Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thu, 14 May 2009
On Saturday, May 9, Liberty University School of Law commissioned the third graduating class since its inception in 2004, marking the achievement of graduates earning the degree of Juris Doctor.
Faculty, staff, and invited guests packed the Towns Alumni Lecture Hall at the Liberty University School of Religion as the graduates were recognized for their accomplishment during the third School of Law Hooding Ceremony. The hooding of graduates is a significant event as it highlights the achievement of students who have attained academic degrees higher than the bachelor’s degree.
Mathew Staver, Dean and Professor of Law, opened the ceremony giving thanks to the Lord and offered a brief decree to the graduates: “We celebrate and honor your accomplishments and we rejoice in advance of your future achievements. We symbolically confer the Juris Doctorate degree upon you. No longer will you make arguments for a grade. Your arguments and statements will now affect real people and real issues. Your writings will have ripple effects around the world. You have been trained well and you have climbed the mountain. You are armed with the law and propelled by the love of Christ.”
Featured speakers during the 2009 School of Law Hooding Ceremony included 2008-2009 Student Bar Association (SBA) President Brendan McIntyre, Spirit of Liberty award winner William Michael Kilgore, and summa cum laude graduate Charis Ann Mitchell.
Speaking to the Class of 2009, Mitchell said: “This ceremony is the culmination of three years of hard work. With reflection on the past, we press onward to the future. In exchange for our hard work we are instilled with the gift of power—translating to authority—whether over an estate plan, a defense case, or the Supreme Court. This is a great responsibility. This is the time for the Class of 2009 to make a difference in a world clouded by relativism. This world will not welcome the change we want to bring but we come forward now armed with power and the knowledge to bring the light and truth. This is our calling. We follow His truth. We carry the name of the School of Law.”
By graduating the Class of 2009, the School of Law achieves another milestone as it continues the vision of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Founder of Liberty University, to produce champions for Christ trained to use law as a fulcrum for good.