Dear (soon-to-be) graduates:

Congratulations to each of you and your classmates!

The journey through law school is a long one with much hard work. It is meant to be a challenge, and it has been. This semester’s ending has added an unanticipated layer of difficulty and sadness as it means we are not together right now to celebrate your graduation, or even your last day of classes. This unprecedented pandemic has turned the world on its head, but it should not take away from recognizing your years of tireless effort, all you have accomplished during that time, and all you will go on to be. We are very proud of you.

Though you face uncertainty in the months to come, your dedication to doing your best, your work ethic, and your compassion will carry you through the bar and onto great professional accomplishments. We believe in you.

We look forwarding to celebrating with you virtually on May 22. We also look forward to the day when we can celebrate your accomplishments again in person with you and your loved ones. We will be there.

Congratulations Class of 2020!

We applaud you!
The Faculty and Staff of Scalia Law

Please Leave a Message for the Graduates

69 replies on “Congratulations Class of 2020! An Extraordinary Class in Extraordinary Times”

  1. Jackie,
    The journey was long but you persevered. We couldn’t be more proud of you and we love you very much! Congratulations on this monumental accomplishment and good luck in your future endeavors!!!
    Love,
    DaJuan, Jannette and Kids

  2. Congratulations Alicia Meads, the very first graduate of our Juris Master Degree Program! I could not ask for a better representative of our new program. I am so proud of you, and can’t wait to see what you do next with your degree.

    Best,
    Jessica

  3. To Hannah Bell, congrats graduate! All your hard work has paid off. Love you.

  4. To Jacquelyn Branscomb and the rest of the 2020 graduating class, continue learning and applying the knowledge and skills that you have acquired. Keep inspiring your friends and family that hard work truly pays off. To my Aunt, you really are an inspiration to me. Love your niece, Jessi Gube, nephew-in-law Francis Neumuller and soon to be great nephew, Santino.

  5. Congratulations to the class of 2020! You’ve spent time, energy, effort, and resources to reach your final destination: You may now call me Michelle.

    I have every confidence in you and your skills. I look forward to seeing you as lawyers out in the world.

    Best wishes,
    Michelle

  6. Congratulations, Jacquelyn Branscomb, on your graduation from Law School! You have worked hard and we are very proud of what you have accomplished. Best to you, Dear Cousin, as you begin the next chapter!

  7. To the Scalia Law Class of 2020:

    It has been an amazing run and we are all so proud of the work you have done and the accomplishment that graduation represents! And while we are in unprecedented times, it is in moments like these that the brilliance and quality of character that each of you possesses–and have built upon and refined in your time with us–will come to serve as a key asset.

    As you face the path ahead, be excited, be confident in yourselves, and know that when you take risks, you are likely to succeed and, to the extent you confront any challenges, you will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and accelerate even faster.

    Please come see us and keep us apprised of your next steps – it is a real treat for us to be part of your careers going forward!

    Congratulations once again to the Scalia Law Class of 2020!!!

  8. Mackenzie Payne remember:

    “A jury consists of 12 persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. “ Robert Frost

    Congratulations, continue to reach for your dreams!

  9. Extraordinary Graduates Class 2020 during extraordinary times..take a bow 🙌🏻👍🏻💪🏻👏🏻❤️😊

  10. Cheers to the class of 2020! We all will celebrate your accomplishments. Earning your degree is one remarkable achievement. Congratulations on this success and all that are to come! Best wishes!

  11. Congratulations on your graduation! I wish you success in your future endeavors, and I look forward to seeing you back at the law school as alumni.

  12. Congratulations Class of 2020!
    I’ve enjoyed teaching and getting to know many of you, and continue to be impressed by your intellect, engagement, and perseverance (which has, of course, been showcased in how you have risen to the challenge of completing law school online)! I wish you the best of you the best of luck in all you do going forward, and hope you keep in touch!

  13. Congratulations Keelin Herbst, Emily & Jennie! We are so proud of all of you. Can’t wait to be able to celebrate in person someday soon! Love Jim & AnnMarie Herbst

    1. Congrats grads! You have all set an amazing example for those to follow in class, perseverance, and integrity. I can’t wait to see what each and every one of you do to impact the legal community and the world. All my love.

  14. Congratulations to each of you on completing your degree and successfully navigating such a difficult and challenging final year of law school. And remember, as an alum, you should always feel free to call on the law library staff for assistance. We will be here for you and wish you the very best!

