Columbia University Commencement 2019

Columbia University Law School 2019 MA Class Day Ceremony

you you you

please welcome the representatives of the 50th reunion class Columbia Law School class of 1969 you

I'm Ayesha McHugh hi my name is Katherine Nunez I'm Marilyn Castillo as the co-chairs of the graduation committee we are truly honored and

excited to celebrate with you today we know that we would not be on this stage without the love support and guidance of the many people who believed in us so before we begin we want to take a moment

to thank everyone who has made this day possible our family friends educators mentors faculty and the support staff that have continuously ensured we had a safe and clean space to learn in our

friends and family that supported us mostly and mentally even when we started using phrases like de novo in res judicata on behalf of the class of 2019 we thank you for your continued support

it has truly been a journey class of 2019 you might remember that during orientation Dean Lester told us took to look to our left and to look to our

right and promise unlike what was portrayed in the movies we'd all make it to the finish line so we'd like to task you with the same today class of 2019 look to your left

and then look to your right we did it today marks the beginning of what the class of 2019 will accomplish to begin this ceremony please join me in welcoming jillian lester Dean and Lucy G

Moses professor of law to the podium Thank You Marilyn Ayesha and Katherine congratulations to the Columbia Law School class of 2019 as

you sit today at the center of Columbia's campus you are surrounded quite literally by concentric rings of friendship love community and opportunity your classmates seated

beside you have become lifelong friends they've struggled with you lend help in times of need and become some of your closest allies beyond them sit your friend your your family and your loved

ones they're here today to celebrate you and they take enormous pride in your accomplishments but they also deserve recognition from you and from us for delivering you to Columbia and for their

devotion along the path that led you here let's give them a round of applause beyond them lies a stunning campus of this great University and not just a physical place but a community of

professors staff and students that's enriched you academically and personally and Columbia as you will soon come to learn is also a community of alumni today we are joined by members of the

class of 1969 who are here to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation from Columbia Law School members of class of 1969 could you please rise so that we can

welcome and celebrate you and finally beyond the gates of Colombia lies a great city a place of astounding opportunity by now every one of you is a New Yorker endowed with limitless

possibility so as we gather here today and celebrate your graduation in the start of a new phase of your lives cherish the friendships you've built here honor your loved ones take pride in

the Columbia University community of which you will always be a part and draw inspiration from your time in this incomparable City so great friends great family great institution great city

that's a lot of greats and in many ways our world is consumed with the idea of greatness on an even broader scale we idolize business leaders who can turn startups into billion-dollar unicorns we

venerate athletes whose prowess makes them the fastest strongest and best among contenders we love rankings well most of us do of schools law firms cities even as we know

that they can only tell us so much we obsess over the daily musings of so-called influencers who festoon our social media feeds with tips about beauty style and Happiness the concept

of greatness it seems is a shared value of our time transcending identity geography religion politics now you may be wondering where I'm heading with this surely I'm not about to throw shade on

the pursuit of greatness and excellence am i that wouldn't be so great would it but in fact I am just just gonna throw a little bit of shade and here's why

if we slavishly fetishize greatness above all else we walk into a trap a trap of false binaries we risk adopting a mindset whereby anything short of winning is by definition losing if we

aren't successful we fail if we aren't the best we're the worst if we aren't praised we're blameworthy and while we may in a sense in our heart of hearts know that this zero-sum outlook is a

fallacy we succumb to it all too readily so what's the answer that we all strive for mediocrity of course not instead the challenge is to find excitement in the pursuit and mastery of

excellence while at the same time rejecting this trap of false binaries it's one of the most important things you can learn the ability to hold these two things in your mind at the same time

a kind of equanimity equanimity is a way of thinking that allows you to see more clearly that simple binary scan obscure truth that life can be imperfect and yet joyful an even mind one that achieves

achieves equanimity remains unfazed in the face of imperfection cool in the face of crisis undisguised in the face of disappointment and conversely a tempers you to receive your victories

gracefully with moderation instead of arrogance or swagger to be clear equanimity is not apathy nor is it indifference to the contrary it demands discipline and attention

but this quality if you can cultivate it successfully will make you a better lawyer and a better person equanimity in the practice of law enables you to focus on doing the task at hand rather than

fretting over how you will be seen to have performed it helps you to learn from others without the distraction of internal comparison it allows you to pick yourself up and carry on when you

suffer a setback and it gives you a measure of humility and humility and perspective when you gain advantage and so to equanimity can make you a better and more engaged citizen it's no secret

that we live in a time of deeply polarized public discourse or it may be all too tempting to brand everything that's not deemed right as woefully wrong with the space in between crowded

out completely the degree you've earned today is the culmination of years a lifetime even of hard work and dedication when you walk across this stage you might feel like you finally

achieved a measure of the greatness that has so long motivated you and you have so much to be proud of take time to celebrate it and all the good things that will follow but our world has a

peculiar way of moving the goal posts sooner than you realize you'll find yourself in situations that require much of you today's feeling of accomplishment may cede ground to a different set of

ideals and priorities a new and seemingly more impossible set of criteria by which to measure greatness when those days arrive and they will strive to swim against the currents of a

binary world try to hold your thoughts in equipoise finding the evenness of mind to suspend judgment of yourself as much as others and resist the temptation to seek to

seize upon simple bromides born of fear or discomfort that's what will set you apart not society's version of greatness but you were equanimity in moments of challenge and in moments of triumph

class of 2019 the world awaits you I salute you and I congratulate you hello graduates friends and family of the class of 2019

my name is Wil Cobb as the outgoing president of our Student Senate it is my honor today to introduce today's graduating student speakers these two graduates were elected by a popular vote

of their peers and will speak this evening on behalf of these two incredibly vibrant and accomplished student bodies first to speak for the JD class of 2019 I am delighted to

introduce Pablo as of iOS hello class of 2019 there are so many people to thank for making this day possible first I'd like to thank the folks in the facilities department who

built this stage and made sure the Jerome green hall was a safe and clean place for us to study in every single day I'd also like to thank professors administrators staff and all those whose

work seen and unseen made this day possible let's give a round of applause for them the last three years were a singular time to be in law school it started off as you might expect the

