2024 Commencement at UVA Law

Dasha Smith
May 19, 2024

NFL executive Dasha Smith ’98 delivers the commencement address to the Class of 2024, as Dean Risa Goluboff presides over her final UVA Law ceremony as dean and Student Bar Association President Tommy Cerja IV ’24 makes remarks.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

RISA GOLUBOFF: Thank you. I was about to break into dance, but. Welcome to the graduates of the class of 2024 families and friends.

[APPLAUSE]

I have a bunch of thanks. So first, please join me in thanking everyone who has worked for weeks and months to make this day so special. This takes a village, and we have the best village, so please join me.

[APPLAUSE]

So my word for today is pride. I am so proud of you. Everyone here is so proud of you. We are just beaming with pride, class of 2024, your friends and family, everyone here to see you graduate today. The faculty and staff of the law school who have watched you grow from 1Ls who didn't know what a tort was into lawyers, and from newly-arrived graduate students into seasoned masters and doctors.

I know you appreciate, as you should, the support that everyone here, your families, your friends, your professors, your counselors and mentors have offered you over the past one or three or five years, and for some of those in the audience today, a lifetime. This is their day, too, so please join me in thanking everyone who got you here today.

[APPLAUSE]

I also want to take a moment to thank and honor those unable to be with us here today. And that includes one of our own, Tessa Wiseman would have graduated today. She tragically passed away on August 13, 2023, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. Tessa was well-known and well-loved here, and she played so many roles in our community.

She was a member of Section F. She was an avid runner whose love of the sport and of Cou Cou Rachou pastries afterwards was infectious. She was an editor for the Journal of Law & Politics. She was a wonderful neighbor, my neighbor. She was a roommate and a friend. And Tessa, more than the things that she was, is how she was. She brought light and joy everywhere she went, and we will all remember her.

In the spring, the North Grounds Track Club organized the Tessa Wiseman Memorial Run, which they and we hope will become an annual event, and we wear these aqua tassels today in Tessa's memory. So at this time, I ask that we all please observe a moment of silence in Tessa's honor.

Thank you. I know Tessa would be really proud of all of you today, and I hope that you are proud of yourselves. You should be. It's been quite a ride, class of 2024. You arrived here masked while COVID was still a daily presence. You have faced polarized politics and contentious elections, war abroad and conflict, and tragic shootings and controversy far and near, and we salute you for your resilience and grit and your generosity of spirit and support for one another.

Law school is never easy. Indeed, it is legendary for its intensity and its rigor. It is the stuff of legend. But we could not be more proud of you for doing what you came here to do. You have become lawyers, leaders, and holders of a public trust. I have told you before, and this is probably the last time I'll get to say it to you, the law is a learned profession. It requires, according to long-standing definition back to the middle ages, extensive learning or erudition, and that describes so much of what you have been doing here during your time here.

You immersed yourself in this complex new field, reading cases, answering cold calls, taking exams, learning to think like a lawyer. And you've spent hundreds of hours in clinics, externships, moot courts, pro bono projects, mock trials, and you have led symposia, conferences, events and nationally award-winning student organizations.

You have earned those titles, those highbrow words, learned and erudite. And you have done more than that because this profession of the law is not only learned, it is noble. And I know that might sound hokey, the noble and learned profession of the law, and it is, but I'm hokey. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hokie. I am a who, but I am hokey.

But it is also true-- thank you, James. It is also true that at our best, we couple the learning of the law with a commitment to the highest of ideals, to the rule of law as a superior means of dispute resolution, and to advancing justice and equality. Joining a noble and a learned profession means accepting and holding a public trust, to give as well as gain from your professional standing, and pursue careers and make choices with integrity, judgment, and humanity.

You have already begun doing all of that, discharging this public trust here, and everywhere, and as far away as South Africa. Collectively, you logged over 12,000 hours in pro bono service. 95 of you, 91 JDs and four LLMs, met our pro bono challenge, supporting asylum seekers, and disabled Virginians, migrant farm workers, and youth in foster care. Through your work with clinics and student organizations and other classes, you've taught business law to incarcerate Virginians, contributed to a State Department report on changes in the Argentine criminal justice system, and researched health care rights and women's rights in Kenya, among other things.

You have done all that and so much more with characteristic energy, passion, and camaraderie, with concern for justice and equality for what is right, with the aspirations of a public-spirited profession dedicated to the productive exchange of ideas, and with the determination, not only to finishing what you began and overcoming the obstacles set before you, but to finding joy and humanity and friendship in the process.

So when I say that today is about our pride for you, I mean that we are proud of what you have learned and of the accomplishments that we get to count and report, and that you get to put on your resumes, but more importantly, we are proud of who you are. When this ceremony is over, you will represent the best of the legal profession and the best of this law school, and we will bask in your reflected glory. So here we go.

I am pleased to introduce Tommy Cerja, the President of the Student Bar Association. Tommy will present the class gift and introduce today's speaker. Tommy attended the R. C. Nusbaum Honors College at Norfolk State University, and received a degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in political science and psychology.

Here at the law school, in addition to his role as the Student Bar Association President, Tommy has served as an Editor of the Virginia Environmental Law Journal, and as the Social Action Chair of the Black Law Students Association. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member of Team Yellow, a foundation that builds schools for underserved communities.

Throughout his time at the law school, Tommy has been an important voice in articulating student opinions and views, as well as providing messages of comfort and healing during on-campus shooting last year. And he has articulated often and so well the values that make this place so special. Following graduation, Tommy will work at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City. We have been so fortunate to have Tommy lead our Student Bar Association this year, and I am delighted to welcome him to the lectern now.

[APPLAUSE]

TOMMY CERJA: Good afternoon. First, thank you, Dean Goluboff for the kind introduction. It's not lost on all of us that this is your final graduation as Dean of the Law School, and the class of 2024 thanks you for your service to UVA Law and the Charlottesville community at large.

[APPLAUSE]

Your dedication to students and our institution reaches beyond the mere academic, you impact lives on a holistic one-to-one level. Under Dean Goluboff's leadership, UVA Law made three dozen new faculty hires, completed a $400 million capital campaign more than a year ahead of schedule, and at the close of your deanship, UVA Law is the number four ranked law school in the country, the highest rank in the history of our school.

