Keynote address delivered at the October 11, 2019 conference of New York University School of Law’s Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, titled, #MeToo and Beyond: Lessons for Compliance, Investigations, and Governance
Good afternoon. Thank you for the kind introduction.
My name is Alessandra Biaggi and I am a New York State Senator. I proudly represent the 34th District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Westchester County—where I was born and raised. Although I am not a graduate of NYU Law, I did receive my bachelor’s degree from the University, so it is a pleasure to be back with members of my alma mater.
I would like to begin with a moment of gratitude. I want to acknowledge the entire Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement team for organizing this conference, with special thanks to Executive Director Alicyn Cooley and PCCE Faculty Director Jennifer Arlen. I also want to thank former Executive Director Allison Caffarone, who played a central role in putting this conference together in the last couple of months of tenure at PCCE.
It is a great honor to gather with esteemed Judges, United States Attorneys, and renowned leaders and experts in the field of corporate compliance and enforcement. I also want to acknowledge all of the law students, professors, administrators, and faculty who have joined us today for this special event.
I want to emphasize how important it is that PCCE has chosen to build this conference around the issue of sexual harassment and assault. One of the many reasons it has taken our society so long to effectively address sexual violence and discrimination is because we have not made enough space to talk about it. And so, I am grateful to PCCE for creating a space to have these difficult conversations, and to all of you for choosing to be here and choosing to critically and compassionately engage with this issue. I am honored to be a part of the conversation. Continue reading