August Sun beaming on us over the orientation events and represent Plaza the nervous anticipation as we sat through welcoming remarks the brief exchange of phones to facilitate

Facebook friend requests maybe even a bomb legal methods cold call we envisioned the 1l year spent finding our footing and yearning to fulfill the sense of mission that brought us here in

the first place yet on one November night during one all fall uncertainty became tumult we were bitterly reminded that the question ohoo that gets to enjoy the full benefits of citizenship

the bedrock of our democracy and the legal system we aspire to join remains deeply unsettled and as we looked at the outside world we also looked inward we questioned what it means as lawyers to

uphold the rule of law when allegations of breathtaking wrongdoing permeate the highest levels of our politics while young people awaiting trial languish on Rikers Island because they cannot make

bail we listened as many including members of our own community stood up and declared me to all throughout there were some who

learned harsh realities they never thought they needed to know well there are others whose voices were finally being heard and even those who felt as though they no longer had to bear their

sufferings in silence but amidst the hurt and the chaos fellow graduates we rose to the occasion in our midst class 3:19 our people who went as far as the southern border to help secure

asylum for migrants including families who'd been separated from their children people who were sick of mass shootings and helped lead the largest march against gun violence this state has ever

seen people who enforce the rights of low-wage people who enforce the rights of low-wage workers and help secure justice

for survivors of domestic violence people who successfully defended low-income people from unjust prosecution's and sentences people who testified in state houses in support of

key legislation people who produce scholarship are new theories to hold government at all levels accountable for our constitutional rights and people who are tired of the barriers facing women

in politics and founded an annual conference to encourage women at Columbia to run for office i watch this channel that same vigor and generosity of spirit that we had when

facing the outside world right here in our law school community whether by sending someone notes when they missed a day of class listening patiently and offering sage advice to a friend

contemplating a major life decision bucking up a classmate whose client faced long odds in the looming court date in advocating on behalf of improved career support in every sector for

future students this is who we are this is the class I am so proud to be a part of and this is the class that I have seen the last three years durable in our compassion relentless in our advocacy

devoted in our commitment to justice and I cannot wait to see what we do when we set loose that spirit upon the legal world fellow graduates regardless of whether

the next few years may take us through pro bono and bar committees advocacy and perhaps our full-time work each of us can fulfill the role that Justice Brandeis prescribed for us over a

hundred years ago to be the people's lawyer and as we take part in that work we will face an age-old question should we fight mainly to secure the victories at hand or should we be unyielding in

pursuit of a world free from any trace of inequity or injustice although I don't propose to resolve that question tonight I can't help but think of what others before us did who faced those

same challenges in their own lives between fighting to make it through the here and now and fighting for a future worthy of their highest aspirations and for me I think about my parents my mom

and dad came to this country from Ecuador in the 1980s one of dads first jobs was at the Grand Hyatt back when it was owned by a certain developer with a 5th Avenue tower that bears his name and

my mom fled the first place she lived in after she got to this country with nothing but the clothes on her back my parents would eventually find steady work clawed their way to middle

management meat and marry but even as they found stability and started a family they'd still make endless sacrifices all in the hope that my little sister and I would never have to

hold back from dreaming now I get to graduate from Columbia Law School and the same before you tonight my family's story charts a course for all of us

in short order we'll get to work with the world as it is mending the damage of the last few years and making our institutions whole but one day long after this stage is broken down and the

gallons get put away and the diplomas gather dust on office walls our communities will live in the world where their inherent dignity is affirmed where people have the freedom and the

resources to more fully be the authors of their own destinies the future may not belong to us but it is when we doubtless will help shape that fellow graduates is our charge rooted in our

history rounded by humility but unshackled from a poverty of imagination we pressed forward always holding close the poet's words that some work of Noble note may yet be done class of 2019 thank

you and Godspeed Thank You Pablo and now to speak for the master of law class of 2019 I'm delighted to welcome

yonas Verna Minh what is a class of 2019 what is a facial I also want to welcome all guests faculty members parents family and friends my name is jonas venema I'm a proud Belgian and as you

can see European citizen go forth I am also those people's right in the back over there I'm also those people's son and before I start I would like to apologize for not telling you that this

was going to happen I also want to apologize for apologizing in public because I know how much you loathe being at the center of attention sorry mama and papa

I coped ignorant knock-knock welcome enters and please don't run out of your seats today I have the honor of speaking to you all on behalf of the beautiful talented promising class LLM class of

2019 and the honor of speaking to my classmates dear friends you are truly an exceptional Bunch the faces of the people around you glow with great expectations great expectations for us

children as partners and parents as lawyers as scholars as leaders they want you to realize your full potential to be the best in your field they want you to be successful to be happy even wealthy

maybe even wealthy or powerful dear classmates starting today all eyes are on you naturally we will fail to live up to these expectations it is true we will there are only so many cases that we can

win deals we can make brilliant papers we can rights movements that we can build only so many hours of sleep that we can skip more than once we let ourselves down disappoint our friends

our parents our loved ones and you know what that is okay it is okay because true failure does not lie in not living up to expectations failure lies in not trying it not disrupting or breaking in

not mending in not improving in not imagining it lies in closing ourselves off from the challenges we face it lies in being blind to the responsibility that comes with our privilege a Columbia

