Profile

Biography:

B.A., Siena College
M.P.A., The Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs
J.D., Syracuse University College of Law

    Professor Rignanese is the Legal Writing Instructor for International Legal Communication and Research. She coaches the law school's Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team. This is her ninth year with the College of Law. 

    Before returning to the College of Law as a legal writing instructor, Professor Rignanese practiced criminal defense here in Syracuse at both the trial and the appellate levels. 

    Professor Rignanese has travelled to Sierra Leone to work with the Special Court which is responsible for the prosecution of those "greatest responsible" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that occurred there during the decade-long crisis from 1991 through 2001.  With Professor Arzt, she co-authored an op-ed article, Ex-Liberian President  Deserves Trial, Not Exile, which was published by Newsday and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Courses:

LAW 609:Legal Communications & Research I & II - Year Long LAW 857:Jessup Mini-Course Seminar LAW 953:Moot Court

Publications:

Articles:

International Law is Part of Our Law: Teaching Principles of International Law  In a First Year Research and Writing Course (in manuscript).  Professor Rignanese received a grant from the Association of Legal Writing DIrectors and is currently completing this article which discusses the benefits of teaching a specialized legal research and writing course in the first year of law school. The article discusses the fact that SUCOL is one of the few law schools to intoduce international law in the first year curriculum through the international sections of International Legal Research and Cummunication. The article presents this course as a model curriculum.   

Professor Rignanese is also beginning work on an article which examines judicial independence in international tribunals. She will be co-authoring the article with Professor Donna E. Arzt, whose website may also be of interest to those interested in studying international law.


Op-Ed Articles: 

Ex-Liberian President  Deserves Trial, Not Exile  (with Donna E. Arzt), NEWSDAY (August 12, 2003), reprinted in THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER and other newspapers. 

Guantanamo: Why one man saw a Terezin (with Donna E. Arzt), SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD(September 11, 2005).