Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Honors Bronx DA Darcel D. Clark and the Office of the Bronx District Attorney for Prosecutorial Excellence
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University awarded Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office with the 2022 Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence at an award ceremony held at the law school on Tuesday, April 26. The event brought together District Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys from across the region and state, civic leaders, members of the judiciary, and the Haub Law community to recognize the outstanding contributions of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in the field of criminal prosecution and excellence in prosecutorial practice.
“District Attorney Clark and the Office of the Bronx District Attorney embody the true meaning of public service and have dedicated their careers to pursuing a fair and just criminal justice system for all people of the Bronx, with an emphasis on criminal justice reform,” said Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “We are pleased to recognize her with the Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence, along with the entire Bronx DA’s office, many of whose member we are proud to call Haub Law alumni.”
The award was presented by Robert S. Tucker, Chairman and CEO of T&M, whose generous gift has endowed the annual prize. “District Attorney Clark’s remarkable career has been a testament to the values and commitment to equal justice that we seek to honor with this award,” said Robert S. Tucker. “DA Clark’s push to crack down on gun crimes and gang violence has been matched only by her tireless efforts to achieve true criminal justice reform and fairness for residents of the Bronx. She has fought for the rights of the mentally ill to ensure that the system seeks treatment whenever possible before jail. She has been a steadfast champion of ethics and integrity and has worked hard to give our prosecutors the resources and support they need to keep our city safe. We are so grateful to present her with this award as recognition of her extraordinary achievements in public service.”
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law has had the privilege to enjoy a long history with District Attorney Clark and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. In 2016, DA Clark was honored by Haub Law with the Pioneer of Justice Award which recognizes the achievement of phenomenal women in our society who are breaking glass ceilings and laying down foundations for a more equal future. Additionally, DA Clark has participated in several events at the law school, including a prosecution roundtable sponsored by Haub Law’s Criminal Law Society. Throughout the years, dozens of Haub Law alumni have worked at the Bronx County District Attorney’s office, with 64 currently employed in every capacity from Line Assistant to Chief of Staff.
“It’s not easy being a prosecutor,” said the Bronx DA’s Chief of Staff Odalys Alonso, a Haub Law Alumnus, who accepted the award along with DA Clark and Derek Lynton, Chief Assistant DA. She attributed their success to the mission that DA Clark has established as a guiding principal for the Office: Pursuing Justice with Integrity. “We look to Pace to bring us the brightest, the smartest and the most creative to help us achieve this,” she added.
DA Clark acknowledged the challenges of the past two years with rising crime rates throughout New York City and limited staff to meet the demand. The pandemic has especially impacted the Bronx, a county that has been historically underserved.
“I am so blessed to run an office full of attorneys and professional staff who really love the work that we do for the people of the Bronx. [They] strive every day to do what is right for public safety and for a fair justice system,” said DA Clark. “Our priority has always been to make sure we give a voice to our victims and their families. We know we have to be tough on those who are causing the harm in our community. But we also seek alternatives for those who suffer from afflictions that cause them to come into the criminal justice system and give second chances to those who really need them.”
Darcel Clark became District Attorney for Bronx County on January 1, 2016. She is the first woman in that position and the first African-American woman to be elected a District Attorney in New York State. Since serving as District Attorney, Clark has enacted a vertical prosecution model to streamline the criminal charging process, while also implementing reforms to address wrongful convictions and administrative case backlogs. Since becoming elected, she has opened the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau focused on investigating crimes committed by inmates and visitors, the Public Integrity Bureau which investigates corruption and crimes by public servants, government employees and elected officials, and the Conviction Integrity Bureau. The Conviction Integrity Bureau was created when DA Clark took office and, in addition to handling wrongful convictions, it recently moved to dismiss 500 old convictions that relied on a detective who was later charged with perjury. She has also pioneered initiatives focused on drug avoidance and reco very, a Bronx Community Justice program, and focused many of her efforts on positively engaging the Bronx community, such as the Saturday Night Lights program, where kids can play basketball and soccer or engage in other activities in a free, safe place.
Clark is co-chair of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence, and a Board Member of both the National District Attorneys Association and the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York. Before her election as District Attorney, Clark served as an Associate Justice for the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, First Department; a New York State Supreme Court Justice in Bronx County; and a Criminal Court Judge in Bronx and New York Counties. She begin her legal career at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted drug felonies, violent crimes and homicides, and eventually served as a Supervising Assistant District Attorney in the Narcotics Bureau and the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Court Bureau. A lifelong Bronx resident, Clark was raised in public housing and educated in public schools. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Boston College, where she serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, and her law degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
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 comprised of former prosecutors and faculty members from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law. The award ceremony brings together Assistant District Attorneys 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. The prize is made possible by the generous support of Haub Law alumnus and Pace University Board of Trustees member Robert S. Tucker. Past Award Recipients include, Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney, Barbara Underwood, New York Attorney General, and Richard Brown, Queens District Attorney.
About Elisabeth Haub School of Law
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers JD and Masters of Law (LLM) degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The School, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, NY, opened its doors in 1976 and has more than 9,000 alumni around the world. The School maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about Haub Law, visit https://law.pace.edu