Law School degree puts the world at our feet it grants us X's and credibility credibility that others can only dream of people look to and listen to Columbia

law graduates people follow Columbia law graduates they will count on us to make the tough decisions count on us to make the right decisions but we will have to be vigilant because

too often the law has legitimized grave injustice –is too often academic corporate or political culture is used as an excuse for lawyers actions we can do better we must we are expected to all

eyes are on you fortunately a single year at this school and among these JD's has given us new ideas better arguments sturdier skills and a more precise moral compass to face

future challenges most importantly our time here is embedded in this community so that we do not have to face that future alone over the past months we met like minds mind they liked and minds

that we minded we found people who understand us people who get who we are where we come from and what we care about friends who recognize the madness of being a lawyer

we made allies who understand who we love and why it shouldn't matter who we love soul mates who brought comfort because they've also been unfortunate I have also been ill have also lost a

loved one this class our class their talent made us feel like frauds shams imposters it was hard at times but it was the same friends and colleagues colleagues who helped us overcome our

fears or insecurities they took our minds off in music movies and plays showed us their culture in ways they set us back on our feet sometimes it is straight they kept us up till way too

late their honesty and kindness set them apart more than once we asked ourselves do we really have two parts we do but you will forever stay a part of this class of this school that bond does not

end look around from now on wherever you go someone in this crowd will be there waiting whenever you are in doubt someone will be one call away whenever you fail and you will fail

someone will help pick you up you will be in our minds we will have your back we will be looking over your shoulder we will keep an eye out all eyes are on you thank you and congratulations

good evening my name is Marilyn Castillo and I'm honored to present the 2019 Willis Elam Ruiz prize for Excellence in teaching to the much respected professor

Zohar Goshen the Jerome L green the Jerome L green professor of transactional law and the director of the Center for Israeli study Legal Studies here at Columbia Law School each

year the law school student body votes and selects a teacher whom they believe best embodies the legacy left behind by Professor Reiss professor Rees was a member of the Columbia Law School

faculty who is best remembered for his charismatic style unwavering commitment to his students and dedication to teaching not only the letter of the law but a deeper grasp of its spirit and

meaning the Willis Rees prize is awarded each year to an exemplary Columbia Law School professor who exhibits a similar passion for educating the next generation of legal scholars and

protection OHS alike professor Zohar Goshen is one such professor in fact he is the only third repeat winner of this teaching prize

after receiving his LLB from Hebrew University his LLM and s JD from Yale Law School and serving on Hebrew University's Faculty of Law for 14 years professor Goshen joined the Faculty of

Columbia Law School in 2001 as a visiting professor and became a perfect permanent professor in 2004 as a Columbia Law School faculty member he has earned the reputation for making

corporate law classes accessible explaining material in a clear manner ensuring students understand it and encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills it is both my pleasure

and tremendous honor to present the 2019 Willis teaching prize to Professor Zohar Goshen

Thank You Meryl for the kind and generous words class of 2019 families friends colleagues and distinguished guests Wow few days though ago someone wrote on

LinkedIn that being on stage is like eating tiramisu it's not it is with great honor and happiness that I receive the Willis trees teaching prize I am extremely grateful teaching is my

passion and I feel fortunate to teach the best students in the world here at Columbia I have men I have many reasons to cherish this teaching prize and I would like to share with you one of them

in 1949 one year after the establishment of the State of Israel all the Jewish people living in Yemen were flown to Israel in an operation known as magic carpet

my parents each 20 years old walked two months to the secret airport to board the first and only flight of their lives to start a new life in a new country my mother may she rest in peace

believed that the road out of poverty for her five children went through education she made it our first priority and every day when she came home from her job in a sausage factory she checked

our homework it took me until sixth grade to notice that she was holding the notebook backwards you don't know how to read I said yes she replied calmly and now that you

know you will teach me and she learned I guess I just would like to dedicate this wonderful prize to my mother and to all the parents and family members who support and encourage us to be the best

we are thank you when I told my eight-year-old son here is there that I planned to talk about my mother today he said why don't you talk about the people who are still

living and loving you like me mom came and Nadav here I just did I love you all and a few words for the road and words that I believe are the reason that you have chose me to speak some of you

believe that your talent hard work and dedication brought you to this exciting moment well others like myself are afraid that the register will suddenly announce though our Gaussian we are

sorry we made a mistake you should not be here please step aside joking aside this difference in attitudes reflects not just different levels of self-confidence but also different

beliefs about the role of luck in life after completing my first law degree against some self-confidence and by the end of my 20s I believed that 90% of what happened in my life was in my hands

and the remaining 10% was luck bad luck but the belief that in real time you can tell whether something that is happening to you is good or bad is often wrong sometimes it takes years until an event

reveals its true nature as either a good or a bad thing now in my 50s I know that only 10% is in my hands and 90% is in God's hands what are the implication of this

realization to begin with you have to work the 10% that is in your hands as if there as if it were the hundred percent and as you do it just remember that it is difficult to evaluate

achievements or failures and their effect on your current or future happiness dying happiness to achievements is the futile exercise when you do that you start saying to yourself

