ALBANYLAW Magazine | Fall 2025

From the President and Dean

Each year, I look forward to sharing the inspiring stories of our alumni, students, faculty, and staff with our community in the Albany Law magazine. This year, we are celebrating that important work with a renewed appreciation for our history and foundation as we celebrate the 175th anniversary of our school’s founding.

As the nation’s oldest independent law school, we have set a standard of excellence for the past 175 years. At the very core of everything we do is our 175-year legacy: a legacy built upon exceptional legal education and a deep commitment to producing lawyers and leaders who are ready to practice, ready to serve, and ready to lead.

In this issue, you’ll read about some of our alumni who embody these three pillars, including Stefen Short ’13 and Willow Baer ’07, who have both dedicated their careers to public service.

You’ll also meet some of our incredible Barrister donors. Their generosity and spirit allow our students to thrive and pursue opportunities they may not otherwise consider. Donors like Matt Laroche ’10, Julia Lu ’98, Kristin MacDonald ’10, Laurie Marsh ’90, Joe Reynolds ’76, and Roseann Torres ’98 share the impact their Albany Law education had on them and why they choose to give back.

I am also proud to share some stories from the work done here on campus to prepare the next generation of lawyers and leaders. A shining example of this is the work being done by people like Bria Barnes-Coleman, Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative & Community Engagement, to support and encourage students to grow both personally and professionally.

Academically, our faculty are boosting Albany Law School’s reputation in new and emerging fields, such as business law. Professor Jennifer Martin and Professor Christine Sgarlata Chung mentored as a stellar group of students in the MAC Cup III, an exceptionally selective mock negotiation competition sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Mergers & Acquisitions Committee.

As I look back on 2025, it is with immense pride and gratitude. Going into 2026, as a community we will celebrate our school’s 175th anniversary. We do so with great pride, great ambition, and great expectations for the future. We are a community that is built on our commitment to excellence: excellence in teaching, excellence in scholarship, excellence in practice, excellence in service, and excellence in leadership.

Albany Law alumni are, and always have been, leaders across the state and nation. We are excited to work together with each and every one of you to support our next generation of great lawyers and leaders and to ensure that they continue Albany Law’s legacy of excellence as they graduate ready to practice, ready to serve, and ready to lead.

I am excited for what is to come. We have a year full of celebrations planned and I hope you will join us in honoring our past, celebrating our present, and envisioning the future we will continue to build together.