More than 170 JD, LLM, and MLS graduates, with their families and friends excitedly watching, marked the culmination of their legal education with the receipt of diplomas and hoods during Seattle University School of Law's May Commencement Ceremony at Seattle Center's McCaw Hall on Saturday morning.
While the day was one of celebration, the ceremony included a serious undertone, with several speeches referencing the current political landscape and highlighting the importance of the legal profession at this moment. Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver quoted great thinkers of history, from William Shakespeare to Saint Thomas More, who called lawyers the impediment to authoritarianism.
“We are counting on you to take up the fight for the rule of law, even while keeping your eye on the ultimate prize of justice,” he said.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) President Deborah Archer, who is also the associate dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, Margaret B. Hoppin Professor of Clinical Law, and faculty director of the Community Equity Initiative at New York University School of Law, delivered the keynote address.
Archer, the first person of color to lead the ACLU, is a first-generation college graduate and first-generation American citizen whose parents immigrated from Jamaica. She shared a childhood experience when she felt unwelcome upon moving to a wealthy, mostly white, suburban Connecticut neighborhood, to the point that someone spray-painted “KKK” on the family’s house and car one night.
“I watched my parents fight to build a life, a home, and make space in a country that wasn't always welcoming,” she said. “I wanted to fight for everyone who dreams. America is built on a dream.”
However, she noted, there is often a gap between the American Dream and the American reality, and that is where the next generation of lawyers comes in.
“Find the clarity to know where you are needed and find the courage to act,” she instructed. “Together, we all can bring the American Dream closer to the American reality.”
Archer also referenced the executive orders coming from the Trump administration.
“We are living at an inflection point in American history. Our democracy, our rights, and the systems we rely on to protect them are under threat,” she said. “But there is no problem in this world, no crisis, that we cannot solve together. Now it's your turn. Be ready. The fight for freedom, equality, and justice is not a gentle one. Yes, there will be days when you're tired. But never forget what a privilege it is to be alive and in this role that you're in.”
After her address, Seattle University Provost Shane Martin bestowed an honorary Seattle U Law degree upon Archer.
As with Archer’s speech, current events played a major role in Dean Anthony E. Varona’s remarks, as he urged the graduates to exercise compassion and work toward justice for all, even when facing barriers from those in power.
“The importance of the role of lawyers in our republic is especially apparent when the rule of law and our Constitution are tested by an overreaching government,” he said. “Understand how much our nation is depending on you and your character. Here at this Jesuit Catholic law school, we taught you about the importance of character in law. It is imperative for lawyers to do the right thing when no one else is watching.”
In her student address, JD candidate Clara De Abreu E Souza spoke about her emigration from Brazil as a child and her mother’s efforts to keep their heritage alive by teaching her Portuguese during car rides. Souza told her peers that their careers do not have to be about the rare, history-making court cases — even the smallest actions can have an impact on the legal profession.
“While we celebrate law as a noble suppression, we know it remains exclusionary and often unwelcoming. But each time we bring our full selves to this profession — our language, culture, and experiences — we create small cracks in these barriers,” she said. “Each act of authenticity creates space for someone else.”
While at Seattle U Law, Souza served as academic standards representative for the Student Bar Association and vice president of the Privacy Law Students Association, as well as completing internships at Hintze Law PLLC and Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC.
JD candidate Brendan O’Neill received the 2024 Dean’s Medal, and JD candidate Ateş Serifsoy was named the 2024 Faculty Trust Scholar.
Professors Janet K.G. Dickson ’88 and Mimi Samuel, who are retiring after 36 and 26 years at the law school, respectively, were both named faculty emeriti during the ceremony. Professor Deborah Ahrens, vice dean for Intellectual Life, was named the 2025 Outstanding Faculty Honoree and Marshal-at-Arms.
One-hundred-fifty-nine candidates are expected to receive a JD, nine are expected to receive an LLM, and two are expected to receive an MLS. Degrees for May graduates are considered final once grades are posted in June. In August, six candidates are expected to receive a JD, and 11 are expected to receive an MLS. August graduates may choose to walk in May or December.
An album of photos and a video of the ceremony have been posted online.