Albany Law School welcomed students, alumni, faculty, and members of the legal community  for the 32nd Annual Kate Stoneman Day, an annual event dedicated to recognizing leaders who have advanced opportunities for women in the legal profession.
This year’s ceremony honored Connie Cahill, Esq. ’83, Amy J. Kellogg, Esq. ’02, and Nairobi Vives, Esq. ’12 as Kate Stoneman honorees, alongside Danielle R. Holley, president of Mount Holyoke College, who received the prestigious Miriam M. Netter ’72 Kate Stoneman Award.
Named for Kate Stoneman, Class of 1898—the first woman admitted to practice law in New York State and Albany Law School’s first female graduate—the awards celebrate individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to creating change and expanding opportunities for women in the legal field.

Danielle R. Holley, the twentieth president of Mount Holyoke College, was recognized for her national leadership in higher education and her scholarship in civil rights and equity.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Holley is a noted legal scholar whose work focuses on American higher education and race-conscious admissions. She previously served as dean of the Howard University School of Law and continues to shape national conversations around access and equity. In addition to her academic leadership, she serves on the board of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and is an Aspen Institute fellow.
At Mount Holyoke, Holley is leading the institution through a strategic vision focused on preparing students for lives of purposeful leadership. 
In her acceptance speech, she spoke about the progress women have made in the legal field—as well as in higher education in general—as they face continued barriers. She also spoke about women’s colleges and their role in education, particularly in law. 
“Some of the most important women lawyers in this country have graduated from women's colleges. Nita Lowey is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, yes. Polly Murray is a graduate of Hunter's College, which was a women's college in the 1930s, and of course, Marion Wright Edelman is a graduate of Spelman College,” she said. “And the reason that I want to lift up women's education tonight, and for us to think together about the ways that women in the legal profession can be empowered, is there are very few women's colleges left. There are only 24 women's colleges left in the United States, and those colleges are doing a lot of the heavy lifting still for producing women for leadership in all realms.”

Amy J. Kellogg ’02, a partner at Harter Secrest & Emery and head of the firm’s Government Affairs Practice Group, was honored for her extensive work in government relations and her dedication to mentoring women in the legal field.
With a career spanning 25 years, Kellogg has represented a broad range of clients before the New York State Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and state agencies. In addition to her legal practice, she serves as an adjunct professor at Albany Law School, where she teaches “The Law of Lobbying.”
Kellogg has also played a key role in fostering professional networks for women, organizing a government-sector networking group and mentoring students and alumni pursuing careers in public service. She currently serves as president of the SUNY Potsdam Foundation Board and chair of Albany Law School’s Government Law Center.
In her speech, she noted that Stoneman did something that to this day remains challenging—passing legislation. Stoneman had passed the bar exam but was rejected from the practice of law in New York. At the time women were not allowed for admission, so she pushed for legislation to permit the admission of qualified applicants regardless of sex or race.
“Passing legislation is not for the faint of heart. It is not easy to do. And while many things have changed since 1886, I'm guessing that the one thing that has not changed is it takes a lot of time, strategy, and dedication to get a bill passed into law in New York. This was also historic legislation that she was working on, which, while more impactful, also means that there are more challenges, and she overcame them all in a shockingly short period of time. Thankfully today, while we still need more women to do this work, the progress I have seen in the past 25 years is inspiring. And we have more women than ever working in government affairs, politics, and policy at a time when many are completely disillusioned with the legislative process and politics, I think it is more important than ever to embrace the process, fight the fight, and ask for what we want,” Kellogg said. “There has never been a more important time to be engaged in the legislative process and ask for what you want. I'm honored to play my part in the process, fighting the good fight, and asking for what I want.”

Nairobi Vives ’12, an assistant attorney general in the New York State Office of the Attorney General, was recognized for her commitment to justice, equity, and public service.
In her role within the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, Vives investigates patterns of police misconduct across more than 500 law enforcement agencies statewide, working to promote accountability, transparency, and public trust.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Vives served as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, where she focused on expanding opportunity and addressing systemic barriers within the profession.
Throughout her career, Vives has remained dedicated to mentoring women and supporting pathways to leadership, including her work with Albany Law School’s Women’s Leadership Initiative Advisory Board.
Vives shared stories of her grandmother and the impact she had. She was passionate about civic engagement and community and was always encouraging of Vives and her aspirations.   
“Because of her, I was able to understand my calling in life. And because I was blessed to have a family that created an environment where I was free to dream and to challenge the things that I didn't like. Where people believed in me, and I was taught to believe in myself and I was able to achieve my goals. As a Black woman, I learned early that our society did not expect much of me, and that the playing field was not level. However, I knew as a Black woman, my lived experience and that of the women around me, would make me a better attorney,” she said. “Experiencing injustice helped me to issue spot, to reframe arguments and questions to address the actual source of the problem, to check my biases, to empathize with clients and stakeholders to understand the impact of a ruling or a law that may have on people that have been marginalized. I've been able to use my law degree to make a change in the community I was raised in and continue to live in. I go to work every day knowing that I work for my personal hero, Letitia James, and I get to serve on the board of WLI and help young women starting their legal careers. To all of the people in my life who made this possible, thank you.”

Connie Cahill ’83, managing partner of Barclay Damon and the first woman to hold that role at the firm, was recognized for her decades-long career in public finance law and her commitment to advancing women in the profession.
With more than 35 years of experience, Cahill has served in a wide range of legal roles, including bond counsel and advisor to New York State agencies, municipalities, and institutions. 
Cahill has also been a driving force behind initiatives that support inclusion and professional growth. She spearheaded the creation of the firm’s Women’s Forum, which promotes mentorship and advancement for women attorneys, and helped establish the Helping Attorneys  and Their Children (HATCH) Program, designed to support attorneys who are new parents.
“Being recognized for seeking change and extending opportunities for women is especially meaningful because so many women and men contributed to where I've gotten today. They've been there at every turn to encourage me, to open doors, to push me into roles that I didn't think I was ready for, and frankly, probably wasn't ready for. And so for them, I'm very grateful, and anything I've done, so many people that were there by my side. I'm just paying it forward,” Cahill said. “When I think about it, about this award, and how much has changed since 1983, when I started my career, [we were] lucky if there was a one woman at the table, and there were no managing partners, practice group leaders, PA chairs who were women. That just wasn't even a thought that that was possible. But boy, has it changed. Today, we live in a state where our governor is a woman. The majority leader of the state senate is a woman. A majority of the judges on the New York State Court of Appeals are women. The presiding justices of the first and third department are women. The dean of this law school is a woman. Women are leading law firms, leading educational institutions, running businesses, shaping policies, and driving change in their communities every day. We have truly come a long way.”
But, there is much to be done, she said.
“When we talk about how far we've come, we know the work's really not done. We still need to knock down barriers, open doors, and create opportunities for others. There is much more we need to do to elevate women attorneys. There is much more we need to do to elevate attorneys of color. There's much more we need to do to elevate attorneys who are members of the LGBTQIA plus community. There's so much more we need to do to elevate first-generation attorneys, single-parent attorneys, veterans who have fought for their country and are now attorneys, and all of those others first and only in the room. Because when we expand opportunity, we're not just helping the individuals, we're strengthening our law firms, our schools, and our communities.”