Anne Robinson ’94 Delivers Keynote at 10th Annual Alumni of Color Gathering

On January 23, Anne Robinson ’94, senior vice president and chief legal officer of IBM, addressed alumni, faculty, and students at the 10th annual Alumni of Color Talk and Reception. Before an audience of more than 140 in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental in New York, she spoke about the importance of learning with every opportunity, being an impactful leader, and embracing risk.

Reflecting on her own career, Robinson credited the lawyers in her life who were crucial to her becoming the leader she is today. Among those were her parents: civil rights lawyer William L. Robinson ’66, founding dean of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, and the late Arlene L. Robinson, a District of Columbia Superior Court magistrate judge. “Both of my parents inspired me and showed me what it means to be committed to our craft and our community,” she said. She recalled that her father was “nowhere to be found” while she was being born at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York because he was standing in front of the U.S. Supreme Court arguing the gender discrimination case Phillips v. Martin Marietta. In the landmark case, the high court ruled unanimously that it is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for an employer to refuse to hire a woman because she has preschool-age children. “I came to understand just how important this case was, and … he was exactly where he should have been,” she said.

At Columbia Law School, Robinson found mentors among the faculty, including in courses that explored inequality and power imbalances. “I seized every moment and wasted no opportunity to take in their wisdom,” she said. “I had a chance to study with every single Black professor at the Law School at the time—Kendall Thomas, Kellis Parker, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Patricia Williams—and I even took Conrad Johnson’s Fair Housing Clinic … finding a way to craft a curriculum that included all of them required intentionality and tenacity. If at any time I had said, ‘I’ll take that class next semester,’ I might have missed the moment.”

Robinson has gone on to lead a distinguished legal career. In addition to her position at IBM, she has held in-house counsel positions at American Express, Citi, and Vanguard. She carries with her “a tremendous sense of responsibility,” she said. “I felt that I could never stop learning and growing, but that I also had a responsibility to be impactful.” Part of that, she noted, involves risk-taking, but as she has progressed in her career and served in leadership roles, “embracing risk has taken on a different meaning,” she said. “Executive influence is a privilege, particularly for a woman of color. I look at it like this: These positions of influence are elusive; not many of us have them, and I have no right to waste it.”

That is especially true for Robinson now, and she expressed concerns about the future of civil rights in the U.S. “Doors that were opened for me are closing. We have turned the definition of equality completely upside down. … Those of us who are incredibly well-educated, and even more experienced, have to defend our positions and our success against the presumption that the very thing that tends to keep us out of power is the only reason why we have it.” But, she added, “We have absolutely no right to call ourselves leaders and stay silent. … And, of course, it takes courage. And yes, there is fear of personal or professional expense. But those are exactly the moments when leadership matters most. When I think about leaders like my father—who are watching from the front-row seat the systematic assault on the change they fought so hard to bring about—I refuse to feel defeated.”

Commitment to Community

Robinson was introduced by Daniel Abebe, Dean and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Law, who was attending his first Alumni of Color event since joining the Law School in August 2024. “I am deeply honored to be Columbia Law School’s 16th dean, and I’m especially proud to be the first one that looks like all of you,” said Dean Abebe to thunderous applause.

He highlighted the importance of the annual Alumni of Color gathering to bring together students, alumni, and faculty. “We have to preserve and foster a forum like this one where we can not only build community but also foster long-standing mentoring relationships,” he said. “Mentors, in my opinion, can extend the imagination for what we think is possible or what we think is attainable.”

Speaking about the role of institutions like Columbia Law, he said, “We must commit to fostering a diverse community—one that’s committed to free expression and open discourse in pursuit of new ideas.” He also said that the exchange of ideas between students and scholars is one of the core objectives of his role as co-chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Institutional Voice (established in September 2024 by Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong): “It’s about making sure that every one of us, no matter what our personal circumstances, our perspectives, or our life experiences, is free to grapple with the hard questions facing the world and have the opportunity to embrace the potential to make a difference with the skills, talents, and opportunities they have,” he explained. “I think this work is absolutely critical in higher education. … And so, as we chart the next phase in Columbia Law School history, I’m really grateful to count on all of you as partners in taking this forward.”

Robinson, who serves on the board of directors of the Columbia Law School Association and is a member of the advisory board of the Law School’s Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, agreed that it is important for alumni to be active participants in the Law School’s future. “You have to invest in the community you want to be part of,” she said. “If enough of us invest in this community, we can help it stay true to its commitment to diversity, freedom of speech, and an inclusive community of future leaders who will contribute meaningfully to their professions and society.”