at an inflection point,” he added. “Law schools have a responsibility to prepare the next generation of attorneys for that reality.”

Several pre-existing programs – including Hofstra Law’s Legal-Tech Fellowship program and the school’s annual National Legal Innovation Tournament – will be folded into the new institute, with artificial intelligence technologies, cutting-edge digital-asset ecosystems and an overriding access-to-justice focus all part of the mix.

Multiple conferences, workshops and community-engagement initiatives are also on the drawing board, aiming to complement classroom learning with substantive public-policy discussions on the application of technology in the practice of law.

Maurice A. Deane School of Law Dean Jenny Roberts said the new institute would give students “meaningful opportunities to explore emerging technologies through interdisciplinary research, experiential learning and engagement with the legal community” – a thoughtful approach to the future of the profession that’s exactly what Ramos had in mind when he made his seven-figure gift.

“Hofstra Law played a pivotal role in my career,” Ramos noted. “I am proud to support an institute that will prepare students to think like innovators, adapt to change and lead in their desired fields.

“Hofstra is committed to being a place that ensures lawyers remain at the forefront of guiding the responsible use of technology as it reshapes our society.”