On May 5, the School of Law held its commencement ceremony on the Historic Horseshoe for the Class of 2017. During one of the most beautiful spring days imaginable, 196 newly-minted graduates walked the stage on their way toward their legal careers.
This year's commencement address, delivered by J. Michael Luttig, executive vice president and general counsel of The Boeing Company, focused on the increasing politicization of our country and the dire effects on our legal system and especially on the Rule of Law. Luttig implored the Class of 2017 to commit themselves to protecting the Rule of Law, and to ensure that "law triumphs over politics."
The address gained national attention, first by the legal news site "Above the Law," in which writer David Lat praised Luttig as "one of the most notable" people to deliver a commencement address this year. Luttig's speech was also quoted in another commencement speech, given by Roberta Kaplan, the lawyer who successfully argued before the Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor.