Commencement 2022

“Discomfort is not the enemy. Discomfort is the spur towards change. Discomfort is the push towards greatness,” said Hon. Loretta E. Lynch ’84, the 83rd Attorney General of the United States, during her remarks at Harvard Law School’s Class Day celebration Wednesday.

Harvard Law School Dean John F. Manning ’85 urged the 833 graduating J.D., LL.M, and S.J.D. students gathered on Holmes field Thursday to use their power as Harvard lawyers “to make our world better, more compassionate, more equal, more just, more ethical, and more united.”

The Class of 2022 made Professor Jon Hanson a four-time winner of the Sacks-Freund Award for Teaching Excellence at Class Day. The award recognizes teaching ability, attentiveness to student concerns and general contributions to student life.

Kristi Jobson ’12, the assistant dean for admissions and chief admissions officer, received the Suzanne L. Richardson Staff Appreciation Award during Harvard Law School’s Class Day ceremony on May 25.

Read more: Harvard Law School celebrates the Class of 2022 View full gallery (23 images)…

Each year, a selection of Harvard Law students from the graduating class are recognized for their outstanding leadership, citizenship, compassion, and dedication to their studies and the profession.

Several student award recipients were recognized at the 2022 Class Day ceremony on Holmes Field. The Dean’s Awards for Community Leadership recognize a number of…

Emily Chazen and Ivanka Canzius are this year's recipients of the Westfall Memorial Award, presented annually to recognize student contributions to creating community within a first-year section and the wider class.

Henry Beshar ’22 and Stacey Menjivar ’22 are the recipients of the 2022 Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Awards. The awards are presented annually to students…

Cara Mund ’22 is the winner of the second annual Kristin P. Muniz Memorial Award. Mund is recognized for her commitment to justice, her advocacy, compassion for her clients, and stellar representation of each of those clients.

Kareem Carryl is this year’s recipient of the Frank Righeimer Jr. Prize. Described as a “devoted champion of students’ interests,” Carryl is being recognized for…

. Butterworth is honored for her zealous advocacy for housing justice as a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB), the Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP), and Project No One Leaves (PNOL).

A look at HLS Commencements from the 1950s to 2020s View full gallery (55 images)…

Harvard Law students bring unique experiences to law school and all have tailored their academic careers to explore their individual interests, while contributing to the greater community in a myriad of ways.

This year, Brianna Banks was named the 2022 winner of the William J. Stuntz Memorial Award for Justice, Human Dignity, and Compassion, which recognizes a graduating student who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the principles of justice, human dignity, and compassion while at Harvard Law School.

She is celebrated for her outstanding contributions to the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, in both the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic (HIRC) and the Harvard Law Immigration Project (HIP).

Anoush Baghdassarian ’22 is the recipient of the 2022 Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award.

If life itself is our greatest teacher, then a student who can apply lived experience to classroom learning has the benefit of a superior education.