UC Davis Law Celebrates Class of 2024
The 56th UC Davis School of Law commencement, held Friday, May 10 at the University Credit Union Center, celebrated the achievements of the more than 300 students composing the J.D. and LL.M. classes of 2024. As the smiling graduates led the processional into the venue, friends and family waved from up above in their seats.
Dean Kevin R. Johnson was the Master of Ceremonies and welcomed the graduates, friends, family, faculty, and alumni in attendance and praised the graduating class. He talked about their perseverance and passion for advocacy, noting that collectively the graduating class devoted nearly 40,000 hours to public service.
“The class is…well rounded in addition to being well educated. You possess legal knowledge and compassion,” Johnson said. “Although the saying goes that ‘knowledge is power,’ compassion might be the more valuable asset today; the more we acknowledge each other’s humanity, the better.”
UC Berkeley School of Law Professor Khiara Bridges delivered the keynote and spoke of lawyers’ responsibility to uphold justice. Bridges delivered the Bodenheimer Lecture on Family Law in 2021 as part of the law school’s Racial Justice Speaker Series.
The event included remarks from faculty speaker Professor Elizabeth Joh and student speakers Jake Kim ’24 and spoken-word artist, Michaela Hadjicostandi-Anang ’24.
Kim praised his classmates for a remarkable three years at King Hall. “We wrote our stories in a way where joy could be found in the grayest of times, within the comfort, laughter, and sense of belonging we weaved into the pages at King Hall,” he said.
Kathryn Parsons ’24, winner of the 2024 Law School Medal honoring the highest academic achievement among J.D. candidates, accepted her award on stage.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan joined other campus leaders on stage for the event.
Professors Irene Joe and Courtney Joslin acted as marshals, and Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Emily Scivoletto announced the graduates’ names.
View a recording of the event here and additional photos here.