Congratulations to our newest graduates, who we celebrated this past Sunday! It was wonderful to be able to confer degrees in person and to meet so many family members and friends during our ceremony and reception. We were also delighted to be able to celebrate members of the Class of 2020, who were invited to join this year’s ceremony. The graduates received words of encouragement from FSU President John Thrasher (Dec. ’72) and an inspiring message from featured speaker Dr. Jules Coleman, a retired professor and senior vice president emeritus of New York University who also taught for decades at Yale Law School. During the ceremony, we also recognized graduates Daynica Harley with our Raising the Bar Professionalism Award, and Genevieve Lemley, Sidney Van Elsberg, Nabeha Shaer and Katie Mesa (’20) with our Blaise N. Gamba Outstanding Pro Bono Award. In addition, Professor Christopher Busch (’11) was honored with our Open Door Faculty Award.

Following the ceremony, graduates and their guests celebrated on the James Harold Thompson Green. Due to COVID-19, the reception featured pre-scheduled stations where graduates were hooded with the D’Alemberte Rotunda in the background, took photos with their guests against an ivy backdrop, and could partake in a toast at a champagne fountain. As a special treat, hooders included Florida Supreme Court Justices Alan Lawson (’87), Carlos Muñiz and Ricky Polston (’87), and FSU Law Professors Rob Atkinson, Chris Busch, Jeff Kahn, David Landau, Wayne Logan, Mark Seidenfeld, Justin Sevier, Mark Spottswood, Nat Stern, Charlee Taylor and Manuel Utset. Many thanks to our Office of Student Advancement for planning and executing our graduation festivities. And congratulations, again, to our new alumni. We are looking forward to watching you thrive in your careers!
 

Published on April 30, 2021