Northwestern Pritzker Law Celebrates Class of 2024 at Convocation Ceremony

On Friday, May 10, 624 graduates from 27 places around the world joined faculty, family, and friends for the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s 2024 convocation ceremony at the Chicago Theatre.

Presiding over the ceremony, Dean Hari Osofsky welcomed the graduates to the Northwestern Pritzker Law alumni community. “Today, we are honoring and celebrating an extraordinary achievement–our graduates’ successful completion of a rigorous legal education program,” she said. “The Class of 2024 has shown resiliency, support for one another, and leadership that has made such a difference. We are so proud of you, and it is with great pleasure that we celebrate and recognize our amazing graduates.”

Judge Jeffrey Cummings (JD ’87), United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, delivered the keynote address. He previously served as a Magistrate Judge from February 2019 to October 2023. Earlier in his career Judge Cummings was a litigation associate and partner at the law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland, where he specialized in the representation of plaintiffs in cases involving employment discrimination, whistleblower protection, civil rights, and voting rights. He has been a frequent speaker on voting rights and other civil rights issues before attorneys, bar associations, community groups, and students at universities and law schools. He also served as a Hearing Officer for the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations and the City’s Police Board.    

“One of the most important things I do as a judge is to listen,” said Cummings. “Listening will be incredibly important to you too. Listen to your heart…listen to your inner voice. The practice of law has much more in common with art than with science. The best attorneys are able to adapt and improvise when circumstances call for it. You all have excellent brains…if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be sitting here today. Don’t be afraid when your inner voice tells you to shake it up and do something a little different.”

In addition to Cummings, student speakers Raúl Archundia Pavón (LLM ’24), Berto Aguayo (JD ’24), and Cameron Andrew Brown (MSL ’24) addressed their fellow graduates. Dean Osofsky concluded the ceremony with the presentation of the Class of 2024.

Last Lecture

On Wednesday, May 8, the Law School hosted the Class of 2024 Awards Ceremony and Last Lecture. During the ceremony, faculty and student awards were presented. Jason DeSanto, Senior Lecturer, delivered the last lecture of the school year. Members of the Graduation Committee presented the following teaching awards to:

Outstanding Adjunct Professor

Michael Y. Scudder, Adjunct Professor of Law

Outstanding First-Year Course Professor

Emily Kadens, Professor of Law, Vice Dean

Outstanding Professor of a Small Class

Deborah Tuerkheimer, Professor of Law 

Robert R. Wootton award for teaching Excellence in the LLM Tax Program 

Rebecca Rosenberg, Professor of Practice

MSL Outstanding Residential Professor

Jeffrey Shealy Carter-Johnson, Senior Lecturer

MSL Outstanding Online Professor

Janice Nadler, Professor of Law

Robert Childres Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence

Wendy Muchman, Professor of Practice

The student awards were presented to:

Courage Award

Yasmeen Elagha

Global Legal Profession Award

Ricardo Martinez Gonzalez

Leadership Award

Ariel Dickerman Whitmore

Legal Profession Award

Anne Serine Gottschalk

Leigh B. Bienen Prize

Annaliese Brellis

Lowden-Wigmore Prizes 

• Chelsea Hanna Blake, Northwestern Law Journal des Refusés 
• Joshua Bernard Concannon, Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property
• Elijah Nathan Gelman, Northwestern University Law Review
• Yuree Nam, Journal of Law and Social Policy
• Lisabelle Anahid Panossian, Journal of Human Rights
• Christopher Reagen Rodenbaugh, Journal of International Law and Business
• Carl Salvatore Stier, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (*second place contribution to JCLC)

MSL Residential Student Award

Jincheng Song

MSL Online Student Award

Christine Marie Mayer

Service Award

Zeinab Bakhiet

Victor Rosenblum Award

Catalina Saravia

Wigmore Key

Katelyn Elizabeth Richerson

Watch the full Convocation ceremony here.