I will be happy when I finish college when I get into Columbia Law School when I get rid of goshen when I finish law school when I make partner when I get married when I make a million dollars

achievements are a moving target and you will be doomed to live a life of pursuing happiness rather than actually being happy being happy is very simple and free like enjoying a sunset a child

smile or a joke at your expense work hard but enjoy the road that is your life and what about the 90 percent that is in God's hands you might say there is no God it is all pure luck and there is

nothing you can do to affect the dice of course I'm not trying to make you believe that God exists but you know you will burn in hell if you don't

but if you believe in any gods even in a non-religious god how can you affect the 90% my experience has taught me that there is only one way be a good person there are many ways to do that embrace

the one that suits you you can do good in the world through public service or through being the best litigator in America or by founding a successful startup you pay attention to your

conscience and you will realize the way you were designed to bring goodness into the word congratulations on earning your Columbia degree it is an extremely valuable asset that will serve you

wherever you go I wish you good luck and a wonderful journey during your life I will miss you Columbia will miss you so keep in touch thank you again for this wonderful prize

and for the honoring me with the chance to speak with you today thank you good afternoon every year Columbia Law School honors a

group of its students for especially outstanding achievement through awards selected by the faculty we honor students for their service and clinics for their academic achievement for the

writing for their leadership in the law school community and in the legal world you all have in your hands the complete list of our honorees this year right now it is my privilege to recognize the

honorees for four of these awards when I announced her name please stand the Samuel Rosenman Prize is awarded to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence in public law courses and

outstanding qualities and leadership in the law school community this year we have two remarkable recipients sunayana Bennington and Hayley Malcolm please stand

congratulations the Pauline Burman Heller Prize is awarded to the graduating student who has displayed the most outstanding record of achievement

in the service of gender equality as expressed by their coursework and by their contributions in the law school and in the broader community this year's award goes to Loren Matlock Colangelo

the John ordre no prize is awarded to the JD student with the highest academic average in this graduating class this year's award goes to David Weiser

congratulations and finally the Walter Gill horn prize is awarded to the LLM student with the highest academic average and this year's award goes to

Victoria ting gushing congratulations to each of you and to all of the prize winners this year now please join me in welcoming your class gift co-chairs jessica choi mahi mahi – phi e Rishabh

horik and patrick Waldrop good evening my name is Jessica Choi this year along with mati markings if a rich parikh and patrick ball drop I had the honor of serving as co-chair of the

2019 graduation class gift campaign graduating from an institution like Columbia Law School carries an immense responsibility its responsibility to give back to our communities into our

whole world it's a responsibility to give back via our time our knowledge our advocacy in our leadership and of course monetarily I with with that totally blanked out on all this that was I feel

like that was really the only thing that can happen with me coming up here I'm 2lakhs about all of this stuff that's my problem really just covers up all of my stuff

anyway I the the class gift is about all of our class putting aside any petty differences and coming together as a class to honor that responsibility by giving back together

to the institution that made us into the people that get to walk across this stage today today we are proud to announce that nearly 72 percent of the graduating class contributed to the

class gift please join me in giving an extra special thank you to all 53 of my classmates who decided to volunteer to

donate time to help make this happen and to the nearly five hundred and fifty students that donated to the class gift thank you that's why I have a paper good afternoon everyone my name is Maha

Maha Desai it was an honor to represent the LLM class of 2019 along with Rishabh Devan Parekh we feel privileged of being part of this amazing

international community that has formed among our classmates as al-alem's and the class gift was a great way to show our appreciation and our gratitude for this unforgettable year at Columbia Law

School as patrick said we're proud to commit to commit ourselves in this long-standing tradition to giving back to the society did the law school sorry we would like to thank all students and

especially those people who did not expect to contribute towards this parents and student loans it is with great enthusiasm that we present to you this role to be in Leicester this scroll

consists of the names of the 535 students who contributed and thank you for all your support and leadership hello everyone my name is Katherine

Nunez and I have the pleasure of introducing our keynote speaker tonight Xavier Becerra Attorney General Xavier Becerra was sworn in as the state's chief law enforcement officer on January

24th 2017 he previously served 12 terms as a member of the US House of Representatives and while in Congress he was the first Latino to serve as a member of the Committee on ways and

means he has demonstrated a record of fighting for working families ensuring the vitality of Social Security and Medicaid programs and addressing issues that have in that have a impact on job

generating industries such as health care clean energy technology and entertainment attorney general Becerra was born in Sacramento California and is the son of working-class parents he is

the first in his family to receive a four-year degree and his Juris Doctorate both from Stanford University he and his wife dr. karolina Reyes are the proud parents of three daughters Olivia and

Natalia and Columbia Law School's very own member of the class of 2019 Clarissa with that with that it is my pleasure to introduce our 2019 keynote speaker the California

Attorney General Xavier Becerra Catherine thank you very much and congratulations to you too Dean Lester the Columbia Law School faculty and

staff to all the invited guests and dignitaries I wish to thank you for inviting me to be with you today I came from California I thought I would bring the 70 degree weather I apologize to all

of you those of you who are not from New York and we're not expecting this but this is New York right and that's what makes New York special and so we are thrilled to be here with you but we

really want to say more than anything else that we're thrilled to see these folks in these blue robes more than anything else in the world 2019 class of 2019 this is your day congratulations to

you we've just heard about some of the outstanding achievements of many of these students I have the distinct honor of being here both as your one hundred and sixtieth commitment speaker and as a

parent as you've heard so I know exactly how proud many of you as parents and loved ones are to see this special person here in this blue rope today in fact for me it still takes a little

getting used to being here and I don't mean just here at this podium I mean here at a commencement because for my wife and I it's a new experience to actually get to see people graduate from

college it's an even greater experience when you get to watch your children do that for the first time as well and so we are thankful to all those who made it possible for those first-timers to be

here today and to get to live that world that so many had partaken in the past I also am thrilled to be here because by being asked to deliver today's commencement address it was a clear

giveaway that my daughter had graduated on time and boy does she graduate I watched her nailed it yesterday evening at the balsa loss a graduation ceremony she was one

of the speakers we learned about many of the students who are graduating here at Columbia today we learned about their many achievements and we learned about so many of the firsts of some of these

individuals I know that your parents really want to make the most of this opportunity being here today especially if they are like my parents who really really would have preferred that I've

been a doctor I chose to follow my own path and yesterday we heard about a lot of folks of immigrant background who are told you should be a doctor and while I

never did get the MD I did make it to AG representing 40 million people here in this great country they probably still would have preferred me being a doctor luckily I married one and so so did my

daughter I don't know what your parents dream that you would become maybe a doctor maybe a techie and intrapreneur but I'm glad you chose this route you chose to ensure everyone who wants legal

representation will have it you chose to protect the presumption of innocence you chose to give people their day in court I remember the first and only time my parents swindled out of

some modest savings years in the making needed an attorney he meant well but he was way out of his league actually he didn't know what he was doing but that was all that they could

afford there are many options when you're a construction worker with a sixth-grade education and a clerical worker with an accent they put their trust in him but he couldn't deliver

