Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

Friends, family, and Scalia Law faculty gathered on Saturday, May 14, to celebrate the accomplishments of the JD, LLM and JM Class of 2022. This year’s graduation ceremony was held at the historic Warner Theatre in Washington DC, which in its nearly 100-year history has hosted such luminaries as Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones.

After opening remarks from Dean Ken Randall, the graduates heard from their student-elected speakers: Brad Greenwood, Johan Perez, Deena Lanier, Joseph Murphy, and Lauren Gilman. Student speakers were followed by remarks from Professor Michael Davis, a GMU law alum, elected by the graduates as the faculty speaker this year. After Professor Davis’ inspiring remarks, the keynote was provided by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, who graduated with her JD, magna cum laude, from Scalia Law a mere 13 years ago.

Judge Crytzer discussed her experience—about what made, and continues to make, Scalia Law, and its graduates, exceptional. Judge Crytzer credited her deep understanding of and reverence for the Constitution to her law school experience. She also noted that she “enjoyed the support of a legal community that valued open debate and the marketplace of ideas, even when we fiercely disagreed on an issue and even if we did not all value our first year Law and Economics course in the same way.”

Judge Crytzer then challenged the graduates to do more with their legal degrees and to be more than average lawyers, saying, “The degree has opened doors for you. As you walk through those doors and embark on the next steps in your legal career, do so confidently. Seek out opportunities to work hard at work worth doing. Take on work of consequence that will positively impact your clients, friends, neighbors, and communities. Serve your communities. Consider serving your State and your Country. In your personal life and your professional life, I challenge you to do the hard work that is truly worth doing.”

Finally, Judge Crytzer offered some advice to help the graduates deliver on her challenge. She first advised the graduates to “do the right thing; the just thing.” Second, she told them to “hold fast to the principles that brought you to this point in your life and your career and the people and communities that made it all possible.” Third, and finally, the Judge advised the graduates to “exercise civility in the everyday practice of law.” In fact, the exercise of civility proved a recurring theme among this year’s graduation speakers.

Degrees were conferred to hearty applause from all!