Letter to Alumni fall 2012

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Dear Alumni:
 
As president and dean of Albany Law School, this is my inaugural letter to you, the alumni of this great Law School. I write this letter with great enthusiasm because I know that as former students you helped shape the proud history of Albany Law School, that as lawyers and graduates you showcase to the world the excellence of what we do and produce here, and that as alumni you contribute to the ongoing development of Albany Law School and its innovations.  Because of your support, I know that there will be no loss of momentum in meeting various challenges such as carrying out our educational and professional mission, in providing a stimulating learning environment for this year's students, or in enabling recent graduates to participate as alumni in furthering the well-being of the School. 
 
Albany Law School has a notable and long history, 160 years of history to be precise.  Throughout its history, it has demonstrated its ability to respond to changing circumstances.   Today, we live in a time of rapid changes, driven by changing markets and new technologies. As you might expect, Albany Law School must change, and is changing, in response to the new circumstances. I want you to know, however, that with your participation and help, we will be proactive, and not just reactive, to the changed conditions. In particular, I want to emphasize that, during this time, we will maintain focus on our primary purpose of providing a superior educational and professional environment for new lawyers.  
 
Since assuming my role as president and dean, I have met with staff and faculty members individually and in groups to hear about their concerns, ideas and aspirations for Albany Law School. Together we have examined a range of issues, including staffing, budgets, curricula, bar exam preparation, tuition, organizational structure, schedules, scholarship, teaching loads, and much more.
 
I have also met many students who have discussed with me their interests in going to law school generally, and their particular interests in choosing to enroll in Albany Law School. As you might guess, the interests vary and include:  working in a large-city law firm; pursuing a fruitful and satisfactory career in law; working for a small firm in the Albany area; establishing their own law firm; working in government; using legal training to obtain non-legal work in financial or corporate fields; using law to bring about meaningful reforms; and using law as a discipline, or foundation, to empower them to pursue their aspirations. Rich in the diversity of its offerings, Albany Law School can accommodate all of these interests.   
 
Of course, some of our students chose Albany Law School because you were an influence as a parent, grandparent, or other relative. We are happy to have these students. We are happy to have such “legacy” students not only because they provide a solid link to the past but also because, through their relationship with you, their enrollment constitutes a reaffirmation of the value of the School in training a new generation of lawyers.
 
We are fortunate to have a faculty committed both to teaching and mentoring students and helping them to understand what it takes to realize their professional ambitions. The faculty and I work to support our students in multiple ways. In doing this, we try to be receptive to their concerns inside and outside the classroom. Needless to say, the curriculum is sufficiently rich to support the most extensive career options.
 
I am dedicated to ensuring that students have stimulating and productive educational and professional experiences, and will deliver on it. In preparing our students for a career in the law, I know that Albany Law School occupies a unique position because it is the sole law school in perhaps the most important state capital in the nation. As a consequence, the Law School is able to offer special internships and field placement opportunities. The Clinic and Justice Center is a leading program in this area but Albany Law School has many other programs offering rewarding placement opportunities. 
 
Albany Law School's ability to provide almost all students with practical legal experiences, many of which involve direct interactions with clients, is a key factor in today's market. These practical experiences are a direct result of the support from our alumni in providing internships, serving as mentors, teaching as adjuncts, and working with our students individually and in groups.
 
In short, a significant part of the success of our students derives from your participation inside and outside the walls of the School. Many of you hire some of our students upon their graduation. That kind of commitment to the School is priceless, and is a testament to how entangled the relationship is between the School and alumni.
 
For those of you who have not hired or interviewed our students, I invite you to visit us, reacquaint yourselves with what is taught and learned here, and meet our students. I know that they will impress you. I also invite you to advise me about any particular obstacles you may face in considering our students for employment. I can assure you that the entire School will welcome the opportunity to address these concerns and to work towards eliminating the obstacles.
 
Our newest class—the Class of 2015—includes 202 students. This is slightly smaller than what we earlier anticipated for this year. Despite the enrollment drop, I want to assure you that the Law School is fiscally sound. This fortunate condition is the work of our Board of Trustees, former Presidents Thomas F. Guernsey and Connie Mayer, our Vice President for Finance and Business, Victor Rauscher, and the support of alumni like you who invest in legal education.
 
You were a member of the Barrister Society last year with your gift of $xxx. Please consider making a Barrister level gift of $xxx this year. Your gift provides scholarship support to our students and a rich legal education experience with the Albany Law Clinic & Justice Center, The Government Law Center, Journals, Moot Court and many other co-curricular programs. Investing in Albany Law School today ensures a very bright future for this institution and the future lawyers it produces.
 
We remain ahead of the curve in many ways, including meeting new standards set by governing bodies. For example, a new rule imposed by New York’s Chief Justice requires 50 hours of pro bono service for admission to the New York State Bar. I am pleased that the infrastructure to provide these opportunities already exists at Albany Law School.  
 
Our student-run Pro Bono Society provides hundreds of students thousands of pro bono hours through such projects as the Rural and Farmworker Legal Project, the Prisoners’ Legal Education Reentry Program, the Matrimonial & Family Law Program, and the Veterans’ Rights Project.   This is adequate for enabling students to satisfy the new requirement. However, to insure that students don't default on this obligation, we have appointed a Coordinator of Pro Bono Services whose task will be to help students achieve the requisite number of pro bono hours of service. 

Some of you have by now come to know my background. Attached to this letter is a recent article from the Business Review, which highlights my background and experience and sets out some of my vision and goals for Albany Law School. I will work to expand both academic legal opportunities and practical legal experiences for Albany Law School students in the Capital region, across the nation, and internationally.  
 
I have met with many graduates during the past few months and I am eager to meet many more of you. I want to hear about your ideas, your experiences as a student, and your expectations of Albany Law School as a graduate.
 
I invite you to visit the Albany Law School website to see the many exciting programs and activities happening at the school on a regular basis. I also invite you to listen to my address to the Class of 2015, which highlights my expectations of them and of Albany Law School.
 
Lives are often permanently changed while in law school. Many of you had this experience.  Each student is unique in what he or she receives from the Law School and in what he or she gives to the Law School. Yet, from your perspective as alumni, you recognize that much is common in these differences. 
 
We give students an amazing toolkit. Together I want us to touch every student so that they graduate with aspirations to achieve far more than they ever thought to achieve before law school. I invite you to join me in this mission.
 
Sincerely,
Penelope (Penny) Andrews