Cardozo alumni, students, and faculty gathered on March 23 for the 16th Annual BALLSA Celebration to honor Maurice Q. Robinson ’09 for his leadership, service, and longstanding commitment to uplifting alumni and students. At the event, three students were awarded the BALLSA Scholarship, which recognizes those who have made meaningful contributions to one or more of Cardozo’s affinity groups.
The celebration, one of three signature alumni events, was hosted by the Alumni Association and the Black Asian Latino Law Students Association (BALLSA) Alumni, in partnership with the Cardozo Minority Law Student Alliance (MLSA).
Robinson’s leadership as a co-chair of the Alumni Association’s Alumni Leadership Council, where he oversees the alumni affinity groups, has strengthened engagement across Cardozo’s alumni community, creating a thriving, caring, and inclusive alumni network. He also serves as an adjunct professor in Cardozo’s Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution, where he educates and mentors Cardozo students. As assistant director of Workforce Diversity and EEO Compliance at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Robinson advances equity and institutional accountability.
Robinson’s commitment to service, he said at the event, is rooted in a lesson from his mother: to leave every space better than one finds it.
“She was building character in me,” Robinson said. “I knew I was supposed to make every space that I walked into just a little bit better, and that’s what I’ve endeavored to do throughout my career. It’s not just about my experience; it’s about the future experience.”
He sees the law as a powerful tool to drive meaningful change.
“We need trained lawyers who enter the community and dare to fight the fight,” he said.
In her remarks, Dean Melanie Leslie noted that Robinson’s example will have a lasting impact on the next generation of lawyers and leaders.
“He is a seasoned attorney and a marvelous example for our students,” she said. “He is also a thought leader at the intersection of law, equity, and conflict resolution. What moves us most is the way he lives his values.”
For the first time, the BALLSA Celebration was hosted in partnership with MLSA, an effort designed to foster deeper connections between students and alumni.
Anika Kazi ’27, president of MLSA, said that the celebration was especially meaningful to the affinity group because it created a space where minority students felt seen, supported, and celebrated.
“That kind of visibility matters a lot, especially at Cardozo, where it is so important that the voices, leadership, and experiences of underrepresented students are not just acknowledged but uplifted,” she said. “Being able to collaborate with BALLSA on such a powerful and longstanding event was incredibly special to us because it showed how much affinity groups can do to foster community, affirm belonging, and remind students that they have a real place here.”
Dean of Students Jenn Kim presented the BALLSA Scholarship award to Leila Abdul‑Malak ’26 and Anwuli Andeola Onwaeze ’26. Agustina Lucero ’27 received the Seeger Weiss BALLSA Scholarship Award.
Abdul‑Malak is a member of the Black Law Student Association and the Muslim Student Association, serves as a senator-at-large in the Student Bar Association, and is a Gates Scholar. Andeola Onwaeze served as a clinical intern with the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic and is an executive editor of the Cardozo Dispute Resolution Competition Honor Society. One nominator noted that she brings warmth to spaces that might otherwise feel stressful or isolating.
Lucero, the recipient of the second annual Seeger Weiss BALLSA Scholarship, is treasurer of the Latin American Law Student Association, secretary of MLSA, and a senior articles editor for the Cardozo Law Review. She is widely recognized by her peers for her encouragement, patience, and generosity.
Cardozo Law, its Alumni Association, and BALLSA Alumni are grateful to the celebration’s generous sponsors.
View the BALLSA Celebration photo album here.
Photos by Eryc Perez de Tagle