[APPLAUSE]

Even further, as the first woman to serve as Dean of UVA Law, your service will be felt long after we leave this place. Your deanship has broken new grounds-- no pun intended-- in academia and educational leadership. Congratulations, Dean Goluboff. I hope that our community has been able to pour into you as much as you have poured into all of us. Your enduring passion for us aside, you've just crushed it. Again, thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

I would also like to thank the faculty in attendance. Over our three years together, you have watched us grow from neurotic 1Ls asking irrelevant questions in office hours to 3Ls who stopped attending office hours as frequently. In all seriousness, our class cannot thank you enough. Nurturing our intellectual curiosity, aiding us as we explore complex and novel legal topics, and mentoring us as we decide on our next endeavors post-graduation, I can speak for all of us when I say that the professors at UVA Law have a profound and positive impact on their students.

They sharpen our legal minds, challenge our worldviews, and push us to be the best version of ourselves, both in and outside the classroom. W. E. B. Du Bois once said, "Education must not simply teach work. It must teach life." All of you have taught life. For that, we thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

The class of 2024 would also like to express our gratitude for the staff at UVA Law. You keep our building running, maintain the beauty of North Grounds, and keep us endlessly caffeinated. There are too many staff to name individually, but I would like to personally thank Sean and Mandy for their service to our community.

[APPLAUSE]

Sean does all the painting in our school, keeping the place beautiful, so thank him for how well those grad pics are coming out. Meanwhile, Mandy caffeinates us all daily through her window in ScoCo, and has unfailingly memorized thousands of our names and coffee orders. Mandy will remember your name after two lattes. Professors can't do that in two semesters.

[LAUGHTER]

To all the staff, our community would not be what it is without the beauty and joy you spread to all of us. To the family, friends, and loved ones in the crowd, the class of 2024 celebrates the support and love that has carried us to this incredible accomplishment. You have endured many rants and provided much needed care packages during final exams that afforded us with the strength and courage to push through the trying times. Indeed, it is our honor to share our accomplishments because it just wouldn't have been possible without a diligent support system.

And finally, to the class of 2024, congratulations. Words cannot express how proud I am of each and every one of us. It's unbelievable how fast time has gone by. Fall 2021 was just yesterday, wearing masks at all times in the buildings just to end up packing together at Friday bar reviews. Courses have been outlined, scholarship published, and we've grown both personally and professionally. We should be immensely proud.

The goal of this speech was twofold. First, to thank the important people that made our graduation possible, and secondly, to offer a parting message that captured our time at the law school and the moment we currently find ourselves in. On the second prong, I was at a loss for words, which may come as a shock to those that have taken a seminar with me.

Although graduating from UVA Law is a distinct honor, I'm painfully aware, even on a day of celebration, that this journey was not always easy. During our time at UVA, we grieved as a noose was hung on a statue on main grounds. We grieved more when the lives of three UVA student athletes were ended through senseless gun violence. In our time as law students, courts reversed long-standing legal precedent, and global conflicts began with no end in sight.

These contentious sociopolitical moments, regardless of where you stand, have acted as a powerful inhibitor against the virtue of unity. In the words of Mother Teresa, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." In these tense moments, it's human nature to silo oneself and dig deeper into your current worldviews and perspectives. However, we have a different responsibility.

In those moments when progress and change are not on the horizon and the middle ground lay barren, we cannot be bystanders. We have been trained by the best legal minds in the country and are equipped with the tools to advocate zealously for our clients, negotiate fiercely, and compromise when necessary in order to steer the whole of the legal profession into a better tomorrow.

Martin Luther King Jr. instructs us, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." If progress is not on the horizon, it's on us to bring it about. If there's no middle ground, it's on us to take bold leaps forward to create an environment in which ideas can be freely exchanged and examined.

As students, we were aware our advocacy could only go so far. But as graduates, particularly graduates from UVA Law, we will occupy the chambers, legislative halls, and offices where landmark decisions will be made. We are now afforded the privilege to make decisions that matter, decisions that will have a far-reaching impact on people's rights and freedoms.

I call on all of us to heed the concerns of those who think differently than ourselves, and seek to build bridges across ideologies and belief systems. A call for unity in the face of controversy is not asking you to be willfully blind to those who do not operate in good faith. Rather, unity in the face of trying times is simply a recognition that we are stronger together and the society we envision is more likely to materialize if we pave pathways for dialogue.

As we depart UVA Law to carve our own individual paths, there is no reason that our bonds should deteriorate. We have forged friendships and communities that are strong enough to withstand the test of time. In the words of our former dean, John Jeffries, UVA Law's greatest asset is intangible. It's something about the quality of the student experience. It's what underlies our 50% alumni pledge participation, something no other law school could dream of.

The feeling of community was certainly strong in our year, hence why nearly 70% of us participated in our class giving campaign. At UVA Law, we don't give points for tearing people down. It's because we thrive when we uplift one another, hold each other accountable, and go out of our way to be there for our peers when they cannot go on by themselves. That enduring moral guidepost to look after one another, especially as we embark on this next chapter, forms a safety net for us all.

We all know that law school is what you make of it. The reason why many of you led student organizations, managed journals, and served as mentors and advisors to the class below ours. Now, more than ever, is the time to double down on that commitment to community. As they say, collegiality wasn't built in a day.

I want to thank you all personally for allowing me to serve as your SBA president, and also to Keith Stone for encouraging me to plaster my face on campaign posters all around the law school. Thank you to Dean Davies, Megan Durkee, and the entire Student Affairs office for your support and guidance. My faith in our community is unwavering, and I genuinely believe UVA Law will only get better.

Our student body is committed to creating a more acceptable and enjoyable environment. I have to say I've enjoyed this. The feeling is so bittersweet. What an accomplishment, what good friendships, the fantastic memories, even the ones we don't fully remember, the not-so-fantastic cold calls we may want to forget, if you're like me, you're taking all of this in. I have so much love in my heart.

To close with a quote from Mr. Rogers, "I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you said, yes, when all that yes meant was extra work for you and was helpful only to someone else."

It is now my distinct pleasure to introduce our wonderful commencement speaker, Dasha Smith. NFL Executive Dasha Smith is a 1998 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. Before joining the NFL in 2019, she was Executive Vice President and Global Chief People Officer for Sony Music Entertainment, where she oversaw global human resources across more than 60 countries.

