May 07, 2005
Graduation 2005
The historic Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park served as a majestic backdrop for Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s 33rd annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2005. This year’s ceremony honored not only the 180 graduates who are eligible to receive their juris doctor degrees, but also two summa cum laude valedictorians and two remarkable individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the law school.
2005 Commencement at the historic Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park
Dean Kenneth J. Vandevelde, who announced last spring that the 2004-2005 academic year would be his last as the dean of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, gave the commencement address. Dean Vandevelde compared the law school’s amazing transition during the past 11 years to the transition the graduates have experienced since they started at TJSL. Both, he said, have made significant strides towards a bright and strong future.
“This degree affirms that our graduates have successfully completed a rigorous course of study, that they have demonstrated mastery of the fundamental principles of law, and that they stand ready to join a noble and learned profession,” Dean Vandevelde noted.
Assistant Dean Jennifer Keller, the longest serving employee in the law school’s 35-year history, also was recognized for her exceptional and continuous service to the law school. Dean Keller has played an instrumental role in strengthening the law school’s admissions program.
Both Dean Vandevelde and Dean Keller were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and service to the law school with special citations (view the citations by clicking on the above links). The chairman of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law Board of Trustees, Samuel J. Kahn, presented Dean Vandevelde with an honorary degree of “Doctor of Laws” or honoris causa. Dean Vandevelde, in turn, spoke of the exemplary service Dean Keller has provided to the school and then presented her with an honorary degree.
“The Thomas Jefferson School of Law has achieved success only through the commitment of its faculty and staff and no one has exhibited a greater commitment over a longer period of time than Assistant Dean Jennifer Keller,” he said.
Dean Vandevelde also recognized this year’s seven summa cum laude graduates for their “truly extraordinary academic performance” and awarded them special honors plaques. They are: Darren Bean, James Fife, Robert Hill, Hollingsworth B. Marshall, Abbey J. Noel, Krista A. Schelhaas, and Christina Elizabeth Wickman. Dean Vandevelde also introduced the two valedictorians: Fife, this academic year’s December valedictorian (see photo), and Hill, the May valedictorian.
Hill reflected on the past few years, the friends made and the memories shared. “I hope each of you keeps these memories in mind and carries them with you throughout not only your legal career, but also your life,” he told his fellow graduates. “We may have come to orientation as 300 plus strangers, but we leave here as colleagues, confidants, and friends.”
With reference to W.S. Gilbert’s libretto for Iolanthe, Fife referred to the law as “the great engine, or the great anchor, to the evolution of society.” He reminded his classmates that it is up to them to decide how the law will function.
“Because we are the keepers of the law – the new generation of lawyers, professors, and experts whose conduct will embody the law, for good or ill,” said Fife. “As we stand here today on the eve of our taking up that awesome responsibility, I urge you all to carry with you your highest ideals, your strongest ethics, your deepest commitment, and go out and embody the law.”
To conclude the commencement ceremony, Associate Dean Steve Semeraro proudly announced the names of all participating graduates as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and shake hands with Dean Vandevelde. Following the investiture and the recessional, graduates hugged and greeted family members and friends at a reception hosted by the law school in the pavilion.
Click here on the News Release Section to view more graduation stories.