(Music Playing) (Music Playing) Thank you.

Please be seated.

Graduates, families and friends.

It is my distinct honor an privilege to welcome all of you to the 2025 commencement of MSU College of Law.

In this, our 134th year of continuous operation.

Founded in 1891 as Detroi College of Law, MSU College of Law was the first law school in Detroit.

Detroit College of Law affiliated with MSU in 1995.

This year, we celebrate our fifth anniversary as a fully integrated college of Michigan State University.

Today, we welcome our 2025 Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Master of Jurisprudence graduates to our MSU alumni ranks.

These graduates could not have achieved this goal without the support of family and friends.

So I'd like to take a moment to recognize all of you who have sacrificed and supported to get your person over the finish line.

If you have a loved one who will cross the stag today, become a lawyer tomorrow.

Please stand and be recognized.

We collectively acknowledg that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg - The Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples.

In particular the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw.

We recognize, support and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan's 12 federally recognized Indian tribes.

and for historic indigenous communities in Michigan for indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their homelands.

By offering this land, acknowledgment, we affirm indigenous sovereignty and that we will work to hold Michigan State University accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous people.

Will everyone now please stand?

And now our national anthe will be led by a very talented member of the graduating class, Randy Boulding.

O say can you see by the dawns early light What so proudly we haild at the twilights last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight Oer the ramparts we watchd were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets red glare the bomb bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave Thank you.

You may be seated.

I'd like to begin our ceremony by recognizing.

Recognizing the College of Law community.

I will start with our faculty.

The members of MSU College of Law faculty.

Our accomplished scholars known the world over.

They are dedicate to the education of our students as they are to their own research.

They serve as tireless intellectual role models and professional mentors.

Their influence and guidance have resulted i our alumni being among the most highly sought and regarded legal professionals in the country.

Furthermore, our faculty show up year after year.

They help make this day a very special one for our students, our graduates and their families.

Will the members of the faculty on stage please stand and be recognized?

It is unfortunate that two of our guests are unable to join us today.

Trustee Kelly Tebay and Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko send their regrets.

It is truly our privilege to have Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson here with us today, who will give our commencement address later in the program.

Please stand.

I would also like to acknowledge Clifton E Haley, class of 1961.

His daughter will accept the Distinguished Alumni Award on his behalf.

Also joining us on stage are administrators of the College of Law.

Without whom the colleg would not operate as seamlessly as it does.

Please stand.

Now.

I would like to say a few words to our graduates.

As your professor for nearly 15 years and more recently, your dean, it has been my distinct pleasur to get to know so many of you.

And I can say unequivocally, you are remarkable.

You began law schoo in fall 2022 when our country, our world, was comin out of the fog of the pandemic.

You arrived on campus as part of the law school's most diverse class in 25 years.

More than one quarter of you were first generation college students, and a majority of you were first generation law students.

You.

You came from 28 states, five foreign countries and eight tribal nations.

You had undergraduate degrees in 60 different majors for more than 100 undergraduate institutions.

You embraced this diversity.

You learned from each other.

And as you return to the classroom and all of that, as you return to the classroom in person.

The excitement of your first year was unfortunately interrupted by a campus tragedy in spring 2023.

But you managed it all with grace and great intelligence, which is what you'll be called upon to deliver as a lawyer.

Clients will turn to you during their most difficult and challenging times their most exciting times too.

They will count on yo to help them find a way forward.

Give them confidence in the future.

You may have to counsel other clients to find their better angels, to walk them back from a poor decision.

When I look back over your achievements of the last three years, I have no doubt that you are ready for what lies ahead.

You are so much more than law school graduates.

You are torchbearers of the rule of law in a time when its resilienc is being tested in this country.

Your accomplishments here at MSU law exemplify not only your academi excellence, but your dedication to justice, equity, and leadership.

Just last week, we received news that we have been granted a chapter of the order of the Coif.

This puts us in a very selective group of law schools recognized for academic rigor and scholarly achievement.

This is great news for you.

It will open up even more door for employment and opportunity.

I've been saying for some time that MSU law can be a national leader in experiential education.

Here's proof that we're on our way.

In the past year past two years, your class has given 20,000 hours of pro-bono experience, represent some of the most vulnerable citizens of Michigan through our eight law clinics.

20,000 hours through the Immigration Law Clinic, you have helped more than 200 people at the Refugee Development Center in Lansing understand their legal rights through the First Amendment Clinic.

You taught hundreds of Detroit high school students about their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights through the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.

You helped save taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars and wrongfully levied taxes through the Housing Justic Clinic you successfully fought and housing discrimination and pursued tenant rights to avoid wrongful eviction and keep clients in their homes.

You helped support sustainabl sovereignty for native families and tribes working on national case through our Indian Law Clinic.

And you filed five appellat briefs in complex pre conviction appeals to our brand new public defender clinic.

Your class also had a remarkable two year run of moot court.

We finished number one in the nation during your two year.

And number one in the nation during your three year.

Now that's an achievement.

