Retired United States Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens will speak at the UCLA School of Law commencement ceremony in May.
Associate Justice Stevens was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975 by President Gerald Ford and served until his retirement in 2010. He was the third-longest serving justice in history.
“It’s just a huge honor to have a former jurist of that caliber speaking for one of the biggest moments of our lives,” said graduating law student Jenn Bracht. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
The only other time that the UCLA School of Law has had a justice of the United States Supreme Court serve as the commencement speaker was in 1989, when Associate Justice Harry Blackmun spoke to the graduates, said Elizabeth Cheadle, dean of students at the UCLA School of Law.
Associate Justice Stevens has a personal connection to the graduating class as his step-granddaughter is a graduating law student, Cheadle said.
Cheadle added that this year the law school will host three different justices in one school year for the first time. In December, retired Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor visited and in January, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited as well.
The law school did not ask Associate Justice Stevens to speak on a specific topic, Cheadle said.
The UCLA School of Law commencement, which will be open to the public, will take place on May 16 at 3:30 p.m. in Perloff Quad, according to a UCLA statement.
Compiled by John Peter Cavender, Bruin contributor.