Thank You, Mr. Swyer!

THE PLACE KNOWN for combining theory and practice and serving as an in-house public interest law firm, providing free legal services to eligible clients in the Capital Region is now named after a generous person who believes in the mission, work, and future of Albany Law School.
 The Edward P. Swyer Justice Center at Albany Law School was officially renamed after Swyer, who has been  an extraordinarily loyal donor and supporter.

 The official renaming ceremony on May 2, 2023, preceded the unveiling of new signage on Albany Law School’s 2000 Building and an official proclamation by the law school’s Board of Trustees.
 Swyer and his family and their  gifts of time, philanthropy, and  expertise—helped build and grow clinical programs within The Justice Center, specifically the Community and Economic Development Clinic. They generously created an endowment to support The Justice Center in perpetuity in 2019.

 “I am so overwhelmed and humbled but so proud by this dedication today. I am especially thankful to be here today with my family,” Swyer said. Ed Swyer has effectively carried on the philanthropic mission of his father, Lewis A. Swyer. Both wanted to help Capital Region residents with business ideas and entrepreneurial dreams, but who might not have the financial means to do so.

 “His focus was to eliminate poverty by investing in individuals in poorer neighborhoods,” Swyer said of his father to dozens of friends, family, and local dignitaries who attended the ceremony. “He would provide a loan to individuals without credit, assets, or a banking history. But, they had the insatiable desire to create a better life for themselves and their family by starting a business.”

The renaming is the latest of many connections between the Swyer family and Albany Law. Though not an attorney himself, Ed Swyer received an honorary degree from the law school in 2018 and in 2008 the law school honored him with the Trustees Gold Medal, the law school’s highest accolade. The medal is awarded annually to an individual with a record of exemplary support and dedication to the advancement of the school.

Then there is the work of Lewis A. Swyer’s construction company—The L.A. Swyer Co., Inc.—building the Schaffer Law Library in 1986. The “building within a building” design was ambitious and one of his father’s proudest projects, Ed Swyer said.

The elder Swyer also started a namesake scholarship which eventually expanded into the Lewis A. Swyer Academic Success Program. That program provides academic support workshops for first-year law students.

Finally, there are the strong connections with the Community Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) which started in 2016. Ed Swyer has been a crucial part of the clinic’s growth and the incredible regional impact it has on the Capitol Region.

 “With the Community Economic Development Clinic, we identify individuals with the desire, ability, and idea for a business. Most of all, those individuals had a dream for a better life,” Swyer said.