  15. Congrats, Class of 2020! Who knew 19th grade would have such a weird ending? I feel fortunate to have met many of you in LRWA and the reference office, and I hope you’ll reach out to us if there’s anything we can do to help–whether that’s this summer or a decade from now. I salute you at the beginning of a great career and encourage you to celebrate what you’ve accomplished so far.

  16. It is a happy day for any graduate student. The LLM courses for Antitrust and Economics are so inspiring. I have gone through the course with a lot of different sentiments. More than anything else, only joy remains in me. I wish that I could have attended the LLM courses much earlier. I love all the moments of studying no matter up and down. Above all, I wish all students would enjoy the time at your classes. Thank you my classmates, professors for your company and support. Time to move on!! Bravo and congratulations to all of you.

  17. Congratulations! Best wishes for a long and happy career.

  18. Congratulations and best wishes, class of 2020! You have been a pleasure to work with during your time at the law school. We in Career Services hope that we have helped in some small way to launch you out into the world! I know you will accomplish great things in career and life. Keep in touch!

  19. Class of 2020:

    Well, no-one can say you weren’t law students during an…uh…interesting time in our nation’s history. From covfefe to covid, one might say. Trying times to be sure, but you conducted yourselves with diligence and aplomb, enough to give me some hope that despite appearances, there is a future for our country after all. I hope we’ve helped you acquire some of the tools and insights you’ll need to shape that future responsibly, and I wish you all personal success and happiness in whatever form you choose to pursue. Please keep in touch!

  20. Before you leave these portals
    To meet less fortunate mortals
    There’s just one final message
    I would give to you…
    Congratulations on achieving this milestone!
    Congratulations to the Class of 2020!

  21. Hurray! The day you all dreamed of has come! The end of Law School is just the beginning of many illustrious careers. I’m sorry not to be able to put faces to names but thanks to you all for making our son’s education a good one.

  22. The class of 2020 – Oh what a year-
    To all of you, I send a virtual cheer!
    Despite it all, I shout out best wishes.
    But can someone come by and clean all my dishes?
    Congratulations!

  23. Congratulations on the significant accomplishment of graduating from law school. We wish you the very best in your legal career, and please continue to stay involved with the George Mason community!

  24. Congratulations Class of 2020 on your amazing achievement! It’s been a pleasure to get to teach so many of you, and especially to see how you have shown such resilience. Be very proud!

  25. Warmest congratulations to the Class of 2020!! You should be so proud of this amazing accomplishment and the resilience you have shown to make it to this point. Try your best to enjoy this moment! I wish you all the best!

  26. CONGRATULATIONS, Class of 2020! This isn’t what you envisioned the beginning of your legal career to be, I’m sure, but hang in there and still take time to celebrate (for now, physically-distantly!).

    No matter what your grades/ranking, don’t let it define you. Intelligence is not fixed. Adopt a growth mindset, both for yourself and those you lead, and remain lifelong learners. “Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” – Theodore Isaac Rubin

    A special shout out to all of the graduating Journal of Law, Economics and Policy Editors! Way to go Hannah, Emily, Mickey, Dan, Anusha, Sean, and Jake!

    All the best,
    Stephanie

  27. We wish you all the best in these unusual and dangerous times. We wish you well in your passing the bar and in your first endeavors to utilize the education you have participated in at Mason. You have achieved a great deal and you have a very bright future. The world will be better because of you.

  28. Congratulations to the class of 2020! You have been a pleasure getting to know you as we plotted your career goals and plans for the future. You have accomplished so much already and there is certainly much more to come. Best wishes to you all!

  29. Congratulations on your achievements and best wishes for the future! You will be more resilient, adaptable and innovative than any class before you. You have worked hard for this degree and I am confident each of you will use it to make this world a better, more just place. Enjoy your moment and celebrate your success.

  30. Class of 2020,

    You’ve reached this proud milestone during a challenging time. Your hard work and perseverance have paid off; you’ve completed the degree that will launch your future. We are so fortunate to have known you as students, and we will be proud to call you colleagues in the days to come.

    Congratulations on the career and adventure that awaits you!

  31. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! I remember meeting many of you during your first semester of law school and have enjoyed getting to know you. I am so proud of all of you and what you have accomplished over the past 3 or 4 years. I wish you the very best and look forward to seeing you when we can gather together again.

