Hon. Christina L. Ryba ’01 Appointed Administrative Judge in the Capital Region’s Third Judicial District

Albany Law congratulates the Hon. Christina L. Ryba ’01 on her appointment as Administrative Judge in the Capital Region’s Third Judicial District. Justice Ryba is one of our most distinguished graduates and a valued member of our Board of Trustees. This prestigious appointment was made by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph A. Zayas, in consultation with Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson and Presiding Justice Elizabeth A. Garry ’90 of the Appellate Division, Third Department.

In this new role, Justice Ryba will be responsible for overseeing trial court operations in the Third Judicial District, which includes Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. She will be succeeding Hon. Gerald W. Connolly, who is retiring after 19 years on the bench and over four years as Administrative Judge.

“We are incredibly proud of Justice Ryba’s accomplishments and her unwavering commitment to public service,” said President and Dean Cinnamon Carlarne. “Her dedication to the legal profession and the just and fair execution of the rule of law exemplifies the values we strive to instill in our students.”

In the announcement of Justice Ryba’s appointment, Chief Administrative Judge Zayas noted Justice Ryba's qualifications for this important position, stating, “Justice Ryba has a record of success in her role as the Third Judicial District’s Supervising Judge of Supreme Court, instituting programs to streamline court operations and enhance public access to the courts. I am fully confident that her intimate knowledge of court operations and initiatives, combined with her collaborative management style, will benefit the District and those it serves.”

First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George also praised Justice Ryba, saying, “Justice Ryba is a champion of equal justice who understands the power of active listening in developing innovative solutions to operational and other needs and effecting meaningful change. She is a collaborative leader widely respected by judicial colleagues, non-judicial personnel, and Court System stakeholders alike. I look forward to working with her in her new capacity.”

This appointment is a significant milestone in Justice Ryba’s already impressive career. She became the first Black person to serve on the State Supreme Court bench in the Third Department upon her election in 2015. Her career has included a variety of influential positions within the court system, as well as experience in private practice and public service. Beyond her judicial duties, Justice Ryba is deeply committed to narrowing New York’s access to justice gap and serves as co-chair of the UCS Permanent Commission on Access to Justice.

Justice Ryba has been an active member of the Albany Law School community since her graduation in 2001. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees since 2011, she is a past president of the National Alumni Association, served on the most recent President and Dean search committee, issued the oath of professionalism to our new students, judged moot court competitions, offered internships to our students, and often attends orientation and networking events. She was honored, along with several other alumni and members of the Albany Law community, by the National Black Law School Association as one of the most influential black attorneys in the northeast in a ceremony in February of 2025.

We congratulate Judge Ryba on this wonderful accomplishment and thank her for her continuing commitment to public service.