This year’s guest speaker was U.S. Attorney Damian Williams ’07, who implored graduates to lead with humanity in the face of adversity in order to bridge divides.
“We may not have seen times like this with our own eyes. But history has. And history teaches that in times of tension, in times of conflict, in times of deep division, it takes people of good faith — people with a stubborn commitment to humanity, empathy, and grace — to bring about peace and healing,” said Williams.
In his powerful closing statement, Williams invited the graduates to imagine what future generations of law students will say about them and the work they have achieved.
“What do you want [future generations] to say about your generation? About how you lived and how you led and how you practiced the law?” he asked. “Let them say that when faced with a world filled with bitter division, when the currents of change were fierce and unrelenting — and threatened to sweep away things that we cared about most — that your generation made the choice to be that bridge over troubled water. That your generation was the first to see the dawn through the darkness. And that your generation helped us heal.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams ’07, guest speaker, urged the class to bridge divides.
He concluded, “Whether they say those things is ultimately up to you. Because that history has not been written. Those pages are blank. And, starting today, you hold the pen.”
A reception for Law School graduates and their invited guests convened in the Baker Hall Courtyard, capping off the day’s festivities.
This year’s Commencement honored 244 degree candidates, comprising 210 J.D., 27 LL.M., four J.S.D., and three M.S.L. candidates.