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Alabama Law Celebrates the Class of 2023
On Sunday, May 7, The University of Alabama School of Law hosted the 2023 Commencement Ceremony at Coleman Coliseum. During the celebration, the School of Law awarded Juris Doctor Degrees to 121 students—including three J.D. students who took joint degrees in Business Administration or Social Work and nine J.D. students who also took an LL.M. (Master of Laws Degree) in Taxation or Business Transactions. An additional 10 students were awarded LL.M. degrees in Taxation or Business Transactions, and one student was awarded a Juris Masters Degree.
The commencement address was given by Mike House (‘71), retired partner at Hogan Lovells, founder of Oak Grove Strategies in Washington D.C., and former president of the Board of Governors of The University of Alabama Law School Foundation. During his speech, House shared advice and insights from lessons he has learned throughout his career.
“Your reputation is paramount to your success. . . It takes years to build, it takes time, it takes effort, it takes consistency,” said House. He then quoted Maya Angelou, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,’ and he expressed that the “impression others have of you . . . [is based on] how you treat others.”
During the ceremony, reflections were offered by past president of the Student Bar Association, Blaize Naman—who will be earning a JD/MBA dual degree in May 2024—and 2023 valedictorian, Kat Oglesby. The National Anthem was performed by Angel Sims, also a member of the 2023 graduating class.
