Marking the end to the fall 2023 semester, members of the Stetson Law community gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate students who successfully completed their law school journey in December.
The group of 20 graduates primarily consisted of part-time students, who have spent the last four years juggling careers, volunteer work, family, and other obligations with the rigors of their legal education.
“Tonight, we celebrate the skills you have honed and the ways in which we know you will give back to the world as Stetson lawyers,” said College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “Tonight, we celebrate our graduates who are part of our Stetson family – today, and for a lifetime.”
Alumna Brittany Maxey-Fisher ’07, who is president of the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association, urged the new alumni that they have earned the ability to face the new chapter of their careers with confidence.
“Today, you turn the page from being law students to law graduates,” she said. “You are joining an elite group of attorneys. You and I have been trained by the top professors in first-class facilities to sharply hone our advocacy skills.”
Stetson Law Celebrates December ’23 Graduates
Marking the end to the fall 2023 semester, members of the Stetson Law community gathered in the Great Hall to celebrate students who successfully completed their law school journey in December. (See full event video below.)
The group of 20 graduates primarily consisted of part-time students, who have spent the last four years juggling careers, volunteer work, family, and other obligations with the rigors of their legal education.
Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros addresses the December 2023 graduates.
“Tonight, we celebrate the skills you have honed and the ways in which we know you will give back to the world as Stetson lawyers,” said College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros. “Tonight, we celebrate our graduates who are part of our Stetson family – today, and for a lifetime.”
Alumna Brittany Maxey-Fisher ’07, who is president of the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association, urged the new alumni that they have earned the ability to face the new chapter of their careers with confidence.
“Today, you turn the page from being law students to law graduates,” she said. “You are joining an elite group of attorneys. You and I have been trained by the top professors in first-class facilities to sharply hone our advocacy skills.”
Unprecedented times, resilient class
Faculty and university leadership remarked on the unique circumstances that shaped their law school journey: the onset of a global pandemic took hold, civil unrest, and political polarization.
Stetson University President Christopher Roellke
“Class of 2023, you are part of a unique and unshakeable cohort and have experienced more in your time in law school than most have had in their lifetime,” Barros said. “You persevered through a global pandemic, all while caring for your friends, family, and colleagues. You’ve weathered many shifts in the last few years, and remain resilient and excellent. We are so proud of you.”
Dr. Christopher Roellke, President of Stetson University, said these students faced “a once-in-a-century set of challenges for higher education and for the globe.”
“Not only have you survived the demands of an outstanding Stetson education, but you have succeeded in accomplishing something very difficult during a time of great adversity,” he said. “In my view, these challenging experiences have undoubtedly developed in you a repertoire of skills that will serve you exceptionally well as you move on to your legal careers.”
Reflecting on Stetson’s university-wide embrace of a culture of kindness, Roellke asked the graduates to “bring kindness and empathy in everything that you do.”
A celebrated professor’s keynote
After Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jason Palmer read the names of the graduates, Professor Joseph Morrissey spoke on what it means to aspire to do great things.
Law Professor Joseph Morrissey addresses December 2023 graduates.
“Aspire to use your advocacy powers to do more than observe and complain,” he said. “Instead, try to bring people back together. We taught you about advocacy skills. You never persuade by alienating. You persuade by finding common ground, identifying our commonalities as human beings, and building from there.”
Morrissey, to whom many students were introduced through his Contracts course, has been on faculty for nearly 20 years. He is the faculty advisor for the Stetson chapter of Lambda Legal Society, the LGBTQ+ student organization, and for years has helped coach championship-winning student advocates. The ability to advocate effectively, he said, is a power they can and should use to fight not just for their clients, but for a better world.
“One thing we know for sure is that you are going to be a Stetson lawyer, and it’s my aspiration for you that you will be a compassionate counselor for your clients, and a zealous advocate for your causes,” Morrissey said. “I’m so delighted to be able to celebrate you and all your accomplishments today. I want to once again extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of you on a job well done. You did it. You made it. And now, the future is yours.”
Original source can be found here.