2015 Commencement: Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law

Grey skies couldn’t dampen the spirits of graduates on May 22, the evening of Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law’s 2015 Commencement exercises. Thirty-two LL.M. and 137 JD graduates walked proudly across the Holly and David Wilson Field to accept their respective degrees as their friends and families cheered.

This year’s keynote speaker was Judge Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge McKeown was the first female partner at the Perkins Coie law firm, and practiced complex litigation, intellectual property, antitrust and constitutional law. Her advice to the graduating class was to consider her four “S’s”—serendipity, service, serious (or not-so-serious) and serenity—as they enter into their careers as new attorneys. Judge McKeown said that the four tenets are intended to serve as a reminder to remain open to new opportunities, to remember that the practice of law is not only about the law but also the people, and to strive for a healthy work-life balance, no matter how unattainable it may seem.

“If there’s a hallmark of a good lawyer, it’s how to grow in wisdom, how to not get lost in your ego and how to seize that moment of serendipity and run with it,” she said.

Fowler School of Law Dean Tom Campbell spoke on the new possibilities open to students, comparing their journeys as new attorneys to the state of California, constantly in a state of reinvention. He encouraged graduates to use their newfound skills for betterment across the globe. “The only mistake is to be so convinced of the satisfactory nature of your current spot that you don’t jump when a promise comes along,” he said.

Vivian Ogechukwu Kalu

Parisah Robinson delivered the JD response, congratulating her fellow classmates and highlighting the many accomplishments of the graduating class, including sold out symposia, competition victories, and national and international travel. Vivian Ogechukwu Kalu, originally from Nigeria, delivered the LL.M. response. Kalu recounted her first uncertain days at the Fowler School of Law where she was warmly welcomed by the Fowler Law community. She noted that she will always remember the kindness and humility of the Fowler Law faculty. She encouraged her classmates to carry the same characteristics into their own careers: “Certificates are temporal but the positive impact we make with the certificates is eternal.”

The ceremony closed with the announcement of the 2015 M. Katherine Baird Darmer Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, awarded to Professor and former Interim Dean, Scott Howe, one of the most beloved of all the Fowler Law faculty members. Associate Dean Donald Kochan gave an insightful benediction.

On Thursday, May 21, several graduates were honored at the graduation banquet for JD students and the LL.M. graduation reception. The 2015 Valedictorian and recipient of the Carmelina Doti Academic Excellence Award was Amanda M. Herman.

Congratulations to the class of 2015 graduates! Thank you to all of the faculty and staff that made commencement possible. Watch a recording of the Commencement Exercises for the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Class of 2015.

Watch a slideshow of the Commencement Ceremony

2015 Graduates with Academic Honors

Summa cum Laude:

Magna cum Laude:

Cum Laude:

2015 Juris Doctor Graduates

Students Graduating with an Emphasis

Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Emphasis

Business Law Emphasis

Entertainment Law Emphasis

 Environmental, Land Use and Real Estate Law Emphasis

International Law Emphasis

Tax Emphasis