More than 40 o you participated in moot court, writing briefs, arguing cases and coaching each other as you prepared for your competitions.

You raised the ranking of the Michigan State Law Review among top flagship student run journals.

Under your leadership, the Law Review has published the work of some of the most influential minds in legal academia, including both luminaries of the field and new voices who challenge conventional wisdom.

This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the relaunch of the Law Review.

Many of you have also participated in faculty research and coauthored articles, so many of you have won individual recognitions and participated in local, state, and national professional organizations.

You are already demonstrating what it means to be a Spartan, a lawyer, and a leader.

As a group and individually, this class, the class of 2025 stands apart and above.

I cannot wait to see where you are in five short years.

When you started law school three years ago.

You may not have known what you wanted to do with your degree, and perhaps you still don't.

But history tells us that within a few months, the vast majority of you will be working in the field of law.

Many of you have already accepted positions as federal and state judicial clerks, as public defenders, as prosecutors.

You may be working with the most vulnerable in civil rights, immigration law legal services, child advocacy.

Perhaps you're planning to join a major law firm bringing spartan values to premier legal institutions nationwide.

As you prepare to enter a profession tasked with safeguarding democracy and the rule of law, remember your role is pivotal when you take your oath of office.

You are pledging to uphold the Constitution to protect the integrity of our judicial system, the fairness of our elections, the rights of due process, free speech and individual rights.

It rests upon the shoulder of all of us, and that includes the courageous and principled future lawyers like you.

You've endured much as students.

You've emerge stronger, more empathetic, and profoundly more prepared.

After this ceremony, you'll be joining the Spartan Alumni community.

You may very well be arguing a case before the US Supreme Cour and the not so distant future.

As one of your fellow alumni did during your second year when Victoria Ferris a young alum, prepared to argue a major First Amendment case before the US Supreme Court, she began her preparation by coming home to MSU law, and a team of us muted her in preparation for her big day before the US Supreme Court.

This is what I hope for all of you, that you will continue to turn to us for guidance, mentorship, support and friendship.

That you'll use the resources of this law school for as long as you need them, and that you will give of yourselves.

Volunteer, mentor, and support the classes behind you as the amazing alumni have helped you.

You are today and you always will be a Spartan lawyer leader.

Thank you.

Now, I am honored to be able to present an award to a man who has been a generous and influential part of our law school for nearly 65 years.

Clifton E. Haley graduated from the Detroit College of Law in 1961.

He built a legacy as a lawyer, businessman, educator and philanthropist in Michigan.

He earned subsequent undergraduate and honorary degrees from Michigan State University and MSU law.

He led the school's board of trustees, and he played a pivotal role in the affiliation between the Detroit College of Law and MSU in 1995.

He held executive positions at Ford Motor Company and was chairman and CEO of the budget Rent-A-Car.

As a practicing attorney, he provided countless hours of pro-bono legal service to his neighbors on Drummond Island in Northern Michigan, where he has lived for many years.

All the while, he is remembered MSU law.

In recognition of his ongoing support.

Our Moot Court courtroom bears the name of Clifton and Carolyn Haley.

And look what that enabled us to do with moot court.

Please join me in congratulating Mr. Haley as I present the Honorable Ann Bashara Junior Distinguished Alumni Award t Clifton Haley of Class of 1961.

Here.

Here.

To accept the award on behalf of Clifton is his daughter, Deborah Haley Hanson.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Well you can see I'm not Cliff Haley.

I am Deborah, his oldest daughter and the first of three daughters, all who graduated from Michigan State.

My dad, woo!

My dad is really sorr that he can't be here in person to accept the distinguished Alumni award.

He did, however, write his comments well before he went into the hospital.

Just earlier this week, and I would be honored to share his words with you.

Now.

Good morning everyone.

What an exciting day.

The 2025 graduating class of Michigan State University Law College will be awarded their hard earned doctoral law degree.

Congrats on your achievement.

Your law degree will make a difference in your life and with your life as it did with mine.

I'm prou to be among the ranks of prior Bashara Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, and honored to be with you to receive this award.

I knew Judge Bashara.

He was president of DCL in 1997 and nominated me to be, and I became a member of the Board of Trustees.

It has been an honor and a privilege to give back and to serve the law college for over 20 years.

So on behalf of my dad, Cliff Haley, thank you.

Thank you to the MSU's law community for this most prestigious award.

Now go and get well, dad.

Go Green!

Go White!

Good morning everyone.

My name is Amber Sanders, and I am this year's class president.

And before I begin, I would like to express my gratitude.

Thank you to my classmates for believing in me to represent them.

Thank you to everyone here fo your support and collaboration.

Lastly, thank you to my family and friends.

I love you all more than you know and I would not be here without your support.

I'm honored to stand before you to deliver the our faculty recognition.

This new tradition is rooted in inclusivity.

Because the truth is, so many people have helped shape us along the way.

Our journey through law schoo has been marked by the guidance, patience, and presence of faculty who have poured into us, challenged us, and stood beside us, often without applause.

As my parents, Deacon and Reverend Sanders, have consistently reminded me since childhood, give people their flower while they can still smell them.

