New York Inspector General Lucy Lang Honored with Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence

WHITE PLAINS, NY (October 6, 2025) — The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University honored New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang with the 2025 Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence during a ceremony on September 30, 2025, at Pace University’s New York City campus.

Lang, appointed as New York State’s 11th Inspector General in October 2021 by Governor Kathy Hochul, was recognized for her leadership in overseeing public sector investigations, commitment to fairness and transparency, and innovative approach to accountability and reform. As a lifelong New Yorker, attorney, and educator, she leads statewide investigations into fraud, corruption, and abuse within New York State government.

“IG Lang represents the highest ideals of public service and prosecutorial excellence,” said Pace Haub Law Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “She has brought an innovative, principled, and compassionate approach to oversight, reform, and the responsible use of prosecutorial power. Her career is a model for our students and for all who seek to serve the cause of justice.”

In her address to an audience of Assistant District Attorneys, prosecutors, civic leaders, public servants, attorneys, and Pace Haub Law students and faculty, Lang emphasized the importance of integrity in prosecutorial work during challenging times when “so many of the most excellent prosecutors in our city and our country are being truly tested.” She highlighted that true excellence involves “speaking truth to power, taking on hard cases, and operating not just with integrity, but within the bounds of law, with decency and civility.”

Lang stressed the role of procedural justice in building public trust, stating, “The procedures used to make decisions must be fair and impartial, and the people who make those decisions must be respectful of the rights and dignity of all involved. When individuals feel seen and heard, even when outcomes are difficult, trust in institutions grows.”

Reflecting on her career, Lang shared how her experiences with victims’ families and creating a groundbreaking course uniting prosecutors and incarcerated individuals shaped her commitment to fairness. Her work as Inspector General has driven transformative investigations, including reforms in drug testing practices, reduced use of solitary confinement, and exposure of systemic abuses in New York’s correctional system.

Robert S. Tucker, whose endowment funds the prize, praised Lang’s contributions: “We need people in government, especially on the integrity side of government, who aren’t afraid to do the right thing. We should all be very grateful that we have a public servant like IG Lang at the helm.”

The Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence, awarded annually to individuals demonstrating outstanding contributions to criminal prosecution, is selected by a jury of former prosecutors and Haub Law faculty. Past recipients include Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, former New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, and the late Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.