‘Your class is extraordinary’

In his Commencement address to the Class of 2024 on Thursday, Harvard Law School Interim Dean John C.P. Goldberg shared his gratitude for all that the 804 graduating J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. students had achieved so far – and implored them to continue to use their talents to foster a brighter future.

“I will watch with pride as you take your place among the next generation of Harvard lawyers and leaders, and as you help make our world more compassionate, more just, and more united,” said Goldberg, who delivered his remarks indoors due to severe weather in and around campus.

Before beginning, Goldberg paused to acknowledge the contributions of the innumerable family members, friends, and loved ones who were present to cheer the students on in person and on the livestream. “It is only with their support that our graduates have made this long journey,” he said.

He then turned to the graduates, starting with the members of the centennial LL.M. cohort, whom he praised for their prolific scholarship, leadership, and community-building. Goldberg also congratulated the 11 S.J.D. recipients – most of whom will go on to tenure-track teaching positions, public interest careers, or further graduate studies, he said.

“Our community, our nation, and our world must find paths for understanding and ways of disagreeing that are tolerant, that are bounded by respect, and that are constructive. For that to happen, we need great lawyers. For that to happen, we need you.”

According to Goldberg, the J.D. Class of 2024 completed a record-breaking 393,490 hours of pro bono service in student practice organizations, clinics, summer public interest jobs, spring break pro bono trips, and volunteer roles. “My hat is (figuratively) off to you for how public spirited you have been,” he said.

“Your class is extraordinary in other ways, too,” Goldberg continued, pointing out that the Class of 2024 hailed from nearly every U.S. state and territory and almost 20 locations abroad, and comprised a historic number of people of color and women. The cohort was also the first back on campus after the coronavirus pandemic, he said, jokingly asking the graduates if they remembered the “quick sip rule” – whereby students were allowed to remove their protective face coverings only to momentarily quench their thirst.

“Through it all, you kept moving forward. You showed up, and you worked hard, individually and together,” he said. “You thrived despite, and in part because of, these challenges.”

As the talented students prepared to walk across the Commencement stage and receive their diplomas, Goldberg said that it was important to “reflect on all that has happened, and what comes next.”

Consider how differently you look at the world today than you once did, Goldberg said. “Each of you has learned a powerful way of understanding, navigating, and re-ordering the world: this thing called ‘law.’”

The law is complex and nuanced – promoting stability, but also empowering change, he added.

“What lawyers know, what you know, is that making progress on complex problems, or achieving important goals, involves more than slogans or social media snark. Real life is too complicated for that,” Goldberg said. “What lawyers know, what you know, is that to win a case, to complete a deal, to create and run a business or a non-profit, to effect meaningful social change, requires a suite of skills and methods.”

These skills include the ability to break down problems into their component parts, to empathize with clients and those on the other side, and to identify worthy and realistic goals to pursue, Goldberg said.

“Each of you has the drive, the intelligence, and now, the knowledge and the know-how to be this special kind of person,” he said. “To thrive together, we must find ways to strengthen our bonds, to overcome the mistrust and fear that too often divide us, and to work together to achieve a more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just world.”

Goldberg concluded by reiterating the need to listen to one another and work together to find solutions to problems large and small.

“Our community, our nation, and our world must find paths for understanding and ways of disagreeing that are tolerant, that are bounded by respect, and that are constructive,” he said. “For that to happen, we need great lawyers. For that to happen, we need you.”

Celebrating the Class of 2024!