And if someone does somethin nice for you, you say thank you.

And that is why I'm here today.

To simply say thank you.

Class of 2025.

We've had the privilege of learning from faculty who have profoundly impacted our lives, whether or not we always want to admit it.

They've helped us grow.

They've made us better.

Just take a moment.

Look at where you ar and look at where you started.

Our professors have helped shaped our vision of the kind of lawyers and people we want to be.

And sometimes, let's be honest.

They've also shown us who we don't want to be.

But either way, every lesson mattered, and every one of them made a difference.

Earlier on the screens, students acknowledge the professors who impacted them because they wanted to give them their flowers.

I won't be able to read all those comments to you, but if you look at them, you will see how these people have impacted them.

This school is composed of 238 faculty and staff members.

We have professors who have clerked for Supreme Court justices, professors who have competed o Who Wants to Be a millionaire?

The greatest duo at MSU Law, professors Grosso and O'Brien were electe to the American Law Institute.

Our professors have inspired us to use our education to serve others.

For example, Professo Costello leads street law Day, where law students empower high school students by teaching them about their constitutional rights.

Reminding us that the la is not just something we study, but it's something we share.

I'm reminded of a lesso I learned from Professor Favre, one that cam during a cold call in his class.

If you've never experienced an cold call in law school, let me tell you, it's intimidating enough sitting down.

But in Professor Favre's class, you have to stand.

I remember one of my last cold calls of the semester.

I was prepared, but I was not confident.

After I answered, he looked at me and said, be confident and wrong.

That advice stuck.

Cold calls like this taught u to literally think on our feet how to craft an answer under pressure without, and how to be wrong without backing down.

It's a lesson that we've carried throughout law school.

The courage to speak up even when we don't have all the answers.

Two professors like Professor Petrillo, whose office hours are always ful because he doesn't just teach.

He encourages, listens, and invests in his students to leaders like Rosa Harkin, Kristina Dean Ferguson, and Dean Pritchard, who have stood by us through our tough moments, seen us through our tears and reminded us of our strength.

To our clinic professors, thank you for showing us what it means to be real world advocates.

Your work often goes unsung, but your impact echoes beyond the classroom.

To the professors of the Trial Practice Institute, arbitration, moot court, and mock trial.

You pushed us out of our comfort zones and into the courtroom.

You ensured that we stood tall before judges and gave our best every time to our new faculty, those finding their footing and carving their path.

Thank you for walking this journey with us.

Your presence matters.

Your perspective matters and your impact is already being felt.

The list goes on and on.

There isn't enough time to capture all that we've experienced, but know this we are deeply, endlessly grateful.

And now my good friend, fellow class Officer Selita will present the staff recognition and award.

And look this up a little bit.

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here.

My name is Selita Paea-Bracciano and I have had the honor of serving as class officer for the graduating class of 2025.

And now I have the honor of presenting the staff addres and the Staff Recognition Award.

Before I begin, I want to take a quick moment to first thank my husband, thank you, and to thank my family and friends, those here toda and those tuning in from afar.

Your love, encouragement and support have carried me through long nights, tough exam seasons and everything in between.

I truly would not b standing here today without you.

Thank you and thank you for everything.

Mom.

Today, as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating class, we must also recognize the unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

While the faculty may have the highest profile at the college and are known nationally for their work, it's the staff that keep the school running.

Each department and office play a vital role in our journey, but many of the staff do not get the recognition they truly deserve.

For example, from helping students integrate into law school to organizing practice bar exams throughout 2003 all year, the Academic Succes Program isn't just about passing the bar.

They truly care about each and every one of us.

And then there's the Diversity and Equity Services, a department that helps give the students an end of week pick me up during thriving Thursdays.

And they give a student students a place to call a home away from home.

Whether it's helpin bringing events like Barrister's Ball to life keeping student orgs on track, or answering the steady strea of students all their questions and advising them as they stop by, the Office of Student Affairs is always available.

The library staff, who quietly guide us through research and even Bluebook questions.

Yes, they do that.

Tell your one and two old friends it's really helpful.

And accounting.

A team that without fail gets flooded with where's my refund emails at the beginning of every semester.

Yet they reply with patience and a personalized message each time.

Admissions give u gives us the life changing call when we've been admitted.

They welcome us during Foundations Week and they support us throughout the year.

Then there's courier services.

They place students nationwide and they lift us u both in person and on LinkedIn.

That's important.

The registrar's office, which sends out information on how to register for classes and has even had to receive a couple emails for me about adding more land use classes.

Sorry about that.

Beyond these, countless others have supported us in ways both seen and unseen.

Air communications advancemen and administrative assistance.

These keen professionals are the quiet force behind every smooth process and meaningful experience we've had at this law school.

I really hope the students sitting here recognize that every event, every class classroom, every student org supported free lunch is made possible because of this incredible staff and their commitment.

The law school is really fortunate to have these dedicated legal professionals who devote their time, expertise and energy each day to supporting our growth and success.

