Core Values Matter, DeMaurice Smith '89 Tells Class of 2015
By Mary Wood
The Class of 2015 should uphold core values, including having courage and helping others, NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith '89 told graduates at commencement on May 17.
"Know that the personal and core values that you want to believe matter, actually do matter," Smith said. Those values include treating colleagues well, no matter how they treat you, he added. "Your greatest victories will always be those that include the successes of others." (Graduation Awards)
Smith leads the union responsible for protecting the interests of NFL players, a position to which he was twice unanimously elected by a board of active player representatives. He is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., and was counsel to then-Deputy Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. After his government service ended and before his current role, Smith worked as a partner in the law firms Latham & Watkins and Patton Boggs.
In a speech peppered with humor and heart, Smith said that he started to speculate at his selection as the commencement speaker, as surely other alumni were better qualified. To realize that might be the case "was even a little … deflating," he said slyly, referring to then-current Deflategate woes in the NFL.
Though he didn't take courses in antitrust, labor law, or sports law — all areas he focuses on in his current role — Smith said he gained a strong sense of camaraderie with classmates and gained "authentic friendships."
"I owe a tremendous debt to this law school because it gave me the start that today it gives each of you," he said. "I look for opportunities to give back, because the Law School — as we are fond of saying — took a chance on me."
He encouraged the class to help others the way he was helped.
"'Self-made' is a myth, and therefore we have a duty to reach back, pull up and provide a foundation so that hard work can actually make dreams a reality," he said. "It does obligate each and every one of us to make the same investment for someone else."
He also encouraged students to be courageous in applying their newfound skills. He pointed to his successful negotiation of a historic 10-year collective bargaining agreement in 2011 with the league and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, following a 132-day lockout.
The players' goals weren't about money, he said, but about "a desire to realize a vision that our players are more than fungible commodities."
The resulting agreement resulted in less rough contact for players in practice, broader access to better pensions, and better access to health care, he said.
"History proves that the only thing that makes a vision for a better tomorrow a reality is courage," he said. "Courage still, and will always, matter."
He challenged graduates to find "good fights" to tackle.
"Ours is a profession that is designed to arm advocates with the ability to bring fairness to every contest, and it is grounded in a belief that justice is a right that can be achieved by any person," he said.
The students in the Class of 2015 who were once strangers are now classmates and friends, Smith said.
"The years that will come after today will bring you both joy and pain, but the real benefit of living through both of them is that it will sear into you that which is truly important and truly worth living for, every day."
In total, the Law School conferred 406 degrees: 366 J.D.s, 39 LL.M.s, and one S.J.D.
"You are trained to be leaders, and you will be, in your careers, in your communities, and in some cases, in elected or appointed government service," Dean Paul Mahoney said. "Your law school is proud of you and confident of your future."
Alex Matthews, the outgoing president of the Student Bar Association and the president of the graduating class, announced the class gift: 297 graduates — 82 percent — pledged to support the Law School with financial donations over the next four years.
Matthews also thanked the family members, friends, and others who supported the students through law school. "Without your support, guidance, and tolerance, the many accomplishments of this year's class would not have been possible."
Margaret G. Hyde Award
Joel S. Johnson
To the graduate whose scholarship, character, personality, activities in the affairs of the school, and promise of efficiency have entitled him or her to special recognition.
James C. Slaughter Honor Award
Sejal Parimal Jhaveri
To an outstanding member of the graduating class.
Thomas Marshall Miller Prize
Jessica Leigh Wagner
To an outstanding and deserving member of the graduating class.
Z Society Shannon Award
Samuel Matthew Strongin
To the graduate with the highest academic record after five semesters.
Law School Alumni Association Best Note Award
John Franklin Sacha Jr.
To the member of the graduating class who wrote the best note in a current issue of a Law School publication.
Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom
Colin McGovern Downes
To the graduate who has contributed the most to classroom education by his or her outstanding recitation and discussion.
Roger and Madeleine Traynor Prize
Lide Evans Paterno and Evan Thomas
To two graduates who have produced outstanding written work.
Herbert Kramer/Herbert Bangel Community Service Award
Megan Margaret Durkee
To the graduate who has contributed the most to the community.
Mortimer Caplin Public Service Award
Sejal Parimal Jhaveri
To a graduate entering a career in the public service sector who demonstrates the qualities of leadership, integrity and service to others.
Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize
Jasmine Nancy Hay and Stephen N. Shashy
To the graduate(s) who has demonstrated superior scholarship in the tax area.
Earle K. Shawe Labor Relations Award
Emily Elizabeth Batt
To the graduate who shows the greatest promise in the field of labor relations.
John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics
Megan Elizabeth Colville
To a graduate or graduates who have produced outstanding written work in the field of law and economics.
Eppa Hunton IV Memorial Book Award
Brett W. Rector
To a graduate who demonstrates unusual aptitude in courses in the field of litigation, and who shows a keen awareness and understanding of the lawyer’s ethical and professional responsibility.
Virginia Trial Lawyers Trial Advocacy Award
Sarah Alexandra Smith
To a graduate who shows particular promise in the field of trial advocacy.
Virginia State Bar Family Law Book Award
Katie R. Packer
To the graduate who has demonstrated the most promise and potential for the practice of family law.
