The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law celebrated its 135th Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 17. The Class of 2024, along with faculty, staff, friends, and family, gathered in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to mark the graduates’ milestone of completing their professional legal studies with Catholic Law.
Katherine Gamelin Crowley, associate dean for administration and chief of staff, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome, inviting Professor Emeritus Rev. Raymond C. O’Brien forward for the official invocation, which was followed by Dean Stephen C. Payne’s opening remarks. Dean Payne expressed pride in the graduates’ achievements, highlighting the collective milestones over their time at Catholic Law. These included the formation of new centers, the creation of student groups, and a collaborative effort among the entire community to nurture each student’s "whole person” to develop fully integrated lawyers whose emotions, will, and intellect harmoniously work together to serve clients, as well as neighbors and the graduates themselves. Reflecting on the Class of 2024’s journey through law school, Dean Payne shared how much the graduates had inspired him with their unique civility, resilience, energy, thoughtfulness, excitement, and optimism, noting that it would lead them to “find peace and happiness in your new profession and spread goodness abroad as both lawyers and people."
Casey Magersupp ‘24, selected by her peers to speak on behalf of the graduating class, began her address by acknowledging Professor Antonio Perez as Marshal, thanking him for his impact in the classroom. Reflecting on the Class of 2024’s law school journey she noted, “This mosaic of experiences, growth, friendships, and connections have blessed my life in ways I never could have imagined. No matter where we go from here, these years spent together have been a defining chapter in all of our lives. So, as we all go forward to whatever comes next, I wish you the confidence of a seasoned litigator but the humility of a first-year law student. Remembering behind every lawyer is a law student who questioned if they could do it at all.”
The 2024 commencement speaker, Stephen M. Rasche, J.D., was then honored by the University with the Presidential Medal, with Dean Payne providing an introduction of Rasche’s career as an international authority on the displacement and persecution of religious minorities, a founding member of Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq, and author of the critically acclaimed book, The Disappearing People: The Tragic Fate of Christians in the Middle East.
In his commencement address, Rasche urged the graduates to remember there are “so many paths to take [...] to leverage this one life you have, to do the one thing that we are all ultimately called to do: that is, to serve.” He then reflected on the arc of his life and career that led him from practice in international project development to Iraq in the middle of a war to help a beleaguered Archbishop build a university from nothing, figuring out how to apply the many skills he had gained from his legal training to help take care of nearly 200,000 displaced human beings. In looking back on his work to protect the lives of those impacted by war and genocide, Rasche pointed to the “many fingerprints on all this work,” noting that “I can honestly say, and say it here, in this place, that down deep in those critical years, quite in the middle of it all, are the fingerprints of a lawyer, using all of his skills, however imperfectly, praying daily to God for guidance, so that he could use those skills in service for the good.”
Following Rasche’s address, Dean Payne presented the Class of 2024 to University President, Peter Kilpatrick, for the Conferral of Degrees. As Class Marshal, Professor Perez called the names of the graduates as they came forward to be hooded by Senior Assistant Dean for Academic Services and Registrar, Stuart Schept and to receive their diplomas from Dean Payne. Major award recipients were also recognized, with each award presented to students in both the day and evening divisions: for the John L. Garvey Faculty Award for students with the highest academic average, Alexandra Heyl (Day), and Jocelyn Near (Evening); for the Michael F. Curtin Pro Bono Award, Taylor Skala (Day) and Herman Pablo (Evening); and for the Alumni Association Award for academic excellence and service to the law school community, Hope Gouterman (Day) and Whitlee Dean (Evening).
As the ceremony drew to a close, President Kilpatrick addressed the graduates, emphasizing the essential qualities he’s come to recognize in a good lawyer: excellent judgement, a passion for justice, empathy in serving others, and an understanding of what is good, true, and beautiful. With a benediction from Rev. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., University Chaplain, Director of Campus Ministry and Vice President for Ministry and Mission, and final congratulations from Dean Crowley, the 135th Commencement Exercises concluded.
Photos from the day can be seen on Catholic Law's Instagram account and Facebook.
You can view a recording of the Commencement ceremony below.