She previously worked as Time Inc's Global Head of Employee Relations and Chief Labor and Employment Counsel there. Today, Ms. Smith is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the NFL. In this role, Ms. Smith is a Member of Commissioner Roger Goodell's Executive Operating Committee, and manages all NFL administration. Ms. Smith remains an active member of our community, serving as a Co-chair for the Law School's Honor the Future Capital Campaign, and serves on the Law School Foundation's Board of Trustees. I'm so excited to hear from Ms. Smith. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

DASHA SMITH: Thank you very much, Tommy, Dean Goluboff. Members of the Law School faculty and staff, and honored guests, and alumni, family, friends, and you, graduates, what an honor and a privilege it is for me to share in this joyful day. And a special thanks to the leader who has been such an amazing steward of the values of UVA Law. As she concludes her service as dean, we are grateful to you, Risa, and I'm so very lucky to have her as a friend.

Today is a day to truly appreciate our good fortune, especially the graduates whose talent and effort and diligence have earned each of you the degree of a juris doctor from the University of Virginia. Welcome to the legal profession, and congratulations to the class of 2024.

As big of a day as this is, years from now, you'll remember just certain moments. What I remember most is this overwhelming sense of gratitude for making it across the finish line, and sharing it with my family who supported me along the way. I'm guessing that some of your most cherished moments will be the sight of your loved ones here today feeling so very proud of you. And since all good lawyers like to make themselves heard, let's show how we feel with a round of applause for the parents and caregivers, families, and loved ones of our graduating class.

[APPLAUSE]

Thinking back to my time at UVA, I certainly recall the influence of my own family. In fact, it was my mom and dad who first gave me the idea that I should go to law school. In fact, they insisted on it. And they're telling, at least, I was an argumentative child, although I greatly dispute this. Apparently, I just wouldn't stop until I won an argument. I was tenacious in proving a point, and it drove my parents nuts, and I'm sure some of the families here today can relate.

They told me, Dasha, as long as you're going to be this way, you might as well get paid for it. And so that's the short version, how I came to study law here. And I hope that your experience here has been similar to mine because UVA marked a pivotal turning point in my life. I knew that a UVA Law degree was going to take me to places that no one in my family had ever been or could ever have imagined going.

Candidly, though, when I first arrived in Charlottesville, it did take some time before I felt at home. As a first generation law student, a Black woman on scholarship from a working class background in Denver, I didn't exactly fit the historic profile of one of America's oldest law schools. And I was worried that I would be an outsider, and that I would fail. Was I smart enough? Was I polished enough, articulate, and sophisticated enough? Was I going to be the only Denver Broncos fan on campus?

As weeks turned to months, however, those fears quickly dissipated, and I knew that I belonged, thanks to professors and deans and fellow students who made me feel welcome and helped me to thrive. And I did, in fact, find a few other Denver Broncos fans. I missed my family, and unfortunately didn't get to see them much due to financial and health reasons.

But truly, for three years, the UVA community became my family and support system. In fact, one of my fondest memories is a friendship I built with Millie, the coffee barista at the law school coffee cart. Back during my time, we didn't have our own cafe in the law school, but we did enjoy a very basic Greenberry coffee cart in the side hallway. To stay nice and caffeinated, I visited that coffee cart way too often, sometimes five to six times a day.

And over time, Millie and I became good friends. We had more in common than differences, and we both shared a passion for reading, particularly fiction and often shared books. We spent hours talking in between my classes. And in many ways, Millie was one of my professors. She was a professor of life. Millie's sound advice and smiling face and reassuring words often carried me through many stressful law school moments.

And this unexpected bond with Millie was a lesson that I have taken with me for the last 25-plus years. You can learn and grow from people from all different walks of life, and forming these authentic connections allows for deeper mutual understanding and learning. I hope that all of you will be fortunate enough to have a Millie or two in your journey.

Here's something else that I remember from my graduation. I knew that as I was setting out on one life, I was also leaving another one behind. There was so much here that I was going to miss, and maybe that's true for each of you today. Well, I'm happy to report that the sadness wears off quickly, especially because of all of the law school friendships that you'll be taking with you.

More than I ever would have guessed at the time, I've stayed connected to my classmates and to the law school community. Many of my closest friends and career confidants I met here. University of Virginia alums are like that. We know each other. We trust each other and care about each other. Hold on to these friendships. They will grow and nourish both you and your career in ways you may not yet know, and will become your personal and professional network.

You'll notice, too, that this network has grown and evolved right along with UVA Law, as broad and multifaceted as today's over 300 graduates. I recently found myself seated next to an amazing woman, Janet Blakeman, a 1957 graduate of the law school, and she told me that she was the only woman law graduate of her class. Imagine that, the only woman graduate of her class.

And believe it or not, in 1957, not one African-American had yet graduated from the law school. That did not happen until a year later, in 1958, with John Merchant, who was our first Black graduate, and again, the only Black graduate of his class. Or take another example, our first woman dean will be succeeded in July by our second woman dean, Professor Leslie Kendrick.

[APPLAUSE]

That would have been impossible to imagine in 1957, or 1958, or even during my time, and so would the genuine inclusiveness of our alma mater today. Let's take a look around this lawn and celebrate this moment because the class of 2024 is one of the most diverse classes and academically accomplished classes in UVA Law history.

[APPLAUSE]

You and I have benefited from this spirit, this community, inclusive of cultures, and religions, and genders, and sexual orientations, physical abilities, and generations, and ethnicities, and we owe our thanks to the heroes and to the sheroes who paved the way. Our school, the University of Virginia Law School, is a place where everyone who graduates belongs to the UVA Law family, and we all add to its greatness.

The sense of unity we get from our time here is excellent preparation for what comes next. I used to think that individual effort alone was all it took to keep moving forward, and that's usually how it starts, but the truth is we often get our biggest breaks and do our finest work as members of a community. I've been in law firms, an investment firm, a media company, the music industry, and now the NFL. As different as these experiences have been, this much has always held true, your real strengths begin to show themselves when you know you're part of a team.