Now, it's my privilege to shift the spotlight to someone else who support has made a world of difference, not just in my personal journey, but in the journey of countless students who have walked the halls.

Whether it's coordinating class schedules, helping student navigate complex administrative processes, making sure sailing events run seamlessly, he's also a very talented sailor.

We'll get to that in a moment, or simply offering a warm smile and a kind word.

After a school tragedy.

Dean Taylor has been a constant and compassionate presence in the whirlwind of law school life.

Before his current role, Dea Taylor served as a legal fellow and project manager for both the National Science Foundation funded Capital Jury Selection Project and the North Carolina Racial Justice Act research project.

He led research on over 150 death penalty cases, and helped bring attention to racial disparities in capital sentencing.

His published work collaborating with scholars that include MSU laws iconic duo professor O'Brien and Professor Grosso, who has published work, has emphasized how race influences jury selection, charging decisions and sentencing in capital cases.

This research has brought insight and humanity to some of the most seriou decisions in our justice system, and that research acts as a reminder that research is not just about data, but about people.

Returning t the man behind all the titles.

At our Spartan Set Sail event.

He showed up early rigged sailboats he wouldn't even be using, and spent the entire day helping others enjoy the experience.

He was the first to arrive.

Brought a contagious, positiv attitude and quietly went above and beyond without seeking recognition.

It is a true reflection of who he is.

Someone who leads through service even when no one is watching and no thanks are guaranteed.

Dean Taylor has consistently shown care for our classes well-being.

He checks in on us not just as students, but as people.

And he's done so since day one.

Law school can be rigorous.

It can be intense and at times overwhelming.

It is dedicated staff like Dean Taylor who remind us that a supportive community is just as important as academic excellence.

It is empathetic mentor like Dean Taylor who remind us that while the law may be about justice, a great institution is built on kindness, consistency, and care.

And it is people lik Dean Taylor who remind us that before any job or title, we are people first.

On behalf of the graduating class.

Thank you, Dean Taylor, for all you do.

You haven't just supported a program, you've shaped the people within it.

It's my honor to present thi year's Staff Recognition Award.

Please join me in congratulating Dean Taylor.

Okay.

I'm not going to follow that.

thank you all very much.

This really means a lot.

as my wife said it, it is the pinnacle of someone like my career to be recognized by you all.

And so, as embarrassed as it is, as embarrassing as it is, I thank you all.

And I'm very happy to see you all as whole human beings here in front of me.

And the only thing I would say is don't forget.

Silence isn't respect.

So remember that.

All right.

That's all.

Good afternoon everyone.

My name is Jalyn Slaughter, and I am your other student elected class officer.

Before I begin, I want to take a moment to thank my family and friend who are seated right over there.

For their constant love and support.

I truly could not have done this without you.

And a special shout out to my mother, Keisha Glover.

Thank you.

Thank you for all the prayers.

I know you are tired.

You truly have helped me get to this moment now.

Today, I am honored to not only introduce to you an exceptional law student, but one of my very best friends, Anna Maxwell.

Anna graduated from the University of Michiga as a double major in philosophy and Bio psychology, cognition and neuroscience.

She received a full tuition scholarship to attend law school, and from the day that she got here, she proved just how deserving she was throughout her time here.

Anna has set the standard for academic excellence.

She is graduating with the highest honors.

She is ranked third in our class, and she somehow still found time to excel at extracurriculars.

She is the editor in chief of Michigan State Law Review.

She has won multiple awards for Best Brief and Oralists as part of our moot court program.

She worked as a research assistan for the Siting Slavery Project, and she served as a peer mentor for first year law students.

Following graduation, Anna will begin a clerkship with Judge Rebecca Smith in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Following that clerkship, she will return to Michigan and wor as an associate at Bodman PLC.

After a year work at Bodman, Anna will begin one of the most prestigious clerkships, working for Judge Richard Griffin at the Sixth Circuit in Traverse City.

But beyond all of these truly impressive achievements, what sets Anna apar is the person and friend she is.

Everything she does is rooted in humility, kindness and care.

She goes above and beyond to celebrate and show up for people in her life.

Anna, your discipline, hard work and resilience inspire everyone around you and naturally pushes those of us lucky enough to know you to be our best selves.

I am so, so thankfu that we met our very first day of law school, and even more thankful that our friendship has continued to grow ever since.

I have no doubt you will continue to break barriers and achiev great things, and I look forward to proudly calling you Judge Maxwell in no time.

Graduates, friends, family, faculty and staff, please join me in welcoming our remarkable class speaker and my dear friend, Anna Marie Maxwell.

Thank you, Jayln, for those very kind words.

Good afternoon everyone.

Specifically, Dean SantAmbrogio, our esteemed faculty, our distinguished guests, family, friends and my fellow graduates.

My name is Anna Marie Maxwell, and I have the honor of being your class speaker.

Today marks the culminatio of three years worth of our hard work, perseverance, and dedication to the law.

It represent the late nights in the library, never ending battle with the Blue Book and the daily struggle of finding parking in Shaw and Wharton.

