Commencement 2017

Congratulations, Class of 2017!

On May 21, the Boston University School of Law community convened at the Agganis Arena for the 144th Commencement ceremony. Larry Lucchino (Hon.’08), former president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, delivered the Commencement speech. After playfully trading jabs about the Yankees with Dean O’Rourke, he joined the graduates and their families in the celebration.

Following Mr. Lucchino’s address, LLM student Amrita Kundu and JD student Sean McCauley delivered two exceptional speeches. Having received their degrees, the roughly 390 graduates mingled and rejoiced at a reception following the ceremony.

 

Slideshow

 

Ordering Photos & Videos

Photographs

Commencement Photos, Inc. took photographs of students receiving their diplomas and a formal shot once they left the stage. Commencement Photos, Inc. will be contacting students directly with information about purchasing their photos. Candids from the day can be purchased by visiting Commencement Photos, Inc.’s SmugMug page.

DVDs

The live video production on the Terriervision video screens inside Agganis Arena has been converted to DVD format. The DVD includes the entrance procession of the graduates, on-stage presentations including awarding of diplomas, and speakers. You can order your DVD by visiting Kitay Productions, Inc.

 

Larry Lucchino’s remarks

 

About Mr. Lucchino

The long-time baseball executive is a Yale Law School graduate who began his career in 1974 with the Washington, DC law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP, where he specialized in sports law and litigation. He went on to serve as vice president/general counsel of the Baltimore Orioles from 1979 to 1988 and as the club’s president from 1988 to 1993. Two years later, he was named President and CEO of the San Diego Padres, a position that he held until 2001, when he joined the Red Sox.

Lucchino has been active in numerous civic and charitable efforts, particularly in the research and treatment of cancer. He is a board member and served as the co-chair of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s $1 billion “Mission Possible” Capital Campaign, which reached its goal in 2009, and is on the board of Special Olympics International.

Lucchino served as President/CEO of the Red Sox during an historic 14-year period through 2015, in which the club won three World Series, saved and enhanced Fenway Park, established the Major League Baseball record for consecutive sellouts, and created the Red Sox Foundation. Now also Chairman of the Pawtucket Red Sox, Lucchino and the late Jim Skeffington assembled a group that in 2015 purchased Boston’s longtime Triple-A affiliate.

He has served on several Major League Baseball committees, including the Commissioner’s historic Blue Ribbon Task Force on Baseball Economics, which successfully re-engineered the sport’s economic structure, and the International Committee, of which he has been one of its most active members.

In 2008, Lucchino delivered the Boston University Commencement address and was awarded an honorary degree from BU.

 

Amrita Kundu (LLM in American Law) delivers LLM student address

“The LLM Class of 2017 is comprised of students from all around the world, and I’m proud to say that we now know a global network of lawyers. But most importantly, a global network of friends—one big family.”

 

Sean McCauley delivers JD student address

“As lawyers, our underlying principle is that nothing is as good as it could be. We can only advance our clients’ interests by improving upon what many would see as un-improvable. Ourselves included. As soon as we become comfortable, we demand change.”

 

Awards & Prizes

BU Law is pleased to announce that Clinical Associate Professor of Law Naomi Mann has been awarded this year’s Metcalf Cup and Prize, the highest teaching honor bestowed by the University, and Philip S. Beck Professor of Law Gary Lawson has received a Metcalf Award in recognition of his excellence in teaching. 

BU President Robert A. Brown announced the winners at the Class of 2017 Senior Breakfast. Sophie Godley (SPH’17), a School of Public Health clinical assistant professor of community health sciences, was also named a  Metcalf Award winner this year. The three faculty members were honored at the University-wide Commencement ceremony.

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Sebastian Horsten Prize for Academic Achievement, to the LLM in American Law student who has achieved the highest cumulative average in the Class of 2017: Ken Lee Jun Jie

American Law Outstanding Achievement Award, for excellence in academic achievement, honorable conduct, and contributions to the class: Li Ma

Graduate Tax Program Academic Achievement Award, for the highest cumulative average in the Class of 2017: Jared Andrew Yepsen

Ernest M. Haddad Award, to the graduating Graduate Tax Program student who best exhibits overall ability, taking into consideration academic achievement, character, and potential to serve the public interest: Aiyao Zhou

A. John Serino Outstanding Graduate Banking & Financial Law Student Prize, for overall performance, in terms of academic achievement and dedication to the highest standards of scholarship and service: Tatiana Sponchiado Iusim

Dennis S. Aronowitz Award for Academic Excellence in Banking & Financial Law, for the highest cumulative average in the Class of 2017: Johannes Keiser

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Faculty Award for Academic Accomplishment, for the most scholarly progress in the third year: Armineh Peshkam

William L. and Lillian Berger Achievement Prizes, for exemplary scholastic achievement: Ashley E. Novak and James H. Rickard

Faculty Awards for Community Service, for exceptional dedication to the ideals of community service: Katrina R. Myers and Masha Zilberman

Peter Bennett Prize, to the graduating third-year JD law student(s) receiving the highest grade point average for that year: Beatrice R. Maidman and James H. Rickard

Spencer R. Koch Memorial Awards, for outstanding contributions to achieving the goals of the Esdaile Alumni Center through alumni outreach: Sean P. McCauley and Evelyn Limón

Honorable Albert P. Pettoruto Memorial Award, for excellence in the field of probate or family law: Kimberly M. Larie

Melville M. Bigelow Scholarship Awards, to members of the graduating class who show the greatest promise as scholars and teachers in law: Misha M. Patel and Benjamin E. Niehaus

Warren S. Gilford Humanity and Law Prizes, to students who shows humanitarian interest in law, primarily by taking jobs in the public sector after graduation: Hilary C. Chadwick and Mireya Tinoco

Alumni Academic Achievement Award, for the highest cumulative average in the three-year program of law study: Jonathan Francis Ondrejko

Sylvia Beinecke Robinson Awards, for significant contributions to the life of the School of Law: Katherine Mooney Fahey and Malavika Francesca Lobo

Dr. John Ordronaux Prize, awarded to a member of the graduating class for the most exemplary academic performance and leadership: Brendan R. Blake

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Michael Melton Award for Excellence in Teaching is named for a longtime faculty member who taught in the tax area and was director of the Graduate Tax Program, who died in 1999 at 53: David Webber

Part-Time Faculty Teaching Award, in recognition of the outstanding teaching of BU Law’s part time-faculty: Ilana Hurwitz