Minnesota Law Holds 133rd Commencement; Liwanag Ojala '98 Delivers Address
Minnesota Law held its 133rd commencement on Saturday, May 15 as a livestream event broadcast from McNamara Alumni Center.
The two-hour ceremony featured a commencement address by CaringBridge CEO Liwanag Ojala ’98, three class speakers, student and faculty awards, presentation of the 3L class gift, and a musical performance of the state song by the TORT singers. A total of 250 J.D., LL.M., and Master of Science in Patent Law candidates were awarded degrees. (View Full Event Program Book.)
Graduating students and their friends and families watched the ceremony remotely, with on-site personnel limited primarily to speakers and singers with performance roles and support staff. The Law School hosted several smaller in-person events at Mondale Hall for the students and their families in the days leading up to and the afternoon immediately following the ceremony. Students had the opportunity to get their pictures taken in full regalia and to connect with classmates at these events.
During her commencement address, Ojala told graduating students, “We need people with strategic fortitude, power, influence, and smarts to solve our problems. We need you! And it’s up to you, working alongside generations that have come before you and will come afterward, working together diligently with resolve to solve our issues. And when you do that, I hope you will use your mind, but also use your heart to give the advancement of humanity a better chance.”
This year's winners of the Stanley V. Kinyon Teacher of the Year Awards went to Professors Maria Ponomarenko (tenure-track category), Mitch Zamoff (Skills category), and Caleb Smith (clinical category). This award, meant to recognize excellence in education and extraordinary teaching ability, was established by family and friends in honor of the late Stanley V. Kinyon, a recognized commercial law scholar and member of the Law School faculty for 40 years
Jessica Szuminski, 3L, presented the following awards to graduating students:
• Excellence in Public Service Awards (James Holden and Hillary Richard)
• Most Outstanding Contribution Award (Shantal Pai and Navin Ramalingam)
In addition, Shantal Pai was named the 2021 recipient of the William B. Lockhart award, bestowed by the faculty for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. And Equity & Diversity Awards were bestowed on Camila Pacheco-Forés and Navin Ramalingam.
Cooper Christiancy, 3L, presented the class of 2021’s gift—a contribution of $6,891 to the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The three class speakers, elected by their classmates, were:
• Dr. Elias Ayana (Master of Science in Patent Law), who discussed his family’s journey from Ethiopia to the U.S. and their commitment to education (Ayana now holds five degrees, including a doctorate);
• Daniel Lecker (LL.M.), who, speaking remotely via video from his home country of Austria, discussed his original motivation in coming the U.S. to study law, and
• Marielos Cabrera (J.D.), who highlighted the importance of advocating for a more socially just world.
Regent Janie Mayeron '76 conferred the degrees. Professors Ponomarenko and Jill Hasday, selected by members of the J.D. class to present them, read the names of the students as a slide with their name, photo, and degree displayed. Kara Galvin and Professor Christopher Turoski ’98, who oversee the LL.M. program and Masters of Patent Law programs, presented the students in their respective programs.
The TORT singers—3Ls Dorislynn Quinones, Jessica Szuminski, Amanda Tesarek, and Marisa Tillman—concluded the program with a stirring performance of “Hail Minnesota.”
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