Diane F. Bosse

IN MEMORIAM

Ms. Bosse practiced law for over 45 years, representing self-insured and insurance company clients in a wide variety of litigated matters. She was Special Counsel to the firm, and assisted the insurance coverage and appellate practice groups.

Ms. Bosse devoted a substantial portion of her professional life to bar admissions and legal education. She was appointed by the Court of Appeals to the New York Board of Law Examiners in 1998, after having served for 19 years as an assistant to the Board. She served as chair of the Board from 2001 – 2020. Ms. Bosse served on the Board of Trustees of the National Conference of Bar Examiners from 1999 to 2008 (chair, 2006 – 07), and on the Conference’s Testing Task Force. She was a frequent speaker at educational programs sponsored by the Conference. Ms. Bosse is a past chair of the Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar and a past member and chair of the Section’s Accreditation Committee. The Council is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the national accrediting agency for programs leading to the J.D. degree. She was a past president of the Defense Trial Lawyers of Western New York, and a past member of the boards of directors of the Bar Association of Erie County and of the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association.

In 2023, she received the American Bar Association's Robert J. Kutak Award. The Kutak Award is presented annually to honor an individual who has made significant contributions to the collaboration of the legal academy, the bench, and the bar. Ms. Bosse was named one of the New York Law Journal’s inaugural Top Women in Law for 2016, one of only 30 women honored statewide. The award was described by the publication as “our attempt to shine a light on the outstanding work being done by female attorneys across New York State who have had notable achievements over the past year.” In 2014, Ms. Bosse was named Lawyer of the Year by the Bar Association of Erie County. Ms. Bosse’s prior awards include the Award of Merit from the Bar Association of Erie County, the  Distinguished Alumnus Award for Public Service from the University at Buffalo Law Alumni Association, the Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year from the Defense Trial Lawyers of Western New York, the New York State Bar Association Award for Excellence in Public Service, the Chair’s Award from the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and the Lamplighter Award from Eighth Judicial District Gender & Racial Fairness Committee. Ms. Bosse was elected to membership in the invitation-only American Law Institute which drafts and publishes Restatements of the Law, model statutes, and principles of law that are influential in the courts and legislatures, as well as in legal scholarship and education. Members are selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in improving the law. 

Ms. Bosse was an emeritus member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School and served on the University at Buffalo School of Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. She was a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and of the New York Bar Foundation.

 

Diane F. Bosse
Rated by Super Lawyers


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Court Admissions

Courts of the State of New York

United States District Court
- Western District of New York
- Northern District of New York
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York

United States 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals

Admitted to Practice

New York

Education

University at Buffalo School of Law (J.D., 1976)

State University of New York at Buffalo (B.A., 1973)

Professional Recognition

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer

Upstate New York Super Lawyers List

American Bar Association's 2023 Robert J. Kutak Award Recipient