The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ is pleased to announce that the Honorable Francesca E. Connolly ’82, Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department, will deliver the Law School’s commencement address at its 48th Commencement Ceremony, to be held May 21 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Justice Connolly will also receive the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, the highest honor conferred by the Law School.
Justice Connolly serves on the Appellate Division, Second Department, the busiest intermediate state appellate court in the nation, where she hears complex criminal and civil appeals from the trial courts of ten counties. Appointed to the court in 2016 by Governor Andrew Cuomo, she was named to the Second Department’s Constitutional Bench by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022. A senior member of the court, she currently serves as a Justice Presiding. Justice Connolly was the first graduate of Pace Haub Law to be appointed to the Appellate Division.
“Justice Connolly’s career reflects a profound dedication to public service, the rule of law, and the administration of justice,” said Horace E. Anderson Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ. “As a distinguished jurist and proud alumna of our law school, she exemplifies the leadership and integrity that we hope to instill in every Pace Haub Law graduate. We are honored to have her deliver the Law School’s commencement address this year.”
In 2024, Justice Connolly served by designation as an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court. She was first appointed to the New York State Supreme Court in 2009 by Governor David Paterson, elected to a 14-year term in 2010, and re-elected in 2023. During her tenure on the trial bench in Westchester County, she served as Supervising Judge of the Matrimonial Part and presided over the Environmental Claims Part, Compliance Part, and an Individual Assignment Part, where she handled a wide variety of cases, including medical malpractice, personal injury, commercial, and land use matters. From 2014 to 2016, she also sat on the Appellate Term for the Ninth and Tenth Judicial Districts.
Justice Connolly began her judicial career in 2006 when she became the first woman elected Ossining Town Justice, serving until 2009. She has also served as Acting City Court Judge in Mount Vernon and Yonkers. Her public service includes five years on the Ossining Town Council, including three years as Deputy Town Supervisor, as well as earlier service on the Town Planning Board. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
Returning to the Law School to address the graduating class is a tremendous honor.
—Honorable Francesca E. Connolly ’82, Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department
“Returning to the Law School to address the graduating class is a tremendous honor,” said Justice Connolly. “My time at Pace Haub Law helped shape my commitment to justice and public service. I look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and encouraging them to pursue their careers with integrity, purpose, and a dedication to serving their communities.”
Justice Connolly frequently lectures at continuing legal education programs, including for the New York State Judicial Institute, and has authored numerous published opinions. She serves on the New York State Advisory Committee on Civil Practice. Before ascending to the bench, she practiced complex civil litigation for 27 years in both state and federal courts, including significant work on the World Trade Center litigation in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Justice Connolly earned her BA, magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany in 1979 and her JD from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ in 1982.
Justice Connolly has been married to her husband, Kevin, for 40 years, and together they have two sons, Kevin and Sean, a daughter-in-law, Jackie, and two grandchildren, James and Claire.
The 2026 Commencement Ceremony for the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ will be live-streamed at 9:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, May 21, from Louis Armstrong Stadium, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY For more information, visit the Law School’s commencement website.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ has once again been ranked #1 in the nation for Environmental Law by U.S. News & World Report, marking the seventh time—and the sixth consecutive year—the program has earned the top distinction and further solidifying its position as a global leader in environmental legal education.
The Land Use Law Center at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ was recognized as Westchester County municipal leaders formally signed a new intermunicipal agreement reestablishing the Long Island Sound Watershed Intermunicipal Council (LISWIC), a coalition of 14 municipalities committed to advancing watershed protection, flood mitigation, and regional resilience.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ĢƵվ hosted a sold-out 31st Annual Law Leadership Dinner on March 12, 2026, at Westchester Country Club, raising a record-breaking fundraising total of over $500,000 in support of the Law School’s academic programs, faculty scholarship, and student opportunities.