GRADUATIONGRADUATIONGRADUATION 200820082008 NEW YORK CITY, T HURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008 3 8-9 11 inside U.S. Supreme Court Justice The Year in Review Student Law Clinic Triumphs Meet the Class of 2008 Sandra Day O’Connor’s Visit STUDENTS CELEBRATE CULMINATION OF STUDIES With family and friends looking on, the members of Columbia Law School’s Class of 2008 Graduation in a will collect their J.D., LL.M. and J.S.D. degrees today. Then they’ll depart for life’s next chal- Year of lenges — as clerks, practicing attorneys, academics, advocates Sesquicentennial Events and leaders in numerous non- legal fields. Columbia Law School’s Class deans, alumni who are serving The class comprises more of 2008 is uniquely entwined as judges, and alumnus H.F. than 650 students from 41 states, with the history of the school as “Gerry” Lenfest ’58, who has a Prof. Philip Genty was selected by Cynthia McFadden ’84, an anchor at the District of Columbia, Puerto the class that will have gradu- notable career as an entrepre- students as winner of the Willis L.M. ABC News, will give the graduation Rico and 18 nations. ated in the Law School’s 150th neur and philanthropist. Lenfest, Reese Teaching Prize. keynote address. anniversary year. a Columbia University Trustee, The Sesquicentennial has has also played a leadership already been marked by several role at the Law School through events, and the celebration will his generosity and service as a continue into the fall of 2008 Dean’s Council member. with events in London and Lenfest’s Class of 1958 New York. is being honored during this year’s graduation to mark its 50th reunion year. On Jan. 31, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hosted a black-tie alumni dinner to celebrate the Law School’s Sesquicentennial. The attendees dined amid the Italian marble columns of the Great Hall in the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Justice Ginsburg graduated Devora Whitman (left) and Shawndra Jones, chairs of the graduation committee. from Columbia Law School in Brian Larkin of Suitland, 1959, and later became its first Maryland, was elected to speak Columbia Law School has “produced no finer role model than Gerry Lenfest,” tenured female professor. “Legal on behalf of his fellow J.D. can- said Dean David M. Schizer in education is a ‘shared adven- didates, and Thomas Krawitz, of awarding Lenfest the 2008 Medal for ture’ for students, teachers and Munich, Germany, will speak Excellence at the Winter Luncheon. alumni,” she said. “For all of my for his fellow LL.M.s. “It is worth reflecting on days, I expect to take part in that They and other student how central our Law School adventure and to see it flourish speakers will address the appre- has been in grappling with the at Columbia Law School.” hensions, struggles and successes great issues of our time,” said Dean Schizer clerked for they all experienced as law stu- Dean David M. Schizer. “We Justice Ginsburg from 1994 to dents and how these have helped are proud of our tradition of 1995, and fondly recalled working them to grow and mature and, engagement with these questions, (continued on page 10) Brian Larkin, J.D. (left), and Thomas Krawitz, LL.M., the student speakers. ultimately, taught them to think and this tradition continues today. like lawyers. We celebrate not only what our Cynthia McFadden, an Law School has achieved in the anchor at ABC News, will past 150 years, but what we will Justice Roberts Presides at Finals of give the day’s keynote address. achieve in the next 150 years Professor Philip Genty will and beyond.” Harlan Fiske Stone Honors Moot Court receive the Willis L.M. Reese The Sesquicentennial began Teaching Prize. in January with events in Hong The Stone Competition is Columbia Law School’s McFadden graduated from Kong, Shanghai and Beijing that most prestigious moot court contest. Columbia Law School in 1984, also marked the 25th anniver- and was executive producer sary of the Law School’s Center Christopher M. Hogan (left) and of Fred Friendly’s Media and for Chinese Legal Studies. Dean Jordan W. Connors faced off Society seminars at Columbia Schizer then attended a Tokyo against Mollie M. Kornreich ’09 University. Next, at Courtroom reception to celebrate the Law and David Scherr ’09 on April Television Network she an- School’s long-standing leadership 17 in the final arguments of the chored live coverage of more in Japanese law, embodied by Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court than 200 trials, including the The Center for Japanese Legal competition. Menendez brothers’ murder trial Studies, founded in 1980. More than 400 Columbia Law and the Rodney King trial. Now The celebration shifted School