Kate Stoneman Day 2026
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 5:30 PM
Albany Law School - DAMC and Zoom
Celebrating individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to seeking change and expanding opportunities for women within the legal profession
Sponsors
About our Honorees
Miriam M. Netter '72 Kate Stoneman Keynoter
President Danielle R. Holley
Danielle R. Holley is the twentieth president of Mount Holyoke College. A noted legal scholar and educator, she holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. A professor of politics, Danielle Holley is an authority on American higher education and a distinguished scholar of civil rights and equity. She is a leading scholar of the Supreme Court decision regarding race-conscious college and university admissions. She is on the Board of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and is an Aspen Institute Liberty and Aspen-Kern Fellow. She previously served as Dean of the Howard University School of Law.
Under President Holley’s leadership, the College continues to blaze trails as the leading gender-diverse women’s college and one that prepares students to live bold lives of purposeful leadership. President Holley is overseeing a remarkable next chapter for Mount Holyoke College. With the MHC Forward Strategic Plan, the College is preparing students for lives of purposeful leadership in a changing world.
Kate Stoneman Award
Connie Cahill, Esq. ’83
Connie Cahill serves as the first woman managing partner of Barclay Damon. With more than 35 years of public finance experience, she serves as bond counsel, underwriter's counsel, borrower counsel, and bank counsel in public finance transactions involving NYS agencies and authorities, industrial development agencies, local development corporations, municipalities, and school districts. As managing partner, Connie oversees the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the firm, ensuring its continued growth and success.
A steadfast advocate for diversity, she believes that a diverse firm delivers better client service by bringing varied perspectives and experiences to solving complex legal challenges. This conviction has guided her leadership, including her spearheading the creation of the firm’s Women’s Forum—a program dedicated to fostering professional growth, mentorship, and inclusion for women attorneys. Connie was also a driving force behind the establishment of the firm’s HATCH Program. An acronym for Helping Attorneys and Their Children, HATCH provides enhanced support for all attorneys who are new parents—regardless of gender.
Kate Stoneman Award
Amy J. Kellogg, Esq. ’02
Amy Kellogg is a Partner at Harter Secrest & Emery, where she is head of the Government Affairs Practice Group and is the partner in charge of the Albany office. Amy has been a Government Affairs attorney for 25 years, where her law practice has focused on representing a variety of New York State professional associations, businesses, and not-for-profits before New York State Government, including the State Legislature, Governor's Office, and various State Agencies. Amy's years of experience have earned her various recognitions including being included to the City & State Trailblazers in Health Care list for 2025 and being selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Government Relations. In addition to her work, Amy is an adjunct professor at Albany Law, where she teaches "The Law of Lobbying, " and she serves as President of the SUNY Potsdam Foundation Board and Chair of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
Kate Stoneman Award
Nairobi Vives, Esq. ’12
Nairobi Vives currently serves as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Office of the Attorney General within the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office (LEMIO). In this role, she investigates patterns of police misconduct for over 500 local law enforcement agencies statewide, works to strengthen accountability systems, and advances practices that promote fairness, transparency, and public trust in law enforcement across New York State.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Ms. Vives was Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Counsel’s Office at the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). She is a strong proponent of policies and practices that advance gender equity in the workplace, expand leadership representation, and support women navigating complex legal and professional systems. She actively mentors women and girls pursuing careers in law and public service and champions initiatives designed to create sustainable pipelines into leadership roles. Ms. Vives proudly serves as a member of the Albany Law School Women’s Leadership Initiative Advisory Board, where she supports strategic efforts to cultivate, connect, and elevate women leaders in the legal profession.
Kate Stoneman Student Award Winner — Students will be honored for their award-winning submission answering the question, “What Would Kate Stoneman Do?”
Future Award Nominations
The Kate Stoneman Honorary Committee is always accepting nominations for the Kate Stoneman Awards.
The Kate Stoneman Awards are given annually to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to seeking change and expanding opportunities for women within the legal profession. They have influenced other women to pursue legal careers and have opened doors that historically have been closed to women lawyers.
Support
Kate Stoneman sponsorship opportunities are available. See below for more information.