CLASSES OF 2020 AND 2021 CELEBRATE COMMENCEMENTS

AFTER DELAYS CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC, the Class of 2020 finally was able to celebrate graduation on April 24, 2021. The ceremony, held at Louisville’s Marriott East, celebrated the Class of 2020’s theme: Resilience. “Congratulations on this milestone accomplishment. We all know that 2020 brought challenges in ways we did not expect. Through it all, you managed to graduate from law school and begin your careers in the law. That is no small feat, and I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am,” said outgoing Dean Colin Crawford to the graduates. “The grit, dedication and agility you displayed this past year will serve you well in your professional and personal lives. As lawyers, we know intimately the need to advocate and persevere through challenging times, and you have displayed these abilities mightily.”

Judge Denise Clayton, chief judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and a 1976 Brandeis Law graduate, delivered the commencement address. Her remarks focused on the need for lawyers to be prepared, to seek wisdom from more experienced practitioners and to be able to own up to and learn from mistakes.

On May 6, the Class of 2021 celebrated its commencement. That class’s theme: We Are the Champions.

At a ceremony at Cardinal Stadium, the Class of 2021 heard from commencement speaker Sam Aguiar, 2007 graduate and a plaintiff’s attorney perhaps most well-known for serving as a lawyer for Breonna Taylor’s family.

Aguiar counseled the graduates to remember that as lawyers, they have the power to change people’s lives. He encouraged them to respect this power and to use it for good. Many thanks to Dean Crystal Coel and her staff in the Office of Student Affairs and Diversity for making these graduation ceremonies so special.