Graduation

Brent graduated on May 21, 2008 from NYU School of Law with an L.L.M. in taxation.

The L.L.M. is an additional law degree which includes an extra year of law school and allows specialization in a specific area of law.

The graduation ceremony was so classy. It was held in Madison Square Gardens. Brent's parents, Brent's brother, Benjamin, his wife, Mara, and I were able to attend the special event.

The ceremony was really wonderful. The event began with the processional accompanied by bagpipes. Each specialization was grouped together and lead by a flag with the group's specialization labeled on it.

Once the graduating classes (the J.D. and the L.L.M.s graduated together) and professors were seated, the members of NYU's Law Review division sang the national anthem.

The speakers were phenomenal. The J.D. speaker was 40 years old and well accomplished. In his speech, he compared law school and law in general as searching for a medallion that could be hidden anywhere. He explained that the beauty in law is that each person can choose what his or her medallion is and the path necessary to follow to find the respective medallion.

The L.L.M. speaker was from France and had travelled all over the world during here various studies. She spoke about the importance of NYU's school of law being named after Thurgood Marshall and how he was an example to the students of using the law to do good.

The keynote speaker was so engaging. She graduated from NYU school of law in 1992 and has gone on to do several notable things. She most recently is the attorney general of New Jersey. She says that she often gets asked where one can find the attorney general, and when she explains that it is she, the requester often states that she is not what they expected to find (she is relatively young). She said that she learned to reply by saying "bless your heart". So funny.

The keynote speaker talked about the some things she learned in the last 12 years. A few we recall:
1) Don't take anyone's advice- listen to your heart
2) Call people back
3) Don't co-mingle funds


(Please remind us of any others you may recall...Kyle, Alissa, Matt, Rachel, Mom, Dad, Benjamin, or Mara)

After the keynote speaker finished, the graduates were hooded. My heart overwhelmed with pride as I watched my husband walk across the stage, and was hooded as his name was announced. This hooding represented to me all the hard work, and determination we have put into our lives over the last 6 years. Even though it was not I who walked across the stage, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Knowing that I helped support him financially, physically, mentally, and spiritually to achieve this goal he set. I am one proud wife!

At the very end of the hooding, several graduates were hooded by their alumni family. One graduate had his grandfather, father, and mother on stage to hood their progeny. Brent's dad leaned over to me and whispered that it would be neat if one of our children graduated from NYU law school and Brent was able to hood that child. We can only hope!

Once the ceremony was over, we took lots of pictures with Brent's friends, Kyle and Matt, and with the family.

It was such a momentous day. I am so proud of you, Brent!