Student Spotlight
NYC Labor & Employment Attorney Gets Second Degree from Albany Law
Harvey Mars '85
Harvey Mars ’85 has practiced labor and employment law since graduating from Albany Law School the first time. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and Baruch College and advanced certificates in Labor Studies and Collective Bargaining from Cornell – but he still found Albany Law’s online LL.M. program in Human Resources extremely worthwhile.
“The practical applications are immeasurable,” Mars said. “The fact that it was content and real world driven was a great format, rather than the traditional casebook method.”
When asked if he would recommend the program to other lawyers, he responded, “Unqualifiedly yes!”
Mars, whose solo law practice was based in New York City, enrolled in the master’s program during the height of the pandemic.
“I hadn’t heard of fully online specialized LL.M. programs in HR,” he said. The flexible design worked “incredibly well” for Mars, a self-described night owl who chose to do much of the coursework after midnight.
By day, Mars was in-house counsel to the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and collection counsel to their Musicians Health Benefit Fund. He also was counsel to the Union of Adjunct Faculty at Pace University, the Central and Northern New Jersey Musicians Guild, Local 16-248, AFM, and the Oneonta Musicians' Association, Local 443, AFM.
Interested in Human Resources: Law, Leadership, and Policy?
Our programs are designed to help the human resources professional, who either already is, or aspires to be, a leader in this dynamic and evolving field. A senior leader in human resources needs to be able to navigate the important strategic and operational challenges that arise in the increasingly complex and technological environment in which modern organizations operate.
In January 2022, he was elected Recording Vice President of Local 802 AFM, where he now oversees jazz, single engagement and recording work throughout the Greater New York area.
His particular interest in providing representation and advice to professional musicians stems from his own background as an instrumentalist; Mars studied trombone at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music for four years, and recently received a Master of Music in trombone performance from the Cali School of Music, Montclair State University. He continues his studies in trombone performance at Mannes School of Music in August 2022.
A per diem lecturer at Baruch College and Columbia University’s Teachers College, Mars also served as teaching assistant to adjunct professor Isaac Mamaysky for his course on Workplace Ethics and Compliance. He hopes to soon teach his own course in Albany Law’s LL.M. program.
Upon his graduation in May 2022, Mars was awarded Albany Law School's inaugural Distinguished Leader Award for exhibiting peer-to-peer leadership qualities, including exceptional collaboration, professional dialog, and support for others within the learning community.
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