In many ways, starting a new job is like game day. Your preparation is done, you have the knowledge, the valuable credentials, and the UVA degree in hand. But once that job starts or the whistle blows, the focus is on the here and now. No one really cares about where you went to school or what your grades were.

Instead, it's about what you can do today, how you can lead your team to victory, what you can contribute, and importantly, how you will do it. Your work ethic, your eagerness to learn, your resilience, your grit, your ability to influence and be trusted. These intangibles are, arguably, the things that matter the most, the things that will set you apart from the rest, the expectations you should have of yourself and of your teammates.

No doubt that my time around professional football has driven this lesson home for me. Sports is the ultimate meritocracy. And as lawyers, we play an important role in making sure that life is a meritocracy, too. Only those with the greatest abilities and attitude earn their spot on the field, and only the best collective effort as a team can see you through to victory.

My UVA education prepared me immensely for the work I do today, despite it not being a traditional legal role. Back when I got my law degree, I'd have needed a lot of convincing if anyone predicted I would end up working in the Executive Office of the National Football League. I still pinch myself. In fact, I did need convincing when the opportunity actually came about.

You'd be surprised to know it wasn't my idea. I was always an avid sports fan, my dad was a sportscaster, and I was a high school cheerleader, but that's about as close as I'd ever come to organized sports, especially given my very limited athletic abilities. Yet, here I am today, helping to shape the future of one of the world's most beloved sports. And I didn't find the job. The job found me. I learned a few things from this. Here's the first.

Although we as lawyers are trained to be risk averse, sometimes you have to leave where you feel comfortable to go where you feel called. The second lesson is that we're not always the best designers of our own careers. It might be someone else who sees abilities in us that we didn't know we had, setting us in directions that we hadn't planned to take. And third, be grateful for the influence of people in your life who believe in you and bet on you. I know I've had that type of help along the way, and I've tried to pay it forward. I hope you'll do the same.

Of course, wherever a lawyer might land, in one sense, it's an easy transition. That's because we take with us the same tools, the same mindset, and the same standards of conduct anywhere we go. Trained in a learned profession, we don't just absorb and repeat the shades and patterns around us like a chameleon. We do our own thinking. At least, that's the way they taught us at UVA.

Lawyers know what it means to reason before reacting, to analyze before we answer. We know the difference between opinion and bias. We try to narrow disagreements instead of heightening conflict. To be problem solvers and peacemakers, we are not always supposed to be neutral, but we are always supposed to be fair. So many controversies, so much acrimony and grief could be avoided with a little more good judgment, a little more willingness to understand each other. And as lawyers, that is what we should always be ready to supply.

We're told the legal profession, like other kinds of work, will change because of evolving technology like generative AI and whatever comes after that, and I do believe this is accurate to a certain extent. But looking at all of you here today, you have just spent three years learning and loving the law and living by UVA's code of honor. I cannot imagine that anytime soon some program or algorithm will replace good judgment or the other virtues of an able, conscientious attorney.

What is fair and just? What do objectivity and integrity demand? Where do empathy, moral concern, and simple humanity lead us? I don't believe that we can get these answers by feeding the questions into a computer. Compared to any marvel of technology, I will always put my faith in the mind and heart of a living, breathing, feeling lawyer, especially a UVA one.

That's the value of the education you've just completed. Where you will take it will always be yours to decide as you make your way and follow your own North Star. And I am predicting that were ever members of this class go, you will make an impact, and you will be a force for good.

Will there be disappointments and failures now and then? Of course. I've had my share of personal and professional letdowns, and I could give a whole speech about those, too. Life is rarely an unbroken string of accomplishments. The failures, the failures are what can keep us grounded, leave us wiser, add to our determination.

Besides, and you can take this from a working mother, if professional advancement ever seems like the ultimate measure of success, we're likely to miss out on the things that actually matter a whole lot more. And for me, it's my family. My brother, Damon, my two children, Connor and Ella, and my village of dear, dear friends.

For each of you, I wish you a long and meaningful and fulfilling life with many days as happy and as momentous as this one. I urge you to stay close, stay united, and look out for each other. You came here with your goals set high, and today you have reached that goal. So go forth unafraid. Keep living your best life, always proudly carrying the flag of UVA Law. Good luck to you all, and may God bless the class of 2024.

[APPLAUSE]

RISA GOLUBOFF: Thank you so much, Dasha, for those wonderful words, and, Tommy, for yours as well. I'm going to think about them both for a long time. I am now delighted to have the opportunity to recognize some of those who have contributed so much to the law school and our community over the past three years.

You will see on the second page of your program the awards that have been previously conferred on members of the class of 2024. I hope these graduates are extra proud of their accomplishments, and we are grateful for the many ways that they have enhanced our community. You will also see a description of the awards that I am about to announce. The recipients of these awards do not know that they have won them. These awards are given based upon the recommendation of the faculty.

One award, the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence, will not be given today. It will be announced over the summer after all of the final grade calculations have been made. If you are a recipient of an award that I announce, please stand when I call your name to be recognized. Award recipients will receive their awards after they cross the stage and receive their ceremonial scrolls.

The first award is the Virginia State Bar Family Law Award, established by the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. It is presented to the graduating student who has demonstrated the most promise and potential for the practice of family law. The 2024 recipient is Elizabeth Erickson Narain.

[APPLAUSE]

Please stand. Perfect. You did great.

[APPLAUSE]

The Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Trial Advocacy Award is presented to a graduate who shows particular promise in the field of trial advocacy, and who intends to take the Virginia Bar. The 2024 recipient is Malcolm Law.

[APPLAUSE]

The Eppa Hunton IV Memorial Book Award was given by the associates of the law firm now known as Hunton Andrews Kurth in honor of the late Mr. Hunton, class of 1927. The Eppa Hunton award is presented to a graduate who demonstrates unusual aptitude in litigation courses, and who shows a keen awareness and understanding of the lawyer's ethical and professional responsibility. The 2024 recipient is Robert Benjamin Buell.

[APPLAUSE]

The John M. Olin prize in law and economics is presented to a student who has produced outstanding written work in the field of law and economics. The 2024 recipient is Sadie Goering, who receives the Olin Prize for her paper, "Retelling Addyston Pipe-- How William Howard Taft Shaped the Ancillary Restraints Doctrine."