  32. Congratulations to the Class of 2020 and best of luck with your future careers. Your fortitude in dealing with the upheavals of this semester has been inspiring.

  33. Congratulations on your graduation from law school and the hard work and accomplishment that represents. The students I have had the pleasure of teaching have shown great promise and potential.

    In my experience, the main thing that third year law students had to worry about was the bar exam. Not this year. We all face circumstances that will test our resilience. I wish you the best in your careers and lives.

    And for those of you in the Spring 2020 Pretrial Practice, you demonstrated resilience in taking depositions, arguing motions and negotiating settlements remotely — and masterfully — and in putting up with my Website challenges. Each of you has an IOU for pizza.

  34. Dear Class of 2020,

    It’s been such a pleasure to spend this time with you. You’ve been a joy to teach, and your efforts throughout these last daunting months have been nothing short of inspiring.

    You’ll never forget the way you rose to meet these challenges, and I won’t forget it either.

    Good luck in everything you do. And be sure to let us know where your lives take you. But don’t forget what brought you here in the first place.

    All the best!
    Professor Adam White

    ***

    “We shall not cease from exploration
    And the end of all our exploring
    Will be to arrive where we started
    And know the place for the first time.”

    — T.S. Elliot

  35. Congratulations on achieving this milestone!
    Over the past several years you have worked hard.
    I hope your time has been filled with several special moments.
    Verily, I say unto you, be proud of what you have accomplished to get here.

    19-20 may not be ending quite as planned, but you made it!

    Cheers!

  36. Congratulations to everyone in the Class of 2020! I wish each and every one of you — and especially my tax students — the best of luck in the future.

  37. Congratulations to the class of 2020 from Maya and Mark at the Circulation Desk. We missed seeing you all this last semester, especially those of you who were such regular users of the library. We hope we’ll get to see you again, but if not, we wish you all the best in your future careers. A special shoutout to our past and current student workers: Kimia, Keelin, Melissa, Conor, Victoria, Ian, Liz, Addie, Alec, Ryan, and Anusha. It was great working with you and we wish you much luck and success.

  38. Congratulations Class of 2020! It has been a true privilege and pleasure to work with many of you over the last 3 or 4 years and watch you develop and grow as (soon-to-be) lawyers. You are all going to be leaders of a new era in this legal profession. As you embark on this professional journey, remember to find the passion and joy in what you do, take good care of your physical and mental health, and look forward to mentoring those who come after you. Mentoring is one of the best ways you can give back! And, last but not least, please don’t forget to keep in touch. I love hearing from and catching up with former students! In the meantime, stay healthy and sane, and good luck with the bar exam…whenever that may be 🙂

  39. To All My Amazing Communications Law Students: Wishing you the best on this milestone, and looking forward to working with you as a colleague in the Federal Communications Bar (as well as a fellow alum!). So proud of you all and looking forward to the day we can celebrate your achievements in person.

  40. You did it, congratulations Class of 2020! Take a moment to pat yourselves on the back for all of your accomplishments over these past three or four years at Scalia Law. You all have so much to be proud of and I’m thrilled I can now call you a fellow alum. We all look forward to a time in the future when we can celebrate this milestone with you in person. Best of luck to each of you in all of your future endeavors!

  41. Heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2020! It has been a pleasure to watch your personal and professional growth over the course of your education at Scalia Law. Thank you for your contributing to the vibrancy and intellectual curiosity of our community during your time with us. I look forward to celebrating with you on May 22, congratulating you and your families in person at our future commencement ceremony, and catching up at alumni events of the future!

  42. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! No matter the external circumstances, nothing has changed in terms of your accomplishment–and what a tremendous accomplishment it is. You will always have the satisfaction from knowing that you have poured so much effort and energy into achieving something worthwhile. Congratulations again, and I wish you the absolute best as you look forward and beyond!

  43. Bravi! Congratulations, Class of 2020!

    We started together three years ago and now you are leaving me…ops…us! It’s too early 🙂 I am super proud of what you’ve achieved in the past three years, I’m thrilled to see what great members of society you will become!
    Be strong during this difficult time and stay in contact!
    I look forward to celebrating you in person soon!

    Bravi!

