March 23 2008
Groat Award winner Mark Brossman ’75 in Q&A
“Being an ILRie is like being a superhero; you have an invisible, special advantage”
A partner in a New York City firm of 475 lawyers, Mark E. Brossman BS ’75 practices employment law and employee benefits law. He talked about his ILR experience and his career during an interview before receiving a Groat Award March 27.
Given annually by Cornell University’s ILR School, the Groat Award honors exceptional professional accomplishments by ILR graduates. At Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in New York City, Brossman co-leads the team that practices employment and employee benefits law.
Brossman is a member of the ILR Dean’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the advisory boards of ILR’s Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution and Labor and ILR’s Labor and Employment Law Program. Brossman is a member of the Cornell University Council. A 1978 graduate of New York University School of Law, Brossman taught at the ILR Extension Division from 1980 to 2004.
In 2008, Brossman and Robert A. Molofsky ’72 are both receiving a Groat Award. The award is named after the late Judge William B. Groat, who was instrumental in the founding of ILR.
Q: You were at ILR in the 1970s. How is ILR the same or different today?
The same unique commitment to a combination of academic theory and practical, real-life experience continues at ILR.
Q: Have you remained in touch with friends you made here while a student?
Yes! My best friends in the world are all ILR graduates.
Q: When you entered ILR as a freshman in 1971, did you anticipate being part of the school four decades later?
No, never.
Q: How has ILR shaped you?
Intellectually, the school shaped me. It has also given me a satisfying career, close friends, financial independence, involvement with cutting-edge issues in the field of labor management relations. As a result, I have a responsibility to give back to the school.
Q: What advice do you have for current ILR students and new ILR graduates?
Most people dislike their jobs, even though they spend most of their waking hours at work. It’s important to decide what will make you happy and go for it.
Q: When did you identify where you wanted to go with your career?
When I graduated from ILR, I decided I wanted to pursue labor and employment law as a career.
Q: What advice do you have for ILR students who have not yet identified where they are going with an ILR education?
Don’t rush. Sooner or later, you will find an interest that will shape your career. It’s much easier now than it used to be to change careers if your interests change.
Q: During your career, what changes have you seen in how labor and law interact?
During my 30-year career, new statutes and legislation impacting the workplace are passed continuously at the federal, state and local levels. The area is dynamic, constantly changing.
Q: How did you become involved in employee benefits law?
As a starting lawyer, I was privileged to represent employee benefit plans created by collective bargaining. I was also privileged to be trusted by both management and union representatives. Helping working people receive retirement and health benefits has been a rewarding part of my law practice.
Q: How often do you encounter other ILR graduates while conducting business?
All the time. Clients, adversaries, co-counsels, arbitrators/ mediators.
Q: How has being part of ILR influenced your career?
Being an ILRie is like being a superhero. You have an invisible special advantage over all others.
Q: What is the best way, in your experience, for ILR graduates to help the school grow?
Get involved. The school needs alumni support to maintain its position as the best school for industrial and labor relations in the world.