[APPLAUSE]

The Earle K. Shawe Labor Relations Award was established by Mr. Shawe, class of 1934, and is presented to the graduate who shows the greatest promise in the field of labor relations. The 2024 recipient is Molly Elizabeth Keck.

[APPLAUSE]

The Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize was established by the late Professor Cohen, and is presented to the graduate who has demonstrated superior scholarship in the tax field. The 2024 recipient is John Patrick McCrystal.

[APPLAUSE]

The Mortimer Caplin Public Service Award was established by Mr. Caplin, class of 1940, who throughout his lifetime was associated with the law faculty and the law school. The Caplin Award is presented to a graduate entering a career in the public sector who demonstrates the qualities of leadership, integrity, and service to others. The 2024 recipient is Austin Mueller.

[APPLAUSE]

The Pro Bono Award is presented to the graduate who contributed the most to the law school's pro bono program. The 2024 recipient is Evan Michael Carcerano.

[APPLAUSE]

The Herbert Kramer/Herbert Bangel Community Service Award was established by the late Mr. Kramer, class of 1952, and is presented to the graduate who has contributed the most to the community during his or her time in law school. The 2024 recipient is Ellen May Florek.

[APPLAUSE]

The Roger and Madeleine Traynor Prize was established by the late Chief Justice Traynor and his wife, and is presented to two graduates who have produced outstanding written work. The first winner of the 2024 prize receives this award for his paper, "The Honorable Title of Squatters, Quebecois Land Tenure and the Fiction of Legal Pluralism in British Canada," and that is Sebastian T. F. van Bastelaer.

[APPLAUSE]

Our second Traynor prize winner receives the award for his paper, "Disrupting Election Day-- Reconsidering the Purcell Principle as a Federalism Doctrine." That is Casey Peter Schmidt.

[APPLAUSE]

The LLM Graduation Award is presented by vote of the faculty to an outstanding member of the graduating LLM class. The 2024 recipient is Maria Agostina Giaroli Nogueira.

[APPLAUSE]

The Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom was established by Mr. Goldsten, class of 1940, and is presented by vote of the faculty to the graduate who has contributed the most to classroom education by his or her outstanding recitation and discussion. The 2024 recipient is Dany Berbari.

[APPLAUSE]

The Z Society Edgar F. Shannon Award was established by the Z Society to promote outstanding scholarship at the university. The Z Society Shannon Award is presented to the graduate with the highest academic record after five semesters. The 2024 recipient is Haley Sydney Gorman.

[APPLAUSE]

The Thomas Marshall Miller prize was established by Emily Miller Danton in honor of her father, and is presented by a vote of the faculty to an outstanding and deserving member of the graduating class. The 2024 recipient is James Robert Hornsby.

[APPLAUSE]

The James C. Slaughter Honor Award was established in honor of the late Mr. Slaughter, class of 1951, and is presented by a vote of the faculty to an outstanding member of the graduating class. The 2024 recipient is Julia Jean Citron.

[APPLAUSE]

Finally, the Margaret G. Hyde award was established by the late Forrest J. Hyde, Jr., class of 1915, and is presented by a vote of the faculty to the graduate whose scholarship, character, personality, activities in the affairs of the school, and promise of achievement have entitled him or her to special recognition. The 2024 recipient is Elizabeth Putfark.

[APPLAUSE]

Let's have one last round of applause to all of our award winners. Congratulations.

[APPLAUSE]

We will now prepare the stage for the presentation of our graduates.

JOBY RYAN: As we prepare the stage, please note that there are professional photographers taking pictures for each graduate as they cross the stage. For everyone's safety, we ask audience members to please remain in your seats during this portion of our program. Thank you.

I will now call the roll of the graduates. The candidates for the degree of juris doctor. Christian John Adams.

[APPLAUSE]

Henry Lawrence Adams.

[APPLAUSE]

Rowan Adams.

[APPLAUSE]

Tyler K. Adams.

[APPLAUSE]

Darius Shaquille Adel.

[APPLAUSE]

Salwa Noreen Ahmad.

[APPLAUSE]

David C. Ahnen.

[APPLAUSE]

Christian Barrett Alcorn.

[APPLAUSE]

Grace Anne Allaman.

[APPLAUSE]

Charles Alldredge.

[APPLAUSE]

Benjamin O. Allen.

[APPLAUSE]

Raymond Alonso.

[APPLAUSE]

David Joshua Anders.

[APPLAUSE]

Samuel Bentley Armstrong.

[APPLAUSE]

Maya Alexis Artis.

[APPLAUSE]

Biruktawit [? Birdie ?] Assefa.

[APPLAUSE]

Amir Azadniv.

[APPLAUSE]

Shannon Marie Bader.

[APPLAUSE]

Jacob Reeves Baltzegar.

[APPLAUSE]

Lauren Elizabeth Bamonte.

[APPLAUSE]

Peyton Joan Beatrice.

[APPLAUSE]

Andrew Markman Becker.

[APPLAUSE]

Dany Berbari.

[APPLAUSE]

Samantha Lauren Blond.

[APPLAUSE]

Camille Blum.

[APPLAUSE]

Liam Oliver Bourque.

[APPLAUSE]

Hayley Stenson Brower.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeleine M. Brown.

[APPLAUSE]

Graham S. Buck.

[APPLAUSE]

Robert Benjamin Buell.

[APPLAUSE]

Grayson Buttler.

[APPLAUSE]

Ryan Callahan.

[APPLAUSE]

Joseph Prieto Camano.

[APPLAUSE]

Evan Michael Carcerano.

[APPLAUSE]

Christian William Carlow.

[APPLAUSE]

Sarah Elizabeth Carlson.

[APPLAUSE]

Bridget Bevan Carmody.

[APPLAUSE]

Joseph Cartledge.

[APPLAUSE]

Daniel R. Carvalho.

[APPLAUSE]

Cathryn Collier Casatuta.

[APPLAUSE]

Thomas Cerja IV.

[APPLAUSE]

Natalie Chun.

[APPLAUSE]

Veronica Cihlar.

[APPLAUSE]

Julia Jean Citron.

[APPLAUSE]

Kirsten Alicia Clark.

[APPLAUSE]

Madison Clark.

[APPLAUSE]

Dorehn Paris Coleman.

