In his first Commencement Day address as the permanent dean of Harvard Law School, Morgan and Helen Chu Dean John C.P. Goldberg celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 while calling graduates to defend democracy and the rule of law in the midst of global uncertainty.
Goldberg began by congratulating graduates on their many achievements and reminding them that, although the ceremony marks the end of their time as students, it also signals a new beginning for their professional careers and civic responsibilities. He also acknowledged the contributions of families and friends who have supported the graduates throughout the course of their academic studies.
“No one makes it up on this stage by themselves,” Goldberg said, highlighting the sacrifices and encouragement of the graduates’ loved ones. Quoting a graduating student who appeared in the video that preceded his remarks, the dean added: “It’s not just me who’s getting the degree. I think it’s all of us. My whole family is graduating from Harvard today.”
He also thanked staff members for their contributions to the event and praised the school’s professors, instructors, and lecturers for their “devotion to our students and their commitment to the pursuit of knowledge.”
Goldberg gave a shout out to the school’s robust international community.
“It is now on you, as it is on everyone here today, to find ways to work together to better realize our nation’s — and this law school’s — founding commitment: the pursuit of truth in the service of liberty, equality, and justice.”
“Harvard Law School would not be Harvard Law School without you,” he said. “We are so grateful that you are here, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Harvard remains open to and welcoming of students and researchers from around the world.”
Noting that he and this year’s J.D. class began their journeys together — students entering as 1Ls, and Goldberg as “1D” — during a particularly turbulent period. He then praised all graduates for “respond[ing] brilliantly, by building bridges across divides, by engaging with one another, and by finding within yourselves and each other the shared humanity that underlies our differences.”
This disposition, he added, is what makes great lawyers: professionals who “listen carefully and openly and push each other to achieve outcomes that are good for their clients and, if all goes well, good for the wider world.”
He then reminded the audience that effective lawyering often relies on the ability to forge interpersonal relationships built on trust and striving for compromise.
“Most legal work, as you know, happens across bargaining tables and in conference calls, in helping clients obtain benefits, in drafting new policies and regulations, or in striking deals that foster innovation and new opportunities,” he observed. In an era of political division, technological disruption, and eroding public trust, Goldberg said, the need for lawyers trained in negotiation and settlement is particularly important.
“If there were ever a moment that needs you, Harvard-educated lawyers, trained to solve problems within a framework of rules and procedures — this is it,” he said.
Goldberg also linked this year’s commencement to “the anniversary of a major historical event” — the 25th anniversary of the movie “Legally Blonde.” He joked about the movie’s lack of realism, noting that it shows the main character, Elle Woods, delivering the dean’s commencement address in under a minute — a notion he called “Ridiculous!”
Nevertheless, Goldberg acknowledged the film’s surprisingly valuable core message of “stay strong, believe in yourself, and take chances.” The character’s persistence, he noted, mirrors the real-world resilience, talent, and self-belief that has carried the Class of 2026 to graduation and will guide them in the years ahead.
“Graduates, you are about to join a long line of Harvard lawyers and leaders. I know that you will add to their legacies in ways we cannot yet imagine.”
Goldberg then pivoted from pop culture history to American history by noting the graduates are entering the profession at the anniversary of a much more impactful moment —the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Calling the Declaration “both inspired and compromised,” Goldberg praised its powerful vision of a government of laws — not individuals — and citizens’ unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“In many ways, we the people have advanced this vision,” he added. “Yet the document itself, and generations living under it, have also fallen short, sometimes dreadfully so.”
By invoking this history, Goldberg said he wanted to remind graduates that the U.S. has repeatedly faced “periods of instability and uncertainty — sometimes great instability and uncertainty,” and yet “has overcome intense partisan disagreement, beat the odds, and made progress in ways that confounded doubters and skeptics — often, by the way, with the help of Harvard graduates.”
The dean urged the Class of 2026 to help reinforce the institutions and norms that are vital to upholding the rule of law, and a free, democratic, and fair society.
“Graduates, each of you leaves this place equipped with an impeccable credential and an extraordinary training that will enable you to make a difference for individuals, businesses, non-profits, communities, governments, and an array of causes, whether on the local, national, or international stage,” he said. “It is now on you, as it is on everyone here today, to find ways to work together to better realize our nation’s — and this law school’s — founding commitment: the pursuit of truth in the service of liberty, equality, and justice.”
Acknowledging that this work will involve “small steps forward and a few steps back,” Goldberg expressed confidence in the graduates’ ability to rise to the occasion.
“For all the complexities of the occasion, July 4th, 2026, will be — as it should be — a day of celebration; of picnics and fireworks,” he concluded. “Here at Harvard, May 28th, 2026, is unequivocally a day for us to celebrate with — as John Adams said — ‘pomp and parade.’ Graduates, you are about to join a long line of Harvard lawyers and leaders. I know that you will add to their legacies in ways we cannot yet imagine.”
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