‘ Courage is Contagious’
AUWCL Class of 2025 celebrates commencement with a powerful keynote urging legal courage and constitutional guardianship.
With cheers, reflections, and a charge to lead with courage, American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) conferred degrees on more than 430 graduates during its 2025 commencement. The Class of 2025 included 370 Juris Doctor recipients, 39 LLMs, 23 MLS graduates, and four SJD degree recipients.
Interim Dean Heather Hughes expressed gratitude to the AUWCL faculty for their dedication and offered a heartfelt tribute to the graduates as they prepare to enter the legal profession.
“You brought yourselves to us, and you let this phenomenal faculty forge you — and we thank you for that,” Hughes said. “Some of you will advance the rule of law loudly and in public as litigators and activists. Others will advance it quietly and in private, weaving the web of legally sound relations on which we all rely. Together, you will ensure the future of our law-based system of governance.”
Student speaker Angela Chen reflected on the transformation the graduates had undergone over the past three years.
24 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2025 Angela Chen ’25
“Law school has turned me from a problem- spotter into a problem-solver,” Chen said, describing how law shaped not only their intellect but their sense of purpose. “We didn’t wait until graduation to become advocates. Every single day, I watched my classmates use what they learned inside the classroom to create ripple effects throughout our community.”
Chen urged her peers to savor the moment, acknowledge the support of loved ones, and celebrate their hard-earned accomplishment stating, “Today, Class of 2025, I have the
AUWCL CLASS OF 2025 COMMENCEMENT
GLORIA ALLRED CHARGES AUWCL GRADUATES TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY IN TUMULTUOUS TIMES BY KEITH PIERCE
privilege and honor of asking you to find the only verdict that’s consistent with our hard work, supported by our dedication, and demanded by justice: to find ourselves law school graduates.”
But it was civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, delivering the keynote address and receiving an honorary degree, who brought a fiery and urgent reminder of the stakes ahead.
“Being a lawyer is not an easy task — I know that from experience,” Allred said.
Nearly 50 years ago, Allred co-founded a law firm with two classmates, dedicating their practice to justice for women and minorities. Since then, she has led legal battles that have secured not only over $1 billion in compensation for her clients but also critical civil rights protections through precedent- setting cases.
“In many cases, winning was an acknowledgment of the wrongs committed against them,” she said. “And it was also empowering for them to know they had fought for — and won — accountability.”
Still, Allred warned, today’s legal challenges extend far beyond individual courtrooms.
“There is a war on the rule of law. A war on women. On immigrants. On universities. On equal employment opportunity. On science. On truth. And yes, on democracy itself,” she declared. “What is happening in our country right now is not normal.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
