BU School of Law Commencement 2009

Congratulations Class of 2009!

On May 17, BU Law faculty, professors and the Class of 2009 convened at the Agganis Arena for this year’s Commencement ceremony. Braving both the rain and the heat, the smiling graduates and their proud families were joined by Governor Howard Brush Dean III, who delivered the 2009 Commencement speech. Following Dean, LLM student Roy Dias and JD student Somil Trivedi delivered two powerful speeches, rich with both nostalgia and optimism. Having received their degrees, graduates mingled and rejoiced at a following reception.

Commencement 2009 Slide Show

Governor Howard Brush Dean III Delivers 2009 Commencement Speech

Howard Brush Dean III has been a prominent figure in U.S. politics since the 1980’s. Entering the Vermont House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1982, Dean went on to become lieutenant governor in 1986. Both were part-time positions, allowing Dean, a 1978 graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, to continue his career as a medical practitioner.

Roy Dias (LLM in Banking and Financial Law) Delivers LLM Student Address

Roy Dias obtained his LL.B. degree from Gujarat University in India prior to immigrating to Canada. He has worked in the securities industry in Canada both with a broker dealer and a regulator in various legal and compliance roles. He has also completed a number of securities licensing courses from Canada and has the FCSI designation (Fellow Canadian Securities Institute). Dias would like to pursue a career as a hedge fund attorney. Besides being a hockey enthusiast, he is also interested in numismatics.

Somil Trivedi Delivers JD Student Address

Somil Trivedi attended Georgetown University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Government and Economics. At BU Law, he focused his energies on Constitutional Law, Regulatory Law and the American Journal of Law and Medicine. “My most enjoyable experience as a law student was spending my 1L spring break canvassing FEMA trailers in New Orleans as part of the Pro Bono Project’s annual service trip,” said Trivedi. After graduation, he will be joining the New York office of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, with an eye to a later career in government.

Class of 2009 Commencement Prizes and Awards

Alumni Academic Achievement Award – Michelle Yvonne Bush
Dr. John Ordronaux Prize – Jill Christine Hamers
Faculty Awards – Community Service – Margaret C. D. Barusch and Lindsay Dembner
Faculty Award – Academic Improvement – Nicole S. Murray
Melville M. Bigelow Scholarship Award – Emily Arthur Cardy
Sylvia Beinecke Robinson Award – Christopher Jerry Valente
William L. & Lillian Berger Achievement Prizes – Athena N. Cheng and Stefanie Ann Mingel
The Albert P. Pettoruto Memorial Award – Jennifer Alice Dixon
The Warren S. Gilford Humanity and Law Prize Award – Jessica E. Sutton
The Spencer R. Koch Memorial Award – Priscilla Danielle Nellis
The Peter Bennett Prize – Nellie Elisabeth Staley