April 9, 2025 | Meagan Fazio

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam to Speak at UConn Law 2025 Commencement

Mayor Arulampalam will address UConn Law’s nearly 200 graduates on Sunday, May 18.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam in a blue suit on a city street.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam

Arunan Arulampalam, mayor of the City of Hartford, will deliver the commencement address as the UConn School of Law celebrates the Class of 2025 on Sunday, May 18.

“It is an honor to have Mayor Arulampalam, a leader who has tirelessly worked to revitalize Hartford, as our commencement speaker,” Dean Eboni S. Nelson says. “Many of this year’s graduates have provided legal services to underserved individuals in Hartford through our clinics and pro bono programs, making them key partners in the vital work being done to strengthen our local community. Considering the mayor’s distinguished career of service and advancing justice, his personal and professional journeys will serve as tremendous inspiration for our graduates as they begin their legal careers.”

The son of Sri Lankan refugees, Arulampalam was born in Zimbabwe and made a home and a family in Hartford after graduate school. Prior to being elected mayor in November 2023, he served as CEO of the Hartford Land Bank, where he developed a first-in-the-nation program to train Hartford residents to become local developers and tackle blight in their city.

Arulampalam served in Governor Ned Lamont’s administration as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Before that, he was a lawyer at the downtown firm Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C. Arulampalam also served on the Board of the Hartford Public Library, the House of Bread, and on the Hartford Redevelopment Authority. He earned his BA in International Studies from Emory University and his JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

“It is an incredible honor to join the UConn School of Law community and celebrate the Class of 2025,” Arulampalam says.  “These graduates represent the future of justice and advocacy, and their commitment to serving others, particularly through their work in Hartford, inspires hope for a stronger, more equitable society. As they embark on this next chapter, I am confident they will continue to make a profound impact on our city, our state, and beyond.”

The University of Connecticut School of Law will hold its 102nd commencement on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 10 a.m. on the law school campus. The Class of 2025 includes nearly 200 graduates receiving JDs, LLMs, and SJD degrees. For more information, please visit our commencement site.