168th Commencement: Watch Live
Albany Law School celebrated five outstanding graduates at the 2019 Grand Honors Awards on Thursday, September 19 at Kiernan Plaza:
Trustees Gold Medal Hon. Bernard J. Malone Jr. ’72Senior Counsel, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP
Distinguished Alumni Award Hon. Leslie E. Stein ’81Associate Judge, New York Court of Appeals
Donald D. DeAngelis '60 Excellence in Alumni Service Award Robert A. Rausch ’94Partner, Maynard, O'Connor, Smith & Catalinotto LLP
Outstanding Young Alumni Award Samantha G. Howell ’10Pro Bono Director, Southern Legal Counsel
Humanitarian Achievement Award Hon. Elizabeth A. Garry ’90Presiding Justice, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department
"Albany Law School has the best alumni in the world," said President and Dean Alicia Ouellette. "By conferring these awards, we are acknowledging not only the successes of our own, but also their service to the profession—and to Albany Law School."
The Grand Honors Awards ceremony, presented by the National Alumni Association, kicked off Reunion weekend for the second straight year. Other Reunion events include: the State of the School Address, delivered by President and Dean Alicia Ouellette ’94; a renaming ceremony for The Justice Center at Albany Law School; a Schuyler Mansion tour: "When Alexander Hamilton Called Albany Home"; traditions such as the TGIF reception, men's and women's rugby games, Reunion picnic, and Reunion dinner; and more. View the full schedule of events at alumni.albanylaw.edu/reunion.
About the Albany Law School Grand Honors Awards:
The Trustees Gold Medal, first awarded in 1966, is the highest accolade bestowed by Albany Law School and is given to an individual who has demonstrated a record of exemplary support and dedication to the advancement of Albany Law School. This award is presented by the Board of Trustees from nominations provided by the National Alumni Association Board of Directors. The distinguished list of Trustees Gold Medal honorees includes Warren M. Anderson '40, Domenick L. Gabrielli '36, Hon. Robert J. Sise '49, Prof. David D. Siegel, Donald R. DeAngelis '60, Hon. Harry J. D'Agostino '55, Peter M. Pryor '54, James N. Benedict '74, E. Stewart Jones Jr. '66, and Edward P. Swyer, to name a few. Daniel P. Nolan '78 received the Trustees Gold Medal in 2018.
The Distinguished Alumni Award, created in 1998 to recognize an individual's continuous record of service to Albany Law School, is the highest honor bestowed by the National Alumni Association Board of Directors. The award criteria include, but are not limited to, outstanding professional accomplishment, sustained engagement, and continual support of Albany Law School. Past recipients include Donna E. Wardlaw '77, Hon. Randolph F. Treece '76, Hon. Joseph C. Teresi '71, Hon. Mary O. Ricci '83, Hon. Victoria A. Graffeo '77, VADM Barry M. Costello '81, Peter C. Kopff '75, Frank L. Fernandez '80, Hon. Katherine M. Sheehan '94, Hon. Thomas J. Vilsack '75, Lisa A. Whitney '71, Stephen P. Younger '82, and Hon. Bernard J. Malone Jr. '72. Hon. Michael J. Garcia '89 received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018.
The Donald D. DeAngelis '60 Excellence in Alumni Service Award, created in 1989, recognizes outstanding dedication and commitment to alumni, to the National Alumni Association, and to Albany Law School. It was named in honor of Donald D. DeAngelis, Class of 1960, who served as the first president of the National Alumni Association Board of Directors, a member of the Albany Law School Board of Trustees, and an associate editor of the Albany Law Review, among other contributions to the law school. Recipients join a notable list of past honorees, including: Richard D. Parsons '71, Prof. Francis H. Anderson '47, Dean Martin H. Belsky, Daniel P. Nolan '78, Dianne R. Phillips '88, John J. Yanas '53, Hon. Erik E. Joh '70, Prof. Michael J. Hutter Jr., Berta Hernandez-Truyol '78, Hon. Andrew M. Cuomo '82, Hon. Bernard J. Malone Jr. '72, Donna E. Wardlaw '77, Richard A. Reed '81, Robert G. Lyman '69, William E. Redmond '55, Mary Ann A. Cody '83, Barbara D. Cottrell '84, John M. Bagyi '96, Harold C. Hanson '66, Larry P. Schiffer '79, and Ruth E. Leistensnider '88. Keiki-Michael Cabanos '97 and Amy J. Kellogg '02 received the DeAngelis Award in 2018.
The Outstanding Young Alumni Award, first presented in 1990, is given to alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to Albany Law School through consistent volunteerism and engagement. Previous honorees include Louis Cristo '84, Stephen P. Younger '82, Richard J. Miller Jr. '89, Lee H. Wasserman '83, Barbara D. Cottrell '84, Gregory V. Serio '86, Patricia E. Salkin '88, Hon. John L. Sampson '91, Christopher R. Lyons '88, Hon. Glen T. Bruening '89, Cynthia A. Platt '89, Gina M. Stevens '90, Monica L. Kreshik '94, Hon. Richard M. Platkin '93, Patricia D. DeAngelis '94, Molly A. Wilkinson '96, Hon. Christine M. Clark '96, Keiki-Michael Cabanos '97, Hon. Ryan T. Donovan '01, Laura M. Jordan '03, and David A. Rozen '10. Javid Afzali '12, Matthew J. Laroche '10, and Adam W. Silverman '08 received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2018.
The Humanitarian Achievement Award, created in 2019, recognizes the extraordinary humanitarian contributions of an individual in the community who dedicates their time and legal expertise to improve quality of life and fight indifference, intolerance, and/or injustice through providing pro bono services, engaging in activism, supporting legal education, improving the delivery of legal services, and beyond. Hon. Elizabeth A. Garry '90 is the inaugural recipient of this award.
