By David King
Daily Bruin Contributor
Participants at the 49th UCLA School of Law Commencement
Ceremony on Sunday celebrated the law school’s academic
achievements, while at times condemning its lack of diversity.
Calling themselves the “Class of the Millennium,”
the ceremony featured 356 graduates receiving either their Master
of Laws or Juris Doctor degrees ““ the largest graduating
class ever for the law school.
The ceremony, which took place in Dickson Plaza, included
several distinguished speakers, including keynote speaker Beth
Nolan, assistant and counsel to President Clinton.
Encouraging the graduates to continue their efforts, Nolan said
graduation should be just one milestone in their career.
“There is work to be done to make this glorious country
live up to its promise,” Nolan said.
Dean Jonathan Varat began the ceremony by congratulating the
graduates, and recognizing the hundreds of family members and
friends in attendance.
“I’d like to congratulate the parents, siblings,
partners, and those who just plain care about you, for seeing you
through this period which, at a minimum, can be described as
challenging,” Varat said to the graduates.
Varat also emphasized a commitment to the profession’s
integrity, something he said is currently suffering, as shown by
growing complaints of unethical or unprofessional behavior by
lawyers.
“Passion does not substitute for fairness, and the ends do
not justify the means,” Varat continued. “I hope you
are trusted. You should be honored. You will be
emulated.”
A highlight of the ceremony included several student speeches,
many complaining about the lack of racial diversity at the law
school.
Since the passage of SP-1, SP-2 and Proposition 209 which ended
the use of affirmative action throughout the UC system and the
state, the number of underrepresented students has dropped.
During her speech, class president Mahi Alai recognized the 16
individuals who were arrested in a February 25 protest against the
school’s current admissions policy.
“You have given me the confidence we need to move
ahead,” Mahi said.
In protest of the UC’s policy, and the subsequent decline
in minority employment at the school, several graduates ““
including Alai ““ and faculty members wore red ribbons.
Alai also reminisced about classes, professors, and events at
the law school, especially her frustrations with school
parking.
“I learned to get good grades, you had to work, work,
work, but to get parking at UCLA, you had to lie, lie, lie,”
Alai said.
“And you better hope you didn’t get audited by
parking services,” she continued. “You wouldn’t
be going to USC, but you’d be parking there.”
Mahi ended her speech by commending the hard work of many of her
fellow classmates, in particular one graduating student who Mahi
said took three final exams nine-months pregnant, had her baby,
then returned to take her fourth exam.
Following Alai was fellow graduate Nanci Freeman, whose speech
also addressed diversity issues at the UCLA School of Law.
Freeman encouraged the graduates to remain active in the law
school, to ensure that race issues are addressed.
“School of Law, I ask that you do in my absence what you
have failed to do in my presence ““ to move heaven and earth
to make this institution the leader in racial diversity that it
once was,” Freeman said.
She dedicated her degree to her grandmother, who was denied a
post-high school education because she was African American.
“This fact motivated me to go to class every day,”
Freeman said. “Because I could do what she could
not.”
White House Counsel Nolan continued the ceremony by reminiscing
about her graduation from law school 20 years earlier.
In addition, she said that the graduates should not be afraid to
fail in the legal profession, and that such failures can be
beneficial.
“To succeed, you must fail ““ you will not be using
the full power of your law degree if you don’t fail,”
Nolan said, addressing the graduates.
“I encourage you all to aim high enough that failure is a
possibility.”