I couldn't deliver I think I was a sophomore in college at the time and I was the closest thing that my parents had or could afford to legal help I tried but I really couldn't give my

parents the day in court the day that they deserved sometimes you fall but sometimes you don't you'll never know until you try it that's why you have to test yourself every day you did it for

three years and here you are now comes the big test some of you have already been doing this for well beyond three years just to get here you went beyond like me you may be the first generation

American in your family like me you may be the first in your family to attend a university or like me you may have been the first to actually get to finish law school well let me give you the

well-known secret about firsts they're better when you chase them don't wait ask Thomas Edison Sally Ride Sonya Sotomayor Barack Obama asked the 1980 US men's Olympic hockey team or that's 2016

Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers I've experienced my share of first I've been cussed out by a president I witnessed 9/11 from our Capitol I cast

votes on war and impeachment I have sued and beaten a President of the United States and as I learned from my parents not every first will be a success but when

you survive the verbal assault from the commander-in-chief there's no insult or intimidation you can't handle when you're able to confront the aftermath of 9/11 you learn

to take no threat for granted when you have to hand the American flag to the spouse of a fallen soldier you've been begin to understand and understand real sacrifice in my nearly

thirty years of public service I have fallen a lot I fought to stop discriminatory bans against gay marriage in 1996 I fought against the Iraq war in 2003 while we passed the Affordable Care

Act in 2010 we came up short in achieving Medicare for all and when we passed the DREAM Act for America's young immigrant dreamers through the House of Representatives in 2010 we fell for vote

shy of overcoming a Republican filibuster in the Senate but through it all I learned the most important lesson how to fall forward how to learn from those missteps to try again and to get

get it right the next time around last month I settled a case against Morgan Stanley to restore the pension savings of teachers in public workers in California who like my parents were

taken advantage of we recovered one hundred and fifty million dollars and the president that California Sudan beat well we've done it another 49 times

so far California has been almost perfect in our challenges to the federal government with more than 30 victories in our court rulings from several of those 50 cases when this administration

try to take a woman's right to choose we sue when this administration try to tell women they could choose their own contraceptive we sue when this administration try to tell us that we

would undercount in the census by including a question that would keep people from participating we sued when this administration tried to tell Americans patriotic Americans who wanted

to serve their country and we're told no because they were transgender we sued and in each of those cases we won a nationwide injunction to stop the administration from moving forward those

policies because it is important to defend those people's rights that's a lot of cases and it's a lot of unlawful behavior and in California we keep leaning forward we are reminded

every day of the importance of solid institutions the kind that legal minds coming out of this institution build and the kind that you need to protect your Columbia Law family is a storied one

yours is a line of revolutionaries of nation builders of lawmakers your Columbia law ancestors wrote the Declaration of Independence the Constitution and the Federalist Papers

they built the Treasury served at the Supreme Court's first chief justice and occupied the Oval Office your Columbia family steps up when the call comes

they helped codify and protect the rights of the people who call this nation home writes that we are taking for granted rights that are disappearing rights that you are now charged to

defend it's your job to decide what that means no pressure I know you spent the last three years studying some of the most important story cases in our nation's history and learning about the

precedents they've created and how to follow them but we must ask ourselves who set those precedents who were they made to benefit I try to ask myself those questions when I see failures of

justice when I became the Attorney General of California I saw that people were awaiting trial in jail even though they hadn't been tried or convicted simply because they couldn't afford to

make bail that wasn't just as your fellow alum Chief Justice John Jay wrote justice is indiscriminately do to all without regard to numbers wealth or rank when I took office the California

Department Justice was in the practice of defending the judges who made those bail determinations when they were challenged by the defendants but I asked my team what would happen if

we stopped defending those determinations we'd end up up ending the entire system so we did it and today California has passed a bail reform law that says moving forward pretrial

detention will be based on your danger to the public not the dollars in your pocket we haven't fixed our criminal justice system completely yet but that decision was a powerful reminder to me

and to our state of what can happen when we considered doing things differently than the way they've always been done before I urge you think outside the box take on new challenges think about

opening doors lean forward fall forward be the first my parents work day and night to open doors for me that I couldn't open for them my father still remembers the days when he couldn't walk

into restaurants because of the signs on the doors that said no dogs or Mexicans allowed so he and my mother made sure I knew what it was to work that it was my job to do whatever I could to open doors

for others to make sure people weren't getting shut out by the law I'm asking you today to do the same to set new precedents to open as many doors as possible

you didn't come this far and work this hard just to step in line just to read the signs and do as they say you are here not just to interpret Authority but to join in that great Columbia tradition

of questioning it and shaping it of righting wrongs and rewriting the rules that's what leadership looks like and it looks like asking tough questions and demanding honest answers it looks like

chasing those firsts and falling forward looks like stepping up to the plate this country needs more leaders like that FDR Columbia rgb' Columbia class of 2019 it needs you to be them today

you've open a new door I can't wait to see where you all will go from here perhaps John Lewis said it best a dear friend and colleague in Congress and a Civil Rights icon when he said you want

to make change you got to get into trouble good trouble or perhaps it's as the dreamers in America who are looking for the opportunity to come out of the shadows who public come out and declare

that they are undocumented and unafraid or perhaps is as the poet Dylan Thomas once said in a poem or a paraphrase do not go quietly into that good night rage rage against the dying of the light

my friends family let us be the first to congratulate each and every distinguished member of the Columbia Law School class of 2019 they are the leaders of tomorrow they will rage and

rage against the dying of the light thank you all very much I am in Konya you Arab on Associate Dean and Dean of Admissions it is my honor and distinct pleasure to present to you

the spectacular Columbia Law School JD class of 2019 Bryan Acevedo Matthew anchormen Stephanie Atta Makos Michael Adams junior Delia adiyogi Allen Adkison

