Listen Up, Future Eminent Domain Defenders

Now you can crack open the books at New York Law School's Center for Real Estate Studies, "dedicated to the study of both the private practice of real estate law and the public regulation of real estate," according to the press release. The school will offer courses in zoning and land use, secondary mortgage markets, eminent domain and "nontraditional financings."

The 116-year-old law school shelled out $190 million to expand and renovate their lower Manhattan campus, where the new center will be located. Richard Matasar, dean and president of NYSL, announced the opening on Wednesday:

"Our school is undergoing a transformation far beyond bricks and mortar... The Center for Real Estate Studies is an exciting example of how we are expanding and enhancing our educational program."

Full release after the jump.

- Gillian Reagan New York Law School Announces New Academic Center for Real Estate Studies Center will help bridge the gap between private practice and academic study

New York Law School, one of the oldest independent law schools in the nation, today announced the creation of the Center for Real Estate Studies on its campus in lower Manhattan. The Center will be dedicated to the study of both the private practice of real estate law and the public regulation of real estate.

The launch of the Center comes at a time when the real estate and development market in New York City is booming. The New York Building Congress and other real estate experts project that the explosive growth in New York City's five boroughs will continue for at least a decade and will eventually stand as the second greatest in New York City's three-century history. "The new Center for Real Estate Studies is a testament to the vibrant growth of both New York City and our School," Dean and President Richard A. Matasar said. The Center's launch coincides with a $190 million expansion and renovation program at New York Law School. "Our School is undergoing a transformation far beyond bricks and mortar. The Center for Real Estate Studies is an exciting example of how we are expanding and enhancing our educational program."

The Center will offer courses and sponsor conferences, symposia, and continuing legal education programs devoted to the study of a broad spectrum of real estate issues, including zoning and land use, environmental law, eminent domain, housing, the secondary mortgage market, and nontraditional financings.

"We know first-hand that to succeed in today's thriving real estate industry, lawyers must be prepared to work across a range of disciplines and interact with specialists in a variety of fields," says Professor Andrew R. Berman, Director of the Center. "Leveraging the School's prime location in New York City, the Center will give students opportunities to gain practical experience in the real estate community and make contacts for future employment."

Professor Berman, formerly a partner with Sidley Austin Brown & Wood's New York Real Estate Group, has represented clients in all aspects of commercial real estate finance, including complex financing transactions such as mezzanine loans, preferred equity, and financings intended for securitization markets. Professor Berman has extensive experience in real estate development projects, the sale and acquisition of real property and mortgage loan portfolios, and complex commercial leasing.

The Center will be advised by a 12-member Advisory Board--most of whom are New York Law School alumni--comprised of real estate experts in the public and private sector and academia.

"The Advisory Board will provide counsel and help establish meaningful externships that bring students into contact with the business and legal communities," said Advisory Board member Ross Moskowitz '84 of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. "As an alumnus of New York Law School, I want to give back in useful ways and help establish this new academic center as a leading force in real estate law."

The members of the real estate Advisory Board are:

• Perry A. Cacace, Esq., '79, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP • Lawrence N. Field, Esq., '63, Chairman & CEO, NSB Associates, Inc. • Gerald Korngold, Everett D. and Eugenia S. McCurdy Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law • George Lefcoe, Ervin and Florine Yoder Chair in Real Estate Law, University of Southern California Gould School of Law • Robert A. Mallow, Esq., '68, Partner, Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP • Susan B. Mendik, Mendik Company • Ross F. Moskowitz, Esq., '84, Partner, Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP • Andrew S. Penson, Esq., '84, Founder & President, Argent Ventures LLC • Norman J. Radow, Esq., '81, President, Radco Companies • Alan J. Schnurman, Esq., '71, Partner, Zalman & Schnurman • Lino A. Solis, Esq. '96, In-House Counsel, Thor Equities, Inc. • Zygmunt Wilf, Esq., '74, President, Wilf & Silverman

About New York Law School Founded in 1891, New York Law School is an independent law school located in lower Manhattan near the city's centers of law, government, and finance. New York Law School's renowned faculty of prolific scholars has built the School's strength in such areas as constitutional law, civil and human rights, labor and employment law, media and information law, urban legal studies, international and comparative law, and a number of interdisciplinary fields. The school is noted for its seven academic centers: Center for International Law, Center for New York City Law, Center for Professional Values and Practice, Center for Real Estate Studies, Center on Business Law and Policy, Institute for Information Law and Policy, and Justice Action Center. New York Law School has more than 13,000 graduates and enrolls some 1,500 students in its full- and part-time J.D. program and its Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation program. www.nyls.edu