Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack ’75 to help launch new Government Affairs and Advocacy online program at Albany Law School

February 07, 2022

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack ’75 will speak at the launch event for Albany Law School’s newest online graduate program, Government Affairs and Advocacy, on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. He will attend the event virtually.

After serving for eight years as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the Obama administration, Vilsack was asked to lead the department again by the Biden Administration last year. Between the assignments he served as the president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). He also previously served two terms as the governor of Iowa.

The in-person portion of the event will be held in the Dean Alexander Moot Courtroom. Albany Law School President and Dean Alicia Ouellette ’94 and Director of the Government Law Center and former New York State Court of Appeals Justice Leslie Stein ’81 will also speak.

“Albany Law School has always prided itself on its special connections to government," Stein said. "We have been a part of New York State’s ongoing experiment in democracy since 1851. We have seen, studied, and learned from the ups and downs that government has experienced throughout that time. And we have often been directly involved in the hard work of improving the function and effectiveness of the governments around us – from local to federal, and beyond."

With the law school’s ideal location—in the heart of New York’s Capital Region—the new program will prepare both lawyers and non-lawyers to thrive and advance in government affairs, advocacy, and lobbying through highly practical coursework and by leveraging access to local, county, state, and federal offices. With a “Government Track,” and a “Lobbying and Advocacy Track,” students take courses in both, but can weight credits according to preference.

Interested in Government Affairs and Advocacy?

This program builds upon a proud tradition preparing both lawyers and non-lawyers to thrive and advance in government affairs, advocacy, and lobbying!

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Students will learn a core understanding of government affairs and procedures, as well as the advocacy and lobbying tools and strategies needed in order to have a greater impact on public policy. This program prepares students to begin a lobbying career on state and local government platforms or to rise up the ranks of public service within any branch of government.
The program’s dynamic courses offerings currently include (updates are expected to reflect changes in the field):

Introduction to Law and Legal Methods for Non-Lawyers
Administrative Law
Government Accountability
Government Ethics
Public Budgets and Finance
State and Local Governments
Government Spending and Grants
Legislative Process and Statutory Interpretation
Law of Lobbying
Using Law for Social Change
Influencing Policy Through Litigation
Influencing Policy-Makers
Influencing the Public
Virtual or On-Site Field Placement (optional)
Capstone Thesis

With the new Government Affairs and Advocacy program, Albany Law School adds to the most comprehensive array of online legal education programs in New York State for both lawyers and non-lawyers offering LL.M. and M.S. degrees along with advanced certificates in:

Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
Financial Compliance and Risk Management
Government Affairs and Advocacy
Health Law and Healthcare Compliance
Human Resources: Law, Leadership, and Policy

The law school’s COVID-19 policies limit in-person attendance to the event to current students, faculty, staff, and invited guests. Members of the media that wish to attend in-person should contact Ben Meyers at bmeye@albanylaw.edu.

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