The ceremony conferred 227 JD and 28 bachelor’s degrees, and featured a keynote by Beto O’Rourke
The USC Gould School of Law marked a historic milestone on May 16, celebrating its 125th commencement ceremony — including the second cohort of Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies graduates — at the USC University Village Great Lawn. The keynote address was delivered by former U.S. Congress member Beto O’Rourke, who encouraged the JD and undergraduate classes to step up as leaders.
“You are the heirs to all that service and sacrifice and struggle that won America through every one of those tests and trials that we’ve been through before,” said O’Rourke, who founded the organization Powered by People. “What you do with this inheritance will define you in the eyes of history and will determine what is possible for this great country.”
The Class of 2025 included 227 grads earning a Juris Doctor and 28 grads receiving a bachelor’s degree. Among the law graduates, the JD Class of 2025 have job offers at esteemed law firms in 13 states, will make a difference in a variety of distinguished public sector positions, and serve in judicial clerkships at U.S. District Courts across the country. Among the second undergraduate cohort, 22 graduated with university honors, including two with USC’s Discovery Scholar Distinction, as well as the Order of the Laurel and Palm, which is USC’s highest honor and is awarded to less than one percent of students earning their degrees.
Franita Tolson, USC Gould Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law, addressed the graduates, encouraging them to remember their privilege and morals as they begin their careers.
“In the not-so-distant future, you will become leaders in law, in government, in business, in every sector of society,” Tolson said. “You will have the opportunity to advance and administer justice, improve our communities and benefit the world. There’s enormous power in that type of transformative impact.
“The difference between entitlement and privilege is being grateful,” she added. “You have earned every step of every achievement. At the same time, it is also true that there’s nothing wrong with being grateful for the opportunities you’ve been given, for the doors that were opened for you, and for the support you’ve been shown. We find help and draw inspiration from those around us… channel your gratitude into a sense of service.”
The graduates also heard from student speakers Evelyn Moradian, Student Bar Association president; Jacob Ma, 3L class president; and undergraduate representative Susanna Andryan.
To see more photos from the day, click here.
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