LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Jeffrey G. Smith upon the occasion of
his induction into the Dutchess Community College Alumni Hall of Fame on
March 27, 2010

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those individ-
uals who devote themselves to the welfare of the community and its citi-
zenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Jeffrey G. Smith upon the occasion of his induction into the Dutchess
Community College Alumni Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, In honor of this most illustrious accolade, Jeffrey G. Smith
will be recognized by the Dutchess Community College Foundation at its
Community's Bridge to the Future Gala to be held on Saturday, March 27,
2010, at The Grandview, Poughkeepsie, New York; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Jeffrey G. Smith has contin-
ually demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and
diligent leadership in his unwavering service to both his community and
profession; and
WHEREAS, Jeffrey G. Smith was raised on Long Island and started his
college career at SUNY at Stony Brook; after one year, he took a leave
of absence, worked a handful of jobs, before moving to San Francisco,
California; and
WHEREAS, In 1971, after much adversity in his life, Jeffrey G. Smith
was committed to the Green Haven Correctional Facility; he saw his stay
as an opportunity to take control of his life; subsequently, he current-
ly serves as an exemplary role model for all those seeking second chanc-
es; and
WHEREAS, Through a program run by The South Forty Corp., which has
since been merged into The Osborne Association, Jeffrey G. Smith became
the first inmate in a New York State prison to earn a degree from Dutch-
ess Community College (DCC); he later served as an inmate employee of
Osborne, teaching college readiness courses; and
WHEREAS, In December of 1972, Jeffrey G. Smith's sentence was commuted
by then Governor Nelson Rockefeller in significant part based on his
accomplishments at DCC; upon his release, he continued his undergraduate
education at Vassar College, where he also earned fellowships for gradu-
ate study in law and public policy, and continued to work summers for
Osborne as a civilian teacher in the college preparation program at
Green Haven; and
WHEREAS, Jeffrey G. Smith also went on to earn a Master's degree in
Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs at Princeton University, where he was a graduate research
fellow; moreover, he received his law degree from Yale Law School, where
he was a teaching assistant for the trial practice course and a student
supervisor in the Yale Prison Legal Services Organization; and
WHEREAS, Today, Jeffrey G. Smith is a senior partner at a New York
City law firm that, among other things, specializes in plaintiffs' class
actions; and
WHEREAS, Jeffrey G. Smith has substantial experience in federal secu-
rities class actions, shareholder derivative actions, and tender offer,
merger, and takeover litigation, as well as class actions on behalf of
plaintiffs in wage and hour employment law and consumer protection liti-
gation; he has been the lead attorney in some of the largest and most
significant securities, shareholder, and wage and hour cases litigated

in recent decades, and has frequently lectured on corporate governance
issues to business and professional groups and graduate and undergradu-
ate business students; and
WHEREAS, Jeffrey G. Smith is admitted to the bars of the state courts
in New York and California; he is also admitted to practice in the
Supreme Court of the United States and various U.S. Courts of Appeals
and District Courts around the country; he is a member of several
professional organizations including the New York City Bar Association,
the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the
State Bar of California, and the American Association for Justice; and
WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Jeffrey G. Smith has been
called upon to contribute his time and talents to countless civic and
charitable endeavors and has always given of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his service on the Dutchess Community College
Foundation Board, Jeffrey G. Smith serves as Chair of the Board of The
Osborne Association, which works to develop innovative approaches to the
problems caused by drug use and incarceration; he also serves on the
Board of the Alliance for Downtown Ossining, a community development
agency in his home village, and is an appointed member of the Village of
Ossining Environmental Advisory Council; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Jeffrey G. Smith has stood constant
in dignity, good grace and humor; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Jeffrey G. Smith has displayed
throughout his life; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Jeffrey G. Smith upon the occasion of his induction into the
Dutchess Community College Alumni Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Jeffrey G. Smith.