New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang to Receive Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University will present the 2025 Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence to New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, recognizing her exceptional leadership and integrity in overseeing public sector investigations and her commitment to justice and transparency in government.

“Lucy Lang represents the highest ideals of public service and prosecutorial excellence,” said Pace Haub Law Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “As New York State’s Inspector General, she has brought a visionary approach to accountability and reform. Her career reflects an unwavering dedication to fairness, equity, and the responsible use of prosecutorial power.”

Lang was appointed as New York State’s 11th Inspector General in October 2021. A lifelong New Yorker, attorney, and educator, she leads statewide investigations into allegations of fraud, corruption, and abuse within New York State government. Under her leadership, the Office of the Inspector General has expanded transparency and technology initiatives, strengthened protections for vulnerable populations, and fostered a multidisciplinary approach to public integrity enforcement.

Lang’s extensive background includes serving as Director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution and over a decade as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, where she prosecuted violent crime and developed impactful policy initiatives as Special Counsel for Policy and Projects. She created a first-of-its-kind college course jointly attended by incarcerated students and prosecutors, exemplifying her commitment to education, dialogue, and justice reform.

Lucy Lang’s trailblazing work has made an indelible mark on public integrity and justice reform. - Robert S. Tucker

A graduate of Swarthmore College and Columbia Law School, Lang is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a member of the Council on Criminal Justice. She is widely published, including in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and the New York Daily News, and is the author of the children’s book March On!, about the 1915 Women’s March for Suffrage. She also holds a certificate from the Executive Public Leaders Programme at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

“Lucy Lang’s trailblazing work has made an indelible mark on public integrity and justice reform,” said Robert S. Tucker, whose generous endowment funds the award at Pace Haub Law. “From launching innovative transparency initiatives in the Inspector General’s office to pioneering educational programs that bridge the gap between prosecutors and incarcerated individuals, she has reshaped what it means to serve the public with fairness, empathy, and bold leadership. We are proud to honor her achievements with the Tucker Prize.”

The Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence is awarded annually to an individual or a group of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of criminal prosecution and who demonstrate excellence in prosecutorial practice. Honorees are selected each year by a jury comprising former prosecutors and Haub Law faculty members. The award ceremony brings together prosecutors from across the region and state, civic leaders, members of the judiciary, New York City government and the Haub Law community to recognize these distinguished individuals for their work. Past Award Recipients include Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and the Office of the Bronx District Attorney, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, former New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, and Richard A. Brown, the late Queens District Attorney, among others.

The ceremony for the Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence will take place on September 30, 2025 at Pace University in Manhattan, NY. For additional information about attending the ceremony, please email Rachael Silva.