But beyond that, today is about something greater.

Why we chose this path and what we will do with it.

For some of us, law school has been a time of growth, filled with lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories.

For others this time has also been marked by personal hardship, loss and grief.

While we may not hav traveled the same road, today, we stand at the same destination together.

Just like how we all started, because together we all learn that there's an actual legal definition for what it means to be a reasonable person.

We all learned that some writing on a napkin in a ba can be a binding legal contract, and we all learn well.

Some of us learned about what the Erie Doctrine is.

And now together, we're graduating from law school.

As we reflect at our time at MSU, it's important to highlight our achievements and recognize the challenges that shaped us.

Among these challenges is a tragedy that such a profound impact on our community.

February 13th, 2023 is a day we will never forget.

The day we lost the live of Brian Frazier, Ariel Anderson and Alexandria Verne to a senseless act of violence.

This tragedy, in addition to everything else we face over the past three years, has not only impacted our law school experience, these challenges have shaped our perspectives and deepen our resolve to use our education for something greater than ourselves to be agents of change.

I bring up such painful memories today to show that resilience is not just a personal achievement, it's a collective one.

As a class, we've stood strong in the face of this tragedy and every other challenge has come our way.

Togethe we have made our voices heard.

We have created ne organizations, and we have used our collective powe to affect change in our school.

We have done s because despite our differences, we are bound by a shared purpose to seek justice and to demand accountability.

So if law school has taught us one thing, it is that the law is more than an academic pursuit.

It is a tool, and when wielded correctly, it is a sword to fight against injustice and a shield to protect the voiceless.

The philosophers will seek wisdom to fight ignorance.

Poets speak the truth to overcome the silence, and mathematicians find order in the chaos.

But we are not philosophers, poets or mathematicians.

We're going to be lawyers.

So if there's one lesson that we must carry forward, it is the words of Benjamin Franz that we make law, not war.

As one of the chief prosecutors at the Nuremberg trials, Franz believe that justice.

That the la was the path to lasting peace.

So in celebrating this milestone today, we recognize the responsibility that comes with it.

It's whether we enter courtrooms, conference rooms, private public service, or academia.

We carry this responsibility, a duty to correct mistakes, to lighten another's burden, and to make this world, our world, a more just place.

But thankfully, thi duty is not ours to carry alone.

We stand here today thanks to the assistance, guidance and encouragement of those around us, to our loved ones.

Thank you for your endless support through every exam, every late night, and every single moment of self-doubt.

The sacrifices you have made to get us her today have not gone unnoticed.

And to our professors, faculty and staff, thank you for challenging us to think critically, to question assumptions, and to accept that sometimes “it depends” is the best answer.

The future may be uncertain.

But one thing is clear.

We, the class of 2025, are equipped with the tool to navigate whatever lies ahead.

So let us leave here today and use our degrees together to make law, not war.

Let us leave here with a passion for the law, the courage to face the unknown.

And maybe, but just maybe with slightly fewer footnotes.

Congratulations, class of 2025.

Thank you all.

And go green.

Go white.

Hello, everyone.

I am here before you to present the class gift.

A class gifti is a donation made by the graduating class to support our school and students and programs.

This year, my colleague voted to contribute to MSU laws.

Public Defender Clinic, the first of its kind in Michigan.

My colleague championed in our various group messages reaffirming how impactful this clinic is and that we should leave behind a lasting legacy.

Honestly, the significance of this gift is immense.

There is strength in numbers, and I am incredibly proud of all that we were able to accomplish together.

It was an honor to lead suc a phenomenal group and to work alongside two remarkable women, Selita and Jayln.

To provide you with more information on the topic I'm discussing.

The college launched the Publi Defender Clinic in the academic year of 2024, 2025.

This clinic assists individuals whose freedom is at stake by seeking to provide quality, pre conviction, appellate representation.

Students in this clinic have visited state prisons, county jails and halfway houses.

Written briefs that tackle complex constitutional questions and presented oral arguments before the Michigan Court of Appeals.

They have visited public defenders offices.

Small rural law practices and busy urban firms.

Examine crime scenes spoken to appellate judges, public defense experts, and formerly incarcerated individuals and community created with witnesses and families.

As a class, we understoo the importance of this clinic.

So in less than a week of starting our campaign, we reached our goal of $2,025.

However, we did not stop there.

Our class has raised over $3,659 through our combined efforts, an amount that students have not raised in a long time.

Class of 2025 history has its eyes on you because, quite frankly, they not like us.

As you look in your programs, you will see all the names of the students who contribute to this initiative and believed it was right to put their money where their mouths were.

We are Spartan lawyers.

Therefore we are Spartan leaders, and once we set a goal, we get the job done.

With tha said, Dean Santa SantAmbrogio, I would like to present to you and everyone here the class for 2025.

As always, Spartans will.

Go green.

This is a wonderful gift.

Thank you to the class of 2025.

This is a wonderful gift for current and future Spartan law students.

We are inspired by this gift to support our newest clinic the Public Defender Law Clinic.

