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At the May 20 Commencement ceremony, Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law will honor three exceptional students with the 2025 Dean’s Award for academic excellence, leadership, and service.

Jonathan Bluvstein

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Jonathan Bluvstein’s journey at Haub Law has been defined by a steadfast dedication to academic excellence, leadership, and meaningful community engagement and service. He served as vice president of Haub Law’s First-Generation Law Students Association (FGLSA) and LAMBDA Law Students Association, demonstrating his commitment to building inclusive spaces and supporting diverse communities. As the equity, diversity, and inclusion editor for the Pace International Law Review (PILR), he worked to ensure that articles selected for publication reflected a broad range of perspectives and upheld inclusive, thoughtful language. He also helped pave the way for future contributors by mentoring first-year law students and introducing them to PILR’s mission and editorial work.

Jonathan has demonstrated his commitment to community service through a range of hands-on legal experiences. He has volunteered with the Welcome Legal Alliance’s Refugee Asylum Assistance Program as well as the Compassionate Release Program, which supports attorneys advocating for federal inmates seeking compassionate release. Most recently, he interned with the Fairbridge Investor Rights Clinic, where he represented clients in securities arbitrations and mediations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He also served as a student speaker at the 2025 SEC Investor Advocacy Law School Clinic Summit at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Jonathan’s academic achievements have earned him numerous honors, including a merit scholarship, a Pace Trustee Tuition Grant, and the Barbara Klein Award. He will graduate with cum laude honors.

Kira Segal

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Kira Segal is a passionate and resilient student leader whose perseverance and caring nature have been a shining light to all at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. A former teacher and a mother of four, Kira has pursued her law degree at Haub Law as a part-time Flex JD student—balancing the demands of academics, student leadership, career, and family life. Her dedication and resilience have led her to consistently achieve Dean’s List status throughout her time in law school, and she will graduate with magna cum laude honors.

As the founding vice president of Older Wiser Law Students (OWLS) at Haub Law, Kira helped establish the student organization and served in that role for its first two years. Now serving as president, she has been instrumental in cultivating a strong sense of community and belonging among her peers. Driven by her passion for campus engagement, she has organized professional panels, networking events, and new family-friendly traditions such as Fall Fest and Family Day.

Her commitment to public service is evident through her work with the Pace Women’s Justice Center, supporting victims and families of domestic abuse. As a legal extern and intern in their Family Court Program, she assisted supervising attorneys and attended court meetings for client divorce proceedings. Currently, Kira is a legal intern with Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein, where she is involved in a wide range of court preparations for clients—from preparing statements of net worth to drafting letters to the court and attending court proceedings.

Samuel Fonseca de Carvalho, LLM

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Samuel Fonseca de Carvalho is a distinguished environmental law scholar, leader, and global advocate who has made significant contributions to the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University during his time as an LLM student. An attorney from Brazil, Samuel specializes in energy and climate change law. At Haub Law, he served as a research assistant for the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies (GCELS), where he played a pivotal role in organizing and drafting ten motions sponsored by the Center for possible consideration at the upcoming International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress.

Samuel is an engaged member of the student body. He served as the LLM liaison for Haub Law’s Environmental Law Society and was selected as a Sustainable Business Law Hub Student Scholar. He proudly represented Haub Law as a student ambassador at the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (ABA SEER) conferences and NY Climate Exchange events. He also served as written content vice chair for both the ABA SEER Climate Change and ESG & Sustainability Committees.

Samuel has a deep interest in global climate discussions as well. He volunteered at COP28 with Legal Response International and was selected by YOUTHCOP to participate in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. His recent publications include articles on SEC rules affecting registrants’ value chains and clean energy incentives for implementing ground source heat pumps under energy savings performance contracts. In 2024, he began interning with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), focusing on improving social and environmental performance in the mining sector.

Celebrating Excellence at Haub Law

Join us as we celebrate Jonathan Bluvstein, Kira Segal, and Samuel Fonseca de Carvalho at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law Commencement on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Congratulations to our 2025 Dean’s Award recipients!