By Logan Tennerelli, Dean of Students
The Class of 2024 was cheered by a crowd of over 1,000 family members and friends as the graduates basked in the spotlight at the Saroyan Theatre in June.
SJCL’s 51st commencement included the heartwarming moments of triumph, inspiration, and gratitude we’ve come to cherish throughout the law school’s history.
Highlights included Dean Atkinson reading the graduates’ biographies in five languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Punjabi, and Swahili! Many graduates also showed pride in their cultures, identities, and membership in student organizations by donning personalized stoles. One graduate, Jose Ireta, displayed the flag of Mexico as his bio concluded with, “Viva la Mexico!” Members from the SJCL Alumni Association welcomed the graduates to their fold with a gift for each. Dean Tennerelli hooded the graduates, with the exception of Michael Prentice, who was hooded by his father David, a founding partner of Prentice Long, PC.
The graduating class selected a longtime faculty member, the Honorable Jonathan B. Conklin, to deliver the keynote speech. He received what he called “the best Father’s Day gift” – a surprise introduction by his son Jason, who is a prosecutor at the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Conklin gave the graduates advice from his nearly 20 years on the bench: show up early because on-time is late, play nice, avoid ad hominem attacks, and uphold the integrity of the profession.
Valedictorian Ann-Marie Padilla not only graduated with high honors, but also earned the Leon S. Peters Foundation Leadership Award, the Alumni Association Spirit of SJCL Award, and an Individual Merit Award for Oral Argument at the 54th Annual Traynor California Appellate Moot Court Competition. Addressing their fellow graduates, Ann-Marie spoke to that universal moment in a law student’s journey when 1Ls ask themselves: Just what have I gotten myself into?!? “It wasn’t until my 2L year that I finally began to trust myself,” Ann-Marie admitted. Ann-Marie, who has accepted a post-bar clerkship at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California with the Honorable Erica P. Grosjean, emphasized the importance of using a Juris Doctor degree to create a more just and tolerant society. Concluding, Ann-Marie remarked, “My hope for the future is this: Decades from now, we can come back together, reflect on the journey, and say as I do to everyone now – my friends, just look at exactly what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”