The Institutes and Special Programs Certificate Ceremony, held as always a day in advance of the general law school commencement, invited graduates of the four certificate-issuing Institutes, as well as their families and loved ones, to bask in their achievement.
The certificate is acknowledgment of the commitment students have demonstrated in acquiring expertise and developing skills through advanced course work, externships, and research and writing. The certificate concentration areas are communications law, comparative and international law, law and public policy, and securities law. These are among the most dynamic practice areas today, and our students are well positioned to launch into stimulating and rewarding careers.
The Institutes and Special Programs offer students an atmosphere to grow as scholars while gaining practical training. Throughout the academic year the Institutes and Special Programs sponsor lectures, symposia, conferences and networking events designed to bring relevant legal issues to the forefront. Frequently, program speakers are drawn from our prominent alumni who are happy to give back to their law school.
The distribution of certificates began with Professor Donna C. Gregg, who focused on the achievements of the graduates of the Institute for Communications Law Studies. As though gazing into a crystal ball, Professor Gregg forecast the graduates' future careers, as she envisioned them assuming leadership roles in industry trade associations, on Capitol Hill forming public policy, in law firms specializing in communications, and in the business and corporate arena. Professor Gregg has served as director of the Communications Law Institute since 2011, and she will be handing over the program to newly appointed Co-Directors Megan M. La Belle, associate professor of law, and Elizabeth I. Winston, associate professor of law.
Professor Rett R. Ludwikowski, founder and director of the Comparative and International Law Institute, expressed his pride and noted that many of the certificate awardees participated also in the law school's summer abroad programs in Cracow and Rome. After thirty years as director of the Comparative and International Law Institute, Professor Ludwikowski will be passing the directorship of the program to Professor Geoffrey Watson. Professor Ludwikowski will continue to teach and direct the International Business and Trade Summer Law Program in Cracow, Poland.
Graduates of the Law and Public Policy Program must complete major papers as a requirement for graduation. Professor Roger Colinvaux, director of the Law and Public Policy Program, commented on the innovation and excellence of students' public policy service projects. The students' advocacy efforts focused on a broad spectrum of issues including education, mental health care, voter registration, and affordable housing in Washington, D.C.
Professor David A. Lipton, director of the Securities Law Program, remarked on the marketability of the securities certificate. Professor Lipton advised the graduates, "be passionate for securities law, passionate for your families and passionate for your communities."
Following the certificate ceremony, the graduates and their families celebrated with a reception in the Law School atrium. Photos from the ceremony can be found on the CUA Law Facebook page.
Institute for Communications Law Studies
Timothy Alling Doughty
William Joseph Durdach III
Meghan K. Lanigan
Lauren C. McCarty
Ashley Nicole Morse
Law and Public Policy Program
Michael Bzozowski Jr.
Brittani N. Everson-Riley
Megan E. Gibson
Victoria Patricia Dali Hernandez
Christiana Trieste Lockwood
Maura Flaherty McCoy
Comparative and International Law Institute
Justin Khalid Abodalo
Rebeka Nattaly Bautista
Michael Bzozowski Jr.
Joseph Frank Davis
Tarunpal Kaur Dhillon
Lawrence Cenk Laws
Ana Victoria Pérez Naranjo
Lourdes Elena South
Steven Arden Widmann
Angelica Diana Zolnierowicz
Securities Law Program
Christopher Michael Dagley
Alicia Mechelle Marable
Dana J. Maykish
Kramer Benton Ortman