{"id":246375,"date":"2026-05-19T14:36:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T18:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=246375"},"modified":"2026-05-19T15:49:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:49:18","slug":"uconn-school-of-law-celebrates-103rd-commencement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/05\/uconn-school-of-law-celebrates-103rd-commencement\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn School of Law Celebrates 103rd Commencement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI hope you will become more than just a law graduate. More than just a lawyer. I hope you will become the kind of lawyer who inspires, who educates, who is compassionate, and who understands that justice requires more of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

That message from keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson echoed throughout UConn Law\u2019s 103rd Commencement ceremony as approximately 234 graduates, surrounded by an ecstatic crowd of family and friends, celebrated the conferral of their degrees on Sunday, May 17. (Watch the ceremony online.<\/a>) Stevenson, Aronson Family Professor of Criminal Justice at the New York University School of Law and founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative,<\/a> also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Bryan Stevenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A widely acclaimed public interest lawyer, Stevenson encouraged graduates to think deeply about how they will use their legal education and the kind of professionals they aspire to be. Drawing on his decades of legal advocacy, he emphasized that professional identity must be rooted in character, integrity, and care for others. He noted that meaningful legal work requires listening, empathy, and human connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what kind of lawyer you become, find ways to get close to people who are poor, marginalized, and excluded,\u201d he advised. \u201cBecause it\u2019s in proximity to injustice that we become capable of doing justice.”<\/p>\n

Stevenson also challenged graduates to confront narratives rooted in fear and inequality and to remain hopeful in the face of difficulty.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopelessness is the enemy of justice,\u201d he said. \u201cHope is your superpower. It will help you stand up when others tell you to sit down and speak when others tell you to stay quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Class Defined by Service and Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Dean Eboni S. Nelson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Themes of hope and purpose were also reflected in Dean Eboni S. Nelson\u2019s remarks, which highlighted the promise of the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recently heard someone say, \u2018Hope is what fuels changemakers,\u2019 and I immediately thought of all of you,\u201d Dean Nelson told the graduates. \u201cThat\u2019s exactly who each of you are. With the knowledge and skills that you have acquired here at UConn Law, coupled with your steadfast dedication to the pursuit of justice for all, you are well-prepared to address the most difficult and complex problems of our time and to bring about positive changes in our communities, country, and world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Class of 2026 features 160 graduates with juris doctor<\/a> (JD) degrees and 74 with master of laws<\/a> (LLM) degrees. Five graduates earned dual degrees \u2013 a JD and a graduate degree from another UConn school or college. Nelson reflected on all of their accomplishments, emphasizing that they have already translated their education into meaningful impact\u2014advocating for children, asylum seekers, survivors of violence, entrepreneurs, and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough your work, you have advanced the interests of justice and expanded opportunity for others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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