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Among the 17 proud 2025 graduates who are being presented with their diplomas by alumni family members at this year's Commencement ceremony are two, Jason Perlman ’25 and Lauren Kreinces ’25, whose alumni family span three or more generations at ӣ����Ƶ. 

Today we spotlight Jason, his father, Ira Perlman ’84, and brothers Brandon Perlman ’18 and Adam Perlman ’20. Jason’s late great-grandfather, William S. Perlman, was a member of the Class of 1924. (Read Lauren Kreinces’ story here  and see the end of this story for the full list of graduates whose alumni family members or loved ones will be presenting them with their degrees.) 

Four Generations of Lawyers 

When Jason Perlman ’25 is presented his diploma by his father and brothers at this year’s commencement ceremony, he becomes part of a family tradition at Brooklyn Law that spans more than 100 years and across four generations.  

Jason’s late great-grandfather William S. Perlman, a member of the Law School’s Class of 1924, practiced in the field of criminal law and went on to become a federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York during the mayoralty of the legendary Fiorello La Guardia. His father, , is founding partner in the Law Offices of Ira M. Perlman and Robert D. Rosen, specializing in personal injury and medical malpractice law. His eldest brother, , is an associate attorney in Weitz & Luxenberg’s mesothelioma and asbestos litigation unit, and brother is a mergers and acquisitions associate at McDermott Will & Emery.  

Yet another attorney in the family, although not a BLS alumnus, is Jason’s late grandfather Norman Perlman, a graduate of the NYU School of Law who started his own Brooklyn firm concentrating in matrimonial and personal injury law. In this family where fathers pass down the love of the law to their sons, Norman had welcomed son Ira into his practice, giving him a start, and years later, Ira invited his sons to do some work in his office to expose them to his area of the law as they began careers of their own.  

For Jason, that career focus has shifted over the years. “I always knew I’d be a lawyer, but at one point I thought I’d begin as an agent,” said Jason, who entered law school following his B.A. in arts, entertainment, and media management from Indiana University Bloomington. He had interned with talent agency and marketing firm Endeavor’s Film and Television Department and worked as a production assistant on the film West Side Story at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners. Yet, during the height of the COVID epidemic, when he was also working with his dad, he saw opportunities in the entertainment field shrink and decided to explore other options.  

At Brooklyn Law, Jason initially considered following in his grandfather’s, father’s, and brother Brandon’s footsteps in the field of personal injury law. He even founded and was president of the Law School’s Personal Injury Medical Malpractice Association (PIMMA), as well as joining the Labor and Employment Law Association and Business Law Association and interning at the New York State Supreme Court. But in the end, he said, “I wanted to take a different path. I love real estate and have always found the aspects of construction, architecture, and design interesting,” he said. So, he joined the Real Estate Society, did a commercial real estate finance internship with firm Mavrides, Moyal, Packman & Sadkin, and is now exploring job opportunities in the field. 

Ask any of the Perlmans about their Brooklyn Law experience and you hear three things that especially resonated for all of them: forming lasting relationships (“I made lifelong friends, we’re still in touch, and those relationships have benefited my career,” Ira said); an amazing network of alumni (“the best in the country,” Jason said); and, the high quality of all the professors, particularly the invaluable mentorship of Michael Gerber, the inaugural Michael Simmons and Michael Gerber Professor of Law. 

“Adam, Jason, and I were always talking about Professor Gerber being the best. He was there for whatever you needed, internships, résumés, the job market,” said Brandon, who had also joined Gerber for a China Study Abroad Program. Gerber had helped Adam, who had done well in the professor’s Debtors’ and Creditors’ Rights class, land an internship with the Hon. Martin Glenn, Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York. “In my opinion,” Jason said, “Professor Gerber is someone who has always kept his door open to students and has people’s backs. He puts students first.”  

Suzanne J. and Norman Miles Professor of Law Mary Ellen Fullerton also played an important part in Jason’s law school career. “I was taking her Civil Procedure class in my 1L year and finding it hard to acclimate to law school. Professor Fullerton guided me and helped me,” he said. “She made my life better.” 

Jason’s family (including his mother, Jill Cohen Perlman, owner and codirector of modeling agency Iconic Focus) never doubted he’d find his way and has what it takes to be a success. “He’s very bright,” Ira said, “and he’s also so personable and gregarious. He’s very engaging, and curious about whatever he’s working on, and asks a lot of questions. Everyone enjoys his enthusiasm and motivation.” Adds Brandon, “It’s Jason’s personality. He’s the person in every group that people always remember. And he remembers the details about the people he meets. Clients will recognize and appreciate that.”  

“I always told my sons, ‘Do the work, work hard, and it will all work out,’” Ira said. “ӣ����Ƶ has done wonders for me and my family and I’m so thankful.” 

In addition to Lauren Kreinces and Jason Perlman, the 2025 graduates with alumni family members presenting their degrees include:  

Joseph Adams and father Dan Adams ’00 

Matthew Benak and cousins Rita Kaufman ’87 and Zachary Kaufman ’16 

Brandon Blum and father Jeffrey Blum ’92 

Mason Brooke and partner Tallulah Safka ’24 

Ethan Fine and partner Isabel Wolf ’24 

Benjamin Grabelsky and brother Eli Grabelsky ’23 

Jacqueline Grundfast and grandfather Norman Grundfast ’59 

Joseph Hennessy and brother Charlie Hennessy ’24 

Elana Konichowsky and father Mitchell Konichowsky ’93 and aunt Eileen Cohan ’92 

Thomas Lewis and uncle H.J. Willcox ’95 

James Macaluso and mother Donna Fafinski ’89 and father Joseph Macaluso’90 

Anthony Prestigiacomo and uncle Sylvester Sichenze ’89