As I said earlier, expanding experiential learnin opportunities is a top priority.

So I can't think of a better gift from your class.

Thank you.

Now, I'd like to introduce our commencement speaker.

Secretary of State Jocely Benson is one of our country's top experts on voting rights and fair election laws, and she is a fierce advocate for both.

Prior to the 2020 election, she standardized the right to vote absentee in Michigan, and in 2023, she dramatically expande voting access across the state as well as protected poll workers.

During the election of 2024.

For her election work, she was awarded the John F Kennedy Profile and Courage Award from the JFK Presidential Library and Foundation and the Presidential Citizens Medal Award.

When she was appointed dean of Wayne State University Law School at the age of 36.

Wow.

she became the youngest woman in the United States to lea a top 100 accredited law school.

She continues to serve as vice chair of the advisory board for the Levin Center at Wayne Law.

Secretar Benson is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the author of The Purposeful Warrior.

Standing up for what's right when the stakes are high.

In 2016.

This is my favorite.

Secretary Benson was one of only a handful of women to complete the Boston Marathon while eight months pregnant.

It is my sincere honor to have her with us today.

I have been trying for a while to get find the right time for her to come and visit us at Michigan State University of Law.

So please join me in welcoming Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to the stage.

Thank you, Dean, for your kind words.

Amber you're an extraordinary leader.

I can see why your colleagues and classmates elected you to be the class president.

and and I loved your your words and remarks.

in your speech today, it dovetails right into my advice for all of you and the stories I'm going to share.

so I feel, warmly welcome today.

And great grateful to be here at such an honor, to join you all as you celebrate with your friends your families, your loved ones.

It's an incredible achievement.

Your graduation from law school, from Michigan State University's College of Law.

You are the newest cohort of Spartan lawyer leaders and advocates for justice.

Congratulations to you all.

You know, I I remember so vividly when I sat where you ar now, the pride, the possibility, the relief of never having to take another torts class.

And also, I had a lingering, inescapable voice saying, what now?

I mean, like many of you, I knew what I was doing next.

I was moving to Detroit to serve as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, serving for a judge who is an icon of the bench, Judge Damon J. Keith and I was determined to chart a path and build a career defined by principles.

I believed in integrity, ethics, and service.

So I knew what I was doing, and I also had no idea what I was doing because with all the plans and goals and hopes and ambition I held in that moment, I still didn't really know what my future held.

Now, some of you may feel great clarity about what your next steps entail, and some of you may not.

Some of you may feel you know exactly what the future has in store for you, and many of you may not.

But here's the truth none of us really, truly know what comes next.

Life is defined by uncertainty, unpredictability, and challenges, and there will be many challenges.

Each one of you will face or face them.

You will take hits.

You will suffer losses.

You will be tested in unfathomable ways.

But know this.

As Anna said, you are equipped to handle it all.

The education that you received from Michigan State College of Law that will form the foundation of your career, and that is now intact.

It's an education rooted in ethics, integrity, truth.

And it's going to give you the ability to persist as warriors for the law and advocates for justice with unmoving conviction, regardles of what gets thrown in your way.

Now, I graduated from law schoo a little over two decades ago, and under my belt already was a career choice to move to Alabama and investigate extremist groups with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

It was an unconventional choice.

I opted to leav behind the comfort and serenity of a quiet college town for the Deep South, where I would be going undercover to research violent neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations.

As one does.

I distinctly remember calling my parents, embracing sorry parents for the inevitable shock and confusion as I told them all I was leaving everything I knew to live in a place where I knew nothing and no one.

But it was one of the most defining choices of my life.

It was in Alabama that I became acutely aware of the multi-generation multi-generational impact of slavery, inequality, and structural racism.

And I also witnessed firsthand the risks borne by those who fought and those who were still fighting fo our most fundamental freedoms.

I spent time with people who rose up in the 1950s and 60s.

I heard first hand stories from Bloody Sunday where people were beaten and just simply for marching, for voting rights.

And it was in Alabama, where I was instilled with a deep sense of responsibility and inspiration to continue the work o those foot soldiers who worked and marched in Selma and beyond, and the righteous pursuit of justice.

Now my time in Selma and Montgomery, among these civil rights heroes and others who are working tirelessly to take down hate and extremist groups, showed me that it is those.

It is those with unrelenting conviction that will push our nation, our system of law, our democracy, toward a better tomorrow.

After all, justice is nothing more than a lofty idea.

An idea without the power of all of you, all of us to demand and uphold it.

So I went to law school.

After my time in Alabama.

I was eager to pursue a future where the promises of the Constitution were made real for all.

And it was in law school where I gained the necessary tools to carry out the work I wanted to do as an educator, as an advocate and attorney.

And no as Michigan Secretary of State.

So fast forward 20 years.

So in 2020, when many of you were engulfed in the pandemic and perhaps aspiring to to come here to law school, I found myself in the spotlight as the Secretary of State of Michigan, working to defend the will of the people against an unprecedented effort to undo the results of an election.