Zachary Amran Philip andreal Joshua and he for she Caroline Armstrong safe ask her Andrew a store Asia al do

Jason alman Helene Aziz Oulu Vanille the by Sofia Bajaj Ryan Baker Nathaniel bulk David Bohm Tyla balls are Abraham Bane Paul Barker Samuel bean Lauren Beck David visor

Preston Bell Ivana Maria Benga chair Benjamin Bennett Juliana Lihua Bennington Maddy Berg Lauren Bergesen Alan Berkowitz

Jessica Bernhardt Alexander Bernstein David Blackman Jocelyn Blier Zachary bloomenfeld Alexandra budeau Anibal TM ski Alisa braver Megan

Elizabeth Brennan Jason Bressler Andrew Brickfield Samantha Briggs James Butler Melanie Calero Illyria Sam

I Christina kam bow tie Carlton Cailin Carney Michael Carson Lydia cash Melissa Castillo

Mary Lynn Castillo Joseph Catalan Otto Natalie cha Chung Chung melon each on Kyle sure Mac Elizabeth Chang Jung Min choke Jessica

Choi David Cho Quinn Kristi Dennis to Bethany clerk Sami Cleland William Cobb Kirk Coleman Frank Kohler Lori Nicole Collins

Stephanie Colorado will in comes' matthew Conroy Alyssa Costello Timothy Kaufman Michael d'andrea Ashley Dalton Brittany

Davis Erica Davis Michael Davis Samuel de Blake or Teresa Dern Bach Rajdeep Dhaliwal min-koo ending Rodolfo Donatelli Audrey induce sex Matthew Duffy

Cedric Duke any sacani adata amanda eller Candice Ellis Sarah Ahmed Al Jarreau II Brendan in

Agatha Ericsson in Ghazi and someone who she dreaded Felidae Gillian Pharaoh Daniel Federer Shane Pharaoh William Ferren Tyler Finn slow-mo Fisher Michael

Fisher Daniel Flaherty on Hamidah Flores Jeanette foster davier foster Livingston Thomas Jordan Fricks

Jakob Fritz in Tinku uhand david foo daniel fugle sad Trent food Fuji Victoria fit fit rich Patrick Gallagher Sophie gambler Megan

Gow Samuel Gelb Rohan George Jordan Giannone Alison give a sh Scott glass Reginald Clausen Jacob gacho heaven got sure I'll look on Silas father Mark Gonzales junior leg open

Abigail daughter Madison grant Ashley Gregor Steven Gretz Eliot run Carol Guerrero Heidi Guzman William Hancock Riley Hanrahan Duncan

hardik Megan Harewood Natasha horn well Davis Anika halvah dar Aisha Avery Heisler Ernesto and nandus Jessica hey Mark Rachel Higgins Mitchell Hawkinson

Ryan Homes Alana Horan Achmed Hossein Richard Hughes Nora huppert Johanna Juan Joseph Eisenstaedt Eric is Kendall

Jackson Sara Jackson I'm kit Jane Majesty Eve holla Cory Jansen mousse at Jamal meet me young G Michael job

Lee Jung Joo Jung Jung Victoria Jimenez Caitlyn chuckle is Alexander Jones Cameron Jones he set why does say huh Shannon calden Jenny ji hoo and Kong

Rasika kannan Matthew Kaplan Caitlyn karpenko Laura Kiely David Kellum Taylor calcine Clara Kent

Alison Kim Hanna Kim Janis Kim Charles clue Kevin Kwai Joshua Koenig Jason Keller Dominica

kabocha Chava Tyler chronic and your goods William Kuzma Courtney Lamar Geoffrey LaRocca Audrey Laie Dylan lee sang Holi Jennifer Brooke Lee Cates Lee Sun one

lien Michael lemansky Samuel Levinson later on Olivia Lee Wendy Lee Han ciao Lin it is now my pleasure to introduce to you

yeah Dida Ramos Herbert Dean of Students to present the remaining graduates of the JD class of 2019

all right let's do this Matthew James lick trot Alexander Edward Lloyd Felix Martin Lockman Warren lagering Carolyn Lowery Armando Lozano Susan Lou Perry Lumpkin Sarah Lynch Justin Moffat

Ariana Malibu sky yeah Haley Elizabeth Malcolm David manna down Olivia Manny Sinclair sorry zine meridia

Claire Marsden Nicole Louise Masiello Lauren Elizabeth Matlock Colangelo Sam Matthews Lauren Maxfield Kaitlyn McGough Aisha

McHugh Margaret zelner McGinnis John McMurray Thomas fatigue Andrew Mick water Elizabeth bridge more Mel guard Tina

mang Andrea Mets Justin Mets Jessica Metzger Lelaina Ginobili Sibley been Minkoff Richard Mintzberg Rashad Muhammad

Camila Victoria more Zachary Morrison Oh UN casona Melania Jordan merabh Goodman Megan Murphy

