Albany Law's National Alumni Association Board Announces New Members
Five alumni have joined Albany Law School's National Alumni Association (NAA) Board, and one current member was named to the Executive Committee:
The new NAA board members are
- Carly Dziekan-McDonald ’20
- Kieran Murphy ’20
- Scott Peterson ’04
- Kayla Potter ’20
- Michael Willey ’16
David Rozen ’10, a member of the NAA board since 2012, was named to the board’s Executive Committee.
Carly Dziekan-McDonald ’20
Dziekan-McDonald currently serves as Corporate Counsel for the Mohawk Valley Health System and as a Clinical Bioethics Instructor for Upstate Medical University. She is a healthcare professional with experience in regulatory affairs, privacy, litigation and risk management, biomedical ethics, contracting, and general corporate matters in various subsets of the healthcare industry, including pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, PBM, and hospital.
She graduated with a Joint J.D. and M.S. (Biomedical Ethics) from Albany Law School, magna cum laude, and Albany Medical College, respectively. She also graduated from St. Lawrence University with a degree in Neuroscience while playing field hockey and softball.
While a student at Albany Law School, Dziekan-McDonald served as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology and served as a Colby Fellow, working on many wellness-related programs for the law school community.
Kieran Murphy ’20
Murphy currently serves as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Anne M. Nardacci of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Prior to clerking, Murphy spent four years in private practice at Milbank LLP in Manhattan, and Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP in Albany, practicing complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation, as well as white collar defense and related internal and regulatory investigations.
Murphy graduated from Albany Law School in 2020, where he was the president of his class, the Executive Director of the Anthony V. Cardona ‘70 Moot Court Program, a Dean Thomas Sponsler Honors Teaching Fellow in Federal Civil Procedure, and an Associate Editor of the Albany Law Review. He is the proud recipient of several; moot court awards, including the Judith S. Kaye Advocate Award given by the New York State Bar Association and American Arbitration Association. Before law school, Murphy attended Binghamton University (SUNY), where he received degrees in integrative neuroscience and financial economics, and served as the University Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster.
Scott Peterson ’04
Peterson is a managing partner at D'Orazio Peterson PC, a firm he and his wife Giovanna D'Orazio ’06 own and operate based out of Saratoga Springs, New York. The firm specializes in personal injury cases and employment law.
In addition to his law practice, Peterson serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Saratoga Regional YMCA and has previously served as President for Saratoga County Bar Association’s Board of Directors.
Peterson and D'Orazio live in Saratoga Springs with their two children and an English Bulldog named Walter.
Kayla Potter ’20
Potter is an Assistant District Attorney with the Albany County District Attorney’s Office where she is a member of the Street Crimes Unit handling primarily drug possession and quality of life crimes. Prior to joining the Albany DA’s Office, she served as an Assistant District Attorney for Saratoga County where she was a member of the Vehicular Crimes, Special Victims, and General Felony Units.
Potter has remained in the Capital Region since receiving her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the University at Albany (SUNY) in 2017. She then graduated from Albany Law School in 2020. While at Albany Law School, she was an active member of the Student Bar Association and the Anthony V. Cardona ’70 Moot Court Program. She also served as a Managing Editor for the Journal of Science & Technology, and was elected as the Student Trustee for the Board of Trustees.
Outside of work, she serves as the President-Elect of the Capital District Woman’s Bar Association, where she also previously served as the Treasurer. She also serves as a board member for the Saratoga County Bar Association. Kayla previously served as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region program.
Michael Willey ’16
Willey is a National Underwriting Counsel with the Corporate Legal Department for First National Title Insurance Company (FNTIC).
He joined the corporate legal team in 2023. Prior to joining FNTIC, he served as the Assistant Vice President, Associate National Underwriting Counsel, with the Corporate Legal Department for Old Republic National Title Insurance Company (ORT), and before as an in-house litigation counsel for Fidelity National Financial (FNF), serving multiple state and federal jurisdictions in the southern and northern Unites States; to include Texas and New York, where he focused on various title, escrow, claims and recoupment matters. Willey also has had extensive claims, title, and commercial litigation experience while working as an Associate with a New York City commercial litigation law firm located in Westchester County, New York.
Willey has also served his county in the intelligence sector of the United States Navy with various duty stations, with his last duty station serving as the Special Security Officer for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, until 2015, in D’Jibouti, Africa.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science, with minors in Justice Studies and Communications, and certificates in International Politics and Civic Education from the Arizona State University-Tempe with honors. He received Juris Doctor from Albany Law School, also with honors.
David Rozen ’10
Rozen is an accomplished public interest attorney and advocate whose career spans nearly 15 years in civil rights enforcement, police accountability, government oversight, and victim services. He currently serves as an Injunction for Protection Project Attorney at Miami-Dade County's Coordinated Victims Assistance Center, where he represents survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and harassment seeking legal protection through the courts.
Previously, Rozen served as Director of Policy for the Miami-Dade County Independent Civilian Panel, where he led oversight and policy reform efforts for the Miami-Dade Police Department. Prior to his relocation to Florida, David held key legal roles across New York City government, including Deputy General Counsel for the NYC Commission on Human Rights, Legislative Counsel to the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, and Counsel with the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, where he investigated systemic misconduct and policy deficiencies within the police department.
Rozen began his legal career in the New York State Legislature and Department of Health, where he worked on legislation, public policy, and FOIL compliance. Over the course of his career he has become a recognized leader in civilian oversight of law enforcement and a certified domestic violence advocate, certified fraud examiner, and oversight practitioner.
A proud graduate of Albany Law School (J.D., cum laude, Government Administration & Regulation concentration), he also holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College (SUNY), where he graduated magna cum laude in just three years.
He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from Albany Law School, Harvey Milk Alumnus Award, Alumnus in Political Science Award from Rockefeller College, and two City & State 40 Under 40 Rising Star recognitions (NYC and Albany editions). He was also honored by the NYPD Office of the Inspector General, Albany County Bar Association, and the New Leaders Council.
Rozen is deeply committed to public service and civic engagement. In addition to his longstanding service on the Albany Law School Alumni Board, he has served in leadership roles on civilian police review boards in Albany and Broward County, as well as within LGBTQ+ legal advocacy groups, political campaigns, and youth development organizations.
