Minnesota Law Holds Its First-Ever Virtual Commencement
On Saturday, May 16, the Law School held its first-ever virtual commencement ceremony. A video program that lasted approximately a half hour celebrated the class of 2020, which includes: 204 J.D. graduates, 49 LL.M. graduates, and 10 M.S.P.L. graduates.
A traditional commencement event at Northrop was not possible this year in light of COVID-19-related restrictions on public gatherings. However, in addition to Saturday's virtual event, the Law School plans to hold an in-person event to honor 2020 graduates in spring 2021.
"While this is not our usual commencement, it is an occasion to celebrate all of you, our students, along with friends and family," said Dean Garry W. Jenkins, William S. Pattee Professor of Law in his welcome remarks. "I cannot fully express how deeply we have felt your absence in these last few weeks. But today I can attest to how proud we are to see all of you cross the finish line."
The 2020 recipients of Stanley V. Kinyon Teaching Awards are: Professor Alexandra Klass (tenured faculty), Professor Jean Sanderson (clinical faculty), and Professor Andrew Leiendecker ’17 (adjunct faculty).
The following student awards were announced at the ceremony:
- William B. Lockhart Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership, and Service: Jacki Fielding
- Excellence in Public Service: Emily Franco and Kimberly Medina
- Most Outstanding Contribution Award: Emily Franco and Connor Riley Shaull
To see the full program booklet and other commencement materials, visit our Commencement website. The site also features congratulatory messages from alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as other celebratory content for grads, friends, families, and supporters.
