U.S. Senator Dick Durbin gave the commencement address at the 203rd Commencement of The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
The Commencement ceremonies took place on June 11 at the Civic Opera House in Chicago.
The law school conferred 251 degrees to its June graduates, including 227 JDs, 16 LLMs and eight MJs.
”We were honored to have Senator Durbin address our students. His long service to our country is an inspiration, and he had a memorable message for our graduates,” said Dean Darby Dickerson.
Durbin also received an honorary degree from John Marshall. Paula Hudson Holderman, President of the law school’s Board of Trustees confered the degree, and Dean Dickerson presented it to Durbin. Graduating student Manpreet Kaur Teji presented an honorary medallion to Durbin.
Durbin is the senior U.S. Senator from Illinois. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996. He sits on the Senate Judiciary, Appropriations and Rules Committees. He also serves as the Minority Whip, the second highest ranking position among Senate Democrats. Durbin received both his BS and JD from Georgetown University.
In addition, Associate Professor of Law Arthur Acevedo received the 2017 Lex Ancilla Justitiae Award. The award is given by way of a vote to the faculty member who the graduating class believes, through their teaching and time with students, best embodies the guiding principle of the words in the law school’s seal. Outgoing Student Bar Association President and graduating student, Nicholas A. Ventola, presented the award to Acevedo.
The valedictory address was given by Kimberly A. Gleeson. Gleeson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in 2014. While at John Marshall, she served as Executive Justice on the Moot Court Honors Council, a staff editor on The John Marshall Law Review and a volunteer teaching assistant. Gleeson also has been awarded the Francis D. & Corrine S. Morrissey Award in Professional Responsibility. The Morrissey Scholars Program fosters interest in ethical issues by selecting students at John Marshall to research, discuss and write publishable articles on recent cases on professional responsibility that are of special interest to practicing attorneys.
