WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President and Executive Director Kristen Clarke will deliver the keynote address during the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) David A. Clarke School of Law’s 2016 commencement ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2016. She will address a receptive audience of diverse and social justice-focused graduates and their families, law school faculty and staff, alumni and board members during the ceremony which will be held at the university’s Van Ness campus auditorium.
Clarke looks forward to joining the pantheon of previous commencement speakers such as Vernon Jordan, Vanita Gupta, Eric H. Holder Jr., Marian Wright Edelman, John Payton and Jackie Berrien in encouraging and saluting such committed graduates as they rededicate themselves to use the legal profession to seek equal justice.
“UDC’s School of Law has produced a rich legacy of legal scholars and leaders, benefiting communities nationwide,” said Clarke. “As members of the class of 2016 carry the torch of justice forward, I implore them to remember ‘the transformative power that lies in public service’ as they embark upon their future endeavors and careers. Together, we must continue to expand voting rights for all Americans, strengthen educational opportunity for all students and address the collateral consequences of mass incarceration, including barriers to re-entry faced by far too many.”
UDC’s School of Law, designated as a Historically Black College, was ranked 2nd by U.S. News and World Report for most diverse student body and 7th for outstanding clinical programs.
About the Lawyers’ Committee
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Formed over 50 years ago, we continue our quest of “Moving America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of fair housing and community development; employment; voting; education; environmental justice; and criminal justice. For more information about the Lawyers’ Committee, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.
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