[APPLAUSE]

Brynn Marie Connell.

[APPLAUSE]

Erin Margaret Connolly.

[APPLAUSE]

Robert Carlos Martinez Cornell.

[APPLAUSE]

Katherine Lainey Craig.

[APPLAUSE]

Candace Lee Cravey.

[APPLAUSE]

Casey N. Crowley.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeline M. Daniel.

[APPLAUSE]

Emma Sophie Danziger.

[APPLAUSE]

Sri Dayanandan.

[APPLAUSE]

Tristan C. Deering.

[APPLAUSE]

Matt Di Sandro.

[APPLAUSE]

Timothy Stewart Dodson.

[APPLAUSE]

Nadia Alexandra Doherty.

[APPLAUSE]

Devin John Doolan.

[APPLAUSE]

Alec J. Dougherty.

[APPLAUSE]

Julia D'Rozario.

[APPLAUSE]

Matt DuBose.

[APPLAUSE]

Kayla Kristine Duperrouzel.

[APPLAUSE]

Jonathan Duval.

[APPLAUSE]

Andre J. Earls.

[APPLAUSE]

Sam Eickstedt.

[APPLAUSE]

Sydney Rose Eisenberg.

[APPLAUSE]

J. Daniel Elliott.

[APPLAUSE]

Nathan Evans.

[APPLAUSE]

Seena Fakhimalizad.

[APPLAUSE]

Jacob Fender.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael Scott Ferguson.

[APPLAUSE]

Liam Fineman.

[APPLAUSE]

Caitlin Flanagan.

[APPLAUSE]

Drew Flanagan.

[APPLAUSE]

Ellen May Florek.

[APPLAUSE]

Isabelle Enya Foley.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeline A. Franklin.

[APPLAUSE]

Julia Gan.

[APPLAUSE]

Justin Garcia.

[APPLAUSE]

Landon Garfinkel.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael Hans Geisler.

[APPLAUSE]

Rose Isabel Genaris.

[APPLAUSE]

Hannah Genender.

[APPLAUSE]

Kiera Adelaide Goddu.

[APPLAUSE]

Anukriti Goel.

[APPLAUSE]

Sadie Goering.

[APPLAUSE]

Joshua Harris Goldstein.

[APPLAUSE]

Harrison Ian Gordon.

[APPLAUSE]

Haley Sydney Gorman.

[APPLAUSE]

Kate Olivia Granruth.

[APPLAUSE]

Sean Mark Gray.

[APPLAUSE]

Jonathan L. Greenstein.

[APPLAUSE]

Zachary M. Griffith.

[APPLAUSE]

Clare Hachten.

[APPLAUSE]

Sydney Rae Hallisey.

[APPLAUSE]

Peter Lee Hamilton.

[APPLAUSE]

Monica Wang Hanratty.

[APPLAUSE]

Thomas F. Harrigan III.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeleine Hart.

[APPLAUSE]

Sydney Marie Hartman.

[APPLAUSE]

Abigail Rose Hauer.

[APPLAUSE]

Megan K. Hawkins.

[APPLAUSE]

Ryan Hazelgren.

[APPLAUSE]

Eamon Heaney.

[APPLAUSE]

Hunter Rene Heck.

[APPLAUSE]

Niki Hendi.

[APPLAUSE]

Reece Henry.

[APPLAUSE]

Sofia Hernandez Tragesser.

[APPLAUSE]

Nina Angela Herth.

[APPLAUSE]

Christopher Hewitt.

[APPLAUSE]

Bowen J. Hiett.

[APPLAUSE]

Harold Wilson Hild.

[APPLAUSE]

Derek Robert Hitz.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeline Hodges.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael Hong.

[APPLAUSE]

James Robert Hornsby.

[APPLAUSE]

Amanda Huang.

[APPLAUSE]

Davis A. Hudson.

[APPLAUSE]

Keegan Phillip Hudson.

[APPLAUSE]

Noah Huffman.

[APPLAUSE]

Ricardo Gregg Hughes Jr.

[APPLAUSE]

Stephen Lim Huie.

[APPLAUSE]

Katherine Elizabeth Hussey.

[APPLAUSE]

Heidi Michelle Hutchins.

[APPLAUSE]

Zain Syed Imam.

[APPLAUSE]

Kyle Irlbeck.

[APPLAUSE]

Ella Jenak.

[APPLAUSE]

Sophia Gia.

[APPLAUSE]

Nathaniel Jackson Jiranek.

[APPLAUSE]

Maitland Lilja Io Jones.

[APPLAUSE]

Gabriel Nicolas Josephs.

[APPLAUSE]

Maya Kammourieh.

[APPLAUSE]

Sumit Kapur.

[APPLAUSE]

Mishan Kara.

[APPLAUSE]

Priya Kareddy.

[APPLAUSE]

Mariamawit [? D. ?] Kassa.

[APPLAUSE]

Molly Elizabeth Keck.

[APPLAUSE]

Kathryn C. Kenny.

[APPLAUSE]

Jordan Elizabeth Kijewski.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeline B. Killen.

[APPLAUSE]

Dana Kim.

[APPLAUSE]

Yerin Kim.

[APPLAUSE]

Alice Ko.

[APPLAUSE]

Malcolm Law.

[APPLAUSE]

Rob Lee.

[APPLAUSE]

Lauren Leonard.

[APPLAUSE]

Sally Hannah Levin.

[APPLAUSE]

Cooper Lewis.

[APPLAUSE]

Rachel Capie Lia.

[APPLAUSE]

Honora J. Logsdon.

[APPLAUSE]

Aquila Abraham Maliyekkal.

[APPLAUSE]

Julie M. Mardini.

[APPLAUSE]

Joseph Patrick Martin.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael Alexander Martinez.

[APPLAUSE]

Sabrina Mato.

[APPLAUSE]

Daniel McCray.

[APPLAUSE]

Daniel McCray.

[APPLAUSE]

John Patrick McCrystal.

[APPLAUSE]

Abigail Rose McDonough.

[APPLAUSE]

Deirdre Elizabeth McDonough.

[APPLAUSE]

Ethan McGinty.

[APPLAUSE]

Emma Elizabeth McLaughlin.

[APPLAUSE]

Catherine McNeish Hill.

