Distinguished Alumni to Lead New Era at Raichle Pre-Law Center
An exciting new chapter begins this fall for the Raichle Pre-Law Center. Canisius University announced the appointment of two distinguished alumni and highly accomplished legal professionals to serve as co-directors of the region’s most comprehensive pre-law program: the Honorable Lenora Foote-Beavers ’92, JD and Scott Sroka ’94, JD. Foote-Beavers will focus on student-related aspects of the Raichle Pre-Law Center. Sroka will work with students and alumni to foster relationships in the legal community, both in Western New York and beyond.
“This transition brings together the combined expertise of two exemplary legal professionals whose experience and dedication to Canisius promises to enhance the Raichle Pre-Law Center and prepare students for successful careers in law and public service,” says Thomas A. Chambers, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “We look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative approaches Lenora and Scott will bring to the program.”
Lenora Foote-Beavers is acting Erie County Family Court Judge and Buffalo City Court Judge, presiding over custody, visitation, family offense petitions and domestic violence litigation. She previously was chief of staff for New York State’s Supreme Court Appellate Division (Fourth Department) and Support Magistrate for Erie County Family Court.
Her substantial judicial contributions are paralleled by those she has made as an educator. As a certified leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Foote-Beavers delivers innovative educational programs to employees and leadership to improve organizational culture. She also has extensive teaching experience at various regional colleges, where she educates students in the areas of family, constitutional and business law.
A dedicated volunteer, Foote-Beavers is chair of the Western New York Women’s Foundation, judicial commissioner for the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission for Diversity in the Courts, and secretary and chair of the Internship Committee for the New York Women Judges Association. She is a past member of the Canisius University Board of Trustees.
Foote-Beavers holds a JD from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law and a BA in political science and pre-law studies from Canisius University. She also holds a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University.
Scott Sroka brings a wealth of experience from his extensive legal career in Buffalo and Washington, D.C. He has more than 15 years of experience as an attorney with the Department of Justice. Sroka currently serves as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of New York.
Previously, Sroka was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., representing the United States in a broad array of criminal and civil cases before the courts of the District of Columbia. He also worked for U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, both as his Western New York regional director in Buffalo, and later as counsel to Senator Schumer on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sroka was also a senior investigative attorney in the Inspector General’s Office of the National Science Foundation.
A loyal and active alumnus, Sroka is a past member of the Canisius University Board of Regents and entering his 25th year serving as a facilitator for the school’s Urban Leadership Learning Community (ULLC). The ULLC fosters the development of leaders from Buffalo and Western New York by providing access to higher education to students from populations that have historically been denied. In his role, Sroka hosts student workshops on leadership and other current issues facing the Buffalo community.
Sroka holds a JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a BA with Honors in English from Canisius University.
Established in 1981, the Frank G. Raichle ’68 Pre-Law Center is named for one of the best trial lawyers in New York State. It serves as a pre-law support program, providing the foundational knowledge, hands-on experience and professional guidance students need to transition into law school. With a nearly 90 percent acceptance rate, Raichle pre-law students go on to study at top law schools throughout the country, including Harvard, Notre Dame and Columbia.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.