Speakers, students, and guests came together to create a moment of uplift and community at UCLA Law’s 75th commencement ceremony, which took place in Pauley Pavilion on May 15. More than 1,000 people gathered for the law school’s first morning graduation in recent memory, listening to speeches that acknowledged the challenging moment in which the world currently spins – and the important role that lawyers play in shaping a positive future.

Members of the Class of 2026 waved to family and friends around the arena and projected confidence and pride as they walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, looking ahead to making a difference as the next generation of lawyers and leaders.

They included 343 who earned juris doctor (J.D.) degrees, 251 who earned master of laws (LL.M.) degrees, 95 who earned master of legal studies (M.L.S.) degrees, and 2 who earned doctor of juridical science (S.J.D.) degrees.

Presenting the diplomas and serving as the event’s emcee, UCLA Law dean Michael Waterstone said, “What an amazing day, where we get to celebrate you, our graduates. Many of you are the first ones in your family to become lawyers. You’ve worked incredibly hard to be here, and today should be a day that you and your families and friends remember for the rest of your lives.”

Waterstone noted that the J.D. class was the first that he welcomed as 1Ls when he started as UCLA Law’s dean nearly three years ago. He asked people to “take a mental snapshot of this moment,” in which he commended family members for their support and advised graduates to “embrace gratitude,” “use the training and skills that you’ve learned here to make the world a better place,” and give back to the community.

California Supreme Court justice Goodwin Liu delivered the keynote address. “This is a challenging time to become a lawyer. But there is also no better or more important time to be a lawyer,” he said.

Liu invoked legal titans as models of excellence, including President John Adams, UCLA Law alumni and civil rights leaders Antonia Hernández ’74 and Stewart Kwoh ’74, and Supreme Court justices Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “All of [them] defended unpopular people or causes and stood up for the principle that independence of the legal profession – the independence of lawyers and judges – is vital to the fair and impartial administration of justice. That principle is under stress today, and you must stand strong and defend it.”

He also recalled how Supreme Court justice William O. Douglas once stressed the obligation of lawyers to defend against mistrust and intolerance. “When you join the bar … you will take an oath to support and defend the Constitution. The legal profession is unique among professions in requiring this oath, and it will be your duty and honor to consider carefully what it means,” he said. “I know you came to this place with bright hopes and worthy aspirations. And my one piece of advice is that you print a copy of your law school application essay and keep it in the top drawer of your desk, no matter where you work, no matter what you do. Let it be your moral compass. Let it be your statement of values. Let it remind you why you chose to become a lawyer.”

Student Bar Association president Destinee Dickson delivered welcoming remarks and offered a statement of purpose for her fellow graduates. “We still believe in this profession,” she said. “We believe in the force, the dignity, the protection, and the change that we can make. … We need to be courageous, we need to be strong, and we need to be a testament to ourselves.”

The M.L.S. program was represented by Adrian Romero, who noted that there were, “so many beautiful, distinguished scholars in this crowd. … [Our M.L.S. grads are now] professionals who understand the legal frameworks shaping our industries, who can ask sharper questions, challenge unjust structures, and bridge the gap between legal expertise and the real world.”

Camilo Suárez spoke for the LL.M. class, which included lawyers from 48 different countries who came to UCLA Law for one year of intensive study. “UCLA gave me the very first real sense of belonging in this country,” he said of his immigration experience. “It became a home for me. It made me feel that I was not just passing through but that I was part of something bigger.”

Janelle Eley presented a speech for the J.D. graduates. “Have the courage to do things before you feel ready. The act of choosing builds the very strength you thought you were waiting to find,” she said. “Class of 2026, you have been choosing to be ready every single day for the past three years. … You chose to become advocates, researchers, leaders, and now, lawyers.”

The S.J.D. graduates included Diego Pardo Motta, who worked on his dissertation, “Advising or Deciding: On the Colombian Council of State’s Consultative Function,” with Professor Blake Emerson; and Ayodele Babalola, who completed his dissertation, “Rethinking the Institutional Design and Enforcement Regime for Campaign Finance Regulation and Law in Nigeria,” with Professor Stephen Gardbaum. Babalola is the first person to earn an S.J.D. degree at UCLA Law in just two academic years.

Edna Salčin, a J.D. graduate, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“Being a lawyer is a great privilege, and with great privilege comes great responsibility,” Liu said in the climactic section of his uncommonly entertaining remarks. “In the days ahead, you will be tested. You may represent people or causes who are unpopular. You may have to make hard arguments. You may feel exposed or threatened. But your clients and our nation are counting on you. My hope and my plea is that you stand firm, have courage, seize the opportunity to honor your oath. And when you do, you will protect the very soul of our democracy.”

He concluded, “Remember who you are: You are advocates, you are defenders, you are officers of the court and guardians of the rule of law. And with that, you have the fate of our democracy in your hands. … You make me proud to be a member of this profession.”

Watch the full commencement below and read more about the event.