And as Michigan's secretary of state, I had spent the year leading up to that election adjusting and adapting, like I'm sure many of you were as well t a host of unexpected challenges.

We had a global pandemic.

We had unyielding lies abou the security of our elections.

and we had efforts to to create a overt voter suppression from very powerful people.

But when the polls closed o election night in November 2020, I was proud because of my training, my education, my career.

I knew without an ounce of uncertainty that we had administered a lawful, seamless, secure and successful election, one in which more Michiga citizens voted than ever before in history on both sides of the aisle.

I was incredibly proud o all the work that we had done.

Yet in the days, in the weeks that followed that election.

They weren't filled with celebratory pats on the back and toas to a smooth, successful election that we had administered in the midst of a pandemic.

Instead we found ourselves facing down nationally coordinated challenges to interfer with the counting of valid votes and block the certification of accurate election results.

Even an attempt an unlawful attempt to submit a false alternate slate of electors to Congress.

And as all of this escalated into really a tragedy that unfolded at our U.S. Capitol on January 6th, it became abundantly clear of the importance of all of us to stand for truth and for justice, to ensure that the ideals of our Constitution, the rule of law, are still followed by all.

And in that case, make sure we protected and preserved the results of a legitimat and fair presidential election.

And while we were in the midst of this battle over the future of our democracy, what I was least prepared for was when that battle cam to my home after the election, one cold Saturday night in early December, I was with my family including my four year old son.

Putting the finishin touches on our Christmas tree, whil How the Grinch Stole Christmas played in the background when suddenly the spirit of the evening broke as dozens of people, some of them armed, descended upon our home.

And growing in numbers over the course of an hour, they stood outside our home, waking my neighbor, shouting threats into bullhorns in the dark of night, and demanding tha I come outside and show myself.

I carried my little boy upstairs and ran bath water loudly to drown out the noise and the shouts of the anger outside.

I tried to focus on staying calm, even though for a good 45 minutes it was only an unarmed neighborhood security guard who stood bravely between my family and the growing crowd.

I didn't know what was going to happen next, or things going to escalate, or people going to try to come inside when a stray bullet enter or ricochet into my son's bedroom.

And when was law enforcement going to get there?

And what would happen when they did?

I share this story with you because in that moment of fear and uncertainty, I realized I still had the power to choose how I was going to respond.

And while this growing threat emerged outside threatening my family inside our home, I knew I still had the power of a choice.

A choice that was deeply embedded with my conviction and my knowledge that I could choose to protect and defend the law.

And in doing so, protect an defend every voice in our state.

I would choose to make sure the law was followed, that the Constitution was upheld.

Because these folks outside my home, they weren't just threatening me.

They were threatening the law.

And every Michigan citizen who believed in the promise of our Constitution and had voted to ensure their voice was heard at the polls and they were threatening folks throughout history who had fought for the promise of one person, one vote, not knowing if they would survive to see it made real.

And I found strength, even in the mids of that uncertainty in the law, in that truth, in that case, that the election was the most secure and accessible in our states and our country's history.

And I also found strength in my duty under the law and to the people of Michigan to continue the work.

After all, it is the will of the people and the rule of law that holds up our democracy, that ensures that we cower to no mobs and bow to no kings.

So I had a choice to make that day.

And you two will face hard choices throughout your life and unforeseen obstacles.

And in fact, in this moment in our nation's history, you are already facin previously unthinkable choices.

But you always have a choice.

You can always choose to find courage, courage to forge ahead and channel your values and skills into fighting for what you believe in and what is just.

You're not going to be able to control or predict the challenge life is going to throw your way.

In the days the months, in the years ahead.

But you will always have th power to choose how you respond.

And in that response, you defined your strength and yourself.

So how does that look in practice?

How can you respond to life's uncertainties with strength and courage, and make choices that collectively compound to help you build a life of meaning and purpose and strength?

So I offer you five ways to help you respond to life's unpredictability and uncertainties with clarity and confidence.

First, choose always to respond from a place of courage.

Conquer hidden demons.

Overcome your own anxieties.

Reject responses that are rooted in fear.

Embrace the doubts along with any risk or potential for failure.

Rather than being fearful of it.

Don't allow that fear of the unknown, of failure, of loneliness to hold you back from a purposeful path tha you can feel called to follow.

Second, be honest.

In an age where information and misinformation flow interchangeably.

Choose to ground your work in truth, in data, and in facts, and be honest and upfront also with yourself about your work, your path, and your compassion toward others and your contribution to the world.

That can, in turn fuel your ability to be honest with others, enabling yo to serve as a trustworthy voice not just in your own path, but in the lives of your parents, your friends, your coworkers, your kids, or other leaders that can propel you to act consistently from a place not just of truth, but of also integrity.

Third be willing to be uncomfortable because while the path of least resistance is enticing, it's exceedingly narrow.

So don't sh away from a response or a choice that may take you dow a harder, less comfortable path.

Because that choice of discomfort where you set aside pride and ego, even the need for others approvals and acceptance to further what you believe is right.

That is a key component of navigating through times of uncertainty and change.

