Northwestern Pritzker Law Celebrates Class of 2025 at Convocation Ceremony

On Friday, May 16, 608 graduates from 36 places around the world joined faculty, family, and friends for the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s 2025 convocation ceremony at the Chicago Theatre.

Presiding over the ceremony, Dean Hari Osofsky welcomed the graduates to the Northwestern Pritzker Law alumni community. “We have a responsibility as a Law School and lawyers to support the rule of law, our legal system, and legal education,” she said. “We take that responsibility seriously at Northwestern Pritzker Law.”

Judge Michael Scudder (JD ’98), Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, delivered the keynote address. He joined the court in May 2018, following a confirmation vote of 90-0 in the Senate. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, counselor to the Deputy Attorney General on a national security team at the Department of Justice, and in the White House as counsel to President George W. Bush and General Counsel of the National Security Council. From 2009 until his confirmation to the court of appeals in 2018, Judge Scudder was a partner in the Chicago office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he practiced complex civil litigation and white-collar defense. While at the firm, Judge Scudder had an extensive pro bono caseload and was recognized for his pro bono work by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Since 2009, Judge Scudder has served as an adjunct professor at the Law School, where he teaches a course on Advanced Federal Jurisdiction.

“The biggest mistake you could make today is to celebrate your graduation as though it marks the end of your legal education,” said Scudder. “Celebrate, yes, but think of today as marking not only accomplishment, but also the beginning of a new commitment to lifelong learning. Hold on to [your] passion, curiosity, and engagement. Just as I hope you all remain life-long students of law, I hope just as dearly that you all remain committed to achieving a more perfect vision of what that law can become.”

In addition to Scudder, student speakers Moon Hwan Lee (LLM ‘25), Kana Turley (JD ’25), and Diane Ngyen (MSL ’25) addressed their fellow graduates. Dean Osofsky concluded the ceremony with the presentation of the Class of 2025. “As you take your next steps forward, we are all so proud of you and excited for you,” she said. “Congratulations again to our Class of 2025 and our loved ones.”

Last Lecture

On Wednesday, May 14, the Law School hosted the Class of 2025 Awards Ceremony and Last Lecture. During the ceremony, faculty and student awards were presented. Wendy Muchman, Professor of Practice, 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

Michael Barsa, Professor of Practice, Co-Director, Environmental Law Concentration

Outstanding Professor of a Small Class

Jason DeSanto, Senior Lecturer

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

Genevieve Tokic, Senior Lecturer, Associate Director, Tax Program

MSL Outstanding Residential Professor

J. Scott McBride, Adjunct Professor

MSL Outstanding Online Professor

Sarah Lawsky, Professor of Law

Robert Childres Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence

Cliff Zimmerman, Professor of Practice

The student awards were presented to:

Courage Award

Asiyah Wasif

Global Legal Profession Award

Jingyi Lei

Leadership Award

Gunhee Park

Legal Profession Award

Taylor Semakula

Leigh B. Bienen Prize

Nicholas Elliot-Smith

Lowden-Wigmore Prizes 

• Asiyah Wasif, Northwestern Law Journal des Refusés 
• Matt Green, Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property
• Rowan Aragon, Northwestern University Law Review
• Matthew Johnson, Journal of Law and Social Policy
• Victoria Xuan Wang, Journal of Human Rights
• Serena Chu Lightstone, Journal of International Law and Business
• CJ Miller, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (*second place contribution to JCLC)

MSL Residential Student Award

Chinmeri S. Nwuba

MSL Online Student Award

Kristen A. Weivoda

Service Award

Moon Hwan Lee

Victor Rosenblum Award

Kaori Kawaguchi

Wigmore Key

Adrienne Margaret Redman