Commencement in Review: Celebrating the Arizona Law Class of 2016

A wicked performance, an on-stage confetti cannon, a call for lawsuits to be filed as soon as possible, and the state’s “only openly inked Supreme Court justice" (self-identified). It was definitely a graduation to remember.
 
This year, Arizona Law celebrated 186 members of the Class of 2016: 124 JD, 15 LLM, 7 SJD, 18 MLS, and 22 B.A. in Law students.
 
JD graduates Jim Carlson and Raisa Ahmad—chosen by their classmates to be the student speakers—both spoke about the strong community and deep friendships formed during their time at Arizona Law and noting the profound impact the experience has had on their lives.

"Our relationships helped us navigate Constitutional Law AND the world around us." -#Classof2016 student speaker Raisa Ahmad

— Univ. of Arizona Law (@arizonalaw) May 14, 2016

Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick delivered an upbeat keynote that likened lawyers to superheroes, albeit not the kind who leap tall buildings in a single bound. He urged the graduates to answer “our highest calling as lawyers” to help others. The courtroom is where David beats Goliath, he said, and the lawyer is who brings the slingshot. In fact, Bolick recalled how he filed two lawsuits before he even graduated from law school.
 
“If you’re wondering if you’ve wasted three years of law school by not filing any lawsuits, the answer is yes,” Bolick said. “But the good news is, the courts open again on Monday.”
 
Bolick also told the story behind his red scorpion finger tattoo. He said he got the image of the “small desert creature with a powerful sting” after he won a case for the owners of a tattoo parlor who were fighting for the right to open their business.
 
In continuing an Arizona Law tradition, Class of 2016 graduates delivered musical performances throughout the ceremony. Suzette Leonardo sang the national anthem. Ann Palmer (flute) and Mitchell Turbenson (guitar) performed “Ave Maria,” followed by Erica Morris (vocals) and Michael Fehser (guitar) performing “For Good” from the musical, “Wicked” as a tribute to their classmates. The song’s lyrics: “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”
 
Dean Marc Miller reminded the graduates where they started from just a short time ago.
 
“Your lives before Arizona Law were lived in more than 25 states and a similar number of countries. You’ve received training at more colleges and universities around the U.S. and around the world than we can easily count. Before coming here, you were scholars, lawyers, soldiers, teachers, journalists, musicians, and dancers. You brought to us your own experiences, relationships, geographies, politics, religions, perspectives, and talents.” 
 
He went on to encourage the graduates to do in their professional lives what they did while at Arizona Law: navigate differences of opinion in productive ways, extend respect to the worthy opposition, find common ground when possible, and wage a fair fight when not.
 
“I implore you to be the principled voices that better guide the great debates of our time—in statehouses, through civic engagement, and sometimes even in courtrooms or on the global stage,” Miller said.
 
Finally, he charged the Class of 2016 to not only honor the law, but to make it better.
 
“It is our greatest and most honorable tradition to create and sustain the institutions and processes that reflect our society’s commitment to peaceful and orderly progress, not merely by accepting the status quo, but by challenging it, by improving it. “

Photos: Laura K. Moore/Arizona Law