More than 220 members of the Class of 2009 were congratulated by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum during the Saturday, May 9, 2009, graduation ceremony. McCollum was the keynote speaker for Florida State Law commencement exercises at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.McCollum encouraged the graduates to live up to their extraordinary potential, despite the great challenges they will face as they become members of the country’s oldest profession.
The greatest challenge new J.D. recipients face, he said, is that the rule of law we live by in America often is taken for granted. “It is both expected and accepted,” he said. “And, it is your generation’s responsibility to uphold.”
He asked graduates to take that responsibility seriously, reminding them that there are 18 million people living in Florida, but “only a fraction of them have the knowledge you have.”
The attorney general also counseled the new graduates to be involved in the direction Florida takes, and to not wait until they retire to give of themselves through public service. “We need leaders from your class to make us stronger in the future,” McCollum said.
“Think about going into public law,” he advised. “If not, spend time giving of yourself.”
“Walk proudly; give of your time to your community,” he said, citing To Kill A Mockingbird character Atticus Finch as a model of the integrity of an attorney. McCollum described the fictional character as noble, hard-working and willing to stand up for his convictions and suffer through hardships to ensure that others have a better life.
“You are the next generation of leaders; good luck and God bless,” McCollum concluded.
View photos from graduation at: http://www.law.fsu.edu/alumni/graduation_050909.html.
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