Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at UConn Law’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17. Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned, will also deliver the commencement address.
Under Stevenson’s leadership, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death‑row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.
UConn confers honorary degrees on individuals whose achievements reflect extraordinary and lasting distinction. The recognition represents the highest intellectual and moral values of the University and is reserved for those whose character and accomplishments exemplify UConn at its best.
“Bryan Stevenson’s advocacy has transformed lives, reshaped national conversations about fairness and human dignity, and inspired countless lawyers to use their education in service of others,” says Dean Eboni S. Nelson. “He embodies UConn Law’s deepest commitments, and we are privileged and excited to celebrate his remarkable achievements as our honorary degree recipient and commencement speaker.”
“I’m honored to join the inspiring graduates of UConn’s School of Law,” Stevenson says. “The rule of law and the role of lawyers in creating more justice in the world is vital. I’m excited to be with outstanding law students as they enter the legal profession.”
Stevenson has argued and won multiple cases before the United States Supreme Court, including landmark rulings protecting people with dementia on death row and banning mandatory life‑without‑parole sentences for children. The EJI has won relief for more than 140 wrongly condemned death‑row prisoners and hundreds of others who were unjustly convicted or sentenced.
Stevenson has also advanced major national efforts to address poverty, discrimination, and the legacy of racial injustice. He led the creation of the EJI’s acclaimed Legacy Sites (the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park), which illuminate the history of slavery, lynching, segregation, and their connection to mass incarceration.
His work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the MacArthur “Genius” Grant, the ABA Medal, the National Humanities Medal, the Thurgood Marshall Award, and inclusion on the Time 100 and Fortune’s World’s Greatest Leaders lists. He has received more than 50 honorary degrees and is the author of the bestselling book “Just Mercy,” which inspired an award‑winning feature film and a documentary film. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School.
The UConn School of Law will hold its 103rd commencement on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 10 a.m. on the law school campus. The Class of 2026 includes more than 230 graduates receiving JD, LLM, and SJD degrees. For more information, please visit our commencement page.