[APPLAUSE]

Lauren McNerney.

[APPLAUSE]

Melvin Medina.

[APPLAUSE]

Swati Mehrotra.

[APPLAUSE]

Fernando Mercando-Violand.

[APPLAUSE]

Sydney A. Merritt.

[APPLAUSE]

Davis Campbell Metzger.

[APPLAUSE]

Nicholas William Meyerson.

[APPLAUSE]

Claire C. Miller.

[APPLAUSE]

Jamie Miller.

[APPLAUSE]

Madalyn Moore.

[APPLAUSE]

Sarah Elizabeth Morehouse.

[APPLAUSE]

Nikolai Michael Morse.

[APPLAUSE]

Austin Mueller.

[APPLAUSE]

Ian George Murdoch.

[APPLAUSE]

Taleena Nadkarni.

[APPLAUSE]

Abdus Najmi.

[APPLAUSE]

Elizabeth Erickson Narain.

[APPLAUSE]

Jason Jacob Nelson.

[APPLAUSE]

Christopher Nolan.

Julia I. Nusgart.

[APPLAUSE]

Toluw Ojuola.

[APPLAUSE]

Abby E. O'Neill.

[APPLAUSE]

Chukwudubem Sean Onwualu.

[APPLAUSE]

Audrey Park.

[APPLAUSE]

Joseph Park.

[APPLAUSE]

Sheena Patel.

[APPLAUSE]

Viraj Paul.

[APPLAUSE]

Christopher John Pavlinec.

[APPLAUSE]

Audrey Cosette Payne.

[APPLAUSE]

Kathryn Grace Peters.

[APPLAUSE]

Justin B. Peterson.

[APPLAUSE]

Nikolas D. Pham.

[APPLAUSE]

Zachary C. Pierce.

[APPLAUSE]

Madelaine Claire Pisani.

[APPLAUSE]

Katherine Poppiti.

[APPLAUSE]

Sayre Powers.

[APPLAUSE]

Megan Louise Pritchard.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael O. D. Pruitt.

[APPLAUSE]

Elizabeth Putfark.

[APPLAUSE]

Andrew Putterman.

[APPLAUSE]

William L. Ratliff.

[APPLAUSE]

Riley Paul Ries.

[APPLAUSE]

Jacob A. Rinear.

[APPLAUSE]

Ian Robertson.

[APPLAUSE]

Ellen M. Roberts.

[APPLAUSE]

Clinton Ames Roscoe.

[APPLAUSE]

Hanna Ross.

[APPLAUSE]

Margaret Rossberg.

[APPLAUSE]

Charles J. Rossino.

[APPLAUSE]

Sloane Anne Ruffa.

[APPLAUSE]

Robin Fleming Salmini.

[APPLAUSE]

Shontae Salmon.

[APPLAUSE]

Phoebe Ewurama Sam.

[APPLAUSE]

Monica Sandu.

[APPLAUSE]

Michael Saunders.

[APPLAUSE]

Megan McCarthy Scalia.

[APPLAUSE]

Madeleine Thayer Scherer.

[APPLAUSE]

Casey Peter Schmidt.

[APPLAUSE]

William David Michael Schoderbek.

[APPLAUSE]

Christopher D. Seiler.

[APPLAUSE]

Andrew Shaeffer.

[APPLAUSE]

Rishabh Sharma.

[APPLAUSE]

Nathaniel T. Sheeley.

[APPLAUSE]

Sarah V. Shields.

[APPLAUSE]

Jina Shin.

[APPLAUSE]

John Simmons.

[APPLAUSE]

Lauralei [? Keiko ?] Singsank.

[APPLAUSE]

Andrew R. Sisson.

[APPLAUSE]

Demia Janice Smith.

[APPLAUSE]

Jenna Marie Smith.

[APPLAUSE]

Mia Grace Smutny.

[APPLAUSE]

Annie Holloway Somerville.

[APPLAUSE]

Claire Song.

[APPLAUSE]

Anna A. Sonju.

[APPLAUSE]

Behnam Sorbi.

[APPLAUSE]

Samuel Thomas Spencer.

[APPLAUSE]

Caroline Spillane.

[APPLAUSE]

Zachary L. Starks-Taylor.

[APPLAUSE]

Camille Stein.

[APPLAUSE]

Elizah Hallowell Stein.

[APPLAUSE]

Taylor Stenberg Erb.

[APPLAUSE]

Grace Genevieve Stevens.

[APPLAUSE]

Benuel Wayne Stoltzfus.

[APPLAUSE]

Keith Ryan Stone.

[APPLAUSE]

Seth M. Stowe.

[APPLAUSE]

Kelsey Nicole Strott.

[APPLAUSE]

Ryan Subel.

[APPLAUSE]

Nikhyl Sud.

[APPLAUSE]

Sabrina K. Surgil

[APPLAUSE]

Winston Surrey.

[APPLAUSE]

Keeghan N. Sweeney.

[APPLAUSE]

Alexander Joseph Szarka.

[APPLAUSE]

Anu Teodorescu.

[APPLAUSE]

Adis Terzic.

[APPLAUSE]

Devin Thompson.

[APPLAUSE]

Dennis Ting.

[APPLAUSE]

Alexander Toney.

[APPLAUSE]

Mary Grace Triplett.

[APPLAUSE]

Samantha Turco.

[APPLAUSE]

Stephanie Turrentine.

[APPLAUSE]

Sebastian T. F. van Bastelaer.

[APPLAUSE]

Rajan Kumar Vasisht.

[APPLAUSE]

Brett Vecchiarelli.

[APPLAUSE]

Pavani Sripriya Veerisetti.

[APPLAUSE]

Valeria Velazquez-Michel.

[APPLAUSE]

Hana Verwilt.

[APPLAUSE]

Divya Gwyneth Vijay.

[APPLAUSE]

Kayla Elizabeth Walczyk.

[APPLAUSE]

Eric Wesson.

[APPLAUSE]

Katelyn Elizabeth Whitaker.

[APPLAUSE]

Abigail Williams.

[APPLAUSE]

Kennedy Blana Williams.

[APPLAUSE]

Calvin Gregory Wirfel.

[APPLAUSE]

Briana Monet Woody.

