3 Rutgers Law School Alumni Will Be Honored At Gala

Newark NJ

14 October, 2021

11:07 AM

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NEWARK, NJ — Three distinguished alumni from Rutgers Law School in Newark will be honored at an annual gala held by the Rutgers School of Law-Newark Alumni Association next week. The alumni include: Hymie Elhai (RLAW '02), the president of the New York Jets, is being honored with a Distinguished Alumnus AwardCharles Victor McTeer (RLAW '72), a retired civil rights attorney, is being honored with a Distinguished Alumnus AwardVictoria Pratt (RLAW '98), former chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court and professor of professional practice at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, is being recognized with the Fannie Bear Besser Award for Public Service This year's gala will take place at the Maplewood Country Club, 28 Baker Street, in Maplewood, across the park from the Maplewood Train Station on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. Guests can register online here. Rutgers Law School provided the following biography information about each awardee. Hymie Elhai '02 Hymie Elhai begins his second season as the president of the New York Jets after his appointment by Chairman & CEO Christopher Johnson in 2019. Now in his 21st year with the organization, Elhai has ascended to his role as a result of hard work, dedication and a commitment to the New York Jets. Overseeing all team business operations, Elhai brings his balance and perspective to those various departments, including Communications, Community Relations, Corporate & Premium Partnerships, Events & Game Operations, Facilities, Finance, Information Technology, Legal & Human Resources, Marketing, Security and Ticketing. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Elhai and his staff have worked closely with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy's office and the NFL to develop the proper protocols for the Jets. His communication with staff helped manage the unprecedented uncertainty of a global pandemic. Beginning his Jets career in 2000 as an intern, Elhai previously served as the club's senior vice president, business affairs and general counsel where he was responsible for all legal aspects of the team, including sponsorship, licensing, event, digital media, production and broadcasting agreements, and all employment related matters. Additionally, Elhai provided counsel and guidance to football administration on all planning initiatives prior to his current role. Charles Victor McTeer '72 In the Summer of 1972, Victor earned a Juris Doctorate Degree from Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey and returned to Maryland to marry his oldest friend, Mercidees "Dee Dee" Jones. They married in Baltimore on a Saturday and left the following Tuesday to travel to their new home in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, the oldest community in America founded by formerly enslaved people. It was the only place in Mississippi where Victor believed they could safely live while he became a Mississippi civil rights lawyer and Dee Dee could fulfill her lifelong dream of teaching in a first grade classroom. For the next thirty-eight years, Victor represented hundreds of people in civil rights cases involving Constitutional Law, the rights of women, employment discrimination, public accommodations, and police brutality. From the very beginning, Victor was involved in unique and unusual cases rarely handled by such a young and inexperienced lawyer. He was only 27 and not yet four years out of law school when his very first case was heard in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of an otherwise qualified black woman denied a teaching job because she bore a child out wedlock as a teenager. Despite all odds, he argued the case and won. Later, Victor represented clients in Chattanooga, Tennessee and won an unheard of $500,000 federal jury verdict against the Ku Klux Klan. In the 1980s, he was part of a legal team that won millions for black insureds in a racial bias claim against an insurance company. In time, he gained a special reputation as a trial lawyer who was part of the legal team that successfully pursued a first of a kind anti-smoking claims against the tobacco industry that resulted in one of the largest legal settlements in history. He has long been lauded for annually providing required continuing legal education to lawyers on diverse topics including civil rights, constitutional law, civil trial practice, computers and the law and legal ethics. In the 1990s, the Association of plaintiff lawyers of the State of Mississippi, now known as the "Mississippi Association for Justice," awarded Victor their "Lifetime Achievement Award." The nine Justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court gave Victor "The Chief Justice Award" for his service to the Bar and the people of the State of Mississippi. He has received awards from civil rights, and philanthropic organizations including Operation Push of Chicago, Illinois, the Mississippi State Chapter of the NAACP, and the United Negro College Fund. Hon. Victoria Pratt RLAW '98 During her tenure as the Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court in Newark, New Jersey, Judge Pratt spent years gaining a deep understanding of how justice could be delivered to court participants in a manner that increased their trust in the legal system and changed their behavior. While presiding over Newark Community Solutions, the Community Court Program, she used creative problem solving to provide alternatives to jail to low-level offenders. These alternatives included community service, individual and group counseling sessions, and her signature assignment of introspective essays. Called a pioneer in procedural justice, her respectful approach, and treating individuals with dignity has had a positive effect on court participants' court experience, how the community viewed the court and how court players viewed their roles. Her TED Talk, How Judges Can Show Respect, has gone viral. It has been translated into 11 languages, received over one million views and the Facebook clip has received an astounding 21 million views. A fierce advocate committed to reform, Judge Pratt has worked with jurisdictions across the nation, and as far as Ukraine, England, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico. In that role she facilitates workshops and presentations on alternative sentencing for juveniles and adults, as well as procedural justice. As a nationally recognized expert in procedural justice and alternative sentencing, Judge Pratt has been asked by numerous professional organizations to share her story and philosophy. Pratt's work has been featured in The Guardian newspaper, The Simple Idea that Could Transform U.S. Criminal Justice, and Rutgers Magazine, Asking for a Little Respect, both written by Pulitzer prize winning author Tina Rosenberg. She has also appeared on MSNBC's The Melissa Harris Perry Show, the Emmy-award winning PBS show Due Process — "Community Court: A Kinder, Gentler Way?" and National Public Radio's WBGO on Conversations with Allan Wolper. She continues to champion criminal justice reform through her consulting firm Pratt Lucien Consultants, LLC, by sharing her skills and approach with others. Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected] Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don't forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.