USC Gould School of Law announces 2026 Commencement keynote speakers

JD & UNDERGRADUATE CEREMONY

Sister Helen Prejean

Author and Advocate

Sister Helen Prejean is a religious sister from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a passion for justice, who is known worldwide for her work and ministry as a foremost advocate against capital punishment. She is the best-selling author of acclaimed books that contributed to shaping national dialogue such as Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States – which inspired an Academy Award winning movie – and River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.

In her ministry, Sister Prejean works with people of all faiths. She dedicates her time to educating the public, advancing efforts against the death penalty, counseling individuals on death row, and working with the family members of victims.

In 1957, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille (now known as the Congregation of St. Joseph). In 1962, she received a BA in English and Education from St. Mary’s Dominican College, New Orleans, and then her MA in Religious Education from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada, in 1973.

GRADUATE & INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS CEREMONY

Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek (LLM 2005)

Attorney and USC Gould Board of Councilors Member

Nicolai Schwarz-Gondek (LLM 2005) is a partner at the global law firm of Sidley Austin, where he focuses his practice on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and other complex corporate transactions. He serves as co-chair of Sidley’s Greater Los Angeles Pro Bono Committee.

In addition to his practice, Schwarz-Gondek is an active leader in the USC Gould community. He is the first Master of Laws (LLM) grad to serve on the law school’s Board of Councilors, and he is a Lecturer in Law, teaching a course in Contract Drafting, Analysis and Negotiation.

Schwarz-Gondek earned his LLM in 2005 from USC Gould, where he graduated first in his class, and received a PhD, summa cum laude, from the University of Augsburg with a doctoral thesis on German tax law. Schwarz-Gondek is also a graduate of Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, where he earned his JD and Diplom-Jurist. He spent one year as a visiting scholar at the University of Geneva in Switzerland with a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service.