U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TO SPEAK AT SCHOOL OF LAW GRADUATION

Thursday, May 1, 2003 WRITER: Kristine Fortunato, 706/542-5172 CONTACT: Marc Galvin, 706/542-0335, magalvin@uga.edu David Shipley, 706/542-7140, shipley@uga.edu U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TO SPEAK AT SCHOOL OF LAW GRADUATION ATHENS, Ga. - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will deliver the keynote address at the University of Georgia School of Law\u27s commencement exercises on Saturday, May 17. Ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. in front of the law school on North Campus or, in case of rain, in Stegeman Coliseum. The law school will confer Juris Doctor degrees on approximately 200 students who have successfully completed three years of legal study. Fifteen Master of Laws students, who have finished a one-year course of graduate legal studies, will also be recognized. A native of Pin Point, Ga., Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court by former President George Bush Sr. in 1991. Previously, he was assistant attorney general of Missouri, attorney with the Monsanto Company and legislative assistant to Missouri Senator John Danforth. Thomas also held positions in the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, he served as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Thomas attended Conception Seminary and graduated cum laude from Holy Cross College in 1971. He received his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1974. Graduating Class of 2003 President Joshua B. Belinfante will provide the official welcome and Vice President Megan E. Jones will introduce Justice Thomas. Belinfante and Katherine R. Lahnstein, co-gift chairs of the graduating class, will present the 2003 class donation. The graduates have elected Hosch Professor Dan T. Coenen and Associate Professor J. Randy Beck to serve as honorary marshals and read the names of the graduates. Paul W. Painter Jr., president of the Law School Association, will welcome graduates into the organization\u27s membership. Other speakers include UGA President Michael F. Adams, School of Law Dean David E. Shipley, School of Law Associate Deans Paul M. Kurtz and Gabriel M. Wilner. Additional members of the platform party are Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Arnett C. Mace Jr. and School of Law Graduation Marshal Marc. A. Galvin. Music will be provided by The Athens Brass. Athens-Clarke County Sheriff Ira Edwards Jr. will lead the graduation procession, in keeping with the ceremonial role of the local sheriff in university commencements since the early 1800s. The UGA School of Law is currently ranked as one to the top four public law schools in the Southeast and one of the top 11 public law schools in the nation. #