[APPLAUSE]

Nina G. Worth.

[APPLAUSE]

Emma Xing.

[APPLAUSE]

Andrew Yang.

[APPLAUSE]

Heream Yang.

[APPLAUSE]

Ethan Garrison Young.

[APPLAUSE]

Liam O'Grady Zeya.

[APPLAUSE]

Grace Zipperer.

[APPLAUSE]

Marjory Madeline Zuk.

[APPLAUSE]

And now the candidates for the degree of master of law.

Alice Marie Agard.

[APPLAUSE]

Paul Baloukjy.

[APPLAUSE]

Yuxuan Bo.

[APPLAUSE]

Ihsan Sencer Colak.

[APPLAUSE]

Yue Cui.

[APPLAUSE]

Zijie Deng.

[APPLAUSE]

Aline Maria deOliveira Furtado de Mendonca.

[APPLAUSE]

Shohei Fukushima.

[APPLAUSE]

Luis Santiago Genovesi.

[APPLAUSE]

Maria Agostina Giaroli Nogueira.

[APPLAUSE]

Jacob Jeffrey Halverson.

[APPLAUSE]

Yoshifumi Hoshino.

[APPLAUSE]

Yoshifumi Hoshino.

[APPLAUSE]

Adam D. Kostik.

[APPLAUSE]

Dominik Pascal Luczak.

[APPLAUSE]

David B. Maddox.

[APPLAUSE]

Ignacio Moreno Prado.

[APPLAUSE]

Fumi Nakamura.

[APPLAUSE]

Ana Laura Pereira Pongeluppi.

[APPLAUSE]

Oscar Ramos.

[APPLAUSE]

Lynmarie Rivera Martinez.

[APPLAUSE]

Adva Sarah Talker.

[APPLAUSE]

Tinatin Tinikashvili.

[APPLAUSE]

Ricardo Vercesi Saad.

[APPLAUSE]

Bridget Wang.

[APPLAUSE]

Baipei Wei.

[APPLAUSE]

Xingjian Wei.

[APPLAUSE]

Ana Beatriz Elvezio de Gobbi.

[APPLAUSE]

Whitney Wiles Smith.

[APPLAUSE]

Helen Yao.

[APPLAUSE]

Zhaoxi Zhang.

[APPLAUSE]

Quan Zhou.

[APPLAUSE]

Yan Zhou.

[APPLAUSE]

And now the candidate for the degree of doctor of juridical science.

Apinop Atipiboonsin.

[APPLAUSE]

This concludes the roll of the graduates. Congratulations.

[APPLAUSE]

RISA GOLUBOFF: Thank you to Joby Ryan for the call of the graduates. Congratulations to all of you. I always find this day a bittersweet one. I'm told I've been overusing that word lately, but I do always find it a bittersweet one because-- another word I'm going to overuse-- I am bursting with pride for you all. I love shaking hands with every one of you as you come across the stage. I'm just so proud.

And I'm so excited for the careers you are about to embark on, but I'm also sad to say goodbye and to see you go. I've had the privilege to watch you grow and learn and become these amazing people. You were already amazing people, to become even more amazing people during your time here. And I feel that sense of loss more acutely this year, given that you, Class of 2024, are the last class that I will preside over for your graduation.

And I wanted to tell you a short little story. So right when I became dean, I was walking through the law school with my kids, and we passed by a few students who said hi. And my kids said, are those your students? And I said, no, because they weren't students I had taught, so I didn't think of them as my students.

But in that moment, I realized, as dean, all the students are my students, and I think I'll always feel that way even after I'm not dean anymore. But it's certainly the case that you all are the last class of my students as dean, and we are graduating together this year. And you, Class of 2024, will always hold a special place in my heart. So congratulations again.

[APPLAUSE]

So along with the certificate that you just received and the official diploma that will follow, you leave here with a key. Don't worry, you didn't miss picking it up or anything. It's a metaphorical key. But it's a really important metaphorical key, and it is the key to our kingdom. So I have told you lots of times how powerful the law is, and I hope that you have internalized that and taken in how much power you now hold.

That law is not some constant thing out there in a vacuum. It's a thing that people make. And you have already started to make it, but you are really going to make it as lawyers. And when you live in a society like ours, committed to the rule of law, a legal education is the key to the kingdom. And we have all seen how much work there is to do and how big the challenges are, and you now have keys of enormous power, and you can be an instrument of change.

The law can be an instrument of change in ways you like and in ways you don't like, but lawyers are critical to our constant aspiration to build a more perfect union. So I urge you to be generous with your keys. They will enable you to shape the law, and our society, and our government, and our economy. So use them for justice, use them for democracy, and use them for the rule of law. With these keys in hand, you can go anywhere, and your careers will be long, and varied, and distinguished.

And sometimes when I'm out in the world-- this won't happen, I guess, anymore. But when I'm out in the world, alumni are sheepish to tell me that they are no longer practicing law. And I ask you never to feel sheepish as to where your career takes you so long as you maintain your integrity, your judgment, and your humanity. It is never a failure to grow and change, to find new paths and unplanned avenues.

And indeed, when pressed and I ask those sheepish alumni whatever they're doing, well, do you regret going to law school? And they say, no matter where they are, law school has served me well, and I am confident that that will be your experience, too. What we offered you when we recruited you here was not only the years of learning and growth and community you would spend here, but a lifetime of the same.

And much as it is hard to believe, your student days are actually only the beginning of your connection to UVA Law School. Today you become alumni, and you join 20,000 other law school alumni in the world. So I know, even as it makes me sad, we are not actually saying goodbye today. We're only saying so long.

Everyone here, the faculty, the staff, incoming dean and rock star, Leslie Kendrick-- one more round of applause for her, [APPLAUSE]-- and myself, none of us can wait for you to come back to visit, and lecture, and mentor, and judge oral arguments, and recruit new students to your jobs, and, of course, connect with each other and us again at reunions.

So as you begin your new adventures, always remember to fall back on and carry with you the education you received here and the friends you made. This degree, these keys to our kingdom, this learning, this model of nobility will serve you always, and this community, these people, this place will always be here for you. So congratulations, Class of 2024.

[APPLAUSE]

I invite you all into the law school for some light refreshments. Congratulations again.

[APPLAUSE]