Arthur moon schinsky Satoru miles Nagano Henry Nam Maryam nijem Nicholas NAR Buddhist Barak I'm sorry Kyle Nelson Jerome Newton Samuel Nero yes take your time money Isabella no and in

the squad Katherine Nunez angel Huachuca Priscilla young said Nicole O'Donnell Ruth Oh heron Colin Patrick O'Neil Katherine O'Reilly Jones

Joshua Oh bear max off say jibun de Icaza pollen bono see Lulu owe me a William Omer guida a casaya kannada a

wusu a ciao sorry oh yeah Tola oh yeah me me you're in pack seunga park

Jeremy patashnik shame Patel Allison pearl James Peterson William Peron Joshua ping Imani Phillips Zachary Packer

hello Ana Sofia pornea Thomas Joseph Blasi though Michael Purcell shouting chin crappy am Ramesh Rachel Ramirez guest ELISA

Rana Daniel Ressler gladdy Sophia's Becerra Robert Rhoades Kristin rebate o 1l Riley

Lindsay rinsed off Jessica row cat Athena robot Christian Roberts Tory Roberts Natalie Robertson Dylan Rogal in Shane Rogers Andrea Roman

Gonzalez social Honoria Romo Christian Boyd Ronald Catherine Rooney Kendra Rosario Daniel Rosenfeld Hilary Rosenthal Karis Rahman Monica Ruiz vilapando Shinji Rio filly

waha chart see a deep scar Matthew science David Saltzman Sharon jeez son do Victor Sandoval

Suarez Araya both Xena's arse insta Sara Snowden Berg Olivia Schaumburg Sophie shoe it no la Schwartz Angela Roberta's Li Luna Sasha CMAC Andrew

Shanahan Julio sharp Jennifer sharp Michael sharp sandy Shen eaching she son hoshin Hasan Siddiqui

ellaby Russia bola Kevin Sims Griffith Samantha Simpson Ruta Sheena Alastair Smith Edward Smith Kevin Marius Smith

Kissin Smith Cassandra Snider Paulina Sosa shantel Sutherland Matthew T Sousa

Lauren spring it catch me Stanley Jets turns jeffrey stein maximilian elias Sternberg John Hamel Strauss Paul Stratton Alexandra be steadwell

Charlie suture Gregory sir Sam Sullivan Lauren son sue barb Shippuden Eric tang Sophia Noel – Ravi Nicholas ternasky Adrienne's

Harbor Margaret Taylor Joseph Louise Pompeo Teresa Conrad Taylor Kelly – you can't Toland Emily – Lisa – Kyle Tuchman Maya you tema Eden oom Fabiola Vanita

Erica Van Horn a beer Varma crystal Vasquez Melissa burn Fabiola Vega Alexei Thomas beetle

Mariah Vitaly Patrick Waldrop Andrew Walsh Nicole walls Fantine Wang Jing Wang Roshan Wasim Sara we to camp

Dorothy Weldon machines oui je dois Noelle Williams Adam Wilson Maeve Wilson Albert Wong taylor-wood Erica whoo

Victoria she go June shoe Simone Yancey Alexander yang Karis ye Tiffany young Yin you marine Zaldivar Pablo and Rica set by jaws

Emma Jiang Norman Jiang Lisa Xiao Kevin then Brooke Jang Shi when Cho I present to you the JD class of 2019 and it is my pleasure to introduce Dean

Silvia polo Dean of the Graduate Legal Studies Program good afternoon my name is Silvia polo I am the Dean for graduate Legal Studies

and it is a real honor for me to be part of the celebration of celebrating our amazing students so congratulations to all of you my first task today is to introduce the candidates for the JSD

Doctor of the science of law degree and they are not Ron Popat Anna Choi and Yelena ribbit Cova congratulations in our on and Elena I now have the great pleasure of introducing the candidates

for the LLM Master of Laws degree okay let's go Gillet Abraham's – Daniela Adler Pimentel – Archie

Lucas adamite Haruka Akiyama luis eduardo Alcantar agostina Alfaro Alma nove Abdullah Al Sultan Melchor Alvarez de moon Gonzales Magnus Anderson Sanna Elizabeth Boris

Anna Maria underworld Michael Hadi angle Karolina are sealed Campos Victor Manuel Armero Rahul Aurora Shamir Naveed Arshad Gabriela Bevilaqua a stuffy Stefan of walk

Alejandro are what you eat Marco's Barbosa Mari Rosaline Bahrain achaya Gomez narleen bhava Edward Byrne a Mito yen

bickersteth Maria Sol Blanco Granada Annabelle Bonnie phone Alicia Bowen Nick Boyd cane Raphael brevis the Toledo not visa Putra

Budi Garrett bull green Tommaso coccioli ed Watkyn Danielle Cardona Aranda Susana Gomez Ramirez Mariano Candido da Cunha Fabiana

ho ship a sneaky Passman Ichi Francisco Carrillo Mussina's Carolina Castro de la Torre Marlene Cervantes lab Roger Chao oh yeah you Eduardo Cherise Pavia NEBOSH a day Chloe

ciao young Chui ah Jung Cho yeo jin cheol we'd enjoy Regina chong guang truth and chow Magdalena Seville's Madero Antoine

Sophie shall seek unto anchovy Victor Diaz Vieira Clemente no row ecoan Lorenzo Columba man see Santiago Corcyra man see Rachel Cortez gomez Natalia Co Co on Davila Yaron Cove oh now you're

creepy hanwen Sui she out Shuang suey Alexandria Jamie a custodial Lorenzo see Martinez the fall Maria Gabriela Davila Eduardo de villagarcia o ee yo Nardo de castro