If you're willing to be uncomfortable and and even to make others uncomfortable, then it can open you up to make smart and informed decisions without wondering or being caught up in how they're going to be perceived or look to others.

And that frees you to make the choice that is best for yo and who you seek to be in life.

Fourth, when the choices or actions of others seem confusing or even wrong, choose to respond with grace because everyone we meet is fighting a great battle that we know nothing about.

And if we seek to understand, to empathize, possibly even share the feelings of another person, to find clarity for your own decision or response in that moment, you can respond with grac and get out of your comfort zone and truly see others to see the joy or suffering on another's face and allow them to see yours.

Many aspects of our uncertain and challenging times a global pandemic, divisive political discourse, modern technology can make.

Feeling empathy and grace toward each other harder than ever.

We're isolated many times from each other meeting virtually, communicating in online spaces that can enable outrage and and mistreatment and even disrespect.

But we can grow to see others, not as human beings, or we can grow to see others as human beings, not just symbols of ideas and and groups that we fear.

We can we can fight impulsive responses to, to, to hold up and divide and instead commit to thinking about people behind the veil that they may put up learning motivations and struggles and finding our our common humanity and shared connectivity.

And finally, number five I encourage you all to respond to all of life's uncertainties with grit because you're going t encounter failure in your life.

And I'm asking you today to persevere anyway.

As you fail, make mistakes, fal short of your goals more often than you achieve them.

You can find success by embracing those obstacles as a part of your journey.

You can welcome what they teach and choose to keep walking your path with persistence and perseverance.

And in doing so, you can strike a fatal blow to fear and anxiety that can hold you back from a life of great meanin and purpose and propel yourself forward toward sustained success.

Applying all these principles, knowing that courage, truth, discomfort, grace and grit is what all of the world needs from all of you.

That's how you can truly lead in this moment, because you are graduating not just into a life, but into a world full of uncertainty.

We have ongoing public health crisis, climate change, fears over gun violence, economic stratification, the rise of artificial intelligence, the loss of civility in our public discourse.

There's a lot going on, and it's easy to allow fear and division and uncertainty and doubt to grip us in moments like this, as we struggle to cope, adapt and adjust to this wholesale disruption of norms that many of us have relied on our entire lives.

But despite all of this uncertainty, your degree equips you with the power to determine the future not just of your own life, but of our democracy, the rule of law, our Constitution, our country and our world.

So I encourage you t respond to this moment and enter this next chapter of your live with courage, armed with truth, discomfort, grace and grit to choos to keep going in service of who you are, the rights you stand for, the freedo and justice that you fight for, and the democracy that we all seek to protect.

A democracy where every vote counts and where every voice is heard.

A world where equality thrives and justice prevails.

That is the worl that Michigan State University's College of Law has prepared you for.

That is the world I am fighting for and the worl we all must fight for together.

So go forth.

Go with integrity.

Go with purpose.

Go with grit and go green.

Thank you.

Secretary Benson, thank you so much for your, powerful words of wisdom for our graduates at this time.

It is my pleasure to present the candidate of the graduating class of 2025.

We will begin with the master of Laws and Master of Jurisprudence.

Candidates, and then proceed to the Juris Doctor.

Candidates, professors Glenn's, the chefs, and Professor Stephen Wilkes will announce the names of the graduates.

Members of the facult will bestow the graduation hoods on our graduates.

Please feel free to applaud briefly and respectfully for each candidate as the names are called.

(Conferral of Degrees, Reading Graduate Names) Go green.

Go white.

Thank you.

All right.

I now ask all the Master of Laws and Master of Jurisprudence candidates to rise fo the conferment of the degrees.

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, and by the statutes of the State of Michigan, I confer upon each of you the degree of Master of Laws and Master of Jurisprudence, and declare that you are prepared to ensure equal justice unde law is available to all people in the state of Michigan, this country, and the world.

Congratulations.

I now ask all the Juris Doctor candidates to rise for the conferment of the degree.

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University, and by the statutes of the State of Michigan, I confer upon each of you the degree of Juris Doctor, and declare that you are prepared to ensure that equal justice under law is available in the state of Michigan, this country, and the world.

Congratulations.

You may be seated.

And now you don't want to, but you may.

Friends and family thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the achievements of our graduates, a universal proverbs says, if you want to go fast, go alone.

But if you want to go far, go together.

That is the power of community.

And now you join a worldwide network of over 50,000 500,000 MSU alumni.

It has been my privilege to serve as your Dean.

The future of the profession is an excellent hands your entire law community, faculty, staff, alumni cannot wait to hear about your accomplishments in the years to come.

On behalf of the entire law school, I extend our congratulations and good wishes that will all here in this arena join me in one last round of applause for the class of 2025.

Thank you.

The platform party will now recess, followed by the graduates or the audience.

Please remain seated until the platform party and all the graduates have left the arena.

Please meet your graduates in the Hall of History where there is a space to mingle and take pictures and talk to your graduates, friends and professors and staff.

Thank you.

That concludes our commencement ceremony.

(Music Playing)