Under sunny skies, Stanford Law School held its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025 on June 14. The event took place in front of Canfield Courtyard and featured speeches from students and faculty, emphasizing themes of community and shared effort.
Dean George Triantis welcomed attendees, highlighting the support graduates received from family, friends, professors, and staff. “Your love, encouragement, and support have been key to bringing them to this moment,” he said. He also addressed the challenges facing the legal profession today and encouraged graduates to continue learning with openness to new ideas.
The graduating class included 268 students: 188 JDs, 71 LLMs, 7 JSMs, 1 JSD, and 1 MLS. Two students were selected to speak at the ceremony: Yen San Leung from Malaysia and Carson Olivia James Smith. Leung spoke about diversity among advanced-degree students while Smith emphasized collective efforts behind each law degree.
JD Class President Jarrett Prchal and Advanced Degree Class President Cynthia Jade Makory presented awards during the ceremony. Pamela Karlan received the John Bingham Hurlbut Award for Excellence in Teaching. In her speech, Karlan called for moral clarity and urged graduates to resist conformity.
Helen Gettinger was honored with the Staff Appreciation Award for her role in fostering connections within the law school community. Amanpreet Singh received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service to Stanford Law School for their contributions to legal education and student life.
The ceremony concluded with a message of gratitude as Karlan gifted each graduate a postcard and pen to thank someone who had inspired them along their journey.