Coelho Christine Genevieve leonardo de castro lejano mount La fiere the rain softly Marie Marie Delphi Sonia de la Fuente Paris Rodrigo Delgado capture mayor can well

sing Poonam preach Dave Macarena Fernanda Diaz Christina maria diaz bow loose Arushi Dikshit Vivian Christina elvers

Alexandre SDA Tov ensue tanto yuan yuan Fei Toma flamo Marcos foo Nicole free young feeder born Daniela fridge Gerardo font Annette Brunel month borg and berté

gouging Stephanie Gosk on Juan Sebastian Gaviria Carla P Archana Eliza George Emmanuel Gabri Girgis Judy today our Deanie Fabian classroom

Lauren and bluesman Manuel Gonzalez Garza you see a gray leaf Antoine Mariana Gaeta campy no Ankita Gulati Raghav Gupta Milton good coughs Kiku

yaps key nor Amina hi dad Diego hammer slag how danyoung stop Harrell Isabella Daniel Harris Andrew

Elias Hashima Julia Cecilia Henninger Alan yawn FV Manfred Hine areas unagi hyung Oh Yankee fan Hong Chan room Cheung Yee yo Jimbo ho Jennifer how's Daniel her Chaka

she MJ Annie a shoe Tracey whoo-hoo Chung who Jing Bao Shing Huang boolean where does Cardenas Amy Hutchings Helena Engel ROM masayuki in we Michael dorita camp arrow Mateos

Rossano Ishigaki Arturo Jacque Rendon t-bone short a guy Henri file Jones Rachel Jones prakruti Yoshi Guzzi Kapadia Jordan Cagan Misaki khaki moto

Pooja Ghanshyam Connie Hisham cantar Catrin car ami petrol scary class Lisa Kahala hey hey yeah hey yeah my apologies Sanna Hallie tear mozzie

Miriam gasps hey gorilla Patricia Corolla defconn codecov ski bo kyung kim Olivia Kimbrough David noble say uncle Timothy ESCO saline kanpai son Tom papa san martín cosa munos Patrick

Watson Stine Sybil Allah news Thomas Kroger you see Coco you Hani lauduree Grace and Cornejo Lazzaro

yeah Chan Lee Sharon chore quli Catalina Rhiannon Lewis Suja Lee Yong Chi Li Reina Tom listen even Lin Chen Yu Lin Fernando javi Lu hi Jing Li Francisco Jose Lopez

Santi Carrie Sloane Yan Yan Liu Chong Ling MA Vitor Makapuu all Aveda Ayesha Malik Kamara Fernanda Marquez dolmas Maria Jose Martinez Arroyo ana martinez Valis Alvaro annual Mateo

Alonso Alicia Matthew Pierre Matson Maria Luisa Dominique Domingo Marechal Ricardo Medina rodillas ignacio holy men disabled rodrigo me

john mayer ooh Olivia Manhattan enjoy Mitra darshana mitra johannes mitä record nadie Madani tomas Merriman's sake Madonna Bernardo Ohanian Montero

Diana Karolina Moreno Haruka Maureen Diego Muniz Medeco Camilo Martin Maria Alvarado rasca Nakamura

josuke Nakamura Michael Johannes not rot Peter Novick

Daniel Newton Liam Richard Nichols Anna Nordland er Karolina Nunez Barrera Laura Oh Brian Thomas uber Steiner in Ghazi Okita Beth fumiko okamura he'd otama Umezu Vincent on one Hui Oh

Shira party Shawn can Akash power Rishabh daveandmarit samarth Raj boo Kendra Patel Alex and Patterson Doron pear Ralph here Marcos perilous Machado

on Swan travel empiric Lord Pfeiffer Estelle Murray pickle Maria Camilla Panera Nerina Camilla pudgy Ani Finn Roman Paul Wahlberg Agatha Christie Ramos Fabrizio Rebecca no chikara vowel

Sandra Devo Java Maria Natalia Rodriguez Pastrana tell young row Bruno Rosenbaum Maria Angela Bruce ah Carranza Tatiana sad salish Daniela Sanchez Jose Ignacio

Sanchez awoken charm yacouba's Sarma's Fumihiko Sawada Lori Chalmers nation

Marcia Joshua Michael silly Harrington Tatyana Segura de Stefano Stavros surface – Vishal Sharma Roy sim away any ASIMO Garcia Barnabas Shimon Malika Singh Luke sizer Lorenzo Sordi Renzo

Victor Sotomayor Diaz Jose spotted Aarthi sweetie Ron Jeremy Robert Stewart Kate Stone row heat suit hirokazu soo a oka hyung soon – steena jacala Lea revs car

Naoko takashima shreya Talon J Audrey Ava Morita so Joshua tang Eric Tilian Victoria u.s. Shin King Nicholas trout Clement straight off sandy is an on Juan Pablo Vargas yonas

journeyman Barbara Vidal Diez our una visión Hansen Aruna vision Anthony Pamela Giselle Viva Santos Angela Wallace Lara Wallace Zhang Kai Wang dong

zhuo Wang joy Wayne Wang Wei Tao Ronan Wang Yun Dan Wang Vincent Wong min ji Wu Zi Xuan Korra Wu Shu Allanon

yo suki yo she a Barnardo's aren hashida Almeida

Matthew Gregory zellner Jeffries and Le Jeune majang CDs Cheung Alexander's and Dell

ladies and gentlemen it is my great pleasure to introduce the Columbia Law School class of 2019 alright guys before following the stage

party before following the stage party to the recessional and you can do better I want it nice and loud you finished three years or one year degree today nice and loud throw those hats lots of

energy you

This ceremony celebrates the accomplishments of graduating students from Columbia Law School. It was held on Monday, May 20, 2019 at the South Lawn, Morningside Campus. The speaker was Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California.