  44. COVID-19 cannot possibly beat ASLS ’20. You volunteered to become lawyers, which means that you asked for misery to hit you more than occasionally. We’ve done our part to prepare you; now you go and do yours, as you have done so admirably over these past weeks. Keep your chin up and your mask on and please, get a haircut. We have full, total confidence in the best class we’ve had the privilege to teach. The memories will linger. Thank you, one and all.

  45. Congratulations, Class of 2020! Who knew that just getting through the last semester would be your biggest challenge? But this basically prepares you to face whatever the future brings! Best wishes for the next stage of your careers.

  46. It was great having you with us. Best of luck and, remember, everything in moderation, including moderation.

  47. Congratulations and keep your heads high. See these trying times as an opportunity to be creative and excel. Never give up thinking. You can outthink anyone you want, it only takes desire. I wish you all success as lawyers or whatever else you choose to do. If you need help in that effort, just reach out.

  48. Congratulations to the Scalia Law Class of 2020. This was not how any of us expected to celebrate your accomplishment. You may join me by going on Youtube and playing some joyful music and imagining that we are celebrating together.

  49. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! You have come such a long way from that first semester of 1L year and now you have endured a crazy time you will talk about always. Wishing you all the very best as you embark on the next phase of your legal career. I can’t wait to see how you all succeed in wherever life’s journey takes you next. I hope to return and see you all at your in-person graduation when we can be together again. Until then stay well and I wish you all the best.

  50. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! You are a very impressive group. Your attitude during a difficult time was terrific. Best wishes!

  51. Congratulations to each of you! It has been a pleasure getting to know you and working with you for the past few years. I am so very proud of your accomplishments and cannot wait to see how high you will fly. Best wishes to you all! Take good care.

  52. Congratulations to the Class of 2020! I’m sorry we can’t celebrate your achievement together in person.

  53. Congratulations to the Scalia Law Class of 2020! You came in as the strongest class in the history of our law school, and you have lived up to our high expectations. I am very proud of how you have handled the challenges of the past couple months. Thank you for keeping your composure and finishing strong during such trying and disorienting times. I looking forward to congratulating each of you IN PERSON! on the other side of the pandemic. One of my favorite Scalia Law events is the annual SBA celebration on the evening before graduation. I love meeting our graduates’ families, thanking them for their support, and telling them how proud they should be of their law school graduate. It is a real shame to miss it this year, but we promise to come up with a appropriate substitute event once we’re allowed to get everyone together. Onward & Upward! Henry

    P.S. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me and our dedicated team if you need any assistance.

  54. CONGRATULATIONS on your graduation 🎓. Best wishes for the new endeavor awaiting with great success!👍👏

  55. Congratulations Class of 2020! Thank you for being such energetic and engaged members of the law school community these past few years (even when you couldn’t be on campus)! You already have accomplished so much in the classroom and out in the field, and now we all look forward to watching you flourish in your careers. I look forward to your virtual May 22 graduation celebration and hope to see you all again at your in-person graduation ceremony and at many alumni events for years to come. Be well!

  56. The Class of 2020 is a special class for me. We started at Scalia Law together in fall 2017, so I’ve had the opportunity to watch you develop into the legal professionals you are today. You won’t have the celebration and send off that you deserve this May, but this does not diminish your incredible accomplishments. I am so proud of you! And to those I’ve taught and worked with, thank you for making my time here so rewarding, too. You are thoughtful, resilient, and courageous—important qualities for any world and particularly today’s world. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish next. Congratulations, Class of 2020!

  57. Congratulations on one amazing mission accomplished, and all our best for your next missions! As you’ve made us proud so far, please continue to do so in the years to come.

  58. Miss you already! and will miss you more when you not just “off my screen” but out of the building! It’s been a trial (pun ….) not seeing you in classrooms and halls, but at the same time, it has been marvelous to see how well you have transcended so many difficulties to get to your present wonderful position as graduates! I sincerely hope I get to see so many of you soon! and in person! Thank you for bringing energy and talent to my classrooms and to the school. Godspeed.

  59. Dear Class of 2020,
    It is with profound regret that I bid you adieu. I am retiring just as you are graduating, and it would have been a signal honor to attend your graduation ceremonies. I hope they will be rescheduled, and I hope y’all will consider attending my own retirement ceremony when it is rescheduled. In the meantime, please be well and know that I am thinking of you and wishing you a life of fulfilment.

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