It was a double celebration for the pre-law community at Siena: 25 years of the Summer Legal Fellows program, with a very special honor for the professor who founded and has shepherded it for a quarter century.
Leonard Cutler, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of Siena’s pre-law program, was awarded the Bernardine of Siena Medal at the annual Pre-Law Mentor Event on April 14. Cutler, who has taught at the College for more than five decades, leads the nationally recognized initiative that has provided more than 250 students with immersive, hands-on legal experience at top law schools.
Presented by Board Chair Thomas Baldwin ’81 and Trustee Fr. Kevin Mullen '75, O.F.M., and approved by the full Board of Trustees, the medal recognized Cutler’s extraordinary contributions to Siena’s academic life and mission.
“Each generation of Saints has its touchstones—those individuals whose impact reaches beyond the classroom, whose influence echoes through decades, and whose presence is woven into the very fabric of our College. Dr. Len Cutler is one of those rare individuals,” said Baldwin.
Cutler’s wife, Sheila, joined him at the podium for the emotional moment, cheered by a standing ovation.
“Our Summer Legal Fellows program provides our students with the unique opportunity to live Siena’s mission by serving the poor and marginalized by undertaking legal research and working on actual cases impacting people’s lives,” said Cutler.
Of the Bernardine Medal, he said, “I am deeply honored and humbled to have been awarded this recognition. My greatest reward during my career as a member of our Siena community has been the respect and admiration I have received from members of our faculty, administration, staff, friars, Board of Trustees, and most importantly our students and alumni who are Saints for their lifetimes. I am truly gratified to be a member of the Siena family.”
Since joining the Siena faculty in 1970, Cutler has taught and mentored nearly 3,000 students. He founded Siena’s Model UN program, the Moot Court, the Jurist-in-Residence program, and has forged game-changing law school partnerships that opened doors for Saints. The Summer Legal Fellows program places Siena students into real legal environments through partnerships with six law schools in the region to undertake original research.
President Chuck Seifert, Ph.D. and Provost Margaret Madden, Ph.D. added their own reflections, affirming Dr. Cutler’s legacy and his role in shaping generations of ethical, justice-minded leaders. Eighty alumni mentors from a wide range of class years attended the celebration, joined by 59 Siena students – 30 of whom will graduate this May with pre-law certificates.
“The Summer Legal Fellows program and pre-law certificate have opened doors for Siena students—not just into law schools and legal careers, but into lives of purpose and leadership,” said Seifert. “It’s one thing to teach students about the law. It’s another to help them see how they can use it for good. That’s what this program does. That’s what Dr. Cutler built.”
He said that the program lives the mission daily of preparing students not just for jobs, but for lives of impact.
“This program challenges students to be the best versions of themselves—to think critically, to lead ethically, and to ask the tough questions in places where the answers truly matter,” he said.
Siena’s Pre-Law Society is responsible for organizing the annual mentor event. President Paris DeFilippis ’25 and Vice President Carsyn Ide ’27 headed up the planning this year.
“It was wonderful to celebrate 25 years of Summer Legal Fellows with the alumni who have gone through the program, current students, and the individuals who continue to support us,” said DeFilippis, who will be attending Albany Law School this fall on a full academic scholarship. “Each person who has had an impact makes our community and this event so special. The SLF program is unlike any other undergraduate opportunity and allows for pre-law students to practice real legal work outside of a classroom setting. Congratulations to Dr. Cutler!”
Ide was a fellow at the American University Washington College of Law last summer, and will serve again this summer at the Fordham University School of Law.
“This event brought together a large group of alumni and students, showing how vast this program extends beyond Siena,” said Ide. “Listening to Summer Legal Fellows give reflections ranging from experiences in the last five years to the first-ever Summer Legal Fellow from 25 years ago really showed the impact and significance of this program. This program and its success would not be possible without Dr. Cutler, who has continued to educate and inspire each new generation of Siena Saints.”
Trustee Stephen Lamy ’73, a former student of Cutler’s who is now a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, sent a moving written reflection:
“Most Siena graduates have stories about classes, people and campus events that define their experience as undergraduates,” he wrote. “I enjoyed most of my classes but a few were more challenging and inspiring than others. Dr. Cutler introduced us to the importance of careful research and the mastery of theories and ideas as ways to develop an understanding of complex issues and events. It was not about emotions but about understanding and explaining and exploring all perspectives on issues of controversy.
“Professor Cutler made us work hard and we came to realize it was because he cared about us and he wanted us to make informed choices about our future. In whatever we did, he wanted us to be prepared to lead and contribute to our chosen professions. He wanted us to be informed and ethical decision-makers promoting the values and practices of the Siena community.”
