LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Penelope Andrews upon the occasion of
her designation as recipient of the Inaugural Peter Pryor Pioneer Award
by the Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the
best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration and
cannot be sufficiently extolled; and
WHEREAS, Penelope Andrews has given not only of her time and energies
but also of her competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently
has been designated for special honor; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Penelope
Andrews upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Inau-
gural Peter Pryor Pioneer Award by the Capital District Black and
Hispanic Bar Association to be celebrated on Wednesday, June 10, 2015,
at the State Bar Center-Great Hall in Albany, New York; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed educator is receiving this prestigious honor in
recognition of her positive impact and leadership as the first woman of
color to serve as Dean of Albany Law School, and in appreciation of her
outstanding efforts to educate and inspire members of the community and
the legal profession within the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Penelope Andrews earned her bachelor's degree and LL.B from
the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa; she was admitted as an
advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa, and earned her LL.M from
Columbia University School of Law; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, Penelope Andrews commenced her law teaching career
in Melbourne, Australia; she has been tenured at four law schools, and
has served on important law school committees and in public interest
legal organizations; and
WHEREAS, Penelope Andrews served as the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs and Professor of Law at City University of New York School of
Law, and was a Professor of Law and Director of International Studies at
Valparaiso Law School, as well as the Chair of Public Law at La Trobe
University in Melbourne, Australia; and
WHEREAS, In 2012, Penelope Andrews was appointed as Albany Law
School's 17th President and the first female president and dean in
school history; and
WHEREAS, In her capacity as President and Dean of Albany Law School,
Penelope Andrews forged partnerships with educational and training
institutions in the Capital Region, and expanded Albany Law School
offerings in the fields of law, technology, finance, and health; and
WHEREAS, In her official acts, President and Dean Penelope Andrews has
pursued an approach which establishes Albany Law School as a notable
institution in the Capital Region through coordinating programs and
engagement with the business, government and educational community; and
WHEREAS, In addition, she has raised alumni engagement and successful-
ly led fundraising efforts with the establishment of several new schol-
arships, prizes and lecture funds; and
WHEREAS, Penelope Andrews has been called upon to contribute her time
and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has always
given of herself unstintingly; she has been a member and chair of
several accreditation site teams for the American Bar Association's
section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Penelope Andrews has consulted for the United
Nations Development Fund for Women, and for the Ford Foundation in
Johannesburg; she is currently working on a project that focuses on the
challenges for law school graduates in rural communities; and

WHEREAS, An accomplished author, Penelope Andrews has published four
books and over 50 articles and chapters which have focused on such
issues as comparative constitutional law, gender and racial equality,
and international justice and the judiciary; and
WHEREAS, Penelope Andrews is a regular speaker at conferences and
seminars in the Capital Region and beyond on many vital subjects includ-
ing the challenges facing female leaders, public interest and civil
rights lawyering, racial and gender discrimination, and transitional
justice; 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
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Penelope Andrews upon the occasion of her designation as recipient
of the Inaugural Peter Pryor Pioneer Award by the Capital District Black
and Hispanic Bar Association; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Penelope Andrews.