Seton Hall University School of Law held its annual Commencement exercises on Friday, May 27 for the Class of 2016, awarding the Juris Doctor degree to 159 graduates, and the Master of Science in Jurisprudence degree to 31. The event took place at the Prudential Center in Newark.
Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was presented with an honorary degree and then delivered the Commencement address to the Class of 2016, welcoming the graduates to the profession of law and exhorting them to use the law as an “instrument to break down barriers and build bridges.”
Bharara continued, “Test the truth of your own beliefs. I think sometimes that people increasingly live in their own echo chambers, seldom taking the time to test and strengthen the rightness of their beliefs through the rigors of debate and open dialogue. In this time of antagonism and polarized views, the court of law offers a worthwhile ideal. The search for truth and justice in the courtroom offers an inspiring model. The quest for the truth depends on evidence and facts. It relies on evidence and cross examination. It relies on the right of both sides to present arguments and it lets both sides do so without fear of being shouted down or shut down.”
Kathleen M. Boozang, Dean and Professor of Law, also spoke to the graduates:
“You are leaving behind the metrics that have measured your success for the entirety of your academic career. You will never again be subject to a curve. There’s no more-blind grading.
Within a few years, even your resume is going to look different – the academic part of your resume – the grades, your rank in class, whether you were on a journal, will drop further and further down on the page. You are starting afresh, and what matters most going forward is who you are, and what you do.
The least that will be expected of you is success as a legal professional – that you are always the most prepared person in the room, representing your clients with passion and integrity, and working very hard. Seton Hall Law has empowered you to take the world by storm.
Your degree empowers you to participate at a high level in the real governance of society. So while you won’t be graded any more, you will be judged. And the criteria can be more demanding – for good reason. The stakes are simply higher.
What are you doing for the world today?
What are you fighting for?
Who are you championing?
What is your cause?
How do you treat others?
My final words to you as your Dean are – BE ENGAGED. You are either in the arena on the field, playing your heart out, or a spectator. Seton Hall Lawyers are not spectators. Make sure you are always in the game.”
Seton Hall University School of Law, New Jersey’s only private law school and a leading law school in the New York metropolitan area, is dedicated to preparing students for the practice of law through excellence in scholarship and teaching with a strong focus on experiential learning. Seton Hall Law School offers day and evening programs for J.D., M.S.J. and LL.M. degree candidates, as well as an Online Learning division enabling professionals to earn graduate certificates. Founded in 1951, Seton Hall Law School is located in Newark. For more information, visit law.shu.edu
