The Opinion is the Law School's official student
newspaper, published by law students for law students. The first
issue debuted on November 29, 1949, and it has remained a forum for
the discussion of Law School issues and events ever since.
The first issue of The Opinion debuted on November 29,
1949 under the leadership of Michael Beilewech, Jr. '51, the first
editor. The inception of the newspaper coincided with the opening
of the new West Eagle Street Law School building.
In the first editorial, The Opinion promised its
readers:
This is a law students' newspaper and as such will maintain a
certain aura of decorum not exhibited by the ordinary campus
publications...Our columns are dedicated to the presentation of any
news or views of interest to the Law School, the Alumni or the
Faculty.
The Opinion has historically served as a forum for law student viewpoints with an editorial staff comprised of SUNY Buffalo Law School students. In 1977 it won the American Bar Association’s Award for Excellence.
Our 125th Anniversary called for an icon that was symbolic to
Buffalo and the law. We chose the statue "Contemplation of Justice"
that sits to the left of the front steps of the United States
Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. The statue was designed
by James Earle Fraser in 1933, yet Fraser's most recognized work
may be the 1913 five-cent coin known as the "Buffalo Nickel."