students packed the main at ABC News she co-anchors back to New York on Jan. 25 auditorium of Jerome Greene Hall “Nightline” and “Primetime.” for the 59th annual Winter as the finalists, narrowed from the This year’s graduation, held Luncheon for alumni in 55 students who began the com- during the Law School’s 150th the Grand Ballroom of the petition in the fall, argued before a anniversary, also honors the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. The panel of four highly distinguished Class of 1958, which is celebrat- event honored living former (continued on page 6) ing its 50th reunion year. 2 Join the Columbia Law From the Dean of Students School Alumni Online Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin Community I have a special relationship with the Class of 2008 because we started together. It was this class which helped me define my Congratulations! Upon gradua- profile to keep your contact role, with whom I bonded first and earliest, and who decided tion, you will join more than information up to date, search that “Dean MGK” worked much better than “Dean Greenberg- 19,000 Columbia Law School the alumni database to find and Kobrin.” These were the first students I met as they arrived on alumni living and working keep in touch with your class- campus for orientation, before the 2Ls and 3Ls returned from throughout the world. We hope mates, submit and read class their summers, and it was immediately clear what a very talented you will join us as an active notes, join discussion groups and formidable group this was. member of our vibrant commu- and register for alumni events. In many ways, they have reworked Columbia Law School nity and that you will remain The Columbia Law in their image, and as a result, the Columbia they are leaving is in touch with us through our School Association congratu- a more spirited, friendly, warm and engaged community than the alumni events and programs. lates you on reaching this one they entered. They’ve encouraged and coached incoming 1L How can you remain con- milestone and welcomes you classes into alternative moot courts, so that now almost a third of nected? In July you can access into our alumni commu- the 1L class pursues moot court opportunities in areas that they the Columbia Law School’s nity. You can always keep in are actively interested in. They bring high school students in and Alumni Online Community touch with the Development work with them to afford others the opportunities they’ve had. and log in using your uni/ & Alumni Relations office at They wrote extraordinary articles, filed important briefs, helped password at www.law.colum- (212) 854-2680, CLS_Alumni_ needy clients, wrote some very witty sketches and never forgot to bia.edu/alumni. This com- [email protected] or have a good laugh along the way. They are smart — impressively intellectual — but seek to influence munity allows you to create a through our Web site. and effect change beyond the institution and beyond the profession. They helped us change the ways in which we think about diversity and the ways in which we think about meeting students’ needs. They’ve also changed the way I think about adversity and one’s ability to overcome it. As a class they are extraordinary friends, extraordinary community servants and will be extraordinary advocates. It is with mixed emotions that I welcome them to the profession and bid them adieu. I will sorely miss them. From the Outgoing Student Senate President Tope Yusuf The past three years have been a wonderful journey. The times that we shared and the people we met have enriched all of our Class of 2008 Breaks All lives. This graduation newspaper highlights a few graduating students to show the rich diversity of the members of our class. Previous Giving Records Since my first year, my classmates have repeatedly impressed Congratulations to the Class of 2008 for setting three new class me. Some of us worked for several years prior to attending law gift participation records – 83 percent for the full class (J.D.s and school, whether it was teaching in a public school or serving in LL.M.s), 94 percent for the LL.M. Class and 77 percent for the the Air Force. Others, like myself, came straight from undergrad J.D. Class – and the fund is still growing! Never before in the Law to face the challenges of getting a legal education. School’s history have we achieved such high participation, and While at Columbia Law School, we have continued to grow this is due to the Class of 2008’s generosity and the hard work of personally and professionally – from the 1L dinner where we the 2008 Class Gift Committee, spearheaded by co-chairs Simrin heard from Dean Schizer and other faculty members about the Parmar, J.D.